by Foster, Lori
Lily straightened. A sigh shuddered out and, voice shaking, she said, “You’ve got it all wrong, you know.”
Did he? Her fingers slid into his hair, rubbing at his scalp, his temples, then smoothing down his neck and into his shoulders. Oh God, it felt good. Better than good. Close to orgasmic.
Real men didn’t melt from a woman’s touch—but he wanted to. He wanted to strip those skinny jeans right off her and pull her onto his lap.
He wanted to come and then to sleep for about a week.
“I’m independently wealthy.”
Jerking hard, Parker rekinked everything she’d just relaxed. “Ow, shit.” Twisting to face her, Parker demanded, “What did you say?”
“Hold still.” She pressed at his shoulders until he gave up and sank back into his seat.
It was as much mind-numbing shock as anything else that had Parker staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. His brain struggled to make sense of her ridiculous statement. “You say you’re independently…”
“Wealthy.”
“I see.” He didn’t see a damn thing, except maybe that expanding divide between his world and hers. He’d always known she was naïve about life, blind to the ugliness in it. How else could she stay so damn happy all the time? “That explains everything.”
“You don’t have to be sarcastic.”
He was horny, not sarcastic. Okay, maybe a little sarcastic. And real disbelieving.
“My grandmother doted on me. I was her only grandchild.” Her warm fingertips moved to his temples. “When she passed away, I became financially set. I was nineteen when that happened. I tried to find a job, but you know, I’m just too spoiled to want to work for anyone else.”
He’d never considered her spoiled. Pampered, maybe. Innocent. But also generous and kind.
Definitely not spoiled.
“I donate.”
Head swimming, Parker looked at her over his shoulder. “Donate what?”
Her hands rested on his shoulders. They stared at each other. Neither of them moved.
“My time. My money.” Her lashes lowered. “My optimism and good nature and happiness.”
How the hell did you donate happiness?
“You know, that’s why you’ve seen so many guys hanging around my place. Like Clive, they’re looking to get rich the easy way.”
Aha. Finally something he could sink his teeth into. “Reality check, Lily. If you’re really rich—” Which he doubted. “—then money might be a perk, but it wouldn’t be the first thing on a guy’s mind.”
He could tell she didn’t believe him, and for some reason, that annoyed him. “When men come sniffing around you, they’re looking to get laid, not rich.”
His crude words brought a curl to her mouth and put a twinkle in her eyes. “How come you aren’t sniffing a little?”
Sniff? He all but hyperventilated around her. “A lot of reasons—but it sure as hell isn’t because of the way you look.”
“Enlighten me.”
“All right, fine.” Parker turned to face her. “You’re young, and you have a very skewed outlook on life.”
Her brows lifted in surprise. “What’s wrong with my outlook?”
“You run around in rose-colored glasses, seeing what you want to see.” Especially where he was concerned. “And this crazy fascination you have with Christmas…” He shook his head. “There’s nothing like the festive season to force you to face facts.”
“What facts?”
“That life isn’t always as joyful and triumphant as we’re led to believe.”
While appearing to digest his comments, Lily went back to caressing his shoulders. “I can’t do anything about my age, Parker. Not that twenty-four is too young, anyway.”
“It’s a fourteen-year difference.”
She shrugged. “So?”
What could he say to that? At the moment, her age didn’t bother him a bit. “I can’t say as I approve of your career choices, either.”
“Why? What do you have against philanthropists?”
Being a detective came to Parker’s aid. He caught Lily’s wrists and lifted those small, teasing hands away from his flesh. Holding her captive, he eased her around to the side of him, turning at the same time so that they faced each other.
“I’m not buying it, Lily.”
She didn’t try to pull away. A little breathless, she whispered, “Why not?”
“For starters, look at where you live.”
“You live here, too.”
“Because I make a cop’s salary. If you’re as loaded as you say…”
Lily inched closer, edging her knees between his open legs, and Parker went mute. He still clasped both her wrists in his much bigger hands, and now he caged her in, damn near embracing her.
She didn’t seem to mind at all.
Focus, Parker, focus. He cleared his throat and tried to ignore the stab of sexual awareness. “Why the hell would you live here if you could afford something better?”
Her gaze softened, and she gave him a very sultry look. “Because you do.”
Parker shoved back his chair and managed to stand without touching her. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Do you remember the first day I met you?” Her breasts lifted against the soft material of her sweater in a deep sigh. “I do.”
Of course, he remembered. “Some yahoo was arguing with you at your door. You told him to get lost, but he didn’t want to.”
Lily nodded. “Another fortune hunter. I’ve dealt with them since my inheritance. You were all sweaty, and you had a black eye. You didn’t explain, you just moved up behind him, gave him this certain look that sent chills all over me, and said in a deep, I’m-in-command-voice, Is there a problem? And just like that, conflict solved.” She pressed her clasped hands to her heart. “You were so powerful and gallant.”
Her admiration threatened his resolve. Day in and day out, he worked his ass off trying to help people, trying to serve the public. More often than not, he got disappointment and complaints instead of gratitude.
