She would never be a woman who rushed into rooms demanding people’s attention. She was a quiet presence, but strong all the same.
There was something so compelling about her gentleness, the way a whisper could garner more attention than a shout. And he trusted her. He trusted she wanted this thing between them as much as he did. And while he let his insecurities drive him to drastic measures at times, it was her nature to carefully calculate every move.
She was delicate power, a fragile force that endured many blows, but survived and kept going, wearing each experience, good or bad, like a badge of honor. She wouldn’t stop until she reached the end goal. He wanted to be that goal.
He met her on the stairs and took her hands. “I don’t like fighting with you.”
“I don’t like it either.”
He gave her a half-grin. “Don’t let me screw this up, Isa. I’ll fumble, but please don’t let me fall.”
She leaned into him, her brow pressing to his as she looked in his eyes. “I think we’ve already fallen.”
God, she was right. He’d fallen fast and hard and there was no pulling back once certain emotions sucked him in. He smiled into her soft gaze.
“Then don’t let go. So long as we fall together I won’t be scared.”
“I won’t let go.” She tightened her hand around his and led him up to her room.
The following weeks were quiet, no calls, or unexpected visits. Maybe it was the confrontation at Bishop’s or maybe it was what she’d said to him on the phone after the fact.
For whatever reason, Bishop seemed to finally get the message that Isadora had moved on. And that made the both of them very happy.
Parker didn’t discuss the other man with Isa, but he thought about him often. Why would anyone deny loving her?
Swallowing that sort of emotion would cause a physical pain Parker would never be able to bear. He might never make sense of Bishop’s logic, but he would be eternally grateful the other man couldn’t give her what Parker had every intention of providing.
He wanted the fairy tale. The house that was a home, the misbehaving pets, the family, the children... Things he never imagined, actually seemed within reach.
Isadora would have her master’s soon and he couldn’t wait to see what she did with all that knowledge. He wanted to be a part of her future, even her career—whatever it turned out to be.
They’d lived such different lives, yet their paths crossed at exactly the right time. Both of them trying to solve a puzzle and the more time they spent together the more he felt like she held all his missing pieces. She made him whole.
“Can I see that one, please.” He pointed to the velvet tray resting in the glass display case.
Diamonds glittered under the showroom lights and the man behind the counter carefully removed the ring he’d pointed to.
“It’s a four karat marquise. The setting’s a traditional baguette style reminiscent of the turn of the twentieth century. The band is solid white gold with a total weight of four karats. It’s a stunning piece.”
He pinched the delicate ring between his fingers, trying to picture it on Isadora’s hand. “Is there a wedding band to go with it?”
“I’m afraid this one would require a custom band, but we could design that for you, sir.”
“How long would that take?”
As the jeweler explained the process of matching the ring with a tailored band, Parker became more attached to the piece of jewelry. In his mind, it was already hers.
He paid and left the ring with the jeweler so that the wedding band could be molded in a complementary shape. When he exited the store, he felt another piece of his puzzle slide into place.
Chapter Sixteen
"The knights appear to be focused on one direction,
but are known for making swift, unpredictable shifts and hijacking the entire game. He said I should watch out for you.”
Scout
Breaking Out
It took nearly a month, but eventually, Isadora got her family to agree to dinner. A big issue was Parker’s refusal to dine at Patras Hotel. He refused to be the only man outside of his comfort zone and demanded they dine at a restaurant he believed to be neutral territory or dinner wasn’t happening.
But they finally all reached an agreement because this was what Isa wanted and neither he nor Lucian could turn her down for long. It was, perhaps, the one thing they had in common—well, second, if you counted their care for Scout.
Thank God Scout would be there. Parker was also grateful for Toni’s easygoing presence. At least one of Isadora’s siblings seemed to like him.
“I love what you and Isa did with the library,” Toni said as they waited at the table for Scout and Lucian to arrive. “Next, you need to tackle the study.”
Isadora made no comment. For whatever reason, she never opened the door to the mysterious study so he didn’t expect them to be renovating it anytime soon.
He checked his watch. Lucian was fifteen minutes late.
“Should we order?” He wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t show.
Isadora fretted and lifted her phone from her purse, glancing at the screen.
“There’s Evelyn,” Toni announced and waved.
Parker craned his neck and recognized Scout’s familiar face practically blanketed by Lucian’s surly presence. He acted like he was escorting the pope the way he protectively guided her through the tables like she might break if someone bumped her. Did the guy not remember his wife had won more scuffles than most ordinary men? She was tough, and Lucian’s dramatic play at bodyguard seemed overly solicitous.
Rolling his eyes, Parker stood. “Scout.”
Her smile emanated genuine fondness as she broke away from Lucian’s hold and pulled him into an affectionate hug. Familiar.
He wasn’t used to her having so much meat on her bones. Even her cheeks appeared fuller. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
Once Lucian greeted his sisters, kissing each one on the cheek, he pulled out a chair for Scout. “Sorry we’re late.”
Isadora smiled and Parker settled into his seat. An awkward silence enveloped the table.
