Nevada was thinking along the lines of what Charisse was thinking at the same time.
“So you’re thinking we need to look at that bank card, aren’t you?”
Nodding, Nevada said, “And I bet only you or Chyna could tell it’s a fake. Everyone else would assume it was Chyna’s.”
Chyna was scared of Cheyenne, but she wasn’t an idiot, especially when it concerned Parker or money. The middle sister seemed to wizen up and there was no chance in hell she would have signed something concerning any bank account without questioning it.
“Even his accountant can’t get his hands on the signature card and if I question it, he’s going to want to know why I’m still noseying around in his business.”
Nevada leaned forward with a suspicious look on her face. “My mother was a beautiful woman, but she cursed like a sailor and she had a temperament to boot. Mine isn’t so bad and I have some control over it.”
“What are you trying to say, Nevada?”
“We all get something good and something bad from our parents. What did you get from your greedy ass mother, Char Char?”
Money had never been an issue with her. As long as her simple expenses were taken care of, she had no need for materialistic things. Yet, she’d always been protected from the real evils of the world. And even after her father died, staying in the facility never made it necessary to understand greed.
So time could only tell if money could infect her and make her into the monster Chyna and Cheyenne had become.
A chill shot down her spine and she shivered even though the room was warm.
“I don’t know,” she confessed. “I don’t know if I have an insatiable amount of greed in me. Even when Chyna admitted stealing that money from me, it was no big deal and even when Parker lavishes me with things, I’m more effected by his kindness and thoughtfulness than anything else.”
“Well, you better know,” Nevada warned. “When the time comes you’re going to have to choose between what’s inherited and what you know is right, Charisse. And you’ll be asking yourself, is blood really thicker than what matters or is love worth more than all the money in the world?”
Time would tell if she chose the right decision.
Nevada changed the subject. “Why did you agree to have this baby? You didn’t look like you wanted a reason to live.”
Charisse held back some information. “My sister convinced me it was a way to make sure Cheyenne didn’t win.”
“And you’re all in for that.”
“Pretty much.” She relaxed, glad Nevada didn’t press the issue.
“Give me that handsome brother-in-law’s name and I bet I could get you a copy of a bank card within the week.”
“What are you going to do? Seduce the bank manager?” Charisse asked sarcastically.
“If he’s big and brawny, hell yeah. But if he’s not, a wink and a smile should do. Men go ape shit over a pretty girl.”
Charisse chuckled. Nevada may not like her face, but she knew how to use it. “Speaking of what men go ape shit over, can you help me out on some advice regarding men?”
Nevada raised a brow in curiosity. “This new Charisse is scary.”
“It’s not new. It’s always been there. I just have reason to use what I have.”
“I can’t refuse you, Charisse. You’ve answered my prayers tonight. What do you want?”
** *
By the time he left Jaelen’s house it was past three in the morning and he really just wanted to see Charisse.
Jaelen insisted that he stay, but Parker was adamant about going on sober. Ethan wished him good luck, but the man had doubt written all over his white face and Parker was resolved to just discuss it with Charisse about his “situation.”
“Don’t,” Jaelen said. “The minute she finds out you’re trying to resist her will be the moment she’ll tempt you.”
“Charisse is not a seductress,” Parker quickly discredited.
“She’s becoming friends with my wife. Kimberly may look all sweet and innocent, but that woman could make a man scream mercy.”
Ethan smiled wickedly, “I’d like to see that. Please invite me next time so I can bring the popcorn.”
“Shut up! Didn’t I kick you out hours ago?” Jaelen questioned.
“You tried, but like usual I do ignore the things that come out of your mouth I don’t wish to hear, Jaelen.”
“Charisse is not like that, Jaelen. She’s different.”
“Wait a minute,” Ethan said worriedly. “I just thought about all this. So Charisse hasn’t been with another man, right? Because of her touch issue.”
“Yes,” Parker answered.
“So you’re her first?”
“And?”
“And the girl’s still standing straight?”
Jaelen smirked at that knowledge as well, while Ethan whooped in laughter loud.
“Shut up before you wake the baby, Ethan,” Parker muttered.
“That’s a good question. You know she won’t be able to have another man after you Parker,” Jaelen continued to tease. “This makes her even more dangerous.”
“Charisse is not some sex freak!” he denied.
“You don’t know that. You were drunk. You don’t know what she’s capable of and the woman has to have some vices coming from that family. Maybe since you’ve opened up Pandora’s box, you could now have triggered something even she can’t control. You’ve seen how her sisters have been greedy with money. Who’s to say she doesn’t harbor some kind of greed for other things.”
Ethan stood up and stomped his foot. “That’s it! All this damn talk about sex is messing with me. I’m going home to ravish my beautiful Nubian queen. Good luck, Parker.” He stormed straight out the house.
Jaelen shook his head in disappointment. “She’s probably bolted the bedroom door.”
“I’m leaving too.”
