"Ask her what?" Jase joins us at the counter, placing a possessive hand on my back.

"Police business," Hunter snaps, looking extremely guilty.

Jase's mouth flattens. "Try again, and while you do, mind telling me how you're so friendly with my girl?"

"We know each other from the shelter," I blurt. I don't think it's against policy to say that. "He brought in a guest."

"Huh." Jase's gaze turns even sharper. "That part of your cop duties, Sloan?"

"I wanted to check up on her," Hunter says, crossing his muscular arms across an equally muscular chest. "That's all, Simmons."

"The two of you know each other?" I ask.

"Something like that," Hunter replies.

"He left town and forgot where he came from," Jase says.

Hunter grunts. "Looks like I found my way back."

Before Jase can make another comment, I step in front of him and wrap his hands around my waist. "It's so good of you to stop by and ask about...her." I lower my voice. "I'm only saying this because I know you didn't hurt her and because you brought her in. She's talking and wanting to leave."

His green eyes widen slightly before he nods. "Thanks." Pivoting, he leaves the shop without a backward glance and climbs into a white pickup truck.

"You know, I need to think of a new nickname for you, kitten."

Slowly, I turn to face him. "I like my nickname."

"But you don't show your claws at all, just sweet-talk the hell out of everyone."

"I'm a southern belle, Jase. It's what we're taught to do."

"Damn sexy, the way you took charge like that." He leans down and nibbles on my ear. "Make sure I'm around the next time you decide to get all polite while bossy."

Chapter 16.

Piper

Growing up, my house was stark, museum-like...not fit for a child to play in on those precious days that I was allowed to play. But in this house, Jase has made me feel like it's mine. That I have a soft place to land when the day gets rough.

I don't think I've ever been given a better gift than that.

"What are you thinking so hard about?" Jase asks with a twinkle in his eye.

We're sitting on his couch while eating sushi and watching a marathon of Chopped episodes.

"Nothing important." I don't want him to feel sorry for me or find another reason not to like my parents.

"If you're thinking it, then it's important to me."

"I was thinking about my childhood. How I wasn't allowed to play, and how homey you've made this for us."

"At least your old house didn't give you asthma attacks."

"No, living with overbearing parents who constantly made me question my every decision did that."

"Eat." He holds out a chopstick and I bite into the section of a Vegas roll on the end. "I've been thinking about your asthma and what I want to do with this monstrosity of a house."

"Really?" I ask, chewing my sushi. It's supremely bad manners, but I make sure to hold my hand in front of my mouth.

Jase grins a little and leans over to kiss my nose. "Yeah, how would you feel about selling this place or having it renovated into a multi-duplex that we could rent out? The neighborhood isn't the same anymore. It's growing into its own little subsection of Forrestville. I saw hipsters pushing their dog in a stroller the other day."

I laugh at the image, then sober. "Why do you want my opinion? I don't own this place. I only rent a room from you."

"Still want your opinion."

I'm at a loss for words. "I don't know."

"Yeah, you do." He elbows me a little. "If you don't, you won't like the consequences."

"I always like your consequences."

"No sex for you."

"I think you should do it," I blurt, and he grins cockily. "Even if my asthma wasn't bothered by this house, I would still say you should go for it. Make it a rental property and we can get something smaller. We stay confined to three rooms at the most anyway, and this house doesn't hold very good memories for you and Rowan."

His fingers slide up my arm in a hot caress. I shiver in pleasure. "We can make all new memories at a new house, huh?"

"Yes. I'd love to make new memories with you."

"You are such a good girl to give me your opinion." He takes the sushi away from me and sets it out of the way, then pushes me down into the couch. "Now, I'm going to reward you."

"I have other opinions, too," I say breathlessly as he slowly works his way down my neck. "On politics, religion, old school rap, and VHI's Pop Up Video."

"I've created a monster, haven't I?" He smiles against my skin.

No, he's created a woman who, with each passing day, is falling more and more in love with him than she thought possible.

Jase

The next day, I'm able to secure a last-minute meeting with a property developer who has set up shop in Forrestville. He seems interested in my vision for the house and believes that we can find a way to form a partnership in order to make it happen.

As soon as I walk in the restaurant, a man wearing a suit and sporting a beard approaches me. "Mr. Simmons?"

"Guilty."

