Hostage of the Heart

A Little Taste (Fourteen)

The title for this chapter was inspired by the song A Little Taste by Skyler Stonestreet ;-)

"Huh?"

"I know you heard me, but I'll repeat. How did you injure your hand?"

"My hand?"

"No. Bob's hand." Desiree rolled her eyes. Good Lord, where was a shovel when you truly needed it? "Of course your hand."

Staring quizzically, Piper cocked her head to the side. "Tell me who is Bob? Barker?"

"The price might be right, but you're all kinds of wrong, you nut." Releasing that hand less she lose the battle to kiss it, Desiree engaged in a brief staring contest.

"Take a picture, Desi. It'll last longer."

"Anyone ever tell you that you're insufferable?"

"Anyone ever tell you that you have an ass that won't quit?"

"Funny, I happen to believe that you're an ass who won't quit."

Piper chuckled. "Nice zinger, Desi. Ten points for you."

Pulling an ample amount of oxygen into her lungs, she shook her head in a classic 'you're a real pain in the ass' sort of way. "You may keep those points, and answer my question."

"What question?"

"Piper, for the love of..." Her eyes closed and remained shut while Desiree internally counted to ten. Upon opening them, she spotted a trace of a grin on those luscious lips. Wait, luscious? Perhaps she should strike herself with that yet to be obtained shovel. "Please give me a straight answer. What happened to your hand?

She opened and closed her mouth twice before finally offering a reply. "I punched...a tree." Excusing herself, Piper escaped to the bathroom, very nearly shutting it in the other woman's face. By the time she had a bottle of over the counter pain medication in hand, Desiree turned the knob, throwing the door back open. Initially ignoring her, Piper managed to remove the safety cap with her left hand.

"Did I hear you correctly? You punched a tree?"

Nodding, she poured a couple tablets from the bottle, and placed it back in the medicine cabinet. "That I did." Tossing them on her tongue, Piper used her hand as a receptacle to transfer faucet water to her mouth. Wiping drops of water from her chin, she took notice of Desiree's disbelieving expression. "It's true."

"Why?"

"Why is it true?"

Desiree counted again, except that time starting with eleven and ending at twenty. "Are you trying to annoy me?"

"Is it working?" Winking, Piper shut off the bathroom light, and brushed passed her ex-captive, within seconds returning to the couch.

Instead of joining her, Desiree made a beeline for the freezer, pleased to find a tray of ice. Opening several drawers, she located a box of sandwich bags, emptying half a tray into one. Carefully sealed, she headed back to the living room, sitting beside Piper. Silently, she reached for her hand, placing it on her thigh, and touched swollen knuckles with the homemade ice pack. Eyes on her task, she inquired, "I meant why did you assault a tree during your thinking drive?"

"It pissed me off. Asked it to move, and it just stood there."

Muttering something that sounded suspiciously like an expletive, Desiree stood up, tossing the ice pack to Piper. Hands on her hips, she glared. "Are you allergic to straight, genuine responses? You kidnapped me just a few days ago, and yet here I am on your side, supporting you without having the full story. I ask you the simplest thing, but instead of behaving like a sane, cooperative individual, you insist on proving what a royal pain in the ass you can be. You want to talk about pissed off? I'm pissed off with you, and I'm not playing...it's not funny. Get real, Piper. Be real with me."