Denying Mr. Parks (The Parks #1)

by Lilly James

  “You wanted to know about mine.” I glanced out the window again and watched the cars speed past in the fast lane. I had a feeling he wasn’t being overcautious with his driving but taking his time so he could spend more time with me.

  “That’s because I want to know all about you, and you give me nothing. I am infatuated with you, Evelyn Banks.”

  “Your infatuation is a hassle.” I didn’t look at him when I said that, but I sensed his smirk, so I looked into my lap and laughed, relaxing a little.

  “They live in Beverly Hills. My father, Clinton, is a top celebrity lawyer, and my mother, Harriet, is a retired brain surgeon.” He said it so nonchalantly, I was almost waiting for him to say he was kidding.

  “Wow,” I managed when he didn’t. “Well, my uncle’s a plumber.” I laughed at my own joke and got to hear that low chuckle from him again. “So what does your mum do now she’s retired?”

  “She has set up a charity called COA. Children of Addicts. She’s incredible.” He sensed the wince I made when he stated what COA meant and homed in. “Hey, you all right?”

  I shook my head, trying to act casual. “Yeah. Fine. So are you close?”

  His eyes dropped a little when I asked, but being as controlled and self-contained as he was, I knew he wasn’t going to elaborate. “So-so.”

  He had just said his mother was incredible, but when I asked if he was close to his parents, he couldn’t give me a definitive answer. Maybe there had been a family rift? Whatever the reason, I was sure it wasn’t the same as mine for not opening up about my parents. The Parks family were obviously wealthy, well-educated, respected people, and that only increased my intrigue. “What about your twin?”

  His eyes brightened, and he smiled warmly. Okay, he was completely fond of his twin sister. Did I feel a pang of jealousy over a sibling? That would be ridiculous.

  “Jasmine is a math genius. At twenty-three I began building my own financial services company and wanted to hire a CEO to take over. Jaz proved to me that she was more than capable of the job, so I allowed her to run it with myself watching from the sidelines. I had no interest in that sort of business. It was only something I knew would make me a lot of money, but it fascinated Jasmine. Now she has built up Parks Financial Services, and our insurance company is one of the largest in the world. Our financial services is the fifth largest. We’re quite an accomplished family.”

  I said wow for the second time and instantly felt miniscule. “I bet everyone wants to be in your family.”

  “Yes, on the outside it seems extremely indefectible, doesn’t it?” His sigh was deep, and he almost sounded sad, but I didn’t question it because I hated to be questioned myself. That didn’t mean I wanted to know any less, but I tried to lighten the mood then.

  “How old are you again?” He hadn’t said, but I asked like he had and acted like I’d just forgotten.

  His smiled turned into an amused one; he knew my game. “I haven’t told you, have I? Or didn’t Google give you the answer when you checked?”

  I swatted his shoulder playfully. “I did not search how old you were on Google. Just if you had a girlfriend.” I turned my lips up, trying not to laugh, but Parks’s full laughter made me burst out with it.

  “You’re crazy, Evelyn.” He chuckled. “But if you really want to know my age, then it’s twenty-nine.”

  “That young?” I gasped.

  He looked into the car mirror and rubbed at his jaw. “Do I look older?”

  “Oh no,” I added quickly. “I mean, everything you’ve accomplished, and you’re only twenty-nine.”

  “You have no idea of my accomplishments, do you?” He chuckled again.

  I looked down at my lap on an embarrassed giggle. “No. But I know you went to Harvard at eighteen. Clarke told me.”

  Still smiling, he nodded slowly. Maybe I would have to Google his accomplishments.

  “When’s your birthday?” I asked.

  “April 19.”

  “So you’re an Aries? That would explain a lot.”

  His quick glance towards me was quizzical. “You believe in that stuff?”

  “Star signs?” I suddenly felt more alert and talkative. I always did when I talked about something I was passionate about, and the zodiac was one of those things. “Definitely.”

  I saw him pondering. “So what does an Aries mean?”

