by Lyra Parish
“You are a bitch. I’m totally jelly, just so you know,” she said with a smile.
“Good.” I smiled back at her.
I stared out the window, imagining how the night would go. Would Parker be unpredictable?
As we pulled up, I could see the orange glow of the lights reflecting through the water wall.
Stacey slowed the car and pulled off to the side to let me out. She placed her hand on my shoulder. “Do everything that I would do and more.”
I laughed at her, gave a small nod, then got out of the car. The water wall was tall, and I could hear the rushing water from the street. A set of stairs led up to gabled archway entrance that enclosed the U-shaped water wall. As I stared out at it’s glow, I caught glimpse of Parker leaning against one of the pillars with his arms crossed. I turned and looked back at Stacey, who gave me two thumbs up. My stomach rolled with nervousness.
I sucked in a deep breath and headed toward him. When I got closer he grinned at me, and I couldn’t help but return it.
“Hey there,” I said while walking up the stairs. Confidence hummed through my veins.
He walked slowly and met me at the edge, then grabbed my hand and led through the archways, pulling me closer to the rushing water. Inside of the large confines of the water walls, the night sky was completely open. I watched the clouds float across the darkness. The sight made me feel so small and insignificant.
“This wall is sixty-four-feet tall and circulates 11,000 gallons of water every minute,” Parker said.
“It’s mesmerizing. I can’t believe I’ve never been here before.”
He turned his head to look at me, and I glanced up at him. A million questions zoomed through me, but I couldn’t seem to ask one. Instead, I turned back to the giant wall. The lights made the water look like sheets of glimmering gold rushing down.
“I’ve got rules of my own, Rox,” he said.
My heart hammered and I tried to compose myself. I shoved my hands in my pockets and stared at the rushing water. “I suppose you’re going to tell me them, right?”
Parker laughed, as if I’d said something funny.
“I know you don’t fuck for the sake of fucking. I guess that’s rule number one.”
“Go on,” he said.
“Hmm. Why don’t you save me the trouble and tell me?”
He leaned into my neck and grazed his lips against the softness. I swallowed and closed my eyes.
“I could,” he whispered. “But wouldn’t that take away all the fun?”
I had rules as well, rules that had been scratched through one by one by Mr. Williams. Though some of them still stood, others no longer applied. Parker was a venomous spider, hopping around me and trying to sink his teeth in. I couldn’t be the helpless girl who sat around waiting for her destined doom. No, I would fight. I would win.
I took a step back and stared into his eyes. “You’ll be begging for me by the time this is over. Begging for me to fuck you, hard, then soft. Begging to taste me again. Begging for more while I make you come.”
Parker bit the corner of his lip.
I took control, something that I was used to, and slipped my hands under the cotton material of his polo. He froze, watching me, calculating me, and trying to figure me out. But my code was unbreakable, or so I thought.
Parker ran his fingers through my hair and tugged it gently, forcing me to stare into his eyes. “You don’t know what kind of game you’re playing.” There was a low rumble, a growl in his tone, and I fucking liked it.
“I’m not playing any games, Parker.”
“I know you, Rox. I know your type—competitive, curious. You like to win, but I won’t be your game. I won’t be your pawn. I make the rules this round. You must follow them.”
He grabbed my hair tighter, then leaned down and kissed me. There was fire behind his lips. Burning, hot fire that scorched me inside and out. I contemplated his words as his tongue wrestled with mine.
How could he really know that? I pushed away from him, allowing my lips to hover in front of his.
Parker breathed, and his warm breath swept across my mouth. “Tell me who you think I am,” he said.
“I know you’re not a one-night-stand type of man. You don’t like to show your emotions because it makes you feel weak. You like to be in control and when you’re not, it drives you crazy. You want to be sure before you commit to relationships. You’re afraid of love. Shall I keep going?”
Parker threw his head back and burst into hearty laughter. I placed my hands on my hips and glared at him. The look on my face was one that made most men take a few steps back. I had been perfecting it since I was a child. But he didn’t move.
