THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family Book 6)

by Brenda Jackson

  She lifted a brow. “What option is that?”

  “I could move out and find my own place.”

  Sebrina shook her head, knowing that was not the answer. She could just imagine having to explain to her family why he decided to leave. Sorry guys. Parker had to move out because I couldn’t keep my hands off of him.

  “That won’t be necessary, Parker. Like you said, we’re adults. If we ignore it, it will eventually fade.”

  He paused for a moment. “We are sharing the same house and at times, we will be sharing the same space. I hope you don’t think ignoring this attraction means we ignore each other, Sebrina. That would cause even more problems. I don’t want you feeling uncomfortable and I don’t want to feel that way, either. May I make a suggestion?”

  She wondered what suggestion he wanted to make. “Sure. What are you thinking?”

  “Maybe, if we both start dating other people, whatever this is between us will fade. Then we can start to build a better friendship. A platonic friendship. And pretty soon, we won’t see each other as sexual beings quite as much.”

  Sebrina thought about his suggestion. “Umm, it’s worth a try. I definitely don’t want you to feel uncomfortable living with us.”

  “And I want you to feel comfortable having me there, Sebrina. Although we can’t quit wanting each other, cold turkey, I believe if we become friends, it will eventually fade.”

  She drew in a deep breath, finally feeling they were getting somewhere, although she really didn’t like the idea of finding someone to date, just to keep her desire for him at bay. However, at this point, she would try anything. “Okay, let’s work on the friendship piece.”

  Parker smiled. “We already have by sharing breakfast together this morning.”

  “That’s true.” She couldn’t help wondering, though, how she’d scare up a guy to date. Because of her hours at the hospital, she rarely went out. But she wouldn’t use her work hours as an excuse. Still, so far none of her dates were guys she’d been eager to see again. Kennedy, Monica and Victoria had accused her of being too picky. They also thought she was still pining over Wade. She wondered if Parker would start dating Dr. Nestor.

  She glanced over at him and saw that he was staring at her. “Is anything wrong, Parker?”

  He shook his head and took a sip of his coffee. “No. Nothing is wrong.”

  That wasn’t true, though, Parker knew. Everything was wrong. Their conversation stayed on his mind for the rest of the day as he did various errands around town. First of all, Sebrina Bennett obviously had no idea of the full extent of her sensuality. If she did, then she would know ignoring the sexual chemistry between them would be hard, and the idea of stopping it all together was insane. To be completely honest, he was pretty sure his suggestion of becoming platonic friends wouldn’t work, either. But they had to start somewhere.

  Too bad they hadn’t agreed to try acting on it. He inwardly groaned at the thought of working it out of their systems. Hell, he felt himself get hard at the thought of the marathon lovemaking session that would require.

  Still, the last thing he needed to be obsessed with is a woman. He’d come to St. Paul to learn everything he could from Dr. Miller before moving on to Florida. Bottom line, he had a plan, and getting hung up on a woman was not part of it.

  He returned home that evening, proud of what he’d managed to accomplish. He had joined a nearby gym, taken his car to get washed and serviced, had gotten his hair trimmed and then stopped by a men’s clothing store to purchase a couple of shirts. Finally, he’d indulged in his favorite guilty pleasure and had spent a few hours at a pinball arcade.

  He’d enjoyed himself, and for a short while, he had managed to put the issue of him and Sebrina out of his mind. But it returned the moment he walked into the house. There was music playing upstairs. Did that mean she was up and not in bed? He checked his watch. It was five in the afternoon. She was usually asleep about now, since she had to be to work by eleven.

  Parker headed straight for his bedroom to put his packages down and hang up his new shirts. On the way home, he decided he’d hit the cinema later on this evening. That new Marvel flick was out, and he wanted to see it. That was the one thing he missed about not being in Boston. He’d always had a group of friends to hang out with to do stuff like going to the movies, but tonight, it looked like he was on his own.

  An hour later, he had showered and changed clothes, ready for the movies. Next time, he would have a date. He’d met Gabby Cummings at the arcade. She had been a little too flirty for his taste, even a little too talkative. However, she had been a looker with red hair and green eyes. Unfortunately, there had been no chemistry—not even a little bit. But hopefully, that would change on their first date. He had gotten her phone number and had promised to call her and he would.

  He got ready to leave, figuring he could grab something to eat at the movies. He had picked up a huge hamburger and fries at the restaurant next to the arcade and was still full. As he headed for the door, he noticed the music had stopped playing upstairs and heard a sound coming from the kitchen. He glanced at his watch and saw it was close to six-thirty. It was unusual for Sebrina to be up and about around this time on a work night.

  Deciding to let her know he was going out, he headed for the kitchen and immediately stopped in the doorway. Her back was to him as she talked on her cell phone, and it appeared that she was dressed to go out for the evening as well. Evidently, she was off work tonight.

  The moment he saw her, desire, hot and sharp, suddenly clawed at him. Total awareness of her filled his every pore. Even the air he breathed was pulling in her scent, an incredible aroma that made a little burst of need flare to life in his midsection.

