That First Kiss (16 page)

             
A short woman with a severe bob looked up at her as she approached the counter. “Hi.” Piper turned on her professionally friendly smile. She was inordinately nervous about this meeting. Maybe it had something to do with all the primping she’d done last night. “I’m here to see Mr. Revado.”

             
“Ms. Donovan?” The way the woman said her name indicated she was expected.

             
“That’s me.”

             
“Tom’s in the kitchen. Have a seat while I go tell him you’re here.” She pointed to a quaint little seating area set off to one side.

             
Piper made herself comfortable on the rattan couch and picked a magazine from the pile, settling on one of a dozen featuring some kind of delicious looking food on the cover. By the time Tom appeared, her stomach was growling.

             
“Piper,” he greeted, smiling hugely.

             
Piper’s breath caught as she looked up into a set of familiar chocolate brown eyes. “Thomas?” Finally, after hours of racking her brain, she was able to put voice to face. “I knew you sounded familiar.” Tossing the magazine to the side, she jumped to her feet, trying not to look too excited. Epic. Fail.

             
“I wondered if you’d recognize me.” Tom flashed that bright, flawless smile at her and her insides melted a little.

             
“Oh come on,” she said, playfully swatting his arm. “As if I could ever forget a face like that.” She’d been mortified when he took back his card at
Night Life
,
essentially ending any possibility they might get together in the future. Well, it looked like fate was giving them a second chance.

             
Tom stepped forward and embraced her in a friendly hug. When they drew back, he kept one hand on the small of her back. “Come, let’s go to the back. I have everything set up.” To the girl who manned the counter he said, “Liv, hold my calls.”

             
Liv nodded and returned to her station. “Have a nice lunch, Tom.” She looked at Piper and despite the small smile; Piper felt a chill run down her spine. She shook it off as Tom guided her through a curved archway.

             
“Excuse Liv,” he said close to her ear. “She’s a friend of mine’s little cousin. She has a little crush on me and tends to get a tad territorial.”

             
Piper turned on him, surprised and a little relieved to know that she hadn’t just been imagining the little exchange. “Are you suggesting she’s threatened by me?”

             
Tom lifted an eyebrow in way of answer. Apparently he thought she should be. Interesting.

             
Piper was led through a kitchen of gleaming stainless steel, out a heavy industrial grade door, and back outside to what she assumed to be the rear of the building. A concrete slab decorated with potted ferns and two plastic tables surrounded by chairs welcomed them.

             
“This looks cozy,” Piper commented, taking a seat at the second table. It skirted the edge of the patio and was bathed in afternoon sunlight. A plate of yummy looking treats covered in plastic wrap sat in the middle waiting for them.

             
“Thank you.” Like a gentleman, Tom helped scoot her chair in before drawing up a seat beside her. “I thought we could start with sandwiches and work our way toward dessert.”

             
Piper nodded. She was starving, so anything sounded good to her. Tom peeled back the plastic revealing tiny triangle wedges layered with color. Her stomach rumbled at the sight.

             
“I like a girl who comes prepared,” Tom laughed. Picking up a wedge, he passed it to her.

             
Trying to contain her enthusiasm when all she wanted to do was devour it, Piper sunk her teeth into the sandwich and moaned at the explosion of flavor. Cool tomatoes, crisp bacon, and smoky meat.

             
“Good?”

             
“Perfect,” Piper said around the mouthful.

             
Tom popped an entire wedge into his mouth and Piper watched, fascinated as he chewed. He had a gorgeous mouth.

             
Piper lost track of time. Tom was a very good host. He plied her with all kinds of mouthwatering morsels and tasty confections, including mini strawberry tarts that practically melted on her tongue.

             
“I don’t think I can eat another bite,” she said a while later. Piper sat back in her chair, patting her belly and sighing contentedly. She didn’t think she had ever eaten so well before in her life. If Tom could impress her with these tiny bits of food, she was more than confident that he was up for the task of catering the event in Vegas.

             
“Not yet you’re not. You haven’t tried my specialty yet.” The back door opened and out stepped one of the employees that had been charged with delivering each dish—a young man with disheveled dishwater blond hair and kind eyes. He removed the empty platter and filled the space with another.

