Page 13 of Tell Me No Lies

I can't hear Piper's answer because Nancy leads her out of my office and the chatter from the rest of my employees in the breakroom a couple doors down drowns out her words.

I was hoping the weekend would give me time to reset. Time to put some much-needed distance between Piper and me. I stayed in my house and did my best to pretend she wasn’t right next door. But instead of feeling better two days of not seeing her has left me starved. Hungry for the sound of her voice. For the fight she always puts up. Her sarcasm and her wit. I've always been drawn to her, but now that I've had my hands on her—and my cock inside her—I can’t get enough. And it’s driving me up a wall.

"Hey, Tate." Nancy pokes her head into my office. "Brittany called in. Her little boy is sick, so she's not gonna make it in today."

Thank fucking God. I'm not happy that Brittany's kid is sick, but her absence has just offered me a reprieve.

I'm up from my desk immediately, rounding the edge, knowing I need to move fast before I end up giving myself away. "I’ll work in the back today. Make sure we don't fall behind." I go straight past Nancy and turn down the hall, keeping my eyes in front of me to avoid letting them catch on the hellion of a brunette making me question the ethics I thought I'd found.

I spend the rest of the day in the back, working side-by-side with the women who are as much my family as the men I call my brothers.

That's what makes this gnawing ache I feel toward Piper so fucking awful. I should be treating her like everyone else here. Should be able to easily keep our interactions professional. I've never had a problem like this. Never seen a woman who works for me as anything more than an employee and friend. And I don’t know what to do. How to change it.

Thankfully, the shop is busy as hell today, so between the never-ending stream of cars we’re trying to get through, and the lingering summer heat making the shop sweltering, I’m finally able to get my mind off of Piper. When five o'clock hits, I decide to make sure that streak continues, puttering around cleaning up and straightening tools to make sure we don’t cross paths.

Once everything is quiet, I make my way back toward my office, collecting my keys so I can head home to hide out and once again pretend Piper isn't right next door. After flipping off the lights, I make my way to the side exit leading to the employee lot. As I round the corner, I collide with someone rushing inside. The soft body pressed into mine is as familiar as the sweet scent of cherries and vanilla.

Piper's eyes widen and she swings to look back out the glass door. "I thought you were gone. Your Jeep’s not in the lot."

I shake my head. "Not gone. I parked in the back this morning." I didn't want to take the closest spots away from my employees. But more than that, I didn't necessarily want them all to know I was the first one here, rolling in before dawn because sleep eluded me. "Why are you still here?"

Piper shifts on her feet, and I'm not really sure if it's because her injured ankle is bothering her, or if it's because she's nervous. The way she's chewing her lower lip has me thinking it's the latter.

"I just didn't want to stand outside and wait for Lydia to come get me." She lifts up her cell phone. "I'm getting ready to call her now."

I'm trying to follow her explanation, but it's not making sense. "Why is Lydia coming to get you?"

Piper’s lips press together, like she doesn't want to tell me. I wait her out. I know she can't resist the need to open her mouth for long. It’s not even five seconds before she blows out a breath and rolls her eyes. "My car won't start. It's been weird for a couple days, and I'm sure it's nothing, but—"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" I'm pissed. Pissed at her ridiculousness. Pissed at myself for making her be this fucking ridiculous. "Why the hell would you call Lydia when I'm right fucking here?"

Piper's eyes widen on a glare. "I didn't know you were right here, dick.” Her chin tips as she continues staring me down. "And why would I call you? You obviously don't want to be anywhere near me."

If she only knew.

"Why wouldn’t I want to be near you?" It's a solid question. One I hope she answers, because I would love some solid reasons to stay away from her.

But instead of offering them up, Piper’s skin flushes. Her pupils dilate and her lips part, and the reaction does everything but make me want to stay away.

She blinks, shaking her head a little like she's coming back to her senses after getting lost in the memory of what happened between us a few short days ago. "You hid in your house all weekend and then you spent all day today in the back." She glazes right over my question and instead explains her evidence of my avoidance.

And she's not wrong. I did hide in my house all weekend. It was fucking miserable knowing she was so goddamn close and that I had to stay away, but I made it through. The same way I made it through today.

And the same way I’ll have to make it through tomorrow.

Piper sighs, the sound ending on a groan. "You know what? I'm just gonna call Lydia. I don’t feel like dealing with you."

I snatch her phone away. "Absofuckinglutely not." I hold out my other hand. "Give me your keys."

Instead of passing them over, Piper shoves me in the center of my chest. "Don't tell me what to do, ass."

I know she thinks she's giving me shit, but all she's doing is making me want her more. Every time she comes at me—every jab and eye roll she sends my way—shoots straight to my dick.

"Fine." My palm is still upturned, waiting. "Can I please have your keys?"

The change in my tone has her eyes narrowing, watching me warily. "Why?"

"I don't know if you realize this, but I'm a fucking mechanic, and I'd like to figure out what's wrong with your fucking car.” I let the sarcasm weave through my answer because she likes the way we fight just as much as I do. It feeds her like it feeds me. Nourishes her fucked-up parts the same as it does mine.