  As if pulled by a magnet, his gaze was drawn to her perfectly shaped backside in the green sweater dress she was wearing. And the black leather boots she wore complemented the black leather belt around her small waist.

  Six feet separated them, and it was obvious she hadn’t heard him enter the kitchen. He was about to let his presence be known when her next words stopped him. From the sound of it, she and her cousin Kennedy had planned to go to the movies tonight, but Kennedy’s husband had surprised her by returning to town earlier than expected. Sebrina was saying that she understood and that she would just go to the movies alone.

  Parker backed out of the kitchen, figuring he’d heard more than he should have. But then, wasn’t he going to the movies alone as well? There was no reason they couldn’t go together, was there? Hadn’t they,

  just that morning, agreed to be friends? It wouldn’t be a date per se, but just a platonic outing to the movies. There was only one problem. Two women were likely going to see a chick-flick rather than a superhero action movie. Still, if Sebrina had her heart set on a chick-flick, he’d find a way to sit through it.

  The goal was to do things that might weaken their attraction, being friends and not lovers. A movie date was a good start. Coming up with plan, he moved back toward the kitchen, this time whistling to alert her of his presence.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  SEBRINA HEARD PARKER WHISTLING and butterflies erupted in her stomach. She turned around the moment he walked into the kitchen, so she didn’t have time to prepare for what she saw. She’d always thought he was handsome but at that moment, dressed in a pair of dark slacks and a buttoned-down shirt, he was striking.

  His tapered slacks flowed down a pair of strong thighs and the shirt fit perfectly across the broadness of his shoulders. Intense male sexuality of him and touched her like a physical caress. She actually felt it. He’d obviously gotten his hair cut, but it was still long enough to touch the collar of his shirt and gave him a bad boy appearance.

  Trying to shake her sudden stupor, she said, “You look nice, Parker. Going out for the evening?” She could bite off her tongue for asking him that, when it was obvious that he was.

  “Yes, what about you? You look really good, too.”

  “Thanks. And yes
, I was going out. I’m a big Marvel fan and their new movie came out last week. This is the first chance I’ve had to see it. Kennedy was going with me, but her husband Haddison returned to town a day early.”

  She watched him lean against the counter and wished her attention wasn’t drawn to the leanness of his hips. “Now isn’t that a coincidence. I’m headed to the movies, too. And I’m a die-hard Marvel fan. Did you want to join me?”

  Sebrina loved hearing the sound of his voice. His words were always spoken in a deep, husky even tone that reminded her of warm honey flowing over one’s skin. Swallowing deeply, she said, “There’s no way I can go to the movies with you and your date.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t have a date,” he said smiling.

  She lifted a brow. “You were going to the movies alone?”

  “Yes.”

  “But…but why don’t you have a date?” Too late, she wished once again she could bite off her tongue. His lack of a date really wasn’t any of her business.

  “I haven’t met anyone I want to take out. Besides, it can be hard to convince a woman to see an action movie.”

  Sebrina had a feeling that any man whose photo was saved on several nurses’ cell phones would not have a problem getting a date, even if it was to see Godzilla. It would give them a reason for throwing themselves into his arms whenever a scary part came on.

  “So, what about it, Sebrina? Want to go to the movies with me? And since we’re friends, we don’t even have to consider this a date.”

  “What will it be, then?”

  His smile widened. “An outing.”

  She didn’t say anything for a minute, thinking about their conversation over breakfast. Would going to a movie with him tonight move her closer to ‘just friends’ territory? She hoped so.

  “I’m game if you are.”

  It took everything Parker possessed to keep a huge smile from taking over his face. He broke eye contact with Sebrina, not wanting her to see just how excited he was.

  After glancing at his watch, he looked back at her. “Good.

  If you’re ready, we can leave now. Have you eaten dinner? Did you want to stop somewhere before we get to the movies?”

  She shook her head, causing her curls to fan her face. He liked the way she’d styled her hair tonight. “I haven’t eaten, but I’m fine. I tried some of that shrimp fried rice you cooked yesterday. I hope you don’t mind. It was delicious.”

  “Thanks. And of course, I don’t mind. I told you that you’re welcome to anything I leave in the fridge.”

  “Thanks.”

  “I never had to worry about leftovers whenever Evan was around.”

  “Evan?”

  “Yes, Evan Maples. He’s been my best friend since college. We went to medical school together, and for years he was my roommate. Evan could barely boil water, so he had no problem with me doing the cooking.”

  She studied his features a minute. “And you’re sure about this? Going to the movies together?”

  “Positive.”

  She smiled and nodded. “Then I’ll go get my wrap and purse.”

  He watched her hurry off, but then she suddenly stopped at the door and looked back, nervously licking her lips. He held his breath, thinking she was about to tell him that she’d changed her mind. But then she turned back around and walked out of the kitchen.

  Parker released the breath he’d been holding as he ran a hand through his hair. Licking her lips might have been a nervous gesture for her, but it had nearly undone him. Tonight would be important for both of them. They had to prove that they could do things together and remain nothing more than friends.

  By next week, he would be back in the dating game, glad he had someone lined up already. Although to be honest, he was more excited about going out with Sebrina tonight than he was about a date next week with Gabby, the gabber.

