by J. M. Madden
She did something with her mouth and he jerked, pleasure roaring through him. His side twinged but it was a distant pain. This wasn't fair to her but fuck, it felt good. He would indulge just for a minute.
Parker squeezed his legs around her and reached down to cup her head in his hands. She looked up at him, her brilliant eyes shining in pleasure. Looking down the line of her body he knew she was aroused. Her hips shifted suggestively, as if she wanted to touch herself.
Gripping her arms, Parker pulled her up toward him. Andromeda made a sad sound as he pulled her away from his hardness, but he didn't allow her to sway him. "Take off your clothes."
Her eyes glowing with excitement, she stood before him and began to undress. She should have looked ridiculous pulling the sweatshirt over her head, but he focused on her breasts. Andromeda had always been long and lean, but she'd had the prettiest little natural breasts. He was very glad she didn't appear to have changed that. As she peeled every layer over her head, her breasts became more visible, until he was holding his breath as she pulled the plain beige bra away from her chest. Oh, yes, there they were. Perfectly proportioned, perfectly shaped, just enough to fill his hand. Parker wanted her to move closer, but she wouldn't until she'd taken everything off.
The pants were tight, but they reminded him of being a kid in junior high and seeing all the girls in their skintight stonewashed jeans walking down the hallways. He'd had an appreciation for the female shape ever since then. Andromeda's gently rounded hips aroused him like no other.
She knew it, too. Slowly, seductively, she bent over as she pushed the jeans down over her hips then down the length of her legs. Her lace panties followed the same path, then got tossed with his own clothes somewhere across the room.
For a moment she stood before him perfectly exposed, her body drawing him in like it always did. Parker's dick bounced, needing her. Her eyes flicked down and that smile spread across her lips. Her eyes damn near luminous, she moved toward him.
Parker shifted down on the couch and held a hand out to her. "Straddle me."
She grinned as she went to one knee beside him, lifted the other over his lap and reached down to angle him into her. Parker knew he was walking on the edge and there was a very real chance he would explode as soon as he felt her hot, wet heat around him, but he wanted her this way the first time. It had been so long since he'd seen her body. He just wanted to look at her for a while.
Andromeda began to lower herself onto him, but she stilled just as he breached her outer labia. Parker groaned, his hands going to her hips, but she held firm above him. Bracing a hand on his chest, she looked him in the eye. "I’ve missed you, Parker."
Then, with a gentle bounce, she began working him inside herself. Parker gritted his teeth, fighting off his orgasm. Then she slid all the way down his length and they both groaned. Sinuously, seductively, Andromeda began to move her body. Parker tweaked her nipples, making her gasp and tighten around him. Wrapping his hands down over her ass cheeks, he started dragging her forward on the down stroke. Andromeda cried out and started moving more aggressively, riding him hard. Again, Parker knew there would be pain later, but he couldn't help but move beneath her, shoving himself as deep as he could.
Andromeda began to pant and jerk, then she cupped her own breasts and arched back. Parker reached for the dark cloud of hair that blended into his and stroked. Her clit was so swollen and hungry for attention. Angling his hand to fit against her, he probed with a finger. He felt his own hardness, as well as the silken glide of her body. Then he flicked her clit with his fingertip.
It was almost like she'd been waiting for that single touch. Gasping, Andromeda cried out, her body straining in his lap. Parker held onto her as the orgasm caused her skin to shudder and ripple with gooseflesh. Internally, her sheath clutched at his cock and he couldn't keep his orgasm back in the face of her pleasure. Groaning, Parker emptied himself into her, hands clutching at her hips spasmodically.
Andromeda rolled her head to look at him and braced her arms against his shoulders, her eyes heavy-lidded. "As always, you were amazing, but you make me want more."
She leaned down and kissed him on the lips, her fingers running over his jaw. Parker blinked up at her, loving the look on her face. "Well, let me recover from this one first," he laughed.
Andromeda slipped off of his lap and the aches began to settle in, but he wasn't going to let it tarnish the experience. Sitting up, he took her offered hand. "Let's go take a shower."
Chapter 19
Mac didn’t know what to do about Roz. She seemed… brittle, and he worried that if he did anything she would completely shatter. He held her hand as he led her into the suite. There were supplies stocked on one of the counters. Looked like clothing and food and toiletries. A little bit of everything. There were even a couple of books, it looked like. He glanced at her, wondering if he dared let go of her hand. She’d had a death grip on it for the past two hours.
“Don’t give me that look,” she complained.
Mac paused in surprise. “What look?”
“Like you’re going to have to Google the closest looney bin. I’m okay, just shook up.”
Deliberately, she opened her hand and moved away, checking the rooms. Then she went into the bathroom and he heard water running.
Mac felt for her. He really did. She’d been attacked before, he was pretty sure, and this would just bring all that trauma back up. He knew she’d had some kind of settlement with her former work, but not what the details were. He wished he did. Maybe he could help her better.
Crossing to the concierge counter, he powered up the little single serve Keurig. Maybe an herbal tea, right now. No coffee.
