Single, and for quite some time, lived alone, which meant no chance of being interrupted by a gun-toting girlfriend, also extremely smart, fit and let’s face it, gorgeous. Parker was who she needed to befriend to find out what was going on in this town. Not a bad source, though. Sometimes mixing business with pleasure was a perk of the job, she smiled to herself. She had watched Surin go home earlier today, following her car and waiting to make sure she wasn’t going out again. The lights went on in her house, the shower ran and then everything went quiet. She waited an extra half-hour to make sure she was in for the night before driving to the bar. Parker was in there alone. Stepping onto the sidewalk, thoughts of Surin once again gave her pause. He is her partner, not her lover she reminded herself for the tenth time, wondering where this sudden attack of conscience was coming from. It had never bothered her before who she stood on to get what she wanted. She would be doing nothing wrong. Reaching down, she opened a further two buttons of her tight white blouse, ensuring that her lacy bra was showing just enough to be noticed but not overtly slutty. She straightened her pencil skirt, adjusted the straps on her sling-back heels and, clutching her purse, she made the decision to continue. What was the worst that could happen? She could get no information from Rhodes but have a really enjoyable time trying. Smiling again, she started the block-long walk to Blarney’s.
***
Parker returned from the men’s room to the booth that now contained only Dennis and himself. It was seven thirty already, Surin would be here soon, he thought with a smile. As he approached his seat, he could hear Dennis’s voice grow tense as he held his mobile phone tightly to his ear.
“Meredith, I can’t be blamed for everything that kid does.” He looked up at Parker, rolled his eyes and made crazy hand gestures beside his ear. Parker nodded.
“I can come over now if your boyfriend will let me in the front door, and I’ll take Callen out to dinner, and I can talk to him then.” He paused, listening to the response. “Right then, I’ll beep the horn from the street, for fuck’s sake, I’m not going to hurt the big baby.” He laughed, obviously talking about the new boyfriend. “Tell Callen to be ready in twenty.” He hung up and rubbed his palm over his face.
“Son number one; wife number two.” He smiled, looking weary. “He got in a fight at school today, and of course, it’s my fault.” He stood and laid a twenty on the table. “Sorry to bail on you,” he added.
“No, no probs, Surin will be here at eight anyway,” Parked replied.
“Oh?” Dennis looked at him with a smirk.
“Dennis, we are partners,” Parker retorted.
“No, I know that, it’s just Surin doesn’t usually make friends, I mean, she’s very guarded. I’ve worked with her for a long time, even knew her back at the academy when she was kicking all our butts on the firing range.” Parker nodded, listening. “She doesn’t trust easily, especially after Grayson, but for some reason she trusts you.” He paused and looked at Parker, his hand resting casually on the man’s shoulder. “Don’t screw that up.” With that, Dennis walked out the front door.
Parker sat there for a while, digesting what had just been said. He knew Surin had been through a lot. He knew he was her first and only partner, and he knew how well respected she was throughout the department. Now he knew how much she meant to everyone and that everyone was watching every single move he made. He checked his watch again, sat back and waited, knowing he would never do anything to destroy their partnership.
Madison entered the bar and immediately noticed a number of heads turn in her direction. She smiled and tilted her gaze down shyly. Parker was sitting alone in a booth right up the back of the room. Perfect, she thought. Walking over towards him, she accentuated the natural swing of her hips and smiled coyly. “Detective Parker Rhodes,” she announced and sat down opposite him without waiting for an invitation. He looked divine, she noted. All rugged and masculine, mixed with that laid- back surfer hair. She revelled at the look of shock that crossed his face, followed by a tinge of anger. Oh, she thought, the sex is going to be amazing.
“Why do I get the feeling you’re not happy to see me?” she pouted.
Parker leaned forward, clasping his hands together. “What do you want, Madison?” It was all he could do not to get up and walk out, the balls on this woman, he thought.
