“What about a doggie door?” she asked without batting an eye at his statement of four kids. “Or would that be too dangerous? Maybe our dogs shouldn’t come and go as they please.”
“Our dogs?” he asked. “Does that mean...?”
Glancing up, she winked. “Yes. I’ll live with you, Parker.”
* * *
Sierra stepped out of the shower of the McCallister’s guest bath. Parker was busy getting Ryan ready for bed, but he’d begged her to stay with them tonight. Not ready for the reunion to end, Sierra agreed. His folks weren’t coming home until tomorrow, and she, Parker, and Ryan could spend a lazy Sunday morning together. A kind of preview to what life would be like once their house was built.
A tap sounded on the bathroom door. “Can I come in?” Parker called.
Wrapping a thick towel around her torso and tucking it in place, Sierra opened the door. “Is Ryan already asleep?”
Parker shrugged. “He will be soon.”
“I don’t have anything to sleep in,” she said. “Do you have a shirt or something I can borrow?”
Parker laughed and swooped her into his arms. He hoisted her sideways, as though getting ready to carry her across a threshold, and kissed her. His tongue twirled and excited her, making her wish they didn’t have a baby next to his bed.
When he broke the kiss off, he turned and carried her down the hall, kicking open the partially closed door to his childhood bedroom. He placed her gently on the small bed, kneeling on the floor beside her to kiss her again.
“It doesn’t matter if you come to bed just like that, Red. You don’t need clothes.” His voice was husky and he tucked his hand inside the folds of her towel, running his coarse fingers across her sensitive stomach. “I don’t plan on doing much sleeping tonight.”
Shuddering with delight, Sierra tipped her head into the pillow, enjoying the tingling sensations shooting along her skin while Parker’s fingers lightly crept toward her breasts.
A thought brought her up short. “What about Ryan?” she whispered, looking at the crib in the corner of the room. “We can’t do this in here.”
Parker opened her towel all the way and took her chest in both his hands, her nipples going rock hard beneath his talented fingers. “I put him in the bassinet in my parents’ room. He can’t see us.”
“What if he wakes up?” she protested. They couldn’t just put him in a different room and then go at it like animals. They had a baby to worry about.
Smiling, Parker bent closer and kissed her neck. “I’m glad you’re already turning into such a great mom, worried about the baby above your own pleasure.”
He might like that she felt that way, but the more Parker nibbled her collarbone and teased with his tongue, the more she wanted to forget about the baby and let him have his way with her.
His calloused hand stroked her inner thigh. Although Sierra wanted to give in, wanted him to tickle and tease her in the spot he tried to reach, she clenched her thighs as tight as she could.
“Parker, please don’t. I’m sorry, but you were right before. We should have asked your brother to babysit.”
“Oh, Red. You’re so beautiful. I love you more than anything, and I will make love to you tonight.” He stopped attempting to spread her legs and reached for something on the nightstand. Pulling it around so it faced her, Sierra could see the box in his hand with a red light on top. “This is a baby monitor. If Ryan wakes up, while it will be inconvenient, I’ll know and can take care of him.”
“Oh, of course. A monitor. My nannies slept in my room until I was over twelve so Cece wouldn’t have to bother with me. I forgot you could use a monitor and he didn’t have to be in the room with us.”
Parker chuckled, and Sierra hoped he wasn’t laughing at her. It was a stupid thing for her to think, and she was a bit embarrassed.
To her delight, he kissed her on the lips again, his supple and hot. “I knew you’d be a good mom. Now relax, my love, and let me take care of you. I’ve been dreaming about the sorts of things I could do, if you’d just come back to me.”
Sierra did as ordered, parting her legs and shuddering with pleasure when Parker’s hand touched her slippery folds as he zeroed in on her pleasure center.
“Oh, Parker,” she gasped, rocking back and forth. “I’ve wanted you so much.” She pulled him in for a kiss. “I know this bed is small, but I want you. All of you.”
