by Jewel E. Ann
Fifteen yards.
Ten yards.
Five yards.
Splash!
The second the brisk water swallowed her body, it drowned all of the warnings: Parker, watch out for undercurrents; Parker, beware of sharks; Parker, certain jellyfish can kill you.
*
With his hands deep in the pockets of his shorts, Levi strolled onto the beach. He may have been wrong. That was the moment he would never forget. It didn’t matter how they got there—jet, bus, or hitchhiking. The color and quality of the sand didn’t matter. The backdrop of multimillion-dollar homes stretching up and down miles of coastline didn’t matter.
At age twenty-six, Parker Cruse saw the ocean for the first time, and he got to witness it like a miracle no one else would ever believe. The grin on his face pulled so tight it almost made his eyes water. Why did he traipse her through the desert when all her heart desired was to dive head first into an infinity of waves.
She splashed and squealed then waved him over. “Levi! You have to feel this! It’s amazing!”
He stood there and watched, frozen in time, wanting to memorize each picture frame, the sound of her voice, and the way his heart ached with so much love for that woman.
“Now, Levi!” She flipped onto her back, arms spread wide, looking up at the sky.
He toed off his Chucks and grabbed the back of his tee to shrug it off.
Parker stood up in the water. “Don’t take off your clothes. Don’t think. Just dive in! You can’t prepare for greatness—it just has to happen.”
No truer words had ever been spoken. And every one of them summed up his feelings for her.
Don’t think. Just dive in!
He jogged toward the water, fighting the wind. Parker splashed through the foaming waves, meeting him halfway, and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around him as they fell back into the water.
When they emerged, he shook his head like a shaggy dog, holding her close to him.
“Say it.” She smiled so big he felt certain her face would crack.
“Say what?”
Parker kissed him, holding his face in her hands. Deep. Long. And filled with so much life. When she pulled back, she rested her forehead against his. “You know …”
“Today is my favorite day.”
“Yesss!” She hugged him. “Thank you for this. Thank you so much,” she whispered with her lips grazing his ear.
*
“One more time and then I’ll quit.” Parker traced the terrain of Levi’s bumpy abs with her toe as they sat at opposite ends of a deep soaker tub next to a wall of windows with miles of the Pacific watching them as the sun set behind it.
He leaned his head back, closed his eyes, and grinned. “What’s that?”
“This isn’t my life.”
“I disagree.” He grabbed her foot and massaged it. “You’re here with me. And we are real.”
“The jet belonged to someone else, the car is a rental, and so is this six-bedroom, eight-bathroom mansion. But I love that we are real, even if everything else is borrowed. And that huge body of water is real. In fact, I’m calling it mine for the rest of our short stay. It’s the Parker not the Pacific.”
Levi chuckled. “Works for me.”
She teased her fingers up and down his calves. “So who owns this joint?”
“My friends from college.” He kept his head back and eyes closed.
“That you travel with?”
“Yes.”
“You said it belonged to four people.”
“I did.”
“Who’s the—”
Levi peeked open one eye and looked down at her with a shit-eating grin plastered to his face.
“Oh my god!” She sat up ramrod straight sending water splashing over the sides. “This is your place? Are you kidding me?”
He brought his head up and opened his other eye. “A fourth of it is mine.”
“Which fourth? Please tell me it includes this tub … and the kitchen. I love the kitchen.”
They both laughed as he sat up, meeting her in the middle, nose to nose. “I’d give you the world if you just asked me to.”
Parker rubbed her nose against his. “I think you’re more than enough for me to handle. The world might feel neglected.” She slid her hand between them and handled him.
He sucked in a slow breath. “Let’s get out. I want to show you which bed is mine.”
She continued to stroke him as his teeth dug into his bottom lip. “Show and tell? I like show and tell.”
As if it pained him, he slowly pushed himself to stand. Parker stood up on her knees and grinned.
“Let’s start here. I’m going to show you something, and you tell me how it feels.”
“Park—aw fuuuccck …” He gently fisted her hair as she took him in her mouth.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
“I need to call my mom.”
Levi turned toward the door to his office and slid his pencil behind his ear. Since their long, sleepless twenty-four hours in Malibu weeks earlier, he’d had trouble focusing on work again. The bikini-clad Parker posed in the doorway to his office didn’t help. His dick jumped to attention, sending not so subtle messages to his brain. They both needed a break from the monotony of drawing.
“Is your phone dead?”
“Look at me.”
His eyes snapped from her cleavage to her face. “I am.”
“My face.” She gestured to her eyes with her index and middle fingers.
“I’ve been working for four straight hours, you’ve been lounging by the pool, and now you’re standing there all sweaty and nearly naked, but I’m supposed to look at your eyes? Not fair, babe.” His eyes returned to her breasts.
“I’ve been here for almost a month. There’s a good chance I might stay a bit longer. She’s a wreck because I have no job and I’m living with a guy who she doesn’t know. I think she suspects you kidnapped me.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, head cocked to the side. “A good chance you might stay a bit longer?”
“Maybe.” She smirked.
“Come here.”
“No way. I’ll lose my bikini. You’re giving me that look.”
