"Well, I think it's time for a break." Diana clapped her hands. "We're going to take five, everyone."
"I guess we're taking five." Piper's gaze moved from their joined hands to his face. The easy grin was gone, replaced by an intensity that stole the air from her lungs.
Roman nodded in agreement, and Anna and Drake headed inside the building.
Zach gave Piper's hand a gentle tug, leading her around the edge of the garden, toward the sprawling trunk of a large tree.
"And where are we going now?" Piper asked, playfully swinging their arms as they walked together.
"Somewhere a little more private," Zach replied, guiding her into the secluded space behind the thick trunk. He moved in front of her, so her back was to the tree and his body shielded hers.
"You know, I'm at work right now. I can't just run away," she said.
"Strategic exit during an earned break," Zach said, eyeing her carefully. "And no one is watching."
The air between them shifted to something deeper. Zach's eyes searched hers, asking for permission without actually asking. Giving her the space to say no.
"Is this also part of your 'perfect timing'?" she teased, touching her fingertip to his lips.
"It's the most important part," he said, nipping at her finger before he leaned in and kissed her.
Before Piper could form a single, coherent question, his mouth was on hers.
It wasn't a gentle kiss.
He didn't ask. He didn't hesitate. His mouth came down on hers, a firm, undeniable pressure that wasn't a question but an answer. It was the taste of a future.
CHAPTER 19
28 DAYS UNTIL ANNA & DRAKE'S WEDDING
PIPER
Well, the engagement announcement did not go well.
Rings Before Rings? Fans Worry Engagement Will Break Super Bowl Streak
The Engagement Heard 'Round the Stadium: Fans Fear It'll Sack the Season
Tess was activating full frantic, everybody mode, Zach had been busy, and Piper's schedule hadn't slowed, either. Then she got a message:
Zach: Stop by my place. There will be puppies.
Piper: Is that code?
Zach: You're gonna want to see this. Stop by when you have a sec.
Piper stepped into Wild Sacks HQ and came chest-to-pecs with a football player wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs and an unapologetic grin.
Football players—real Stallions players, including Drake—walked around in their skivvies.
Bins of Wild Sacks underwear overflowed like a fabric rainbow, meticulously sorted by cut and color in a valiant attempt at order.
And a whiteboard titled The Stallion Right Up Front with exclamation points, diagrams, and hearts she suspected were ironically drawn and yet suspiciously well-balanced.
"This one? The cut is too high," Babushka pushed him away toward the back. "Leave something to the imagination," she said to another elderly woman with a bolt of fabric balanced on her walker. "Football is family friendly."
The woman nodded and shuffled behind Mr. Football and Babushka.