When Roz exited the bathroom, her face had been washed and she looked a little more clear-eyed. Mac handed her the insulated cup. “Sugar? Or milk? It’s herbal tea.”
She blinked down at the cup. “Maybe some sugar.”
He handed her a couple of packets, then waved her to the couch. She sank down into it and set the tea aside. Mac could see how tired she was, so he hoped that if she got warm and relaxed she would fall back asleep. It had been a late night, and an even earlier morning for them. They needed more rest.
Making a cup of tea for himself, he doctored it up, then sank into the armchair at the end of the couch. Cradling the cup in his hands he let his head fall back against the cushions.
It had been crazy in Andromeda’s apartment for a while. When he’d heard the snick of the door mechanism and seen the shadow moving into his room, he’d reacted on pure instinct. As soon as he’d recognized the threat he’d done what he’d needed to in order to take it out. Him out. Mac didn’t know if he was supposed to feel bad or not. He definitely did not. The lives of three friends and countless other innocents were still here because he’d done what he’d done.
Then when he’d crept out and seen the gray-haired man holding Roz at gunpoint, he’d been livid. She didn’t even like men in her house. He couldn’t imagine how she was feeling with a man she didn’t know about to kill her, his arms holding her captive.
“I haven’t thanked you for what you did,” she murmured suddenly.
Ah, they were both thinking about the incident. He rolled his head up and looked at her.
“I didn’t do anything. I think between what you did and what Parker was about to do, everything would have turned out okay without my intervention.”
Roz looked at him directly. “Parker would have taken a shot that may or may not have struck me, you and I both know it. He would have done anything to protect Andromeda.”
Mac looked at her, frowning. “I think you underestimate Parker. He would have hit him. I don’t think he wanted to, though, because that would have been the end of the investigation. It’s hard to question a dead man.”
Like the guy on Andromeda’s office floor.
“I think,” he continued, “everything happened the way it needed to. Perfectly. You hitting him the way you did gave everyon
e else a direction to follow. I’m very proud of you for doing that.”
Suddenly her eyes filled with tears and she nodded. “I can’t tell you how scared I was. But I couldn’t let it just happen again.”
Rocking forward in his chair, Mac held a hand out to her. He wasn’t sure if she would take it or not, but he would offer her every bit of comfort she would take.
Roz blinked and stared at his hand. Mac could see the internal struggle, but she reached out anyway. She’d been holding his hand for hours after the incident, but when she’d gained a little perspective and distance she’d started to close up and retreat back into herself. He didn’t want that. He curled his fingers around her own.
Then she surprised him by tugging on his hand. Following her pull, Mac left the chair and sat on the couch beside her. Then, totally disarming him, she curled in against his chest.
Mac’s heart was pounding because less than four hours ago he had killed a man, but she was turning to him for comfort. As his arms settled around her oh, so gently, he decided they both needed the comfort. For a long time they just sat there, sharing warmth and support. Mac didn’t think she was crying, but she was definitely trembling, and he was very careful not to do any more than what she’d given him.
“I want to go back to my cabin, Mac,” she whispered. “I need to go back to my cabin.”
His heart sank at the thought of her leaving. “I understand. Completely. If I had that option I would as well. There’s a very strong healing energy there.”
She was silent for a long time. “Y-you’re welcome to come back with me.”
Mac thought he had misheard. “I’m sorry?”
“You’re welcome to come back with me,” she said more strongly. “I think I might like the company. Andromeda will be staying with Parker, but I can’t stay here.” She drew back to look him in the eyes. “Will you go back to the cabin with me for a while?”
How could he deny her anything? Her big blue eyes were laden with heartbreak, and a strong dash of fear. Without even stopping to consider what he was agreeing to, he nodded his head. “Of course I will. Besides,” he paused. “You still haven’t given me the recipe for your biscuits.”
That startled a laugh from her and a squeeze around the neck, then she pulled away.
“I’m going to go lay down for a while.”
A flicker of fear crossed her face and Mac knew what it was. He’d seen that look on men he’d served with. “If you leave your door open, I’ll be right here reading my book.”
Relief eased through her expression and she nodded. Walking into the bedroom she pushed the door almost shut. Mac could see the bed coverings moving as she climbed into the bed and covered up. He sighed as he pulled a book from his pocket and debated getting coffee to stay awake for her.
Who needed sleep anyway?
Chapter 20
It was amazingly easy to settle back into a relationship with Parker and that scared the shit out of Andromeda, because in a day or three, whenever he finished his work for the police department, he would be leaving.
It had been a week since everything had gone down. They'd released her apartment to her two days ago, and the cleaning crew had gotten done with it yesterday. As she walked through the rooms now, she thought she'd be skeeved out or something that a guy had been killed in her bedroom but being a pragmatic woman, she really wasn't. He'd been trying to kill her, so she was glad that he’d died and she hadn’t. And it wasn't like she'd known him. She hadn't even seen the one in her office, so it was easy to put that one out of her mind as well.
The same with the living room hallway, where al Fareq had held Roz hostage. There were no signs of the incident at all, and since Roz was okay, it didn't really feel like a crime scene.