But with Lily, she appreciated every damn thing he did for her. In her eyes, he was a hero. He was the man he’d always wanted to be.
Parker retreated, which annoyed the hell out of him. He didn’t retreat from anyone. Anyone except Lily.
She strolled after him.
He stepped back again—and butted up against a wall. Shit. Trapped. “I’m a cop,” he said fast. “It’s second nature to interfere.”
“With you, it’s more than that. I bet you were always a defender of the underdog, huh?”
“No.” But he was. He could never tolerate bullies, and he detested cruelty of any kind. He’d become a cop because he wanted to help, wanted to make a difference.
“So modest.” She stared at his mouth. “There’s something so sexy about the strong, silent type. Know what I mean?”
“No.”
“I bet you always wanted to be a cop.”
“Wrong.” God, he was a lousy liar.
“And now I know that you’re attracted to me.” She stopped right in front of him, with only a thin space of air separating them. “So why fight it?”
Any second now, Parker knew he’d crumble. “You wanna know what I thought you did for a living?” He didn’t give her a chance to reply. She’d left him little space to maneuver, and she looked so appealing staring up at him like that—the situation called for desperate measures. “I figured you for a hooker.”
Lily blinked at him.
Neither of them moved.
Even Elvis quit singing. That stunned him, until a new CD, this one Neil Diamond, clicked into place.
“A hooker?”
Feeling dumber by the moment, Parker nodded.
Her lips twitched a little, then firmed. “As in a woman who makes her living selling sex?”
Another nod, this one more curt. He waited for her to slap his face.
Instead, she giggled. “Oh my. You’r
e giving me more credit for my sexual experience than I deserve.”
Parker drew himself up. Just what the hell did she mean by that?
“What a dilemma for you, Detective Ross. Here you are, the quintessential defender of evil—”
“Knock it off, Lily.”
“The epitome of all that’s good—”
Growling, he said, “You’re asking for it.”
“A regular White Knight, and you thought the damsel in distress was a soiled dove.”
How dare she poke fun at him! Parker loomed over her. “You keep irregular hours. You have strange men at your door all the damn time. And you look…” His agile tongue tripped to a halt. Jesus, he’d backed himself into a verbal corner.
She batted her lashes at him. “I look…what?” Fighting a laugh, she said, “Like a…” The laughter won, and she barely managed to get the word out around her hilarity. “Sexpot?”
Furious, Parker slid away from the wall and stalked over to the table. He grabbed up another chunk of ham and tossed it into his mouth. “Listen, I’m too shit-faced to be heckled right now. Take your little party home and let me get some sleep, why don’t you?”
Rather than leave, she occupied his spot on the wall, collapsing back in amusement, her dark eyes all lit up and pretty. Her laughter never failed to affect him. He felt his ill humor slipping away.
And the way her breasts jiggled…
Parker stormed up to her, caught her upper arm, and pulled her away from the wall. “Time to go, Lily.” In about two more minutes, he’d be flat on his face, passed out.
If he lasted three minutes, she’d probably be under him.
Taking him by surprise, Lily drew up short, pulled him around, and threw herself into his arms. “You’re precious, Parker, you really are.”
Precious? Fighting the urge to snuggle her warm little body against his, Parker ground his teeth together. “You’re laughing at me,” he accused.
“Because it’s funny.” She chuckled again and shook her head. “Believe me, if I was a hooker, I’d starve to death.”
Don’t ask, Parker. Just don’t ask.
Her hands came to rest on his chest, and she tipped her head back to see him. “You’ve fascinated me from the first day we met. And now that I know why you’ve kept your distance…”
Her reaction defied logic. “I can’t believe you’re not insulted.”
“Plenty of men have been after my money. That’s a whole lot more insulting.”
Somehow, his hands ended up on her waist. He could feel the heat of her, the supple softness. “Idiots.”
Her gaze warmed. “But you had no idea I was rich. You thought I was a hooker.” Her fingers curled, subtly caressing him. “And still, you’ve always been kind and considerate. And you’re attracted to me.”
“I’m a man. How could I not be attracted?” The words no sooner left his mouth than Parker wanted to cut out his own tongue. He needed to dampen her pursuit, not encourage it.
Didn’t he?
He started to step away, and Lily launched into explanations. “I chose this apartment because it’s close to one of my favorite shelters. I spend a lot of time there helping the homeless, abused women, and kids of addicts.”
So that’s how she knew about mushrooms. His next thought made his guts cramp: Maybe she wasn’t so innocent and naïve after all. As much as her rosy demeanor had always annoyed him, he detested the thought of her facing the ugliness in life.
“While my house was being built, I needed a place to stay. But then I met you, and I didn’t want to move until I got things straightened out between us. Only you refused to make a move beyond being friendly. I knew I had to do something to get your attention.”
She waved at the table where the candle still burned and Neil Diamond growled out an old familiar holiday tune. “So I forced dinner, and a little holiday cheer, onto you.”
“The dinner was great.”
Cuddling closer, she asked, “But the holiday cheer?”
“It’s a myth. The holidays depress the hell out of most people.”
Her brows came down in a frown. “That’s nonsense. The holidays give people hope. They give them something to focus on other than their troubles.”
