Lights Out (27 page)

“Me, too.”

“What do you and Shane have planned?” she asked.

“Nothing much. The usual opening gifts on Christmas day, followed by my cooking dinner.”

“Want to hang out with us?” she asked.

“When?”

“Whenever, no set schedule. I’m going to relax these next two weeks, work at the shop, do whatever the girls want to do each day. Kind of go with the flow.”

“Sure. Hanging out sounds good,” he said, eyes moving around the gym.

“You’re working next week, right?” she asked.

“Yes, and you’ve got Shane,” he said, looking at her for confirmation.

“Yep.”

“Have you finished your Christmas shopping?” he asked.

“Yes. Only have a little bit left,” she said, pausing a minute. “Friday night after Christmas is zydeco night at the shop. I’ve moved the date back to include it in the holidays. Want to come?”

He smiled. “You might be able to talk me into it,” he said, wanting to kiss her right now. That wasn’t possible, so he settled for pulling her to him in a short hug, which surprised her. She punched him, laughing.

“You,” she said.

“What?” he replied. “But since you’ve brought that up, when can we get together again? I’m behind in my list of things to introduce you to,” he said, all humor gone, his eyes smoldering.

“Hey, you’re the one that promised me demanding, and I got to tell you, so far…” she said, looking at him, “…I’m not so sure you’re holding up your end.”

He laughed, ending with a wolf-sized grin and a nod of his head. He moved close to her side, close enough for her ears only.

“Joe…oh, Joe…yes…whatever you say, Joe, yes…right there, Joe,” he said, mimicking her. She gave him a quick, hard jab into his side, and he laughed. “What?” he said, watching as she turned away, hips swinging.

* * *

“Thanks for coming and for helping me,” she said to Joe as he sat on a stool next to the counter. Piper stood behind it passing out drinks, meeting and greeting the families that came to what she called Zydeco Christmas. It was definitely family night today, even more so as locals brought their family members along that were in for the holidays. Everyone was dancing, clearly in the mood for celebrating.

Taylor, Kennedy, and Shane were holed up in the corner on a video game, four of them at a time, playing, fighting or whatever the game of choice involved. It was near midnight.

Piper loved having people here; it always brought her back to her childhood days. She looked over at Joe, who sat engaging in a little people watching of his own. She’d caught his eyes on her often, pleased and hopeful…just a little hopeful, anyway.

“You love this,” he said, and she smiled.

“Yes, I do. Always. The shops help me feel connected,” she said, looking around the room before turning back to him. “I’m glad you’re here, you and Shane,” she added in case that was too much for him. He smiled but didn’t say anything.

She was glad he’d attended, and that he’d stayed. They’d danced earlier, and, of course he could keep up with her. Joe of the many surprises—dancing, a good uncle, good friend, great and way more creative in bed than she’d known a person could be. Who came up with all those positions?

“What?” he said, catching that look in her eye.

“Nothing.”

“Sure, nothing,” he said, but he let it go and gave her one of his killer smiles. She shook her head.

He continued to sit at the makeshift bar, watching her as she laughed and talked with her customers. She was one talkative woman. She could talk to just about anyone. He’d known that, but watching her in her element was a learning experience. He only talked when he had to, kept to himself mostly, cordial for work, but nowhere near her on the social scale.

Had he ever been that free and unguarded? It had become second nature to keep his feelings to himself. But it hadn’t always been that way, had it? There were times he remembered from his childhood, good times; every now and then he’d catch a glimpse of them, some old forgotten memory of life before drink ruled their home. There were some happy times after he moved in with his foster family. They had given him a slice of what a family could be, but he’d stopped looking for that long ago.

He had spent a lot of time with her this week, she and her sisters, him and Shane, a make-shift hodgepodge of a family. They’d taken in a few movies, gone skating, bowling, just about anything the kids could come up with. He found himself relaxing this week. The fact that Piper was a friend lessened the pressure of having to entertain her. He could just be himself and not have to worry about keeping it simple, fending off the inevitable questions about taking this relationship further.

“Joe.” He heard his name and turned to find her smiling at him. “Want to help me find something in the back?” Her grin let him know that there was something special to be found back there.

This was fine for him now. He didn’t need more or want more.

* * *

January

It was the last Monday in January. Where had the time gone? Piper lay in her bed, waiting for Joe. They were meeting at her home this morning instead of at the coffee shop.

It was a convenience for them both, a superb tactic to accommodate their appetites for sex. No more long stretches of time in between; neither seemed able to do that anymore.

She heard the front door open, followed by his footsteps in the hall, moving closer to her room until he was there, standing in her door. Her heart did a double take. Him and that sexy-ass smile, cocksure and confident. He deserved it to be confident; he had earned all of his strut and swagger, at least as far as she was concerned.

“I like it when you’re here, waiting for me,” he said, smiling, kicking off his shoes, slipping out of his jeans and ditching his t-shirt as he sauntered over to the bed, slowly removing his boxers.

Her eyes roamed over him and he smiled. He pulled back the covers, immediately sliding in and situating himself on top of her, loving the way she felt underneath him.

“So what are you up for today?” she asked as he lowered his head, taking her lips in a kiss.

He didn’t respond, caught up in the pleasure of his mouth on hers, hot, moist, and mesmerizing. He’d think about tying her up later. Right now he just wanted in; he pushed her legs apart and moaned into her mouth as he entered her.

* * *

“What’s that?” she said, turning on her side about thirty minutes later, looking over to a package he’d dropped by the door when he’d entered earlier.

