Play to Win

by Tiffany Snow

  “Smoking gun? Not funny, given the fact someone was just shooting at me. Besides, I was trying to rid us of him,” I protested. “You can’t be mad at me for that.”

  “I can and am,” he shot back. “Someone was shooting at you back there. What would’ve happened if they hadn’t missed? You think I want to have to identify your body on a slab in the morgue?”

  I flinched. That was certainly an image I didn’t need, thank you very much.

  “Freeing you would be worth it,” I said.

  “Bullshit. I can take care of myself. What is patently obvious is that you are ruled by your emotions, not logic.”

  Okay, now I was starting to get pissed off. “What’s that supposed to mean? That I’m some kind of emotional basket case female who leaps headfirst without looking?”

  “Pretty much.”

  “Dammit, Parker! I’m doing this for us!”

  “So am I.”

  We fumed in silence. Or at least, I fumed. I couldn’t tell what Parker was thinking. Other than the tight grip he had on the steering wheel, his face was starkly blank.

  He pulled into my parking lot and turned off the car, then faced me. “Promise me you’ll stop. Steven Shea is dangerous. I don’t want you having anything to do with him. Let me handle it.”

  “You’re not handling it!” I burst out. “You’re letting him run our lives. He has me over a barrel and is using you. Or don’t you know why he wants you?”

  “I know about Sikes going public, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

  “If you do that deal, you’ll be positioning Shea as a monopolistic interest,” I said. “All he’ll have to do is shut us down and he’ll own the liquor trade in three states.”

  “Of course he will. Did you really think this was about his dad? He doesn’t give a shit about his dad.”

  I was surprised by the bitterness in Parker’s voice. “I thought he wanted revenge—”

  “He doesn’t. It’s all about the money. It always has been.”

  Parker got out of the car before I could reply. He opened my door and I had no choice but to step out. He stood too close, our bodies only inches apart, and for a moment I couldn’t breathe. A sharp pang of longing went through me.

  “Thanks for coming to get me,” I said, my voice much too breathless.

  “Carrie was worried when you didn’t show up,” he replied, shutting the door behind me. His arm brushed mine and it felt as though I’d been burned. “She said she tried calling your cell but it went straight to voice mail.”

  “Um, yeah,” I said, struggling to think past the heartbroken yearning I felt. “I had a crappy signal in the basement.”

  “C’mon. I’ll walk you up.”

  No argument there. Any time I could prolong with Parker was well spent. I missed him and I missed us. I missed what might have been…what should be.

  We were walking down my hallway when I made the words come out of my mouth.

  “Do you miss me?”

  We stopped in front of my door. Parker’s fingers brushed my chin, lifting my downcast face up.

  “You know I do.”

  His words were a balm to the burning wound inside that ached for him. I drank in the clear blue of his eyes, the curve of his jaw, the wave of his dark hair over his forehead. He was so beautiful, it hurt to look at him.

  Tears stung my eyes. “Is it always going to be like this?”

  “I hope not. I can’t be without you.”

  “I feel the same.”

  He was so close, I could feel the heat from his skin. He was watching me with a look in his hooded eyes that sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine.

  “Come inside with me,” I said, my voice a husky whisper.

  “We shouldn’t.”

  I didn’t want to beg…but “Please, Parker,” I whispered. My hand crept up to the back of his neck, my fingers threaded through his hair. His whole body stiffened and his eyes slipped shut. “I want you.”

  For a breathless moment, I didn’t think he’d give in and I’d be left feeling like a needy idiot.

  Suddenly I was against the wall, with Parker’s body pressed against me and his mouth hungrily devouring mine.

  I clung to him, holding on tight. My lips opened and his tongue delved inside. The taste of him was as intoxicating as I remembered and I moaned.

  He opened the door and swept me inside. I barely heard the door close, too busy kissing his neck and jaw and any other part of him that I could reach.