“Almost. Now let me guess yours,” he said.
“Good luck.”
“You’re afraid to let people into your world, afraid to let them really get to know you. There are times when you are lonely, but you feel like you’re better off alone. Sometimes I feel like you think you don’t deserve to be more than temporarily happy with someone, and I’m not sure why, but I can tell you that it isn’t true.”
Parker had pulled out his talons and had dug too deeply into the crevices of my heart. The smiled faded from my face, and I couldn’t look at him. I turned my body to walk away, and Parker grabbed my hand. The glow of the golden lights through the water lit his face just enough for me to see his soft smile. Maybe I wasn’t an enigma, and Parker saw through my facade.
“Hey, there. It’s okay.” He searched my face.
“You don’t know me, Parker. Don’t act like you do.”
“But I want to know you, Rox. I want to know everything about you, if you’ll let me in.”
This wasn’t supposed to be about me. How had the tables been turned?
I looked into his eyes, wondering if I should utter my next words, then somehow they spilled out of my mouth. “My fiancé died in a motorcycle accident six years ago.”
“I’m so sorry, babe. I’m so sorry.”
This was the moment when I would walk away if I could, but I knew Parker wasn’t letting me go, not right now, maybe never.
“It’s okay to love again. You deserve to be happy, and don’t you ever, ever think otherwise. You’re a beautiful woman. If you’re not ready for this, then let me know.”
“I—”
“I know there are things I need to learn about you, and things that you need to learn about me. I will wait for when you are ready, Rox. There is something about you that I like, something that drives me crazy. I don’t know what it is, or what you’re doing to me, but …”
“You know what I’ve learned over the last few years? If I don’t love anyone, then I won’t have to grieve again. It’s simple. Stay closed. Stay to myself and don’t love. I’ll never get hurt again. My life shattered into a thousand pieces, and now it’s finally glued back together. I don’t want to be broken again, and I refuse to put myself in that situation.”
“Rox.” He wrapped his arms around my body, and I reluctantly leaned my head against his chest. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was never supposed to be this easy to let him in. We broke apart and stared at the rushing water. His arm brushed against mine, causing little spikes of tingles to dance across my skin.
“The water rushes over the top and falls down. It’s a constant stream. It keeps moving. It’s symbolic of life, in a sense. We keep going. We don’t stop.”
I glanced over at him and he smiled. Parker grabbed my hand and led me through the archway. We walked down the sidewalk. Trees surrounded the park and each time the cool breeze blew, the leaves rustled on the branches. He placed his hand in his pocket and pulled out his keys. The lights on the Porsche blinked. He leaned against the door and grabbed my hands. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“It was too close to home, that’s all.”
He placed one hand on my heart. “Do you feel that?”
I glanced up at him.
“That’s your heart still beating, and it
will keep beating until you stop breathing.”
I closed my eyes and sucked in a deep breath, then Parker removed his hand. When I opened my eyes, he gave me a little side grin. I forced a smile back, and he opened the door.
“You’re mine tonight, Roxane. All mine. This is your chance to stop it all. Tell me to bring you home. Demand me.”
“As much as I want to demand and command you, I’m not telling you bring me home,” I said and buckled my seatbelt as curiosity streamed through me. I had no idea what Parker had planned, but I knew once he started the car, there was no turning back.
We didn’t say much as we passed the large buildings and headed toward the outskirts of Houston. I was completely clueless, but the excitement of not knowing made it worth it. I just wanted to forget what he’d said, but his words kept replaying, along with the look on his face.
Parker turned into a familiar neighborhood, with beautiful brick homes and expensive cars in the driveways. He drove to the end of the cul-de-sac and parked in the driveway. All the lights were off in the brick home, except for the flicker of the gas lanterns on the porch. I turned and looked at him.
