Midnight Remedy (15 page)

A little while later, when Marianne’s mother had cornered Eric, Piper tried to find Marianne to tell her they were leaving. Pushing open the door to the music room, she found Neil instead. Before she could back out, he grabbed hold of her.

“Ah, the beautiful Piper Stevenson,” he said, slurring the words. Slapping his hands on the wall on either side of her face, he breathed whiskey fumes at her. “Any success with your latest victim? Has he found out you’re a cheap little gold-digger yet? ‘Lolita of the West’, didn’t the papers call you?” His features had coarsened with age, but he was still a good-looking man. And a bastard. How had she ever loved him? His fingers bit into her arm, hurting her.

“Get a life, Neil.” Though she considered spitting in his face, she wasn’t quite that brave or foolhardy. Neil had a wicked temper. “And let go of me.” She jerked her arm out of his grasp.

“Maybe I should tell the good doctor what he’s getting into.” He pushed her back against the wall and smirked at her. “Or maybe you’ll make it worth my while not to tell him.”

“Not in this century. Go ahead and tell him,” she said, her head held high. “It’s common knowledge.”

“Maybe so, but I’ll bet he doesn’t know the whole story. Come on, baby,” he said, leaning down to kiss her neck. “Don’t play so hard to get.”

To hell with Neil’s temper, she thought. “Oh, Neil,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes at him. “I
 . . .
I
 . . .
” She ran her hand slowly down his chest until it rested on his belt buckle. “I think
 . . .
” She hesitated and gazed at him, mutely appealing.

“Yeah?” He pressed closer. “What do you think, baby?”

“That you’d better chill out,” she whispered and dumped the contents of her glass down his pants.

Neil’s face turned a livid red. Before she could move, he grabbed hold of her shoulders, his grip painful. “Bitch,” he hissed. “You’ll pay for that.”

It was worth it to give Neil back some of his own.

Eric hesitated a moment
at the door to the music room. Why should the news that Piper was in there with Croaker cause him a moment’s doubt? A moment’s mistrust, if he were honest. He was over Dawn, over her betrayal. There was no reason to let it interfere with his present relationship. No, he didn’t mistrust Piper, but her ex-fiancé was another matter.

He opened the door and saw Piper backed against the wall, Croaker’s hands on her shoulders and her face lifted to his. The blow rolled through him like a kick in the stomach, hard, fast and painful. Then he realized that Croaker’s grip on her was anything but loverlike.

His guilt over mistrusting her deepened as he took in the front of Croaker’s pants and her empty glass. “Need some help, Piper?”

They both looked at him, startled. Piper slipped away from Croaker and crossed to Eric’s side. “Neil’s under the delusion that he’s human and not reptilian, Eric. Maybe you can recommend a psychiatrist who can disabuse him of that notion.”

Red-faced, he reached out for her. “You little—”

“Give me an excuse, Croaker,” Eric interrupted, striding over to him. “Just a whisper of an excuse, that’s all I need.”

“Don’t, Eric. Let’s go.” Piper grabbed his arm, her fingers tightening on it. “He’s not worth the trouble.”

It wouldn’t be any trouble to punch the bastard’s lights out. But she didn’t want Eric to make a scene. That was clear. “Don’t ever touch her again, Croaker,” Eric told him, and left before he lost it.

He dragged her into the first room he found. “Are you all right?” One hand on her shoulder, with the other he turned her face up to scrutinize it.

“I’m fine. That was amazingly satisfying. But,” she looked around the bathroom, “this isn’t exactly the place to have a long discussion about it.”

“Are you sure you don’t want me to go back and punch him for you? Believe me, it would be my pleasure.”

“You don’t strike me as a violent man.”

His fingers tightened briefly, then loosened as he slid his hands down her arms. “Normally I’m not.” Did guilt have anything to do with his anger? He hoped not, but he wasn’t sure. “What is it with that joker? That’s the second time I’ve walked in and he’s been hassling you. Those weren’t the first incidents like that, were they?”

“You’re very sweet,” she said, touching his cheek.

“How many times, Piper? You can’t even remember, can you? By God, I will go back and pound his face. That’s the last time he’s going to do it.” He released her and reached for the door.

“Wait!” She grabbed his arm and tugged on it. “Defending me isn’t necessary, but I appreciate it.”

“It damn sure is.”

“Do you think he’s the first man I’ve ever had to discourage?”

“You slapped the hell out of him last time and that didn’t discourage him.”

She lifted a shoulder. “He’s drunk. You’ll only cause a scene and then we’ll never get out of here. Don’t you want to leave? Would you rather fight or do something more pleasant?”

Eric frowned at her. “You play dirty, Angel. All right, you win. But if he does it again—”

Piper squeezed his arm. “Forget Neil. Let’s go home.”

They made their way back to the living room, where Piper found Marianne and gave her an excuse for their early departure. Judging from the knowing wink Marianne flung at Piper, Eric didn’t think she fooled her friend for a minute.

