Skin Deep

by Daniels, A. J.

  The three of them play Marco Polo and chase each other around the length of the pool for almost half an hour before Bella decides it would be a good idea if she and Danielle team up and splashed him.

  She was right, it was fun at first. Until he started countering all their moves and got ahold of Bella before tossing her and her pool noodle in the shallow part. He did the same thing to Ashley while she squealed and laughed.

  They only decided to take a break when the pizza finally arrived and then they stuffed their bellies full.

  Ashley’s extremely exhausted by the time they flop down on the couch in front of the TV. She glances over at Parker while Bella picks a movie. He looks as exhausted as she feels.

  She’s not surprised though. He tossed her and Bella into the water a handful of times and then continued to chase Bella around the pool some more. Seeing the two of them together and how much Bella looks up to him pulls at her heart.

  “I picked one, Dani,” Bella announces as she climbs onto Ashley’s lap, remote in hand.

  She’s warmed up to Ashley a lot over the last several hours, even pouting when she didn’t sit next her while they ate. It was so heartbreaking, Ashley actually got out of her seat on the couch and sat next to Bella on the floor with the pizza box in front of them. Parker, the little shit, just laughed.

  “Which one did you pick?”

  “Frozen!” Bella beams up at her.

  “Cool! I haven’t seen that one yet.”

  “Elsa’s my favourite!”

  “Bell, why don’t you come sit here and give Dani some more room?” He pats the open space between them, but Bella doesn’t budge. Instead, she snuggles in closer to Ashley and wraps her arms around her middle.

  “It’s okay, she can stay if she wants.”

  Bella nods and hands him the remote so he can press play.

  …

  Elsa is singing about letting something go, and Bella is fast asleep in her lap when the doorbell wakes Ashley She must have fallen asleep at some point during the movie too.

  “Hey, Anne. Come on in.”

  She hears his voice down the hallway, and in the next minute he and Anne are turning the corner into the living room.

  “She’s asleep.” Ashley smiles at Anne.

  “Thank you so much, guys. I really appreciate it,” Anne says moving to pick up Bella, but Parker stops her.

  “I’ve got her.” He scoops up Bella and follows Anne out to her car after she says bye to Ashley. When he comes back inside he flops back onto the couch and opens his arms for her to move closer. She doesn’t hesitate to curl up next to him with her head on his chest.

  “You owe me a coffee.”

  “I do.”

  “Nap time first, though.” She yawns.

  “Agreed.” He already sounds half asleep with his head thrown back against the back of the couch.

  …

  “Come on, A. You’ve been seeing this guy for close to three months now, and we still haven’t met him or know who he is,” Alice whines

  “At least give us a name, Ash.” Kat adds.

  “Seriously, this is like the fifth girls’ night you guys have hounded me about him.”

  “And we will continue to do so until you give us what we want.” Alice grins.

  “Yup, ’cause that’s what girlfriends are for. Plus, how are we supposed to Facebook stalk the guy and give you our opinions if we don’t know his name?” Kat adds.

  “Exactly!” Alice agrees.

  “Argh. Okay, you are not going to Facebook stalk him.” Ashley points to Alice.

  “I promise not to stalk him if you spill the beans on who this mystery guy is.”

  Ashley just shakes her head, not giving into Alice and Kat’s inquiries.

  Alice huffs and crosses her arms over her chest. “All right, fine. I give up.”

  “Finally.” Ashley grins.

  “For now,” Alice adds. “Don’t forget we’re meeting up with Mike and some guys from his team this weekend.”

  “Still not letting that go, huh?” Ashley asks.

  “No. Not until we know for sure Adam won’t be able to touch you.”

  When Ashley leaves the restaurant and walks out to her car to head over to Parker’s there’s a single, long-stemmed, red rose laying in between her windshield and wiper blades. There isn’t a note attached. A small smile pulls at her lips thinking about him sneaking out here and placing the rose on her windshield without telling her.