  I smiled. “You are the ram. Impulsive, stubborn, hardworking, and don’t get me started on your love life. That alone answers my question to why the fuck you haven’t settled down with a California girl. Ya know, little shorts, bikinis on top.”

  He tilted his head back and laughed a full belly laugh, and the inviting sound was conclusively mature and sexy. It instantly brought on my own chuckle.

  “What can I say? I have been captivated by a foulmouthed, British beauty with a sexy ponytail, amber eyes so entrancing they remind me of the colour of fall, and delicious curves I desire to worship at any given opportunity.”

  “I…” I stumbled across my words because I was overwhelmed with bewilderment about why a man like him would be captivated by someone like me. The phrases he used about me were flattering, yet they never stuck because except for one, none of them were true.

  “I agree with foulmouthed and British.”

  He gripped the steering wheel in frustration. “I will get to the bottom of why you don’t believe me when I tell you how beautiful you are.”

  “I doubt that. It’s a bottomless well.”

  He shook his head at my farce, because he was quickly learning I put up walls because I didn’t like having serious conversations, admitting feelings, or accepting compliments. “So what does the love life of a ram look like?” He snickered like he didn’t believe that astrology was real, but I didn’t care. I did.

  “Well, you have an irresistible aura around you that women are drawn to. You approach love like a battle, and like most battles you choose to fight, you normally win.”

  His brows shot up, and I saw his smirk creep in. “So why not stop fighting me now, Evelyn? You have just proved I will win in the end.”

  I looked out the window again, suddenly feeling backtracked and downhearted. “That’s not what I feel. It’s what the stars say,” I muttered.

  “Then we must let fate decide.”

  We fell into silence after that, and the music changed to Elvis Presley’s “Suspicious Minds.” Parks laughed fondly. “Cleaver is also a big lover of Elvis. Clearly.”

  I laughed along in the same tone. “My nan loved Elvis.”

  “Yeah?” He sounded completely interested, probably because I was talking about a person dear to me, and it showed.

  I nodded, already deep in happy thoughts. “This song was one of her favourites. Watching her and my granddad dance to Elvis in their living room are some of the happiest memories of my life.”

  His pause was distressed. “She’s…?”

  I nodded, staring at the road ahead as I recalled those years of sadness. When I spoke, my tone was heavy. “She died at the tender age of sixty-six. I was sixteen.” I didn’t tell him how she died, because I would have to explain why the stress my mother caused her sent her to an early grave. I hated my mum for that. I also hated what she said to me about it. Nan and I had shared the same birthday, and my mother told me I had the devil inside me and the three digits that came up were my fault. Said I caused Nan’s death by simply turning sixteen when my nan turned sixty-six. My mother was insane.

  “Your granddad?”

  “He died two months later from a broken heart.” I inhaled cautiously, deep. My grandparents’ deaths were the first times I cried properly in my whole life. They were also the last times I cried. My grandparents had been better parents to me than my mum and dad ever were, and I missed them every second of every damn day.

  I looked away from Parks again and took small breaths whilst blinking a few times to prevent tears from falling. Tears were weak.

  “I’m sorry.” He sounded
sorrowful and a little taken aback. As was I. I never talked about my grandparents to anyone because there was so much hurt and heartbreak behind that subject; pain I kept hidden and locked away. I kept everything locked away and hoped no one would ever find the key. Yet there I was, talking to Parks about two of the most precious people in my life when I had never told anyone else.

  “She was a great woman, you know. Warm, kind, and cuddly. Just like nans are supposed to be. But she knew exactly when to put her foot down. Nothing would ever get past my nan, and she wasn’t afraid to give me a slap on the wrist if I had done wrong. She was full of wisdom. Everything she said had a meaning. She meant everything to me.” I glanced over at Parks and shook my head slightly as I came back to earth. “Sorry…”

  “Hey, don’t apologize. I’m glad you feel you can talk to me, Evelyn, even if you don’t always show it.”

  I never show it, I thought. “She was the one who got me into star signs. She was fascinated by them, which made me fascinated. She was also a collector of gemstones. Healing gemstones. I have them all. All except her favourite one, which was a beautiful ruby.”