“My brother went away for the weekend. I’ve got his house to myself.” He turned off the car and I unbuckled. We exited at the same time. Parker took my hand as he led me up the cobblestone sidewalk to the front door. He punched in a code and opened it. Memories of the night I first visited here flooded me. I had worn an embarrassing leather outfit, accompanied with Pretty Woman boots, while everyone else had on elegant party wear. I let out a small laugh at the thought.
We passed the room where Parker and I had first danced to jazz, and he led me to the kitchen. The house, with its tall ceilings and wooden floors, seemed empty without all the masked guests. Parker turned on the light in the kitchen. Marble countertops and stainless steel appliances sparkled. He leaned on the counter and crossed his arms while he stared me up and down.
“Don’t look at me like that,” I said.
“Like what? Like I want to eat you?”
“You better shut that dirty mouth before I shut it for you.” I took a few steps forward until I was inches from him.
“I wish you would,” he said, tempting me as he took off his jacket.
“Once I get started, I won’t stop, Parker. Not even you will be able to stop me.”
He chuckled, then turned and pulled two wine glasses from the cabinet behind him.
“Wine?” he asked.
“What kind?”
“Merlot, Shiraz, or Pinot Grigio. Wait, there’s more,” he said as he opened the wine cabinet. “White zinfandel, chardonnay, Moscato, and it looks like the list goes on and on. My brother is a bit of a connoisseur.”
I watched the muscles in his arms flex as he moved the bottles around.
“Surprise me.”
And he did.
Within seconds, Parker’s lips were on mine while his hands lingered gently on my hips. His touch communicated more loudly than his words ever could. There was so much he hadn’t said. He didn’t need to, though. He rested his forehead against mine then his eyes fluttered open. I parted my lips to steal another kiss, and the anticipation of the connection was almost too much to handle. Shivers travelled up my back and neck as his fingers peeled the bottom of my shirt from my body and gently touched my skin. He knew exactly what he was doing when he took a step back. Teasing me. I wanted to bite his plump bottom lip. I longed for his tongue, for his lips, for him. I let out a frustrated breath, and Parker gave me the hint of a grin. He knew. He fucking knew he had conquered the art of flirting and teasing, and while a small part of me hated being subjected to his wrath, another part of me wanted, craved, and needed it.
He handed me a full glass of dark red wine, then grabbed his from the counter. Parker’s fingers interlocked with mine, then he led me down a long, dark hallway, through a den area, and to a set of glass sliding doors. He opened the door and cool brisk air billowed inside. He turned and looked at me over his shoulder with a smile as we stepped outside.
Crystal clear water filled an oval-shaped pool in the middle of the backyard. I couldn’t stop staring at the giant waterfall that emptied into it until I caught sight of a gazebo with a hot tub, an outdoor kitchen, a pool house, and a fire pit with a large L-shaped couch and a cement seating area. This was a backyard made strictly for entertaining. Parker flipped a switch and the area glowed from the recessed lighting in the stone wall that kept it private.
Parker moved to the fire pit and with the flick of a switch, flames burst from the bottom of the stone and lit his face with a warm glow. He sat on the outdoor sectional and patted the seat next to him. I went to him without hesitation. Warmth flooded me, and I wasn’t sure if it was from the fire, alcohol, or Parker. When I sat, he placed his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into him. His smell, god, it was fresh like spring water mixed with man. I breathed him in, then swallowed.
“I want to fuck you,” he said.
I sat up straight and turned my body toward him. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, Rox. Don’t act like you didn’t hear me. You heard exactly what I said.”
I narrowed my eyes at him.
He leaned in and whispered, “I want to peel your panties from your perfect little pussy and make you feel like the beautiful woman you are. Taste you again. Make you come all over my dick, then fuck you until you beg for more of me.” His lips gently kissed around my ear, and I closed my eyes. I didn’t want him to stop. My breathing increased, and just the thought of him naked, fucking me, made me want to rip his clothes off and show him who was boss.