  …

  Parker’s in his kitchen, bent over the oven, when Ashley walks in. His ass looks so good in his wranglers.

  “Hi, handsome.”

  “Hi, babe.” He turns around with a big grin on his face and oven mitts on both hands, a covered pan held between them.

  “What’s cookin’, good lookin’?”

  He shakes his head and raises an eyebrow at her comment.

  “What? Not funny?”

  “You need some new material.”

  She shrugs. “I thought it was fine.”

  The smell of sweet pineapple and sugar waft up from the pan, making her mouth water. “What’s for dinner?”

  “Ham with a pineapple and brown sugar glaze.” He places the pan on the stove and turns back around, pulling off the oven mitts.

  “He cooks.”

  “Come here. I feel like I haven’t seen you in months.”

  She steps into his waiting arms and she feels like she can finally breathe and relax when his arms close around her, his warm breath on her neck.

  “That’s because it’s been too long. I missed this.”

  “Me too.” He places open-mouthed kisses on her neck and along her jaw line. “You smell incredible.”

  “You don’t smell so bad yourself.”

  “I just had a shower. You wouldn’t have said that ten minutes ago.” He chuckles. “The boys and I hit the gym pretty hard tonight.”

  “Hmm, I don’t know. You all sweaty and shirtless?” Her hands run up his gloriously well-built stomach, to his chest, over his shoulders, and down his equally powerful arms. “I think I could get on board with that.”

  “What else could you get on board with, babe?”

  She trails her fingers lightly back down his chest to his stomach and pops open the button of his jeans before cupping him over his underwear. “You fucking me six ways till Sunday.”

  He groans. “You have some mouth on you.”

  “Oh, baby, you haven’t seen the things my mouth can do.”

  The more she talks, the more he grows beneath her hand. She’s enjoying the power she holds over this man right now. If she wanted to she could probably make him come hard, but she won’t. She wants to draw it out a little first. Tease him a bit longer.

  “Fuck.”

  “Me,” Ashley supplies for him.

  He raises an eyebrow. “You want to do it in the kitchen?”

  They’ve had sex in every room in his house so far, except for the kitchen. He was hoping that maybe today would’ve been the day she decided to christen this room too.

  “Who said anything about fucking in the kitchen?” she asks, dropping her clothes to the floor as she makes her way through the kitchen to the hallway and then up the stairs.

  Spinning around when she hears his feet running up the steps two at a time, she reaches behind her and unclasps her black, lace bra before taking it off and tossing at him.

  He groans and drops her bra on the top landing before following her into the bedroom.

  …

  His calloused fingers trail lightly over her smooth, olive skin, moving down her side, her waist, her hip, and her thigh; his mouth placing delicious, open-mouthed kisses along her neck and jaw.

  Ashley tilts her chin higher, giving him more access. His warm breath on her skin sends shivers skimming across her body. His touch, his smell, his voice, are a heady combination that leave her breathless.

  “You’re so sexy,” he whispers in her ear.

  She crushes her mout
h to his, her tongue demanding entry. He groans as his lips part. The kiss is hard. Demanding.

  Her fingers skim down his back until they reach the hem of his shirt, and she hurriedly peels it up and over his broad shoulders, their lips part for a split second while his shirt is pulled over his head.

  Finally, she’s able to feel his skin under her fingers. He’s strong and rock hard beneath her touch. She moans as she rakes her fingernails up his back, smirking as he grunts. She doesn’t feel guilty at all for leaving her mark on him. He’s hers and she doesn’t have any intention of sharing him.

  He settles even more between her legs when she parts them, wrapping one leg around his waist, pulling him closer.

  She can’t get enough of this man. She never thought she’d be able to trust another man. She was convinced she would never find love again. But then he came around. What started out as a quick fuck in a club bathroom turned into something magical. And, yes, she’s fully aware of how ridiculous and naïve that sounds, but that’s what happened.

