Taking Harper’s words to heart, though, he rushed out of the coffee shop and onto the street.
He walked up to Emily mid-curse. “Problem?”
“My car won’t start.” She glared at the vehicle. The navy Jeep looked well maintained on the outside but it was obviously old.
“Does it give you a hard time often?” he asked.
“Not really. I baby it. Living here, I don’t go long distances. I just need to be able to navigate in any kind of weather. I didn’t need a brand-new car, just a reliable one.”
“Tell you what. Why don’t we go across the street to Matt, leave him the keys, and I’ll drive you home?”
This way he could stake a claim of his own on this unpredictable woman and let Matt know if she hadn’t said yes before now, she wouldn’t be agreeing to date him any time in the near future.
Chapter Three
Of all the luck. Emily’s jeep died and the man she was actively trying to avoid because of how much she desired him was walking her across the street to the man who was constantly trying to get her to go on a second date.
She’d only gone on the first one because her father had insisted she get out of the house and he’d done so in front of Matt after he’d asked her to go for dinner. He was a nice guy. They’d gone to school together, had known each other forever, and she enjoyed his company. But she wasn’t sexually attracted to him and she wasn’t looking for a relationship. Two reasons to avoid sending him the wrong message. Harper liking him made him completely off-limits.
Parker was silent as they made their way across the street and walked into the office of Matt’s garage, but she felt his presence beside her every step of the way.
“Hello?” she called out and Matt immediately walked in from the bay area.
“Hey, beautiful.”
She did her best not to cringe at the endearment. Or blush. Or acknowledge it at all. “Hi, Matt. My car died.” She gestured to the vehicle parked on the street in front of Harper’s.
His gaze swept from her to Parker, who he acknowledged with a nod.
Arms folded across his chest, Parker returned the gesture.
Matt glanced out the window as he wiped his hands on a rag, then tucked it into his back pocket. As he did, she couldn’t help but take in the differences between the men. They were both extremely good-looking, both had dark hair, a scruff of beard, and blue eyes. Similar on the surface, but that was all.
The women in town thought Matt was a catch and she agreed. He was well-built, down-to-earth, and rugged in a mountain-man sort of way. If she were looking for a guy, Matt and his laid-back personality was exactly the type she ought to go for. He was nonthreatening to her way of life and what she needed for a peaceful existence. He liked her for who she was and had never tried to change her. The direct opposite of her soon-to-be ex-husband. A man with an imposing presence like Parker had.
Yet it was Parker and his leaner-yet-still-fit body that did it for her. Parker, whose scruff was lighter and more refined, who lit her body up and made her wonder what that facial hair would feel like against her skin, chafing at her thighs. Parker, with his take-charge personality that signaled trouble, that turned her on.
Dammit, this so wasn’t fair.
“Em? I asked if you have the keys for me?” Matt said, breaking into her unwanted thoughts.
“Oh, sure.” She pulled the key chain from the purse hanging on her shoulder and handed them to him.
“I can take a look while you wait,” he said.
“No,” Parker said, obviously deciding for her. “I’m going to take her home. You can call the inn later and let her know what’s wrong. I can bring her back to pick up the car then.” He grasped her elbow, causing a frisson of heat and awareness to sizzle up her arm, making her way too aware of the demanding man by her side.
Matt’s gaze settled on where Parker touched her, his eyes narrowed. “About that dinner we talked about?” he asked her, pushing when she’d been putting him off and trying to be nice about it without having to reject him outright.
Apparently it was time for her to explain to him she only liked him as a friend. But she couldn’t do that in front of Parker. That would only serve to humiliate the man, and she couldn’t do it to him. Nor did he deserve to be treated in that way.
“How about dinner? Friday night?” Matt asked.
Parker’s hand on her arm squeezed tighter. He wasn’t hurting her, rather it was a possessive hold. And though she knew she’d been emotionally beaten down by her ex, he’d never threatened her physically and Parker’s actions didn’t scare her.
Annoy her? Yes. Arouse her thanks to his nearness and the manly smell of him so close to her? Yep, that, too.
She turned her focus to Matt, uncomfortable but knowing she had to deal with the situation once and for all. Harper would appreciate her letting him down gently, and if she happened to put in a good word for her friend and try to open Matt’s eyes … even better.
“Umm … okay,” she said.
No sooner had she spoken than Parker pulled her toward the exit.
“I’ll call you about your car,” Matt said, either clueless to Parker’s reaction or not caring.
Parker pushed open the door and they walked onto the street, his big body vibrating with something she couldn’t quite name, heading straight for her father’s truck, which she hadn’t noticed parked around the corner.
He walked quickly and she stumbled to keep up.
“Hey! Slow down!” she said, shaking her arm loose. “What is wrong with you?”
He moderated his pace, waiting until they reached the truck before he turned, bracketing her against the side of the vehicle with his hands. “You’re going on a date.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Yes.”