“That’s for you. Or at least I had you in mind when I purchased it,” he said, and watched as she stood up and walked toward it. He stared, transfixed by the sight of her nude form. He watched her from his perch on the bed, on his back, pushing up to his elbows as she stood there and opened his package.

Her mouth fell open after she’d removed the packaging. “What am I supposed to do with this?” she asked, holding it up in her hand.

“Wear it.”

“Not much of it to wear. It’s just an apron. Is there something missing?” She tried the apron around her waist. “A French maid? Really, Joe? Where’s the rest of it? I know there’s supposed to be a dress with it.”

“Don’t forget the cap. Those were the only pieces I wanted,” he said. His eyes started to smolder again.

“You are one strange man,” she said, putting on the cap and walking back toward the bed.

“You’ve led a sheltered life, Renee, if you think that’s strange,” he said, observing her as she strolled over to him.

“Where are those boots I like so much?” he said, smiling, his eyes becoming darker now, a smoky grey.

She laughed and straddled him, pushing him back on the bed.

“No boots. And I’ll show you sheltered,” she said, laughing.

* * *

Later on that morning, Joe waited for Piper to come back to bed. She’d gone downstairs to retrieve cups of coffee for them both. He was now hanging over the side, nude still, on his stomach, his BlackBerry in hand, waiting for her to return. They needed to cover the week’s events.

He heard her feet in the hall outside and looked up as she entered, smiling at her. She was a pretty woman. He hadn’t thought so at first, and couldn’t tell you when he began to see her that way. He’d always loved her body and would have thought he’d gotten used to seeing it, but it continually had the power to arouse him. He liked that she didn’t seem overly concerned with her looks, didn’t make a fuss over herself.

She strolled over, sat two cups of coffee down on the nightstand, and laid down next to him. They were both crossways on her bed now, on their stomachs, BlackBerries in their hands, legs stretched out behind them.

“Okay, what does your week look like?”

“Training off-site, most of it starting tomorrow, strictly eight to five, so I should be able to pick Shane up from school after basketball practice this week.”

“Friday the kids are out all day—parent teacher conferences,” she said. “Have you signed up for yours yet?”

“Yep. I’m scheduled for 9:30. You?”

“Afternoon,” she said.

“I’ll drop Shane off here Friday morning before I go in?”

“Sure,” she said, mind focused on entering information. “Can you pick up the kids on Thursday?”

It was quiet while he looked over that day’s calendar.

“Yep.”

“Training at the shop?” he asked.

“No, covering for someone.”

“Anything else?” he asked, looking over at her, reaching for the coffee cup and taking a sip.

“Nope. It’s all good.”

“It looks like I have a few more minutes before I need to get moving,” he said, taking another sip from his cup before setting it back down on the nightstand. “Was there anything else in that package?”

“Yes, but we’re not using it,” she replied, turning to face him, her look skeptical. “Duct tape, Joe? Really? I don’t even want to know.” She watched as he set his BlackBerry on her nightstand, reaching for hers and placing it next to his.

“Hey, it’s pink,” he said, grinning.

“I don’t care if it’s gold-plated and covered in diamonds.”

“Fine. Too soon. I understand. We’ll have to figure something else out, then,” he said, reaching for her again, laughing, pulling her in as she pretended to resist.

* * *

Valentine’s Day

Joe stood by the punch bowl in the small gym at Shane’s school. His assigned task was to pour drinks for the participants and to act as a chaperone. Easy. Taylor and Shane’s class was having an old-fashioned Valentine’s Day dance, which meant dancing with air and daylight between two bodies.

The kids were now paired up, dancing their version of the waltz, trying to avoid looking at each other, except the girls that were into boys.

“Taking a break from the cake-cutting?” Joe said to Hassan, another parent.

“Yes. I was just filling in for my wife, who was running late. Thankfully she’s here,” he said, reaching for a cup of punch for himself.

“Where is your wife?” Hassan asked him.

“My wife?” Joe said, startled. “I’m not married.”

“You aren’t? I thought you and Piper…” Hassan said, his voice trailing off at the look on Joe’s face. “I’m sorry. I just assumed. I see you two together so much, I just thought…”

“No. I’m not married. She’s a good friend of mine. Her sisters are good friends of Shane’s,” he explained.

“Oh, I see. Sorry. I didn’t mean to offend.”

“I’m not offended.”

Piper walked over to the table dressed in a sexy black and red dress, some kind of print, her hair pulled up, feet in some pretty red shoes, toes painted red with small hearts. When had oddly-painted toes become a turn-on for him?

“Hey, Hassan. Joe,” she said, smiling at them both.

“Hello,” Hassan said, looking over at Joe again. “I’d better go back and help my wife,” he said, turning and walking away.

“What’s up with him?” she asked.

“Nothing,” Joe said, shrugging. “He thought you were my wife. Isn’t that funny?” He smiled, like that was the best joke of the day.

“Yep. Pretty funny,” she replied, her tone neutral, her face blank.

“The room turned out great. Good work on the decorations,” he said, looking around again.

“Thanks,” she said, watching the kids. They’d stopped dancing and were now headed toward the food and punch tables. “You’re about to get busy,” she said, handing him an empty cup to fill. “The kids are headed this way.”

He took the cup from her hand and filled it with punch, then reached for another one. He’d filled a few already, so he had a head start on the rush.

“Hey, Trudy,” Piper said, handing a drink over to her as she walked up.

“Things turned out really nice. You look great. Doesn’t she look nice, Joe?” Trudy asked, looking over at him.

“Yes, she does,” he said, running his eyes over Piper as he took another empty cup from her hand.