             
“This is your specialty?” Piper stifled a giggle.

             
“What?”

             
“Nothing,” Piper said quickly, trying to hide her amusement. “I just didn’t expect…this.” Several fat strawberries dipped in chocolate sat before her; each one drizzled artfully with contrasting white chocolate. They looked positively delicious.

             
“Strawberries? They’re a delicacy. They can be simple and sweet, or they can be rich and seductive.” Tom scooped one up and, turning his chair toward her, leaned forward, his rich chocolate brown eyes smoldering. He held the fruit up. “Everybody loves strawberries.”

             
“Unless they’re allergic,” Piper pointed out wisely, feeling a little nervous being under the full weight of his stare.

             
Tom appeared to hesitate, pulling back slightly. “Are you allergic?”

             
“No.”

             
“Well then.” Holding the berry aloft, Tom brought it up to her lips, teasing them with the smooth chocolate covered tip. The look he gave her was nothing short of heart pounding.

             
Piper licked her lips, her tongue catching a drop of sweet juice and held his gaze as she prepared to sink her teeth in. She was just parting her lips when she was startled by the sound of a male voice.

             
“Ah, there you are.” Tate breezed onto the patio and pulled out a chair, seating it as close to hers as possible. Piper had to jerk her hand off one of the arms, narrowly avoiding getting her fingers pinched by the plastic.

             
Tom pulled back almost instantly, his face a mask of confusion and aggravation. Piper stared, dumbfounded. What was he doing here?

             
Tate smiled widely, showing off his straight white teeth. His eyes sparkled with mischief as he looked down at her.  “Sorry I’m late. What did I miss?”

20

“I still can’t believe he did that.” Piper nodded as she worked to unpack her suitcase. More than twenty-four hours had passed and she was still fuming at Tate over the stunt he had pulled at Tom’s. Her only consolation was that Shelia was angry for her.

             
“Me either, but should we really be surprised?” How had he found out about the meeting in the first place? It was a question that she had asked herself a dozen times. As far as she knew, the only people who knew where she would be were the girls. She had called to tell Tate that she wouldn’t be by until sometime after lunch since she had intended to use the extra time to get properly ready for their date. Of course it wasn’t a date, she amended as she stuffed several pairs of underwear into the top drawer of the complimentary dresser, but he didn’t know that.

             
The only explanation she could come up with, and promptly brushed off, was that Tate had followed her, but then, wouldn’t he have made his presence known sooner if that was the case? Maybe she was over thinking it. She really just needed to let it go. There was so much she needed to worry about still and dwelling on what might have been was only going to drive her even more out of her mind than she already was.

             
“Nothing about that man surprises me,” Shelia responded. “So, tell me about the flight. Did everything go alright?”

             
“Well, we didn’t crash and burn, so that’s something.” Piper hated flying. Being forced into a tin can and hurtling through the air at over five hundred miles per hour was not her idea of a relaxing time. She was so tired from staying up all night worrying about it that she was practically dead on her feet. But there would be no rest for her today, because her job had only just begun.

             
“Listen to you,” Shelia reprimanded. “Anyone would love to be in your position. A free flight to Vegas, posh hotel on the house. I swear to God, if you tell me that the meals are included, I will slit my wrists.”

             
“Meals are included,” Piper smiled devilishly.

“Cow,” Shelia sneered down the line, but Piper knew she meant it in the best possible way.

Emptying the last of her belongings, she tossed her suitcase on the floor sunk down on the edge of the bed. “I’m so tired,” she moaned, flopping onto her back and covering her face with her arm. “The last thing I want to do is worry about how many quiche we have or if there are enough brochures. Mr. Bradshaw will have my head if everything isn’t perfect for this event.” Of course, she was just guessing. She still had yet to meet the mysterious man responsible for cutting her paychecks.

“Then maybe he should have thought about that before he dumped this thing on
you at the last-minute.” Shelia’s indignation on her behalf was truly heartwarming. It made Piper long for home.

“I wish you were here.”

