He just wished she would look up and see him sitting over here.
Sebrina was doing what she normally did when she dated Bob—she’d keep a smile plastered on her face and give a timely nod now and then. She had hoped one of the other women he’d dated over the past few months had told him that his habit of monopolizing the conversation was not the way to go. Obviously not.
Bob still liked talking about his business and how successful he was at it. And he was still boring. The only time he had shut up had been when the waitress had taken their order. The guy hadn’t even commented on how she looked.
Well, she thought she looked pretty darn good tonight. But all Bob had done when he’d seen her was kiss her cheek and tell her that she looked well. Well? What happened to sexy, gorgeous, beautiful? Hell, she would have even settled for nice.
Bob had never been generous with compliments, something she was only remembering now, unfortunately. Usually, she wasn’t a woman who needed them, but she could have used them tonight, especially given the confusion she felt over her friendship with Parker. There was just something about knowing she was wanted and desired by a man that made a woman feel complete. She hadn’t come tonight to listen to Bob boast about himself and his business. Someone needed to tell him that showing a little male appreciation every now and then would go a long way.
The waitress brought their food, and she thanked the heavens that Bob had a thing about not talking during a meal. Although she had never understood it, she appreciated it tonight. It was the first time that evening that he’d shut up. The silence was lovely.
“Sebrina?”
She glanced across the table, surprised he’d spoken. “Yes, Bob?”
“Thanks for going out with me tonight. I’ve thought of you a lot.”
She wished she could say the same, but she wasn’t about to lie about it. “Thanks. I’ve been pretty busy lately. There’s a shortage of doctors but the hospital just hired a few more, so hopefully, I soon won’t have to pull so many extra hours.”
Bob nodded and then looked down at his meal. That was her cue that he’d rather not hear about her job, although he’d been giving her an earful about his earlier. She took another sip of her wine and was about to begin eating when for some reason, she got the feeling she was being watched.
She glanced around the restaurant but didn’t see anyone. She was about to return her attention to her meal when her gaze lit on a table way across the room, right by the huge stone fireplace. And sitting at that table was Parker.
He and his date were here? Of all the coincidences. And that feeling she’d had about being watched? He was staring at her with a deep, penetrating gaze. She looked back at him while emotions she had tried to ignore where he was concerned were hitting her full force, even across the room. At that moment, she was more aware than ever of the power of their chemistry—the sexual energy that definitely was not fading. This was the first time she’d seen him in a suit, and he looked strikingly handsome.
Suddenly, at that moment, a fiery burst of sexual need settled between her legs and she sucked in a deep breath of air. Bob heard it and glanced up at her. “You okay, Sebrina?”
She broke eye contact with Parker long enough to say, “Yes, I’m fine.”
Bob went back to eating his meal, and she did the same, though she kept sneaking glances at Parker. She wondered what his date thought of him sitting with her, but staring across the room at Sebrina? Her gaze briefly left his to glance over at his date. From her profile, she looked pretty. And she seemed to be keeping up a lively one-sided conversation. Maybe like Bob, she had a business she was bragging about, too.
Sebrina smiled. No, she wouldn’t wish that on Parker. But Victoria was right about one thing—sexual chemistry did have a language all its own. Because at that moment, she was pretty sure she could read Parker’s thoughts and she had a feeling he could read hers.
Even with the distance separating them, the desire between them was almost a physical thing. And while they were both doing their best to try to ignore it, desire was winning the battle.
She also knew something else—his date wasn’t going any better than hers was. As if to let her know she assumed right, he winked. That made her chuckle.
It also made Bob lift his head to glance at her again, then look at her plate. “I thought you were hungry.”
“I am. I was just thinking about something.”
He nodded, then added, “You need to eat before your food gets cold, Sebrina. Besides, after dinner I want to finish telling you about that new project I’m working on.”
She began eating, and another couple was seated at the table beside her and Bob, blocking her direct view of Parker and his date. A short while later, she saw that he and his date had left.
CHAPTER THIRTY
PARKER HUNG UP HIS coat in the closet after he got home. Gabby had tried every trick in the book to get him to come up to her apartment and stay awhile, even going so far as to invite him to stay the night. And even after he told her that he had a busy day tomorrow and needed his rest, she had suggested he come up for what she described as a ‘blow-your-mind quickie’, and then proceeded to describe the act in explicit detail.
But nothing she said caused even the slightest spark of desire to burn in him. All he could imagine as Gabby spoke, was Sebrina doing those things with him. And while that caught his interest, it was wishful thinking on his part.
All through dessert, while Gabby happily chatted away, his gaze kept returning to Sebrina. Blood had rushed through his veins each and every time their eyes connected. It was only when her date said something to her that she became more attentive to her meal. He doubted the man had known what had captured her attention because at no time had he glanced over in Parker’s direction. The same thing had held true with Gabby. She hadn’t had a clue that neither she, nor her conversation, had been his focus this evening.
