Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56885 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 284(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Piper: I’ll let you go. I’m going to get back to my book.
Logan: What are you reading?
Just like that, it’s like the flirting never happened. If it weren’t saved on my phone, I’d be left wondering if it was real. I’d be doubting and second-guessing myself.
Piper: A romantic comedy. But I’m struggling to find it very funny.
A petty part of me hopes he gets the hint. There’s nothing funny about the way he’s stringing me along.
Okay, stop, Piper. I need to calm down. He’s not stringing me along. We sent some borderline flirty texts. Then he realized it was wrong and ended it—end of story.
I try to read more of the book, but it’s as if the novel is taunting me.
“She knew she had to fight her feelings. Knew that it would end in disaster. But as the rain slid down their bodies, all she wanted was to keep kissing him. She felt like she was exactly where she belonged.”
I close my eyes and imagine Logan’s body pressed against mine, his firm muscles tickling my nipples through the fabric of my clothes. I imagine his hand sliding up my inner thigh, squeezing possessively, his touch gliding between my legs and pressing down on my clit, sliding hotly over my folds, moving to my entrance as I get tingly and wet.
From elsewhere in the apartment, I hear a door open. When Do It All took off, Elliot moved out of our childhood home into this high-rise apartment with security and even a small interior shopping mall.
I climb out of bed, partly out of curiosity but also out of sheer desperation—desperation to get away from the lust tearing through me.
Elliot walks into the apartment, sucking on his vape pen. He’s been doing that a lot recently. His vape has a Do It All sticker on it.
“You’re up,” he says.
“You sound disappointed. Did you want to sneak in?”
“No…” He shakes his head. “Is something wrong?”
“You tell me,” I reply, thinking quickly. I don’t want to drop Logan into any crap. “I saw you with a pretty shady-looking guy earlier. Do I need to be concerned?”
“Shady…” He narrows his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“He just looked suspicious, Elliot,” I snap.
“Where?” Elliot asks.
I look at him, refusing to answer, knowing this might not be the best tactic. But I don’t want to tell him I’ve been texting his best friend. I have no right to demand the truth from my big brother when I’m keeping so many secrets from him, but that doesn’t stop me from glaring.
“You don’t need to worry about anything,” he says after a pause, approaching me.
“So, why do you sound so scared?”
He takes my hand. “I mean it, Piper. I’d never let anything happen to you.”
“First, you tell me I don’t need to worry. Then you say you’d let nothing happen. What are we even talking about? Does it have something to do with your bloody nose?”
Elliot frowns. “I know a guy. Sal Mangano. He works for the mob. He wants to work with Do It All. But I’m dealing with it.”
“The mob?” I gasp. “How do you know him?”
Elliot shakes his head. “Didn’t you hear me? I just said you don’t need to worry. Seriously, Piper. Focus on your work. On doing a good job. Sal isn’t interested in you. He’s interested in the company. So just relax, okay?”
Elliot storms off toward his room.
I almost yell at him to stop, but the clinging guilt makes it impossible.
What right do I have to yell at my big brother after everything I’ve done and everything I’m thinking about doing?
I return to bed, shutting off the lights and burying my face in the pillow, forgetting about the world.
When I wake, there’s a text waiting for me from Logan.
Logan: Morning, Hardcover.
A book emoji joins a waving symbol.
Logan:
I smile, knowing it’s wrong even if it feels so right.
Piper: Morning, Mr. Boss.
CHAPTER 9
LOGAN
The next day, I sat at my desk, staring at my phone and reviewing the texts I exchanged with Piper last night. The one that sticks out is where I call her Hardcover, explaining that we both put up a front to the world. It’s true. I need to be strong for the company’s image and my employees.
We both experienced hell when we were kids. Elliot saved her. My best friend, the man I’m betraying by dwelling on my connection with his sister. But I can’t deny it.
Looking at these messages, we seem like a good fit. That’s why I tried to get things back on track last night, changing the subject. But this morning, I failed again. I couldn’t resist sending her another text, even if I knew it was wrong.
The betrayal isn’t just because Elliot’s my best friend—he also helped me with the business. Without his sister, the idea for Do It All never would’ve come to me. Without Elliot, there never would’ve been a company.