Intense - Aspen Drake & Emily Cain

by Special Forces - Operation Alpha

  I’d already started to. “It doesn’t work that way.”

  “It works however you want it to work, Sierra.” He stepped closer to me, his eyes trained on me and unblinking. He continued to lean in, his lips aimed at mine.

  I knew what was coming. I could feel the tingle of anticipation in every part of my body. My heart pounded in my chest like it might explode, and my body immediately tensed in preparation for a kiss that would floor me.

  Parker slowly pressed his lips against mine, testing my reaction. When I didn’t pull away, he closed his eyes and let the touch linger. My entire world faded away, and all I felt was his kiss. Everything else ceased to exist. The corny music stopped playing overhead, and the sound of carts moving down the other aisles was muted.

  He moved his lips against mine slowly, feeling the texture and smoothness of my mouth. My stomach clenched, and my breathing hitched automatically. Every touch of his lips was like cocaine, and I was an addict. It was the kind of kiss that made you wet. In an instant, I was soaked down below. Fire erupted between us and ignited everything it touched. My mouth had a mind of its own, and all it wanted was his lips.

  Parker enjoyed the kiss too. It was clear in the way he breathed into my mouth with a soft groan. When he gave me a brush of his tongue, I almost gripped his ass and begged for him to take me home.

  Parker slowly pulled away and looked into my eyes. Flames still burned deep inside, and desire still echoed even though the embrace had stopped. He looked at me differently, like he didn’t just want me anymore.

  He was desperate for me.

  I stared at him and wished I could say something to alleviate the sexual tension between us. It made my skin flush with heat and my stomach clench in ecstasy.

  Finally, he pulled away. “I hope you change your mind.”

  Chapter 3

  A few days later, Courtney and I went out for drinks. She was my biology lab partner, and we hit it off pretty quickly.

  “I’m so glad she’s not my professor. When I take history, I’ll make sure I get someone else.”

  “That would be smart.” I walked beside her toward the bar and unloaded my annoyance about Dr. Phillips. My hands were in the pockets of my brown jacket. I wore dark jeans and heeled boots. As we got closer, Parker came to mind. Now that I’d seen him twice, I always wondered if I’d run into him again.

  I didn’t want to.

  But I kinda did.

  That kiss was impossible to forget. I’d been around the block a few times, so I had decent experience. Of all the men I’d been with, the chemistry had never been like that. It was so hot, it felt dangerous.

  And that made me more afraid.

  If I spent any time with him, I knew my heart would start to get involved. It would keep cracking open until it could no longer be closed.

  And then I’d be screwed.

  We walked inside, and the second the door shut, warm air washed over us. It thawed my fingers and brought life back to my lips. It didn’t matter how many layers I wore, I could never keep warm on frosty days.

  Courtney turned to the bar. “Look who it is. Katy and Diane are here.”

  “Score.” The more the merrier.

  She and I walked farther inside, and I suddenly felt a strange haze in the room, like I wasn’t alone. Parker came to mind, and I briefly wondered if he was around.

  I turned my head, and just as I suspected, there he was.

  But he wasn’t alone.

  He sat in a booth with his arm around a pretty blonde. She had the kind of hair you only saw in magazines and the kind of skin that only existed with Photoshop. Her eyes lit up with infatuation, excited to be going home with a hot bad boy who noticed her.

  Annoying jealousy seared through me. Dammit.

  As if Parker felt my gaze on him, he looked my way. His lips were turned into a smile from his pleasant company, but when his eyes landed on me, it slowly faded.

  Like I didn’t give a damn, I looked away and headed to the bar.

  Parker was exactly what I pegged him to be. Obviously, he wasn’t doing anything wrong, and he didn’t owe me a single thing. But the validation still hurt. Which was stupid because we were barely on a first name basis.

  God, I hated myself.

  He had trouble written all over him, and yet he was special to me. I didn’t have that kind of connection with men very often, but every time I did, it always ended in heartbreak. Why did I always choose men who were emotionally unavailable? Why couldn’t I fall for a nice guy who would be there the following morning? Clearly, there was something wrong with me.

  I joined the girls at the bar and ordered an old fashioned. I needed some serious whiskey to get through the night. What I really wanted to do was walk out so I wouldn’t have to watch him drool all over a pretty girl. But I refused to appear weak.

  I refused to let him think I cared.

  And yet, I wished I were the girl going home with him. It was fun to think about having a passionate night with him even though I would get burned. But was it worth it? Could I have that and move on? Or would I feel worse?

  I drank half the glass and ignored the bite.

  “Pace yourself. Those aren’t cheese sticks.”

  The last thing I expected him to do was talk to me. Somehow, I hid my surprise at his appearance and took another sip of my drink like he hadn’t thrown me off balance. “I drink like I eat. I’ll be fine.”

  He leaned against the bar and stared at me, in the same position as the night we met.

  I didn’t turn his way. “Did you need something?”

  “Just wanted to say hello.”

  I glared at him. “It’s kinda rude to your date. She is probably ready to go home with you.”

