Protected by a Hero
Page 55
“Easy there, princess.” Jared paced. “You’re liable to pull something with moves like that.”
“Oh.” She doubled over. “Damn.”
“Haha, very funny.”
“No—ow, damn it.” Nicola’s eyes latched onto Cash, who jumped over a chair before Parker could wonder if she wasn’t faking it.
“Nic?” Concern painted her husband’s voice.
“No, God.” She shook her head, waving him off. “I moved too fast. Baby must’ve—shit.” She doubled over. “I need to sit.”
“Nothing’s wrong. You’re okay.” Cash held her shoulders, easing his not-quite-at-her-due-date wife into a chair. He nodded at Roman, who sprung wheels and sped out the door, no doubt to get a vehicle ready. The room was oddly quiet as worry hung heavy between them.
Beth pressed her phone to her ear, likely calling their shared doctor. Those two shared everything. She whispered into the cell, eyeballing her best friend. After a minute, she hung up. “Cash?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”
“Doc says head in.”
Without a word, he swept Nicola into his arms and headed across the room. Beth ran in front, getting the door as they went. It all happened so fast, Parker couldn’t register the magnitude of something going wrong.
Winters was up and leaning against the wall. Sugar had her hand over her swollen stomach. Parker’s eyes landed on Lexi. There was something innate about knowing she was his family. They might not be at that place in life—maybe their future would never be about babies and things like that. He didn’t know, hadn’t talked to her about it. But what he did know was he wanted to have that conversation. Wanted to figure out what they wanted, more than playing house, and he’d thrown together ideas that constituted one hell of a plan. Tonight, assuming they weren’t visiting a happy newborn in the arms of its parents, Parker would show Lex what he’d spent the recent days planning.
“We’ve got something,” Jared said, turning back from the door and focusing on the main screen.
It had lit up. The green outline of Middle Eastern nations was suddenly aglow with yellow flicks of light. Lexi’s malware streamed data to the DIA before their eyes. Parker took a deep breath for her, so proud, so relieved that this was something she’d gone after, risking her life, and it had worked in a huge way.
“Holy crap, hacker girl.” Sugar dropped into a chair, watching the screen as if it were fireworks.
Jared clapped Lexi on the back. “Nice job, Lex.”
With Boss Man moving around the room, Thelma rolled over and groaned. Bacon did the same, copying what could only be called her canine best friend. Sugar and Lexi took those two dogs everywhere together, and both were losing a little bit of weight.
Titan had seen what they’d all come to see, and the show was over, even though Lexi still stared at the screen between smiles and saying thanks to the congratulations.
Winters, perched on the side of the table, slapped Parker’s back. “Lex, don’t hog this guy too much this week. He’s withering away. Needs to work out.”
Parker wrapped his arms around his girl as Winters walked out backward, waving and grabbing his phone, likely to call Mia and update her on Nicola. Jared and Sugar followed, leaving Parker and Lexi to stare at the screen, now completely lit up in hostile zones.
“I’m really proud of you, sweetheart.”
She spun in the chair. “It’s unreal. Though I feel kinda bad being this excited when Nic and Cash just took off—”
“They’ll be fine.” Right? Because they had to be. Statistically speaking, she was far enough along and healthy enough that everything would be fine. Except he didn’t know what was actually causing her pain. Was that labor? If not, what was it? Didn’t matter. They would be fine.
“You’re worried too.”
He bunched up his shoulders. “Weird seeing Nic in pain. That girl can take a beating.” Parker pressed his chin to the top of her head. “It’s really gorgeous.”
She sighed and looked up. “But it’s over. Time to go home.”
“About that.” Screw waiting to share what he’d been planning. He spun her in the rolling chair. “Give me a few minutes. Okay?”
Tilting her head, she gave him an inquisitive look. “Alright. I’ll sit and watch.”
“Good.” He kissed her forehead and hustled to his office. He pulled out all the papers he wanted and lit up all the screens he needed. All in all, not a hugely impressive display. Certainly not a damn light show covering terrorist hot zones in the Middle East, but he was still totally stoked.
* * *
Parker looked like a kid on Christmas morning when he bounded into the war room, snagged her hand, and almost carried her back to his office.
“What’s going on?” She laughed and squirmed as his lips stayed on the back of her neck.
“This is my idea.” His arm swept wide over his office. “We need a house. One that you won’t call just mine. You want a place for our worlds to collide. So… here.”
She blinked, and her mind stumbled to make sense of the empty green spaces labeled by number, plus the drawings and designs for what looked like architectural plans. She numbly moved forward, jaw hanging open, in complete shock at the display he had assembled for her.
“You want something that’s just us, Lex. Here are some options, but there are a million more. You point and choose, and I’ll make it happen.”
“You’re going to build me a house?” Holy crap, she couldn’t breathe. It wasn’t just the enormity of the gesture; it was the thought behind him building her a home. He was offering her the world just by offering her the very thing she needed in so many ways. A foundation. Literally. Figuratively. Lexi launched herself into his arms. “Oh, my God! I love you more than I can think.”
Which made him laugh, she guessed because he had a good idea of how much her mind could process. “Good idea?”