“Want? How about a beer with a new friend?” She smiled and moved her fingers slowly, so they subtly brushed against his. Parker pulled his hand back quickly as if she had set it on fire.
“Madison, you need to leave, I will not, now or ever, discuss any cases with you.” He sat back into the booth, shaking his head. “I am struggling to understand you, lady.”
She sat back as well and crossed her arms over her chest, feeling stupid.
“Understand what? Jesus, Parker, this is my job.” She turned her head, feeling unwanted tears well up in her eyes.
“You call me ‘Parker’ like I know you!” he retorted venomously. “We have spoken over a crime scene, what gives you the right to approach me and think that just because you’re beautiful, I’m going to spill my guts to you?” He was totally flabbergasted at the motives of this woman.
“You think I’m beautiful?” she asked quietly.
“On the outside,” he stated without emotion. “Surin is on her way, and I’ll be damned if I’ll let you aggravate her again today.” His voice grew dangerously quiet. “Whatever you came to get from me tonight, Madison, is not going to happen. I need to make this very clear. I will not let anything or anyone jeopardise my partnership or my cases.” He quickly looked at his watch again.
“I didn’t know he was her fiancé,” Madison muttered quietly. “I honestly didn’t know. Now it’s ruined my entire fucking career, which by the way is my entire fucking life.” She turned away from him to hide the emotion in her face.
“Be that as it may, I want no part of your games.” Parker sat back and gestured for her to leave.
“Games?” She stood and placed both hands on the table, leering at him, the embarrassment of his rejection morphing into anger.
Parker tried very hard not to look down the top at her ample cleavage as she spoke.
“You and Surin are the only ones playing games. Something is going on here, something about this murder. I’m not going to let it go, no matter how much you stonewall me. I will always find a way.” She bent down and grabbed her purse off the bench seat and turned to leave.
“Maybe you should try actually getting information the hard way,” Parker snapped. “Not on your back.” As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them. He really knew nothing about this woman. All the anger he had for her was actually on Surin’s behalf. He sighed. “Madison—” She turned and looked at him, a tear sliding down her cheek. “Fuck, I’m sorry, that was out of line.” He stood facing her, not sure what to do. “I don’t know you, just please understand I can’t have you interfering, professionally or personally, the job means too much to me, there is too much at stake.” He stopped, not sure why he was telling her this.
“You mean like Surin?” she sneered, anger suddenly ablaze in her blue eyes.
“Yeah, that’s part of it,” he replied honestly.
“I will never live that night down, will I? One stupid decision and poof,” she clicked her fingers in the air, “my life will never be the same.”
“Neither will Surin’s,” Parker stated simply.
Madison stared at him like she had never actually realised the damage that one night had done, not just to her and her career but to Surin and Grayson as well.
“It wasn’t my fault,” she added, knowing full well that sounded like an excuse from a whiney teenager. “I came tonight to talk to you, Detective, about the murder today, about other murders. I thought we could work together, share insights and yeah, maybe have a good time afterwards.” She put her hands on her hips and shook her hair out of her face, slowly regaining a small measure of confidence back.
“I alrea
dy have a partner, Madison,” he sighed apologetically, “and she just walked in the front door.”
***
Surin had always loved Blarney’s. Being a second-generation police officer, following in the footsteps of her father, Michael Elliott, she felt very much at home here. Patrick, the owner of the place, signalled to her with a wave from behind the bar. A few other men and women she had worked with over the years nodded and said hello as she made her way over to him.
“My second favourite Detective Elliott.” Patrick smiled at her, his accent thick and Irish and probably the most comforting sound in the world to her. Patrick and her dad had worked together many a time in the past; he had frequented their house a lot during one particular case where a witness to a double homicide had been murdered. The witness, a twenty-two-year-old fresh-faced college girl, had been one of Patrick’s cases at the time. Surin’s father, Michael, had been assigned to her murder, which had been particularly nasty. Patrick was a wreck. Surin recalled her father and him sitting up until the early hours of one morning, drinking scotch. She had crept down the stairs and watched as he openly wept while Michael patted his back. As a child, she was utterly shocked to see a grown man, especially one larger than life, cry. As a cop, she now knew better. Her father was well-regarded on the force, but she had tried to distance herself from him in every way as not to be seen to be getting an easy ride.