  His elbow rested on the counter, and the definition of his muscular frame was hard to ignore even under the dim light. A pleasant aroma accompanied him, and I suspected it wasn’t just his cologne. Nearly a minute of silence passed, and he still didn’t walk away. He lingered there. “I would rather go home with you.”

  My fingers tightened on the glass, and I stared at the ice cubes so I had something to focus on. It inhibited my face from reacting. “Why? I can tell she’s the kind of girl who doesn’t eat frozen burritos.”

  “Maybe I prefer women who like frozen burritos.”

  I took another drink. “Go back to your date, so I can go back to my friends.”

  He leaned closer to me, invading my personal space. “Come home with me.”

  Was I pathetic for wanting to say yes? “Your girl is waiting for you.”

  “She’s not my girl.” He pulled the glass out of my hand then kissed me.

  I wasn’t expecting him to do that, and my lips moved with his automatically.

  His hand rested on my neck, and his fingertips reached my cheek. Parker’s thumb slid against the corner of my mouth before resting there as his lips moved slowly with mine.

  This time, he didn’t give me his tongue like he did last time.

  I should have pulled away, but I didn’t. Because I was stupid.

  Our lips pulled apart gently, and he kept his face close to mine. “Let’s get out of here.”

  My thighs automatically squeezed together, and I imagined how his lips would feel all over my body. I wanted to drag my hands down his back and scratch his skin until it bled.

  He brushed a soft kiss over my mouth, and the gentle touch was the sexiest one I’ve ever felt. “Come on.” He threw a twenty on the counter then took me by the hand and pulled me out of the chair.

  I blindly followed.

  When I walked past the booth where he’d been sitting, I saw his date. Instead of looking angry and catty, her lips were deep in a frown. Her eyes were hollow and full of despair. Abandoned and forgotten, she watched us pass. Parker had just been blanketing her in attention and affection, and within minutes, she became old news. She had to sit and watch him walk out with someone else, knowing he wouldn’t think about her ever again.

  And I
knew he would do the same thing to me.

  He led me to a white Ferrari then stopped in front of it.

  I was surprised by what he drove, but I didn’t ask him about it because all I could think about was the blonde woman he ditched in the bar.

  Parker opened the passenger door and waited for me to get inside.

  I eyed the black leather seat with hesitation. It was one of those rare moments in life when you saw the ending of the journey before the beginning. In just a short time, I would be abandoned and left sitting alone in a bar.

  Parker watched me with eyes as dark as the night sky. “What’s the hold up?”

  I grabbed the door and closed it. “I’ve changed my mind.”

  His eyebrows rose slightly in confusion. “What?”

  “Have a good night.” I walked around him without meeting his gaze.

  “Whoa, hold on.” He turned around but didn’t move from his car.

  Inexplicably, I turned around, my body still wanting to stay with him.

  “Sierra.” His eyes bored into mine as he stared me down on the sidewalk. “What’s with the whiplash?”

  “What about your friend?”

  “My friend?” he asked.

  “The girl in the bar.”

  “What about her?” he asked. “I’m not thinking about her. I’m thinking about you.”

  “Exactly,” I said. “How do you think she feels?”

  He shook his head as if I wasn’t making any sense. “I just met her twenty minutes ago. Honestly, I don’t care how she feels. I don’t even know her name.”

  “Well, she looked pretty devastated when you walked out with me.”

  “That’s how it goes sometimes. I’m not going to be polite and stay there when I’m thinking about another woman. If you ask me, that would be worse.”

  He didn’t get it, and he never would. “I don’t want to end up like her.”

  Parker remained composed, but a hint of irritation was shining through his eyes. “Why do you keep living in the future instead of the present? You want something? Just take it. If you keep going about your life like that, you’re going to miss out on a lot of experiences.”

  I scoffed. “And heartbreak.”

  He stepped closer to me, his hands by his sides. “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” He repeated the line from Mark Twain like he just read it last week.

  Now I liked him even more.

  Goddammit.

  “Why did you leave with me?” I asked. “You could have stayed with her, a guaranteed lay.”

  “Because I like you—really like you.” He put his hands in his pockets as he came closer to me on the sidewalk. The nighttime air was chilling, but he didn’t seem cold in the thin-sleeved shirt he wore. “I like the fact you don’t care what anyone thinks of you. Your confidence is sexy. And of course, I think you’re gorgeous.”

  My body wanted to jump into that car, and now my mind was leaning toward the same thing.

  “And since I kissed you in that grocery store, I haven’t stopped thinking about it.” He said all this without looking away from me or shifting his weight. He was comfortable in his own skin. He could say anything without regret.

  The cold wind blew through my hair, and my nose started to sting.

  Parker knew he wasn’t going to get his way, and he knew I was cold. “Let me take you home.” He put his arm around my waist, and it was a snug fit. His hand reached the front of my stomach as he opened the car door again.

  I liked it when he touched me.

  I got into the passenger seat and watched him shut the door. The car smelled new, and all the gadgets in the center console looked intimidating. The only personal item in the whole car was a black briefcase behind the driver’s seat.

  Parker sat beside me and started the car by touching a button. He cranked the heat and pointed the vents in my direction so I would warm up. Then he pulled onto the road and started driving. “Where to?”

