by Foster, Lori
She covered herself with her arms. “No fair. You have to take something off, too.”
God, she had a beautiful body. Staring at her belly, he muttered, “Right. Whatever.” Nearly blind with lust, Parker shoved to his feet, stripped his T-shirt off over his head and, staring at her body, shoved out of his jogging pants and boxers.
Lily started to sit up to look at him, but he said, “No way.” He tumbled her backward onto the mattress and worked her panties down her legs. A little finesse wouldn’t have hurt, but he couldn’t dredge up even an ounce. The fact that he wasn’t yet inside her showed remarkable restraint, as much as he could muster.
Her bra nearly ripped under his fumbling hands, but within seconds he had her naked. He wanted to touch and taste her all over, and to that end, he fell on her like a marauding berserker, his mouth at her throat, her shoulder, his hands sliding over warm skin and soft curves.
Lily laughed as he touched her everywhere. For only a moment, he suckled a nipple, and enjoyed her rising sounds of excitement. But at any moment, he’d lose it, so he levered up on one stiffened arm, opened her thighs and, breathing hard, stared at her pink sex while sliding one finger deep.
“Parker.” She arched up. Wet, hot.
Ready.
Breathing raggedly, he found a rubber in the nightstand, rolled it on, and then he was over her, groaning, on fire at the feel of her silky flesh, her stiffened nipples, the warmth between her thighs.
He closed his mouth over hers, stroking with his tongue while pressing into her, rocking deeper and deeper until she’d accepted all of him. Her slim arms wound around his neck, her ankles locked at the small of his back, and damn it all, he started coming.
He threw his head back, managed to growl out “Sorry,” while thrusting deep and hard, giving over to the draining of tension and anger and regret, and accepting the pervading numbness, the awesome calm.
Vaguely, he felt Lily’s hands touch his chest, cup his jaw. He heard her gentle sigh, and when he sank onto her, wrung out, shot to hell, he noted the soft kiss to his shoulder.
The events of the day got the better of him, and Parker had only enough wits left to roll off to her side, sprawling on his back, before sleep claimed him.
Smiling like a goof, Lily lay there while her heart continued a mad gallop. She could easily guess how Parker would react to his carnal faux pas when he awoke. He was such a big, macho guy, so determined to always be strong and honorable. Leaving her would probably seem the ultimate insult to him.
She turned her head to look at him, and the smile faded to tenderness. God, he was so sexy, even now while dead to the world. And she wanted him so much. Her belly tingled and her thighs trembled and her breasts ached. But she could wait until he awoke. Even heroes needed sleep.
Carefully turning toward him and lifting to one elbow, she touched him, smoothing back his dark brown hair. To her surprise, his green eyes snapped open and stared right at her. But they looked more blank than aware, and suddenly he mumbled something unintelligible and dragged her close. Lily found herself cradled to his warm chest, one muscled arm around her back, one heavy leg over hers.
She couldn’t move.
But then, she didn’t want to. It was too early for her, but after a while, sleep beckoned, and she relaxed enough to drift off.
The lights were still on when Lily awakened, but she sensed a lot of time had passed. A distinct chill filled the air—and a warm, wet mouth tugged at her breast.
Her eyes widened. “Parker?”
“You betcha.” A teasing tongue licked across her chest, then curled around her other nipple. “You let me fall asleep.”
Her breath caught. “I don’t think I could have stopped you.”
“I’m a pig. Mmmm, you taste good.” And he started sucking at her breast again.
Shockwaves of pleasure moved over her, reigniting her earlier arousal. She tunneled her fingers into his hair. “What time is it?”
“Who cares?” And then, “Open your legs.”
Wow, he sure had awakened with a “prove-himself” attitude. “Why?”
“I want to finger you. I want to feel you and get you off, and then find another rubber and take you again. The right way. The way you deserve. The way I’ve been thinking about for months.”
She shouldn’t have asked. Heat throbbed beneath her skin—and she opened her legs.
