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  She circled her arms loosely around his neck and smiled, finding herself looking down at him for the first time. “This is nice.”

  “Very nice,” he agreed. “I’d like to kiss you again but….” He gestured toward Duncan and Annabelle coming out of the pool house, having changed their clothes. “I’m afraid I’ll forget this is not a private party.”

  “Mmm. Maybe you’ll invite me to one of those sometime,” she said, licking her lips as her eyes scrutinized his deep green irises.

  “You got it,” he said, pulling her down a bit so that the juncture of her thighs grazed briefly against his erection.

  “Wow,” she whispered wide-eyed, reaching to pull a wayward curl from her face.

  “Been that way since you marched out of the house in a whole lot of nothing. Christ, you about gave The Ninja and me a heart attack.”

  “You deserved it. Who shows up to a family brunch wearing a swimsuit and bulging muscles?”

  “Bulging muscles, huh? Sounds like a year of pumping iron in order to motivate my team has really paid off.”

  “Mhm. Must be some team,” she commented. She felt his hand drift over her backside. “I don’t do laps and I don’t lift weights,” she confessed, gnawing on her bottom lip. She watched over Vance’s shoulder as Lolly’s long lean muscles kicked and pulled at the water. She looked back at Vance. “I’m not like Lolly. I’m not very athletic.”

  Nudging her with his chin, he scooted her face to the side and whispered against her ear. “If you can wrap your legs around my waist, you are athletic enough for me.”

  “Like this?” she offered and curled her short legs around his middle, hooking her ankles behind him.

  He spouted a half choke, half laugh. “Exactly like that,” he said, reaching behind him and unhooking her legs. His hands slid from ankle to outer thigh, causing the heat she’d felt stirring in her chest to cascade and gather deep in her core. His soft, silky touch was tantalizing, and she immediately understood why he’d dislodged her.

  “Sorry. I keep forgetting this isn’t a private party.”

  “Me too,” he said, playfully placing a kiss on the tip of her nose.

  “Hmm,” she purred, just as she heard the patter of running feet and then felt a huge splash. She pushed herself away from Vance as an enormous shower of water soaked the two of them mercilessly.

  “Sorry, Piper,” Annabelle called from poolside as Piper spit and blinked while scraping sodden curls from her face. “I told him not to do it, but Duncan thinks a cannonball is the height of summer hilarity.”

  “It is,” Duncan agreed, beaming at the disaster he’d made of Piper’s hair. “If you don’t want to get wet, stay out of the pool,” he chided, diving under and heading to disrupt the two serious swimmers.

  Piper scrambled to the steps where she began pulling all the clips from her hair, reinserting them to hold her curls back from her face. Then she dove back in and dragged Vance with her to help dunk Duncan under the water.

  Splashing and chaos followed, and it didn’t take long for all three men to look toward the glorious redhead lounging in her white bikini, high and dry and reading the latest edition of The Trident, her sorority’s alumni magazine.

  Duncan said quietly. “I will pay you good money if you throw that woman into the pool.”

  Piper gasped.

  “Shh,” Duncan said, eyeing her directly. “You know nothing.”

  Piper smiled her acquiescence as Vance and Brooks took the bait and slowly maneuvered their way to the steps. In a flash, Duncan had a hand wrapped around Lolly’s mouth, preventing her from warning Annabelle. He lowered a brow at Piper again. “She could have warned you about the cannonball,” he reminded her, which convinced Piper she could enjoy the antics guilt free.

  After a shriek, a scramble, and some very loud full name enunciating, Annabelle Devine—Keeper of the Debutantes—landed fanny first in the pool. She came up surprisingly serene, her beautiful red hair as vibrant wet as it was dry, the ends still curling around her shoulders. And although her face was soaked, not a drop of makeup had smeared. She did however shout and fall ungracefully backward in the water as Duncan’s head came up between her legs, trying to get her to perch on top of his shoulders.

  “Come on, baby, let’s try that again,” he urged, pulling at one of Annabelle’s long, graceful arms. “You can do this,” he said cheering her on as he ducked under the water once again. This time he managed to hold on to Annabelle’s thighs tight enough for her to find balance on top of his shoulders.

