by Gina Watson
Parker scrubbed his face. Shit, why couldn’t he have fucked her like a normal guy? He’d been relentless, but her body had yearned to take what he had to give. He recalled the exquisite feel of her squeezing around his cock as he came and her tight ass closing around his finger.
Julian joined him on the deck. “You recover from your period, Julia?”
“Fuck you, Parker.”
“If I’d known she was the girl I swear I wouldn’t have brought her here.”
“Whatever.”
“I think she has serious problems anyway.”
“Just like every other girl after you’ve fucked them.”
“I’m talking real issues.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t know. Drugs or something.”
“Are you just making up shit to smooth it over or what?”
Parker bit the inside of his cheek to keep from yelling at Julian. “No. I think she … I don’t know … never mind.”
Julian rubbed his jaw where Parker had hit him. “I’m sorry about the punch, and I’m truly sorry about Bailey.”
“If we weren’t brothers I’d have dropped you a long time ago.”
“I don’t know what the fuck you mean by that.”
Julian put his arm around Parker. “I have great faith that one day you’ll recognize your worth.”
“Again, no idea what you mean.”
Julian stood. “I came to give you a ride to your truck. Thought we could go to the diner for some breakfast, provided you put on a shirt.”
Parker felt bad about what had happened, but refused to let the morning’s events get him down. He hadn’t known this chick was the chick Julian was so gone on. And he’d meant what he’d said—the girl who had been in his arms last night was looking for something to make her feel alive. There was some depth to her that made him want to know more. For instance, she hadn’t drunk an ounce of alcohol yet she had those track lines on her arms that screamed abusive personality. He shrugged. Wherever she ended up, he hoped she’d get the help she needed.
Chapter 2
Bailey checked her phone at a red light. Three missed calls and four texts from Maura. She pressed Maura’s name and held the phone to her ear.
“Hey, I’m on the way home. Guess you’re in the shower. I’ve got to change clothes, eat something, and then I’ve got dialysis. Maybe we can do something after that. See you soon.”
Maura meant well, but she was the main reason Bailey needed a night away. Maura insisted on coddling Bailey because of her condition. Ever since their mother had died four years ago, Maura’s attentiveness had progressively intensified.
When Bailey pulled into the driveway Maura was taking out the trash. Bailey waved and smiled sheepishly as she met her at the curb. Maura’s tight mouth and the darkness under her eyes made Bailey feel guilty for being away all night.
“You’re okay.”
“Of course. I had a great time.” She smiled.
“Christ,” Maura huffed. She pulled Bailey in to her chest and kissed the top of her head.
Bailey followed Maura inside their tiny Craftsman style cottage. She loved the exposed wooden columns and the stained glass attic window. She just hated what Maura had to go through to provide this place for them. A chill shot up her back as she thought about Alan.
Maura led Bailey into the kitchen. A breakfast burrito sat on the counter along with a glass of orange juice. “Eat and then I’ll take you to dialysis. I packed a bag too, thought we could make a day of it.”
“No, dammit!” Bailey yelled.
Maura cringed. Shit! Bailey didn’t want to be mean, but she didn’t need Maura to hold her hand every step of the way. It was Saturday and Maura certainly had better things to do than accompany her dying sister to the dialysis clinic.
“You don’t want me to go with you?” Hurt laced her voice.
“Why do you want to go?” Bailey bit into the burrito.
“We could do the crossword and look at magazines.”
“I don’t need you there in order to do those things.” She chugged the juice.
Maura turned away from her and sniffled. “I know you’re the one who is sick and I can’t even begin to imagine what it would be like to have failing kidneys at the age of twenty-four, but you’re the only family I have. I just want to soak up as much time with you as I can. That’s all.”
Maura left Bailey standing next to the sink feeling like unadulterated shit. She washed her dishes and placed them in the drying rack.
Bailey sighed and walked to her room to collect her shower caddy. She bathed and then put on old jeans paired with a T-shirt. Sliding her feet into her sandals she saw Maura pass in the hallway. She reached for her bag, grabbed a clean sweater and hastily followed after her. “Maura.”
“What?” The quiver in her voice mirrored the hurt she felt.
“Please come with me. I’m sorry I was a bitch earlier.”
“Bailey, I don’t have to go. I get it.”
“I want you there.” She squeezed her arm. “Please. I need you.”
Maura smiled. “All right. Hey, you’re in for a treat. I got three trash talking magazines and a bag of Lindt truffles.”
“Mmm, my favorite.”
“I know.”
“I love you.”
“Bails, I love you.” They hugged.
Bailey had to admit it was nice to have the company of her sister to help pass three hours of sitting in the same place during her dialysis. They thumbed through magazines and shared gossip about the stars, each trying to outdo the other with every shared tidbit. It also helped that during her visits she’d come to know the pretty little blonde twelve-year-old named Tate. They’d actually synced their schedules so that they took dialysis at the same day and time.
“I want this nail polish, check it out.” Tate held the magazine out for Bailey and Maura to observe.
Maura frowned. “It’s a little dark for a young girl.”