“The waiter should be back soon to take our drink orders,” Isadora announced.
Toni wore an expression of intrigue, her gaze bouncing from her brother to her sister-in-law to Parker.
Isadora had grazed over the details of their temporary truce only so her sister didn’t make a scene if anything went wrong. Toni said it was like a soap opera and Parker’s instincts told him she was hoping for drama.
When the waiter approached they let out a collective exhale. Lucian instructed their server not to go far and Parker quietly chuckled. Some arrogance never faded.
“So, Park,” Scout started, pushing through the tense haze. “Where are you living?”
He wished they didn’t have to play catch up, that their friendship hadn’t waned. That was his fault. Something he’d likely always regret. But distance had been necessary. He wanted her to be happy.
“I actually bought a house.”
“You did?” Her excitement was full on radiance, altering her usual beauty to something enchanting. “That’s great!”
His skin flushed as he accepted her praise, knowing she, above all others, would recognize how priceless a home truly was.
“It’s far from finished. Right now I just have the necessities. I’m waiting for the day it actually feels like a home.” And to see if that was where he and Isa would eventually live. He was pretty certain she’d want to keep her house. It was a nicer home anyway, big enough for a family.
Scout laughed. “By necessities, I bet you mean piles and piles of books.” She glanced at Isa. “You finally found someone who loves to read as much as you do.”
Isadora blushed. “Parker’s been testing my knowledge of the classics. In exchange, I’m forcing him to read my favorites.”
He smirked, a touch embarrassed, because some of her
novels were sheer torture, but fair was fair. “I’ll never understand the appeal of filthy medieval characters taking a bride.”
Isadora sighed at the same time as her sister. “I love a raunchy historical,” Toni announced. “Nothing better than a domineering man seducing a strong-willed woman.”
Isa snorted. “Like you’d ever put up with that in real life.”
Lucian’s gaze shifted to his younger sister. “How is Shamus?”
Toni’s expression shuttered. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him? He calls you more than he calls me these days.”
Isadora sent her brother a reprimanding look, which Parker appreciated, and the subject was dropped. Her unspoken authority over her brother was impressive.
He pitied the youngest Patras. She clearly was hiding a good deal of feelings regarding her recent breakup.
The waiter returned and they ordered another round of drinks as well as their meals. He blinked in awe as Scout skimmed over the menu and selected her dish. He wanted to comment on how easily she comprehended the words, but he didn’t want to embarrass her in front of everyone.
When she returned the menu to the server, her gaze caught his and he smiled. She blushed and he believed she read his thoughts. She’d overcome one of her biggest challenges and was now literate.
If anything, he savored this glimpse of her new life, finding it incredibly reassuring each time she smiled at her husband. She was happy and that brought him an unanticipated level of peace. For her and her alone, this dinner was not a waste. But the idea that two hours might somehow mend wounds between him and Lucian that were years old… Well, that was unrealistic.
Although they sat only two seats apart, they never acknowledged the other’s presence. Parker appreciated that the guy didn’t throw a fit when Scout spoke to him.
“Excuse me. I have to powder my nose,” Scout announced, and he almost choked on his filet.
It struck him as absurd that this was the same girl who once traded pants with a perfect stranger in broad daylight after winning a bet. The high life had certainly softened her rough edges.
“I’ll join you,” Isadora announced and stood.
“Me too,” Toni said, rising as well.
Ah, fuck.
He and Lucian lifted out of their seats as the women left the table. Hopefully, they wouldn’t take too long.
Parker turned his unused fork on the tablecloth as the silence stretched. He thought about the ring he’d picked up that morning. Not that he intended to give it to Isadora anytime soon, but—had this been a normal situation—it would be the perfect time to let her brother know his intentions.
He glanced at Lucian who watched him with calculating dark eyes. Yeah, he wasn’t asking his permission for shit.
Another minute passed and there was no sign of the women. “Scout seems happy.”
“Does that disappoint you?”
He rolled his eyes. “Is it too much for you to grasp that I see her as just a friend and, as her friend, I want her to be happy? I’m with your sister.”
His mouth remained flat, his glare cold. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”
“You’re unbelievable.” Dropping the discussion, Parker reached for his drink.
“What’s unbelievable is the fact that you’ve somehow managed to wheedle your way back into my life. It’s one thing to interfere with my personal business. Interfering with my family is an entirely different situation. But you’ve seen what happens to those who upset the people I love. I’d have no problem kicking the shit out of you again.”
He placed his glass on the table and gave Lucian his full attention, sitting back, posture straight, challenging gaze daring him to threaten him—One. More. Time. “Do you want some sort of medal because you beat me in a fight, Lucian? Is that what you need to feel vindicated and move on?”
“You couldn’t possibly understand my needs, so don’t try.”
Parker held his glare. “To think there was a time when we got along.” It was brief and tentative, but there had been those few minutes.
“If you’ll recall, I was unconscious for a large part of that time.”
“And if you’ll recall, I told her to go to you.”
