Page 96 of Terms Of Un-Endearment
Piper purses her perfect lips. “Does this mean we’re officially partners?”
“If you’ll still have me.”
Piper smiles. “You look like a keeper. This shirt, though…” She points at my chest. “Should go.”
“It’ll go, but not yet. I want to get to know you first.”
I take her finger and kiss the tip of it but leave a gap between us. Energy pulses in that space, traveling from our fingertips through our bodies. A delicious longing that’s as adrenaline-pumping as spotting a perfect set rolling in.
“Archie, you know me.” She lifts her chin and licks her lips, tempting me.
“Uh-uh.” Still holding her finger, I step back and sit on the stacked boxes behind me—my knees are a bit weak right now. I pull Piper closer. “I know you as the girl I didn’t want for a sister. I still don’t want you for a sister, but I want to get to know the woman you are now.”
I turn her hand over and draw my thumb around her palm in slow circles. “I already know you’re smart and talented, but I want to know your deepest thoughts, your deepest hurts, and your biggest dreams. I want to know you not just as a business partner, but as someone my gut tells me could be my life partner.”
I raise my eyes to hers and laugh when I see how wide hers have gone.
“Too much?” I ask.
“I’m only twenty-two,” she answers with a nervous laugh.
“Exactly.” Unable to resist the temptation, I tug her into my lap. “No need to rush. I want to take my time getting to knowyou, Piper Quinn, dating you…kissing you.” I nuzzle her neck, brushing my lips against her ear. She sucks in her breath and sinks into my chest.
“But I can’t do that if we’re living together, because when I’m with you, all I want to do is hold you in my arms and not let you go,” I rasp. “But holding you so tight wouldn’t leave you any room to grow. And I really want us to grow together.”
She shifts in my lap and faces me, her eyes on my mouth. Her hand comes up, and she traces her finger over my lips. “So, you’re going to make me wait to kiss you?”
I swallow hard and nod.
“This may be your most diabolical prank yet, Archie Forsythe.”
I chuckle and hold her tighter. “Trust me, once Dad and Cynthia’s divorce is final, I’ll be making up for lost time.”
“How long is that?” With a sigh, she lays her head on my shoulder.
“Ah, that’s the good news. The one thing our parents did right was eloping in Australia before having the official ceremony in California. As soon as I got the signed deed notarized today, Dad’s lawyers moved to schedule the divorce hearing. Should be later this week, and if the divorce is granted, it will be final in one month and a day.”
Piper sits up. “How is that good news?”
“It would have been six months if they’d married in California first.”
“Fine,” Piper huffs. “A monthisbetter. I’ll make one of those paper chains to count down the days.”
“Brilliant.” I nudge her off my lap. “In fact, you should get on it before I cave and let you kiss me right now.”
“Oh, no. You lost your chance with these lips for the next thirty days, Archie. You set the rules. Now you get to keep them.”She walks past me, up the stairs, with a sway to her hips that I’ll be thinking about for the next…forever.
She looks back at me when she gets to the top. “Yes, I’m wearing the leopard pair. In case you were wondering.”
I groan. Because, yeah, the thought had definitely crossed my mind.
Chapter 36
Piper
True to my word, I make that paper chain. And every morning when Archie brings me coffee from Frothed and walks me to the bus stop, we say how many loops are left. Every night he’s waiting for me at the beach house after I’m done with my workday at Valente and he’s done with his shift at Frothed—because, yes, Britta gave him a job. Technically, he is homeless, but Archie’s come a long way. He gets that, even without the allowance from Malcolm, he’s a lot better off than most people. In fact, he’s come around to thinking he’s a lot better off without Malcolm’s money.
We spend our nights working on Bombora and my launch, eating cheap take out or grilled cheese sandwiches which he’s also really good at making. Before Archie leaves to go back to his room at Dex and Britta’s, we tear off one more chain, thendon’tkiss goodnight.
