by L C Taylor
Delilah woke, the sunlight peeking through the sheet curtains, the warm glow kissing her skin as she stretched under the sheet. It took her a moment before she remembered where she was. Sadness filled her veins as she thought about her grandmother. Pushing the sorrow aside, she shoved herself out of bed. Her feet hit the cool wooden floor of her room as she stood. Glancing at the backpack propped against the wall, she couldn’t help but laugh. She’d been in such a hurry to get out of the apartment in New York, she’d only grabbed leggings, a t-shirt, and a few pairs of undies. Grabbing what little she had, Delilah hurried and showered. Once she was dressed, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and bypassed the makeup. She only wore it for John, and since he was gone – she decided it wasn’t important. Throwing on her tennis shoes, Delilah hurried down the stairs. She grabbed her bag and hurried out the door. Taking an extra moment to check the truck tires, certain they would hold up fine, she pulled out of her driveway. This time she was on a mission to get some clothes, groceries and back home in time to start cleaning the inside of the house. Tomorrow she planned on taking Ed out for a ride.
In a short drive, she was pulling into the local mall. If you could call it that. Florence had just about everything you could need – except a real mall. At least, it wasn’t like the malls in New York. But, none the less, it would serve her purpose today – and that was to get some clothes. While the temperature was warm during the day, it was closing in on November and the nights were much cooler, so she would need some warmer styled clothes for sure. And a swimsuit, because damn it, she planned to take advantage of being on the water. Her grandmother had built a nice dock off the backside of the property, making it easy to lounge, swim, or fish. All the things Delilah loved to do growing up. After spending a couple hours shopping for clothes, she headed to the grocery store to pick up food and other essentials.
After what felt like most of the day, she was finally headed home. It was nearly four o’clock by the time she pulled back into the driveway. Parking the truck close to the front door she started unloading her bags. She gathered an armful and headed inside. After dumping a load into the kitchen, she ran back outside for more. Determined to avoid multiple trips she stacked her arms full, precariously balancing items under her chin. She was concentrating so hard, trying not to drop anything, she hadn’t heard the car pull into her driveway. Nor did Delilah notice the echo of a door slamming shut. She hobbled up the stairs, taking one step at a time careful not to topple her bags. As she reached the last step at the top, the board gave way, splintering into two halves. Losing her footing, bags fell to the porch as she tumbled backwards, right into someone’s arms.
“Shit,” Parker wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing her into his chest as he scooped her up.
“Umpfh,” Delilah breathed out, crashing into his hard as steel chest.
“Woman… you’re going to kill yourself trying to carry all that inside in one trip.”
He righted her and began picking up groceries and clothing that had tumbled out. Delilah grabbed an empty bag and began stuffing items inside.
“Um… this doesn’t look like food.” Parker held a pair of lace panties up in the air. His smirk was cocky as he dangled the material in front of Delilah’s face.
Snatching them off his fingertip, Delilah shoved them into the bag she held, “Thanks. Um… not food but a necessity. I sort of ran out of New York with very little. So, I did a little shopping.” She smiled and bounded up the stairs, stepping over the now broken step.
Parker followed her inside, toting a handful of items and slung them onto the kitchen counter. “Guess I’ll add the step to my list of repairs.” He smiled, humor laced his words as he spoke.
“I can fix it, I’m not helpless you know. I’d rather you fix the skylight.” Delilah pointed at the ceiling covered with a blue tarp.
“Yeah – I should have that mostly finished by tomorrow evening.”
Delilah realized he was standing in her kitchen sporting his deputy uniform. She couldn’t help but admire him, hell he filled the damn thing out like a glove. “Headed to work,” she asked, trying to cover the fact she was ogling him.
“Mmmhum.” He smirked, a knowing look on his face, “Just wanted to stop by and check in. Glad I did, you would have broken your neck had I not caught you.”
