Sunny laughed at the disgust in Piper’s voice. “Well, someone has to be happy, Miss Doom and Gloom.” Sunny yanked on Piper’s ponytail, pulling her in for a quick hug. “Tag didn’t have an ideal childhood either, Pipe. He and Torren’s mother died when they were just six. Then their father abandoned them, not long after her funeral. He just left those two little boys on their grandfather’s doorstep and took off. They were raised by their grandpa. It must have been lonely for them.” Sunny looked over at Piper, “You and Tag have a lot in common.”
Piper nodded, “He said something about me not being the only kid to lose parents. I didn’t know he was speaking from experience.” Piper wiped her damp eyes. She cried more in the past twenty-four hours than she had all year. “I’m scared to death, Sunny.” Her friend’s sad smile said it all. Piper fidgeted with her mother's and father’s wedding bands that she wore on a chain around her neck. She felt a bit uneasy. A large part of her wanted to freak out about everything that happened with Tag. But that small, secretly optimistic girl who lived deep down inside of her wanted to be happy. It wasn’t very often that Piper let that girl out because she learned the hard way that happiness usually faded quickly. She wasn’t a changed woman after justone night. It was going to take more than a first date and a first kiss with an incredible man to convince Piper to believe in happily ever after. That was what dreams and fairy tales were made of, not real life and certainly not Piper’s life.
Tag decided not to give Piper the chance to change her mind. He knew that a gossip session with Sunny and a night’s sleep would only give her time to think up reasons why they shouldn’t be together. He woke at five in the morning and went for a run. When he got back to his place, Aaron was waiting outside for him, stretching.
“Hey, I thought we could lift together. You up for a little competition?” Aaron was always turning everything into a competition. Tag had other plans for the morning, and they didn’t include lifting weights with Aaron.
“Sorry, something came up this morning.” Tag slapped his friend’s shoulder and made his way into the garage.
“Who’s the woman?” Aaron yelled after him.
“Who says there is a woman?” Tag knew that Aaron wouldn’t buy his lie, but he wanted to keep Piper to himself a little while longer.
“According to Sunny—” Aaron started, and Tag groaned. Aaron barked out his laugh. “As I was saying, according to Sunny, you and Piper had a little date last night.”
“Sunny needs to keep her nose out of my relationship with Piper. I would recommend you do the same, Aaron. I don’t want to mess this up. I have been working to get a date with Piper for a year now.” Aaron held up his hands in defense. Tag pointed at him, “Keep your nose out of my business.” He walked into his house, slamming the door on his friend’s laughter. Heknew that both Aaron and Sunny meant well, but he just didn’t want anyone fucking up what he had with Piper. That included himself because if anyone could royally screw things up with her, it was him.
Piper woke with a start and groaned. Someone was banging so hard on her front door that she thought they would break it down. Piper hopped out of bed and noticed that her ankle didn’t hurt, although it was still a little bruised. She hobbled to the front door as fast as she could and answered in the t-shirt and panties that she slept in. She didn’t even have time to pull on her robe in her hurry to open the door before whoever it was kicked it in.
Her aunt stood on her porch, wearing a knowing grin. “Geez, Lorna, I thought that you were going to break down my door.” Piper ran her fingers through her knotty hair, trying to pull it back from her face. She stretched, and Lorna seemed to find it amusing.
“Wow, Piper, is this how you usually answer your door? I dare say this is why Taggart has been trying to chase you down all year.” Piper tried to cover her body, but there wasn’t a whole lot of fabric to make that work.
“Don’t be silly,” Piper said. “I could hear you shouting for me to open the door. I knew it was you before I even got out of bed,” she lied. “Which I was sleeping in,” Piper quickly added, trying to make her aunt feel bad.
“Alone?” Lorna’s question made Piper snicker.