  He lifted me and my legs circled him. My skirt pushed up my thighs and my back went up against the wall. His kiss was as desperate as mine. Parker’s hips were cradled between my thighs and I tightened my legs.

  “God, Sage,” he rasped against my lips. His erection pressed against me, sending a rush of heat through me. I whimpered, wanting him so badly I thought I’d die if he didn’t take me right there, right then.

  “Fuck me, Parker,” I whispered. Part of me was embarrassed that I had the guts to say that, but the other part of me really didn’t give a crap, other than hoping Parker liked taking that particular order.

  I squirmed a hand between us and managed to undo his pants. Another deft tug and his hard cock was in my hand. Parker was sucking on my neck and I gently squeezed him.

  “You’re sure?” His voice in my ear sent a shiver across my skin.

  “I’d be the worst kind of tease if I wasn’t,” I replied dryly.

  He snorted. “Just making sure.”

  I was glad Parker worked out because somehow he managed to tug aside my panties and bury himself inside me all while still keeping me against the wall.

  “Where there’s a will, there’s a way,” I breathed, smiling. He felt incredible and I clung to him.

  “God, I’ve missed you.”

  I didn’t have a chance to respond before he was kissing me again, not that I had much coherent thought at that point. Just vague thoughts of yes please and oh yeah, just like that.

  He gripped my hips, thrusting inside me, his tongue tangling with mine. Our breath mingled and the sound of my pulse racing throbbed in my ears. His taste, his touch, the feel of his body covering mine—all of it was overwhelming in the very best kind of way.

  Parker tore his mouth from mine. “My memory didn’t do you justice,” he said, carrying me from the wall toward the couch.

  I thought we would lay down, but he bent me over the side and shoved my skirt up to my waist. I felt air on the backs of my thighs as Parker yanked my panties down and off my legs. His leg nudged my knees apart and I gladly obliged, emitting a wholly unfeminine groan when he thrust inside me.

  It was hard and fast and oh so thorough, Parker taking me like this. I felt his wanting me, needing me, and it was an incredible turn-on. When he reached around to slide his fingers against my clit, I was already almost there.

  “Oh God, Parker,” I moaned, knowing I sounded like a bad porno flick but not caring. “Oh God…”

  “Come for me, Sage. I want to feel you.”

  He thrust harder, filling me, and I shattered, crying out his name. I heard him cursing as his body jerked into mine, his cock pulsing inside me.

  Parker was draped over me, both of us struggling to get our breath. He swept aside my hair and pressed his lips to my skin. I closed my eyes at the feel of his gentle, slow kisses on my neck.

  “I love how you smell right here,” he said in a voice just above a whisper. “It’s a warm smell. It combines your perfume, your hair, and your skin.”

  If I wasn’t already boneless from my mind-blowing orgasm, I would have melted on the spot.

  He pulled out of me and swept me up in his arms. I hooked an arm around his shoulder and nuzzled his neck as he carried me to the bedroom.

  We didn’t speak. He gazed into my eyes as he laid me down and sat down next to me. Reaching over, he flipped on the bedside lamp. His fingers tangled in my hair, combing slowly through the strands. The touch made me feel like a cat being stroked and I watch
ed him, the air heavy between us.

  “Come lie down with me,” I said.

  “You know I can’t.”

  My stomach sank. “Why not?”

  “I have to leave. Natalie will be waiting for me.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said, sitting up. “You’re going back to her?”

  “I have no choice. Not right now. And I’m not going back to her. I’m going to my apartment, where she happens to be.”

  “This is ridiculous,” I said, channeling my hurt into anger. “I refuse to let those…those assholes dictate our lives.”

  “I’m working on it,” he said. “But in the meantime, we’re going to play by their rules. I’m not going to allow him to hurt you or your business.”

  Okay, so he was working on it. “What does that mean?” I asked.

  His eyes searched mine. “Trust me,” he said. “I need you to just trust me. Can you do that?”