  “I’m ready, Parker.”

  He turned. Not only had she grabbed a wrap and her purse, but she had also taken time to put on lipstick. The shade of red looked good, suiting her complexion. Hell, he thought she looked good, period. Her hair, her dress, her shoes. The entire package had his body wired as tight as a bow string.

  Just friends…Just friends, he repeated to himself. He had to remember that, and somehow manage to keep all that sexual chemistry flowing between them at bay.

  He would do it, even if it killed him.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  “I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT ending,” Sebrina said, glancing over at Parker on the drive back home. “Now we have to wait until the sequel to find out what happens next.”

  “That’s usually how it works. They make you come back for more. But at least the sequel is already in production, so hopefully, we won’t have to wait more than a year to see it,” Parker replied.

  “Let’s hope,” she said, already anxious to see the new movie. The anticipation was going to kill her.

  She was glad Parker had invited her to go with him tonight. It had been fun. Sure, there had been some sexual tension between them—she had felt it more than a few times—but she thought they were getting some control over it. First, there was the drive to the theater. They both kept conversation going so they wouldn’t fall victim to the energy crackling between them. And then, there was the long line to get into the theater. Although it had moved quickly, more than once she had felt Parker’s body pressed against hers, causing her hormones to react. And when they’d picked up popcorn and drinks, their hands had accidentally touched. She had glanced over at him and had known he’d felt the same coiling desire she had. It had been obvious in the dark depths of his eyes.

  But things had gotten better when they’d settled in their seats. They had been recliners and it hadn’t taken her long to get comfortable. Then once the movie began, she’d been caught up in the action. But still, she’d been very much aware of the man sitting beside her, the man who not only looked good but smelled good, too. Just sitting next to him in a dark theater was driving her crazy. She would glance over at him, but each time, his gaze was glued to the screen. That meant he was handling their chemistry—even if she wasn’t.

  “It’s still early. What about if we grab something sweet.”

  She glanced over at him. “Like what?”

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I like cheesecake. How about you?”

  “Sounds good to me. There is a place not far from here that sells the best cheesecake. What is your favorite?”

  “Strawberry.”

  Sebrina chuckled. “Wouldn’t you know it. That’s mine, too.”

  “Umm, twice now we’ve discovered we like the same things.”

  Yes, they had. Not only did they share the same taste in movies, but they liked the same dessert. “You’ll need to get off at the next exit and then make a left at the traffic light. The place is called Radeon’s Sweet Spot. It’s a Mom-and-Pop outfit, and Edith Radeon is the best when it comes to whipping together a cheesecake to die for.”

  He chuckled and the husky sound was way too sexy for her frame of mind. “I’ll take your word for it.”

  “You’ll see,” she replied.

  She tried not to notice how sexy he looked while driving. The way his large, strong hands gripped the steering wheel had her wondering if he could hold a woman the same way.

  He brought the car to a stop at the traffic light, then glanced over at her. Since she was already looking at him, their eyes locked and immediately her inner muscles tightened as desire warmed her to the core. “It’s getting better, I think. This friendship thing,” he said.

  She wondered how he thought that when awareness of him was overwhelming her. Did that mean his desire for her was diminishing? If so, then she had a problem, and she’d just have to double-down to get her mind and body in sync.

  She’d been surprised when Bob Rollins had called her today. He claimed he had been thinking about her lately. She wondered how that was possible when the only thing he ever had on his mind was making his techno
logy company a success. More than once he had stood her up because of a business-related emergency.

  She figured he’d had to dig deep in his phone contacts for her number since she hadn’t heard from him in well over a year.

  He had asked her out for next weekend and since she had the time off work, she had agreed to go to dinner with him. Hopefully, this time around, things would be better. Monica used to call him “Boring Bob” because the only thing that ever excited him was his business. And he would talk about it, non-stop, to anyone who would listen. His goal in life was to become the next technological superpower, and she wouldn’t be surprised if he managed to do it.

  “We’re here.”

  Parker’s words grabbed her attention and she looked out the window. They were parked in front of Radeon’s.

  “You were right, Sebrina. This cheesecake is delicious,” Parker said, finishing off the last piece on his plate.

  She licked her lips after grabbing a crumb off them with her tongue. “Told you.”

  “You weren’t exaggerating.” He glanced around as he took a sip of his coffee. Watching what she’d just done with her tongue had his entire body burning. “Nice place,” he said.

  “I like it. As a kid Kennedy used to come here all the time with her dad. He would treat her to cheesecake whenever she did good in school. The day we all moved in together, we came here to celebrate. The owners remembered Kennedy, welcomed her back to St. Paul and we’ve been coming back, ever since.”

  He glanced back over at Sebrina, glad she was now sipping her tea and their gazes weren’t connecting. Something always happened when their eyes met. One quick look was enough to get his blood pumping...above and below the belt. It had been harder than he’d thought, sitting beside her in the movie theater. He’d been so tempted to reach out and take her hand in his, but knew he couldn’t do such a thing. Friends didn’t hold hands during a movie.