He chuckled. “What look?”
“That look you give me before my clothes end up on the floor and me on my back.”
Levi adjusted himself. “You don’t like that scenario?”
Parker dropped her chin and looked up with flirty eyelashes batting at him. “You know the answer to that. I just need to say something before the clothes come off.”
He adjusted himself again with little relief because he was running out of room for adjustment. “Absolutely, but just to be clear … the clothes are coming off?”
Rock. Hard.
“Don’t they always?”
“Three days last week—”
She rolled her eyes. “You mean my five-day menstrual cycle? By the fourth day, you had your way with me in the shower.”
Painfully hard.
“Say what you need to say.”
“I’m going to email my résumé tomorrow. You tell me where. You make the call. I’m ready to climb that ladder, even if I have to stand on your back to reach the first step.”
“I changed my mind.” Levi drummed his fingers on his leg. “I like lazy mornings with you in bed. Coffee on the balcony, talking about how you think you can ‘kick my ass’ at volleyball, even though I’m taller. I like lunch in the kitchen and post-lunch sex on the sofa. I like working my ass off all afternoon while you reorganize everything in this entire place a hundred times over before you head to the pool on the roof for the remainder of the afternoon. I like the click of your high heels on the stone floor, usually around six, knowing that you’re starving and wearing something that will make me fall off this stool. I like taking you to a new restaurant every night and how you tear half of my clothes off in the elevator when we get back home.” He shrugged. “I like this life. You getting a jo
b would ruin it. Nope. Not going to be any part of that terrible idea.”
Parker’s head jutted forward, jaw reaching for the ground. “Are you serious?”
“Dead. If you wanted a job, you should have spoken up the day we discussed it. I’ve rescinded my offer. Sorry, babe. Now…” he crooked a finger “…get over here. Let’s check out that tan line of yours.”
She blinked. Waiting. Of course, she knew five—ten minutes tops—was how long it took to know if his words were truth or a shit lie. It didn’t stop Levi from enjoying every second he could until his stupid conscience vomited the truth. His ability to hold out in the name of a good joke had improved over the years with practice.
“You’re a selfish little rich boy.” Then sometimes she went on the offensive. He loved that game too.
“Agreed. Bikini … are you removing it or am I?”
“Levi Joseph Paige, if you’re serious, then the only thing I need to tell my mom is what time my plane will arrive in Des Moines.”
“I love how you not only ball your hands when you get mad but you curl your toes too.”
Parker glanced at her feet and relaxed both her fingers and toes. Then she narrowed her eyes at him. The stare-off. Another favorite of his. He narrowed his a bit too; that usually made her grin against her will after a few seconds.
No grin. It was more of a smug smirk. She pulled the ties to her top letting it fall to the ground. Then she slid off her bikini bottoms and sling-shotted them at him. They landed on his drafting table.
“Are you going to give me a name? Then are you going to make a phone call?”
The girl clearly didn’t know the rules. She played dirty. So dirty. Levi wasn’t a pathetic schmuck ruled by his penis. Until … the girl.
“I’ll message you the email address and make a call first thing tomorrow morning.”
A huge, gloating smile stole her entire face. He unfastened his shorts as she prowled toward him.
“See…” her eyelashes fluttered “ …that wasn’t so hard, now was it?”
The girl had no idea how extremely hard it was … but she was about to find out.
*
Two days later Parker called her mom.
“I’m ready to disown you, Parker Joy. No job. You’re living with some guy I’ve never met. And you’ve been ignoring my texts and phone calls for the past week. You could have been dead in a ditch and I would have no idea. How do you think that makes me feel? Someday, young lady, you’re going to have kids, and I hope they hate you as much as you hate me.”
Parker grinned, eyes closed, head back on the lounge chair by the roof-top pool. She had her earbuds in so the two other residents a few feet down couldn’t hear her crazy mom going off on her typical rant.
“I have an interview in two weeks.”
“Please tell me it’s in Des Moines.”
“Phoenix.”
“Parker. You’re killing me. Is that what you want?”
She laughed. “I’ll say something to Levi. I’ll tell him he needs to take me home for a visit. You’re going to love him.”
“Do you?”
Parker’s smile grew even bigger. “Yes.”
“Are you sure it’s not just infatuation? Or maybe you’re high on your little rebellion and you’re mistaking that high for love because he’s been your partner in crime.”
“We’re not robbing banks, Mom. Can’t you be happy for me?”
Janey sighed. “I’m trying, but it’s hard because I hate worrying about you, but it’s impossible not to when you’re so far away. And what about the house? Piper and Caleb are closing on their house next week. Are you selling the farmhouse? Renting it? This is something you and Piper need to discuss before she has a baby consuming her time.”
“I know. I will.”
“When?”
“Jeez, soon. I said I’d talk to Levi about making a trip back there.”
“I miss you.”
Parker rubbed her eyes. “I miss you too. I’ll call you soon.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Parker frowned at Rags as she opened the door. The front corner of the sofa cushion had become his favorite humping spot. “Nice, Rags. That’s probably a five-thousand-dollar sofa. We need to get you a stuffed animal from a carnival or something better suited for your needs.”