“Detective O’Callahan,” she replied with a smile and a glance back over her shoulder. “Busy in here tonight,” she added, falling into easy conversation.
“It does seem like a big crowd for a Thursday, I guess,” he answered with a broad grin. “What brings you here on a school night, love?” As he spoke, he drew her a large pint of Guinness.
“Meeting my partner here to try and knock out some fresh leads on a case.” She sighed, turned leaning her elbows on the bar, and scanned the crowd to see if Parker had arrived yet.
She spotted him sitting alone in the back booth, her favourite spot, she smiled, took her drink and laid a note on the bar.
“Your money’s no good here,” Patrick said gruffly, pushing it back to her.
“Pat, if you said that to every cop you have worked with you would go broke.” She grinned affectionately.
“I don’t say that to every cop, Surin, only a select few.” He winked, and with that, he turned to serve another customer. She pushed the fiver back into her jeans pocket. After a few hours of sleep, she had awoken feeling mildly refreshed and decided to make an effort with her appearance. It had nothing to do with Parker, she told herself, and everything to do with feeling human again. She had squeezed into her dark denim skinny jeans and had to lay on the bed to get the fly up, added a ruby-red scoop neck t-shirt that probably showed a little too much cleavage than she ought to, brushed her long ebony hair and left it out, a touch of red lippy and she almost felt normal. She grabbed her drink off the bar and walked over.
Parker was too busy making sure that Madison had left through the back to notice that Surin was on her way over. When he did finally look up, his jaw dropped involuntarily. Surin looked completely unbelievable. Gone was the all-business attire; she was positively glowing. Wearing sinfully tight jeans that accentuated her hips and ass, her shiny black hair flowing down her back, he couldn’t help noticing the way her shirt hugged her generous chest. Jesus Christ, he thought and gulped the last of his beer. This is not good.
“Rhodes,” she said simply with a huge smile. “Miss me?” she teased and sat down across from him with her dark-coloured beverage.
“Guinness?” he asked gravelly, feeling a little bit like a tongue-tied teenager.
“What can I say, it’s in my blood,” she replied casually.
Parker stared at her, willing himself to say something normal. “You just missed Dennis,” he blurted, feeling like an idiot.
Surin looked at him, an uneasy smile slowly forming. “Oh, that’s a shame.” She looked away, wondering if Parker was drunk.
He felt her unease at his awkwardness and sighed. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled, running his hand through his tussled hair. “I wasn’t expecting you to, well, look like that,” he said honestly. “It kind of caught me off guard.”
“Look like what?” she queried, a gorgeous flush creeping up her neck. Surin was mortified. I knew I shouldn’t have worn this, she thought, silently scolding herself. I look like an idiot!
Parker laughed loudly at himself. “I guess, like a beautiful woman.”
Surin looked up at him, clearly not expecting that reply. “Oh!” she stuttered, “um, thanks, I just, well, this is as close to a night out as I get,” she added, fidgeting, “so I thought, hey make some effort not to look like a cop.”
Parker nodded.
“Too much?” she asked, gesturing to her breasts.
Oh shit, Parker thought as he felt himself harden in his pants. He shifted uneasily in his seat.
“Well, no, I mean you look great,” he answered. This was becoming uncomfortable. It’s Surin, pull yourself together, man! She seemed to relax all of a sudden.
“It’s nice to get a man’s honest, unemotional, unbiased opinion on these things, thanks.” She smiled. “I would hate to be walking around looking like, say, Madison, who I just happened to see leaving as I entered.” She stared hard at Parker, gauging his reaction. “You know what I mean?” she continued. “A walking advertisement of what to wear to get laid.”
