Double Coverage

  Lexi was one of those brides who didn’t mind their bridesmaids looking good. When Piper walked down the aisle right before Lexi, he thought he might lose his mind. She pulled a Pippa Middleton and stole the show for a second. She was wearing a deep blue dress that went down to her feet and had a scoop neck that showed off ample cleavage and, the best part was, it had absolutely no back, leading her to not wear a bra and, boy, could Mason tell. It was as if her breasts were mesmerizing him. Mix that with the way her hair naturally curled down her back, he was a goner. The woman was infuriating beyond belief and rude, but Lord help him, he needed her. He needed to have her one night, get her out of his system and move on. Until he was able to have her, make her his for one night, he was going to be a man in a lot of pain.

  She was all he could think about last night, even though she tried to tell him Ryker was more her type. He didn’t buy it, especially because of the way she kept looking back at him. He asked Ryker about the conversation he and Piper had last night and he told him all she could talk about was Mason. That made Mason’s chest puff out. He knew Ryker wasn’t competition.

  Now that he was sitting down at the head table, he couldn’t stop himself from looking over at Piper. She was gorgeous, beyond any woman he had ever seen. He wanted her…badly. So, he sucked up his pride and walked over to her. He pulled out the chair next to her and sat on it backwards so his arms were resting on the chair back.

  He decided to go with the sweet approach, even though, deep down, he knew he was a bastard. Anything to get his way into her bed, he thought.

  “Hey. You look amazing tonight.”

  She smiled. “Thank you.” Then she turned around and started watching Jake and Lexi again. Okay, this was awkward. The DJ called for other couples to join the newlyweds, so he took advantage of the opportunity.

  “You know the best man and the maid of honor should really dance together.”

  She raised an eyebrow at him as he held out his hand. She shook her head as if saying she couldn’t believe she was doing this and grabbed his hand. Victory. He led her out to the dance floor and pulled her in close. She fit perfectly into his body, every curve had a place to melt into. She felt like perfection. He could get used to this, he thought, but then shook that right out of his head. Boy, he needed to get this woman out of his system.

  Trying to strike up a conversation, he said, “I like your tattoo. Do you just have the one on your back? Or do you have others?”

  She looked up at him and studied his face as if deciding if he was trustworthy enough. He must have passed the test because she said, “No, I have more.”

  He liked that. “Where?”

  She held up her wrists where two birds rested on each wrist. “I also have two on my hip bones that wrap around to my back.”

  Mason gulped. “That’s kind of hot.” She just shrugged. “What’s with the birds?”

  “It reminds me that I have my freedom…finally.” She said the last word in a small voice. Was she actually opening up to him? This conversation had taken an odd turn, one he wasn’t ready for and one he didn’t want. All he wanted was to jam himself in her, fulfill his appetite and walk away. He didn’t want to get real with her.

  He cleared his throat. “Well, that’s cool.” It was a stupid remark, he knew, but he couldn’t think of anything else to say at the moment. Time started ticking by without either of them saying anything and Mason started to panic. How come he lost all his ability to act cool around this woman? He looked down at her and he found himself staring into to liquid pools of silver. He felt a zip of emotional yearning run through his body, an emotional yearning he wanted nothing to do with. At that moment, the song stopped and Mason pushed himself away from Piper. She stumbled back and was caught by Parker.

  The look in her eyes was pure fire. “What the hell is your problem?” she asked, while coming after him.

  Think fast, think smart, and say something. “Uh, there was a spider on your dress.”

  She looked down and saw nothing, then looked back at him. “You’re a dick, you know that?” Shit, there went his chances of banging the hottest girl here tonight, all because things got too intense for a moment. Jesus, Brooke really did a job on him.

  He pictured his night turning sour, him alone in his hotel room, maybe treating himself to an X-rated film, but then she leaned in and said. “You’re a dick, but you’re a sexy one. Want to get out of here?”

  Completely and utterly confused at the one-eighty she’d just pulled, Mason just nodded his head in agreement and followed her out to the beach. Maybe he was going to get this sex-on-a-stick out of his system after all.

