Chapter 28

“Are you purposely staying out of the office?” Piper asked Chase Friday night on the phone as she climbed under the covers, her back against the headboard.

Kit jumped up on the bed, sighed, and put his head on Piper’s lap.

“Yes and no.”

“Which is it?”

“No . . . I had a lot to do at CMS, the attorney, banks, and until you’re ready to let the office know we’re dating, it’s probably best I limit my time there.”

“That’s ridiculous. You’re capable of holding back.”

“Nope. I’m pretty sure we’re going to get caught as I’m pushing you against the wall and finding all the places that make you squirm.”

Piper fanned herself. The room warmed with only his words. The action was bound to get steamy. “When you put it like that.”

She heard Chase chuckle. “How did Alex look when she came in today?”

“Like she drank too much wine and slept on a couch.”

She and Nick took full advantage of the wine cellar and ended up sleeping at the estate. According to Alex, she all but passed out on the living room sofa while Nick happily took up residence in her father’s bedroom.

“That good, huh?”

“She made it in by nine thirty. My bet was noon.” Piper yawned.

“You’re tired.”

“I used to stay up and binge Netflix on Fridays. Now I can’t keep my eyes open past ten.”

“I won’t keep you up. I get you from noon on tomorrow.”

Piper rested a hand on her dog’s head. “And what am I wearing for this all-day date?”

“Start out casual. Shoes you can walk in.”

“What do you mean start out?”

“We’ll have an opportunity to freshen up before dinner, a little less casual but nothing terribly fancy. Think slacks over jeans. And it might be chilly.”

“Might be?”

“Bring a sweater,” he told her.

She smiled into the phone. “Any other changes of clothing I might need?”

“This is our first date. I will have you home by midnight.”

“Such a gentleman.”

“Even if it kills me.”

Piper laughed.

“And if I lock my door and don’t let you leave?” she asked.

“That is an entirely different story . . . But no pressure.”

The ball, as they say, was in her court.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at noon, then.”

“Get some sleep, hon.”

Piper held her cell phone to her cheek after she ended the call.

She glanced at Kit, who was fast asleep beside her. “You need to get used to the floor, my friend.”

Kit sighed but didn’t open his eyes.

Her dog wouldn’t be happy, but Piper felt like a promise of something fantastic was only a day away.

Piper packed a bag, one she assumed she’d leave in Chase’s truck until it was time for a wardrobe change.

The thought made her laugh.

Either way, she tried to plan ahead for anything and everything she’d need.

Starting with how she dried and curled her hair, then put it up with a loose clip so that it didn’t crinkle in all the wrong places. With any luck, she’d be able to brush it out after a busy day, toss on some lip gloss, and go.

The day was on the cool side, so she opted for jeans, with the slacks packed for later. She realized as she was zipping up her most comfortable denim pants that they weren’t as loose as they had been a week ago. She wasn’t convinced that she was gaining any baby weight, but likely putting back on the pounds she’d lost tossing her cookies every morning . . . afternoon, and occasional evening. She grabbed a sleeveless shirt and layered it with a short-waisted jacket that she could use that evening as well.

With an eye on the clock, she found herself running around her house, picking things up. She’d spent most of the morning between the dog park and errands, as most of her Saturdays worked out to be, with Kit by her side. Mr. Armstrong was already scheduled to feed her dog later that day.

She realized the bin she stored the kibble she used in Kit’s diet was nearly empty. The last thing she wanted was for Mr. Armstrong to have to lug the forty-pound bag from the storage room into her kitchen.

Piper looked at her watch. She had five minutes.

She double-timed her step, went around the back of her tiny house to the storage shed she and Mr. Armstrong shared to retrieve the dog food.

From the driveway, she heard Chase’s truck pulling in.

She quickly grabbed the bag and hoisted it up in both arms, then attempted to shut the shed door with her foot.

The first kick didn’t do the job, and the second closed it but not all the way so that the inside latch caught. She was seconds away from pushing her shoulder into the door when Chase called out, “What are you doing?”

“I need to refill the dog”—shoulder into door, the latch caught—“food!”

Before she could turn around, Chase was in front of her, grabbing the weighty bag from her arms. “Are you crazy?”

That felt better. “Hi.” She smiled up at him.

He scowled.

“What?”

He shifted the bag to one side, dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “You’re pregnant,” he said.

“And?” She was genuinely confused.

“Let me lift the heavy things,” he told her before walking toward her front door.

“I will take that as chivalry and not chauvinism and, at the same time, remind you that I live alone.”

She could see the wheels in Chase’s brain spinning.

“Then buy smaller bags of dog food.”

Piper followed him inside. “They’re more expensive that way.”

Yeah, he didn’t like that answer, but he didn’t have a comeback.

“Where do you want this?”

She pointed to the kitchen and the large sealable bin that was open and empty. “In there.”

Piper stood back and watched as Chase helped with the heavy bag.

Kit stood by with laser-focused eyes on the process, just hoping for a fallen piece of food he could jump on.

As the last bits of food were poured into the container, Chase grabbed a small handful and put it on the floor.

“It’s not his dinnertime,” she teased.

“Too bad. He didn’t growl at me for the first time.”

Kit gobbled the food in two bites and then looked up for more.

Chase reached back in.

Piper said a quick “No.”

He pulled his hand back and put the lid on the container. “Sorry, buddy. Mom says no.”

Piper turned. “I’m going to grab my things, and I’m ready to go.”