He shook his head. “I want you, love, but my condoms are all back at the hotel. Don’t worry. I can still make you cry out with mind-numbing pleasure.”
She reached down to the side of the bed, finding the stiffness inside his pants. “Condoms don’t matter,” she panted as his fingers continued to work magic. “We’re a family now, and you want more kids.”
In the near darkness, his eyes widened but his wide grin was easy to see. “Serious?”
“Totally and completely.” She scooted over in his small bed as far as she could and patted the spot next to her. “This will be just like our first time in my apartment, having a bed so small. Get up here and make love to me, Parker. I want to be yours forever.”
Stripping off his clothes, he did as ordered, quickly rolling on top of her and shifting them back to the center of the bed. He kissed her with more tenderness than Sierra had ever experienced before. When he entered her, it was as though they were connected on all levels—mind, body, and soul.
They established a rhythm with ease, as though they’d done this a million times. There was no room for grunting and moaning, as their lips hungrily sought the other’s in between thrusts while they rocked themselves to a mounting pleasure.
Before long, Sierra clenched herself tight around him, feeling the pulsating excitement go through her body. Heat consumed her and she grabbed Parker’s ass, urging him faster. Pleasure overtook all rational thought and Sierra shook all over, riding the wave of ecstasy. Warmth filled her as Parker climaxed and then fell on top of her, his lips still joined with hers.
He finally broke off the kiss and ran a hand across her temple. “You are mine forever, now,” he whispered. “And I’m yours.”
Chapter 25
It had been one of the best mornings of Parker’s life. After feeding Ryan breakfast and putting him back in the bassinette, his son cooperated nicely and chose to sleep longer.
That allowed Parker to return to his bedroom and wake Sierra with kisses and caresses. She wasn’t worried about morning breath this time around, and when Parker climbed back on top of her, she welcomed him for another round of lovemaking.
The best part was showering each other afterward, stealing kisses and touches all throughout. Parker didn’t remember ever being happier.
Now they were in the kitchen, just as Parker had witnessed his own parents act so many times in his life. Sierra sat at the table in the breakfast nook, feeding Ryan his brunch while Parker cooked omelets for the adults. She wore nothing but Parker’s t-shirt and her underwear, seeming entirely at ease with the baby in her arms. It was a picture-perfect family, and love burst forth in Parker when he looked at the two most important people in his life.
“I didn’t think it would be this easy,” Sierra said, still staring at Ryan with a sweet expression on her beautiful face while she held the bottle.
“What’s easy?”
“Falling for your son, being comfortable enough to hold and feed him. I just thought...” She glanced up and shrugged.
“That you’d touch a baby and turn into someone completely different?” he asked, although he knew that’s exactly what she’d feared.
“Well, yeah. And the real challenge will be when he gets older and starts to make his own decisions and mistakes. What if I’m not up for that?” She sat Ryan up in her lap, rubbing and patting his back to get any air bubbles out just as Parker had explained to her. She was a natural, no matter what she thought. “I’m still afraid I’ll be a bad mom, you know? And I’ll never be able to stop going to counseling. I hope that doesn’t freak
you out.”
Parker knew he had to give consideration to her concerns. He felt comfortable with her and didn’t think she could hurt anyone, but until she felt that same confidence in herself, things would be difficult. “Do you think the counseling’s helping? Does it make you understand the way you feel better?”
“I think so. Plus, Dr. Taylor got me to come back here and face you. Her and Larissa, actually.”
“Larissa?” Parker sprinkled Tabasco sauce on their eggs and then brought them to the table. “What does Quinn’s fiancée have to do with you coming back to me?”
“She promised me that once I held Ryan, everything would be better.”
“And?” Parker kept his voice light.
“She was right. I love him. I love you.”
“Good.” He took the baby from her hands and set him in the swing that Parker had dragged from the living room. “Then I’m glad you listened to her, because our lives are only going to get better, Red. You stay in therapy as long as you want. All that matters is we’re together and happy.”
