“Hey, Tristan!” I hear Piper calling from the bathroom.
I tap on the door before opening it. “You okay?”
Piper’s covered by bubbles but pokes a foot out as she plays with the suds. “Yeah, I just forgot a towel. Would you mind grabbing me one, please?”
“Sure.”
I take one from the linen closet, then set it down on the counter. “Anything else you need?”
Her chest moves up and down, every inch revealing more and more of her as she contemplates my question.
“No, I’m good. Thanks.”
I close the door behind me, then wait for her in the living room. As I aimlessly flip through a magazine, I make a mental note of what I need Easton to bring when he returns.
Footsteps patter on the floor, and when I look over, Piper’s walking out completely wet and naked.
“What the fuck are you doing?” I growl out as she walks closer.
“I forgot my phone on the coffee table.” She flashes a Cheshire cat smirk that tells me all I need to know.
“Why are you naked?” I demand, forcing my eyes above her neck.
“You only gave me one towel, so I made an executive decision to use it for my hair.” She shrugs as if it’s the most logical solution she could come up with.
“You didn’t ask for two,” I remind her.
“Oops.” She takes her phone, then spins around, and this time, my eyes do wander. Down her back and to her hips, then to her curvy ass as she walks away.
Every sexy inch of her is taunting me, a forbidden treat I can’t eat. She’s dangling it in front of me, torturously showing me what’s off-limits.
Piper Montgomery is a temptation I can never give in to—no matter how badly I want to break the rules.
CHAPTER NINE
PIPER
DAY 11
I can’t believe I’m still in Florida. When I arrived, I thought they’d find Jack within a week, but it’s been eleven days now and still no sighting of him. I’ve tried to keep myself busy, but I’m growing bored.
As soon as the sun rose, I woke up because I was uncomfortable and hot. I lay in bed for a few hours staring at the ceiling as I replayed the conversation Tristan and I had last night. His words have been on repeat in my mind, and I still can’t believe I wasn’t aware of any of his struggles and what he deals with on a daily basis. I have so much respect for him.
Eventually, I grab my backpack and go downstairs. Tristan is reading in the living room. He gives me a head nod and goes back to his book. After I make a cup of coffee, I power on my laptop.
My desktop is full of screenshots and files I downloaded, pointless memes, and random articles. Going through all of that took four hours, but I deleted over fifty gigs of crap. I’m going to try to do a better job of it, but it’s hard to stay on top of. My days are usually so packed with recording and editing that any downtime is a luxury I use for sleep.
After eating leftover chicken and veggies for lunch, I ask Tristan if I can sit in the backyard.
He narrows his eyes, and I’m convinced he’ll say no as he has every other time.
“Okay, but if I see anyone walking on the beach or acting suspicious, back inside we go.”
“Yay! Thank you!” I grin wide, grabbing my notebook. He stands and joins me.
I suck in the fresh air and love the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. Once I’m settled, I flip to a blank page and get to work.
“What are you writing over there?” he asks after about ten minutes of me scribbling away in my notebook.
“Video ideas for when I can start recording and posting again.”
He tilts his head and glances at my sheet. I turn it so he has a better view. “Wait, you actually plan them out?”
I snicker. “You think I’m good enough to just wing it every single day?”
He laughs. “Yeah.”
“Thanks for the confidence, but actually no. It takes a lot more than just picking up a camera.”
“Interesting.” By his tone, he actually sounds intrigued. Tristan’s eyes scan the beach as an older woman collecting seashells passes in the distance. He tenses, and I see his hand go toward one of his guns, but then he relaxes.
I speak up, bringing his attention back to me. “So I come up with a few titles, then check their searchability online. See if they’ll rank or trend. Then I outline the video with bullet points. If it’s a get ready with me, I usually have a sponsor. But if it’s like a vlog, I try to tell an underlying story so it’s not just random clips.”
“That’s smart. Probably why I like them so much,” he says.