by Lacey Baker
In his mind, all he wanted to do was whatever made her happy. If that meant working side by side in a flower shop, dammit, he was willing to do that. Whatever it took so that he could see her each day, touch her, talk to her, be with his child, Parker was willing to do it.
“Drew…” He pulled back, chest heaving, feeling the need to tell her all that was going through his mind at this moment.
“Shhh, Parker. Not now,” she whispered in return, yanking at his shirt and pushing it up over his chest.
He ducked out of the shirt, heard it hit the table and knock something over. She kissed along his bare chest, her teeth nipping lightly at his skin. It took much more strength to keep from ravishing her than it did to hold himself over her so that she could have her way with him. The feel of her flattened palms were like liquid fire as they moved over his pectorals down to his abs, then around his back to cup his buttocks.
“Off. Now!” she stated clearly and a bit loudly.
His ego wouldn’t let his smile stay at bay. “Tell me what you want and I’ll give it to you,” he replied.
She lifted a brow. “Off. Now.” And this time she followed it with a nod of her head toward his pants.
With a grin that threatened to split his face, Parker eased off the chair and removed his pants, shoes, socks, boxers. Before he could return, she pointed to the pants he’d thrown on the floor and he backtracked, reaching into his pocket for his wallet and a condom. Drew held out an upturned hand and he dropped the packet there.
She tore it open, then crooked a finger for him to come closer. Sitting up on the couch, she pulled him closer by his hips until his erection was perfectly aligned with her face and her mouth. Parker let his head fall back and moaned. No way could he watch what was coming next. Not and remain standing and possibly breathing—there was just no way.
Light as a feather, she kissed the tip of his shaft and Parker sucked in a breath. In long, slow strokes, her tongue moved up and down his length, and he wanted to yell out in pleasure. Next were her hands, cupping him, stroking him from hilt to tip, long, slow, delicious. The latex touched his skin seconds later, and she rolled it down inch by inch, slowly. He finally had enough strength to look down at her and was none too pleased to see her smiling with satisfaction.
“You okay there?” she asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
“Yeah, pretty pleased with yourself, aren’t you?” he asked, his hands on his hips. “So what else do you want?”
Drew let her hands fall to her sides and began lifting the hem of her shirt.
“Would you like me to do that?” he asked, eager to get his hands on her again.
But she shook her head. “No. I want you to watch and don’t touch.”
He frowned like a child, clenching and unclenching his fingers at his side. “So torture is the name of this game,” he replied with a nod.
Drew continued to smile as she removed her bra. She’d worn sandals, so it was easy to slip them off her feet, and the long skirt that he could now see was pulled over the swell of her belly and slipped to the floor silently. When her panties followed, Parker knew he was screwed. There was no way in hell he could keep his hands off her.
He stepped forward and placed both palms on her stomach, which he would swear grew more every day. “She’s going to rule the world,” he whispered.
“Just like her mother,” Drew replied, leaning forward to kiss Parker’s neck.
He pulled her closer, loving the feel of her naked body in his arms. Then he picked her up, kissing her lightly along the neck and shoulders as he walked them into the bedroom. Just as they were about to cross the threshold, he turned back to whisper a command to Rufus. “Stay.”
* * *
Drew lay back on the bed, knowing Parker would soon follow. She ached for him. The whole “do what I say” foreplay she’d instigated in the living room had pushed her well beyond her threshold of desire. Her thighs were quivering and her center was already moist. She was ready for him now.
But Parker apparently had other ideas. He started at her feet, massaging them both until she was moaning in pure bliss. He kissed each arch, stopping only when she begged him to, then moved to massage her calves. Drew wanted to sink into the mattress, she felt so relaxed and so aroused. When he touched the inside of her thighs, she bit her bottom lip to keep from screaming. He touched her there, right along the plump folds of her center. A soft touch before he leaned forward, blowing on the tightened bud of her. There was a moan, then a groan, then she thought, To hell with it all, and screamed, “Parker!”