“Nice.” His hands were big and rough, and he knew what to do and how to do it. “Poor baby,” he crooned, while touching her intimately. “You fell asleep all hot and wet, didn’t you?”
Lily couldn’t talk, not with his fingers moving over her like that, pressing into her and retreating and teasing…
“I should be shot. How does this feel?” Parker pushed two fingers deep, stretching her, carefully thrusting, and then his thumb rolled over her clitoris.
Her muscles jolted in reaction, stealing her breath so that she couldn’t answer.
Voice low and thick with satisfaction, he whispered, “You like that, Lily.”
She arched her neck and managed a small sound of agreement.
Parker smiled against her breast. “I’ll make this good for you.”
And true to his word, he kept up the wonderful foreplay until her entire body burned.
“Come for me, Lily. Let me redeem myself.”
Such idiocy! How could he blather on while she—oh God. Tension suddenly gripped her and her fingers bit into his hard, sleek shoulders while her hips lifted in rhythm. Pleasure rolled through her, and then, by small degrees, ebbed away, leaving her limp.
Before she could open her heavy eyes, Parker rose over her, kneeing her legs apart to press into her, deep and deeper still. With his warm breath coming fast, he cupped her face and kissed her gently. “Just relax,” he instructed, “and I’ll take care of you.”
“Protection?”
“Already in place.” He leisurely kissed her, long and slow and consuming, then kept on kissing her. He filled her. His heat and scent surrounded her. Yet other than his tongue, he didn’t move an inch.
Lily shifted her hips, felt the sweet friction of his erection inside her, and decided moving was a good thing. But when she tried it, Parker pressed down, holding her still.
She pried her mouth away from his. “Parker…”
“Shhh.” He kissed her throat, took a soft love bite of her shoulder. “I want you to be with me this time.”
“I am.”
“Not yet.”
Ready to press the issue, Lily trailed her fingers over his chest—and got her hands pinned above her head.
“Behave,” he admonished, then his attention caught on her breasts, and he lowered his head to tongue a stiffened nipple.
She couldn’t move at all, not with his hips between her thighs, his weight holding her down, her hands restrained by his. It was frustrating. And a turn-on. And she didn’t want to wait anymore.
“I’m ready, Parker.” And to taunt him into action, she said, “Remember, I’m younger than you. I recover quicker.”
His head shot up. “I’m the one who woke you.”
“I know.” She stared at his mouth, a little breathless, a lot in love. “Now show me what you can do.”
He seemed to harden even more, his expression, his muscles, the erection deep inside her. One side of his mouth curled in a predatory smile. “You want to come, is that it?”
“I want you to love me.”
Her deliberate wording took him off guard. But Lily held his gaze, letting him form his own conclusions. No matter how he took it, he’d be right.
Releasing her wrists, his eyes locked on hers, Parker trailed his hands down to her thighs. He hooked his elbows beneath her knees, lifted her legs high, and tilted her hips up so that he sank into her even more.
Breath catching on a gasp, Lily braced her hands on his shoulders—but she didn’t look away from him.
Without a word, he began a steady rhythm that gained in strength with each thrust. Hard
er, deeper. Gaze burning, Parker watched her. His hair hung over his brow, his shoulders strained, every muscle delineated.
Lily came first, the release taking her by storm, forcing a high cry from her throat.
Parker muffled his answering groan against her shoulder. They went limp, arms and legs tangled, hearts beating together. Lily had to bite her lip to keep from telling Parker about her feelings. She’d been half in love with him a week after making his acquaintance. Since then, she’d fallen a little more in love every day.
Now that they’d been intimate…well, she just couldn’t imagine any other man in her life.
When her breathing calmed enough so that she could speak, she turned her head and saw the clock. Two A.M. She smiled and whispered, “It’s Christmas Eve, Parker.”
He grunted, struggled up to his elbows, and stared down at her. He wanted to say something, Lily could tell, and she held her breath, waiting.
But then he shook his head, kissed the end of her nose, and rolled out of her arms and out of the bed.