  “Chicken fight!” Duncan yelled, and Brooks answered the call by diving under and bringing Lolly up on his large shoulders in one smooth step. The two of them looked like a giant alien transformer compared to Duncan and Annabelle and instead of putting her arms out and wrestling with Lolly, Annabelle covered her face and screamed as Lolly pushed her easily off Duncan’s shoulders and back into the water.

  Brooks laughed until his side hurt, still carrying Lolly on his shoulders. “Annabelle, that was just downright embarrassing,” he shouted.

  “Pool antics are not my forte,” she said allowing herself to be brought back up on Duncan’s shoulders. “But I’m a quick learner, so you two can just bring it.”

  Duncan smiled with pride and said, “That’s my girl,” as he did his best to help Annabelle stay on his shoulders.

  Piper felt herself pulled back against Vance as she watched the antics. His chin rested on her shoulder. “I wouldn’t mind having my head between your thighs, but there is no way you and I can compete with that,” he said as Annabelle and Duncan fell back into the pool as one.

  Piper blushed and laughed. He released her then, skimming his hands around her waist as he maneuvered in front of her and slowly backed her into the wall of the pool. He stood flat-footed with his legs spread, his feet on either side of hers. She bobbed on the tips of her toes and found herself drowning in the smoldering emeralds of his eyes. “Vance?” she said, as the chicken fight renewed behind him.

  He leaned down and she closed her eyes, a well of chemicals releasing into her system, bubbling up from her midsection and heating her from the inside out. His lips touched hers in a soft caress as his fingers tickled her bare skin from hip to waist under the water. Her head went light and dizzy, and she centered herself by laying her flattened palm against his chest and feeling the heavy thud of his heartbeat beneath all that muscle.

  He teased her lips as he did her body, barely touching anything at all but making her feel to the power of ten the impact of his unhurried and elegant assault. It was bliss wrapped up inside gentle torture and so exquisitely what she longed for that tears came to her eyes.

  No longer aware of the sunshine, the pool, or the wild thrashing and lively curses flowing around her, Piper was enveloped in a cocoon of Vance Evans’ gentle doting—her senses honed in exclusively on the velvet tips of his fingers, the rich plushness of his lips, the luxurious scent of his aftershave, and the scant taste of chlorine left on her lips by a light caress of his tongue.

  She heard him suck in a deep breath as his lips trailed from hers. Her eyes fluttered, then a few beats later, opened to his heated stare. He sank down into the water then, moving a few paces back, bringing a dripping hand down the center of his face, and then shaking the drops off like a dog would toss water from his fur.

  “How many others—” he started, but it came out harsh and gruff. He immediately stopped himself, closed his eyes, and seemed to fight for control. “What I meant is, how many dates, with men,” he clarified, “are left on your calendar?”

  Piper felt her smile go wide, her eyes locking on to his handsome face. “One,” she said, and then she pushed off the wall and floated toward him feeling giddy and playful. “You want to know when it is?”

  Vance’s expression was stern as he pulled her around and cradled her in his arms. “You plan to keep it?”

  “Only if you’re going to come in, guns blazing, and bust it up.”

  “I
f you’re keeping it, I’ll definitely be busting it up.”

  Piper couldn’t help the devious grin that pulled at her when she remembered how enticingly Vance had coerced her into sending Danny home. But eventually she relented. “I suppose that would be sort of mean, wouldn’t it? To my unsuspecting date.”

  “Hey, you cannot be held responsible for the actions of a small-town cop with no jurisdiction.”

  Piper bit her lip and shot her eyes wide open, looking at Vance.

  “Yes, those were the words you used in front of King Kong Friday night.”

  “King Kon—? Oh, Vance,” she stuttered, between horrified laughs. “I’m—I’m sorry.” She giggled and then stilled her mirth with a hand over her mouth.

  “You should be,” he scolded. “Those words have been branded over my pride. Trust me, I’ll be dragging all that around for a very long time.”