“Me too, doll.” Shelia sighed longingly. “We could paint the town red. I’ve always dreamed of going to Vegas and meeting a rich man and having his babies.”

“You do know that the movie didn’t even come close to ending that way,” Piper said, referring to Shelia’s
longtime dream of rolling out of bed one day and stepping to Demi Moore’s role in
Indecent Proposal
, only with a few “minor” changes.

“It did in my head.” Shelia sniffed primly. “So anyway. Where are your men staying tonight? Tell me they were out of spare rooms and that sexy Latino was forced to shack up with you.”

“No,” Piper laughed. “Unfortunately I will be very much alone this weekend.”

“Jesus, Piper, at least have a heart and lie to
a girl.”

“I’m sorry,” Piper apologized
, quickly fashioning a proper story to satisfy her friend’s tendency for flair. “What I meant to say was when I checked in we were informed that there had been a mix-up. Apparently, Tom’s room was given away by accident.” Shelia gasped, and Piper grinned.

“
He asked around, hoping to double up with one of his staff, but no one was willing. So, I stepped in. I have a king-size bed, so why not share? He was hesitant at first, but after I pointed out that there really was no other option, he relented.”

She dropped her voice into a conspiratorial whisper. “I shou
ld stop now. He might overhear, but I just can’t keep it to myself any longer.” Piper could barely contain her laughter.  “The moment we stepped into the room, he tore my clothes off and, Shelia, I just couldn’t help myself. I let him have his wicked way with me.”

Piper was met with complete silence. “Shelia? Are you still there?”

“Mm hmm,” she hummed. “Yep, that should do it.”

“
I don’t even want to know,” Piper chuckled. “You’re welcome, but fair warning, one of these days you’re going to have to find a new porn supplier.”

“Ugh, don’t I know it,” Shelia returned. “Your material is getting seriously stale.”

Piper grinned. “What do you expect from a girl who has so little life experience?” She sighed, shrugging off that depressing reality. “But anyway, I really should let you go. I have way too much to do and if I lay here any longer, I’m going to fall asleep.”

“What? You get a girl all worked up and then leave, just like that?”

“You know I would hold you if I could,” Piper teased.

“Sure, you say that now, when you’re halfway across the country.
So, when does this thing go down?” she asked, switching topics.

“Bright and early tomorrow morning, and if everything goes off as well as I’m hoping, Tate should walk away with a few more fans in his pocket.”

“Well, who could resist that glowing personality?” Shelia made it no secret that she detested the man. Yes, she still thought he was a fine male specimen, but she held little respect for him after everything Piper had confided in her since she started working for him.

She felt kind of bad, because although she knew that Tate was a difficult man to deal with, she couldn’t deny that she felt something more for him, something that went beyond a simple working relationship
or basic human attraction. She didn’t want anyone thinking he was a bad person just because she had a hard time handling him.

“He’s a good writer, and people love him,” she said, her words coming out more defensive than she intended.
“Despite his shortcomings, he’s really not a bad guy.”

“I’m sure you’re right, but anyone can seem nice when you don’t really know them.”

Shelia’s words made sense, but she spent every single day with Tate. There was no way he could hide his true nature from her that long, and it wasn’t like he was trying to anyway. No matter what Shelia said, Piper knew she was the exception, the one person Tate didn’t hide from.               Piper felt her shoulders relax a little as she let some of the tension fall away.

“I hear you
,” she said, dragging herself to her feet and heading back to the dresser to select fresh clothing. Shelia meant well, and Piper could admit that her concerns weren’t totally unfounded. At the moment, however, she didn’t have the energy to debate the issue. “Look, I gotta get ready. Call you later?”

“You’d better,” Shelia warned. “I want all the juicy details. And they better be juicy.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Piper said, saluting her friend even though she couldn’t see the action. “Talk to you later.” Piper ended the call, still smiling as she headed for the bathroom to freshen up.

*****

“Something smells wonderful.” Piper entered the bustling kitchen, locating Tom almost immediately.
He stood off to the side before a long stretch of counter. Dressed casually in a pair of dark jeans and a green Henley with the sleeves pushed up and an apron over top, he presented a delicious picture for her to feast her eyes on.