“Yeah – thanks for that save.” Delilah finished putting the groceries away while they chatted about the town. He’d fallen in love with the area just passing through and decided to put down roots. Delilah was shocked to learn he would be turning 35 soon, she placed him closer to her age – not that six years was a major gap, but he looked so much younger than he was. She assumed the years he’d served in the military kept his body in pristine shape, and now being a cop, he worked hard to stay fit.
“So, have you decided what you're going to do?” Parker leaned against the counter, propping himself up on his elbow.
“What do you mean?”
“Are you going to stay or do you need to get back to work in New York?”
“Oh – that. No, I quit my job yesterday. Momma Belle left me plenty of money, so I’m just going to figure things out for a while. I also plan on getting the house and farm back in shape. Maybe I’ll get some cows again. I don’t know. But I hated it in New York and this seems like the perfect opportunity to figure out who I am.”
Delilah watched as Parker nodded his head, “That’s great,” glancing at his watch, “Shit, I gotta run. I should be over tomorrow around one.”
“Don’t you work all night?”
“Yeah – but I am used to running on just a few hours of sleep… Marine remember?” His eyebrow raised as he gave her a devilish grin and he pushed off the counter.
“Well, don’t overdo it. The house will be here when you make it over. I’ll be going through Momma Belle’s things, so just let yourself in if I don’t answer.”
“Alright, call me if you need anything, or break anything else.”
Delilah watched as Parker pulled down the long driveway away from the house. Letting out a whoosh of air, she grabbed her bag of clothes and trudged up the stairs. Tossing the plastic bag on the bed, she decided she’d take a bath before grabbing something to eat. All she could think about was Parker. It was disconcerting to say the least.
Chapter 6
Parker pulled into the driveway, a smile filling his face when he saw Delilah riding towards the barn on Ed, her horse. That damn animal was mean as spit to everyone. Everyone but her apparently. He shut of his engine and headed out to meet her at the barn.
“Thought you were going to go through Isabelle’s things,” he said jogging up to greet her as she closed the barn door.
“Parker… I’m going to do that now. I just thought Ed would love to get out of the barn for a bit, plus I missed riding him. I love to ride,” her eyes caught his, making her blush.
“K… I thought I’d let you know I was here. I want to get the roof done, it’s supposed to storm pretty bad tonight.”
“Oh – need any help?”
“Nah – you do your thing, I’ll let you know when I’m done.”
Delilah nodded and headed inside. She could hear him on the roof, dragging things around and hammering almost immediately. Walking down the hallway, she paused before going into Momma Belle’s room. Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and stepped in. It was exactly as she remembered. An old-fashioned dresser lined the wall near the window, her metal framed bed covered the other. Smiling at the pictures the littered the walls and tabletops, Delilah headed into her closet. It was massive for such a moderate sized room. Shaking out one of the garbage bags she’d brought, Delilah began stuffing her clothes inside. She planned on donating all the clothing and shoes to the local women’s shelter. After she’d cleared the racks of clothes, she started sifting through boxes and several bags. Tucked in the corner of the closet sat a decorative wooden box. It had a horseshoe engraved on the top and a simple brass clasp held it closed. Scooping i
t up, Delilah headed to the bed and sat down. She fiddled with the lock, pulling it open to reveal several letters. Each one of them addressed to her.
“What the hell?” She muttered into the empty room.
Slipping out the bundled stack, she fingered the envelopes. They only had her name scrawled across the front. Delilah searched the box, coming across one more letter at the bottom. This one was addressed to Parker. Tapping her hand on her thigh, she scooped the letters up and tossed them back inside the wooden bin, closing the lid and securing the brass lock. She’d ask Parker if he’d ever seen the box or if Momma Belle had ever mentioned writing letters to her.
She cradled the box under her arm and made her way down the stairs, she was shocked to see the roof was done, and Parker sat sprawled out on the couch. His eyes were closed and he wasn’t wearing a shirt. His skin was reddened from the sun, and his body was glistening with a slight sheen of sweat. Delilah set the box on the kitchen table and tiptoed into the living room. Parkers soft snores filled the space. Delilah grabbed a light blanket and covered him. She felt bad that he had worked so hard in the sun after working all night. After leaving him to sleep, she decided she would make dinner for them. Setting off to cook, she forgot about the box of letters. Just as she was finishing dinner, the rumble of thunder caused her to jump.