“No. You’re not.”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do, Parker. I’ve had enough of that with– I mean I’m an adult. I can do what I want.” She had no intention of getting into personal details with a man who wasn’t acting particularly rational.
Although she couldn’t say she minded the fact that he was jealous… It was flattering in its own way. But she was wary of any guy who told her what she could or couldn’t do. Rex was good at that, and though she’d found it sexy at first, she’d quickly realized it was in his nature to control everything, not just about their relationship but about her, as well.
Parker met her gaze, tipped his head, bringing himself nose to nose with her. “Maybe I should rephrase. I don’t want you to go on a date with Matt.”
“Except it’s not your decision to make.” And the fact that he thought it was made her want to defy him just because she could.
“Unless I change your mind,” he said in a husky, growl-like voice.
She swallowed hard. “You can try.” And a naughty part of her hoped he did.
“Hmm.” The sound reverberated in long-neglected places, causing a distinct tingling between her legs and making her nipples tighten in need.
She swallowed hard. And then his lips came down on hers. She gasped at the shock, despite having sensed it was coming, and immediately opened for him, meeting him more than halfway, willing in spite of herself. In spite of the fact that he represented things she didn’t want in her life or for herself. Because she wanted him.
He slid his hands through her hair, his palms holding her face, tilting her to the side so he could glide deeper inside her mouth.
She moaned at the delicious invasion, her tongue dueling with his, the kiss turning hot fast despite the fact that they were outside. He aligned his body with hers, chest to chest, his thick erection nudging unmistakably against the rising heat between her thighs.
More. She needed more. But before she could reach for it, he broke the kiss and stepped back, putting unwanted distance between them. At least, until she came back to herself and realized the error she’d just made both in action and in judgment.
“Still going on that date?” he asked, his tone too smug f
or his own good.
“Damn right I am,” she muttered, and because he’d been such an arrogant ass, she refused to enlighten him about the date being a means to explain to Matt that she wasn’t interested. Let Parker Knight stew while she was out with another man. It would serve his arrogant ass right, she thought, turning to stomp away.
“Emily, I’m your ride home,” Parker called out with a chuckle.
Dammit. Cheeks burning, she turned back around, making her way to the truck, only to find him waiting with her door open. Like a gentleman.
Too bad he was anything but.
* * *
Parker sat across the dinner table from James Stevens, eating the older man’s delicious stew. According to him, it was his wife’s recipe and he fed it to all guests sometime when they stayed at the inn. He admired the man’s dedication to the love of his life and his determination to keep her spirit alive.
James was the opposite of his daughter, open where she was closed off, warm and friendly where she was snippy and wary. But he saw now, a part of why she was so prickly was because she’d lost her mother, an obviously strong presence in both James’ and Emily’s lives. But he sensed there was something deeper that kept her wary and apart from people in her life. From men specifically. And Parker in particular.
Although she’d let her guard down during that kiss, and holy hell, had it been spectacular. He discreetly adjusted his dick under the table at the thought of how hot she’d been in his arms.
Unfortunately, he’d also been in the kitchen when Emily had bounced down the stairs for her date. She hadn’t been dressed up. She didn’t need to be in order to knock him on his ass. Tight jeans tucked into a pair of high boots that made her legs look long and lean and he wanted them wrapped around his hips as he sank his cock deep inside her. Her blouse revealed a hint of cleavage, not enough to give Matt any wrong ideas, but if Parker was imagining those small globes in his hands, the asshole would, as well. He frowned at that.
She’d kissed her dad on the cheek, told them not to wait up, just as a car honked from the driveaway. Parker had looked up in disbelief.
“Classy,” he’d muttered, not under his breath. Even her father had chuckled. And with a look that promised retribution, she’d walked out the door to where Matt waited inside his warm truck.
“Did Matt call to say what’s wrong with the car?” Because he still didn’t have an estimated time on Parker’s rental, not that he cared. He could have called for a car and left here at any time. He wasn’t ready to do that, though.
James shook his head. “I assume he’ll tell her tonight.”
Parker scowled at the reminder of her date.
“I see that face you made,” James said, assessing him. “Can’t say I think he’s the right man for my girl, either. But I can see why she’d give him a shot.”
Parker raised his eyebrows.
“I won’t spill secrets, but since I’ve seen how you look at her and how she treats you in return, I wanted to explain a few things.”
He didn’t deny his interest in Emily. That would make him a liar. As long as her father wasn’t violating any confidences, Parker wanted to hear. “Go on.”
“Just know that her last relationship was with a man who didn’t deserve her. And he had a thing for telling her what to do, when to do it, and most importantly, he wanted to change who she wanted to be. So if you fell in here, saw a pretty girl, and decided you’d have a little fun, you can shut those thoughts off right now. My daughter has been used and manipulated enough.”
Beneath the table, his hands curled into fists at the thought of anyone trying to change the woman he was just coming to know. He didn’t know what made her tick or why she responded to him the way she did. But he knew he liked what he saw and not just the physical responses, although those were a damned good start.