  I hesitated. I wanted to, I really did, but he was going home to Natalie, who was beautiful and wanted him…

  “You can’t, can you,” he said, disappointment evident on his face.

  “No,” I denied. “I do trust you, it’s just…”

  “Just what?”

  “I don’t trust her,” I blurted. “She practically throws herself at you.” And that had been with me around. I couldn’t imagine what she was doing now that I wasn’t there.

  “It takes two,” he said. “Now kiss me and try not to worry.” His hand slid underneath my hair to cup the nape of my neck.

  One of those requests was easily done. The other…not so much.

  I kissed him as though it might be our last kiss ever, because well, you just never know. It was several moments before we came up for air.

  “You certainly don’t make it easy to leave,” Parker said, his voice roughened in a way that made me smile with satisfaction.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I said, pretending innocence, though the look I gave him was pure take-me-now.

  He groaned, kissing me again, a hard press of his lips against mine. His hand moved between my legs to touch me. I was still sensitive and gasped. He deepened the kiss as he slid a finger inside and I clutched at his shoulders. I was wet and it felt divine, sweeping away thoughts of Natalie and Steven.

  Parker didn’t stop kissing me until I was crying out, my body shuddering with the force of another orgasm. Even the light stroke of his finger was too much and I grabbed his wrist, stilling him.

  “Now who’s using sex as a distraction,” I managed to say.

  His lips twisted in a half-smile. “Couldn’t resist making you come again,” he said. “I love watching you.”

  Heat flooded my face and I knew I was blushing something awful.

  “Go to sleep and don’t worry,” he said, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll be in touch.” He rose to leave.

  “Wait,” I said, grabbing on to the hem of his jacket. “I love you. You know that, right?”

  His smile was sweet and made his eyes soften as he looked at me. “I do. And I love you, too.” Another quick kiss, one last smoldering look at me lying half-naked on my bed, and he was gone.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I was smiling like a lovesick fool the next morning, pleasantly sore in all the right places, and it took until my second cup of coffee before I remembered the all-important fact that I’d stolen government property last night—namely, Steven Shea’s marriage document file.

  No sense letting a good felony go to waste…

  Digging in my purse, I pulled out the folder and flipped it open. Several papers were inside and I scrutinized them. A marriage license application all right, dated over a decade ago…with the name of the prospective bride utterly blacked out.

  I stared in disbelief. It looked like a Top Secret file I’d seen in the movies, where information had been blacked out with a marker.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I muttered, flipping through the entire file. It was all like that. Someone had gone to some trouble to make sure no one knew the name of Steven’s wife. Why? If he’d regretted getting married, he could’ve just had an annulment or gotten a divorce.

  TJ had said Steven was always talking about his wife, so it didn’t sound like he’d regretted getting married.

  But maybe his father had, especially if there hadn’t been a prenup. Given Leo’s history of bribing officials and politicians, it didn’t seem like much of a stretch to think he could’ve paid someone off to do this.

  I tossed aside the file, thinking. Now what? I’d hit a dead end in looking for something on Steven. Parker had said to trust him, Jessie and Ryker were waiting for Natalie’s next move, and I was cooling my heels doing nothing.

  That didn’t sit well with me.

  My cell phone rang and I glanced at the caller ID. My mom was calling.

  “Hey, Mom, everything okay?” Fear for my dad was always in the back of my mind, that on one of these calls she was going to say that no, everything wasn’t okay.

  “Yes, things are fine,” she said. “I called to tell you that they’re going to start easing your father off the drugs today. If all goes well, he might wake up as soon as tomorrow.”

  “That’s great!” It would be a huge relief to have my dad awake, even though I knew he’d still be in the hospital for a while recovering. “I can come by later and see you.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you soon then. Love you, dear.”

  “Love you, too, Mom.”

  I was in a good mood when I got dressed. Things were looking up. Yes, my father had broken the law and yes that put me in a very bad situation now, but Parker had something up his sleeve he wasn’t telling me about. All I had to do was trust him, which was a hell of a lot easier after last night.