By the time she walked back into the living room, Chase stood at the door, and Kit stood in the kitchen, chewing.

“What did you give him?”

Deer in the headlights. “Nothing. He must’ve found something on the floor.” Chase took her bag from her and started to walk out.

Piper pointed in Chase’s face as she walked ahead. “I’m onto you.”

They left her house and headed toward the freeway. “Are you going to tell me what we’re doing?”

“Nope. It’s a surprise.”

They talked a little about work and a lot about the design for the third-floor offices on the way to wherever they were going.

“We should be getting some preliminary sketches by the end of next week.”

“That’s fast.”

“You said you wanted it done yesterday.”

“I don’t want to split myself in two directions. Different floors, fine. Different cities . . . not so fine.”

“It’s going to be nice.”

They exited the freeway along with the traffic headed into LAX.

A tingle went down Piper’s spine.

When Chase zipped around the bulk of cars, she released a sigh. Only to catch her breath a second time as he pulled into a private entrance.

“Chase?”

He rolled down his window and showed the man at the gate his driver’s license and was let in.

“Chase?”

He glanced at her over the rim of his sunglasses. “What’s the point of a fancy jet if you don’t use it?”

Every nerve ending in her body went on high alert. “You’re kidding.”

They pulled up to a building where someone was there to open their doors.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Stone. Your pilots are here.”

Piper smacked down on a girlie squeal but did a little shuffle when Chase walked around the truck and took her hand in his.

In front of them, someone carried their day bags as someone else drove Chase’s truck away.

She grabbed onto Chase’s arm. “I’m so excited,” she said in a rough whisper.

They walked through a lobby and were immediately taken to a wide hall where someone checked their IDs. Then they were escorted out onto the runway and walked directly to a waiting airplane.

“That’s it?” Piper asked. “No metal detectors, no X-rays?”

“Wild, isn’t it?” Chase asked. His smile suggested he was just as excited about the process as she was.

The attendant with their bags walked up the ramp, and they stopped to talk to the pilot who was standing there.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Stone.”

“Carson, right?” Chase asked.

“You remembered. Yes. And today my copilot is Megan. She’ll come out and introduce herself once you’re on board.”

We have our own pilots. Piper was squealing inside her head.

“This is Piper Maddox,” Chase told him.

Carson did a double take. “Maddox. Wait . . . we’ve talked on the phone.”

“Oh my God, right.” She put out her hand to shake his. “It’s great to finally meet you in person.”

Chase waved between the two of them. “You know each other?”

“No. Only through work. If there were weather delays or complications, Carson would tell me, and I’d break the news to your dad. Kept the stress level down while they were in the air.”

“Piper was easier to talk to than the senior Mr. Stone.”

“I hope you never have to say that about me,” Chase said.

“I get the feeling I won’t.” He lifted a hand to the airplane. “Shall we?”

Chase held back. “Ladies first.”

This was epic.

Piper walked up the stairs, feeling like a celebrity.

Inside, she turned toward what would have been the first-class seats and saw individual plush seats, a couch, a big-screen television. Everything in a bright white. The windows weren’t even the same as on a commercial airplane. They were huge.

Chase came up behind her, placed his hands on her hips, his lips close to her ear. “Crazy, isn’t it?”

She let out the squeal she’d been holding back, twisted around, and kissed Chase. “This is so unnecessary, I’m so glad you did it.”

“I somehow knew you’d say that.” Chase turned her around and started marching her forward.

“I’m guessing this is her first time,” Carson said as he stopped to close the door of the aircraft.

“But not her last,” Chase said.

Piper walked farther back in the plane and, without turning toward them, said, “Again, not necessary, but if you insist.”

Both men laughed.

She opened the door in the back of the plane. “A bedroom?” she shouted out.

“With new bedding and a new mattress. Alex insisted.”

Piper glanced over her shoulder at Chase. “Smart woman.”

She continued her self-guided tour, found a bathroom and a kitchen . . . or galley. Is that what they called kitchens on airplanes? She’d look it up later.

Piper practically skipped back to Chase’s side and placed both hands behind his neck. “It doesn’t even matter where we’re going. We could just fly around in circles and that would be great.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for next time. Today, however, we’re going to San Francisco.” His arms circled her waist.

And the squealing started again. “I’ve never been.”

“Seriously?”

She pointed to her chest. “Broke.” Then she pressed that same finger in his chest. “Gazillionaire.”

“The gazillions just happened, but San Francisco is just up the coast.”

She shrugged. “Stone Enterprises doesn’t put assistants on the complimentary hotel list, and even with my discount, it is too expensive in big cities.”

“Then we need to tell my assistant to put your name on the list.”

“And wouldn’t that be the very preferential treatment that the whole office would talk about?” They were going to be talked about enough once word got out, adding to that could cause all kinds of jealousy and issues.

“That’s a them problem. If I want my girlfriend’s name on a list and I own the company, my girl’s name is on the list.”

“Girlfriend?” she tested the word on her lips. “This is our first date.”

His arms still circled her back, hers around his neck.

Chase swayed from side to side. “Technically, anytime I’ve picked you up, drove you somewhere, and brought you back, it was a date. I can count at least two other times that has happened. Steak dinner and the Heart Association gala. This is our third.”

“When you put it that way . . .”

“Mr. Stone, Miss Maddox?”

They turned and met the copilot, who told them about their flight time to San Francisco and the expectation of smooth skies.

The sounds of the engines warming up prompted her and Chase to find a seat.