“Come on,” he said, moving toward the kitchen. “I’ve got the samples from Café Altier in here.”
They were taste-testing appetizers to choose who to cater the wedding shower. She’d heard a lot about Cafe Altier, but it was too pricy for her budget. She, of course, was bringing a selection of Ty’s finest bites.
“Holy crap.” And speaking of Ty, the chef would flip his lid if he saw the fancy-looking stove in Parker’s kitchen. It had two ovens. She didn’t know they even had that for personal homes. “Please tell me you cook on that thing.”
If he didn’t, it would be a crying shame. A waste. If Ty ever found out, he might try to sneak in here, rip the oven from the wall, and carry it home. Heck, she wanted to rip it out of the wall and take it home.
Parker grimaced. “I try. My crewmate Tanner’s husband is a fantastic cook. He’s given me a few lessons. Actually helped me pick out this stove, in fact.”
She’d bet. Only someone who knew a lot about cooking would know to buy an item like that. What she wouldn’t give to have an entire weekend to test that baby out. The things she could make. Her mouth watered just thinking about it.
She followed him over to a large, round table. It was made of some kind of wood and stained a dark burgundy type color that matched the kitchen cabinets. There was a tray of decorative-looking foods. Breads with fruit and cheeses, pâté, tapenade, all artfully arranged on the tray with a flourish of green garnish surrounding the tiny morsels. They looked almost too pretty to eat. She placed her box on the table, knowing what she brought might not look as fancy, but she’d bet it tasted better. Ty was an amazing cook.
“Hmmmm, I don’t know, Parker.” She grinned. “Is that food or art? Seems too pretty to eat. I think I might win this one. Again.”
A challenge sparked in his eyes. “That was trivia. This is food. Something I have a lot of experience with.”
She snorted. Who didn’t have experience with food? Everyone ate.
“Hello?” She pointed to herself. “Works in the food industry. I highly doubt you know more about food than me, fire boy.”
He grinned, leaning close to whisper in her ear. “Ah, but you forget I grew up tasting the work of world-class chefs. My palate has been trained since birth to recognize the most delectable of dishes.”
She shivered as his lips ran along her cheek. He pressed his mouth to hers, running the tip of his tongue along the seam of her lips until she opened for him. He kept the kiss soft and sensual, but it had her knees quivering all the same.
“I know heaven when I taste it.”
He pulled away with a smile. Tamsen sunk into the chair at her side—it was either that or collapse on the floor. The things this man did to her.
“Let’s bet on it.”
He sat in the chair beside her. “You want to bet on whose chef choice is better?”
“Whose food is better, but yes.” Feeling the need for some playful payback, she placed her hand on his thigh and stroked upward as she spoke. “As you said, you’ve lost twice now. I have to give you some opportunity to reclaim your manhood. Even though I know I’m going to win.”
He growled low in his throat as the tips of her fingers lightly stroked him through his jeans.
“My manhood is hardly in jeopardy. How about if I win, we have sex in the living room and if you win, we have sex in the bedroom?”
She laughed. “Sounds like we’re having sex either way.”
“Exactly. Win-win.”
She couldn’t argue with that, even if she wanted to.
“Deal.”
Parker lamented the loss of Tamsen’s talented fingers as she slid them away from his body. But since he knew it was only minutes until they—and every delectable inch of Tamsen’s naked flesh—was pressed up against his, he tamped down his disappointment.
“Okay, whatcha got?”
She smiled, opening the large cake box she’d brought in. Mouthwatering smells rose from the box. He peeked inside and nearly swallowed his own tongue.
“Are those pigs in a blanket?”
“Yup.” She pulled out the small parchment paper holding four tiny sausages wrapped up in bread baked to golden perfection. “My dad’s favorite.”
“Mine, too.”
“Here, try one.”
She held it up to his lips. He accepted the appetizer, nipping her fingers playfully, then closed his eyes to enjoy the savory morsel. The chef managed to add the perfect amount of butter to the roll surrounding the dog. He’d loved pigs in a blanket ever since he went to sleepaway camp in the fourth grade. No fancy meals there, but somehow those tiny sausages wrapped in doughy goodness had been the best thing he’d ever eaten. Maybe because he could eat them with his hands without anyone admonishing him for improper table manners.
That they were Thomas’s favorite food, too, was…he didn’t know what it was, but the pit was back in his gut. The more time he spent around Tamsen, the worse he felt about this whole PI thing. His mom would be pissed if she found out, and Tamsen would be crushed. But he couldn’t stop the investigation now.
Frank’s last message said he still had a few things to look into. The longer this took, the more Parker felt like he was doing something wrong. He was only trying to protect his mother. So why did it feel like he was betraying everyone?
“Is something wrong?”
He realized he’d stopped eating and was staring down at the table. Swallowing the last bit of food, which didn’t taste as delicious as it had ten seconds ago, he smiled. “Yup. Just realizing I might be losing again. Seems to be a pattern around you.”
A blush rose on her cheeks. “Yeah, well it seems only fair considering my pattern around you involves getting myself into the most embarrassing situations possible.”
He laughed. “Okay, your turn.”
