Chapter Ten

Dean slowly opened his eyes to the warmth of the sun falling across his face and the meaty smell of bacon floating into his room. For a moment he forgot where he was until he remembered the night before. Piper's skin had felt so silky to his touch, and he couldn't stop smiling as he drifted off to sleep with her in his arms.

Throwing off the covers, he stood up and patted into the kitchen. The sizzling of the bacon grew louder as he turned the corner. Piper stood by the stove, wearing one of his large T-shirts and a pair of pink panties. Her unruly curls fell past her shoulders, and she seemed to be in deep concentration.

When he set foot into the kitchen, she looked up and smiled. "Good morning."

"Good morning." He ambled towards her and kissed her on the mouth. Wrapping his arms around her, he commented, "You're looking especially sexy."

She gave him a sly grin. "You look pretty good in nothing but plaid boxers yourself."

Sleep well?"

"Best I have in years."

"Really?"

She kissed him again. "Really." Stepping out of his embrace, she searched through the cabinets and eventually retrieved a plate from one of them. "For the first time in a while, I didn't seem to have a worry in the world."

Dean leaned against the counter. "So does this mean you're going to stay?"

Piper walked back to the stove and removed the bacon from the front burner. She then carefully placed the strips onto the plate. Pausing for a minute, she appeared to consider his question.

"I don't know," she admitted. "I still have to talk to Emerson. We've been together for a year and a half; I can't just leave."

Dean grinned evilly as he reached for her again. "I'm sure he'll have his tweed suits to keep him warm."

Piper shot him a nasty look and swatted his hand away. "Dean, he's a good man." She set the bacon aside and pulled the eggs out of the refrigerator. "Besides, I would still have to face my family."

"As I recall, your family liked me."

Piper giggled as she cracked the eggs and let the yolk slink onto the skillet. "Selah liked you; my parents were less than thrilled."

Dean snatched a piece of bacon, abruptly dropping it when it burned his fingers. "Oh, yeah, your little sister; she was cool. What's she doing now?"

"Working at Wylie Records. She's a recording engineer."

"Really? Maybe she's run into Josh a few times."

"Maybe."

Stepping behind her, Dean wrapped his arms around Piper. He buried his face into her soft curls and closed his eyes. "You know, breakfast can wait," he mumbled.

"But it'll get cold."

He kissed her hair and slowly traced his way down to her neck. "There's always the microwave."

In one swift move, he swept her off her feet. His mouth covered hers as his tongue curled around hers. They parted, and she didn't have time to protest as he carried her back into the bedroom and placed her on the cotton sheets. Lying down beside her, Dean gently took her face in his hand and his lips met hers once again.

His hands roamed from her face down to her breasts. Reaching underneath the shirt, he felt their soft curve. His other hand touched her stomach, and he relished it when it retracted from his touch. He always knew she was ticklish there.

Parting once again, Piper smiled. "You're right. There's always the microwave." She then pulled him into another kiss.

Sighing, Piper unlocked the door to her hotel room. She walked in and sat down on the bed as so many thoughts and feelings ran through her head. How could one night take away four years of change? After being away from him for so long, how could Dean make her love him again? How was she going to tell Emerson? How could she tell Emerson?

Standing up, she gathered her things and headed for the bathroom. She'd probably think more clearly after a bath. She barely reached the door when her mobile rang. She lazily picked it up and flipped it open.

"Hello?"

"Piper! Where have you been? I've been trying to get a hold of you all night!" Emerson's panicked voice jolted her back to reality. In a split second, her unbridled happiness was gone as a pang of guilt edged into her stomach. As a reaction, she glanced down at her left hand and realized that she left her engagement ring at Dean's apartment.

"Emerson, how was the convention?" she calmly asked as she sat down on the bed.

"The convention? How can you ask about the convention? First, you hang up on me, and then you don't answer your mobile all weekend. I've been worried sick!"

For a moment, Piper imagined Emerson's perfectly coifed hair standing out in all directions where he had been pulling at it and snickered. Her fiancé heard it. "Do you think this is funny? You made a promise, a commitment to me. In one week, we're going to exchange vows in a ceremony that your parents have saved to pay for. Then you run off to God knows where, and I can't find you. None of this is funny."

Piper sobered up quickly. "I'm sorry, Emerson, but I wasn't the one who changed plans last minute. You knew how much this weekend meant to me."

Emerson sighed. "Piper, I know, but you do want me to be able to provide for you and the six-year plan. Once you start having our children, you'll have to take time off work. I don't want that to put a financial strain on us."

She sank down onto the bed, her guilt rising higher. Emerson sounded so sincere; how could she even think about breaking his heart?

