“How about now?” He asked, stopping in front of her.
She nodded, looked around once more, and grabbed his free hand, dragging him out a side door into the hallway. She didn’t stop but instead pulled him out through a different door into a secluded part of the garden.
She slowed down a little, and he laced his fingers through hers as they walked further away from the noise of the reception.
“I’m sorry I didn’t text you last night. I should have checked on you after…”
“After you ravished me in the ladies’ room?” Amanda snorted. He grimaced and sipped from his beer.
“Yeah. I’m sorry about that too, I don’t know what happened.”
“Don’t be,” she shrugged. “It was hot.”
“Yeah?” He breathed a sigh of relief and a smile slowly spread over his face.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong, I still wanted to throat punch you for leaving me hanging like that, but the rest of it? Way hot.”
“Good. I was afraid I’d gone too far.”
“If you had, I would have said something.”
“I just wanted to be sure we were okay.”
“Yeah.” She didn’t sound completely sure about that. He frowned.
“Amanda, what is it?”
“There is just… one small thing I wanted to talk to you about.”
Her face had gone red and he could tell she was uncomfortable.
“What is it?” He was starting to get really nervous now. He stopped and turned to face her, bending slightly to meet her eyes.
“We never had the talk about, you know, previous partners and… health status.”
“No, we haven’t,” he replied, squinting and shaking his head.
“I’m clean. I haven’t been with anyone in over a year and I’ve been tested since.” She looked up at him expectantly, her lip between her teeth.
“I’m clean. I can get you my last test results if you like, but I don’t understand wh-”
Oh, no. Oh, shit. Oh, God.
It finally dawned on him why she was bringing this up now. He couldn’t believe he’d been so stupid and hadn’t even realized it.
“Fuck, I’m so sorry.” He let go of her hand and turned away, ashamed of himself for being so reckless. He thought he was past all of that. He ran his hand through his hair and paced away a few feet before turning around.
“It’s fine.” She waved her hand as if waving away his concern.
“It’s not fine.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I fucked up. I’m so sorry. I’m supposed to take care of you and I couldn’t be bothered to remember a fucking condom.”
“It’s really fine,” she said, raising her hands, palms out, and taking a step toward him. “I’m on the pill and I was fairly certain you were clean. I just… wanted to be sure.”
“Still, I’m so damn sorry.”
“Listen, I didn’t think about it either until way after the fact. We both screwed up. Luckily it wasn’t as bad as it could have been under other circumstances. In fact, that’s probably why I didn’t think of it. I trust you, so it didn’t even occur to me-”
“How can you say that?” Parker was horror-stricken. What he’d done had been bad enough, but for her to say that she’d trusted him… It was suddenly hard to breathe. “How can you possibly trust me?”
She shrugged and took another step forward, wrapping her arms around his waist.
“I didn’t say I expect you to be perfect. And please, dear God, don’t hold me to that standard. But I know that you’d never intentionally hurt me or do anything to put me at risk. I know that if there had been an issue you would have told me right away.”
“I would,” he promised her. “But still, I didn’t know you were on the pill. I could’ve…” He couldn’t finish the sentence because as soon as he thought about it he realized that he wouldn’t have been as upset as he should have been. And that made him an epic asshole.
“Which is where the mistake comes in. But these things happen and luckily everything worked out.”
“How can you be so calm about this?”
“Because. I know that no matter what happened. we would have figured it out. I still trust you, Parker.”
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, cradling her head against his chest.
“I’m still sorry.”
Amanda chuckled and squeezed him tightly for a moment.
“And I forgive you. So forgive yourself, and let's move on.” She looked up at him, mischief in her eyes. “Or, if you want to make it up to me, we could sneak into another ladies’ room and you can finish what you started.” She wiggled her eyebrows for emphasis and he couldn’t help but laugh.
“Oh, no. I think we’ve both learned that lesson. As soon as we’re back in New York, I’m coming over. So, don’t make any plans for tomorrow night.”
“I have to work on Tuesday.”
“Is that a no?” he asked, disappointed.
“It’s not a no, it’s a warning that whatever you’re planning better not last more than twelve hours.”
She sounded so disgruntled that he laughed again.
“Don’t worry, I can fit it in before you need to leave for work.”
“That's what she said.”
Parker laughed again and swatted her on the ass. “Smartass. We should get back,” he added with a sigh.
“Five more minutes?” She looked up at him with her big blue eyes and her adorable little pout and he couldn’t help himself. He kissed the tip of her nose.
“Five more minutes.”
She snuggled in close with a contented sigh and he reminded himself that, God willing, by tomorrow afternoon they’d be alone together. Time had never seemed to move so slowly.
CHAPTER TWENTY
Three hours. Amanda had been home and pacing her apartment for three hours. Jackson and Parker should have been back in the city by now. Why hadn’t he texted her? Or called?
“Are you going to be in here much longer?” Bobby asked from the doorway. His tone suggested he wasn’t sure if he expected her to lash out or burst into tears. Although if he knew her at all, he would know that the former was always more likely.