Even after Sebrina had stopped looking at him, he had continued to watch her, had studied her mouth while she ate, thinking of all the naughty things he would love to do to it. He had even thought about ordering a second piece of cake, just so he could continue to sit there. But when Gabby said she was ready to leave, no doubt assuming he would be coming inside for a while when he took her home, he had no excuse to linger. He had thought about going over to Sebrina’s table to speak before leaving. But then he’d figured it would be best if their dates didn’t pick up on the intense sexual tension between them.
There had never been a time when he’d ached for a woman and hadn’t done anything about it. Unfortunately, this ache wasn’t something he could easily do something about. Because he only wanted her. And she didn’t want to want him.
And he shouldn’t want to want her, either. He had big goals, life goals, and couldn’t afford to let any woman get under his skin. By this time next year, he would be leaving St. Paul for Tampa, and he didn’t want anything holding him back.
Nor did he want to have any regrets.
A short while later, he was in bed, flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling. Although he didn’t want to think about it, he wondered if Sebrina would be coming home tonight. He was aware of the ‘no sleep-over’ house rule, so he knew that she and the guy wouldn’t be coming back here. But they could go his place. The thought of that guy doing all the things Parker had been dreaming of doing to her was keeping him awake.
He glanced over at the clock and figured that he’d been home for nearly an hour. Granted she had barely started on her entree when he had finished dessert, but still, he wouldn’t have thought it would take this long for them to finish their meal. Again, he was wondering if she’d gone to that guy’s place. Was it any of his business if she had?
Maybe not, but that didn’t stop the green-eyed monster from rearing its jealous head. He had shifted positions, laying on his side when he heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. Sebrina had come home after all. Needing to see her, even if only to open his door and take
a peek, he got out of bed and slipped into his robe.
Sebrina removed her coat and hung it in the closet, glad her date with Bob was finally over. Before they’d left the restaurant, Bob had gotten upset when she’d refused to go home with him. Then he’d had the gall to ask if he could spend the night at her place, since Monica was out of town.
That’s when she’d had to tell him the truth, and not in such a nice way. First of all, they hadn’t gone out together in over a year. So why did he suddenly assume that one dinner date would give him bed rights he’d never gotten before. Then she’d informed him that although Monica was out of town, they had a new housemate. So him coming home with her was out of the question, even if she’d wanted it. Which she didn’t.
Acting like a little kid who’d had his toy taken away, he had barely waited for her to get out the car before taking off, leaving her in the driveway. He hadn’t even bothered to walk her to the door. The jerk!
There was only one light on—the lamp near the stairs—just the way she had left things. That meant Parker probably hadn’t returned yet and he likely wouldn’t tonight. She could always check to see if his car was parked in the garage but why add salt to the wound? What he did and when he came home was his business. Even if they had paid more attention to each other than their dates at the restaurant.
After turning on the security alarm, she crossed the room to switch off the lamp. She was about to head upstairs when she heard her name. She turned, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Parker standing in the doorway of his bedroom.
The brief light pouring into the room from his bedroom’s lamp cast enough illumination on him to make her heart race even faster. He was wearing a robe, which meant he had probably been home a while. His hair hung around his shoulders and she could tell, from his open robe, that he was bare chested and wearing just his PJ bottoms.
His devastating sexiness caused a distinct warmth to surge through her. Swallowing deeply, she answered. “Yes?”
“How was your date?”
Should she tell him the truth or pretend everything had gone fine? Considering the two of them had spent a lot of time ignoring their dates but being fully aware of each other, honesty was probably best. “Bob was boring as ever.” There was no need to tell Parker that she wouldn’t be seeing him again. He’d figure it out. “What about your date? She was pretty.”
She watched as a smile slid across his lips. “And talkative.”
Okay, she had noticed that, but the woman hadn’t seemed to be talking any more than Bob had. “Bob talked a lot, too.”
“I noticed.”
He shifted his stance and she wished he hadn’t done that. The top part of his robe opened up a little more and it allowed her to admire his solid, muscular chest. She caught her breath.
“May I ask you something, Sebrina?”
“Sure. What do you want to ask me?”
“How many more dates do we have to torture ourselves with before we admit the truth?”
She lifted a brow. “What truth?”
“That ignoring this thing between us isn’t working.”
She began nibbling on her bottom lip. “We’ve only gone out once since we decided on this course of action, Parker.”
“I know. However, I doubt the results would change, even if we went on fifty dates. Can you honestly say you think we have a hope in hell of ignoring this hunger between us?”
She didn’t know what to think. “I don’t know. I’ve never been in this predicament before.”
And she truly meant it. She had been attracted to men, had even desired them, but this thing between her and Parker defied logic. Even now, she was aware of the crackle of sexual energy that passed between them, making the air they were breathing seem hot and erotic.
“There is only one other option left for us to try, Sebrina.”
