"That guy's an asshole," Seth points out.

Rowan nods. "We all agree on that, but poor Piper here can't help but be nice to him."

"What am I supposed to do when he grabs me-scream for help?"

"Hell, yes, that's what you're supposed to do." I shove my chair back. "When did he put a hand on you?"

Piper won't meet my gaze. "Last Friday night, but it's not what you think." Finally, she looks at me. "He was nice to me after my parents kicked me out of dinner."

"Oh no, Piper." Rowan takes her in her arms. "I'm sorry." My sister mouths the words lay off, but I'm beyond caring. That fucker had no right touching Piper. Or any other woman, for that matter.

"He's got you fooled."

"Just because Giselle slept with him while the two of you were together doesn't make him a bad person," Piper says, sitting up. Her eyes flash green fire. "If I recall correctly, you asked me to go home with you while you were dating Giselle. If I had said yes, then you would have been no better than him."

My hands clench into fists. "Don't you ever compare me to that piece of shit. He's not fit to lick my shoes."

"Maybe not, but you should be over your ex-girlfriend by now. You have me and she's not fit to lick my shoes." Piper jumps to her feet. "Thank you for dinner. Please excuse me."

Stunned into silence, none of us say anything as she grabs her things and leaves.

"Holy shit," Seth finally says. "I think you just got told off by Piper Ross."

"Hell yes, he did," Rowan says. She leans over and punches me in the arm. "You're such a shit, you know that? God, I thought you'd be over Giselle by now, too."

"I am over Giselle. I was never under Giselle." I shake my head at the look of disgust on Rowan's face. "Not what you're thinking. I didn't give a shit who she slept with, but that asshole Mark doesn't take no for an answer and no one calls him out on it because his daddy's the mayor.

"And I'll be damned before I allow that fucker to get anywhere near Piper again. She's too trusting and vulnerable," I add.

Rowan's eyes become round. "You're in love. Holy crap, you're in love with my best friend."

I can't deny it, yet I can't agree with it, either. I get up from the table and take my plate to the sink. "Thanks for dinner. Sorry I can't stay for dessert. I have to go after Piper."

"Tell her you looooove her," Rowan shouts as I make my way to the back door.

Easy for her to say. She's been in love with the same guy since she was born while I screwed as many girls as possible until I went to prison. Giselle and I didn't have a serious relationship. Everyone thought we did, but I never gave a damn about her and she sure as hell didn't care about my feelings.

As I walk outside, I spy Piper's BMW in the drive. Either she walked home or is waiting on me.

"Took you long enough," she says, emerging from the shadows.

There's just enough light from the sunset that I can see the tracks of tears on her face. Shit. I made her cry. I'm no better than her family.

"Wasn't sure what to say exactly," I admit.

"Shouldn't matter. You should have come after me." Sniffing a little, she looks away. "I keep doing the chasing. Maybe you should try it sometime."

"Is that what this is about? You want to be pursued?"

She shakes her head. "No. Yes...do you know how hard it is to constantly pretend that it doesn't matter you're not good enough?"

"Yeah, I think I do." Especially when it comes to her.

"I meant with me-do you have to worry about living up to or surpassing an ex-boyfriend of mine's reputation or hold on me?"

"No, I don't," I say slowly. Is that what she thinks? That Giselle still holds sway over me?

"That must be nice, because I do." She looks at me, misery in her eyes. "You yelled at me in front of your sister and Seth because you're still pissed off at a guy for what Giselle did to you."

I take a step toward her and frame her face in my hands. "I shouldn't have yelled at you-you're completely right about that. However, if you had stuck around, you would have heard the real reason why I was so pissed. I was scared as fuck, Piper. Mark Williams isn't a piece of shit because he fucked my ex. He's a piece of shit because he's a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"I don't understand. He's creepy but harmless."

Clearly, she doesn't have a clue about his reputation, and I'm more than a little relieved that she doesn't, yet scared shitless at the same time. "Mark has a certain kind of reputation with women."

She rolls her eyes. "So do you."

"It's not the same, kitten."

"Because he's from The Oaks like me?"

I dust my thumb across her bottom lip. "Not at all."

She snorts in disbelief. "Yeah, right. Even your sister is a snob when it comes to people from there. It's like I'm an anomaly or something."

"Not an anomaly-you're precious and mine to protect."

"I don't need protection from the world." She pulls away from me, but I grab her arm before she can go.

"He doesn't listen when women say no, but I can't prove it. I can only go by what I've stopped from happening and what I've heard. It terrifies me that he would take advantage of your sweetness."

