“I’ll always love him on some level, but as far as a relationship… He’s too late. Like a knight,” she gentle ran her finger over the ornate figure, “you came out of nowhere and stole my heart. It doesn’t matter what he offers. He can’t give me what I need. You’re what I need, what I want.”
His lips pulled back in a wide smile. He won. He fucking won! He actually got the girl. Not just any girl—his Isadora.
Jesus, his heart was beating so fast he was going to pass out.
“Fuck.” He ran a hand through his hair and pivoted away, trying to find his bearings, sure he was making an absolute fool of himself. “You have no idea how scared I was. It’s only been a week. I never expected you to make up your mind so fast and—”
This time she silenced him with a kiss. Laughing against his lips, she whispered, “I’m sorry I put you through that.”
It was over. She made up her mind and chose him. “I’d do it all over again if I knew I’d have you in the end.”
She was his, without reservations, without any doubts. His.
He tightened his arms around her. “I’m never letting you go. Anyone else wants a shot, tough shit. You’re mine.”
“You’re the only man I want.”
Every word out of her mouth was a reaffirmation that his heart had led him right where he belonged. He wanted to take her to bed and make love to her for the next month. About to suggest just that, they both stilled as We Are Family echoed from the foyer.
She glanced at the door to the library. “That’s my sister calling.”
“Do you have to get it?”
She hesitated. “She’s been having a hard time lately. Her and Shamus… I’m not really sure what’s going on with them. They run so hot and cold.”
The music stopped and immediately started again. “I better see what she wants.” She left the library to find her phone and her voice held a faint echo of concern. “Toni, slow down. What happened?”
Parker edged his way into the foyer to see if there was anything he could do to help, but frowned when he saw the distress on Isa’s face.
“No, no. Calm down. I can be there in under an hour.”
Accepting that his plans were dashed, he turned his focus to Isadora. Her worry for her sister was evident. He didn’t know much about the youngest Patras, but he had no reason to dislike her. To Isadora, she was more than a sister. She was almost like a daughter and sometimes a best friend.
“I’m leaving now. Just stay put.” Isadora ended the call and gave him an apologetic glance.
Before she could say a word, he said, “You have to go.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. Do you want me to drive you—”
Heavy pounding interrupted his offer and Isadora flinched. The front door rattled as a fist continued to steadily beat against the wood. Whoever was there clearly didn’t see the doorbell.
He went to the closet and retrieved her purse, handing it to her. “You get what you need. I’ll see who’s at the door.”
The closer he came, the louder the knocking pounded and he was pretty sure he knew who was on the other side. He pulled open the door and blanked his expression, a mellow sense of victory coming over him as he stared into Sawyer Bishop’s icy glare.
“Where’s Isadora?”
Parker angled the door, hoping to prevent Isadora from dealing with this right now, but knew it was of little use. “This isn’t a good time.”
Bishop’s cold blue stare narrowed. “Get out of my way.”
Parker’s grip tightened on the knob as he anchored his weight between Bishop and everything he loved in this world. “Look, I know you want to talk to her, but she’s on her way—”
The man shoved him aside and barreled into the house. “Isadora!” He came up short, finding her standing in the foyer.
Parker glared at him, only needing a nod from Isa to throw his ass out the door.
“Sawyer, this isn’t a good time.”
Bishop eyed her from head to toe. Her face was noticeably tense. Her purse was in her hands. Her keys ready to go. This shouldn’t take long.
“I need to talk to you.”
Or not.
“I can’t talk now. I’m on my way to Toni’s—”
“Toni can wait.”
Whoa! Parker’s jaw locked. Who the fuck did he think he was, giving her orders like that and deciding what was a priority in her life?
“No, Sawyer, she can’t!” Isa snapped and Parker’s brow lifted.
There was his little lioness. God, he fucking loved her.
Adjusting her bag, she glared at the other man. “I have a family emergency and that takes precedence over you.”
Sawyer didn’t look happy about being dismissed. Parker was prepared to escort him out, but he moved forward and put his hands on Isadora’s shoulders, holding her in place.
A white-hot rage barreled through him as he watched another man—a man she had loved for over a decade—touch what Parker considered his.
“You can’t just walk away. You can’t quit on everything we have.”
Isadora’s eyes shimmered as she looked up at him, but she said nothing. Parker didn’t know if she was silently agreeing with him or too tired to argue. All of the security he felt minutes ago vanished.
Bishop continued to push. “I made a mistake, buying plane tickets without discussing it with you first. We don’t have to go next week.”
Go where?
“We can go when you’re ready. I’ll wait. I won’t rush you. I want you in my life, by my side, and I’m not giving up that easily.”
Her jaw trembled as she stared at him, Parker’s presence apparently forgotten.
Say something. Tell him to get the hell out of your house! Shove him away! Don’t let him touch you!
Finally, she stepped back a pace and he released her. “I have to go. My sister needs me.”
But what did that mean about everything Bishop just said? Shoving his insecurities aside for a second, he asked, “Do you want me to drive you?”
“No. I’ll drive myself.”
