Page 66 of The Keeper

With a stuttered exhale, she guided my hands down to her breasts. “Here.”

I trailed kisses over the marks on her pink skin, my lips barely grazing the bruised flesh. When I pulled back to search her eyes, they were heavy-lidded, a mixture of pain and need swirling in their depths.

“Where else?” I asked, my voice rough.

“Here,” she whispered, guiding my hands down to her thighs.

I sank to my knees, skimming my fingers over the angry red crescents before pressing my mouth to each mark. “I’m sorry, baby,” I breathed against her skin. “I’m so fucking sorry.”

She shuddered at the warmth of my exhales against her sensitive skin. I wanted to erase every trace of his touch with my tongue, to reclaim every inch of her body as mine. But I forced myself to pull back, not wanting to push too far.

Then her hands were in my hair, urging me up. Our mouths collided roughly, her tongue slipping between my lips. Her hands moved frantically over my muscles before anchoring against my chest, her fingernails scoring my skin.

I gripped her hips to steady her as she pressed against me. Her mouth was desperate and demanding against mine, seeking comfort and oblivion. I wanted to give her both, to erase the horror of the morning from her mind, even if only for a little while. But I let her set the pace, afraid of pushing too far.

When we finally broke apart, both of us panting, Piper rested her chin against my chest. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize, darlin’. Not to me.”

She took a shaky breath, her voice cracking as she admitted, “I lied to you.”

“About what?” I asked, bracing myself for her confession.

Piper’s teeth sank into her lower lip, tears spilling onto her lower lashes. “The note that was in my purse. It wasn’t about baking supplies.”

I wanted to stop her, to tell her I didn’t want to know. But a larger part needed to hear the truth, no matter how much it hurt.

“Someone left it in my locker with some chocolates and painkillers when I was on my period,” she said, her flushed cheeks turning a darker shade of red.

“I know,” I said, swallowing past the lump in my throat. “I saw it when you were in the shower.”

“Why didn’t you say anything then?”

I shut off the water and grabbed a couple of towels before answering. “I thought about calling you out on it and forcing you to tell me the truth, but that’s not really a great way to build trust,” I said dryly. “Also, I wasn’t sure I wanted to know if you were involved with someone else. I’m still not.”

Piper’s eyebrows shot up. “You—you thought I was cheating on you? Oh my god, no wonder you’ve been sleeping on the couch,” she said, groaning into her hands before huffing out a breath. “I lied about the note because I thought you’d make me quit my job or, worse, show up and cause a scene.”

“Is it from Derek?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think so. I mean, it’s not his handwriting. Honestly, it’s not the first time stuff has been left in my locker, but it was the first time there was a note attached. And I don’tknow who left it or if it’s connected to what happened today, but I wanted you to know.”

I took the towel from Piper’s hands and wrapped it around her body. “How long has this been going on?”

“A year, maybe?” she guessed with a shrug. “It’s typically little things like candy or gift cards for my favorite coffee shop. I assumed everyone was getting them until a few months ago when I mentioned it to one of my coworkers.”

“And you never thought to mention it?” I couldn’t keep the edge out of my voice.

“Because I didn’t think it was a big deal, Dane,” she said softly. “And things have been so strained between us lately. I was afraid you’d overreact.”

I bit back a growl of frustration. “Overreact? Someone’s been stalking you, and two men just held you at gunpoint. I’d say any reaction I have is pretty fucking justified.”

Piper winced at my tone, and I immediately regretted snapping at her. I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down.

“I’m sorry,” I said, pulling her against my chest.

She melted into my embrace with a shuddering sigh. “I hate how things have been lately and just want us to be okay again.”

“Hey, we will be. I promise.” I lifted her in my arms, trying to ignore the penetrating ache in my chest as I carried her to the bedroom. Her skin was still damp from the shower, and she began shivering when I lowered her onto the bed.

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