Her lips smash together. Piper doesn't ask me why I can't prove it. She knows the imbalance of power in my life and, as someone who went to college to become a social worker, she knows all too well why women stay silent.

"Why didn't you say so instead of yelling and making me feel like crap?" she asks.

"Because when I get scared, I get pissed, and that's how I share it with the world."

"Try something different next time, like talking and asking questions. I made a promise to be truthful to you because I get that it's a very big deal. But I need the same kind of consideration from you. I don't like being yelled at in public, or in private, for that matter."

"I can't promise not to get upset, but I can promise to work on my reaction."

Her pretty eyes search my face. "That's fair."

I hate arguing with Piper, but making up with her could be something we both enjoy. "Since neither of us had dessert, how about we go home and I feed you ice cream in bed?"

"How about I lick it off of you instead?" She runs a hand down my chest. "Or I can let you lick it off of me?"

Just like that my dick is hard, and I'm ready to throw her over my shoulder. "Why not both?"

She takes my hand. "Ladies first, right?"

I smirk at her. "Always."

Chapter 15.

Jase

As soon as I get to the shop the next afternoon, I grab Emmett and pull him into the office. "We need to get shit straight." Yeah, Piper suggested a meeting to write down goals, but I'm liable to stab Emmett with a pen instead.

I close the door after he walks inside and turns to face me.

"Piper go crying to you?" His smug smile makes me want to punch him. "Whatever she said, it's not true."

"Actually, she was worried about causing problems for us. She didn't want to come between us and suggested that we meet to discuss our business goals."

Smug gives way to ashamed. The bastard can't meet my eyes now. "Oh. Huh. You have to admit that getting that letter is bad timing."

"It's a complaint from a customer, whose name is on the complaint. And if I remember correctly, that was the same woman who wanted us to ink her fourteen-year-old daughter with a tramp stamp. You can bet your ass I'm saying no to that. Everyfuckingtime."

Emmett strokes his jaw. "I wasn't saying yes to her, either."

"Then what's the problem?"

"I'm under a lot of pressure. You wouldn't get it."

"Try me."

"People are spreading rumors about our business. Before you dated her, no one had shit to say."

"By people, you mean?"

"Mark Williams-my sister's dating him. I fucking hate him. He's been trying to pump me for information about Piper, too. Even told me about how she was having dinner with her parents."

My blood runs cold. "He's stalking her?"

"Don't know," Emmett mutters. "He says his dad and Piper's dad are tight and want to see them together. Meanwhile, my sister thinks she's in love."

Emmett's sister is barely nineteen. "You need to do something about that. Kinsey doesn't need to be anywhere near that fucker."

"Why do you think I hang out with them so much?" Emmett leans against the desk. "If I say stay away, she'll date him in secret, but if I act like I want to be around them, then I don't worry. As much."

"I get that, man. It was all I could do to keep Rowan safe. Luckily, she fell hard for the world's nicest guy."

"Yeah." Emmett nods. "Guess I owe Piper an apology."

"You do, and in front of the entire shop, too. That pussy comment was out of line."

Emmett's face turns beet red. "She told you that?"

I shake my head. "No, my three o'clock touch-up did."

"I'll apologize as soon as she comes in." He holds out his hand. "Are we straight now?"

I grab his hand and pound his back in a bro hug. "Soon as you're done apologizing we are."

Piper

Weeks pass by as Jase and I find a routine that works for us. He takes me out on dates and we always end up making love in bed...or the shower, the floor...the sofa. Jase is very inventive and persuasive.

My cheeks heat at the thought.

I don't mind. I love being with him. I love him. All I need to do is tell him how I feel, but I'm holding back a little. Okay, I'm holding back a lot.

Rowan suggested that I don't say it during sex because he might think that it's the orgasm talking, which wouldn't be too fantastical to believe since I've had to bite my lip to keep from shouting those words.

I cash out the next two customers and give them a bottle of healing gel as well as instructions for taking care of and maintaining their new tattoo. Most people are nice, but some do give me odd looks since I'm not sporting ink anywhere they can see.

Office Hunter Sloan walks through the door and I do a double take. "Hey there. I didn't know you had an appointment."

"I don't. I came here to talk to you."

"Oh?" Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jase's face go dark. He is not happy with Hunter being in here, although I don't know why. He can't be jealous. I talk to customers on a daily basis and he doesn't bat an eye.

"Yeah...I probably shouldn't be asking you this, but...how is Evangeline doing?"

My mouth drops open before I can help it. "She's...that's confidential."

He nods grimly and runs a hand through his dark hair. "Let's pretend I didn't ask you."