Both men carefully watched as her gaze traveled from one to the other. The awkwardness was palpable, as she intended to walk out on both of them.
Bishop grabbed her hand and squeezed. “Call me when you’re finished.” No comment of concern for her sister.
Flustered, Isadora walked to Parker. “I’m sorry.”
Sorry about which thing exactly? That she was rushing off or because Bishop’s intrusion once again fucked everything up?
He put his own worries aside for his concern for her. He bent his head close to hers and whispered, “She’s going to be okay. Go take care of her and we’ll talk later.”
She nodded, her hand ghosting to his cheek, a thousand unspoken words tucked in her shimmering gaze. “Love you.”
Thank God...
The tension in his shoulders unraveled as her words relieved every doubt he’d combatted since Bishop arrived. He kissed her softly on the cheek. “Love you, too.”
The three of them exited the house like some twisted triangle of God knows what. He walked her to the garage and helped her into her car while Bishop watched from the driveway.
Good. Let him see them together. Maybe then he’d understand what it looked like to treat her right and take a hint that he wasn’t needed.
Parker watched her back out and only when her car turned onto the road did he face his opposition. He glared at Bishop with narrow eyes.
“This is the last time you barge into her life uninvited. Next time she says something, you listen. You don’t give her orders.”
“Go fuck yourself, Hughes,” the older man snapped and climbed into his car, speeding out of the driveway. He stood his ground while Bishop was on the run.
Chapter Fourteen
“…Every gesture, every caress, every touch, every glance,
Every last bit of the body has its secret,
Which brings happiness to
the person who knows how to wake it.”
Hermann Hesse
Siddhartha
Parker arrived at Isadora’s the following afternoon. He didn’t waste time thinking about Bishop or feeling sorry for a man who was obviously out of touch with the woman Isadora had become. He didn’t care about what they previously shared. He’d respect it as a fundamental part of her past, but he fully intended to be her future, so he was pulling out all the stops.
She opened the door and her beauty stole his breath. He forgot the gift in his hands when moments ago it was his first priority. That was how deeply she affected him.
His lips brushed hers and the familiar equilibrium he felt in her presence slid back into place. “I have something for you.”
“I see that.” She stepped back and he handed her the burlap sack.
She examined the roughly wrapped package. It wasn’t flowers, that was too cliché.
Flashing him a skeptical smirk, she raised a brow. “What is it?”
“Peek inside.” He followed her into the house where she placed the heavy sack on the table.
She carefully untied the ribbon, shooting him curious glances over her shoulder. Pulling back the material, she peered between the folds and laughed. “It’s a shrub.”
“It’s a yew,” he clarified, stepping close to her back until the heat of her body burned into his front.
She leaned her weight into him and sighed. “A you?”
“Y-E-W. Yew. It’s what they used at Hever Castle in England to build the labyrinth.”
She brushed her fingers over a prickle of needles and slowly turned to face him, her expression unreadable and her voice quiet. “You bought a shrub for my labyrinth?”
“I bought you several. They’ll be delivered next week so we better get working on that map.”
She looked into his eyes, a touch of confusion creasing her brow. Maybe he should have stuck with flowers.
“No one’s ever given me a shrub before.”
“I…” Damn. He thought this would be something she might appreciate, but her expression didn’t look flattered. Maybe it was presumptuous to give her something that required work on her part. He was probably overwhelming her with the painting of the library and now this.
He would help, but she looked … confused. And upset.
Maybe he should leave his other surprise for another day. He had a habit of being a tad too eager once he got an idea into his head.
“If you don’t like—”
She flung her arms around him, pressing her lips to his. Catching her by the ribs, too relieved to let her go, he pulled her tight against him and savored her kiss.
“That’s the most thoughtful gift anyone’s ever given me.”
He laughed, relieved. “That, m’lady, is a shame. I think it’s time we raise the bar.”
Smiling, she rested her cheek on his shoulder, glancing back to admire the yew. “I love it.”
“I’m glad.” Very glad.
They carried the shrub out back and sat for a while, discussing all the possibilities of her future labyrinth. He loved when she used words like we and us. He wanted to be a part of her world in every possible way.
“How did it go with Toni last night?”
Her mouth tightened. “She’s a mess. I don’t know what’s going on between her and Shamus. They’re very private and sometimes they seem so intense, whether they’re arguing or getting along. He’s apparently upset because Toni doesn’t do everything he tells her to do.”
His brow creased. “Well, she’s allowed to think for herself. No one should be able to make decisions for someone else.”
“That’s what I said! But they’re … different. I can’t really explain it because I’ve never really seen anything like it before, but you pick up little hints here and there. Shamus seems like an easy going guy, but according to Lucian he can be quite exacting—Toni describes him as the same.”
“Do you think she’s in a bad situation with him? In some sort of trouble?”
“Oh, no, nothing like that. They love each other and sometimes Toni can be very high maintenance, but other times she’s just sweet little Toni. My sister’s always been a little self-indulgent. I think it’s difficult for her to cater to a man twenty-four-seven, but that’s the sort of relationship Shamus expects, apparently.”
“Seems unfair.”