She didn’t have to ask what he was talking about because she knew. To act on it. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that, Parker.” Even as she said the words, she could feel arousal coiling in her very feminine core.
“Okay,” he said, taking a few steps to cover the distance separating them.
When he came to a stop in front of her, she could see more of him. His penetrating dark eyes were staring down at her and several strands of thick hair seemed to slip down on his forehead. She was tempted to brush them back from his face but didn’t.
“However, I want to leave you with something to think about, Sebrina,” he said.
“What?”
Before she could blink, he had wrapped his arms around her and lowered his mouth to hers. Immediately, his tongue caught hold of hers when she released a breathless sigh. Then he proceeded to make love to her mouth. Never in all her twenty-nine years had a man kissed her this way. It was as if he was trying to get an in-depth taste of her and didn’t plan to pull his mouth away until he’d had it.
In the meantime, she was being driven insane by waves of pleasure flooding her insides. Each stroke of his tongue blasted away her common sense. He wasn’t just kissing her—he was completely devouring her. Even now, she was having a hard time remembering how to breathe.
Then suddenly he broke off the kiss, leaving her weak in the knees. She was grateful his arms remained locked around her waist, otherwise she would have crumbled to the floor.
“When you think you’re ready for us to act on it, Sebrina, you know where to find me. I never sleep with my door locked. You are welcome in my bedroom at any time.”
Drawing in a deep breath, she turned and raced up the stairs.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
PARKER WAS WALKING DOWN the hospital corridor on his way to see one of his patients, but it was Sebrina on his mind. Several days had passed since the night he had kissed her, and he was afraid he’d become addicted to her taste. Her mouth had been as sweet as he’d known it would be, with a flavor that was all hers.
Just thinking of what he considered a much-too-brief moment still sent sensuous chills all through him. Every night since he had issued the invitation for her to visit his bedroom, he had lain awake hoping she would do so. And when he drifted off to sleep, he would dream of her. Now that he knew her taste, his dreams were more intense and a hell of a lot more erotic than before.
He’d only seen her twice since that night and both times, he’d made it a point to be sitting in the kitchen when she left for work. But they had only engaged in brief conversation, mainly about the weather and work. What he’d really wanted to talk about was their kiss, how much he had enjoyed it. And he really needed to find out what she wanted to do about the sexual chemistry that kept getting stronger every time they saw each other.
“Hello, Dr. Stanhope.”
He looked over to see Dr. Nestor walking beside him. She’d avoided him since the day he had shown her the door and was surprised she had sought him out now. “Hello, Dr. Nestor. How are you?”
She smiled over at him. “I’m fine, but I would be doing even better if I could entice you into joining me for dinner tomorrow. I’m a pretty good cook.”
Fat chance getting him over to her place, he thought. “Sorry, but I have plans,” he said, although he was playing fast and loose with the word plan.
He decided it was time to be upfront with her, so he pulled her aside. “Listen, I respect you as a colleague, Rosemary, but that’s as far as it goes.”
“Why do I get the feeling that you’re still upset with me.”
He nodded to a doctor who passed them and then glanced back at her. “I am not upset with you, but I am disappointed. Character is important to me, and the best way to determine a person’s character is to watch how they treat others. I have a real problem with anyone thinking they are better than someone else, just because of their occupation, educational status or race. In fact, it’s something I won’t tolerate in anyone I consider a friend.”
She didn’t say anything. Instead, she nibbled on her bottom lip. Seeing her do that had no effect on him at all, not like it did when
he saw Sebrina doing it. “If I change my ways, will you reconsider going out with me?” she asked.
“You shouldn’t want to improve just to go out with me. I’d think you would want to improve because it is the right and decent thing to do. Now if you will excuse me, I need to go check on my patients.”
Then he walked off, hoping he’d given her something to think about.
Sebrina grinned as she sat down at the table where two other women were already seated. “You guys are so wrong for doing this.”
“Why?” Victoria asked, returning the grin. “Don’t you like surprises?”
“Yes, but when I talked to you a few nights ago, you didn’t mention anything about coming to St. Paul.”
Then she turned to Kennedy. “And when I talked to you yesterday about meeting you for lunch today, you didn’t say anything about Victoria being in town.”
Kennedy laughed. “Like Victoria said, it was meant to be a surprise and one I figured you would like. Besides, I thought you could use a little fun. The last few times we spoke, you sounded pretty uptight. Not like yourself.”
Sebrina could believe that. She really needed to talk to someone about what was going on with Parker. And these two, along with Monica, were not only her relatives but her closest friends. Confiding in them would be like old times. “Well, if a handsome hunk kissed you until your panties were wet and then proceeded to give you an open invitation to his bedroom but so far you haven’t taken him up on his offer, you would be uptight, too.”
Kennedy nearly choked on the water she’d been drinking. Victoria, on the other hand, just sat there with an even wider grin on her face. “Do tell,” she said. “And you’d better not leave out anything, Bree.”
THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family Book 6) Page 21