  ***

  Jake and Lexi nodded at the DJ, indicating they were ready for some more music, something upbeat to dance to. They made sure they got all the eating, speeches and whatnot out of the way first thing in the night, so they could spend the rest of their time dancing and drinking.

  Lexi looked up at Jake, who had lost his tie and un-buttoned the top few buttons of his grey dress shirt. She loved that he didn’t mind showing off some pretty awful dance moves; it was endearing. She pulled him in closer to her and wrapped her arms around him, while looking around. She noticed Mason and Piper walking off together a couple of minutes ago, so she asked Jake, “Do you think she’ll be able to bring back the Mason we know and love?”

  Jake looked in the direction that Piper and Mason walked off. “I don’t know, babe. He doesn’t really seem to care about much lately, especially since Brooke destroyed him.”

  Lexi agreed. “He hasn’t really been the same lately, has he? He’s not the same Mason we went to school with. It’s as if Brooke turned his heart completely black and left him to be a womanizer who doesn’t care about anyone’s feelings. That’s not the kindhearted Mason we went to school with. Yeah, he’s still goofy and fun, but it’s as if his humor has turned dark. It’s no longer lighthearted.”

  “He’s not that bad, babe. He’s just lost his way a bit.” Jake kissed Lexi on the temple and she reveled in the feel of his touch. “Besides, it looks like Piper is giving him a run for his money. I think it will be good for him.”

  “She can definitely hold her own, no questions there. She’s always been very sassy and independent. She’s always been a free bird, hence the tattoos. It would be nice to see her settle down with someone, find someone to finally protect her. Who knows? Maybe they’ll find happiness in each other.”

  Jake shook his head and laughed. “Can you imagine? I don’t think that will happen. Yeah, they are attracted to each other, but they’re like water and oil. They butt heads.”

  Lexi nudged Jake. “Hey we butted heads at first, too. Don’t you remember your poor attempt at trying to talk to me at the football house party? And then those two girls came up to you and practically wrote ‘we are having a three-way’ across your chest?”

  Jake pulled Lexi away. “We did not have a three way.”

  Lexi chuckled and pulled her man back in. “I know you didn’t, but those girls were awfully persistent and ready to give you whatever the hell you wanted.”

  “Can you blame them? You’re married to ESPN’s cover man of The Body Issue.”

  Lexi shook her head and went to go get a drink. “I told you to not let that go to your head.”

  They both sat down at their sweetheart table and filled their bodies with more alcohol. Hell, they were paying for it, so they might as well indulge. Lexi looked out at her wedding and watched as her guests danced, laughed, and sang to the oldies but goodies. This was, by far, the best day of her life.

  They chose deep jade colors for the wedding, causing the purple, blue and teal linens to shimmer from the candlelight. Stringed bulb lights were hung across the dance floor, providing the only light for the dancers. It was romantic, but subtle. They didn’t want anything over the top because that was not who they were.

  Jake pulled Lexi in close so her back was against his chest and his head was leaning over her shoulder. “You know, b
abe, I could not be happier right now. You have made me the happiest man in the world today.”

  Lexi smiled to herself and leaned her head against her husband’s shoulder. “I love you, Jake.”

  “I love you too, Lexi.” He pulled away and brought her to her feet. “Time for the honeymoon. Let’s get you out of this dress.” He gave her a devilish grin so there was no way she was going to be able to deny him what he wanted.

  ***

  Piper led Mason out to the beach, where there was a little cove surrounded by rocks that they could hide in. She and Ryker had picked this place out earlier this morning for Operation Fuck Over Mason. It was just enough out of the way of the wedding so they couldn’t cause a scene, but not too far away for Piper to make a quick get-a-way.

  The entire evening, she had felt Mason’s eyes on her, from the moment she walked down the aisle to when Jake and Lexi were cutting their beautiful wedding cake. The man knew how to make his intentions very clear and his intentions were adding her to his book of fucks. Even though she knew exactly what he wanted, there must be something wrong with her because the obnoxious passes he made at her turned her on. It was annoying the kind of affect he had on her treacherous body. She needed to remind herself of the plan, the goal at the end of the tunnel, payback.