  Memories made my smile wistful as I brushed my hair, not seeing my reflection, but reliving the moment he’d pressed me against the wall. He’d wanted to stay, I’d bet my life on it. And we’d said we loved each other. It was the first time in a while that we’d done that and a lot had happened since then.

  I hoped that though our relationship had been through a lot of fires, it had strengthened and reinforced what we felt for each other. It wasn’t a crush and it wasn’t fleeting. It was that soul-deep, abiding, can’t-breathe-without-the-other kind of love that poets wrote about and artists tried to portray on canvas. I knew I didn’t want to live my life without him…I just hoped he felt the same way.

  I was on my way to work when I noticed the car following us. Schulz had been kind enough to drop by to take me in and I’d seen a rather nice white Mercedes idling on the corner. I probably wouldn’t have even looked twice if it hadn’t been just on this side of flashy, but it was hard to miss as we navigated through downtown Chicago traffic and it stayed exactly two cars behind us the entire time.

  Was this Steven again? Sending a flunky to try and hurt me? The thought enraged me. Parker had made a deal that had sacrificed his job and possibly his career. That Steven, the shit, would renege wasn’t a surprise to me.

  When we reached the office, I jumped out of the car before Schultz could get out. “I’ll see you later, thanks!” I called to him. No need for him to get involved and possibly hurt.

  I headed for the office, keeping an eye on the car that had pulled to the curb three cars down. There was a crowd of people waiting to cross the street and I blended into them, sidling up to the car from the back, and trying to pretend my heart wasn’t pumping triple-time.

  Hoping it was unlocked (or I’d look really stupid), I pulled on the driver’s side door handle. It swung open.

  “Why the hell are you—” I stopped, staring in surprise at Natalie. “You!” I recovered. “What are you doing following me?” Reaching inside the car, I grabbed on to her arm and yanked her out.

  Her face turned red. “I’m not…following you.”

  “Oh, really. You just happened to be outside my office right now?”

  “Okay, fine, I was fo
llowing you,” she said. “But it’s just that—” She stopped.

  “Just that what?”

  She hesitated, then blurted, “I just have to know. Do you love Parker? Like really love him?”

  Okay, this was out of left field. “Why do you care?”

  Her eyes filled, but she didn’t cry. “Parker is a good man, and he deserves someone who loves him for who he is, not a stepping stone in their career.”

  I stiffened, but before I could retort, she blundered on.

  “Not that I’m accusing you of doing that and I’m probably the last person in the world who should be holding anyone accountable for how Parker is treated, it’s just that…I care about him. And I want to see him happy.”

  “If you want to see him happy, then why are you forcing a relationship on him?” I countered.

  “I-I…I can’t answer that right now,” she said. “But I know he needs you to trust him, and in a small way, I do, too.”

  “How can I possibly trust you and why should I?”

  “Because Parker does.”

  Her frank response silenced me. I took a moment, looking into her eyes, trying to read the truth there.

  “I don’t know if I believe any part of your story,” I said at last. “But I love Parker, and I trust him. He took a bullet for me.” It was hard not to look at that and realize I could trust Parker, no matter what. Even if it involved Natalie.

  “So…truce?” she asked, holding out her hand.

  “Truce.” I shook her hand. I’d officially crossed over into the Twilight Zone. I wanted to ask her why the lies about Jessie’s kidnapping, but held my tongue.

  I headed inside the building, glancing once behind me to see Natalie getting into her car and driving off.

  Hmm.

  Carrie greeted me with coffee and breakfast. “Monthlies from Rick are on your desk for review and I’m off to the first floor to grab the mail. I’ll be back in a flash.” And she was out the door.

  Carrie was back shortly with another stack of papers for me to go through and quizzed me as I read. I told her about the records office, someone shooting at me, and finding Steven’s electronic file missing and the paper original censored.