  She never expected to see him again. He was just supposed to be a momentary distraction. Then she saw him at the pub the following week and he asked her to dinner. The rest, as they say, is history. This man showed her what it felt like to laugh again. To love again. He showed her what it felt like to be loved by someone. A feeling she’s never experienced with anyone before.

  His fingers slip under her black, lace thong, parting her lips. Ashley moans when his finger starts rubbing slow circles on her clit.

  Fuck that feels good.

  Her hips buck when he increases the pressure and his pace.

  “I’m not going to last long if you keep that up,” she says, panting.

  He chuckles. “Baby, that’s my plan. Don’t think this will be a one shot night.”

  He sits back on his knees and lightly drags her thong down her legs, adding to her already heightened senses. His thumb goes back to stroking circles around her clit while he slips a finger inside her.

  Her back arches off the bed begging him to go deeper. He adds another finger before giving into her demand. She’s so wet, her juices are running down his hand and soaking the bed sheet.

  “Fuuck,” he groans.

  “I’m going to come,” she says as she breathes heavily.

  “Come for me, babe.” He increases his speed, hitting that sweet spot inside of her.

  She shuts her eyes and moans his name when she comes. Her breathing hard, her body the most relaxed it’s been in a long time.

  When she opens her eyes, his are burning with hunger. Maintaining eye contact he brings his fingers to his mouth and sucks them, tasting her on his tongue.

  Her fingers fly to the button on his jeans, tugging them down in record speed. He chuckles when she doesn’t waste a second pulling down his boxers as soon as his jeans are off.

  “Someone’s a little eager.”

  “Fuck yeah,” she replies.

  She groans when she sees he’s already standing at full attention.

  Fuck he’s big.

  Her mouth waters as her fingers wrap around him. He’s hot and solid in her hand. She can’t wait to feel him inside of her. He groans when she flicks her tongue up his length, base to tip, then runs it along the slit.

  He hisses as her lips wrap around his length, taking him into her mouth inch by inch. She twirls her tongue around his head when she pulls back before sucking him deeply again.

  “Fuck,” he growls when she repeats the motion. “I really need to be inside you, Dani.”

  She smirks, standing up and gathering her hair over one shoulder before turning around and bending over the bed, offering her ass up to him.

  The smoldering look she throws him over her shoulder is almost his undoing but he holds it together long enough to tear open the condom wrapper and slide it on.

  He inserts one finger then a second inside her, making sure she’s still ready to take him. When he’s satisfied she’s wet enough, he strokes his cock once then twice, before lining up the head with her entrance.

  She takes all of him, and when he’s fully seated inside her pussy, he gives her a couple of seconds to adjust to his length. She moans when he withdraws then pushes in again. She’s so tight, he has to consciously remind himself to slow down or he’s going to come too fast.

  It’s only seconds later he feels her pussy constrict around his cock, and she’s coming again, hard. His own release follows not far behind.

  They both collapse in a sweaty heap on the bed after he disposes of the condom in the bathroom garbage can.

  …

  It’s early the next morning before sleep finally comes for them. Parker was true to his word about it not being a one shot night.

  If that was what sex was supposed to feel like, then she certainly wasn’t going to complain. She could probably get used to marathon sex with him.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “HOLY SHIT,” ASHLEY SAYS, taking in the large, brick house looming in front of them.

  A stone pathway sits in the middle of a well-manicured lawn, leading up to a wraparound porch, where a double-swing sits to the side of the French front doors. A three car garage sits atop the long driveway

  “How many vehicles does one person need?” Kat asks taking in the matte-black Ducati sitting in between a black Ford F-150 with red outlining the rims, and a red and black Toyota Tundra.

  Alice laughs. “Only the Ford is Mike’s. The other two belong to his teammates. And to answer your question, Mike has a Kawasaki, and an Audi R8 he never drives. But oddly enough, he’s always washing the damn thing.”

  The women laugh as Mike opens the front door.

