Piper.
I’d know her delectable body anywhere. It’s the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I see before I fall asleep at night.
I open my mouth to call out, but I’m at a loss for words. I’ve spent weeks searching for this woman, and in all that time, I didn’t once consider what I’d say when I found her.
Dumbass.
No point dwelling on past mistakes. What I need right now is a plan. She’s thirty yards out and closing in fast.
What would Parker do in this situation?
He definitely wouldn’t panic.
No, he’d be cool. Collected. In control.
Fuck. Why am I like this? I talk to women all the time in class. This is no different. So what if Piper is gorgeous and magnetic and totally out of my league?
She slows and my stomach sinks when she opens a shop door and disappears inside.
This is your chance, asshole. Don’t blow it.
“Gran, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you later.”
We disconnect and I hurry to catch up with Piper. When I reach Flex, I don’t think twice about entering. If this is where Piper’s at, it’s where I need to be, too. The lobby is light and airy, muted shades of gray and white filling the open space. There’s a small reception desk to the right of the door and behind it, a dark-haired woman speaks into a headset. She holds up a finger to indicate she’ll be right with me and I nod, turning to the wide corridor that extends to the rear of the building.
There’s a flash of blonde hair as Piper turns right at the end of the hall.
Determination flares in my gut and when the receptionist turns her back, I slip down the corridor.
I pass a yoga studio and an aerial studio, both of which are dark, but visible through a wall of plate-glass windows. My expectations are non-existent when I reach the last room, which is probably a good thing because nothing could have prepared me for what I see when I look through the viewing pane.
Surprise washes over me as I take in the large space. It’s brightly lit and there are a dozen women—including Piper—stuffing their belongings into cubbies at one end of the studio. But it’s not the cubbies or the women that steal my breath.
It’s the silver poles that extend floor to ceiling throughout the room.
They’re…stripper poles.
What the hell?
I watch dumbstruck as the women fan out, chatting and stretching, but I only have eyes for Piper.
Her hair is pulled up in a sleek ponytail and she’s stripped down to a black bra and a pair of strappy black booty shorts that show off her long legs and voluptuous curves.
She looks incredible.
I can’t tear my eyes off her as she crosses the room, joining a petite brunette in the back row. She hasn’t spotted me yet, but that’s okay. I enjoy watching.
Because that doesn’t sound creepy at all.
What’s the point of having an observation window if you can’t use it?
To my left, someone clears their throat. “Can I help you?”
My muscles tense and I slowly turn to face a slender Asian woman. Like Piper, she’s wearing booty shorts, but her arms are crossed in a way that suggests I’m dangerously close to being kicked out.
Way to go, asshole. She probably thinks you’re a perv.
“It’s not what it looks like.”