Eric took Piper’s hand as they walked to the car, still a little irritated that Piper had stopped him before he’d made sure Croaker didn’t bother her again. He doubted his threat would linger long in the man’s memory, especially since he was drunk. Cicadas chirred in the still twilight. Muted sounds of music, laughter and talk drifted to him from the pool area out back, but the front entrance was deserted for the moment.

His fingers were on the car door when heard Croaker’s voice.

“Has she told you about her son’s daddy? Did she tell you she’s a home wrecker who went after a married man?”

With an explosive oath, Eric started toward him.

“Eric!” Piper grabbed his arm and hung on. “Don’t!”

“Let me go, Piper. That’s the last lie that bastard will spread about you, because I’m going to ram it down his throat.”

“You can’t,” she said, her voice tight, almost tortured in its intensity.

“Why the hell can’t I?”

Piper let go of his arm. Her chin lifted and she looked him squarely in the eye. “Because it’s the truth.”

“Cole’s father was married,” she announced flatly. “With three children.”

“That’s all you’re going to say?”

She spat the words out. “I had an affair with a married man. What more do you want to know?”

A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Did you know he was married?”

“I
 . . .
” She twisted away from him, picking up her glass, downing most of what was left. Angrily, she turned back. “Will that make a difference? If I tell you, no, I didn’t know he was married, does that make it okay? What if I say yes, Eric? Does that put me beyond the pale?”

“Dammit, Piper, don’t take it out on me. I’ve got more reason than you do to be angry about this.” He wanted to heave his glass against the wall, but forced himself not to. Instead, he set it down, his jaw clenched against the need to shout. “You didn’t tell me. Not even when
 . . .
when I told you about Dawn, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Are you so perfect? Haven’t you ever made a mistake?”

Mistakes? He’d married Dawn, hadn’t he? Dawn, who had lied—and betrayed him. “Of course I have, but that isn’t the point. The point isn’t your affair with a married man.”

“The hell it’s not. You’re sitting in judgment of me because I had an affair with a married man.”

“No, the point is you kept something from me that you knew would affect our relationship. That you knew was important to me, especially after what I told you yesterday.”

“Yes, I did,” she shot back. “Because I was afraid you’d react just as you’re reacting. Sanctimonious, judgmental, self-righteous. Like you never made a mistake in your life. Did you ever cheat on Dawn?”

Grimly, he shook his head. “No. I told you, I have a problem with adultery.” He’d thought about it, even been tempted, but he hadn’t done it. Because he believed in the commitment, even if Dawn hadn’t.

Piper picked up the phone and started to dial.

“What are you doing?” He snatched the receiver out of her hand.

Her chin lifted. “Calling my grandfather.”

“I’ll take you home. When we’ve finished.”

“Don’t bother. Judgmental bullies aren’t my style.”

Judgmental bully, was he? He slammed the phone down. “Because I asked you if you knew the man was married? I’m not trying to judge you, I’m trying to understand. My God, Piper, don’t you realize that
 . . .
I can’t believe you would have done it if you’d known.”

She laughed bitterly. “You’re not judging me? Funny, it sure sounds like it to me. Let me set your mind at rest on one thing, then. As it happens, you’re right. I didn’t know he was married. In fact, he asked me to marry him before I even went to bed with him.”

Relief swamped him. Thank God, she hadn’t known. “I knew it had to be something like that.”

She grabbed for the phone, but he held her off.

“So that makes you feel better?” she demanded, face flushed, chest heaving. “Can you justify sleeping with me? Now that you know I was merely stupid instead of immoral?”

“Dammit!” he shouted, losing the fight with his temper. He slammed the receiver down again and pounded his fist on the table. “You’re putting words in my mouth.”

“Are you going to tell me it doesn’t bother you? That my affair with a married man doesn’t bother you in the least?”

“Yes, it bothers me. Hell, yes, of course it bothers me. You knew it would, after Dawn.”

Turning her back to him, she stood with her head bowed and her arms crossed over her chest. “Yes, I knew it would. But I hoped
 . . .
oh, it doesn’t matter. Take me home.”

Take her home. Let her leave, let her walk out of his life. Is that what he wanted? She hadn’t known. Dawn had wrecked his life once already. Was he willing to let what happened with her color what happened now, with Piper? He remembered his surprise at Piper’s inexperience. Whatever she had done, she was no practiced home wrecker. Young, naïve
 . . .
She’d made a mistake. Like Dawn. But he hadn’t been able to forgive Dawn.

“No, I don’t want you to go,” he said. He moved behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders. “We can work this out, Piper.”

“Can we?” Her voice sounded wistful.

“Yes,” he said softly, his mouth against her neck. He didn’t want to end their relationship, he didn’t want to lose her. He could accept it. Dawn’s betrayal was in the past, he was over it. It had nothing to do with Piper. “Forgive me.”

“I should have told you.”

His hands covered her breasts. “It doesn’t matter, it’s in the past. We don’t have to let it hurt us.” Deftly, he unbuttoned her bodice and slid his hands inside her bra, fitting his palms against her bare breasts. Warm, heavy breasts.