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Chapter One
Piper
Thedaysarebecomingmore exhausting as they continue, especially when all I do is work. As a fashion designer, there isn’t one minute in my day that I can take a breath and relax. Not until I get home. Even then I don’t get to relax much.
When I pull up to my house, there’s an unfamiliar SUV sitting in the drive, and a man standing outside of it leaning against the hood. I don’t recall anyone coming today, but with everything else I’ve had to worry about it wouldn’t be wrong that I forgot. As soon as I cut the engine to my car, I lift my purse from the front seat and keep my hand inside of it with my fingers curled around a bottle of mace.
At least if they’re going to hurt me, I can be prepared. My steps come to a halt when the man turns around and I catch sight of the bright green eyes shining back at me. Green eyes I used to see almost every day as I grew up, and ones that I dreamed of for years when I was in college. I clear my throat and give him a friendly smile, trying my hardest not to track my gaze down his body.
It doesn’t matter that it’s been a couple of years since I’ve seen him, it’s like he hasn’t aged a day. How can it be possible that he’s more handsome than ever? I close my eyes and suck in a deep breath as I try and remember that the sexy man in front of me is my father’s best friend. “Beau, long time no see! I’m surprised to see you here!” I say, cringing at the high pitch in my voice.
He doesn’t seem to notice though as he smiles back at me and spreads his arms wide. “What, no hug?” I reluctantly step into his arms, the warmth emanating from his hard body blanketing me like a shield. As I pull away and look up at him, he brings his hands to my cheeks, the touch sparking something inside of me I haven’t felt since the last time I saw him. “You look great, kiddo.”
Ugh.Thatword. For years I had wished that Beau would stop calling me kiddo and see me as a grown woman, but that wish hasn’t been granted yet, obviously. The chuckle I let out is forced and I brush my dark curls away from my face, blinking up at him. “You look pretty great too, Beau. What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you in ages so I’d remember if you were on my schedule for today.”
He nods, then glances at my house. “I’m working on the addition to your house.” My surprise must be obvious because he lets out a deep chuckle that settles deep in my belly. “You hired my company and I wanted to oversee it myself personally.”
“Ah, that makes sense.” I had completely forgotten someone was coming here, my mind was so scrambled and mixed up I thought it wasn’t for another week or so. “I also completely got the days mixed up, but I’ll get you situated in the guest house as soon as I’ve unloaded my things.”
He nods, then glances toward the small cottage and shrugs. “Let me help. Pass me that box of files and your briefcase. Your dad’s filled me in on how well your business is doing so I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
The caring look in his eyes has me snapping my gaze away from his and nodding. “That’s one way to put it.” Then I nudge my head toward the front door of my house and smile at him. “Thanks,” I say as I do as he suggests and give him the box and briefcase. I grab my grocery bags and start to walk towards the house. “Just bring all that inside and then we can head on over to the guest house.”
His footsteps behind me has my body shaking with nerves and I stumble up the steps, but his hand shoots out to grab me before I can fall. The electricity that shoots through my arm has my breath hitching and he pulls away as soon as I’m steady on my feet. I shake the feeling away, then head for the front door and push it open.
“Just give me a couple of minutes to change,” I mumble before hurrying up the steps and into my bedroom.
As soon as I get into the privacy of my room, I take a few deep breaths before getting out of my work clothes and changing into my comfy yoga pants and t-shirt. It’s always a relief at the end of the day to change out of my ‘fashion designer wardrobe’ as I call it. If I could wear sweats and a t-shirt every day, that would be my idea of heaven, as the tight skirts and blouses are not comfortable at all for long days in the office..
Apparently, it’s part of my image though, so that’s how everyone expects me to look. A bath would be nice right now, but I need to get Beau settled in the guest house. I quickly tie my hair up into a bun, then rush out of the bedroom and put my best face on. Beau’s standing tall in front of the fireplace, studying the images placed neatly in a row on the mantelpiece above it.
His wide frame is more buff than I remember, or maybe I’m just noticing more of him than I used to. Either way, the t-shirt he’s wearing is hugging his biceps and my tongue darts out over my bottom lip. This is embarrassing. My eyes are on his ass when he turns around and I quickly dart my gaze up to his face. There’s something about the smirk on his face that has me wondering if I was caught, but he doesn’t make it known.
“You’ve got a great place here, kiddo.”
Sometimes I wish I could scream how infuriating it is that he uses that name for me. I’m not a kid anymore, and my body is itching to show him as much, but I manage to keep myself back. I nod, glancing around the space I’ve slowly made into my home, and smile. “Thanks, it took a lot of work, but it’s home.”
There’s always been something missing, but I’ve tried not to ponder too much on the fact I haven’t got the family I always dreamed of. Beau walks closer to me, severing the distance, and I back up a few steps while clearing my throat. “Let’s, uh, get you situated in the guest house, shall we?”
He nods, brushing past me, and heads out onto the front porch. I follow him, my gaze completely focused on the ground so I don’t get caught looking at him again. It’s not easy, though, as Beau is the embodiment of every woman’s fantasy.
Broad shoulders, long, dark hair, and eyes that are unforgettable. He’s also an amazing human being. In all the years I’ve known him, I’ve never seen one instance where Beau was selfish, and that’s coming from a girl who grew up around money. He’s never acted like he has money though, not even when he made a name for himself with his contracting company.
I lift the key for the guest house from my pocket, unlock the front door, and let Beau lead the way inside. My hand brushes over the wall, until my fingers catch the light switch and I flick it on. Light illuminates the entire space and we look around.
“I’m sorry it seems so sparse, Beau. The place hasn’t ever been occupied so I didn’t feel the need to furnish it with a lot. I’ll make sure to have someone deliver more furniture immediately.”
“It’s no problem, kiddo. I don’t need a lot. I’ll be on site most of the time so will just need a bed. You’ve got a sofa and a tv so I can watch the football. It’s all good.”
“Wow, ok, then. Make sure you let me know if there’s anything you need, though. Let’s go take a look around, shall we?”
There’s a small staircase that leads to the top floor, where two bedrooms are situated, and an open floor plan on the first floor with large windows that face every inch of the property. The day bed that sits along one window is one of my favorite spots. It’s got great lighting and views over the land out the back. It’s the perfect place to cozy up with a good book.
My eyes catch onto a couple of boxes and I smile nervously at him. “It still needs a little cleaning up, but I’ll get to that the moment I get a break from work.” Which at this rate will never happen, but could eventually if I believe it enough.
He shakes his head with a smile. “No, don’t worry about that. It’s perfect, thank you.” I stay close to the door, watching as he walks slowly around the place, his eyes scanning every inch, and I’m nervous it won’t be enough for him. If he wanted, there’s room for him in my house, but that thought opens a big can of worms that I’d rather not get out into the open.
“Well,” I say, breaking the silence. “I’ll leave you to get yourself settled, don’t worry about any messes. There’s a maid that comes twice a week to do both houses.”