She knew he was smiling, knew he was feeling smug in his idea of getting back at her, but right now Drew wasn’t to be played with. Instead, she moved and maneuvered until she’d wrestled him over and was straddling him.
“Well. Well. Well. You can dish it out, but you can’t take it. That’s very nice to know,” he said with a smirk.
“Shut up and make love to me,” Drew insisted.
“Whatever you say, Ms. Sidney.” His hands went to her waist, lifting her until she was leveraged directly over his length.
She reached between them to grasp his erection, guiding him as he lowered her onto his rigid arousal. Their joining was once again like liquid fire, easily ignited and burning brightly as they moved. And boy, did they move. They’d started out in one position and ended with her standing, leaning over the bed, and Parker thrusting deep inside her from behind. All that physical exertion coupled with the events of this evening had them both running to shower afterward and then back to bed, where they fell asleep almost instantly.
* * *
Just before dawn, Drew awoke to the sound of a car door slamming. She jolted so fast and hard that it woke Parker.
“What is it?”
She sat straight up in the bed. “I think somebody’s outside,” she whispered.
Parker was up and out of the bed instantly. She barely saw him reach over the side of the bed to retrieve his weapon. But she saw it plainly as he pressed against the wall and leaned over to look out the window. He looked like one of those actors on television, holding his gun in both hands, arms upward, bent at the elbow, ready to shoot. Except for the fact that he was totally naked, he looked absolutely dangerous.
Then he pulled back, flattened himself including his head against the wall, and sighed. “It’s your uncle Walt. Sometimes he delivers shipments to Michelle early in the morning after he comes from fishing.”
“Oh, right,” she said, feeling like an idiot. “I’m sorry. I just heard the sounds and…” She trailed off.
Parker sat beside her on the bed, putting his gun on the bedside table. “It’s okay. It’s natural to still be shaken up after last night. It’s not like you get shot at every day.”
“No,” she said softly, reaching up to run her hand along a scar that she’d just noticed on his left side. “But you do.”
He frowned down at the scar, then looked back up at her. “That was actually a knife wound from some wannabe gang thug that couldn’t aim worth crap. He’d been trying to kill me, no doubt, but he’d barely grazed me before I body-slammed him and his knife to the ground.”
She winced and he ran his fingers over her cheek. “It’s okay. I’m not a beat cop anymore. Most of the time I’m sitting behind a desk going through case files. When I finally get out into the field, the shooting has already been done.”
“Like that cop that died in your arms?” she asked, knowing that was a scene that would never stop replaying in Parker’s mind.
Parker sighed. “I keep thinking I was there for a reason, at that specific time and in that place, I had to be there for a reason. But Vezina died anyway, so I don’t know what that reason is. I didn’t save him and the perpetrators got away. What was the point?”
“Hey, I think you’re being too hard on yourself. Despite what the rumors say, you’re not Superman. You can’t know all and defeat all and get up to do it again the next day. That’s just not how it works in the real w
orld.”
He smiled down at her. “I guess you’re right. But knowing that doesn’t take away the questions, it doesn’t make me not think about this or even dream about it over and over again. I hope you can understand that.”
“I understand that you need closure,” she said with a sigh of her own. “I’ve been thinking that I need that, too. I figured bad things are going to happen in our lives, but it’s how we deal with them that will determine how we go on. Years ago I let that town demolish me with their rumors, and I let Jared walk away like a hero. When what I should have done was bury his phony ass in court.”
Parker leaned forward and kissed her forehead. “You’re a lot tougher than you look, Drew Sidney. I can’t believe nobody’s realized that by now.”
“Maybe I’m just realizing it,” she told him. “Look, Parker, I know that you’re going to keep investigating that Vezina case until you find out what happened and why. I also know that as long as you do, you’re in danger. And as much as I want you to stay safe, I care about you too much to ask you to give up what you do best. This is your career, and it’s your life. I can accept that.”
