Paying Their Piper with Passion and Love [Loving in Silver 6] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (18 page)

The only two men to interest her now were Merck and Jace, which she guessed worked out well enough, since they wanted her to be theirs. So what now? Wear the sexy underwear and sizzling hot dress and see how it goes?

Piper was certainly out of her depth and she felt the need to have a panic attack.

“Let’s go do your makeup and hair.” Marley grabbed her by the hand and dragged her into the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later Piper was staring at a stranger. Another thing she didn’t do often was wear makeup. Big, glamorous, smoky eyes stared back at her as she examined herself. “Wow, you are so hot! You have great eyes. Well, actually you have great everything. Your men won’t be able to concentrate on eating with you there. Okay, now your hair.” She took a brush and swept it up, pushing it this way and that, pulling at curls until she decided which way it would look best. She pinned it up and fluffed before stepping back to look it over. She shook her head, grimacing. “No, that just made you look like a bad glam photo. I think you should leave it down.”

By the time Marley was finished with her, and she was in the red dress and matching heels, Piper was exhausted. At five minutes until seven the bell rang. Marley let Colt in. His eyes widened as he looked her over.

“You’re perfect, darling. I knew the dress would suit you. Ready? There are a couple of guys down there who can’t wait to see you again.”

“They just saw me an hour ago.”

Colt and Marley laughed together, puzzling her. “You have much to learn,” he told her smoothly, mysteriously, a truly wicked glint in his eyes.

Everyone seemed to speak in a language Piper didn’t understand. But the way she was feeling at that moment, as sexy as any woman had in the history of sexiness, was giving her a newfound confidence and an eagerness to explore these new feelings and everything that went along with them.

Colt accompanied her down the grand staircase with its marble and luxurious carpet, the chandelier overhead, gilt and polished wood gleaming. The tiny red beads dangling from the hem of her dress teased her thighs. It was a naughty dress with a neckline that accentuated the way the bra plumped her small breasts. The fabric was molded to her petite frame. She felt so incredibly sexy in high heels, maneuvering with more confidence than she felt as she descended the stairs.

As Piper clung to Colt’s strong arm, she could feel the corded muscles beneath the expensive black suit. Would her men be as fit as her friend? What would it be like to have one or both of them hold her close against them? Colt had played around, held her close, kissed her to get a rise out of her men, his friends. Would it feel like that? Or would it feel even better?

Piper was so much smaller than they were. They were the size of football players. Both men had muscles popping out all over the place. Was she going to get lost between them?

Trembling with anticipation and more than a little hot excitement, Piper caught her breath when her men appeared in the open doorway into one of the private dining rooms. They both looked mouthwateringly handsome in their dark suits, crisp white shirts, and polished shoes. She had an idea Colt had helped them choose their attire. They were like mini Colts, only better because they were hers.

With her pussy gushing and her thighs aching, Piper decided it was time to take the next step. Why should she keep torturing herself? She had thought about both men for months. She had dreamed about them. And recently those dreams had been so hot, so graphic, she would wake panting and moaning. Once she had even discovered her hand between her thighs, gripping her pussy.

Yes, it was time to be theirs in the fullest sense of the word. Theirs. And they would be hers. Forever. It was a very long time. Swallowing hard, she forced a smile to her red, red lips and saw their gazes move to them. The tip of her tongue poked out to wet the coating Marley guaranteed wouldn’t rub off, smudge, or smear, no matter what she did with her lips.

“Piper, you look spectacular,” Merck told her as she and Colt stopped in front of them. Colt faded away, leaving her alone with her men. “But you’re always beautiful.”

“Thank you, Merck. You’re looking very nice tonight, too.” Her gaze shifted to Jace, who was standing a step behind, close to Merck’s shoulder. The fabric was cut to perfection. Both had obviously been tailored by a very skilled hand. “And you, Jace. You look very good, too. I like the suits.” She had never seen him in anything but black or khaki pants and a black T-shirt. Obviously it had been his “uniform” as her bodyguard. She had liked peeking at him when he wasn’t looking, examining all the muscles pushing at his shirt. Something tantalized her nostrils as they moved closer, all but surrounding her with their hugeness. She inhaled and closed her eyes. “You both smell good, too.”