If that made sense. She wasn't even sure anymore.
Roz had gone back to West Virginia. Even though they'd been in a hotel, she'd had to get away from the city, she said. Andromeda could understand. A lot of traumatic things had happened to her here. The surprising thing was, Mac went back with her. They weren't dating or anything— she didn't even think they'd kissed— but they liked each other's company. Mac didn't have anything holding him here anymore, with the trial cancelled. The cops were done interviewing the two of them and no charges would be filed against Zane Mackenzie in the death of the as yet unnamed assailant.
Andromeda understood that Mac could be Roz's security for now, and she didn't want either one of them subjected to the news and hubbub here.
Her own job, no, her professional image, had undergone a huge shift. Andromeda had been known around the office as a workaholic and even a little cold, but after the incident in her apartment and all the raids that had changed. Janie, her assistant, had come into the office one day last week and she'd been literally bouncing with excitement.
"I wanted to catch you up on the gossip," she said, settling into the chair in front of Andromeda's desk and crossing her legs.
"Okay, what is it?"
Andromeda rocked back in her chair and crossed her arms. Janie had done this before and it usually pertained to a man that she'd shut down calling her frigid or a tease.
"You now have street cred," Janie whispered, leaning forward.
"What?"
Janie widened her eyes dramatically. "Your reputation has climbed significantly, especially with the women in the building. Between the Navy SEAL warming your bed and escorting you everywhere, and you taking down a huge terrorist cell in the city, as well as killing a dude in your condo, you should be getting your People's Choice Award literally any minute."
Andromeda laughed because it was so preposterous, shaking her head as she rocked forward in her chair. "I didn't kill anyone..."
Janie waved that off. "Near enough. You helped. I have to thank you because it wasn't always easy in this job but even my reputation has undergone a shift as well. The rest of the office staff is hoping I catch you in a sexy clinch with your man."
Andromeda laughed again and nodded her head. "I'll pass that along to Parker, but you need to know he's not staying."
Janie frowned at her, her blue eyes alarmed. "Wait, what?"
She took a breath. "Parker still has his job in Denver. He's just out here helping right now."
Janie looked like she was going to cry. "But you guys love each other! It's so obvious. Why would he leave?"
Andromeda shrugged, her own throat tightening with tears. "It just never quite works out for us."
That conversation haunted her. Throughout the day she thought about what they could do differently. Parker had told her several times how much he loved working with the group in Denver. After hearing about him talk about them so much she felt like she knew all of the people that worked there. They had given him hope for a future at a time when he desperately needed it.
He would never leave them.
And her job was just ramping up, seriously. Mike had several years before he could retire, but if she kept putting the criminals away like she had been there was a very strong chance she could move up. And she loved her job.
Yes, she could probably get a new job in Colorado if he asked, but Parker hadn't even asked. He hadn't even told her he loved her.
In all fairness, she hadn't told him either. It was like she was pretending that she didn't love him, just to salvage a tiny bit of her heart. They made love at least every night, but they didn't say the words. Everything but.
She glanced into the living room. They'd finished up their room service dinner from the restaurant downstairs, and she'd just called for the waiter to come get their dishes. They were sitting outside on the cart, along with the tip.
Parker had seemed distracted today and she was afraid to ask him why, because she didn't want her fears confirmed. Mozi and Ali al Fareq, as well as those rounded up on the raid, had been transported out of the state. No one was sure where, just that they had orders from way the hell high up that they were supposed to follow. Andromeda didn't care. She'd closed the Christmas Par
ade case and the Art Fair case, and the families had some degree of closure. Privately, Andromeda hoped that wherever they took the al Fareqs it involved pain.
She grabbed the bottle of wine they'd been working on and carried it into the living room. Parker had the TV on, but he was staring blankly at the screen, not even really seeing anything. It wasn't until she bumped him that he looked at her. "Hey, babe. Sorry. Thinking about things."
"I could tell," she murmured, refilling their glasses. "We're losing time, aren't we?"
He looked up at her, his hard, gunmetal gray eyes softening as they looked at her. "Yeah," he confirmed. "Now that the group has been shipped out my workload has diminished. I have a final interview to translate, then I'll be done."
She nodded, hating to have her fears confirmed.
"And Duncan texted me today wondering when I would be back." He took a heavy breath. "I told him the day after tomorrow."
The bottom fell out of her stomach. Setting her glass down, she cuddled in next to him. His big arms looped around her, holding her tight. "I'm not ready for you to go,” she murmured.
Sighing, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I know, babe. I'm not either. Let's make it a different kind of parting this time, though. No angst or blaming. We both knew this was coming. And we each made the most of it, I think. I love you, Andromeda."
Joy burst inside her heart, almost drowning out the sadness. "I love you, too," she whispered, tears seeping from her eyes. "Dammit Parker, why can't we get this right?"
"I don't know."
His voice had deepened, like he was fighting emotion as well. "And let's think about not completely ending it, okay? I mean, flights to Denver are not that expensive. There's nothing to say we can't have a long distance relationship, you know?"