“Why?” she snapped.
“There’s… you know what? Nevermind.” He backed away slowly. “I’ll just watch the game on my laptop. In my room. With my headphones.”
There was a knock on the door and Bobby used the distraction to cover his retreat, which was quick and quiet.
Amanda, not caring how desperate she might look, darted for the door. A quick peek through the peephole told her who it was and she whipped the door open, a smile on her face.
Parker looked absolutely sinful in a tight black t-shirt and a pair of faded jeans.
“About damn time.” She shook her head and propped a hand on her hip.
Parker ignored her comment, choosing instead to wrap his arms around her hips and pick her up, kissing her hard. After a few minutes and one deliciously thorough kiss, Parker set her back on her feet.
“Go pack a bag with whatever you need for work tomorrow,” Parker said, his voice low and his eyes filled with anticipation.
Amanda didn't bother to respond since he hadn’t phrased it as a question and for the first time, maybe ever, she had no desire whatsoever to argue with him. She practically sprinted to her room and picked up the little weekend bag that she’d just unpacked a couple hours ago. She began tossing all the essentials in the bag, thankful that she’d been too lazy to unpack her toiletry bag just yet.
She tossed it on top of her work clothes, shoved her feet into the closest pair of sneakers, and was out of there in under five minutes. Parker was exactly where she’d left him, waiting on her front steps. She shut the door behind her and took his outstretched hand as he tugged her toward his truck.
He took her bag and tossed it into the backseat before helping her in and closing the door for her. Once he was settled into the driver’s seat and maneuvering smoothly through
traffic, he put his hand on her thigh, squeezing and kneading.
“Did you miss me?” he asked, flashing her a wicked smile.
“That depends,” she replied, biting her lip. “Did you miss me?”
“Like you wouldn’t believe.” Parker looked over at her, his eyes intense and his voice sincere.
“Me too.” Amanda smiled, a sudden warmth spreading through her. “Where are we going?” she asked, looking out the window to try and get her bearings.
“My place. Jackson dropped me off and didn’t even bother coming up before he went to Janie’s.”
“I’m glad they finally figured things out.”
“I know. I mean, he’s annoying when he’s all happy and shit, but he’s fucking unbearable when he’s miserable.”
“Because you’re an absolute peach,” Amanda teased.
Parker’s hand slid up the inside of her thigh and he pressed the side of his palm against her mound.
“Speaking of peaches,” Parker growled. “You must be more than ready for me, since you’ve been a good girl and followed the rules, right?” He raised an eyebrow, giving her a questioning look.
“Yes,” she grudgingly admitted.
Parker laughed. “Ah, yes, reluctant compliance. Just what I was going for.”
“Did you expect me to be happy about it?” Amanda replied, opening her legs a little wider. She was in fact beyond ready. Ready was a speck on the horizon behind her.
Her whole body had felt itchy, like her skin was tight, the entire weekend they’d been away, and ever since her punishment fuck during the rehearsal dinner, she’d been practically buzzing. She was pretty sure that all he had to do was look at her long enough and she’d get there.
Parker laughed, low and wicked. She wasn't sure if he was laughing at her comment or her shameless maneuvering against his hand, and she didn’t particularly care.
“That was kind of the point, Princess,” he pointed out. “It was punishment, not funishment.”
“Can we stick with the other thing from now on?” She wrinkled her nose.
“That’s entirely up to you,” he replied. “Are you going to keep being a brat?”
She thought about it for a minute and then laughed.
“Probably.”
“Then there’s your answer.”
When they arrived, they walked up the three flights of stairs between the front door and Parker’s apartment, Parker carrying her bag over one shoulder. He unlocked the door and pushed it open, gesturing for her to go in ahead of him.
Amanda looked around and saw that his place wasn’t much different from her own. Comfortable, functional furniture that didn’t quite match was strewn throughout. The kitchen was small, but tidy, with a little wooden table and two chairs tucked against one wall.
The living room was dominated by a massive brown leather sectional that must have taken at least four guys to get up those stairs. Either that, or it had come with the apartment. A flatscreen hung on the opposite wall and a plain wooden coffee table was positioned in front.
A few photos were dotted around the room on the walls and the lone bookshelf in the corner, mostly of Jackson and his family. There were a few of Parker and Jackson together, but there were no photos of anyone that could possibly be Parker’s family.
He’d never mentioned any family at all. She’d seen him with Maria, Jackson’s mom, and it was obvious that he thought of her as family, but he’d never said anything about his actual parents or his life before Jackson.
Parker had met her entire family, except for a few distant relatives that they hardly ever saw. Sure, they didn’t know they were… dating? Fucking? Whatever it was they were doing, but he’d still met them. Would she ever meet Parker’s family? Why didn’t he ever talk about them?
She’d heard Alexandra talk about it a few times, and even Connor had mentioned it once or twice. Nobody seemed to know anything about the first fifteen years of Parker’s life. He was from Montana originally and that was all he’d told anyone, at least as far as she knew. Jackson might have known a lot more but if he did, he was keeping it quiet.