Reaching for the tray, he grabbed one of his favorites, goat cheese and tart apple on a sliced baguette. He held it out like Tamsen had done for him. She took a small bite, her lips brushing against the tips of his fingers as she left half the appetizer in their grip.
“Mmmmmm,” she moaned falling back against her chair. “That’s amazing.”
No, what was amazing was how they were both still sitting at the table with their clothes on. Since she walked in the door, Parker had been damn near aching for her. Her sexy little moans turned him from hard to damn steel.
He stood, grabbing her hand and pulling her up to him. He led her out of the kitchen and down the hall toward his bedroom.
“But we haven’t declared a winner. We haven’t even tasted all the samples yet.”
“I don’t care. You win.”
She laughed. “Do I win because you think my chef is better or because you want sex?”
“Does it matter?”
Chapter Nineteen
Turned out it didn’t matter as Parker hauled her up, tossing her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold.
“Hey!” she squeaked out with a small giggle. The giggle turned into a moan when his palm came up to lightly smack her ass.
He rushed down the hall to his bedroom. Once inside, he tossed her on the bed, and she bounced slightly, sighing as he came above her, his arm bracing above her head on either side. She could get used to this sight.
“Hi,” she said, unable to think of anything else.
He grinned like a kid on the first day of summer as he stared down at her. “Hi there.”
“So, you admit defeat?”
“I admit that all the food was amazing, but if I don’t get the chance to taste you in the next five seconds, I might just die of starvation.”
Wow, well, she couldn’t have a starving man on her conscience, now could she?
Lifting her head slightly, she nipped at his bottom lip, soothing the small sting with a soft kiss as she whispered against his mouth, “Feast away.”
He
growled, the deep sound vibrating around her, making every nerve in her body tingle. His mouth pressed down on hers, pushing her back onto the soft pillow. She wrapped her legs around his waist, arching her hips, seeking a release for the heavy throbbing between her thighs.
Parker pulled away. She reached for him, whimpering because she was starving, too, and the only thing that could sate her hunger was him.
“When I said I wanted to taste you, sweetheart,” he grasped both her hands in one of his and raised her arms above her head, staring down at her, “I meant I want to taste. All. Of. You.”
A shiver of needy anticipation racked her body. “Then by all means.”
His hands moved down her arms slowly. So slowly she thought the wait would kill her. When he reached her shoulders, he moved his palms across her collarbone and down over her breasts. He cupped them in his hands, squeezing gently through her shirt and bra. Her nipples hardened behind the silk, begging for the same attention, but he moved away. She was about to complain until she felt him grip the bottom of her shirt and tug.
Sitting up slightly, she helped him pull off her shirt and bra.
“Beautiful,” he murmured a moment before his mouth came down to capture one tight bud between his lips.
Tamsen cried out, a rush of euphoria bursting inside her. She fell back to the bed, Parker following, never breaking the connection of his lips to her skin. He took his time, showing great care and attention to one breast before switching to the other. Her breath came out in short, frantic pants. She thought she might pass out due to the overwhelming sensations overtaking her body.
After many agonizingly bliss-filled minutes, he left her breasts, kissing his way down her stomach and over her hips.
“Parker?”
“I said I wanted to taste it all, Tamsen.”
His words vibrated against her as he nuzzled her through her leggings. His fingers slid into the top of the elastic waistband, tugging slightly. Her body was a mass of quivering nerves, she could barely move, let alone sit up to take her pants off. Lucky for her, her sexy firefighter knew just what to do. He gripped the fabric, peeling it down her legs along with her panties and tossing it to the floor.
She felt his gentle touch on the inside of her thighs, then his head bent to her core. The first swipe of his tongue made her cry out, desperate for more.
“Yup, just as I thought,” he chuckled. “You, sweetheart, are the most delicious thing here tonight.”
She started to say thank you, but her words were lost as Parker proved true to his word and feasted on her, his tongue and fingers doing wickedly naughty things that had her crying out minutes later when the orgasm rushed over her.
She sucked in a deep breath, her soul floating back down to her body. She was pretty sure he’d sent it straight into the stratosphere. Parker moved off the bed, frantically ripping his clothes off and reaching to his bedside drawer, pulling out a small silver packet before returning to her. She wanted to grab the condom from him and roll it on, but he’d sated her too well. Her limbs had turned to jelly, leaving her unable to do anything but smile.
He tore open the foil, pulling out the condom and rolling it down his length. Her eyes widened at the sight, heart racing again, fingers itching to reach out and stroke his impressive erection.
Okay, maybe she had enough energy to do a few things.
“Do you want me, Tamsen?” he asked.
More than she probably should.
“Yes,” she whispered, lifting her legs to wrap them around his waist.
He moved down, positioning himself at her entrance. She was still sensitive from her previous orgasm, and when he pushed inside, she cried out as sensations overwhelmed her. Parker paused, glancing down at her with concern.
“Shit, did I hurt you?”
“No.” Quite the opposite, in fact. She’d never felt so euphoric in her whole life. “More, Parker,” she said, arching her hips up to take him in deeper. “More.”
