Keeping Piper was going to be the difficult part. He knew that she had commitment issues, but he was hoping that he was enough to tear them down. Losing his parents taught him that life was too short to waste time worrying. He couldn’t control the future, so he decided a long time ago that he was just going to enjoy the ride. On his twenty-eighth birthday, he decided that he wanted to settle down. He was done with dating all the wrong women in town. Heck, most of them wanted to be with Torren but settled for him instead. He was sick of his brother’s leftovers, so he stopped dating completely. He took a break, hoping that a clear head and a positive attitude would lead him to the right person. One day, he went into town after spending a few nights at his grandfather’s cabin. He was up there sorting through all of Dane’s papers, trying to get the place ready to sell. Since it was an unusually hot day, he decided to grab some ice cream, and that was when he ran into Piper—literally. She dumped about half a gallon of melted Rocky Road down his t-shirt. He fell for her that day and decided that she was the person he wanted to be with. He went back to the cabin and called Torren to tell him that he wanted to keep Dane’s place. His run-in with Piper seemed to clear up the fog that he was living in. Suddenly, he could seehis future, which Tag hoped would include Piper and the family that they would have, living in the cabin where he was raised. Tag found it funny that a beautiful woman who always lived right under his nose and a tub of Rocky Road ice cream could change his entire life. The next morning, he asked her out, and she turned him down flat. Now, a year later, he saw that she was well worth the wait. He still felt a little blindsided by how much he wanted her. Here he was, busy as hell and still thinking about Piper. Maybe he just needed to sleep with her, and that would calm down his overactive libido. But after just one taste of her, he was pretty sure he would never get enough.
Piper woke up at dawn again. Her erotic dreams were all about Tag. His hot mouth and skilled hands did wicked things to her all night long, and she woke up feeling needy and on edge. She was thankful that her nightmares seemed to be taking a back seat to her sultry dreams of Tag, but she was tired. The aching deep in her core only intensified when she woke, and she wasn’t quite sure how to make it stop. She was sure of one thing, though—she wanted Tag. She showered and pulled on a pair of cut-off shorts, a t-shirt, and a sweatshirt. She knew that the morning would start chilly, but by midday, it was supposed to be warm. She was looking forward to spending the day with her friends, but being with Tag was all she could think about. Last night, she was hoping that his bonfire would end early so that he would be able to sneak over to kiss her good night. If she were being honest, she would admit that she wished that he would just stay the night and kiss her good morning, too. She knew she was rushing things, but she couldn’t help it. Twenty-six years of virginitywere playing against her biological clock. She wanted to be with Tag and experience what other couples had. It was comforting and terrifying all at once to think of herself as being part of a couple. Tag made her feel safer than she ever felt, but she still had her same worries; the biggest being that he would leave her. She didn’t want to experience that pain again. But what if Sunny and Lorna were right? What if constantly living with fear meant that she wasn’t living life? She needed to step out onto that ledge and look fear straight in the eye. Otherwise, she would be missing out on one of the most amazing men that she has ever met. Her phone chimed, tearing her from her thoughts. Sunny sent her a text.
I didn’t want to wake you. Mads and Jack can’t make it. Maddie isn’t feeling well—morning sickness.
She was just about to call Sunny when her phone chimed again. This time, it was a text from Tag.
Good morning, gorgeous. We are down to just four people today. I’m thinking of a little picnic lunch at my grandpa’s cabin. Sound good?
Piper couldn’t help her smile. She loved the idea of a picnic lunch, and being able to see Tag’s cabin was a bonus. She wanted to find out what made him tick, and seeing the place where he grew up would help put some puzzle pieces in place.
Good morning, handsome. A picnic at your place sounds perfect. See you soon—looking forward to my good morning kiss.
Piper finished getting ready, pulling her hair back and wearing just a little makeup. She kept it simple. She was downstairs pulling on her hiking boots when Sunny popped in through the front door. Piper’s heart sank a little since she was expecting Tag, but Sunny didn’t seem to notice.
“Hey, birthday girl! Look at you in those shorts—sexy!” Piper laughed at Sunny’s outrageous remarks. Her friend was alwayssaying inappropriate things to her and Maddie. “So, are you ready for your day?” Sunny pulled out a mason jar from Piper’s kitchen cabinet to stick the wildflowers that she picked into. “Hope you don’t mind, I picked you some flowers from your garden. They were just too pretty not to bring inside and enjoy.” Piper smiled.
“You know that I haven’t been able to get a word in since you barged into my house, right?” Piper teased. Sunny waved her hands in the air as if erasing a board.