She smiled. “I believe you, Parker. Just promise you’ll always keep me on the right path. If I start to act monsterish, you have to tell me. Don’t let me go down that road.”
“I promise.”
Nodding, she took a bite of her omelet. “Wow, this is delicious. I’m glad my man knows how to cook, because I still have to learn.”
Parker chuckled. “I hear cooking together is almost as good as making love. I’d be happy to get hot with you in the kitchen.”
She giggled and blushed, eating more eggs.
Once their plates were nearly cleared, Sierra glanced at the clock on the stove. “What time do your parents fly in?”
“Eleven.”
“Dang. It’s already ten. I’d better go check the drier to see if my clothes are finished. Don’t want them to catch me half naked in their kitchen.”
Parker picked up their plates and headed for the sink. “I don’t know, love. They might be happy about that. You do realize they’ve been wanting us to get together since the first time they met you?”
Sierra’s body pressed against his from behind and her cheek rested against his back as she hugged him. “I did have that impression, but they told me it was my choice. They’ve helped me, not knowing if I’d chose you or not. Your parents are great, Parker. Really wonderful people.”
Parker finished rinsing the plates and turned to face her. “So, they wouldn’t make bad in-laws?”
She sucked in a loud breath, and Parker’s heart hitched in his chest. Perhaps that was too much, too soon. But she’d agreed to live with him, said she wanted to be with him and Ryan forever. Wasn’t marriage the logical step?
“Parker, I do love you,” she said slowly.
“Is there a but in there? I never like that part.” He tried for a charming grin, but his face felt distorted, and he wondered if it looked like a grimace to Sierra.
“A month together just isn’t enough time to know for sure. Can’t we just be a couple, try living together, and see what happens?”
Parker widened his eyes, shocked. “You want to just see what happens? That doesn’t sound like you.”
“I know. That wasn’t me a few weeks ago. It’s something I’m working on.” She leaned up, kissing him softly. “Let’s not rush or worry. Let’s be us, be a family, and not put too many labels on this. Let’s just be happy.”
It dawned on him that she needed things that way. The less pressure, the better it would be for her. It didn’t matter. He didn’t need to marry her to know they were in love.
“I just figured a marriage would offer you more security,” he said. “As long as I’m with you and Ryan, I don’t care about anything else. You’re all I need.”
Her smile grew wide. “Then we’re on the same page. Thank you for having faith in me.”
“Always, pretty lady.” He pushed her slightly away. “Unfortunately, you’d better go put your clothes on. You keep running around like that, and I’m going to have to attack you. That’d be embarrassing for my parents to walk in on.”
Laughing, she turned toward the laundry room. “I have to agree,” she called, “but you’d better figure out how to get us some more alone time soon.”
“Don’t worry about that, Red. My hotel is free and Mom will watch Ryan any time I want. Tonight, we’ll have a date and stop off at my house before picking up our son.”
* * *
Sierra and Parker took Ryan out to the wraparound porch. They laid a fluffy blanket against the light stained wood and all relaxed there. Ryan seemed to enjoy the cries of the birds, and he was curious enough to track the sound and try to spot them. Sierra understood why Parker had called him perfect. Ryan seemed a bit advanced for his age, and she could tell just by looking at him that he’d be very smart.
Or maybe that was her long-dormant maternal instinct kicking in. Parker had said Ryan was her son now too. She was pretty sure most moms figured their kids were special and more advanced than others.
Parker had dug through an old box of children books and read to Ryan about The Little Engine That Could. The story summed up Sierra’s life right now. She could be a mom, she just had to think positively.
Closing the book, Parker looked across at her while he rubbed Ryan’s head with a soft touch. “I made sure our house has a porch like this, facing the ocean. We can read to each one of our children, just like this.”
“Sounds nice,” Sierra replied. “Plus, when they get a little older, we can teach them to surf.”
He grinned. “First we have to get you a bit better at it.”