"Emerson," she said after a moment. "I'll be home by tonight. I only wanted to visit some old friends. Don't worry."

An exasperated sigh came from the other end of the phone. "All right. Ten o'clock sharp."

"Good-bye, Emerson."

When he said his good-bye, she hung up the mobile and stared at the wall. What once had seemed so easy was now much harder than she thought it would be. Emerson was right; she had made a commitment to him, but not once had he ever made her feel as special or as wanted as Dean had. Standing up, she gathered her towels again. She would meet Dean for a late lunch like they had planned, and she would make her choice then. She couldn't let the heat of passion completely cloud her decision. Satisfied, she headed into the bathroom.

Clicking open the lock, Dean swung open the door to Blue Juice Surfboards and sauntered inside. He turned on the light, flipped on the Open sign, and straightened merchandise as he made his way to the back. Turning on the lights in the back, he gathered all of his materials and set them in the middle of his workbench. He cut on the stereo next to his bench and started singing along.

No sooner had he started working than the bell over the front entrance rang. Leaning back, Dean peered at the main store to see JC ambling down the aisle. He grinned as he approached. Dean set down his tools and met his friend at the counter.

"What? No Jordyn today?" Dean asked.

"She's at her grandmother's house today. It's only me," JC answered as he leaned against the counter. He indicated the song playing out of the stereo. "You're in a good mood today. I take it 'Operation: Win Piper Back' is going well."

Dean laughed. "Better than well. I don't think she's going back to Emerson."

JC's eyes widened. "Did she say that?"

"Well, no, but she left her diamond at my house."

A worried look crossed the tall blond's face. "So, this is it then? She's the one? She's no longer a 'convenient bird at the time'?"

"No, she's the one, man." Dean danced a little jig as he grabbed a cloth and dusted off the countertop. He then placed a small key into the cash register and turned it on. It swung open, nearly hitting Dean in the stomach. He didn't seem to notice as he started counting the money inside.

JC's voice took on a serious tone. "Now, Dean, you know this could lead to quite a bit of responsibility."

"I know, JC. Trust me. Nothing is going to ruin my day today."

The bell over the front door rang again causing both Dean and JC to glance up. Dean's heart sank the minute he saw who was standing there. The man was the size of a small yacht with his muscles covering every inch of his body. He had dark blond hair, mean blue eyes, and stood there punching one palm with a fist.

Dean's wide grin waned a little. "Ripper? What brings you here this fine morning?"

"You owe me a stick, Raymond." The mountain-sized man stepped through the doorway. "You promised me a board last Thursday. It's Sunday, and I still don't have a board."

JC moved out of the way as Ripper closed the distance between him and the counter. Dean swallowed hard, but refused to visibly show his distaste. His heart hammered in his chest.

"Ripper," he began smoothly, "if I remember correctly, I give you a board when you pay for it. I haven't seen any money yet."

Ripper slammed his open hands onto the counter, the glass cracking underneath them. "I thought you understood, Raymond. I always try out the stick before I buy it, not the other way around."

Mustering all of his courage, Dean leaned forward and glared at the larger man. "My boards aren't rental, man. Either you buy or you don't."

The larger surfer stepped back, grinning. "You disappoint me, Raymond. Looks like I'll just have to teach you to respect me." He balled his hand into a fist.

"Come on, man, let's be cool. No one has to get hurt here," JC attempted to step between them. Ripper shoved him into a surf wax display against the wall. JC hit it with a loud smack and sank to the floor.

Ripper then turned his attention to Dean. Before the smaller man could blink, he planted his enormous fist into Dean's face. Pain exploded in his nose as blood spurt all over the counter. Dean's head snapped back and he nearly lost his balance.

Regaining his footing, he narrowed his eyes at Ripper. He may have taken a beating at one time in his life, but he wasn't going to do it again. He charged over the counter and slammed his fist into Ripper's chin. The bigger man's head snapped back, but he didn't seem to feel a thing. He came back with a harder swing, this one connecting with Dean's stomach. The impact sent the smaller surfer sailing into the wall behind him.

Dean winced as he clutched his stomach. He grabbed the shelf behind him, forcing himself to keep standing. He heard a rustling beside him and turned to see JC try to stand.

"I'm getting too old for this, man," JC smiled.

Dean didn't have chance to answer. Ripper crossed the distance in two strides and grasped Dean by the shirt collar. He lifted him off the ground.

"Now, about that board," Ripper growled.

Dean only laughed. "No can do, man."

Ripper let out a large growl. He ran to the counter and sent Dean sailing down the length of it. He then threw Dean head first into the opposite wall.

Dean's head smacked the edge of a shelf with a sickening pop. One minute he felt pain, and then everything went black.