“Sorry, start over. How are you?” It was comical to watch Sunny try to patiently wait for Piper’s reply. She couldn’t make her wait too long. Otherwise, her friend would burst.
“I’m well. How are you?” Piper was almost afraid to ask.
“As you can tell, I’m super excited about your birthday. And, I may have already eaten a few of these donuts.” Sunny held up a box full of delicious, warm donuts, and Piper moaned.
“God, please tell me that those are all for me.” Piper snatched the box from Sunny’s hands and breathed in the sugary goodness.
“Hey, you aren’t going to share any with me?” They both turned to find Tag standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall as if he was listening in on their conversation. “Your door was open again, Honey.” Tag took the three steps to stand in front of Piper and pulled her against his body, crushing the box of donuts between them. “Morning.” He took her lips in a long, wet, passionate kiss that left her knees weak. Tag let her slide back down his body, leaving her breathless. “Good morning, Sunny,” Tag said, smiling at Sunny, who dropped most of the flowers on the floor. If Piper wasn’t mistaken, Sunny had a little drool running down her chin.
“Okay, that’s enough ogling Tag, Sunshine Francis.” Piper went over to her friend, picking up the discarded flowers from the kitchen floor. “You can stop staring at him now.” Pipersnapped her fingers in front of her friend’s face, and Sunny blinked as if being woken from a trance.
“Hi, Tag,” she squeaked, taking the flowers from Piper. Sunny mouthed, “Oh. My. God,” at Piper as she spun back around to face the sink to finish arranging the wildflowers she had picked. Piper looked back at Tag, who seemed to be amused by the whole scene. She shook her head and started to gather her stuff. Her little house suddenly felt way too small. The sooner they all got on the trail, the sooner she could be alone with Tag, and they could pick up where that kiss left off.
Chapter Eight
Tag couldn’t wait to get up to his cabin and share the special picnic he planned for Piper and their friends. Poor Sunny seemed to be uncomfortable on their hike, but she would never admit it. He told her not to wear street shoes to hike in, but she didn’t listen. Aaron wasn’t helping matters any—challenging Sunny to mini races up the mountain. Sunny was never a girl to back down from any kind of challenge. She would never let anyone know that she wasn’t up for a competition. She and Aaron were two peas in a pod. If they didn’t pace themselves, the two would be lying on the side of the trail, dehydrated, before they even made it to the cabin. Tag didn’t mind the alone time with Piper as their two friends raced each other up the side of the mountain.
“I think that Aaron might be into Sunny,” Tag said, reaching for Piper’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “He would never admit it, but he shows off around her.” Piper’s laugh was musical and filled the small canyon that they were hiking through.
“Well, I’m pretty sure that Sunny likes Aaron, too. She wouldn’t run up the side of a mountain for just any guy. I think that they have been circling each other for a few monthsnow. Aaron keeps showing up for donuts every morning. From the looks of him, I’m pretty sure that he doesn’t eat that many donuts.” Tag stopped walking and pulled Piper into his body.
“So, you’re looking at Aaron now?” he asked, cocking his eyebrow at her.
Piper looked confused, “No, why would you say that?”
“You said that he doesn’t look like he eats donuts. So, you’re looking at him?” Tag kissed her neck, adding a little distraction. It amused him when Piper was flustered.
“No!” Piper all but shouted her denial. “I don’t think of Aaron that way,” she insisted.
“Tell me that you think of me that way, Piper.” Tag felt as though his world stopped spinning while he waited for her answer. Piper searched his face, taking her sweet time.
“Yes, Tag. I think of you in that way,” she finally admitted. Her voice sounded breathy and hot. He liked the way she said his name like she couldn’t hold back her desire for him.
“Thank fuck. I think about you all the time, Honey. You are all that I’ve been able to think about this past year.” Piper pulled her hand away from Tag’s, and he was afraid that he spooked her. “Piper, I’m not trying to scare you off, just being honest.”
“I like honesty, Tag. But you also must know that I’m new to all of this. My life was quiet and safe before you turned it upside down. Now, I spend all my waking and sleeping hours thinking about you. It’s just scary for me. I’m feeling a little out of my comfort zone.” Tag couldn’t help himself—he pulled her back into his arms and kissed her. He wanted to prove to her that being with him didn’t have to be scary. He needed to show Piper how good they could be together.
“Hey, you two—aren’t we supposed to be hiking? I’m no expert, but that does not look like hiking to me.” Piper giggled at Aaron. Tag growled, finding his friend less funny.