“I don’t, nor have I ever, needed your endorsement—”
“We’re back,” Toni announced, cutting off any further discussion of the past as the women took their seats.
Isadora and Scout passed nervous glances, each wearing an unguarded look of hopeful expectation. He gave his head a quick shake and Isa’s mouth turned down in disappointment.
“Should we order dessert?” Toni asked.
“I’m afraid we have to be going,” Lucian announced, saving him the trouble of an excuse.
Parker wasted no time removing his napkin from his lap and standing to say his farewells. “It was great catching up with you, Scout.”
As they said their goodbyes he kept his focus on the women. It irritated the piss out of Parker that Lucian somehow took care of the check before he had the chance.
“You’re being ridiculous,” Isa said on the drive back to his house. “He was being a gentleman.”
“The gentlemanly thing to do would be to let me pick up the tab. We asked them to dinner. I should have handled the bill and he knows it. He likes thinking of me as some sort of charity case.”
“No one thinks you’re a charity case, Parker. Why would you even say that? I think you’re reading too much into Lucian’s behavior. He always gets the bill.”
It amazed him how easily Isa could overlook his past at times. But her brother’s memory was long and he’d never forget where Parker came from or the shady things he’d done.
There had been a time that Lucian had actually invited him to the hotel for a meal so that Scout could see him and know he was well. Each luxury flaunted chiseled through a layer of Parker’s hard earned pride. It had been intentional then and it was intentional now.
Lucian liked flouting his position over others. And Parker didn’t like feeling so exposed in front of Isa’s family—in front of her brother.
“Everything he does is somehow manipulating someone or some situation,” he grumbled.
“Hey,” she snapped. “He’s still my brother.”
“And you’re his sister. Doesn’t it irritate you that he’s giving us such a hard time?”.
She frowned at him. “He might not have been overly cordial tonight, but he wasn’t rude, Parker. His manners were fine—considering the history the three of you share.”
His mouth formed a firm line. There was no sense in upsetting her by retelling the whole bathroom conversation. He might have missed some etiquette lessons while he was living on the streets, but he was pretty sure threatening dinner guests after the fourth course was frowned upon in all social tiers.
As they pulled into his driveway, she sighed and said, “You know, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between you and Evelyn. Lucian loves her and he’d never hold her past against her. He’d be a hypocrite to treat you differently because of your history. Tonight was about starting fresh.”
“Well, I certainly don’t need his approval.”
She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached over the console. “No. And neither do I.” Her lashes lowered and her smile softened. Her hand slowly drifted up his thigh. “I know tonight was difficult, but you’ll never know how much I appreciate you trying. My family’s important to me. And so are you.”
His head rested against the leather of the seat as he looked at her through a half-lidded gaze. He’d sit through a thousand uncomfortable dinners for her. “Maybe next time it won’t be as tense.”
Her fingers ghosted over the zipper of his pants. “Let’s not talk about it anymore.” The metal catch lifted and the silent car filled with the slow drag of his zipper coming undone.
What was the saying? A lady in the streets and… “Do you want to take this inside?”
She reached into his pants, her warm fingers curling tight around his e
rection and greeting him with a slow stroke. “Why? Are you afraid someone might see?”
Maybe she didn’t need a bed.
He glanced at the neighbor’s house. Some lights were on, but the chances of anyone looking into his car were slim.
Her fingers tightened and he stretched back. His hand slid through her hair, turning her face for a slow brush of lips. Her tongue skated over his and he chased it, capturing her mouth and dominating the kiss.
Watching her face as he pulled away, her lips shined full and tempting in the moonlight. He dipped his chin toward his lap. “Do it.”
Leaning in for one last kiss, her smile curled against his lips and then her head lowered. The heat of her mouth engulfed him in a haze of ecstasy.
He kept his hand in her hair, guiding her motions, urging her down as low as she could go and letting her up nice and slow. Through his lashes he watched her body move. The pristine clothes, proper pearl earrings, and high-end tights all added to the eroticism, because underneath that well thought out disguise hid a very sexy lioness and he intended to make her purr.
He slid his seat back, giving her more room. His free hand lifted her skirt, his fingers tracing the delicate line of her garters. So utterly fucking feminine. “Do you like doing that to me?”
She hummed agreeably, the reverberation traveling through his cock and vibrating his balls.
His fingers traced the seam of her ass, slipping over the silk of her panties until he found the damp heat of her pussy. “You’re wet.”
He nudged the fabric aside and teased her folds. She sucked harder, her hand moving in tight pulls with her mouth. He gave one garter a little flick and the clip opened.
Running his fingertips across her thighs, he gradually unclasped each one. “Take your panties off.”
She released him, tipping her head to see him. “Here?”
God, she was stunning. Dark eyes flashing like polished onyx, thick black hair falling over her shoulders, a mouth made for sin. He nodded. “Here.”
She returned to the space of the passenger seat and slithered out of the silk garment, placing the panties on the floor. Her hands folded over her rumpled skirt, lowering it back to her knees.
Queen of the Knight (Surrender Games Book 2) Page 20