“It’s late, Parker. Just stay in the guest room. Hell, camp out on the couch. You don’t need to be around her now.”
“I want to be around her and not just about sex. She’ll understand being platonic.”
“Just promise me you won’t tell her that’s why you’re trying to hold off then.”
“I don’t see the problem.”
“I do, Parker. Dammit, just promise me. When all is said and done in three weeks, you’ll tell her everything and your conscience will be clean, but why make her just as anxious about it as you’ll be, right?”
It made a little sense and Parker promised, but he wanted to make sure Charisse knew he wasn’t mad at her.
** *
When he went up to her room, upon getting home, he saw her bed was empty and remembered she was in official hiding from the outside world.
Entering the room, he saw the lump under the covers and smiled pleasantly. They’d have the whole house to themselves and he would make her unbelievably happy.
By the end of three weeks, he swore Charisse would love him and never want to be away from him and he’d top it off at the end by making sweet love to her until she never wanted to die.
He had it all planned out and the expectations of watching their child grow inside of her during those months would make this whole experience invaluable to him.
So excited about it Parker was inclined to yanking the covers off of her, but knew that would be rude. There were more pleasant ways to get her up and he could “innocently” partake in a few right now, but only one good one would do.
Sitting on the bed, he gently pressed down what on what he hoped was her shoulder.
She only mumbled something and her voice sounded deeper, but he ignored this assuming it was because he was waking her from a long day before and it was the middle of the night.
Just the thought of being this close to her aroused him and Parker felt there would be nothing wrong with just a brush of her sweet lips. He missed her and swore he’d apologized until heaven came on earth if that was what it took to get back in her good graces.
>
Pulling the covers partially back, her arm slightly covered her face and she was fully clothed in an awful long sleeve army green long john shirt and he noted that her hair seemed thicker, but this didn’t deter him as he hurried and moved her arm before she woke up to stop him. Leaning over before registering her face, he kissed her.
She stiffened and then relaxed to begin to partake in the kiss. Her lips parted and she began to respond, but he knew instantly the expertise of the kiss, the distant passion and the boldness of the kiss was not his Charisse.
Just as he realized this, a throat cleared at the door and he moved up to see who had come in. Looking over his shoulder, he saw Charisse standing there frowning, but she was probably looking just as confused as he was.
Because if that was Charisse at the door, who the hell was this lying in the bed?
Parker turned back to look down to see who the hell he had been kissing.
Chapter 34
Due to Parker’s enhanced member, he’d been rather rambunctious in his young days to have as many women as possible. He knew his face back then couldn’t get him much, but women loved to talk and he had an unimaginable number of women just because of world of mouth.
Even when he’d cheated on Chyna, old and new women desired his body and he had no problem providing a service that he could do quite well. He had enjoyed his heyday of sexual conquests of beautiful women that would probably give Casanova a run for his money.
But the striking African/Indian beauty couldn’t come close to anything he could have had, or ever dreamed of having.
He almost wished he wasn’t so damn enamored with Charisse or he was twenty years younger just to make her whisper his name.
She was what God had christened heaven on earth and her beauty could arouse the damn pope to sin just once.
“Hello Parker,” she said seductively with a sensuous smile.
For a moment he was mesmerized but then in the next second he remembered Charisse and stood up to face the woman he had meant to kiss. “I thought she was you,” he said as if he had been caught having sex with the beauty.
“I’ve never been mistaken for another woman, Char,” the woman pouted. “It’s almost… hurtful.” The temptress had to think of a word and he could have believed that because no one could have made a mistake if she was really in their bed. “Now I see why you can’t stop talking about him with kissing like that.“
“WHO ARE YOU?!” Parker asked now becoming upset only because Charisse just stood there looking from him to the woman.
“She’s a friend, Parker. I’m sorry,” Charisse answered walking hesitantly up to him. “I wanted to call you and let you know she had come.“
“You have no friends,” he said suspiciously.
“Tell him the truth,” the beauty encouraged.
“She’s from the facility. She just got out and was working at the restaurant. We met in the bathroom and she borrowed the shower, but ended up staying. She’ll be gone by morning.”
The woman pulled the covers off of her to reveal she wore the matching bottoms to those ugly long johns and even that couldn’t distract from her loveliness. “I could go right now. It’s not a problem.“
Parker put his hand up and shook his head unable to look at the woman anymore and really wanting to speak to Charisse alone. Instead of addressing this out loud, he just walked out of the room.
** *
Charisse had been in the library unable to sleep and she hadn’t heard anything until the guest room door opened.
Thinking that maybe she had been just a little bit too trustworthy of Nevada and the woman was headed back downstairs to pick up that gold statue. When she saw no one had come out, but realized someone had gone in, she walked in and watched as Parker was lip locked with Nevada.
Every sensation in the world had hit her, but then she calmed down to realize he was in outright shock and he had the same expression on his face as she had when she had seen Nevada come out of the bathroom.
