by Parker, Ali
I boarded the chopper, anxious to see her. I called ahead and had an order of Thai food waiting with my driver in Fresno on the way to pick it up. Again, it was all about saving time. He’d have the food and the flowers I asked to be picked up. Then, it would be straight to Sade’s place.
Once I landed, it was a mad dash through traffic. I felt a little ridiculous wearing the tux, but I didn’t want to waste time changing in and out of it. When the car stopped, I grabbed the food from the seat, tucked the flowers in the crook of my arm, and knocked on the door.
“Oh my god!” she squealed when she saw me standing on her stoop.
I grinned. “Hi.”
She squealed louder and threw her arms around me. Her hot kiss told me she was very happy to see me. “I can’t believe you’re here—and you’re wearing a tux!” she said as if she just noticed.
I nodded. “I am. I have a gala I’m supposed to be at in an hour. I figured I could sneak over here and have dinner with you before I have to be there.”
She was shaking her head. “You’re crazy.”
“Crazy for you.” I winked.
She giggled and pulled me inside. “Get your fine ass in here. That tux is really working for me.”
I happily followed her inside, handing her the flowers. “For you.”
“You are really too sweet.”
“I try.”
“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said, looking down at the scrubs she was still wearing. “I just got home a few minutes ago.”
“I couldn’t wait another week to see you. You have to eat dinner. I have to eat dinner. I figured we could do it together.”
She giggled, leaning forward to give me another kiss. “Thank you for coming. Even if it’s only for a little bit, it is nice to lay eyes on you. Especially in that tux. You look like a sexier version of James Bond.”
I smiled, taking off the jacket and draping it over her couch. “Hey, it looks good in here. You’ve been busy.”
“Yes. My dad would never stop lecturing me if I didn’t have it unpacked before he got here. I still need to pick up a bed for the spare room. I was hoping to get off early one day this week, and it didn’t happen.”
“Do you want—” I stopped, remembering she hated when I bought things on a whim for her.
“Have a seat, and I’ll grab some plates.”
“I brought Thai. I remembered you said you like Thai food but didn’t eat it often.”
She brought the plates to the table before going back to the fridge and grabbing a couple of beers. “I do like Thai. It’s one of those things that must be enjoyed in moderation.”
“Indeed. How was work today?”
She shrugged. “Same old boring stuff. I should find out Monday if I’m going to get to work on the secret project that’s coming to the lab.”
“I’m sure you’ll get it. Any more from Cash?”
She laughed and shook her head. “No. I think he got the message.”
“I hope so. I’d hate to be that boyfriend.”
She sat down and dished up a healthy amount of noodles. I took the other seat at the table, feasting my eyes on her. It was so good to see her in person. I had missed everything about her. Talking, texting, and Skyping were not the same. I could touch her and smell her, and I was already thinking of a good excuse to stay.
Her bare foot ran up my leg under the table. Her eyes danced with mischief. “How long do you have?”
I grimaced. “Maybe an hour.”
Her lower lip popped out. “That’s not very long.”
“You can ride back to the airport with me. That’ll give us an extra twenty minutes or so.”
“I’ll take it.”
“What time does your dad come in?” I asked.
“Ten tomorrow morning. What is this gala you’re supposed to be at?”
I groaned. “That magazine cover. It’s been on my schedule for weeks. I completely forgot about it.”
“Because you’ve been busy with the new hotel?”
I nodded. “Yes, and working with Gabe.”
“How’s that going?”
I took a drink from the bottle of beer. Her foot was rubbing over my calf and making me think of a lot more interesting things than my new, young employee. “Fine.”
She laughed. “You don’t sound impressed.”
“I’m not totally sold on him yet. The verdict is still out.”
“I’m sure you’ll whip him into shape in no time.”
“I hope so,” I said before taking another bite.
We finished our dinner, and I knew the car would be waiting. I didn’t want to go. I got to my feet and downed the last of the beer. She stood up and walked into my waiting arms, her head resting against my chest. I held her close, inhaling the scent of her shampoo.
“I don’t want to go.”
“I don’t want you to go.”
“I have to go.”
She sighed. “I know.”
She leaned back, looking up at me with those eyes that had captivated me from day one. I leaned down and kissed her. It was supposed to be a goodbye kiss, but it was so much more. Before I knew it, things were quickly escalating. She stumbled backward, my arms going around her to hold her close as my mouth plundered hers.
She groaned, running her hands down my back. I stepped closer to her. My body pushed against hers as I tried to get closer. Then I felt her up against the wall. I rubbed my lower body against hers, pulling a loud moan from her as my erection rubbed against her, the scrubs a thin barrier.
I pulled my mouth away, running it over her neck, sucking in large swaths of skin, and nibbling her flesh. Her hands started to untuck the shirt, one sliding up my chest. I flinched. The feel of her touching me was making me quickly lose control. I knew I could yank her pants down and take her against the wall. I could, but I wouldn’t.
I stepped away, breathing hard as I stared at her. Her lips were red and swollen from the intensity of my kisses. “God, I want you so bad.”
“Take me.”
