Paying Their Piper with Passion and Love [Loving in Silver 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (17 page)

“Earth to Piper.”

Piper blinked as she realized Colt was talking to her. She looked up to see him smiling gently. “Do you have to do that?” She glanced at the other men as her cheeks heated up. “It’s embarrassing.”

“Not as embarrassing as having you stare at my zipper,” Jace told her with a chuckle. “I was afraid Merck had left a stain or something on my slacks.”

“Men are such pigs!”

That reminded Piper of her pets. She hurried away and looked in her SUV as all the men laughed at her. There were three very unhappy animals looking out the window at her and she guessed they needed to be walked. Going around she ignored the two-legged animals and picked up Sparkle and set her on the ground. Though Sparkle was more than happy to jump out, she really didn’t want to chance having a pig wearing a cast. She could only imagine how much ridicule she’d suffer for that. And she certainly didn’t want her beloved pet to be injured.

Piper had hoped while she was gone that some of the men would have disappeared. Instead there were several more. One was Tim Macon, the deputy. He smiled at her and she smiled back, which caused Jace and Merck to make growling noises. She gave them her best reproving frown. They really had to get a grip. Did they actually believe that she was theirs? Impossible. They were barbarians.

What the heck could they want with her? Piper didn’t know anything about relationships. She was broken. What could she possibly offer them? Besides, they looked very happy together. She liked the way they would reach out to one another without even being aware of it, as if they needed that tiny bit of reassurance that the other was close.

The only married people she had been around were her parents. And, yeah, weren’t they just the epitome of marital bliss? They didn’t even share the same bedroom. Though she didn’t want to think about it, Piper wondered if they still had sex. She couldn’t ever remember seeing any warmth between them. There would be a peck on the cheek if her mother went to bed early. They never held hands. They never sat on the sofa together. They never did anything she would associate with a happily married couple.

It was so sad.

Which brought Piper right back to where she had started this line of thought. What could she offer these two men? They already had everything they needed to be happy.

This was another thoroughly depressing thought to drag her down. Piper scooped her pets up and put them in their car seats. Then she walked around to the other side of the SUV. All the men moved toward her as if they were glued together.

Piper wouldn’t let them intimidate her. She just wouldn’t. She could see they wanted to take control, take over, and see to her needs. But she knew she had to take care of herself. “I’m going to the hotel. Supper’s at seven, right?”

Colt nodded. His eyes, as always when he dealt with her, were gentle and understanding. “Seven. Unless you would rather we postpone it for a few days.”

Piper forced a smile to her lips. She wasn’t feeling like celebrating. Actually, all she wanted to do was take a long, hot shower with a lot of soap.

“No, I’m okay. I have to eat sometime.” Her gaze went over the two men claiming to be hers. If only. “Besides, it looks like everybody is all dressed up. I’m not going to let the creep take over my life. It’s bad enough I’ve lost a house and a wardrobe.”

“You don’t have to move out. I’m having an alarm system installed tonight. Give it a few days and think it over.”

A sad smile pulled at her lips. “It’s a lovely house, but I don’t think I’ll get over someone being in there, going through all my things, and…and…” She waved a hand helplessly toward the house. “No, I think it’ll be better if I stay at the hotel. The silly monkeys and I won’t bother anyone there.”

They argued with her, but Piper stood her ground. She had been tempted to move back in with Colt, but she didn’t want to cramp his style. Having seen him having lunch just that week with Clarissa and Bliss, she didn’t want to be in the way. There was also the freedom factor. She was relishing being on her own, setting her own schedule, doing her own thing. There was nothing like it.

The moment the man at the desk told her Colt had called and instructed that she was to be given the suite, Piper was once again grateful for having such a wonderful friend.

A soak in the luxurious tub, large enough for five or six people to fit in, helped ease the tension from her muscles. She washed herself with a flowery-scented soap she found in the cupboard. She had added unscented bath oil and she sighed as she felt how silky her skin was as she rinsed.