My body tensed and I realized I needed to take control of the situation before I lost it completely.
“I’m not wearing any panties, so I guess you wouldn’t be doing any peeling.”
Parker groaned, then I glanced down and noticed the hardness in his pants.
Hooooolllllllly shit of all shits.
Parker pulled his phone from his pocket and pushed a few buttons. Jazz music drifted lightly from the speakers that surrounded the backyard. It was impressive. Parker stood and held out his hand, and I took it.
I wrapped my arms around his neck, then his hands found my waist and we danced to the pianos and trumpets that kept the slow beat. I could feel his length each time I pressed against him. Parker spun me around, and I plopped down on the couch and lay back with a smile. He stood as if he was contemplating his next move, then he was on top of me, kissing me with everything that he was.
We were panting and becoming more animalistic with our movements. Parker ripped the buttons from my shirt, and I unbuttoned his. He positioned himself on his knees, then unbuttoned and unzipped my pants. His mouth gravitated toward the tops of my breasts, and I wanted him more than I wanted anything in the world. How had we come to this so quickly? Was this really going to happen?
I glided my fingers under his shirt until I felt abs and skin. We wanted this. We both wanted this.
Before we could get lost in the moment, I heard the clearing of a throat behind Parker. His eyes bolted open, and he looked into mine. Before he moved away, he lifted himself from me and closed my shirt. My adrenaline was pumping at an alarming rate.
“Good going, little bro,” the voice said. Parker stood and slowly buttoned his shirt. His hair was a mess and his lips were swollen from how hard we’d been kissing each other. I sat up and held my shirt closed, since he had ripped off every button from top to bottom. I’m pretty sure I looked like a train wreck.
“You’re only two minutes older than me.”
“I’m Ross, Parker’s twin brother. Pleased to meet you, Ms. …?” He held out his hand and I stood, keeping one hand on my shirt, and gave him a firm handshake.
“Please call me Roxane,” I said.
Obviously the two of them were brothers, but twins? I had no idea. They had the same chiseled jaw, high cheekbones, and plump lips. Ross’s eyes were brown, and his hair was a shade darker. When he smiled, little dimples form
ed in his cheeks. Lady-killers.
Ross gave me a little grin, then he took a step back as a huge smile covered his face while he looked between us. Ross folded his arms and glanced over at Parker, who stood firmly.
“You weren’t supposed to be home,” Parker said.
“Plans change. Oh please, don’t let me interrupt you. Carry on, little brother,” Ross said. He squeezed Parker’s shoulder, and they had a silent conversation before he walked inside the house.
“You didn’t tell me you were a fucking twin. Seriously? And what an impression I made. No telling what he thinks.”
“He already knows who you are, Rox. He knows everything about you. I’m sure he was just as surprised to see you here as you were to see him. Come on.” Parker slung his arm over my shoulder and we walked inside. Ross was laughing in the kitchen, and Parker took me down an alternate hall so we would completely avoid seeing him and his guest.
We climbed the stairs two at a time, and he led me down another hallway. He stopped outside of the door at the end and leaned against it.
“I don’t usually bring women to my room,” he said.
“Is that one of your rules?”
“Yes, and I’ve got many more,” he said then turned the knob. It was exactly what I had expected it to be. A large king-sized bed and everything was in a meticulous, Parker-style order. I lifted my eyebrows at him as he used the tips of his fingers to slowly remove my shirt. I stood in Parker’s room in my bra and allowed him to admire every inch of my body. He went into his closet and returned with a gray, faded Austin City Limits t-shirt.
“Here, you can put this on since your shirt is destroyed.” He chuckled.
“You Hulked out on it.” I picked it up from the floor and handed it to him. “A little souvenir for you, Parker. A trade, I suppose.”
“I’m giving you my favorite shirt,” he said.
“Give me a different one, then. I don’t want to be responsible for it.”
“I want you to have it. It meant a lot to me in college.”
I looked down at the soft material still in my hand.