“Like lack of funds, lack of family and friends, lack of…faith.” Damn it, he sounded maudlin. “Do you have any idea how many suicide attempts get called in?”
She put a hand to his jaw. “There will always be lonely and unhappy people, Parker. Neither you nor I can reach everyone. But during the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas season, the suicide rate actually drops.”
“You can’t prove it by me.”
Now she looked indignant. “Parker, this is what I do. I know what I’m talking about.” And to prove it, she added, “The American Association of Suicidology has proven that December has the lowest suicide rate of any month of the year. And the National Center for Health Statistics has documented a suicide drop by at least twenty percent during the holidays.”
Anger rippled through Parker. “Christ, I fucking hate hearing people classed as statistics.”
Lily’s smile wobbled, not because his temper scared her, but because she interpreted his words all wrong. “You’re an incredible man, Parker. A hero.” She hugged herself against him again. “You care, when a lot of other people don’t.” With a sigh, she added, “It’s what I find most attractive about you.”
She offered herself so openly. It’d be beyond nice to lose himself in her slanted perception, to take all her softness and block out the ugly truths. But as a realist, Parker faced his own demons. And it was past time Lily did the same.
Hands shaking, Parker clasped her upper arms and levered her away. “Red light, Lily.” He gave her a slight shake, making her eyes widen. “Put your damn brakes on that fantasy, will you already? I’m sick of it.”
Appearing genuinely confused, she asked, “What fantasy?”
“I’m a cop,” he rasped, “nothing more and nothing less. What I do doesn’t even put a dent in the shit going on in our world. So quit deluding yourself—about me and about everything else.”
She sighed again, this time in exasperation. “You refuse to soften up even a little?”
And Parker, being too tired and too horny to think straight, stared at her mouth and said, “Honey, right now, I’m about as far from soft as a man can get.”
3
Lily knew when to take advantage of a propitious moment, and after Parker’s bold admission, it wouldn’t get much more propitious than right this very second.
Tonight, more so than at any other time, Parker needed her. Pressing into him so that she felt the hard length of his erection against her belly, she whispered, “Please kiss me.”
“Lily, damn it…”
She smiled—and closed her fingers around him.
Parker sucked in a startled breath. His erection pulsed, grew bigger. “Stop.”
Very gently, she said, “No.”
“Lily.” He said her name like a warning.
Loving him more by the second, Lily caressed him, squeezed him…
And he broke. A growl rumbled from deep in his throat. His jaw locked. All his muscles went taut. And he rasped, “I give up.”
Crushing her mouth under his, he moved forward, driving against her until it was her back pressed to the wall—with Parker firmly against her front.
Lord, she’d unleashed a storm. And she loved it. He tasted good. And he knew how to kiss. Or devour. Whatever. Lily couldn’t breathe and didn’t care.
With one hand curved around her nape, he held her head still while his tongue delved into her mouth. With the other hand, he felt her. Everywhere.
Lily moaned.
From the moment she’d met Parker, so strong, so quiet and honorable and caring, he’d touched her heart. He was every woman’s dream, a hero, a real man, exactly what the world needed, exactly what she wanted.
His fingers tightened in her hair, but she didn’t flinch away. He kissed
her throat, nuzzled against her ear while urgently kneading her breasts.
“Is this what you want?” The low, rough words sent a shiver down her spine.
“Yes.”
His groan drowned out her gasp of pleasure. He took her mouth again, stifling her excited cries as he groped over her backside, her belly, and finally between their bodies to cup her mound.
“And this?” His fingers pressed.
The sensation was so erotic, Lily tore her mouth away and gasped.
With fierce intensity, Parker watched her. His eyes were burning and bright, his expression dark and hard. He looked wild—and he looked turned-on.
He looked determined.
Wow. Barely forming the words around her escalating need, Lily whispered, “I’ve never had angry sex before.” She swallowed, lightly touched his jaw. “I…I like it.”
In the blink of an eye, Parker changed, pulling back to let her breathe, his scowl lifting. He looked at her eyes, her mouth. After several deep breaths, he put his forehead to hers. “Either tell me to stop, or plan on getting fucked. Your choice.”
Poor Parker. She knew which choice he’d prefer her to make. She licked her lips. “Your room or mine?”
Accepting the inevitable, Parker squeezed his eyes shut, then opened them again. He hefted Lily over his shoulder, feeling like a deranged caveman, and not caring.
She reared up. “Parker.”
“You had your chance.” He cupped her rounded backside to keep her still, and he liked that enough that he fondled her as he strode into his bedroom. He’d wanted Lily too long to dredge up any nobility now.
Lily, hanging upside down, said, “Finally.”
He tossed her onto his bed, bent one knee on the mattress beside her, and tackled the fastenings to her jeans. Urgency pounded in his brain. Need clawed through him.
“Lift your hips.”
She did, and he stripped off her jeans. Her panties were white with little candy canes all over them. He could see the shadowing of her pubic hair beneath. He could smell her aroused scent.
Ravenous and out of control, Parker gripped the hem of her sweater and yanked it up and over her head.