There was a moment of silence in which Parker seemed to be struggling to say something. Finally, he simply shook his head, kissing her lips once, then twice. “I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve you, to deserve this gift you’re giving to me. But I don’t want to lose it. I don’t want to do anything to jeopardize it.”
“Then close this case and put this incident behind you. We have a daughter to prepare for.”
He smiled. “More orders. Man, you’re a bossy one. But I think I can handle that. I’m meeting Ryan and the sheriff at the police station this morning to go over what we have so far. I’d like for you to stay here so that you’re not alone.”
Drew was already shaking her head. “I have to get to the shop. Michelle needs new centerpieces for the restaurant tomorrow.”
“I’m sure she’ll understand. Or maybe you can bring your work here. When I finish at the station I can go over and pack the stuff up for you and bring it here.”
“Remember just a few minutes ago when I was telling you how I respected your job even though it was dangerous and all that?”
Parker looked over his shoulder at her.
“Well, the flower shop is my job. And this contract I have with the inn is important. Just because I’m carrying your child doesn’t mean I’m going to take that for granted.” He wasn’t looking as if he agreed, but Drew climbed out of bed and kept on talking. “So I’m going to get dressed, see if I can help Michelle with anything before I head over to the shop. Then I have some closure of my own to deal with.”
“What?” he asked in a slow voice. “What do you mean by some closure of your own to deal with?”
Drew took a deep breath as she pulled a shirt he’d tossed to her over her head. It touched her midthigh and hid her baby bump, not that she was trying to. And when she looked up at him, she knew this wasn’t going to be easy. Despite the fact that she’d just about given him permission to go out and chase after a killer, she had a sneaking suspicion Parker wasn’t going to be all smiles and agreement with what she was about to say.
“I want to talk to Jared.”
He opened his mouth to speak, but she held up her hand to stop him.
“I want this over with, Parker. For years I’ve been hesitant about relationships and scared to death of creating more town gossip. Now, I’m sick of both. I want us to move forward with our lives and to raise our child here in Sweetland. I don’t want to worry about gossip because I know it’ll circulate regardless and I don’t want to keep running from Jared and what he did to me. It’s probably too late to press charges, but at the very least I can just stand up to him, once and for all.”
“I don’t want him near you,” Parker began.
“I know, but—”
He shook his head. “No! I don’t want him near you and I definitely do not want you left alone with him. You’re asking too much of me, Drew. This is just not something I can allow.”
She nodded, hating that this was exactly how she’d figured this conversation would end.
“It’s my life, Parker. You can’t ‘allow’ me to do anything,” she told him before pushing past him and heading for the bathroom.
Chapter 18
“I want to see my daughter right now! You cannot hold her hostage here,” Lorrayna Sidney yelled after all but busting through the front door of the B&B.
Her brother Walt was standing right beside her, holding one of her arms to keep her from running throughout the house. “Calm down, Lorrayna. The Cantrells don’t hold people hostage.”
“No, but they do have people shooting at them. You know it’s true, Walt, just look at your restaurant. Who’s going to pay for all that damage? I bet the Cantrells won’t.” Lorrayna continued on her rampage until Michelle and Nikki came out of the kitchen to see what was going on.
“Morning, Walt. Hi, Lorrayna. What can I do for you so early in the morning?” Michelle asked, wondering what could be so important that the two of them were here before eight o’clock in the morning.
Normally this would be the time Walt would make his deliveries, but she didn’t see any boxes or crates, and Walt usually came in through the back door so he could put everything right in the freezer for her.
“I want to see my daughter right now!” Lorrayna all but yelled in Michelle’s face.
Michelle took a step back and looked to Walt. “Is there a problem?”
“She thinks you’re holding Drew in some kind of protective custody because of the shooting last night,” Walt told her with a shake of his head.
Nikki chuckled. “Holding her? Really, Mrs. Sidney, is that what you think?”