“It’s the color of William’s hair.”
“Who’s William?” Bailey had never heard Tate mention a boy before.
“Seriously?” Tate shook her head at the sisters. “William from the vampire series Nightfall.”
Bailey popped another chocolate into her mouth. Then she grabbed the magazine, bringing it closer to her face. His hair was the color of copper. “Huh, he’s not very cute, but this guy is.”
“That’s Lucas, he and William hate each other.”
Bailey turned the page. “No way! Jason Michael is breaking it off with Tiffany Sellers.”
“Never really liked him much. He doesn’t have a surname.” Maura said.
“His surname is Michael.” Bailey corrected.
“That’s not a surname, it’s a first name.” Maura shrugged. “It’s weak.”
They all laughed.
“Hey Tate, how’s your mom doing?” Bailey asked.
“She’s okay, but I think she may be lonely. I tell her to go out—guys are always macking on her, but she won’t bite.” Tate shrugged. “She believes she needs to be at my side twenty-four-seven. I guess because she thinks I’m not going to be around much longer.”
The girls were quiet as they watched the technician remove the lines from Tate’s arm, freeing her from the machine.
Sheila walked through the door and up to her daughter. She bent to kiss Tate’s cheek and then turned to Bailey. “Hello, Bailey.” Bailey nodded in reply. “How have you been?”
“Pretty good.” Sheila had dark, jet-black shiny long hair that contrasted nicely with her light skin. Her eyes were the color of cold blue ice and could render an entire room speechless with their wispy almost lack of color.
“I meant to thank you for taking Tate to the mall last month.”
“Mom, I already thanked her.” Tate rolled her eyes.
“I know honey, but I also wanted to let Bailey know how much I appreciated her kind gesture.” Sheila watched as Tate walked out the front door of the clinic. “I
think it’s important for her to spend time with others like herself, so thank you again.”
“Anytime Sheila, you have my number.”
Bailey watched Sheila go after her daughter. Her glazed look of despair had turned the mood desperate and given Bailey chills. At twelve Tate should be worried about what to wear to school tomorrow and who her first kiss will be, not if her kidneys will be strong enough to get her through college. Their situation was similar to hers and Maura’s. Despite being her daughter, Tate was the only family Sheila had. Bailey knew Sheila fiercely protected Tate. Maura attempted to protect Bailey with that same aggressiveness, but Bailey’s protests succeeded in diminishing her effectiveness. She sipped her drink and wished health for Tate.
“So tell me about Parker.”
Bailey choked on her soda mid swallow. “Um … Parker … he’s … uh—”
“You don’t have to freak out. You left the club with him and didn’t come home last night.” Maura rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out you had sex with him. How was it?”
Bailey looked down at her magazine and was aware of a huge smile building across her face. “It was incredible!”
Maura giggled. “Yeah, looks like it was.”
“Oh my God!” She squeezed Maura’s forearm for emphasis. “It was the best ever. He knows how to do it. Have you ever had sex with a man who was like an A-plus student in sex? I mean like honor society or valedictorian. Seriously, it was that good.”
Maura’s jaw dropped and her eyes were huge. “No I haven’t, but I’m glad you did.”
“Yeah and because he didn’t know about,”—she made a circle with her finger in the air—“all of this, he didn’t treat me like a patient.”
Maura’s brow furrowed and her lips turned down slightly. “I’m sorry.”
“What?”
“I never meant to treat you like some fragile old woman. I’m sorry if I did.”
“Oh Maura, it’s what people do when someone close to them is sick.”
“A job should help though, huh?” Maura collected their trash and walked it to the bin across the small room.
“Actually I’m really excited about this interview. If you can believe it, Julian unfortunately showed up as I was doing the walk of shame at Parker’s.”
She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh my God.”
“I know.”
“Is he doing the interview?” Maura perched on the edge of a metal chair.
“I don’t think so. He just told me about the open position and how to apply.”
“I guess he and Parker are friends.”
“I guess, but I felt kind of bad you know, seeing him. But he wanted something more than I could give.”
“I know this is cliché, but maybe it’s a blessing in disguise.”
“God, Mom used to say that all the time.”
They were quiet as they reminisced about their mother. She’d lost her battle with cancer four years ago.
“Feel like anything specific for lunch?”
“Pizza.”
Maura stood. “I think you’re done. I’ll get one of the techs.”
Bailey loved Saturdays because once she was done with dialysis she didn’t have to do it again until Tuesday. It was like a mini vacation. She didn’t want to think about what it meant that by Tuesday she was usually wiped.
At twelve-thirty, New York Pizza was hopping and they had to wait for a table. As Bailey stood against the wall her eyes found Parker sitting at one of the tables. He seemed to be finished with his meal and stood, wiping his face with a napkin. An attractive raven-haired woman stood with him. Bailey scoffed, “Manwhore.”
“Give me your sunglasses.” Bailey held an impatient hand in front of Maura.
“What? It’s as dark as molasses in here.”
“Just give me your Jackie O glasses now.”
Shaking her head, Maura dug around in her purse. “Here.”