Hearing her voice, he turned his head to look at her and graced her with one of his dazzling smiles. “Hey you.” His eyes traveled over her briefly, but she couldn’t miss the s
park of desire that darkened them.

             
Coming up beside him, Piper leaned her hip against the counter. “Hey yourself. What are you making?” She pointed to the large mixing bowl, watching as he beat the hell out of a dark creamy concoction with rapid flicks of his wrist. She couldn’t help noticing how the action made the muscles in his arms and chest flex. It was a bit distracting.

             
“Are you listening?”

             
Piper blinked and brought her eyes up to meet his. “I’m sorry, what?”

             
Tom looked at her strangely, and then shook his head, his full lips curving into a crooked smile. His attention returned to the bowl in front of him. “I said it’s the batter for the brownies.”

             
Piper’s eyes lit up. “The dark chocolate ones with the ginger ice cream and caramel sauce?”

             
Tom smiled widely. “That’s the one. Want a taste?” He reached up and pulled down a spoon from one of the baskets resting on a shelf overhead.

             
“Does a bear shit in the woods?”

             
Tom burst out laughing, shaking his head as he dipped the spoon into the batter and brought it to her lips. “You certainly have a way with words, Ms. Donovan. Open up.”

             
Piper had died and gone to heaven. “Oh, God,” she moaned. “It’s like an orgasm in my mouth.” When she peeled her eyes open, she found Tom staring back at her fervently.

             
“More?” he asked gruffly.

             
Piper’s eyes flicked to his mouth. She definitely wanted more. Reaching out, she took the spoon from his hand and, with a devious smile, dipped it back into the bowl. “Yes.” She let the single word roll off her tongue, uncaring that it came out like a throaty promise. If Shelia could see her now, she’d be so proud. She was such a tease.

             
Tom stared at her a moment longer and she watched as he visibly shook himself. “Right.” He turned away and frowned at the bowl. “Hmm, looks like I have to make another batch. Seems
someone
double dipped.”

             
Piper hefted herself onto the counter and drew the bowl into her arms, cradling it to her chest like she would a small child. The second spoonful of chocolaty goodness washed over her tongue and she groaned shamelessly. “Who would do such a thing?” she wondered innocently, shoveling another bite into her mouth.

             
Tom lifted one dark eyebrow as he pulled a fresh bowl out of one of the bottom cabinets and set to work measuring ingredients. “It’s a mystery to me. It’s almost as if
someone
wanted to ruin the batter, so they could have it all to themselves.”

             
Piper huffed. “The nerve of some people.”

             
Tom chuckled to himself. “So do you like your room?” he asked.

             
Piper shrugged. “It’s a room.”

             
“Is that a yes?” He glanced up at her in question.

             
“Affirmative,” she said around a mouthful of batter. It really was ridiculous how good it tasted. “I don’t even think you need to bake these up,” she said, indicating the batter with her spoon. “You could just dump it in a bowl and people would still pay you a fortune.”

             
“Good to know. Next time I’ll just skip the baking all together. Save time and money.” He winked at her, and Piper’s stomach fluttered. “What floor did you end up on?”

             
Piper lowered her spoon and shot a suspicious look at him. “Why, are you planning to sneak up to my room in the middle of the night and molest me while I sleep?”

             
His lips pursed and he tipped his head from side to side, pretending to think on it. “Actually, I was thinking that if you ate anymore of that batter you might end up on the floor passed out in a sugar coma and I would need to carry you back to your room to sleep it off, but now that you mentioned it…” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Piper smacked his arm playfully. “Really, though, I was just curious.”

             
“Uh huh.” She lifted her chin and eyed him with playful speculation. “We’re actually staying on the same floor. Eight,” she told him finally. Having made the arrangements herself, she knew that Tom was actually staying just across the hall, making them neighbors.

             
“Are we really?” he said, sounding surprised.

             
“Why did you say it like that?” she asked curiously.

             
Tom shrugged, his demeanor changing subtly. Had she not been watching him, she might have missed it. His playful exuberance had vanished and he seemed almost pensive. “I guess I just didn’t expect that the help would be provided the same accommodations.”