Both men chuckled softly. Piper thought it was a very sexy sound. Her nipples perked back up after a two-minute lull. “We do, huh? You’ve never been so personal before, Piper,” Merck observed. “Are you being a tease?”

“No, just being honest.” She looked up at them through lashes which were unusually thick and long. It was just a little bit weird. “You want me to be honest, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Both men answered at the same time. She could see Merck. He was in front of her. Jace, however, was behind her, big hands on her waist. She was cocooned in the heat from their bodies. “We want you to be honest with us at all times,” Merck told her softly, his gaze moving over her face. It was warm and filled with all kinds of things she had missed out on. But the most important was a promise. “Mind if I kiss you? I’ve been thinking about it a lot.”

This was it. Piper’s heart rate shot through the roof as Merck slid his hands down her bare arms, stopping just above her elbows. Then he was bending and she was grateful she was wearing the heels, otherwise he would have had to either pick her up or bend nearly in half to kiss her. She definitely enjoyed the extra inches. She figured if he was comfortable he would be able to kiss her without hurting himself, which would mean more kisses.

When his firm, warm mouth slid over hers, Piper welcomed him eagerly. Having Colt kiss her had been good practice. She knew what to expect and opened her mouth, bypassing any awkwardness. If she thought her friend was a good kisser, Merck had magic lips and tongue. It sizzled right down to her toes, not missing a thing in between. Her nipples throbbed, as did her pussy, and the insides of her thighs right down to her knees. Moaning, she stroked his tongue with hers, pleased when she heard his appreciative grunt.

While her mind was spinning, whirling with bright colors, Piper was vaguely aware of Jace pressing against her from behind, his hands sliding around to cover her stomach.

It was real bummer when she heard a familiar voice say in cold, formal tones, “You will release my daughter at once and refrain from treating her as if she were a common…”

“A common what, Daddy?” Piper asked when Merck jerked upright, releasing lips and arms as if she suddenly had electricity running through her. She turned to look at her father. Never in all her years had she addressed Douglas Barrows as “Daddy.” She could see the shock on his face. It eradicated his anger, leaving him momentarily speechless. Her gaze went to her mother. “Hello, Mommy.” Her father’s face had already turned beet red. Now her mother blushed, but she thought she might have seen something akin to pleasure in the older woman’s eyes. Odd. “You’ve arrived in time for the supper my friends are giving in my honor.”

Seeing her parents was bad enough. She loved them, but she didn’t like them. Spending the evening, which Colt had arranged to be a fun-filled celebration with her friends, would be something far different if her parents attended. There would be no possibility of her relaxing enough to enjoy the evening, knowing they were watching her the entire time. And they would. They always did.

Merck and Jace each took a hand. She felt like a little kid between them. “These are my men, Mommy, Daddy. You know Jace, but you haven’t met Merck Rushton yet.”

Though her father was obviously not pleased by the situation he found himself in, he was too well-mannered to blow his top in public, if it could be called that. He would be as emotionless as always. He would save berating her for when they were in a private setting. But she had no plans to be alone with him before she had time to gather her thoughts and bolster her courage.

Since there was a definite lack of surprise, Piper guessed her father had already known about Merck and Jace before arriving in Silver. He was here to put an end to her relationship with her men and to take her home. It wasn’t going to happen. She had made her decision and she was sticking to it, for better or for worse.

Merck and her father shook hands. “Rushton. You’re that cowboy she was pestering.”

Pestering. Her father made her sound like a mosquito. It wasn’t very flattering.

“Yes, sir.”

Two bellboys came in with her parents’ luggage, pushing it across the lobby toward the desk. Seeing the mountain of designer cases she winced. They were obviously planning an extended stay. They would stay as long as it took him to convince her to do his bidding.