He ignored her.
“Levi?” She peeked into his office. He wasn’t there. She opened the door to their bedroom. “Damn,” she whispered.
Muscles. Sweat. And shorts low on his hips. Levi was on the floor pumping out pushup after pushup with wireless earbuds in his ears. Parker walked up behind him and teased her toe over his back.
He didn’t skip a beat. “I’m almost done,” he yelled louder than he needed to.
“Sweet Jesus …” She sucked in her lower lip, admiring rolling muscles shifting along his taut skin.
“What?”
She plucked his earbuds from his ears. “I just wondered if you needed a little more resistance.”
“Like what?” He breathed heavily.
“Me on your back.”
Levi stopped at the top in plank. “I’m sweaty, but get on.”
“I’m sweaty too.” She lay on his back, legs on his, arms around his torso.
“Count.”
“One.” She grinned, tightening her grip as he lowered his body. “Two. Am I hurting your back?”
Levi was a rock of muscle, but even rocks cracked under enough pressure.
“Count.”
“Five … sex …”
He paused at the top. “Sex? Did you say sex?”
“Six.”
“Sounded like sex.”
She bit her top lip and grimaced. “I may have … it’s just that this is kinda hot.”
He lowered, continuing with his reps. “Yeah?” His voice dripped confidence. Rightfully so.
“Is this what you meant when you said sex is your favorite workout?”
Levi grunted a chuckle. “Your body in that bikini pressed to my back is definitely sexy, but we’re not actually having sex, so it’s not exactly what I meant.”
Parker slid her hands from his stomach to his shorts and slipped her hand down the front.
Levi paused again at the top. “Parker …”
“Let’s sweat together,” she whispered, sliding her hand into his briefs and gripping his already hard cock, making slow strokes up and down.
“Fuuuccck …” he groaned as he pushed through five more while she stroked him. “Don’t say it,” he grunted, “unless you mean it.”
Sliding off his back, she giggled and scooted under him.
He paused at the top and grinned. “You’re such a tease.”
“A little.” Parker traced his abs with her finger. “Do you ever wonder what we’re doing? The rest of the world is making some grand contribution to society, and here we are just … hiding out like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.”
He lowered down, hovering over her lips. “Today is my favorite day. Don’t ruin it by suggesting other humans are inhabiting our world, expecting us to interact with them.” Levi brushed his lips against hers.
As she started to nip at them, he pushed back up. “You and your favorite days.”
He eased to his forearms, resting his lower body on hers. “We could go golfing? Would that count as a contribution to society? We pay, people make money. I’ll even try to get a speeding ticket on the way; that would count as a contribution to the local law enforcement. Lunch? Maybe we pick a new restaurant that’s trying to get up and going? I’ll leave a big tip. On the way home, we pick up any trash we see and dispose of it properly. We already save water by showering together. We really shouldn’t be that hard on ourselves. If you look at the big picture, we’re doing quite a bit.”
“Golfing?” She didn’t hear anything past golf.
“Yes. Why? Do you golf?”
“I’m familiar with the game. I don’t have clubs.”
“Again … we ca
n buy some. Another contribution to society.”
“Okay. Let’s go golfing.”
“Great. I love golf.”
“More.” She ran her fingers through his hair.
“More what?” He ducked his head and dotted kisses along her jaw.
“More Levi stuff. Things about you I don’t know. Besides drawing, golf, and impeccable taste in casual shoes, what do you like?”
“You.” He trapped her bottom lip between his teeth.
“I’m serious.” She released his hair and grabbed his ears tugging them gently until he set her lip free.
“Lacrosse. Action movies. Anything that goes fast. Memoirs. Riddles. Puzzles. Technology podcasts. String cheese. Popcorn. Anything with hazelnuts. And vintage Matchbox cars.”
Parker closed her eyes as a soft girlish laugh bubbled from her chest. “More … keep going. You’re my favorite story.”
Levi chuckled. “Corn fields. Volleyball. Convenience store junk food. Chucks. Random acts of kindness. Cooking. Rebounding. Organizing. Stroking my cock … That’s all I’ve got. I need more Parker stuff.”
“What list was that?”
“Things Parker Cruse enjoys.”
“Corn fields? Really, Levi? You’re smarter than that kind of stereotyping. Now you sound like your idiot friend, Ziek. Just because I’m from Iowa doesn’t mean I’m an expert on corn fields, or that I like them.”
He scooted down her body, pressing his lips to her sternum. “Tell me something about young Parker. Like … what was your first official job?”
Her hands moved back to his hair, eyes drifting shut as his thumb slid under her bikini top and teased her nipple. “Levi …”
“Tell me.” He tipped his head up, resting his chin between her breasts, as his thumb continued to tease her.
“I don’t remember.”
“Bullshit.”
“Ouch!” She scowled as he held her nipple hostage between his thumb and finger.
He grinned, releasing her nipple and shoving her top to the side. His tongue made a slow stroke over it.
“Yesss … I … like your tongue on me.” Clenching his hair, she tried to push him lower.
“I’ll do anything you want with my tongue as soon as you tell me your first job.”