But why? What kind of childhood could he have had that he wouldn’t have a single story he’d want to tell?
And just like that, all the pent-up sexual frustration she’d been battling seemed to dissipate, only to be replaced with very real concern about what might be hiding in Parker’s past, and how it might still be affecting him.
She knew he was convinced that things weren't going to work out for them in the long run, but she still didn’t understand why. All she could think now was that there must be something really horrible he was hiding. Something that he was either afraid or ashamed of.
The possibilities were endless and each one she considered was more terrible than the last. Her imagination was going wild. What if his parents were in the mob or in witness protection? Or what if they were in some kind of a cult? Had they both died in some sort of horrible accident, leaving him an orphan? Were they in jail?
This thing between them was tricky to begin with. She didn’t know how he’d react if she suddenly started peppering him with questions about his past, especially since it was clearly a no-fly zone. It was reasonable to want to know these things, though. Wasn’t it?
As she stood there wondering what to do, worrying and chewing her thumbnail, she hadn’t noticed Parker coming up behind her until his arms wound around her waist.
“You’re thinking awfully hard over here.” He chuckled and kissed the side of her neck.
“Are you ever going to stop sneaking up on me?” she asked, turning around and slipping her arms around his neck.
“Sorry. Can’t. It’s too much fun.” He ducked his head down to look her in the eye. “Seriously, though, what’s going on in there?”
“I was just thinking,” she said with a shrug. “Dangerous, I know.”
He gave her a lopsided grin and kissed the tip of her nose and her heart melted.
If they were ever going to make things work, they’d have to have this conversation eventually. And she wanted things to work more than she cared to think about right now. She took a deep breath and said a prayer.
“I was wondering why there aren’t any pictures of your family on the walls,” she asked, keeping her tone casual.
No big deal. Normal question. Nothing to get upset about.
Parker’s face immediately became a neutral mask. “I don’t have any family.”
“Everyone has a family, at least in the beginning. Parents, grandparents, siblings… So, what happened to them?”
Parker released her, running a hand through his hair.
“My mom died when I was young and I haven’t talked to my father in fifteen years.” His voice was perfectly calm and ice cold. “You want a drink?”
“Wine if you’ve got it, beer if you don’t.”
She watched him retreat to the kitchen and pull two longnecks out of the fridge. Parker popped open the bottles and then handed one to her before taking a long pull from his own. Amanda took a sip for courage.
“How old were you when your mom died?” she asked, taking a seat on the couch.
“Thirteen,” he sighed. “Do we have to talk about this now? This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I dragged you over here.”
“Oh, I know,” Amanda grinned. “Now who has to wait?”
Parker looked at her through narrowed eyes, his jaw set. He was clearly not enjoying this conversation and was probably thinking about how much to add to her punishment. Whatever it was, she’d gladly take it if it meant she could get that much closer to answers, and to Parker
✽✽✽
His family was the absolute last thing he ever wanted to talk about, especially here and now. After a long weekend of sneaking around and walking on eggshells, his libido was cranked up to one thousand and he didn’t want to waste a second of the time they had alone together on his childhood trauma or his family bullshit.
She lived in a fucking
frat house, and he had a roommate of his own. He suspected Jackson would be spending a lot of time at the townhouse with Janie in the future, but he couldn’t be sure they were going to get this opportunity every night. And if he had to wait another week to get her alone, he was going to lose his shit.
“I’ll tell you what,” Parker said, setting his mostly empty beer down on the coffee table. He braced his arms on the back of the sofa, leaning in so that his mouth was right up against Amanda’s ear. “Why don’t we get your punishment out of the way and then we can talk.”
Amanda swallowed hard. He could hear her breathing pick up and see her pulse kicking against the smooth skin of her throat.
“You promise?” Amanda asked. He pulled back to look her in the eye, noticing the way her pupils dilated as she bit her lip.
“Cross my heart.”
Although, he was hoping that by the time he was done with her she would be too tired and too blissed out to remember what they’d been talking about, let alone ask him any questions.
“Okay. It’s a deal.”
“Good. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way…”
Parker scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. She squeaked in protest and immediately started wiggling to get free. A quick swat on the backside had her yelping and doubling down on the Houdini routine. No way was he letting her go that easily.
He clamped both hands on the backs of her thighs as she dangled over his shoulder and marched right into his bedroom, kicking the door shut behind him. His room wasn’t big and it was occupied in large part by the King-sized bed he owned.
It had been an impractical purchase, to say the least, but after years of sleeping on cots, when he was lucky enough to get one, had made him want to splurge. He’d wanted the biggest, softest bed he could possibly find. It had been a bitch to get up the three flights of stairs, but it was worth it.
He tossed Amanda down on top of the plain black comforter and reached for her shoe. She rolled and pulled her foot free, laughing all the while. Parker’s grin turned wolfish and his blood started pounding in his veins, as well as parts south.
Her Keeper Page 21