He was walking toward them. Oh, God. Bailey put her back to the crowd and donned the glasses. Pretending to stare out the window, she hummed a tune.
“Bailey?” The smoky raspy voice made her insides curl. Bailey swallowed, her throat painfully dry. Sensing him on her right side she turned left and looked down.
“Bailey?”
“Hi, I’m Bailey’s sister, Maura.” She turned and watched as they shook hands. “Good to meet you. Looks like Bailey’s found her sight.” Maura tossed a chin in her direction.
Bailey handed the glasses back to Maura. “Hey, Parker.” She looked around—the cashier, the salad bar, anywhere but at him.
Parker cleared his throat. “This is my baby sister Arianna.”
Sister. She nodded at the woman. Her hair was much darker than his, but the gray, soul-piercing eyes were so much like his she gasped.
“Nice to meet you, Bailey. By the way, I’m almost a junior in college.”
Parker’s brow hitched at his sister’s statement.
“What? You always introduce me as a baby. Everyone will think I’m sixteen if I don’t set the record straight.” Arianna beamed and her smile was as breathtaking as her brother’s, with large sparkling white and straight teeth.
Bailey ventured a glance at Parker’s face. He was staring hotly at her and the storm brewing in his eyes took her breath away. She thanked all the gods when the buzzer went off in her hands indicating their table was ready, never moving so fast in all her life. “Good seeing you.”
She handed the hostess the buzzing contraption and willed her to move swiftly.
Calloused fingers closed around her upper arm. She turned and intense gray eyes glowered at her. Whispering so only she could hear Parker said, “I touched every secret part of you last night. You’d think the least you could do is look me in the eye and treat me like a human being. Was it not good for you then?”
“Um … I … uh …” She swallowed down the lump in her throat. Her face was singed by his closeness and she knew she glowed like a slow burning ember. She whispered, “It was the best night of my life.” Bailey pulled from him and followed the hostess to the table, never looking back. What could it hurt to tell him that? She’d never see him again and apparently she’d hurt his feelings.
“What did you say to him?”
“Why?”
“Because he’s glaring at you.”
“I just told him that I was embarrassed because the last thing I expected was that I would see him again.”
They took their seats and the hostess handed them menus.
“That’s not what you told him.”
“Did he leave yet?”
“He’s at the register. God, I didn’t get a good look at him last night and you failed to mention that he’s smoking hot. He looks like he’d know his way around the bedroom.”
“Trust me he does. Fucks like a gladiator.”
Maura gasped. “Jesus, Bailey.”
“Well it’s the truth.”
“He’s walking out the door.”
“Thank God. If I never set eyes on him again it will be too soon.
Chapter 3
“Mrs. Williams, I think that concludes this interview. Do you have any questions for me?”
The woman stood and leaned over Parker’s desk, balancing her weight on her hands. “I’m not only skilled at what I wrote on my resume, if you know what I mean.” She purred as she deepened her lean. “Are there any other services you require?”
It seemed Monday morning was starting with a bang. “Mrs. Williams, you’re a beautiful woman. I’m flattered, but I don’t know how I’d look Mr. Williams in the eye at Mass if we were to uh”—
She sighed. “Right about now Mr. Williams is sitting in his favorite recliner snoring as the History Channel blares from the big screen.”
“Thank you for your interest in David Seafood. I’ll see you and Mr. Williams on Saturday.”
Parker put his head in his hands. He hated working in the office between
shrimp harvesting seasons. Dammit, he belonged on the water. The phone rang next to him, startling him out of his wallowing.
“This is Parker.”
“Your next interviewee is here.”
“Mrs. Banks, please send them away unless they have experience working with computers.”
“Actually this one has a degree in computer programming.”
“Excellent, send them in.”
The door opened and Mrs. Banks dropped the file on his desk.
“Be in shortly, at the water fountain.”
“Thank you.”
He turned to rifle through the filing cabinet for a phone charger since his was almost dead.
Coughing behind him drew his attention. He turned and his eyes connected with irises so dark blue they were almost indigo. God, he’d thought of her more than he was comfortable thinking of a woman. He picked up the file Mrs. Banks had left behind and read the tab Bailey Rose Jones.
“You.” Her mouth gaped.
He smiled and walked over to close the door. “Have a seat.”
“I don’t think so.”
“Please, you’re the only one who’s been qualified and I need someone who can help me with the internet sales division of our company. I’ll pay you well.” He stood two feet in front of her. “We can put that one night behind us, can’t we?” Silence ensued. She worried her bottom lip in her teeth. “At least stay for the interview.” It was getting too warm in his office and he tugged at his necktie.
He breathed a subtle sigh of relief when she finally sat in the plush chair across from his desk. As he paced he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt. This had to work. He needed her here. He aimed to soothe her jittery nerves. “So you have a degree in computer programming.”
“I worked as a programmer for a firm in New York, but they had to close their doors after forty-eight years. Recently I completed a development contract with Americana Bank and then I looked for something similar when I moved to Louisiana, but most of the firms in Baton Rouge are handling programming needs with outside contractors. I can do pretty much anything.”