He appreciated that she didn’t take his shit. She told him off when she felt like it. And now he had an inkling as to why. Because something about him reminded her of her ex and not in a good way. He stored away the little bit of ammunition her father had provided to take out and dissect later, so he could figure out how to break down Emily’s steep walls.
Leaning forward in his seat, he met her father’s gaze. “I didn’t have a father who cared like you obviously do and I’m glad your daughter has that.”
He didn’t like to think about Alexander Knight, who abdicated the parental role to his eldest son, focused instead on his company and the rotating women who came and went in his life after Parker’s mom died from cancer as he’d begun middle school. He remembered her, though, and knew she’d loved them all, had been there for them, and would have hated what their father had become and how he treated his kids.
Parker cleared his throat. “And I respect the fact that you’re letting me know how you feel. The truth is, I came here by accident but I’m staying because I want to. I feel a pull here, something that is making me want to stay.” The inn, the mountains, and the woman. It was a combination of all those things. “And the last thing I’ll do is play games with your daughter.” It was the best he could offer the man, given that he’d just met Emily yesterday and had already kissed her once. Not that her father needed to know that.
James studied him, taking his measure, then he obviously decided he liked what he saw because he nodded. “I think she’s out with Matt because he’s nonthreatening. There’s no way she’s interested in him and Matt just doesn’t want to realize it.”
“I noticed that.”
Social cues weren’t Matt’s forte, because he’d completely ignored Parker’s possessive hand on Emily’s elbow and the scowl he’d shot Matt’s way. Of course, if he’d looked out his garage office window after they’d left, he’d have seen Parker and Emily setting the street on fire with their kiss.
“So about the inn,” Parker said, changing the subject. “Emily wants you to sell. What do you want?”
James, who wasn’t an old man by any stretch of the imagination, might not be capable of manual labor, but he was more than able to take care of people who came here for a weekend, assuming he had the right kind of help.
“My daughter worries too much. She wants me in Florida like I’m an old man. If she had her way, I’d be covered in bubble wrap.” He laughed but the sound was pained. “Losing her mother hurt us both. Losing…” He cut off whatever he’d been about to say. “She’s worried about me. But I can handle the work, despite what she believes. What I don’t have is the capital to fix what needs repair. Everything about this place is old, from the boiler to the roof. If I’m going to give guests a good experience, it needs to be done all at once. It doesn’t help to have a pot filling with water on a rainy day in a guest room.”
Parker shook his head in understanding. “No, it doesn’t.”
James drummed his fingers on the tabletop. “I haven’t told Emily, but I’ve gotten pressure from a big corporation to sell and it’s for good money.”
Parker narrowed his gaze. “But?” He picked up on the other man’s reluctance.
“This is a small town. We pride ourselves on our identity. If I sell to a conglomerate, they’re going to build a slick, high-end resort. It’ll put the little guy out of business. Harper’s Coffee? It’ll become a Starbucks. The Corner Store? A Target or Walmart. Or worse, some upscale store nobody who lives here can afford. I don’t want to be responsible for that kind of destruction.” He shook his head. “No way, no how. But I know Emily will see it as my way out. It’d hurt her to hurt her town, her friends, but if she thinks it’ll keep me around longer? She’ll push for it.”
“James, are you sick?” Parker couldn’t help but ask.
The man shook his lightly graying head. “No. But we both learned cancer doesn’t discriminate and she’s a scared little girl inside. So I haven’t told her about the offer.”
Parker got it. And despite the fact that lying never sat well with him, he understood why James was withholding the information from his daughter.
As he listened to James’ explanation, the wheels in Parker’s head began to turn and excitement filled him for the first time in forever. He could do this. Help them, both financially and with the physical labor necessary on smaller fixes. It’d been a long time since he felt useful. Yeah, he worked for the family business but Ethan didn’t need him. It was more a place to park his ass when everything else had fallen apart.
He needed enjoyment in his life. Excitement. To feel like he was making a difference. And, he realized, he could do that here.
“I’ll tell you what,” he said to James. “I’ll front you the money.” He knew better than to say he’d just outright pay for it. The man had pride and Parker wouldn’t step on it. “And I’ll stick around to help fix things for as long as it takes.”
James’ mouth opened and closed in obvious surprise.
As if sensing the enormity of the moment, Parker’s cell rang. He’d changed Ethan’s ring so he’d recognize if he wanted to avoid his brother’s call. “Sorry,” he said to James. “It’s my oldest brother.”
“Take it,” James said. “I’m going to start cleaning.”
Parker knew he had to face the music sooner or later at home and he figured the man needed time to think and consider his offer.
He answered the phone, helping James clear the table at the same time. “Hi, Ethan.”
“Parker. Any news on the rental?” Ethan asked.
“No but–”
“Just call a car service and get your ass home. We have a new account I want you to take over,” his brother said.
Parker frowned, no thrill coming to him over the thought of another smart lock account to handle. “Listen. I’m taking a vacation.”
“What?” his brother all but barked in surprise.
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