  “Oh.” She reached up and touched his cheek with her fingertips. “Forgive me. That was nothing but my pride getting in the way.”

  “Hmm.” He eyed her suspiciously.

  “I’ll go ahead and cancel my date.”

  “Probably for the best. Speaking of, any sign of King Kong yesterday?”

  “You mean Officer Stevenson, right?” At Vance’s quick nod, she went on. “I saw him twice. Once while running errands and once while out with…you know—on my date. It was probably just coincidence. I’m guessing he lives in the area.”

  “Okay. What if we find out exactly where he does live, make sure it is a coincidence?”

  “Vance, I really don’t think there’s a problem.”

  “I tend to agree,” Vance said. “In fact, I like the guy. He gave me a little insight and—”

  “Insight? What kind of insight?”

  “Oh, Lawyer Beaumont,” Vance warned, cocking his head and looking at her as if he were seeing her in a new light. “I have been made well aware of your courtroom antics.”

  “Antics?” She furrowed her brow. “There are no antics,” she insisted.

  “Oh, I can well imagine the antics,” he scoffed. “Officer Stevenson related how you dangle him and his ilk like mice by the tail. Teasing and taunting and then making them out to be overzealous bullies in front of the judge.”

  Piper felt her cheeks flame. “I do not.”

  Vance’s brows shot up into his forehead. “Really? I know how I felt when you laid me low for pulling out my badge.”

  “That was different.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.”

  Piper blinked and saw all of her court appearances run like a movie reel inside her head. None of them gave her pleasure. All she felt was the anger every case stirred up inside.

  “Baby doll,” Vance said, pulling her out of her thoughts. He stroked a gentle hand over her cheek and kissed her lips. “I was teasing,” he soothed. “You are good at your job. I wouldn’t have told you that if I had thought it would upset you.”

  It had upset her. She didn’t realize she made Officer Stevenson feel like a dangling mouse. But even if she had? She shook it off and worked up a false smile. “I’m okay.” She waved it off.

  “Are you sure?” Vance searched her face with genuine concern.

  She felt her lungs constrict and tears well up into her eyes. She dipped below the surface of the water to cover it up as her mind groaned for the second time that day, I miss my mother.

  When she emerged, Vance and she were being pounced upon by his friends, taunting them to join in their play. So they did. And though she was treated cautiously at first, eventually one good dunking by Brooks broke the newcomer barrier and she became a prime target for abuse, which strangely went a long way to soothe her aching soul.

  Piper knew she shouldn’t have agreed to poolside cocktails with Lolly and Genevra after Vance and Brooks headed off to work. But she was crazy about Genevra and eager for more of Lolly. Plus there was no reason to race back to Raleigh. So she showered and changed into the sundress she'd worn that morning, figuring one cocktail wouldn’t hurt.

  And it didn’t, until Emelina insisted that since Hale was taking The Ninja and The Outlaw out to dinner, Genevra, Lolly and Piper should join her at the Henderson Country Club. Once there, Emelina ordered a bottle of her favorite Spanish wine and a glass was placed in front of Piper with a wink from a cute young bartender named Harry.

  She vowed to sip it slowly and only drink half, but as the outrageous details of Genevra and Hale’s whirlwind romance were dished up, along with Lolly’s hilarious side comments, Piper forgot all about her hour-long drive back to Raleigh.

  The laughter continued throughout dinner, and another bottle was opened and poured as they lowered their voices and eagerly shared past romantic mishaps, with Emelina winning the prize for the most outrageous and entertaining stories. Piper was grateful they never pressed her for information about Vance, especially the night five years ago when their chance encounter had changed the course of her life forever. In the back of her mind, she hoped that one day she’d be able to share that mishap with the same level of gaiety Genevra and Lolly shared the lack-of-condom stories that granted Genevra her two pregnancies.

  Piper marveled at how mother and daughter could laugh and joke together over their adventures in life, and even though Piper expected that dreaded ache in her heart over the loss of her mother to burst forth at any moment, the longing did not come. She was content to simply be included, admiring the relationships in front of her.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The call came in at nine o’clock.

