Slowly, Piper traced a finger over her lower lip. She’d kissed her share of men. Some turned out to be toads, others landed firmly in the rat category. She’d met nice men and boring men. Some were memorable while most she forgot without a second thought.
From the beginning, Levi had been different. He wasn’t the kind of person you easily dismissed.
From the first, Levi made her laugh—a bonus she hadn’t expected when they made their mutually beneficial pact to be each other’s fake dates. There was an ease between them from the beginning that Piper couldn’t remember feeling with any other man. Perhaps the reason was the lack of expectations. They weren’t looking for anything romantic.
No sex, no worries. And though Piper enjoyed a healthy romp in the bedroom as much as the next person, in two years of hugs and handholding and cuddling on her sofa, she and Levi never crossed the line between friends and lovers. They’d never come close. Until now.
“How long have you wanted more?” Piper wondered aloud. “When did you first want to kiss me?”
Piper scrubbed a hand over her face. Damn, Levi. She didn’t want things between them to change—for so many reasons. If they started to date for real, would the shift in the relationship signal the beginning? Or the beginning of the end?
“Piper?”
Looking up, Piper found a beautiful blonde smiling at her from the door of her office.
“Claire,” Piper said with a warm, welcoming smile. “What a wonderful surprise.
Rising, Piper crossed the room and pulled the other woman into a hug. Claire Thornton. Dressed in an elegant mint-colored sheath and a leather jacket in a slightly darker shade of green, she looked the part of a successful businesswoman. But, like most people, she was so much more.
Married to ex-Knights’ running back Logan Price, Claire was a wife and mother. A socially conscious citizen. And, as always, someone who smelled amazing. Like a meadow of wildflowers—a scent she’d developed herself and marketed with her usual flair and expertise.
Claire’s company focused on organic, healthy products to make a person feel better, inside and out. She’d started small. Now, her business was a thriving, international enterprise.
As with so many of her friends, Piper met Claire through Riley Preston. Another Seattle Knights connection.
“I hope I’m not disturbing you,” Claire said as Piper led her to the sofa. She took a seat. “I knocked, but you didn’t answer.”
Piper pushed the intercom button on her desk and asked her assistant to bring in a pot of tea and some cookies.
“My mind was a million miles away,” Piper said as she joined Claire on the sofa.
“A million miles? Or were your thoughts a lot closer?” Claire asked with a knowing smile. “Are you worried about Levi?”
“Why would I worry?” Piper asked with an airy wave of her hand. “Levi is a big boy. He can take care of himself and—”
“And?” Claire asked.
“Of course, I’m worried.” Absently, Piper tapped the toe of one yellow pump against the coffee table’s leg. “I know the Knights’ defensive players won’t be out for blood. They’re on Levi’s side. But…”
“Go on,” Claire urged. “Say to me what you can’t say to Levi.”
“After ten years as a backup, does he still have what it takes to start an NFL game?” Piper’s words came in a rush. Almost immediately, she regretted every word. “I’m a bad friend. Right?”
“Just the opposite,” Claire assured her. “You don’t want Levi to get hurt. Understandable. Even worse, there’s nothing you can do. What happens on the field is out of your control.”
“I’ve checked out videos of Levi when he was in college. Don’t tell him,” Piper said with a self-deprecating laugh. “He thinks I’d rather pluck every hair from my head, one by one, rather than voluntarily watch football.”
“Your secret is safe with me,” Claire said, chuckling. “I was never a huge fan before I met Logan. You start to see the game through different eyes when someone you care about is a player.”
Piper nodded, gathering her thoughts as her assistant set a silver tray on the table. She handed Claire a cup and took a sip of tea.
“Levi was good,” Piper said. “Great, I suppose, though I can’t call myself a fair judge. He’s kept himself fit. However, back then he was twenty-two. He hadn’t been relegated to the sidelines for close to a decade.”
“In shape is different than in game shape.” Claire took a nibbling bite of a butter cookie. “When I met Logan, he was through with football. My job was to help him make a comeback.”
“And you succeeded,” Piper said. “Logan helped the Knights win their first Super Bowl.”
“We had our fairytale ending.” A thoughtful glint entered Claire’s blue eyes. “Funny. You’d think after everything we went through, after Logan’s comeback we could have relaxed, settled in, and enjoyed our lives.”
“You have a happy marriage.” Piper paused. “Don’t you?”
“Very happy,” Claire assured her with a smile. “However, we fell in love while fighting toward a common goal. Us against the world. When the dust settled, we’d won the battle. Then came the hard part.”
“What could be harder than what you and Logan went through?” Piper asked.
“Day to day living,” Claire explained. “We met under extraordinary circumstances. After we reached our goals, we had to decide if what we had was real, or merely a by-product of what we’d been through. Luckily, after taking our time, we discovered our love was real.”
Piper sniffled, blinking back a tear. She was a sucker for a happy ending. However, she couldn’t figure out what Claire and Logan’s story had to do with her situation.
“Levi and I are friends,’ Piper said. She didn’t feel last night’s kiss changed the basic facts. “We’ve lived ordinary, day to day lives together for two years.”
“Which means you already know that your relationship is on steady ground.” Claire placed her hand on Piper’s and squeezed. “Win or lose—and I believe he’ll win—Levi’s life is about to get crazy. The good news is, he has you. His friend. His port in a storm, so to speak. Unless…”
“Yes?” Piper asked.
“Any plans to jump ship?” The questioning look tucked inside Claire’s gaze was clear and direct. “Just by association, you’re bound to be pulled into the wave of crazy that’s about to descend on Levi. Will you stand with him? Or turn and run?”
“As his friend, I’ll be with him all the way.” Piper took a deep breath, then exhaled. “Suddenly, with everything else that’s going on, Levi wants more.”
“Suddenly?” Claire seemed skeptical. “You’ve always been attracted to Levi. Right?”
“Well, sure. Levi is gorgeous. He’s sexy. And he smells so good—all the time. Even after he’s worked out. And—” Realizing how much her ramblings had revealed, Piper cleared her throat. “We date other people. Have sex with other people.”