Breaking Away Read online

  “That sucks.”

  “Yeah, but it’s only for a week,” she said with a nod. “Oh, by the way, I think we are going to get a house in the city. We’ve been looking.”

  Reese nodded. She had been asking Piper to move back to Nashville for months. When she first got pregnant, Piper decided to hide the pregnancy and moved out to Sweetbriar to her family friend, Elli Adler’s old house. Reese should have known something was up, but at the time, Piper wanted to be an illustrator, and said she needed the peace and quiet to draw. Really, she was pregnant and didn’t want anyone to know.

  “That’s great; I can’t wait to have you and Dimitri closer to me.”

  “And Erik,” Piper supplied.

  “Yeah, him too,” Reese said teasingly as she dried a plate. “He’s okay, I guess. He’s growing on me.”

  “He’s amazing, I love him so much.”

  A small grin came across Reese face.

  “Have you talked to Harper today?” Piper asked.

  Reese shook her head. “Nope, what’s up?”

  Piper smiled widely at her before saying, “Sadie is pregnant. The eggs stuck this time!”

  Reese wanted to scream out in joy. It had been two months since they picked out Sadie Murray as the surrogate mother for Harper and Jakob. Sadie was a mother of two with a loving husband who believed that everyone needed a baby. She had been a surrogate once before, and she took great care of herself. Reese knew from first glance that Sadie was perfect. Knowing that everything was working out perfectly made Reese want to cry. Harper was probably elated.

  But why hadn’t she called Reese?

  “Oh my god, that’s awesome,” Reese said, but then asked, “I wonder why she didn’t call me? I picked Sadie out, for goodness sakes!”

  Piper smiled. “She did call you, but your phone doesn’t work out here. That’s why I’m telling you.”

  “Oh… Well, damn, that’s awesome. I can’t wait for another little baby!”

  Piper laughed. “Me either. I’m so happy for them.”

  Reese smiled. “Me too. So when you popping out another one?”

  Piper dropped the plate she had in her hands, splashing water all over her shirt. Reese laughed as she took a step back.

  “Do you not remember how loud I was screaming during the birth of my son? That shit is not a joke, it hurts, and it will take longer than six months for me to forget that pain, thank you. I don’t know how Elli did this back to back the way she did,” Piper said with a shake of her head.

  Reese didn’t understand how Elli could pop out four kids in the past three years while being the owner of the Nashville Assassins either but, then again, she didn’t understand why people thought they needed to procreate anyways. There was too much to do in life. Why wipe ass and feed a little person, when you could tour Italy or something? It wasn’t the life for her, but she wasn’t one of those people that pushed her views on everyone else. She was happy to be an aunt. She loved Dimitri and Ally with all her heart and was happy that her sisters had found happiness with two great guys. Reese just never thought that would happen for her. Guys weren’t a necessity; they were just a pleasure.

  Which reminded her…

  “All right, I’m heading out,” Reese said, throwing her towel down and wrapping her arms around her sister.

  “Okay, be careful and call me later.”

  Reese rolled her eyes. “Piper, we didn’t take those self-defense classes for nothing. If a guy gets stupid, he gets his ass kicked. Simple as that.”

  “I know, but don’t you think you’re getting too old for this? We are twenty seven; don’t you think it’s time for you to settle down?”

  Reese let out an annoyed sigh as she met her sister’s clear blue eyes. After people found their soul mates, they thought everyone else should, too. It was so annoying.

  “I’m happy with my life. I don’t want a man, or kids, or anything like that. I want me, with the occasional bedmate and, tonight, I’m in the mood for some hair-pulling, rough sex.”

  “Okay, but you could find a guy that would do that all the time, instead of having to find a different guy each time.”

  Reese shook her head. “No, because maybe next week, I’ll want sweet, loving sex. You never know with me.”

  Piper smiled. “If you took the time, you could find a man that would give you all of it, but whatever. Be careful, and love you.”

  Reese could have argued the point, but she was glad for the out and smiled.

  “Love you,” she said, turning to leave. “Bye, Erik.”

  “See you later,” he called from Dimitri’s room. She should have gone back there and said bye. She knew once Dimitri had her in his gaze, though, that she’d never leave, and Reese needed to leave. She was in the mood for some company of the male variety.

  Wanna B’s was Reese’s stomping ground. She loved the bar, loved the atmosphere, and the assortment of men out in front of her. There were cowboys, lawyers, musicians, businessmen, and every other brand of man for her to choose from. Reese leaned against the bar, a beer at her lips, as she scanned for the perfect bedmate. She had a system. After picking the guy out of the crowd, she’d watch him and usually he’d notice. They would make eyes at each other and, if he had the balls to come up to her, and he checked out as not a sleaze, then she usually went home with him. She never went to their house though, no matter what. She’d go home alone before she’d do that. The reason was because she knew where all the weapons were in her house. Had to keep safe, mind you.

  Taking a long pull of her beer, her eyes kept busy until she found him. It didn’t take long. When her eyes landed on him, all she could do was think, Hello, gorgeous. He had to be at least 6’5, big, brawny shoulders, trim waist, great ass, blond hair in a short cut, and dark brown eyes that met hers head on. When his lips curved in a devilish grin, Reese found herself gripping the side of the bar. He was a hair puller. She could tell just by that grin, and she prayed he had the balls to come talk to her. He did, and soon he was crossing the bar. As he closed the distance between them, Reese took in his tight jeans, his western blue shirt that had pearl snaps, and of course, his black cowboy hat. The song “Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy” came to mind, and Reese was all about saving every horse in America just to ride this one cowboy.

  With a grin on his face, he bent in and said, “Hi.”

  As he pulled back, Reese’s smile grew. He smelled fantastic, not like a cigarette or anything. He had beer on his breath, but she thought that was hot. Bringing her lip between her teeth, she held his gaze before she said hi back.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  He had a deep voice, one that could make her come on demand. Oh, she couldn’t wait to get him home.

  “Reese.”

  “Reese, I like that.”

  “Thank you, and yours?”

  “Dillon.”

  She grinned, still holding his gaze as she moved a piece of hair out of her eyes. She felt a tingle in her stomach as heat rushed to the spot between her thighs. They had a connection, and she was ready to go home and test that while getting tangled in her sheets.

  “Do you have a girlfriend, wife, or anyone that will protest to you leaving and having your way with me?”

  His grin grew as he slowly shook his head.

  “No ma’am, I don’t.”

  Yup, she was pretty sure her thong caught on fire. She took a step towards him, running her hand up his hard abs before resting it on his equally hard chest. When his hand rested against her ass, she knew she was about to have a whole lot of fun with this country hottie.

  “Well then, let’s go.”

  He was all right.

  Nothing mind blowing, and he needed to work on his hair-pulling technique. How hard was it to pull and thrust at the exact right time? He was banging her so hard, and then pulling her hair at the wrong time, that she was convinced he was going to break something. But overall, he did the job and she got her release, which was all she was r