  Sitting in the same police cruiser he’d commandeered to break up Piper’s date the night before, Vance was literally spying on a group of teens gathered at the lake. His job was to do a drive-by and investigate only if anything seemed off. The group was small and peaceful. Just a bunch of kids sitting on the end of tailgates, probably talking, laughing, and enjoying being out of the house. But once Vance saw those very distinguishable Henderson High baseball caps, his curiosity was piqued and a strong sense of responsibility kicked in.

  Those boys were his boys, and he wanted every one of them—even pain-in-the-ass Johnny Mac—to live long and prosper. That kid was too tall, too good looking, and too confident to have his arms around two different girls and not have it lead to trouble. With Brooks’ wrath over Jesse James’ sexual indiscretion ringing loudly in his head, he was not interested in having any sort of replay of that with one of his boys. And unfortunately for Johnny Mac, he was too easily identifiable. Vance was debating where the responsibilities of being a coach ended and being a cop began when his cell phone vibrated against his ass. He was surprised at the name on the screen.

  “Harry!” he said as he picked up. “You trying to drum up business for your tequila shots?”

  “I haven’t poured one yet tonight. Figured that meant you were on duty. How are you this evening?”

  “I’m fine, Harry. What can I do for you?”

  “Well, I’m calling because I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Beaumont at the club tonight.”

  “Is that right?” Vance said, his brows lifting. “How the hell did she end up there?”

  “Your grandmother, sir. Ms. Beaumont was her guest for dinner along with Mrs. DuVal and Miss DuVal. I had the pleasure of waiting on the ladies, and I think it’s safe to say they were all having a very good time.”

  “Hmm,” Vance said, rubbing at the back of his neck, his forehead creasing. “One bottle’s worth of a good time or two?”

  “Now you know your grandmother, sir. She’s a fine hostess. I opened two bottles of her favorite wine and Ms. Beaumont enjoyed her fair share. I’m not saying she was stumbling around drunk, but she’s such a tiny little thing that even with the large coffee and bottle of water she requested for the ride home, I’m still a little concerned. If anything happened on my watch—”

  “I’m on it,” Vance said as he started the car. “How long has she been on the road?” He checked the time as he pulled out of the gravel parking lot.

/>   “She’s just walking out the door now.”

  “Harry?”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “I owe you one.”

  Vance clicked off his phone and cursed under his breath. “What the hell is she thinking?” He rubbed a knuckle back and forth over his lips as he drove, the gravity of the situation sinking in, causing his chest to tighten and his fears to explode. What if, after finally finding Piper, she managed to get herself hurt or worse over a couple glasses of wine? His stomach clenched at the thought. He pounded the steering wheel with the heel of his hand. “Drinking and driving? For Christ’s sake, Piper, you’re a fucking lawyer.”

  He drew in a long, seething breath. “I’ll tell you what,” he said on the exhale. “The lady wants jurisdiction, she’s going to get jurisdiction.” He reached over and flicked on the siren.

  Planning to cut Piper off before she hit the interstate, Vance drove quickly, debating how to handle the confrontation. Like Harry said, she was a tiny little thing—couldn’t weigh much more than a hundred pounds. Anything more than a glass of wine an hour would surely cause her to blow more than 0.08. A DUI was a big fucking deal in this town and any other, and it pissed him off to no end that Piper would put herself and others in jeopardy like that.

  “Jesus!”

  And where was Genevra? How the hell could she let Piper get in a car and drive back to Raleigh?

  Vance was not happy—not happy at all. In fact, he was reaching a level of outrage he didn’t know what to do with. He literally had to talk himself down. He turned off the siren once he started backtracking to the club, scrutinizing every car he passed looking for her sexy little TT.

  When he reached the gates of the club his gut was so twisted in knots that he wanted to get out and hit something. Just punch a good, solid dent into the hood of the cruiser. Because as bad as the situation was, now that he’d somehow missed Piper, he had zero control over the outcome one way or another. If another officer stopped her, he couldn’t intervene, and if they didn’t….