“Don’t get sassy with me. Just because you’re shacking up with one of those Cantrells doesn’t mean that Drew has to,” she said to Nikki with unmasked disgust.
“With all due respect, ma’am, I’m engaged to Quinn and Drew is pregnant by Parker,” Nikki stated.
Michelle put a hand to Nikki’s shoulder to keep her future sister-in-law calm.
“Drew is here. She spent the night because Parker wanted to make sure she was safe,” Michelle explained to Lorrayna.
But Lorrayna was unfortunately too far gone for reasonable explanations. “She would have been safe if he’d stayed away from her completely. Waltzing into town on that death bike of his, thinking he was hot stuff. He maneuvered her and used her just like that other animal. But I’m not going to let her fall this time. I’m not going to let her down, I’m going to be right by her side through this whole ordeal.”
“What ordeal are you talking about?” Michelle asked her.
“Lorrayna,” Walt said, trying to reason with his sister again. He’d stepped in front of her and was now holding her by the shoulders. “Look, you’ve got to calm down. This isn’t like Stratford. Drew’s safe here.”
Lorrayna shook her head. “No. No, she isn’t. I saw him in town just yesterday, walking around proud as a peacock with that silly McCann girl on his arm. He’s here to hurt Drew again and I’m not going to let him this time.”
“Now who does she think is hurting Drew?” Nikki whispered to Michelle.
“I think she’s talking about Jared Mansfield,” Michelle whispered back without taking her eyes off Lorrayna and Walt.
“What’s going on out here?” Parker asked, entering the living room.
“That’s him! That’s him! Call the cops, Walt! He’s the one that’s kidnapped my baby!” Lorrayna yelled.
At the same time, Savannah came down the steps in her usual slow gait so that everyone could see what she was wearing and how good it looked on her. But when she heard Lorrayna’s tirade, she moved a little faster into the living room.
“What in the world is going on down here? And why are you in my house yelling like a banshee at the crack of dawn?” Savannah asked Lorrayna.
“I don’t want to talk to these people. I don’t
want to talk to anyone but Drew! Please, Walt, just find my baby. Just find her, please,” Lorrayna wailed.
“What in the world is going on out here?” Mr. Sylvester said, coming into the room leaning heavily on his cane this morning. “Sounds like a bag of screeching cats.”
“She’s flipping out,” Savannah quipped.
Michelle nudged her to be quiet, and Walt rolled his eyes skyward.
“I’m awfully sorry about the intrusion, Michelle. I know what happened last night wasn’t Parker’s fault. If she could just see Drew, maybe she’ll calm down.” Walt talked calmly, which was out of character for him.
Mr. Sylvester had made his way completely into the room and was now standing about a foot from where Walt held on to Lorrayna.
“Nonsense, last night was nobody’s fault but that fool that had the gun. Now you come on over here and sit down a spell. Get her some tea to calm her nerves,” he directed Michelle and Lorrayna at the same time.
Michelle looked to Savannah, afraid to leave this particular group of people alone in the room. Savannah huffed.
“Fine, I’ll get it.” But she wouldn’t be happy about it, Michelle was positive of that.
Mr. Sylvester took a seat on the couch, patting the spot beside him for Lorrayna, who was steadily wringing her hands and making weeping sounds, although no tears were being shed. In Michelle’s opinion, the woman was doing more than flipping out, she was giving an awesome performance. She’d seen Lorrayna on occasion throughout town, holding on to Drew as if her life depended on it while shopping in Godfrey’s or even walking along Main. On Sundays when she and Drew came in for brunch, Michelle always picked up on the tension at their table and the way Drew looked for any possible escape.
Between Drew’s relationship with her mother and Heaven’s estranged relationship with hers, Michelle counted herself lucky that Patricia Cantrell had packed her bags and left Sweetland only days after they’d buried their father. It saved her a lot of time and grief trying to deal with a woman too selfish to have children.