Douglas Barrows looked at Jace with eyes that said it all. He wasn’t quite as polite with his former employee. “I knew you had something to do with Piper taking off.”

Though she doubted he would believe her, Piper wasn’t going to let Jace take the blame for something he had no involvement in. “I left on my own, Daddy. Jace had nothing to do with it.” Both of her hands were given firm squeezes. She hoped it was positive reinforcement and not a warning.

“I doubt that.”

Of course he did. What else could he do? That was the problem. Douglas Barrows only believed what he wanted to believe. No one would be able to change his mind. So why was she even bothering to try? It was a huge waste of time and energy.

“We have to go in to supper now. Everyone is waiting.”

Everyone. Her heart slammed into her ribs and her eyes widened in horror as she looked around. Piper stiffened between the two men. She’d completely forgotten about Mink! Oh, shit, what was she to do about her brother? The moment he saw their father he would take off. And he might blame her. Worse, he might believe she had tricked him.

The answer to her problems came out of nowhere. “Douglas, Camilla,” Colt greeted smoothly, “it’s a pleasure to see you again.” He moved past Piper, Merck, and Jace, bending to kiss her mother’s cheek.

The expression on her father’s handsome face told Piper that he believed it was anything but a pleasure. Still, he responded with civility. “Redford.” They shook hands briefly, almost as if they were two fighters in the center of a ring touching gloves. “Are you responsible for this?” he asked, looking at her and her men. “I will not stand for Piper being involved in an unconventional relationship with these men. It’s outrageous, as well as disgusting.”

“Piper is her own woman. It’s up to her to decide with whom she’ll be in a relationship with.” Colt changed the subject. “Will you be joining us for supper? We’re celebrating Piper’s new business ventures.”

Cool gray eyes moved over her. Piper stiffened her new backbone, meeting and holding her father’s gaze. Douglas Barrows shook his head after a moment. “Thank you, but no. It was a long trip. Piper, you can tell me about this business venture of yours tomorrow.”

“Perhaps we can do that tomorrow night, Daddy. The grand openings are tomorrow and I doubt I will have the time. We’re expecting a large turnout for it.” Large was an understatement. The entire town would turn out, even if they weren’t serving free food and drinks. She smiled with genuine pleasure. “But I will be sure to come by here tomorrow after everything is wrapped up, to talk to you and mommy.”

Since she had just spent the last few minutes addressing both of her parents quite informally, she took it one step further. Moving before she could change her mind she closed the space between them, first kissing her mother on the cheek before going up on tiptoe to kiss the square line of her father’s jaw. There was no bending even then. No returned kiss and no warm hug. Had she ever gotten such a thing from either of her parents?

Piper frowned. She couldn’t remember.

Forcing a smile to her lips she looked at her surprised mother. “I’ll see the two of you tomorrow night. Have a good evening.”

They made their escape then, Jace and Merck both putting a strong arm around her. Their obvious physical strength helped soothe her. She forced a smile to her lips as they walked into the large dining room. A cheer went up and she blushed. She knew they were terribly late.

Piper looked around at all her new friends. There were nearly fifty people and she felt her heart swelling with pleasure and love. Even if she hadn’t fallen in love with Merck and Jace she would never be able to leave Silver. It would be impossible. It had captured her heart years ago. But since returning, the magic, the uniqueness of the town, and the people who made it the way it was had wound itself around her mind, body, and soul.

No, she could never leave Silver.

As Piper sat at the head table with her men on either side of her, she looked at those sitting at the flanking tables. Clarissa and Bliss were there with Colt. They were officially dating now. No sex, just dating. Colt said it was odd, but he was willing to do it to see if they were really meant to be together. Mink was still the odd man out. The looks her brother gave Colt nearly broke her heart. It was obvious he cared for the older man a great deal, but she didn’t know if it was love or something else.