Isadora shrugged. “He spoils her rotten, so I guess it’s a give and take.”
“But she’s okay? You were really concerned last night.”
“She’s okay. I don’t know if their relationship is. They can be quite explosive when they fight.”
“Volatile.”
“Yes. I don’t know if that sort of passion is healthy, because when they fight they really fight. He’d never get violent with her, but he has a terrible temper, according to my sister. I’ve never seen it. Last night he flipped out because she was apparently flirting with some guy. He left her condo and said some pretty nasty things on his way out.”
“Did they break up?”
“I don’t know. You can never tell with those two. Sometimes she acts like he’s her only option, but he’s not.”
“Why would she think that?”
“Because she’s wanted him for so long. I wish she’d date someone else just to try dating someone different for a change, but who am I to talk?”
“Old habits die hard.”
She sent him a sidelong glance and smirked. “Well, I finally broke the cycle.”
He took her hand and casually asked, “Any echoes from your past today?”
“Is that your way of asking about Sawyer?”
He promised himself he wouldn’t, but he wanted to make sure last night hadn’t changed anything. “Does he usually burst in like that?”
She laughed. “Not since recently.” Shaking her head, she pursed her lips. “I was going to call him and tell him he can’t just show up like that anymore, but I don’t want to be cruel. I think this is hard for him.”
Or maybe she was afraid to say it was truly over between them. He kept hold of her hands and looked into her eyes. “I’m not going anywhere, Isadora. If he’s some sort of safety net for you… You don’t need one.”
Her gaze darted to the patio and he sensed he was close to the truth. Maybe in time, that would change. He wanted to be the one she counted on.
Her brow pinched as she sent him an apologetic look. “He’s always been in the background of my life. I don’t want him interfering with us, but imagining him completely gone… It’s upsetting. I’ll talk to him. I’ll make it clear that this is where I want to be and he needs to respect my wishes.”
Parker didn’t expect Bishop to give up that easily. There had been a sort of desperation in his eyes yesterday, one that told Parker this was far from over.
Glancing at the sky, figuring they had a few hours until sunset, he gave her fingers a squeeze and let go of her hand. “We better get going. I have another surprise for you and I want to give it to you while there’s still daylight.”
“Another surprise? I feel like it’s my birthday.”
Just wait until that day…
“Come on. We’ll go to dinner when we’re finished.”
He’d made reservations at a small bistro close to his home. He’d always been a bit self-conscious about inviting her to his place, but he wanted her to see all of him and didn’t want any more mysteries between them.
He wasn’t the best decorator and his tastes were rather simplistic, but he knew Isadora didn’t put much weight in luxuries. She cared about the more meaningful stuff, which was exactly why he loved her.
They pulled into the parking lot at the Grounds of Sculpture, an outdoor museum made up of gardens and natural artwork. The flowers were in bloom and the air was warm and lush, a perfect day to take in the sights.
“Do you smell that?” she asked as he took her hand, leading her through the park gates.
“It’s the flowers.”
&n
bsp; She breathed deeply and smiled.
Parker paid the admission fee and they slowly walked the path. He was nervous and anxious to give her the gift in his shoulder bag, but he wanted to make this perfect, so he took his time leading her to the spot he found earlier that morning.
“Look at that!” She laughed. “It’s the Mad Hatter’s table.”
They walked over to the sculpted hedges resembling a tea party surrounded by the Hatter, the Rabbit, Alice, and even the little mouse coming out of a teakettle. A man-made stream trickled nearby, babbling over rocks and falling over hills. Wildlife chirped and buzzed around them.
Up ahead he spotted a copse of cherry blossoms in full bloom and directed her to the stunning path of pink. “Let’s go this way.”
“Okay.”
He loved how agreeable she was in the face of adventure. The more time they spent together the more daring she seemed, each day pushing past her shyness to try something bold. Yesterday it was feeding the hippos, today she’d step into a whole new world.
His chest got a little tight the closer they came to the trees. Lush lawns sprawled and a path cut through the field ahead, lined by the budding trees. The air sweetened and soon the green carpet of earth was littered with delicate pink petals that had fallen like snow.
He led her to a cement bench. “Let’s sit for a minute.”
She didn’t appear much taken with the path, and he understood she wouldn’t be able to see how lovely it truly was. Lowering to the bench, she shut her eyes and breathed in the scents, a smile curving her lips as her chest rose slowly.
“I have something for you, m’lady.”
Her eyes opened, creasing at the sides as her smile turned coy. “You’re full of surprises today. A girl could get spoiled.”
“Maybe a girl deserves a little spoiling from time to time. There’s a reason I brought you here.”
He reached into his bag and withdrew the wrapped box. It was light, about the size of a brick, but nothing heavy inside. However, he hoped this gift carried more weight than any other surprise he’d given her.
He pressed the long gift box into her hands. “Open it.”
Smirking, she sent him a sidelong glance and tore back the red wrapping paper. “I do believe you’re trying to seduce me with presents, Mr. Hughes. By the way, it’s working.”
Queen of the Knight (Surrender Games Book 2) Page 17