  “Ladies,” he greets, opening the door wider for them to pass through. “Would any of you like a beer?”

  “Sure,” all three of them respond, following him down the hallway and into his kitchen.

  Mike’s house is nothing like Ashley expected. The entire place looks like it was decorated by a professional designer. Mike’s kitchen is huge; white cupboards and grey, granite countertops sit against every wall in the room. The center island spans the entire length of the kitchen.

  When they round the corner, Ashley’s eyes land on a very familiar set of blue ones.

  “Ladies, these are some of my team members. You’ve met Jay but this is—”

  “Parker,” Ashley supplies.

  “Danielle.” Parker grins.

  “You two have met?” Alice asks.

  Ashley turns to Alice with a sigh. “It’s Parker.”

  “Yeah, we’ve established that,” Kat chimes in.

  Ashley widens her eyes at Kat in silent communication, but it’s Alice who gets it first.

  “No way. The guy you’ve been seeing is Parker?” Alice laughs.

  Jay and Mike have settled against the counter with beers in their hands and grins on their faces, enjoying the show.

  …

  Parker’s still smiling like an idiot, amused watching Danielle try to explain to her friends how she knows him.

  That smile fades when he realizes why they’re all here. All Mike had told them was that Jess had a friend who was in trouble with an ex of hers and she needed help or advice on what to do to protect her safety.

  He’d mentioned that Jess’s friend had already moved across the country and had changed her name and appearance. But Jess was still worried about the ex finding her and following her out here.

  If Danielle was the friend, then it meant she’d lied to him about potentially everything. Anger starts crawling its way up his spine. He hoped that maybe it wasn’t Danielle who Mike was referring to. Maybe it was the other friend, what was her name? Nicole.

  His hope is dashed with Mike’s next question.

  “So, Danielle, what can we help you with?”

  He clenches his jaw, grinding his teeth in the process, and crosses his arms over his chest. She fucking lied to him.

  This is why he never put the effort into dating a woman. They always lied t
o him in some way. Never being completely honest with him. He didn’t have time for people like that, not just women. Trust was everything to him.

  …

  Ashley looks nervously from Mike to Jay and then to him. His whole attitude towards her has gone cold. The smile that played at his lips when she first entered the kitchen is long gone, now his face is just a mask. Ashley can’t tell what he’s thinking.

  Why did she let Alice talk her into doing this? She already had everything under control. There was no way Adam was going to find her out here.

  She glances back over at Parker. He’s still wearing his poker face, but pure hatred is radiating off him in waves now.

  Nausea rolls through her. “I’m sorry, I can’t do this.” She bolts out of the kitchen, back down the hallway, and out the front door, collapsing onto the lawn as soon as she inhales the fresh air.

  The nausea backs off, but fear takes its place.

  She’s afraid if Parker knew the real her, he’d walk out the door and never come back. They’d only been seeing each other for a little over three months, but she was falling for him.

  She cares more about him than she’d ever cared for anyone before, including Adam. Yet, every time he’s tried to ask her about her past she’d distract him and change the subject. She hates talking about her past and having to relive those memories.

  Also, she’s certain that if he knew the truth about her past there was no way he’d keep wasting his time on her. And she’s selfish. She wants whatever’s happening between them to last just a little longer. She knows she’ll have to tell him sooner or later if they ever had a hope of a future, but when she does, he’ll leave. They all eventually leave.

  Who’s she kidding? From the look on his face, he already knew she’d lied to him.

  …

  He feels like a royal ass when Danielle darts out of Mike’s kitchen like the house is on fire. He feels like even more of an ass when he looks out the window and sees her collapse on the front lawn.

  She’s breathing hard, like she’s just run a marathon and tears are streaking down her cheeks.

  That’s the last straw for him. He may be angry she lied to him but he at least owes her time to explain.

  “Danielle,” he says, kneeling down on the grass next to her. The warm summer sun beating down on them.