“The best.” She smothered him in kisses, letting his thoughtfulness reach down into her soul.
“I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Lex. Figure we need a good home to start that journey.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
The club beat filled the tightly packed area. Bouncing green-and-blue strobe lights spun in the abandoned-for-the-night airplane hangar, and the outpouring of grief—in only a way this community would—floated away as people danced into the night. The tribute to Shadow was legendary, and the acknowledgment of SilverChaos as Lexi made Parker’s heart squeeze. Everyone seemed to know her face already, and now that they connected the girl in the corners of these parties to the genius behind SilverChaos, it made tonight all the more special.
With every turn, someone said, “Hey, Silver… nice job, Silver…”
He couldn’t see a blush on her cheeks but knew the color was there. She wasn’t after the attention, but she was also done hiding who she was. Anonymity hadn’t protected her, so she embraced the more public role of being Silver—though she had turned down every reporter’s interview and every opportunity for publicity. Seemed the news bureaus couldn’t get enough of a leather-clad rock star lookalike who rode a GSX-R and risked her life to save the families of soldiers. He didn’t blame reporters for trying. She was, without question, the most interesting, complex, intelligent, beautiful woman walking the planet.
Parker and Lexi posted against a wall, each with a beer in hand, and he watched her survey the crowd. “You did a really good thing for Shadow, you know that, Lex?”
Anyone who had ever used him as a broker was there, Parker was sure of it. The talent in the room was epic, and the whole event had been pulled together with just a few strokes of a keyboard.
“I think he’d appreciate it.” She took his bottle and put both of theirs on the cement floor, then she wrapped her hands around his neck and swayed with the music. “Think he’d appreciate it even more that you’re here with me.”
His mouth brushed against hers. “Maybe.”
“And the money, he’d be st
oked about that—though not in his name. He’d kill me for pulling that move.” She laughed and let her lips drift against him.
Lexi had taken the proceeds from her last auction and established a fund that encouraged and gave resources to tech-sharp kids stuck in the foster system. She had also promised that a significant portion of her future earnings would be used to continue funding it, all in Shadow’s name.
Smart. Sexy. And generous. Parker couldn’t ask for more. As they swayed to the music, he pushed them into the crowd, letting the sea of bodies swallow them. Lexi pressed hard against him as they lost themselves to the beat. Songs shifted, the beat changed, and they danced as time slipped by. But as much as he loved her on his arm, surrounded by people who nearly adored her for what she’d done for their community, Parker wanted her alone. Now.
He cupped her ass, and his hands moved up her back. Her breasts pressed into him, and when she leaned against his chest, smoothing her hands between them, her fingernails scratching his stomach, he was done.
“You’re begging for trouble, sweetheart.” He let his tongue touch the tip of her earlobe, and she jumped, hotter and harder than she’d been dancing a second ago.
“A lot of talk for a guy who’s not doing anything about it.”
He cursed under his breath and took her mouth hard, not caring that they were in a room of people. None paid any attention, or even if they did, Parker didn’t care. She was reckless, stroking down his stomach, rubbing herself against his hardening erection.
He snagged her. “Come on.”
She let him guide her from behind, his hands roaming on her waist, her back against his chest and nestling his now-throbbing erection. Soon as they broke through the crowd, Lexi turned around, locking her grip behind his neck, and let him lead her back, back, back in the dark until they hit a wall.
“I just need you.” She gasped as he pushed up her tight shirt. “Tonight, I don’t need all this. The people. The hellos. I want you.”
“You’ve got me.”
“I want you.”
“Sweetheart, I know exactly what you want.” He ducked his lips to her neck, and whatever she had to say morphed into a low growl, making her press forward. “I want to take you somewhere else.”
“Parker, if you don’t take me now, I might kill you.”
He squeezed her ass through the skirt and rubbed her body against his cock. “You can try, but I’ll probably enjoy it.” Pressing his lips to hers, he breathed her in. Even in the chaotic night, she smelled like citrus and tasted like sugar.
“Not fair.”
“Come on, let’s go.” He laughed, and she gave him a look that she might combust but willingly followed. They moved from the hot air in the hangar into the outside coolness. Walking under a sky marbling with the first light of day, he took the long way to the other airport hangar.
“But before we get to where we’re going—” He pulled her in front of him. “I need you to tell me where we are. You and me.”
She giggled. “An airport.”
“No, Lex. You and me.”
“We’re together, forever. That’s where.”
His palms cupped her face, and he pressed a kiss to her lips. “Good.” He traced his hands down her neck, down her arms until their fingers intertwined. He took both of her hands in one of his, and with the other, he pulled a black-diamond ring from his pocket. “Because you’re my best friend, because we built a house that we turned into a home… God, because you’re the smartest person I’ve ever met. The most fun. The sweetest. The sexiest.” Parker dropped to one knee. “Because you’re my world, sweetheart, will you be my wife?”
A slip of sunrise painted a halo behind Lexi as her lips parted. She sucked in a surprised breath. “Oh, God. Of course, yes.”
He slipped the unconventional ring on her finger and stood to lift her in the air. She bent her head and kissed him, still murmuring her agreement. Parker’s cheeks hurt from smiling, and as he set her down, he thought about how to word what came next.