  I gave him my address.

  He kept his eyes on the road and didn’t initiate conversation. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem angry that nothing would happen. He didn’t even seem disappointed. He drove down the icy streets until he reached the suburbs where I lived. He pulled up to the sidewalk in front of my house and stared at it.

  The lawn was covered with snow, and the lights were on in the house. The wraparound porch had patio furniture, but it was covered in plastic because of the weather.

  He looked around before turning his gaze on me. “You have a nice place.”

  “Thanks.” I stared at the front door but didn’t get out.

  “You live alone?”

  “No, I live with my father.”

  He merely nodded and didn’t ask why.

  “My mom passed away five years ago. I don’t want to leave him alone in that big house…” I didn’t know why I was telling him that. I didn’t talk about that sort of thing with anyone—even my dad. He never mentioned my mom, and I assumed it was just too hard—even now.

  “I’m sorry.” He only said two words, but they seemed sincere with his eyes still glued to my face.

  “Thanks.”

  He didn’t ask how she passed, instead sitting in silence for a full minute. “Are you in school?”

  I never gave much thought to his age, but he was obviously older than me. By how much, I wasn’t sure. “Yeah. I’m a junior in college.”

  “That’s cool. What are you studying?”

  “Right now, forensic DNA. But that could change.”

  He smirked. “Indecisive?”

  “Very,” I said. “I’ve changed my major five times. At this rate, I’m never going to graduate. When I was a freshman, I was a psychology major. But that was too boring, so I changed to history…and so on.”

  “It doesn’t sound like you’re into it that much.”

  “I’m not,” I said honestly. I faced forward and let the conversation continue. It was nice to just sit and talk to him, and not just because the subject was me.

  “Then why are you doing it?”

  “I don’t know what else to do with my life.” That was the honest truth. “I’m not particularly passionate about anything. I’m jealous of people who know what they love. Since I don’t have a goal, I don’t have a purpose.”

  “Maybe you’ll figure it out in college.”

  “I don’t know… I’m running out of majors.”

  He released an involuntary chuckle. “You’ll find yourself eventually. I was lost for a long time before I found my way. Sometimes the road presents itself in the oddest way you can imagine. Just make sure your eyes are always open.”

  I turned to him and watched him stare down my street. “What do you do?”

  “I run a few investment companies.” His tone was curt and short, like he didn’t want to talk about it or encourage any more questions.

  Based on his car alone, he was obviously wealthy. I didn’t ask any more questions about his professional career. “How old are you?”

  “Twenty-eight,” he answered. “You must be twenty-one, right?”

  “Twenty-two.”

  He nodded before he turned my way. “You like older men?” A slight smile was on his lips.

  “I like you.” The words flew out of my mouth like they had wings.

  That smile slowly faded.

  “What do you do for fun?” I asked the question before it could become any more tense.

  “Fun?” he asked. “I’m not even sure what that means.”

  “What do you do when you aren’t working?”

  He considered my words carefully. “Well, I just got a PlayStation. That’s pretty cool.”

  “Have you played Fallout 4?”

  A slight grin stretched his lips. “Actually, that’s what I’m playing now.”

  “I beat it last week. It’s good.”

  “You play video games?”

  “Sometimes,” I answered.
“When I don’t want to do schoolwork—which is pretty much all the time.”

  His smile didn’t fade. “A chick that plays video games… Pretty cool.”

  “What else do you do?”

  He shrugged. “I work out pretty often.”

  Shocker. “But that’s not for fun. That’s just torture.”

  “I like it.”

  “Then you’re a freak.”

  Instead of being insulted, he looked amused. “You work out too. You wouldn’t have a body like that if you didn’t.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “What?”

  “You’ve seen my grocery list. You think I have a workout regime?”

  “You must do something.”

  “I walk a lot. That’s it.”

  “Then there’s your answer.”

  “Do you have any siblings?” I wanted to know all the stupid stuff that didn’t matter. Parker was fascinating to me. I found myself wanting to know everything, and not only because I wanted that body on top of mine.

  He grew tense, just the way he did when I asked about his career. “No.”

  “Only child?”

  His eyes left my face and he stared at the light coming from the center console. “Can I walk you to your door?”

  The dismissal stung. I didn’t want to leave. I was already growing attached to him when there was no reason to. “I can make it.” I undid my safety belt.

  “Can I come in?” He watched my face and hoped for the right answer. “Assuming your father isn’t home.”

  “He’s not.”

  Parker’s expression didn’t change.

  I wanted to invite him inside, but the logical part of me was holding back. “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “You can ask me anything,” he said quietly. “But there’s no guarantee I’ll answer.”

  “Do you do the girlfriend thing?” I already knew the answer, but I needed to hear it. When I did, I would be able to walk away from him without looking back. Being reminded of the danger I was facing by taking this any further would keep my guard up.

  He held my gaze without blinking. “No.” There was no remorse in his voice, like he didn’t even wish that wasn’t his answer. He didn’t blink as he watched my expression. “Relationships and I aren’t exactly compatible. They never have been, and they never will be.”