  Piper pulled Mason into the cove and placed her hands on his chest. It was time to turn on the charm, she said to herself. “So, are you going to just keep staring at me like you have all night, or are you going to actually do something about it, finally?”

  “When have I been staring at you?” Mason said with a boyish grin, trying to act as if he was innocent. His hands moved up from her waist to just below her breasts leaving a trail of heat scorching her silk-covered skin. Damn him!

  “Ever since you got to Lexi and Jake’s house yesterday. You think I didn’t see you staring at me from Jake and Lexi’s bedroom. I know you saw me, practically naked.”

  Sincere shock registered across his face. “Uh, I didn’t know you saw me.”

  Piper couldn’t help but giggle. “I liked knowing you were watching me,” she said seductively.

  She didn’t even lie about liking the way he checked her out. It was a huge turn-on that she could make a guy stare out a window like a puppy dog, especially a guy as drop-dead gorgeous as Mason.

  Once she realized he was watching, she made sure to turn slightly, so he could get a good view of her goods. She wasn’t a self-absorbed kind of girl, but she knew what her body looked like. Hell, she saw it every day and she knew she was sporting a pretty decent figure. She was blessed with a good rack and a perfect little round ass, which was why she flaunted it when she got the chance. Might as well.

  Mason grunted in response to her admission, reached behind her neck and undid her top. Thanks to the backless dress Lexi picked out for Piper, she wasn’t wearing a bra. So, when her dress fell, she was completely exposed up top. Piper watched Mason soak her all in.

  “Jesus.” Mason ran his hands over his face and then returned them back to under her breasts. His thumbs barely stroked the underside of her breasts, sending shockwaves of warmth through her yearning body. She knew that she had to be careful and not get carried away, but she was beyond turned on by this man. He knew how to touch her in just the right way to make her temporarily forget the task at hand.

  “You are so fucking fine.” Mason went in to kiss her, but she dodged his kiss.

  “Clothes,” she demanded. Mason got the hint and quickly undressed himself so they were both just standing in the cove in their underwear. She pushed their clothes to the side, so they were out of the way. She took a good look at the man in front of her. From his toes to his neck, he rippled with muscle. She had never seen such a well-built man before in her life. Every muscle was carved to perfection, causing her mouth to water and her senses to go on high alert.

  What really made her forget her spiteful plans were the tattoos displayed across his body. She gently stroked the mono-colored art that graced his body. The artwork started around his pecs and went down his arms to form arm-length sleeve tattoos. There was no rhyme or reason to the tattoos; it was just a collaboration of intricate designs, sayings and random objects like a grenade and a football. His nickname Dash was written across his collarbone and, over his heart, was a blacked-out rectangle where he must have had Brooke’s name displayed on his body.

  She looked up at Mason and said as she stroked his arms, “These are hot.”

  Mason smirked at her and brought his hands down to where her panties rested against her hip bones. His thumbs stroked the tattoos on her hip bones and he said, “So are these.”

  Their eyes met for a brief second and then their mouths crashed together. Piper knew she wasn’t going all the way, but she allowed herself to indulge just a little. She wrapped her arms around his strong body and pulled him in closer so her breasts pushed against his chest. The feeling was so erotic, she had to keep reminding herself that she wasn’t going to give into this man, like every other woman before her had. She told herself that this is what he expected, women to just fall at his feet with a wink from one of his chocolate-brown eyes.

  She slowly inched her hands down and inserted her fingers under the band of his boxer briefs. He groaned in her mouth and tried to do the same to her, but she pulled away, giving him a wicked smile. She tore his briefs down and pulled them off of him. As she looked back up at him, she got an amazing view of what he had to offer. She swallowed hard and kept reminding herself of the light at the end of the tunnel; she could do this. He was just a man, a very attractive man at that, but just a man, nonetheless.

  He stood in front of her and said, “You like what you see?” She nodded in response and he gave her a cocky grin. “I don’t ever receive complaints.”