  Parks was listening to every word, sucking it all up. “Where is it?”

  I looked down into my lap. “I don’t know.”

  “So what was special about that ruby? What’s the meaning?”

  I knew a man like Parks didn’t have an ounce of desire to learn about healing stones or star signs, so I suspected he was only curious because they were of huge interest to me.

  “It doesn’t matter.” I couldn’t get into it right then.

  We had been driving for thirty minutes now, and he changed the music to Maroon 5’s “She Will Be Loved.” I burst out laughing at the crazy coincidence.

  “What? They’re a great band. U2 is my preference, but they come in a close second.”

  “Steph adores them. Says the lead singer is hot.”

  “And do you agree?” If I wasn’t mistaken, I could have sworn I saw a glimpse of childlike jealousy. So of course I had to wind him up.

  “I wouldn’t kick him out of bed.” He nodded stiffly and said nothing. “But then, I like dark-haired men.”

  I, of course, was getting myself into trouble. I was a Jekyll-and-Hyde case with no one but myself to blame for that. I watched as he bit the side of his lip and instantly wished I was biting it instead.

  “Glad to hear it.” He took his left hand off the gear stick and placed in on my knee. “Jesus. Why didn’t you wear a dress? I want to touch your bare skin, Evelyn. Take off your jeans.”

  What the…? Talk about mood change. “Excuse me? I can’t and will not take off my jeans. That’s absurd. I mention I like dark-haired men and you want me naked? You’re crazy.”

  “I wasn’t—until I met you. Do it.”

  “No.” I brushed off his hand. “Just focus on driving.”

  “I can do two things at once. I am a man of many talents.” He grinned proudly, and the heat in his eyes as he glanced over at me quickly made my stomach tie itself into a knot. My heart rate sped up like a beating drum and wouldn’t slow down. He caressed my thigh all the way up to the waistband of my jeans, then popped open my button deftly with two fingers and slid down the zip. I didn’t want him to stop. Once the zip was down, he moved his hand inside my trousers and under my knickers line.

  “Say yes.” It was a demanding request, and my legs fell shamelessly apart, allowing entrance for his fingers. I kept my focus straight ahead whilst he moved his index finger over my wet folds, seeming to aim for my clit. Jesus, the pressure of his fingers inside my trousers had me needing him immediately.

  “Hmm, always wet for me, Evelyn,” he purred. I was wet from my own lubrication and from how aroused he made me. I think I’d d been soaked since he told me he was hard thinking about my arse. When his fingers came into contact with my clit, he applied gentle pressure and began to make slow, rhythmical circles. “Pull your jeans and panties down to your knees.”

  My mind in a rush, I did as he commanded, then sat back and spread my thighs open farther. I was exposed, wet, and waiting.

  He was driving at seventy miles per hour, passing drivers who had no clue what was happening. That felt incredibly bold and provocative to me, and I wanted more.

  “Good girl,” he approved on a rumble, leisurely swirling his fingers at my clit. I let out a low, delighted moan as my head fell back languidly onto the headrest. My body was too hot, too needy and weak. My low moan quickly turned into a gasp as he pushed one finger gently into my slick hole and bent it ever so slowly—and oh so well. His fingers alone told me how skilled and confident he was about pleasuring a woman. It was almost effortless for him, which made it incredibly hard to deny him praise.

  “Tell me how good that feels, Evelyn.” His eyes were still on the road. He didn’t have to look to know where it felt good. He just knew. I shook my head, declining to speak, closed my eyes tighter, and pursed my lips whilst my chest heaved sharply. I gripped the inside door handle and the seat beneath me as he slid another finger in on an irritated rumble, and it wasn’t gently. My eyes stayed closed whilst my back arched. My backside slid down the seat slightly whilst I thrust my pelvis up to rub against his hand. He was thrusting his fingers faster and faster in and out whilst he spoke roughly, clearly turned on just from hearing me squirm.

  “Your body tells me how good that feels, even if you don’t want to admit it.”

  “My body deceives me.” I was breathless and on the verge of a mindless, immense orgasm. I had never wanted relief from someone so much in my life, and I needed it right there and then.

