“Card,” Levi muttered he accepted without thinking. “Of course. Why not? Every working girl should have one.”
“Excuse me?” Piper beckoned to the bartender. “Could you give Levi here a large bucket of water? He has a dirty mind in need of a major washing.”
“Uh…” Frowning, the bartender looked from Levi to Piper and back again. “I don’t have a bucket. Would a couple of brandy snifters work instead?”
“Ignore her,” Levi said. His gaze narrowed onto Piper. “You played me.”
“Wrong. You played yourself,” she told him with a satisfied smile. “Most women work. You simply chose to misinterpret the meaning of the words. However,…”
Afraid Piper was about to rub his proverbial nose in a steaming pile of poop, Levi rubbed his temples, and motioned for her to continue. He was a man who never shied away from taking his medicine.
“If I were a member of the oldest profession?” She held his gaze. “What would you say?”
Name your price. I’ll pay. Gladly. Levi almost laughed out loud at the outrageous thought. Pay for sex? He kept his gaze on Piper and sighed. If anyone could tempt him, it would be her.
“Our conversation has taken an odd turn,” he said.
“Mm.” Elbows on the bar, Piper propped her chin up with her hands. “True. But I thank you for the distraction.”
“I’m here because most of my friends are members of the Knights. One gets married, we all celebrate. Team first.” Levi pounded a fist to his chest in solidarity. “What’s your excuse? If you hate weddings so much why participate?”
“You play football?” Piper asked.
Levi wondered if he imagined the look of disappointment in her eyes.
“Play?” He shrugged as he recalled the trajectory of his less-than-illustrious career. “Technically, I suppose the word applies.”
“Figures,” she muttered. “What happened to lawyers or plumbers? Since I moved back to Seattle, my life is nothing but football players. Not that I’m complaining. My business is thriving because of the Knights.”
Curious, Levi glanced at the card she’d handed him. The lettering was simple, yet elegant. The words direct and to the point. Piper Winslow. Certified Public Accountant. He thought for a moment, certain there was something he needed to remember.
“You’re the tax genius all the guys are crazy about,” Levi said as a light turned on in his brain.
“Genius might be a bit of a stretch.” A bright twinkle entered her gaze. “Then again, what’s the point of false modesty? Where numbers are concerned, I freaking rock.”
Since her reputation preceded her, Levi didn’t doubt Piper’s word. Brains and beauty. One was his weakness. If he weren’t careful, the other might be his downfall.
“You still haven’t answered my question. Weddings,” Levi reminded her when a puzzled frown formed between her brows. “Are you here to keep your clients happy?”
“Nope,” Piper said with a quick shake of her head. “I’m here because I’m a sucker for big, adorable teddy bears.”
“You lost me,” Levi said. “Where do stuffed animals come into the picture?”
“The teddy bears are your teammates,” Piper explained with a crooked smile. “Sweet little boys who are clueless about money and I shift into big sister mode.”
“Don’t they pay you a sizable fee?” Levi inquired with a knowing look.
“Naturally,” Piper said without apology. “I need to make a living just like everyone else. But I care about my clients. They become friends. Family. In fact, I introduced the bride and groom.”
“Then you only have yourself to blame,” Levi teased.
“How was I to know they would leap before they looked?” She exhaled. “I don’t mind weddings. Today’s ceremony was lovely. The food was good and the cake amazing.”
“Hard to beat lemon and raspberry,” Levi said.
“Yummy, right?” Piper smacked her lips.
“So, what’s the problem?”
“Besides the obvious?” Again, she drew his attention to her dress. “Two things. First. Men think single, unescorted women are easy pickings. In the past few months, I’ve heard more bad come-on lines and dodged more groping hands than the summer I worked as a waitress at a dive bar.”
“Tell me which teddy bears turned into wolves and I’ll happily kick some ass,” Levi promised. His teammates wouldn’t get away with disrespecting women while he was around.
“Don’t worry about the Knights,” Piper assured him. “They’re perfect gentlemen.”
No, they aren’t, Levi thought. His fellow football players were human, just like everyone else. Good guys, for the most part, they made mistakes, occasionally behaved like jackasses, and when pushed, could use their fists before their brains.
However, Levi didn’t want to shatter Piper’s illusions. And even if he did, there was a code. What happened between teammates, stayed between teammates.
“I understand reason number one,” he said rather than throw out meaningless platitudes. “What’s number two?”
“My mother.” With a groan, Piper’s forehead landed on the bar. “Other people’s weddings are like a dagger to her heart. A reminder that her only daughter is over thirty and single. Not that she doesn’t harp on the fact the rest of the time. But days like today are her chance to ramp up the guilt trip.”
“How does she find out?” Levi asked. “I assume you don’t tell her every time a friend becomes engaged.”
“You’ve heard of a nose for news?” Piper rubbed her temples. “My mother’s superpower is her ability to sniff out even a hint of a marriage ceremony. Then, she shoves the first available man at me because a woman needs an escort.”
The solution to Piper’s problem seemed simple.
“Tell her you already have a date,” Levi said.
“You poor, poor deluded man.” She sighed. “Since you’re lucky enough to say you’ve never met my mother, I’ll let your naiveté pass just this once.”
“How would she know?”
“She has eyes everywhere,” Piper said.
“Come on,” he scoffed, certain she exaggerated.
“If I don’t miss my guess, she already has a picture of you. By morning, she’ll know your name, profession, and estimated annual income.” Piper looked him up and down. “Handsome, though not my type. Good build. You know how to wear a suit. Custom-tailored?”
“Yes.” Levi glanced at his jacket and frowned. Under her perusal, he suddenly