“I’m sorry,” Nevada said.
“That’s alright,” Charisse said. “He kissed you.”
Nevada smirked. “Well, it wouldn’t have been so long if I hadn’t eagerly participated. He really is a good kisser, Charisse.”
She was about to speak again, but then the door to the guest room flung open and Parker walked back smelling like coconut and toothpaste. He’d just brushed his teeth and she could tell he was very frustrated. Before she spoke to him for his unexpected entry, he drew her in his arms and kissed her.
Charisse felt her toes tingling at the breathtaking kiss he’d swept her in and felt there was deep-seeded need to have just her.
When he literally set her away from her, he waited until the daze expression moved out of her eyes and she could see straight again.
“I’m not mad at you,” he said firmly. “I forgive you for what you did and I want us to have breakfast in the morning. Eight a.m.”
He waited until she nodded because even though he wasn’t kissing her anymore, she still couldn’t find her voice.
“Wow!” Nevada said. “I’m almost jealous.”
Charisse turned to her new friend. “Shut up. I can’t help looking at you.”
Nevada giggled. “Serious, Char. I think you got a winner there. He hasn’t looked at me since he jumped out the bed.”
Joining her in the bed, Charisse rolled her eyes and licked out her tongue before turning off the lamp.
“I’ll leave early in the morning,” Nevada promised.
“Use the back,” she sleepily reminded her. Now that Parker was home, she felt safe again and secure in the knowledge that they could be friends.
Along with the advice Nevada had given her, she could slowly seduce this man. She couldn’t wait for breakfast.
** *
Nevada was gone when Charisse awoke at seven and she checked the downstairs hallway to see that the gold statue was still there, although it had been moved to the edge. After putting it back in place, she showered and dressed before going back down to the kitchen.
Nothing was cooking so she started back upstairs, but then saw that there was a post it note on the door. She took it off the door and read it:
‘Meet me in my room.’
This was going to be easier than she thought as she went up the stairs to his room. It would really be her first time entering it. She also noted that he said, “my” in the note and not his and Chyna’s.
“Parker,” she called.
There was the main bedroom and then there were other hallways that led off the bedroom. She heard noises coming to the right hallway and walked down there to see they had utilized this whole part of their house as their bedroom. There was a make shift room with a table in the middle and a Jacuzzi in the corner that led off to a balcony.
“I never saw this from the back yard.”
“It just looks like a skylight back there, but it’s actually raised and more in the house than out,” he answered coming up behind.
The table was filled with pancakes, eggs, sausage, juice and coffee.
“Did your friend leave?” he questioned.
She almost didn’t hear him or even see what was on the table because she was so intent on looking at him. He was casually dressed in jeans, dress shirt and dress shoes. Even casual he looked nice and as always he smelled nice. Parker was handsome for words and she wondered how the hell had she garnered his attention.
“Y-Yes, she did. She left early this morning, but I’m not sure the time.”
“She’s interesting. Why was she at the facility?”
“Something about anger and sex, but I think the doctor was too damn enamored with her to treat her.”
“I could see how that could happen.”
Would she ever stop tingling when he was near?
“Have a seat,” he tenderly ordered.
She did and he followed across from her. “How’d you hide all this?”
“Well, Chyna wanted to change this into la
rge closets she could fill and you can see this house is really too big for just two people, but I really wanted a family and I wanted to redesign the house so we could have our own private space, but make it look like it was still a sociable house. I didn’t want to kick everyone off this floor. There were two more bedrooms on this floor. We compromised on giving her one guest room and changing it to a closet and then changing my guest room and doing this.”
“But where do you dress?”
He nodded to some sliding doors to his right. “That’s just a closet and this space we’re standing in is where I dress.”
Just imagining that he had stood here naked made those tingles worsen. She really was trying to eat because the food looked and smelled delicious.
“Will your friend be returning?”
“Once in a while to say hello and she was doing something for me.”
“Really?” he asked suspiciously. “You don’t find it strange she just popped up here?”
“No. I mean I expected to see scary Pickens before ever seeing her again and she certainly didn’t look like that.”
“Who’s scary Pickens?”
“He was a cutter and came back more than I did. He didn’t want to die, but he’d cut just enough to get him admitted. Since he was homeless anyway, they’d release him, but he’d be right back like a couple of months later. He did odd end jobs and I knew he lived in Detroit somewhere.”
“Why was he scary Pickens?”
“Actually I never knew his name, but that’s what I’d call him in my head because he would pick at old cuts to make them bleed again and he’d cut off one of his eye lids so he looked scary.” She suddenly had an appetite, but he suddenly did not.
“Why’d you do it Charisse?”
“Do what?”
“The library and the office?”
Charisse was a little shocked he had brought this subject up so fast. Swallowing the rest of the food in her mouth slowly, she used that time to think of an answer.
His Substitute Wife... My Sister Book Two Page 9