“I’ve got news for you, mister.” She winked, knowing Parker would be excited by what she had to say. “I haven’t just sat in therapy or worked at the daycare these last few weeks. I’ve been trying to transform myself into the woman of your dreams.”
He kissed her cheek. “Well, I’ve got news for you, Red. You already are.”
“Yes, but now I’m gorgeous and I can surf an entire wave to the shore.”
His blue eyes lit up. “You can? You’ve been practicing?”
She shrugged. “I figured if you took me back, you’d like to go surfing some time.”
“No wonder you’re hair is lighter and you have more freckles.” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “It’s a hot look, by the way.”
Ryan cooed loudly, and both Parker and Sierra looked down at him.
“I think he agrees,” Parker said. “You’re the hottest woman on the island.”
The sound of tires on gravel penetrated through the crashing of the ocean’s waves.
Parker sighed. “Mom and Dad are home. No time to ravage you, I suppose.”
Pleased by his reactions, Sierra stood and lifted Ryan, not able to stop smiling. Parker welcomed her back into his life, and she’d even been able to surprise and delight him. The hours spent wiping out on waves were well worth his joy.
“Let’s go see what they brought for Ryan,” she suggested, then looked at Parker. “You said they were picking out new clothes?”
“And toys.” Parker rose from the deck and lifted the blanket, hanging it over the side of the porch’s banister. “The clothes are just in time. I swear he’s twice as big as he was when he got here.”
They hurried to the front of the house. However, one look at Mr. and Mrs. McCallister put a halt to their idyllic morning. John’s face was turned down in a fierce scowl, and Susan looked close to tears.
Susan spotted them first. “Parker, get in the house and take Ryan upstairs. Don’t come down here. Pretend you’re not home.”
“Better yet,” John all but growled, “take the car Sierra came in and go to her place before they get here.”
Parker glanced over his shoulder at Sierra, alarm apparent in his gaze. “I’d better go see what in the hell is going on. Will you take Ryan upstairs and watch him until we come get you?”
“Of course.” As Sierra turned to walk into the house, she spotted a black
car coming up the road and stopped walking. Was this what Parker’s parents were afraid of?
“Damn it.” John slammed his fist against his thigh. “They’re already here. We aren’t handing that baby over, no matter what. Honey, go help Sierra with Ryan. I’ll handle this.”
Susan shook her head. “You couldn’t handle it on the plane, you can’t handle it here. She has the cops with her. We’ll have to talk to them.”
“The cops?” Parker stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “What do you mean? The cops have come to get my baby?”
The black car pulled into the driveway and two men in uniforms and a beautiful woman piled out of it. “Are you Parker McCallister?” one of the uniformed men asked.
Not waiting to hear the response, Sierra hurried into the house and up the stairs before they noticed her. Whatever was happening, she would protect Ryan. They couldn’t take him away, not when Parker was so head over heels in love with his son.
And not when she had just started to think of the three of them as a family.
Chapter 26
Parker paced the formal living room’s floor, glaring at Vanessa La Fabre every time he faced her direction.
The Hawaii State Police officers she’d brought with her were busy looking over the documents that had come inside Ryan’s diaper bag.
“Sir, we need your side of the story,” the bigger Hawaiian said, Officer Hale. “Ms. La Fabre claims you kidnapped her son. That’s a serious charge. Being from a rich family can’t save you from that.”
Parker flopped into the uncomfortable floral-patterned chair directly across from the officers. “My parents already told you what happened. Vanessa called me two weeks ago, begging me to meet her at the airport the following morning.”
“That’s a lie,” Vanessa said, flipping long auburn hair over her shoulder. “I never asked you to meet me. I simply called to let you know Ryan’s doctor appointment went well.”
Parker clenched his teeth together, reminding himself he was a gentleman. No matter what she said, he wouldn’t yank her from her chair and throw her out of the house.
Diving Into Love (McCallister's Paradise Book 2) Page 20