Getting out was something she didn’t want to do, but Piper didn’t have much time left before she had to dress and go downstairs to the restaurant. It was only as she was leaving the bathroom wrapped in a towel that she remembered she didn’t have anything to wear. She had left everything behind in her borrowed house. What had she been thinking?

Shuddering with revulsion Piper went to the phone and called her new friend Marley Evans. She was married to Grayson, the sheriff, and Roarke O’Malley, the owner of a children’s toy store. They had two babies. The twins were only a few months old and as cute as any two babies could be. Piper had admired them from a safe distance on several occasions. She hadn’t gotten the nerve up yet to hold them, but she was working on it, much to her friend’s amusement.

When Marley answered Piper asked if she could borrow a dress to wear. She didn’t give an explanation. She was certain Grayson had already told his wife and partner about the break-in. Marley promised to be right over with a dress and shoes. Piper thanked her then returned to the bathroom to brush out her hair and dry it.

When the bell rang she hurried out wearing a robe she had found in the closet. It dragged on the floor behind her. Marley stood on the other side of the door with a big grin on her beautiful face and holding a garment bag in one hand and a smaller bag in another. She hurried in.

“Not much time. I’ll help you. I brought some makeup and some other things to glam you up on your big night!”

Marley was like a whirlwind as she took out the dress. She held up the stretchy knit dress for Piper’s approval. It was a bright blue with long sleeves and a scoop neckline.

“It’s my smallest dress, but it’ll be perfect on you, since it’s so clingy.” She grinned naughtily and wiggled her eyebrows. “It fits me like a really tight glove. Just seeing me in it drives the guys wild with lust.”

Blushing, Piper stared at her friend. It had been ages since she had engaged in girl talk. It was all new to her. Marley had two husbands and she was very open about her ménage lifestyle. She knew Marley would be a good person to talk to about her doubts concerning Merck and Jace. Now if she could just get herself to do it.

“You have two very hot guys,” Marley said, unknowingly broaching the subject in Piper’s mind. She began pulling things out of the second bag. A pair of black stilettos came out, as did makeup and a little jewelry box. “Oh, drat, I forgot to bring underwear. You will just have to go commando.”

Half of Piper was shocked at the notion of going without underwear. The other half, mainly her lower half, began quivering and throbbing. She stared at Marley. Marley stared back.

“Won’t they be able to tell?”

“Well, yeah. But that’s the point, right? Drive your men nuts. Make their brains turn to mush.”

“I don’t know if I want to do that. I’m not very certain about what’s supposed to be happening between us. Colt says they’re my men. They say I’m their woman. No one seems to care what I want.”

Marley dropped everything, hurrying around the huge bed to hug her. “Oh, sweetie, it’ll be okay. I’m sure they love you. Grayson says they look at you like you’re the only woman on the planet.”

Well, she had seen some hot looks from both men, but she didn’t think she would call it love. Lust maybe, but not love. She knew she was pretty. And she still had a good figure. Yes, she had what it took to physically attract men. But emotionally?

“I don’t know anything about men. I haven’t even been on a date in years. Being Douglas Barrows’ daughter really puts a crimp in the dating department.” She shrugged out of the robe then reached for the dress. It did fit like a glove, stretching out over her slight curves, hugging them lovingly. Her small breasts jutted out, her nipples poking against the silky knit. Her face flamed and she swallowed hard. “What am I going to do with Jace and Merck? I really don’t think they’re going away. They want things I don’t know if I have in me to give.”

“I think you’re worrying too much. I know you’re just starting to find yourself since you came to Silver. But could falling in love with those two guys really be a bad thing? When I first met Grayson and Roarke, I was as wary as you are. It was more than a little overwhelming. I was going through a lot, dealing with my sister’s death and moving to a new place. I wanted to live out our shared dream here. When I met them it seemed like it was way too soon. How could I fall in love so fast? It was scary.”

“Grayson and Roarke were together a long time before you met them. Didn’t that scare you? Make you wonder where you would fit in?”