“Be right back,” he said, and she watched the muscles flex in his shoulders, butt, and thighs as he left for the bathroom.
Should she get up, dress, and leave? Should she ask to stay? Would he tell her to leave?
She heard running water and splashing, the flush of the toilet, and she got up to take her own turn in the bathroom. Parker paused to absorb the sight of her nude body as she passed him in the hall. He didn’t touch her, and he didn’t say anything.
When she returned to the bedroom, the lights were out, but she could see the distinct shape of his long body beneath the covers.
She’d almost figured out what to say when he lifted the blankets aside to invite her in.
“Come here,” he said. “It’s cold. I don’t want you to get ill.”
Relieved, Lily slid in beside him, felt his arms close around her, and wanted to melt in contentment. She could do this every night, for the rest of her life, and never have a moment’s regret.
“Happy birthday, Lily.”
She smiled. “You make a heck of a birthday present.”
He grunted, already more asleep than awake. She shouldn’t push her luck, but…“Would you do me a really huge favor?”
His hand coasted down her back to her bottom. “If it’s sexual, I’m your man.”
She laughed, but quickly grew serious again. “It has to do with Christmas Eve.”
His arms tightened. “Thank God, I’m off for a week. I’m going to unplug the phone so my mother and sister can’t nag at me, then I’m going to watch television and pretend it isn’t a holiday guaranteed to bring about depression and desperation.”
Not a very promising start, Lily thought. She toyed with his chest hair and purposely misled him. “I don’t get together with my family till Christmas Day, and I don’t want to be alone. Will you spend the day with me?”
The seconds ticked by with no reply, and Lily wondered if he went to sleep. Or maybe she’d angered him by pushing.
Finally, he said, “As long as it doesn’t involve shopping, wrapping, singing, or celebrating, then yeah, I’d enjoy your company.”
She’d already done the shopping and wrapping, the choir didn’t need him, and celebrating was something done in the heart, so she’d leave that up to him to work out. “Thank you.”
His rock hard shoulder moved beneath her head. “I figure I owe you, anyway.”
Furious, she bolted upright. “I made love with you, Parker. I didn’t do you a damn favor.”
Eyes glittering in the dark, he said, “I was talking about my earlier insult.”
Blast. A little sheepish, she asked, “Which one?”
“Where I accused you of being a hooker.”
“Oh.” Lily resettled herself against him. “Now you know how ridiculous that was.”
His hand slid down the length of her spine. “I dunno. I think you’d make a heck of a living selling this sweet little body.”
“Flatterer.” She kissed his chest and hugged him. “Seriously, after being considered a meal ticket, it’s kind of nice to be viewed as a…” She grinned. “Sexpot, instead.”
Parker swatted her ass. “Keep it up, Lily. I’m older and wiser, and have developed innovative ways to get even.” His palm smoothed over the sting on her cheek, and he added, “In the morning, after I’m rested up, I’ll make you pay for those taunts.”
And Lily, more content than she’d ever been in her life, whispered, “Promises, promises.” But already, Parker’s breath had evened into sleep.
His paybacks would have to wait, because in the morning, she planned to show him how special the holidays could be. Then she planned to steal his heart. This Christmas, she wanted it all.
She wanted Parker Ross.
4
The second Parker awoke, he knew she was gone. He sat up, saw the clock, and groaned. Noon. Jesus, she’d worn him out.
He rubbed his tired face—and smelled cookies baking.
He heard Christmas music.
He heard Lily singing again.
So she hadn’t gone home. No, she’d just left his bed to bake. His heart softened.
Shit, the last thing a cop needed was a soft heart.
He felt old, damn it. What happened to the days when he could put in a long shift, make love for hours after, and still greet the morning with boundless energy?
Long gone, apparently, considering his blurry brain and gritty eyes and aching muscles.
Yet, in stark contrast, Lily was up and singing and baking.
Determined to match her, Parker threw the covers aside and stalked to the closet. But all he saw were dark suits, navy blue and brown, and they all looked too…dated. The differences in their lives showed even in his friggin’ closet.