“Yes, alone! Sunny was here until the wee hours of the morning, so I was trying to sleep in a little today.” Piper wiped the sleep from her eyes and ushered Lorna into her house. Shedidn’t want to give the neighbors a peep show. “I need coffee. You want some?” Lorna followed her into her tiny kitchen and helped her brew two cups of coffee. Piper doctored hers with a whole lot of cream and sugar while Lorna sipped at hers black.
“Sunny called to tell me all about your date with Tag. Why did I have to hear it from her and not you?” Lorna looked hurt. Sometimes Piper forgot that her aunt had no one else but her. They were two peas in a pod after Piper’s parents died. Lorna raised Piper as if she were her child. Her aunt never married and never had any children of her own.
“I’m sorry, Lorna. Did Sunny tell you that she ambushed me? I didn’t know that I was going on a date, so I didn’t have anything to tell you. After Sunny left, I collapsed in my bed.” Piper sipped at her coffee.
“I get it, Pipe, but you left out the part that last night was your first date—ever. I understand that you haven’t had time to tell me about what happened last night with Tag. I guess I’m a little sad that you never shared your lack of dating life with me.” Lorna tried to act like she was okay with everything, but Piper could see the disappointment in her aunt’s eyes. Piper crossed the room to where Lorna stood staring into her coffee mug.
“You’re right. I should have told you about my non-existent dating life. But I honestly didn’t think it was a big deal. At least it wasn’t to me,” Piper whispered.
“Piper, you are turning twenty-six in just one more day, and you have never had a first date? So, I’m guessing that means that you have never had sex unless you’re into just hooking up for one night with a guy.” Piper groaned at the mention of sex. That was the last topic she wanted to cover with her aunt. She could feel her cheeks burning red and covered her eyes with her hands. “You can’t hide from this. We are two adults having an adult conversation. It’s just sex.”
“Oh God, can you stop saying that word?” Piper tried to leave the room, but Lorna stepped in her way.
“Piper, stop being a child and take your hands away from your face. You know I can still see you, right? You used to hide that way when you were little. It’s time to face reality.” Lorna pulled Piper’s arms down to her sides and held them there.
“Fine,” Piper hissed, “I have never had a first date or a first kiss until last night with Tag. And as for your other question—”
“About sex?” Lorna smirked.
“Yes, fine—about sex. I have never done that either.” Piper wished that she could cover her face, but Lorna was still holding her arms down to her sides.
“Do you want to do that with Tag?” Lorna questioned.
“Can we please stop talking about this? What I do or don’t do with Tag is my business,” Piper squeaked.
“Just don’t let your fears stop you from finding your happiness, Pipe. If having sex with Tag will make you happy, then I say go for it. He’s a hottie.” Lorna and Piper were both startled when they heard someone clear their throat from the front foyer. Piper peeked around the corner from the kitchen to find Tag’s hulking figure standing in her little house. She groaned and covered her eyes again as Lorna made her way to where he stood.
“Well, hello, handsome. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.” Lorna went up on her tiptoes to hug Tag. From what Piper could see through her fingers, he seemed almost as uncomfortable as she felt. “So, what brings you over to my niece’s house so early this morning? I heard you two had a big date last night.”
Tag stuttered his reply; it was almost a whisper. “Yes, ma’am,” was all he could get out. Piper removed one of her hands to watch him more closely. He was blushing, which Piper found completely adorable. Tag was shy—who knew? Or at leastTag was shy when being grilled by Lorna about dating her. Damn it, why did this man have to be so endearing? He haunted her dreams the night before, but it was a welcome change to her normal nightmares about her parents. Last night, she had dreams of lying across Tag’s bed while he kissed his way down her naked body. She was restless and needy most of the night. And now, here he stood being grilled by her aunt and not running for the nearest mountain. He intrigued her. Tag caught her staring at him, and she couldn’t look away. The way he looked at her, she could see the desire in his eyes, and it just about took her breath away. He was better than any dream she could conjure up about him. Lorna seemed to know that she outstayed her welcome. She looked between the two of them, shook her head, and left, shutting the door behind herself.