She peeked into the living room to see Parker hadn’t budged, he was still sound asleep. Shaking her head, she set the table and went to wake him. Leaning over him, she tapped his shoulder and whispered his name, “Parker.” Like something from a movie, he snatched her hand and flipped them so she was under him on the couch.
“Parker!” Delilah yelled, pushing against his hold.
Parker seemed to snap out of his sleep haze, “Shit – fuck, did I hurt you?” His grasp loosened, but he made no attempt to move. Looking into her eyes, he froze. Delilah shook her head, her words stuck in her throat. He was gorgeous and damnit he was still shirtless.
“Yeah,” she managed to whisper out.
Parker nodded, never breaking eye contact. “Are you going to let me up?” She asked him.
He didn’t move. It was like he was rooted to the spot. Delilah could feel his arousal digging into her hip as he laid on top of her.
“Parker,” she spoke his name again, “You have to get off if you're going to let me…” he cut off her words as he pressed his lips to hers. Delilah couldn’t move, stiffening like a board at first. But as his lips moved against hers, she relaxed, moving your mouth in time with his. Her lips parted allowing him to slip his tongue inside and Delilah couldn’t stop the moan from escaping. Parked finally broke the kiss, pressing his forehead against hers. Releasing her hands, he pushed himself off the couch.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” He glanced towards the kitchen, a faraway look in his eyes.
“Oh.”
Delilah was confused, he seemed to have regretted kissing her, though she could feel the desire through his jeans when he pressed into her.
“I made dinner.” She stood, pushing passed him into the kitchen. Parker snagged her wrist, forcing her to look at him. He stood from his perched position on the couch, pulling her towards him, “That’s a lie. I’m not sorry.”
He caught her lips again, this time the kiss was hard and possessive. He wound his fingers through her hair, holding her head in place as he plundered her mouth with his tongue.
When he finally broke the kiss, “I’ve wanted to do that since the moment I met you.”
Delilah smiled, “I think I wanted you to kiss me.”
She turned away from him and headed into the kitchen. Parker watched her backside as she walked away from him. He knew the moment his lips touched hers he was screwed.
Chapter 7
Delilah cleared the table when they finished eating. Parker tapped the wooden box in the space next to him, “What’s this?”
“Oh – I meant to ask you earlier, but…” she cut her eyes at him, “you know. Anyway, did Momma Belle ever mention writing me or anything?”
“Not that I remember, why?”
“Because that box has several letters addressed to me. And one for you. It’s weird, why wouldn’t she have sent them to me?”
“Huh. That’s weird. Wonder why she’d write me a letter? I saw her almost every day. You gonna read them?”
Delilah snagged the box, slipping the cool brass lock open, and lifted the lid. She pulled them free, placing the stack on the table and handed Parker his. “I haven’t decided. It’s just weird, right?”
Parker nodded as he fingered the cool white envelope. On the front she had scribbled his name, when he flipped the envelope over, Isabelle had written a message.
My dear Parker. Please read this in the privacy of your home. And when it’s time, share it with Delilah. I loved you, boy. Take care of my baby –
Isabelle
Parker smiled, folding the envelope in half he shoved it into his pocket. Delilah watched him, curiosity filling her brilliant green eyes. Parker reached out and ran his finger down her cheek, “You’re going to be the death of me, Delilah,” standing, “I should probably get going.” As he spoke, a crack of lightning struck outside, followed by a pattering of rain drops. The lights flickered, shutting off completely.
“Well shit.” Parker hissed out, “and the generator is still down. Guess I won’t be going just yet. This storm is a nasty one.”
Internally Delilah was cheering, why she had no idea. She didn’t need to lust after a man right now. Glancing at the clock that continued to tick, thanks to the battery that operated it, “Well, it’s almost ten anyway. You slept a long time.” She shrugged, “You can just sleep in one of the spare bedrooms and go home in the morning.”