Marley nodded, her long, dark hair swirling around her shoulders. “They were together ten years. That is a long time. I did wonder if there was a place for me with them.” She smiled. “But once I decided I wanted to try, it all fell into place. They’re two very easy men to love.” She reached out to squeeze Piper’s arm. “I believe you’ll find that with Merck and Jace, too. I don’t know Jace, but Merck is a great guy.”

A knock on the door interrupted their talk. Piper could have sworn. She wanted to know more and saw Marley as a great source. The topic had come up naturally. Would it be easy to bring it up again another time?

Marley rushed off to answer the door while Piper fussed over the dress. She really didn’t want to go without underwear. Her nipples were all but poking through the silky knit. She was grateful they weren’t larger. The fabric slid over her body when she moved. She liked the feel. It was quite sensuous against her skin.

Though the dress clung to her in some places, Marley was about two sizes larger than she was. The scoop neckline was drooping and she doubted it was in a flattering manner.

“Leave it to Colt!” Marley exclaimed, coming back in with an armful of bags and boxes and looking thoroughly pleased. “Now you won’t have to go to your own party in borrowed clothes.”

“Your dress is lovely,” Piper protested.

“Your boobs aren’t nearly big enough,” Marley said with a kind laugh. “But I have a feeling Colt sent over something that will fit you perfectly.” She unzipped the garment bag and out came a sparkling red dress that made both women catch their breath. “Oh, it’s just gorgeous! You’ll look fantastic in this. And if you don’t get laid tonight, those men will need their heads examined.”

Piper blushed as bright a red as the dress. “I don’t want to get laid tonight. I don’t even want to get laid tomorrow night. I need to get to know them first.”

“What about some heavy petting? Have you ever given a blow job before? Encouraging one or both of them to go down on you would be a great ice breaker.”

Even though Piper’s pussy was quivering at the words, and beginning to produce creamy juices, she didn’t even want to think about such intimacy. Her brain froze, which Marley must have realized.

“Hello? Are you in there?” Marley giggled as Piper blinked. “I swear I’ve never seen anyone turn that shade of red before. I take it you’ve never been very intimate with a man.”

She shook her head, sending silvery-blonde curls bouncing. “No. Not
that
intimate. I’ve had sex. It was fun, but I wouldn’t say earth-shattering.”

“Oh, have you got a lot to learn!” Marley stepped close and grabbed her dress, starting to pull it up. “Since you’ve been playing hard to get, you might want to start giving them a little encouragement. Give them some hope.”

Squirming out of the dress, Piper stood there feeling very exposed. She wasn’t used to having anyone around when she was naked, but it didn’t seem to bother Marley in the least. The other woman rummaged enthusiastically through the shiny gold bags with the Kimura Brothers name on it. Marley squealed with pleasure and pulled a white demi bra and tiny, matching thong out of it, as well as stockings and a garter belt. The bra and thong were made of lace and were probably illegal somewhere.

“You should consider getting that waxed.” Marley’s gaze dropped to her lower half.

Blushing again, she stared at the woman. Was nothing sacred?

“I’ll think about it,” she choked, grabbing the thong and pulling it on. Marley just grinned and winked. Actually the curls covering her sex were neatly trimmed, the curls close. It wasn’t like there was an overgrown lawn down there. She reached for the bra next before her friend made some comment about her small breasts. “I’ve never worn a garter belt before,” she said, picking it up and examining it as it dangled between her hands.

“They can be a pain in the ass to attach to the stockings, but well worth it. Most men start drooling over stuff like this. You’ll find out soon enough if your men like it. Then you’ll spend a fortune buying things to tease them with.”

That was another thing she wouldn’t know the first thing about doing. Teasing men in a sexual manner was a complete mystery to her. She couldn’t remember doing much flirting. Not since college, anyway. She hadn’t met anyone she had wanted to flirt with in years, but that was mainly due to her father never letting her leave the property without a scary escort to shadow her.