But…did he still care about that?
He sniffed the air again, smelled the cookies, and shook his head. Screw the clothes and age differences.
He wanted Lily.
Bypassing the dresser drawers that held his jeans and shorts, he walked into his kitchen—and got a very pleasant surprise.
Wearing one of his shirts and nothing more, Lily bent at the stove to remove a cookie sheet. Man. What a wake-up call.
Sneaking up behind her, his approach muffled by the music, Parker waited until she’d set the hot baking sheet aside, then slid his hands around to her belly and pulled her back against his chest. “Good morning,” he rumbled.
“Hey, sleepyhead.” She turned in his arms, saw his nude body, and her jaw loosened. “You’re…naked.”
“Really?” He looked down at himself and said, “Damn, I forgot pants.”
She returned his teasing look. “Parker.”
“Doesn’t matter. You look better in my clothes than I do anyway.”
Hands opening on his chest, she whispered, “Hey, I wasn’t complaining,” and she treated him to a killer kiss that chased away the rest of the cobwebs and gave him a lethal Jones. “Coffee?”
He shook his head and snagged her close again. “Sex.”
Laughing, she darted out of reach. “Your hair’s standing on end, you’ve got enough whiskers to remove a layer of my hide, and I have more cookies to bake.”
Damn. Rubbing his chin, he realized she was right. He turned away, intent on one thing. “Fine. I’ll be back for the coffee in ten. Finish up your cookies.”
“But…”
“You wanted me. Well, now you’ve got me.” He sent her a quick wink. “Wait for me in the bed.”
Parker closed the bathroom door on her laughter. But he realized he was smiling, too. She made him feel lighthearted, when he hadn’t thought that possible, especially during the holidays.
True to his word, Parker opened the bathroom door only ten minutes later. He spotted her sitting in the middle of the bed, and like a fantasy from a dream, he started toward her, steam billowing out around him, trailing in his wake. His stride was long and sure, his whiskers gone, his wet hair combed back.
Still na
ked.
Yearning curled inside her, and Lily knew it’d be so easy to stray off course, to forget her plans and wallow in the sensuality he offered.
But as much as he tempted her, as much as she wanted him at that very moment, she also wanted more. She wanted forever.
She started to tell him that they needed to talk, but Parker didn’t give her a chance. He never slowed, and his steely gaze never wavered. His big hands landed on her shoulders, driving her down to the mattress, and his mouth swallowed her gasp. She found herself flat on her back, covered by hot, aroused male.
“Parker,” she moaned.
“Now that I’ve had you,” he whispered near her ear, “I want you even more.”
Given his confession, there probably wouldn’t be a better time to segue into a discussion on their future. Lily closed her eyes, drew a deep breath, and said, “You think you’ll want me in a year? Or five? Or…”
He pushed back from her, but Lily kept her eyes closed, too cowardly to look at him, too afraid she’d see his discomfort, or worse, outright rejection.
His lips brushed hers, his hand cradled her face. “What are you talking about, Lily?”
Well, shoot. She’d have to open her eyes for that. She peeked, and saw he looked merely curious, a little tender, still really turned-on. Not annoyed. Not angry.
Turning her face to the side, she nodded at the large memory book on his nightstand. “I have a gift for you.”
Now he frowned. “We agreed—no gifts.”
“No, we agreed no singing or wrapping or…whatever. Besides, it’s not that type of gift.”
Warily, he glanced at the nightstand. “A photo album?”
“Memory book.”
Both hands cupped her face. “Let’s make some new memories. Starting right now.” And he tried to kiss her again.
Lily pressed her head back into the pillow. “This is important to me, Parker.”
“God I hate when women say that.”
For that, she gave him a shove. “It could be important to you, too, if you’d stop being such a grinch and just listen.”
Growling out a complaint, Parker rolled onto his back and covered his face with a forearm. “Okay, let me have it. This is about Christmas, isn’t it?”