Parker ran his hand down the back of his neck, “You sure. I’ve driven in worse.” Just then a bolt struck again, shaking the house. Delilah jumped, colliding with Parker when she did.
“Um…” she laughed.
“Maybe you’re just scared and want me to stay,” he chuckled, “Fine… but, I am far from tired.”
“Well, I have wine. We could sit in the living room and talk.”
“I’d like that. Let me get the glasses.”
Delilah retrieved the wine and met Parker on the couch. She’d lit some candles, casting an orange glow throughout the room. They sat like that for nearly an hour, at some point Delilah had opened a second bottle of wine, the effects hitting her as she admired Parker’s profile in the dim light.
“You’re really gorgeous.” Shit she’d said that out loud, the wine was messing with her head.
“Thanks,” Parker laughed, taking her glass from her hand, “I think you’ve had more than enough.”
When he turned back to face her, he sucked in a breath at her beauty. The candlelight gave her already brilliant eyes an ethereal glow.
“Parker,” Delilah whispered his name and then moved to straddle him on the couch. Her lips pressed into his as her hands fisted his hair. She couldn’t help but grind her hips against him, eliciting a growl.
“Delilah…” his tone a warning, “you’re playing with danger.”
“Maybe I like to live dangerously every now and then.” She scrapped his bare back with her fingernails. Parker tugged her shirt, pulling it over her head. She wore a simple black lace bra, that cupped her full breasts perfectly.
“Fuck… are you sure? If this isn’t what you want, we need to stop now.” He glanced into her eyes, searching for confirmation.
Delilah slipped her hand down his chest, cupping his painfully hard cock from the outside of his jeans, “I. Want. You.” She moaned as she pressed into him.
Parker gripped her hips, lifting her as he stood and flipped her to her back. He pressed his knee between her legs and captured her lips with his. He kissed and fucked her mouth, trailing his tongue down her neck, pausing to nip and suck at the tender flesh. Delilah arched into him, trying to grind her aching center against his leg.
“Please,” she moa
ned, begging for the release she was chasing. Parker traced his hand down her side, his fingers grazing her smooth skin as he slowly eased his hand beneath her leggings. His fingers slipped passed the tiny lace undies she wore, burying his digits into her slick folds. His free hand tugged at the lace material, releasing her heavy breasts. His tongue circled her pert nipple, sucking it between his lips as his fingers slipped in and out of her channel.
Delilah couldn’t stop the orgasm that ripped through her body. Screaming she arched into his hand, soaking his palm as her desire spilled out. Parker pulled his fingers from her channel, licking them clean as he did.
Delilah panted, “Oh my God… Please, I need you inside me.” She grabbed at him, pulling him to her face. Her lips demanding more as she writhed beneath him.
Parker fisted the thin material, shoving it down her long legs until she could kick them off completely. Gripping his engorged cock in his hand, he gave her a look that seemed to question what they were about to do.
Delilah reached between them, grabbing his dick in her hand and guiding him towards her center. Her legs wrapped around his waist as she thrust her hips upwards. The tip of his cock brushed against her folds, teasing him. Parker pressed his lips to hers and pushed inside her. She moaned into his mouth as he buried himself deep.
“Oh… Yes – please. I need you to move.” She pleaded. Parker pulled out, only to slam back inside her. His thrusts became frantic, her hips meeting his every move. “Fuck… harder…Yes! That’s it!” Her cries only fueled his need. He grunted, pressing into her and swirling his hips as he did. Her cunt sucked him in like nothing he’d ever felt before.
“Jesus… I’m going to come, Delilah. Can you come with me, baby?”
She reached between them, fingering her clit as Parker pushed her leg to his shoulder. The combined pressure of her finger, and the angle he was nailing her at, Delilah couldn’t contain the epic scream the erupted from her lips. Her orgasm ripped through her, her pussy clamping down on his cock hard. She could feel his body tense just as he exploded inside her.