  “You deceive yourself. Do you think I should allow you to come?”

  Hell yes, I thought he should let me come. “Yes.” I was helpless, held captive under his expert fingers brutally fucking my hole and on the brink of falling apart, but he was stalling it. My sex tightened around his fingers whilst he stroked me, and his palm rubbed against my clitoris, making me yelp. I held on to his hand, digging my fingers into his flesh, urging him to allow me to let go. God, I needed it.

  “Me too, because I love watching you come, Evelyn. I love watching you glow and feeling your delightful pleasure running down my fingers.”

  I climaxed exactly when Parks said I should. My cry was high-pitched as I held on to his hand, riding my hips against it and racing through my climax.

  When he let me go, I sat with my legs spread wide, feeling sensitive and breathless but more extraordinarily turned-on than anything. I wanted to throw myself onto his erection, which I could see had grown considerably in his suit trousers, and ride him down the rest of the M25, but I couldn’t because I wouldn’t ask for it.

  I went to pull up my jeans, but he told me to keep them undone. “I’m pulling over.” His words were gruff and impatient as he indicated left and pulled up on the hard shoulder.

  “We can’t…”

  “Yes, we fucking can and we will.”

  That shut me up.

  He told me to climb into the backseat, as the windows there were blacked out. I pulled my jeans off entirely and scrambled over the gear stick and into the back, gaining a small, appreciative smack on my arse as I went. I knelt on the backseat with my front to the rear window so I was looking out of it. He was behind me in an instant, and I heard the familiar sound of his belt buckle being undone. I quickly glanced over my shoulder and watched as he pushed his trousers down, but only enough to allow himself to fall free. I felt him hard and impatient behind me as he brushed the head of his cock against the apex of my thigh.

  “I need to feel your soft, tight sweetness clench around my dick, Evelyn.”

  I bit my lip and groaned in agreement, feeling turned-on beyond belief at the way he whispered dirty, raw words into my ear. No man was able to do it with the ease and confidence Parks did.

  I gave another quick glance behind me and watched as he held himself in one hand and hovered the head of his erection over my entrance. I inhaled his enticing smell that was to
o evident to ignore. He was complete maleness, intoxicating cologne, and watermelon. The mixed scent of lust, desire, and passion was also heavy in the space we shared, and it only made my body ache for him. Every sense I had been born with was awakened when he opened me up the way he did.

  His breathing was rough as he told me to turn my head around, then he grasped my hips and pulled me back a little before aggressively plunging into me.

  “God, Wade.” I jolted forwards, my fingers digging into the headrests of the backseats, and the way I’d called his name spurred him on even more.

  “Yes, Evelyn,” he hissed behind me. “Tell me how good my cock feels.”

  “You feel…” I couldn’t manage words. He was inside me balls-deep, grasping at my hips and pulling them back onto his waiting length to meet his hard thrusts. My mind was numb; I couldn’t think.

  “Yes?” he urged, pounding into my depths.

  “Am…amazing,” I gasped, pushing my arse out to meet him.

  “That’s it, baby.”

  After that he shagged me good, hard, and fast until I was sobbing his name and he was hissing mine.

  My forehead met the headrest as I tried to bring my breathing back to a normal state. My legs weren’t my own. I was tender between my thighs, swollen, and marvellously aching. I was briefly aware of him bending down to kiss the back of my head, but after that he was back in the driver’s seat and tucking his shirt back into place. I turned to find my jeans and knickers on the car floor and tugged them both back on.

  Parks fastened my seat belt when I got settled back into the front seat, leaned over and made sure it was secure, then indicated right to pull back out onto the motorway.

  We drove the rest of the journey in silence. He opened his mouth several times, but then fought back a breath and decided against speaking. He was acting cold, aloof, and withdrawn, and I hated that it kind of hurt and confused me. I told myself I couldn’t keep having sex with a man I didn’t want in my life. I had to stop ignoring the consequences of how others were going to feel because of my foolishness. Like Alex and Steph for a start.