  That comment made her slip out of her Mason-induced fog. Typical man. He was a cocky son of a bitch and she was going to make sure he knew what an asshole he was.

  She stood up and rubbed her body against his to turn him on even more. As she did so, she literally felt the effect she had on him. He was growing by the second. It was self-assuring knowing she could turn on a man like Mason.

  He moved his hands up her body and gently cupped her breasts, running his thumbs over her nipples, causing her to gasp and her breasts to pucker. Damn her body.

  Think bad thoughts of Mason, bad thoughts of Mason, she repeatedly told herself.

  “Fuck, you’re hot.” Not the most eloquent man.

  She smiled at him in response. “Turn around.” He gave her a confused look, so she repeated herself. “Turn around,” she said again, while cupping his bare ass and lightly stroking his rather impressive erection.

  His eyebrows shot up to his hairline and he did as he was told. When his back was toward her, she reached around him and gripped his cock with both hands. His head flew back as he groaned with pleasure. She gave him a couple of strokes and had him just where she wanted him.

  “Hold on one second,” she said, in her most seductive voice.

  “Don’t keep me waiting.”

  Piper rolled her eyes at the cheese-dick line and bent down to gather all their clothes. She put them against her chest to cover herself and quietly ran out of the cove. Just as she got to the top of the rocks, she saw Mason turn around and then shout, “What the fuck?”

  She stood next to Ryker who was holding his phone and she said, “Hey Mason.” He looked up and quickly covered his junk, just as Ryker took a picture of Mason in all his glory. “Payback’s a bitch, asshole. Next time, think about who you’re messing with.”

  “You bitch!” Mason shouted, as he looked around for something to cover himself.

  Piper giggled, turned to Ryker and whispered a quick thanks, then fled to the pool house to get changed before someone saw her almost-bare ass. Hopefully, Ryker was already sending the picture to her. As she was retreating, she heard Ryker say something to Mason.

  “Dude, I’m seriously impressed. You are hung, man,” Ryker clapped
his appreciation for Mason’s dick, which plastered a smile across her face.

  “Fuck off, dickhead.”

  Piper agreed with Ryker, Mason was a very impressive alpha male. Unfortunately, he was way too alpha for her. She already had to deal with an alpha male, her dad, most of her life, dictating her life. She didn’t need to get involved with one romantically, no matter how attractive he was or how much her body ached for the man’s touch.

  Chapter 5

  About a month later…

  Piper stood on the sticky ground of the 7-Eleven, trying to decide which liquid sugary confection flavor she wanted. She was in desperate need of a Slurpee, but couldn’t decide what flavor she wanted, since there were eight different options to choose from. She’d had a rough day, finally unpacking everything in her apartment. She normally didn’t even unpack; she just moved from place to place, making her mark and then skipping town. But for some reason, Denver was nestling itself in her heart. Maybe it was her job or her good friend Hannah, but it made her want to stay longer than her usual couple of months. The fact that she unpacked her boxes and actually hung some pictures in her apartment was a huge step for her. Therefore, she was treating herself to a well-deserved Slurpee.

  She chose the second to largest cup at the gas station. She didn’t want to go all out and have people judge her for getting the largest cup, but she was going to rely on the sugar rush to cover her dinner for the night, so she needed a decent size.

  Thank God she didn’t have to work tonight because she would crash big time after gulping down her drink, another good reason to have a Slurpee dinner. It gave her the extra boost to get the rest of her apartment cleaned and, once the sugar wore off, she would be sleeping like a baby.

  What did she want? There were so many options and then there was always the option to mix and match flavors, which was an added stress factor in the decision making process because so many flavors would work well together. Add cherry to the Coke flavored Slurpee and you have cherry Coke iced perfection. But then there was blue raspberry and lemonade, wouldn’t that just be delightful? Then there was orange, to which you could add a shot of mango and then top it off with sprite. Oh, the possibilities. Piper put her hand on the bridge of her nose and started massaging it. Picking a drink should not be this stressful.