Parker stared at her, unflinching. This lady missed nothing.
“She approached me to be her source,” he blurted. Surin slapped the table with her free hand.
“I knew she would,” she quipped matter-of-factly. “And?”
Parker sat back. “I told her no, professionally and personally.”
Surin took a sip of her beer. “You really said no to her?” she asked as if it was impossible. “Why?” Her eyes looked down at her hands wrapped around the glass.
Parker wasn’t used to seeing the vulnerable side of her. He waited.
“She’s young, single, ambitious, and gorgeous, and so are you, a perfect match, really.” Realising what she had just said, her eyes shot up to meet his.
They both sat there, not talking for what seemed like an eternity — the noise around them grew dull — like someone had hit the mute button. Every sense in Surin’s body was on high alert. She noticed Parker’s shoulders, how strong they looked, his hair, how she would love to run her fingers through it. Warmth spread to the most intimate parts of her body, and she dared not move.
Parker was eyeing her delicate neck and imagined pulling her head back and covering it with soft kisses. He could see that her breathing had become shallow as her breasts rose and fell beneath the thin material of her shirt. One look in her smouldering emerald eyes and he knew she felt the same.
“We should go,” she said breathlessly, and stood. Parker followed her out the door and into his car.
“I’ll drop you home. We can pick up on this in the morning,” he stated, not risking a look in her direction.
The drive to Surin’s was silent. The air was palpable, and both of them could feel the tension growing. Parker pulled up out front, Surin paused before opening the door and looked over to him.
He could see the unbridled desire in her eyes. They both got out without a word and walked up to her door. Surin fumbled with the keys, all the while Parker stood behind her, and she could physically feel the heat between them. Finally, opening the door, they entered. Parker shut the door behind him, not reaching for the light switch. Surin stood there, her back towards him, knowing that this was going to be a huge mistake.
“Surin,” he said. She turned and looked at him. The first man she had let into her life in any way since Grayson had crippled her.
“Parker, this is not a good idea,” she said shakily, knowing it was already too late.
“I know,” he replied and reached out for her. His hand found the back of her head, and their lips met in a slow, deep kiss. He explored her mout
h with his tongue, sending delightful jolts of pleasure down her spine.
“Mmm,” she moaned into his mouth, and with that, slow, became frenzied. He took the kisses deeper as his hands moved down to her breasts, he reached into her top, pushed up her bra and cupped one breast in his firm hands. “God, yes,” she purred.
Immediately he stopped and reluctantly pulled back. Parker looked at her; she was staring at him questioningly, her pupils dilated, breathing unsteady.
“Stop, seriously,” he groaned. “We can’t do this.” Surin’s face was all mottled and gorgeous from his stubble. Her gaze dropped to the floor in embarrassment, and she sighed.
“I know,” she said unwillingly, running her hands through her hair. She found the couch and sat down, adjusting her top and pulling her legs underneath her.
They sat together on the sofa of Surin’s apartment in silence, Parker gently stroking Surin’s hand as her head lay back on the cushions, her eyes closed.
“Thank you,” she finally said, still not moving.
“What for?” Parker asked, shifting his body to face her.
“Stopping, I mean, in the heat of the moment, it’s not easy, it’s just, well, it’s been a long time for me and…”
“Hey, it’s OK,” he added, sitting up as she finally opened her eyes and looked at him.
“This can’t happen again,” she whispered, feeling tears build in her eyes. “We can’t work with this going on between us, Parker, it will distract us, cloud our judgement,” she continued. “There are reasons why it’s not allowed.”
Parker put his knuckle under her chin, lifted her face and looked deep into her eyes. “I know.” He smiled sadly.
“If it didn’t work, or something went wrong…” She paused. “I don’t want to risk our partnership on anything, do you understand?” she added imploringly.
The Dark Places Page 8