“Not like this.”
She turned around, put her hands against the wall, and looked over her shoulder at me. “Like this?” she teased.
“Woman, you’re killing me. You know I can’t stop when I get that close.”
She turned around and offered a small smile. “Next time.”
“You’re damn straight next time.”
She reached out and ran her hand down my chest. I closed my eyes, stealing my self-control. “We’ll stay in bed all weekend.”
“Promises, promises.”
She giggled. “I’ll get handcuffs and make sure you’re not able to leave.”
I closed my eyes. The image was not helping me deplete the arousal. “Stop. I have to go mingle with people. I can’t be sportin’ wood all night.”
She burst into laughter. “I’ll stop. No more sexy talk.”
I nodded and quickly fixed my shirt, trying to clear my head. “You’ll come with me to the airport?”
“Absolutely. I’ll grab my shoes.”
I hated leaving. All I wanted to do was bury myself deep inside her warmth and never leave. I walked into the bathroom and quickly used my fingers to straighten my hair before splashing some cold water on my face. I needed a full-body cold-water dunk.
“Ready?” I asked, coming back into the living room, feeling a little more normal.
“Yep. Let’s get you to the airport. My fancy businessman can’t be late to his own party.”
I grinned. “I’m already late, and I don’t care.”
We walked out, got into the car, and snuggled close to each other. The car was at the airport in no time. I climbed out, hating that I had to leave. Sade gave me a kiss, keeping it chaste.
“I’ll miss you. Have fun tonight. You deserve this.”
“You’re mine next weekend,” I stated.
She nodded. “Absolutely. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She waved goodbye as I headed out to get into the helicopter. The pilot was grinning at me when I climbed in.
“Ready to go, sir?” he asked.
“Not really,” I answered honestly.
He chuckled and turned his attention to the flying. The guy was making a killing off me. I didn’t care. I was glad I had the money to afford the many trips back and forth. I settled into the seat and looked at the ground below. The car with Sade in it was pulling away.
I was already tired of the back and forth. I wanted to be closer to her. I was a determined man. When I wanted something, I found a way to get it. I could find a way to be with her. I thought about how married to the idea of Tahoe I was.
I could live anywhere. I could buy a house anywhere. I could run my business from anywhere, with Richie on the ground overseeing operations.
The idea blossomed in my mind. I was going to give it a lot more attention in the coming weeks. I didn’t see the thing with me and Sade fading anytime soon. Richie had warned me we were in the honeymoon phase. I didn’t buy it. The connection I felt with her exceeded anything so easily described as the “honeymoon phase.”
“Honeymoon” suggested it was a short spurt of happiness. It wasn’t. I knew it was more. There was something between us that only she and I felt. I had never looked to anyone for their approval or acceptance. I was my own man, and I knew what I wanted.
I wanted her and I was going to have her.
Chapter 33
Sade
It felt a little funny to be back at the airport after being there just last night. I waited along with a horde of other people. A stream of people came through the gates, announcing a plane had deboarded. I waited to see if my dad would be among the many people coming my way.
He was. I smiled when I saw him. I waved. “Dad!”
He looked up, scanning the area. I waved bigger. He saw me, the typical stern look on his face as he walked toward me a bag slung over his shoulder. He always packed light.
“You look good,” he said.
I smiled. “Thanks. You look like you’ve been getting some sun as well.”
He nodded. “Your mother wanted a new deck.”
“Damn, that’s ambitious.”
He smirked. “I hired some help. The project proved to be too big for me.”
I laughed. “I bet. I’m glad you got some help.”
“What’s on the agenda?” he asked, getting right down to business.
I shrugged. “I was thinking we could go furniture shopping.”
“You don’t have any furniture?”
“I have furniture, but I want to get a bed for the spare room. You are going to stay with me, right?”
“Yes. You don’t need to buy a bed. I’ll use a sleeping bag. I’ve roughed it before.”
I rolled my eyes. “Dad, you’re not in Afghanistan. I need a bed for the room in case Khloe or Julia come for a visit. I just haven’t had time to pick one out. You can go with me.”
He nodded. “All right. I’ll make sure you get a good deal. I don’t want anyone taking advantage of my little girl.”
I smirked. If he only knew how my body had been taken advantage of. “Thanks, Dad.”
We spent the day shopping. My dad was a tough sell. I felt a little bad for the salespeople. After four stores, we finally found the right bed at the right price. He bullied the man into throwing in a new nightstand if we bought the bedframe.
“I’m hungry,” he announced after we arranged for the bed to be delivered later that day.
We found a burger joint and sat down. “Is everything okay?” I asked him.
“How do you mean?”
“I’m glad you’re here, but the trip seems kind of sudden,” I said.
He shrugged. “I wanted to check on you. I’d like to see the place. You know we worry about you living alone.”
“I’m fine.”
“Finish eating,” he ordered.
I smiled, knowing it was pointless to argue with him. As we ate, I thought about Trent. I wondered what he was doing just then. Thinking about Trent made me think about telling my dad. I had played out various ways I could bring up the subject. I could say I ran into an old friend of his and use it to lead into the fact we were dating.
