Page 17 of Love Beyond the Illusion
I sigh in relief and reach behind me on the bed, pawing for my phone. When I find it, I click on the flashlight, rise to my feet, and carefully walk across the room to the floor-to-ceiling windows. Tapping the button on the remote to open the thick, heavy, blackout curtains, I’m blinded by the direct sunlight blasting into the dark room.
I leave the curtains partly open and look down at the busy Las Vegas strip below. When I hear Piper move around on the other side of the oversized bed, I walk over to her side.
“Jack?” she mutters.
I sit on the bed next to her head, which is halfway off the edge. Piper’s dress rides high on her legs, with the top half of her body rolled in the white hotel sheet.
“Hi.” I smile warmly.
Her long strawberry blonde hair is fanned out across two pillows before she lifts her head. “I feel like shit. What the hell happened last night?”
I shake my head with confusion. “I’m not quite sure. I remember some of it, but not all,” I answer, but my voice is still shaky with uncertainty. “The last thing I remember is coming back to the penthouse extremely excited, but I don’t remember what for.”
“To hook up?” Piper stills. Her eyes are wide while panic crosses her face. “Did we sleep together?”
I fold my arms at my chest. “I’m sure we didn’t sleep together.”
“How do you know? I mean, I don’tfeellike we did, but you never know.”
If I fucked her last night, she would definitely feel it this morning, especially with the way I’m attracted to her. I tilt my head to the side, looking directly into her eyes. “Trust me, if we slept together, you’d remember it.”
Her face reddens, but her eyes narrow. “So sure of yourself?”
“Without a doubt,” I say firmly. Piper’s lashes bat a few times before she looks away. I smile with the satisfaction of making her blush.
I lift off the bed to search for our luggage. I quickly realize that we are in the same suite I'd booked for myself at the beginning of the night. Heading into the main living area, I spot two black roller carry-ons in the corner by the door. I wheel them both back into the bedroom to see that Piper is now sitting up.
“I need a shower.” Her voice is raspy.
“Here’s your bag. You know, the one that you thought you lost?”
She gives me a side-eye. “Thanks.”
“Are you okay? Besides the obvious splitting headache and death-like hangover,” I joke, making light of the situation.
Piper runs a hand through her tousled hair, flipping it to the side of her head. “I’m alright. I wish I remembered more this morning.”
My face softens, understanding how she feels. All joking aside, last night was fun, and I’m surprised by how fast I felt comfortable with her. That doesn’t happen to me very often, with or without alcohol. There’s a thick awkwardness around us, and now, I’m unsure how to act around her. To say that I’m grateful that we didn’t have sex is an understatement because I have a feeling she’s not one that I’ll easily forget. “We had fun. It’s alright.”
“I know. I had a lot of fun with you. More fun than I’ve had in a long time.”
I smile, feeling the same. “At least I’m a nice guy and didn’t take advantage of you.”
“You wouldn’t have needed to take advantage of me.”I wouldn’t have?
“Interesting.”
She heads toward the bathroom with her clothes and a small bag clutched in her arms. “With how drunk we both were, I’m glad we didn’t end up doing something stupid.”
Pursing my lips together, I nod with shared relief.
While Piper is in the shower, memories of last night slowly start rolling in. Thinking about it makes my head spin. Both of us need some food, water, and definitely an aspirin—or two.I head into the kitchen, searching for complimentary bottles of water, and luckily, I find a dozen of them stocked in the fridge.
I grab three to take back into the bedroom, but on my way, I pass a large wooden dining table and a bouquet of white roses, but something catches my eye. I look closer and notice a yellow-tinted piece of paper nestled underneath the stems. I tuck all three water bottles into one of my arms and then remove the paper with the fancy calligraphy from the top of the table.
My heart stops.
I blink a few times to make sure I’m reading this document correctly. With my eyes still blurry, I can only make out a few words:State of Nevada,Marriage Certificate, and my signature:Jack Bradley.Directly across from my name, written in my very own handwriting, is that of Piper Harris, and right below hers is one that shoots an electric shock up my spine,Piper Bradley.