"Awesome. I'm Blake Hollis. We spoke on the phone earlier today."

"Thanks for meeting with me on such short notice." I flash a smile and shake Blake's hand. "And call me Jase."

"I have to thank you. I've had my eye on your property for some time. I feel incredibly lucky that your business partner was able to connect us." Blake signals the hostess.

Smiling, she walks over and says, "Right this way, gentlemen."

We follow her to a table near the back and sit. A waitress stops by to take our drink orders and then leaves.

"Tell me your vision," Blake says, leaning back in his chair.

"I want to keep the land in my name but do something with the house. It's in great shape and I recently had a portion of it remodeled to add on a full bath, and plan on remodeling the rest of the house as well."

"You live with your girlfriend, right?" he asks.

I nod. "Yeah, the house makes her asthma flare up, too. I'd like to do something sooner rather than later about it. Only, I'm not exactly sure what I can do-that's where I'm hoping you come in."

Blake strokes his beard. "You could keep the land and we buy the house, paying you a fair lease rate to keep the building on your property. It's not unheard of, mostly done for commercial buildings, but-let me talk to my business partner and see what she thinks. We're really interested in this area. The growth is outstanding and the price is right."

"You plan on turning it into a second version of NoDa?" I ask.

"No," he answers with a shake of his head. "My company's vision takes the current residents' socioeconomic status into consideration. We don't want to price anyone out of their own neighborhood. We prefer to keep the flavor intact and for people to feel like they have ownership as improvements are made. If we can come to an agreement that suits us both, we won't tear down any portion of your house that is livable. We'll merely improve it. In fact, we'd like to turn it into apartments that don't have that traditional apartment feel."

His plan sounds solid. Reasonable. "How long do you think it will take before you make a decision?"

"A week or two at the most, but we also don't want you to feel pressured to sell to us." Blake smiles as the waitress brings us our drinks-scotch for him and sweet tea for me. No way am I drinking anything stronger before I drive.

"Make sure that this is what you want to do. The last thing we want is for anyone we enter into a partnership with to feel like they were forced to sell to us."

"I appreciate your honesty, Blake."

He lifts his glass in salute and I do the same. "I appreciate your meeting with me, Jase."

After a few more minutes of Blake elaborating on his plan for the neighborhood, we agree to meet in a month. I head to my bike and drive home with a smile on my face. The meeting went even better than I thought was possible and I'm eager to share my news with Piper. I need to see the look of pride on her face, the inevitable kiss she'll give me, and the way we'll make love to celebrate it.

It's how I do things now. No more screwing around with random women and getting drunk or high. Piper is the ultimate high, the ultimate woman...the most important person in my life.

In no time at all, my bike's in the drive and I'm racing up the stairs, calling out Piper's name.

"In here."

I step into the bedroom and find her wearing a fancy dress and heels that make me want to bite my knuckles, from the back anyway.

"Where are you headed wearing that?"

"Charity event at The Oaks."

Shit. I want her to stay in with me. I want to celebrate my news by spending the next few hours worshipping her body.

"Can't you get out of it?"

"It's for the cancer ward at the Children's Hospital," she says, and then turns to me, looking like a rich housewife from The Oaks and not the woman who woke me up this morning by giving the world's best blow job. There isn't a hair out of place and her eyes are sexy, but that dress isn't her. The huge necklace and cuff on her wrist aren't her. It's like she's playing dress-up in her mother's clothing. My Piper is classy, sweet, and approachable. This Piper...I might as well call her Mrs. Ross.

"Oh well...can't miss doing something for the kids." God, I sound like such an asshole, but this is supposed to be my night.

"How did your meeting go?" she asks, and I know she's trying to ignore my asshole move.

"Fine."

"Just fine?"

"You don't have time to listen to how it went," I point out. "You don't have time for me at all tonight."

"You can tell me all about your meeting when I get back," she says with a hopeful tone in her voice.

"I won't feel like it then," I snap, then brush past her to turn on the shower. "After dinner and a beer or two, I'll probably pass out. Don't forget to text me before you leave, though."

"Jase?"

The bewilderment and hurt in her voice make me want to put my fist through a wall. "Yeah, kitten?" I ask, gentling my tone and turning to face her.

"You can come, too."

"I didn't get an invite." I'll never get an invite, and it shouldn't matter to me, but it does.

Chapter 17.