His lips crashed down on hers as he plunged into her, seating himself fully. He set a fast pace, seemingly as desperate as she was. He’d said he wanted to taste all of her, and she felt consumed by him. Her body vibrated, in tune with his as they moved together. It was amazing, but not enough.
She arched up, pushing his shoulder slightly. Parker took the hint and rolled them, leaving her on top. Just where she wanted to be. She came up to her knees, lifting herself and sinking down on his cock. He swore, gripping her hips in his hands, grinding her against him with delicious pressure. She thanked her lucky stars for her yoga classes as she arched her back, placing her hands on his thighs behind her. The angle creating amazing friction. For both of them, if his deep growl was anything to judge by.
His thumb moved across her hips and down to the center of her, rubbing against her with just the right amount of pressure to send her body spinning toward another orgasm. But this time, she wanted him with her. She let go of his legs, moving back over him to capture his mouth. Feasting on him this time.
He quickened his thrusts, his grip on her hips tightening. Her body coiled tight, like a spring about to burst. Parker replaced his thumb with the heel of his hand, pressing firmly, and it sent her over the edge into oblivion. She pulled away from his lips, crying out as another orgasm crashed over her.
…
Parker roared with triumph. Watching Tamsen in the throes of ecstasy was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. The fact that he was the one to help her get there made him feel like a damn superhero. He felt his own body tighten with impending release, and he held her to him, reveling in the wonder that was Tamsen Hayes as he lost himself inside her.
She collapsed on top of him, and he tugged her close, tucking her into his side, her dark hair tickling his chin as she laid her head on his chest.
“Well, I am thoroughly exhausted. You were right about needing the calories.” She glanced up at him. “Should we go finish the rest of the samples?”
“In a minute. I don’t think I can move just yet.”
She gave a soft laugh. He loved her laughs, the soft ones, the loud ones. She had such passion and joy for life, even with all the chaos of working two jobs and creating her art. It never seemed to faze her. He had to admit: he admired her strength a whole hell of a lot.
“Hey, what’s that?” Tamsen sat up, pointing to something in the corner of his open closet. “Is that a guitar?”
His gaze followed to where she pointed. The euphoric high he’d been riding since Tamsen had ridden him died when he spotted the object of her query. How had she even seen it? He’d tucked the damn thing back there and covered it with a blanket so he could forget about it. And everything it represented. At some point, the blanket must have fallen off because the bright red and orange Les Paul guitar shined from the corner of the dark closet. A mocking reminder of what happened when he placed his trust in people.
She turned back to face him with a hesitant smile. “So, um, is that the guitar you don’t play anymore?”
Jaw clenched, he avoided looking at her or the cursed instrument, staring instead at the ceiling. “Yeah.”
He really should just donate the damn thing, but for some reason he couldn’t bring himself to part with it.
“I’m sorry.” Her soft voice drifted down to him. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
Shit. Now he felt like an ass. He hadn’t meant to snap. “It was my dad’s,” he offered as an excuse.
“Oh.”
She said that like she understood, but she didn’t. He knew she wouldn’t dig deeper, but for some reason Parker found himself wanting to open up.
“He gave it to me on my seventh birthday. Told me he was going to teach me to play.”
“Did he?”
He nodded. One of the few promises his old man ever kept. “We practiced a couple nights a week. We’d break out the guitars at family gatherings
, on Mother’s Day, that kind of thing. He even sent me to one of those rock star camps for three summers during middle school. My mother would film every single performance. I think she still has the videos somewhere.”
“That sounds nice.”
It had been. Then everything went to hell.
“When my dad left us, I asked if we would still play guitar every week.” Embarrassment and pain still burned him, remembering the patronizing look in his father’s eyes when he asked that question.
Tamsen lay down next to him again, placing a hand on his chest, seeming to sense his need for her touch.
“What did he say?”
He had to unclench his teeth to speak. “He told me I needed to grow up. That since I’d chosen to stay with Mom instead of live with him, I picked my side.”
“That’s horrible!” she exclaimed. “Children don’t pick sides in divorce. Besides I’m sure you weren’t even old enough to choose. Don’t the courts do that or something?”
Yeah, and the lawyers. The judge asked his preference and he hated having to pick, but his mother had seemed so devastated by his dad leaving. She needed him. He couldn’t leave her then and he wouldn’t abandon her now.
“So you haven’t played at all since?”
He shook his head.
“If it was something you loved…” She hesitated. “Don’t you think giving it up gives more power to your father? Music is very healing for the soul. Maybe if you started playing again you could let go of—”
“There’s nothing to let go of. I’m fine.”
She arched one dark eyebrow at his sharp tone. Shit, now he was just being an ass. He didn’t understand why she cared so much about this. He played music once. He didn’t anymore. No big deal. It wasn’t like he ever dreamed of being a rock star or anything. Sure, he’d loved it. Once. But it wasn’t his life or anything.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. I just don’t…I don’t play anymore. It’s tainted now.”
She stared at him for a moment with a tiny frown before laying her head on his chest.
“Okay. I understand.” She kissed his chest, right above his heart. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
The Wedding Dilemma (Mile High Firefighters) Page 17