I looked up, saw his stern face, and dismissed the idea. Not yet. Not face to face.
“Ready to go?” he asked after we’d finished our meals.
“Yes. Do you want to walk? I live less than a mile away.”
He shrugged. “It’s been a while since I did any real walking. Sure.”
As we walked, I pointed out various sites around the city. Because of where we were and where I lived, we had to walk through an area I knew would concern him. He didn’t say anything, but I could see the look on his face and knew he wasn’t pleased.
“It’s safe, Dad,” I said as we finally crossed the street to my block.
“I don’t like all these bushes,” he pointed out.
“No one wants to live in a parking lot. Green is pretty. There aren’t any around my door.”
“We’ll see.”
When we got to my condo, instead of going directly inside, he made a full round of the perimeter. He sized up the other tenants coming and going and checked around the building. I was a little embarrassed and promised I would apologize to everyone he interrogated after he left—assuming they ever talked to me again.
“Is everything up to your standards?” I asked when he came back around.
“It’ll do. I’d prefer you have a little more light out here.”
“Dad, it’s plenty bright. I don’t want airplanes landing out here.”
He didn’t laugh at my joke. “Where’s that bear spray I gave you at graduation?”
“It’s in my purse,” I told him.
“It needs to be in your hand.”
“Why would I need that when I have you mean-mugging everyone?”
He scowled at me. “I’m not playing. Start carrying it on your person. You won’t have time to dig in that suitcase you call a purse if someone attacks you.”
I laughed, opened the door, and gestured for him to go inside. He walked in and looked around again. The first thing he did was make sure the living room window was locked. I waited, arms folded over my chest, as he inspected the other windows.
“Would you like to see your room now?”
“Yes, please. You know I worry. This world is dangerous. It’s even more dangerous for pretty young girls living alone.”
I smiled. “I know, Dad. I promise, I’m careful. I’ve remembered everything you’ve told me over the years.”
“Good girl.”
I couldn’t help but feel proud. I gave him the very quick tour of my place before we settled in and talked a little about my job and what he’d been doing for the summer. It was kind of strange to be talking to my dad in person. I had grown used to talking to him on the phone.
“Want fish tacos for dinner?” I asked. “I can run over to the market and get what we need.”
He shrugged. “Sure. I’m going to clean up while you do that.”
I grabbed my purse and headed out. It was also a chance for me to check in with Trent. I called, and it went straight to voicemail. “Hey, babe. Just checking in with you. I’m grabbing some stuff to make my dad dinner. I’ll try and call you after he goes to bed.”
I slid the phone into my pocket and grabbed a basket to start my shopping. I would never claim to be a great cook, but I could make tacos. When I got back to the condo, my dad had a screwdriver and was tightening the lock on my window. I knew he would be unable to resist doing something.
I felt my phone vibrate in my purse and immediately froze. My dad looked at me. “Should you get that?”
“Get what?”
“Your phone—unless something else is vibrating in your purse,” he said dryly.
I blushed. “Oh. It’s fine. I’m sure it’s just Khloe. I’ll call her later.”
Did I lo
ok guilty? I felt guilty. The way he was looking at me like he didn’t believe made me feel even guiltier. I carried the bag into the kitchen and immediately got started frying up the fish.
“So, are you seeing anyone special?” he asked, washing his hands before grabbing the tomatoes to begin chopping them.
“Why? Why do you ask?”
He chuckled. “Well that doesn’t sound like a no.”
“I’ve been on a few dates,” I answered, which wasn’t a lie.
“Oh?”
“No, Dad, we are not talking about my dating life,” I warned.
He chuckled. “For now.”
“Ever.”
“For now.”
I rolled my eyes, knowing I was fighting a losing battle. Instead, I changed the subject to him and Mom. We talked about plans for Christmas until I realized that could be tricky. At some point, I was going to have to tell them about Trent. I didn’t know if we’d go to Texas for the holidays or if I would spend it with Trent in Tahoe.
Why was I even thinking about something that was months away? I was getting ahead of myself and making problems that weren’t even there. I’d worry about Christmas on December twenty-third. We ate dinner, and not long after, my dad claimed to be tired. In truth, it was the same time he went to bed every night. He went to bed early and got up even earlier. Years of training in the military were hard to break.
I cleaned up the kitchen before heading into my own room and closing the door. I felt like a little girl trying to sneak in a phone call after lights out. I left the lights off as I crawled under the covers, hiding the light from my phone.
I called Trent, hoping he would pick up. It went to voicemail again. I didn’t bother leaving a voicemail. I threw off the blankets and quickly changed into my pajamas. I crawled back in bed, stared up at the ceiling, and thought about Trent. I wondered what he was doing. Maybe he had another gala to attend. Maybe he was with another woman.
“Stop it,” I whispered aloud, stopping myself from going down that road.
Trent was not like that. I knew that. He was into me. No man would waste as much time and energy traveling back and forth just to turn around and cheat on a woman. At least I didn’t think they would. I closed my eyes and thought about my life and where it was headed.