“And I don’t want to wait,” she said. “Like, I could marry you tomorrow.”
Turned out he didn’t have to figure out his wording. Holding her hand, he guided her a few hundred feet then pulled open the hangar door and let Lexi step in. “I thought maybe you’d say yes.”
She giggled. “I’m a sure bet.”
As they rounded a corner, he took in the partially lit hangar, complete with a flight crew and fueled jet. “Go to Vegas with me? Right now?”
“Are you kidding me? Hell yes!” Laughter bubbled from her throat as her smile reached her icy blue eyes. “This is insane.”
They approached the G6. Parker hugged her close, waving to the captain as he brought her to the stairs. “We’re a go.”
“Excellent. Congratulations.” The captain nodded. “We’re ready now.”
Lexi’s eyes bugged. “You planned to take me to Vegas?”
Parker already had a reservation waiting for them at a little chapel there. He couldn’t keep the grin off his face. “I’ve been planning to take you to the altar since the day you told me you loved me.”
“What?” Her blush painted her cheeks. “I was so embarrassed!”
“You stormed up and laid it on the line. There was no question you would be my wife.”
She squeaked as he carried her the last few steps into the cabin. “Wow, I love you.”
“Me too, sweetheart.”
As the captain said his spiel, Parker ran them to the bed in the back, where he tore off her clothes and shed his. Their bodies clung together, their hearts hammering as they always seemed to do.
He held his world in his arms. Not only had he made her a home and given her a family, but she gave him all the same. That connection was something he’d never known he wanted or needed, and now there was nothing more clear than his need to know her as Mrs. Lexi Black.
EPILOGUE
Ten years later…
Lexi’s phone rang, and she jumped to silence it before it woke the baby. But it was the school, so she had to answer it. She almost could say verbatim what the call was about, but there was always a chance that there was a real emergency.
“Mrs. Black?” the yippy voice of the kid’s principal sounded.
She rolled her lips into her mouth. “Yes.”
“We have a problem. Again.”
This time, Lexi accidentally let loose a small laugh. No matter how often the school called, she couldn’t be mad at her kids. Yeah, they’d be reprimanded, and they’d never know that she thought most of their… antics were genius. But that was how they rolled, she guessed. “Okay.”
“Addy had show-and-tell today.”
“Yes, I know. She brought in that Molly Talks-A-Lot toy.”
“Yes, well, apparently Molly Talks-A-Lot has a potty mouth.”
“Oh no…”
“Oh, yes. When Molly Talks was brought in front of the entire kindergarten class, Molly didn’t say ‘Touch your toes’ or ‘Count to ten.’ Molly said, ‘You are a silly snail,’ ‘Toots smell like poots,’ and ‘Mrs. Snyder is in time out,’ which, to five-year-olds, is hysterical.”
Lexi squeezed her eyes shut too. Hardly a potty mouth and kind of hysterical to adults too. “I’m sorry. I’ll have a talk with the boys.”
“Yes, again, please.”
The call disconnected. Lexi scrolled through her phone until she found Parker’s name. He answered on the first ring.
“Hey, so guess who called me today?”
He groaned. “Again? The boys?”
“Yup.”
“What’d they do?”
“Hacked Molly Talks-A-Lot.”
Parker burst out laughing. “God, they’re good.”
Maybe it was the age for mischief. Last week, Sugar had had to tell her girls not to booby trap the neighbors, Nicola and Beth had to have a talk about projectile devices having a time and place, none that were in the cafeteria, and both Mia and Caterina had practice unarming various toys.
“You didn’t help?” She smiled, rocking the baby and brushing the dark locks on the little guy’s head.
“Hack Addy’s doll? No.”
Lexi whispered, trying to keep the baby asleep, “You’re the one with genius genes. I’m going to blame you.”
“Oh, sweetheart. Blame me all you want. They’re the ones who found that article in the New York Times about your—”
“Shhhh.” The wiggling bundle sleepily blinked. “Okay, fine. We’re both to blame.”
“If making genius babies with you is trouble, then life is good.”
Lexi looked over the nursery that had slept four babies, then her eyes drifted out the window and over the lush green land. “Life’s better than good.”
They’d given each other a family and so much more than just love and acceptance. Everything was possible for her because of him, even if her husband made her feel as though she was the reason the world kept spinning.
Lexi closed her eyes after telling Parker that she loved him, and she rocked their baby back to sleep. Carefully, she placed him in the crib and walked down the hall, passing an anniversary present Parker had given her. It was a black-and-white sketch of their family with brilliant bursts of color all over the portrait. All he’d said when he gave it to her was, “Thank you for letting me color outside the lines.”
The End
About the Author
Cristin Harber is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling romance author. She writes sexy romantic suspense, military romance, new adult, and contemporary romance. Readers voted her onto Amazon’s Top Picks for Debut Romance Authors in 2013, and her debut Titan series was both a #1 romantic suspense and #1 military romance bestseller.
Connect with Cristin:
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The Titan Series:
Book 1: Winters Heat
Book 1.5: Sweet Girl