Page 38 of Rowdy St. Nick

"Hey, Tess! Parker's telling tall tales again!" Jace calls over, raising his glass in salute. I shake my head, grinning ear to ear. This is what it's all about—friends, family, and the kind of love that wraps around you like a warm Texas night.

"Only the tallest for our guests!" Parker shoots back, winking at me across the lawn.

As the night gets going, I saunter across the lawn. Parker is by the grill, his cowboy hat tipped back as he masters the flames.

"Babe, if you keep flippin' those patties like that, we might have to rename you 'The Grill Master’," I tease.

He chuckles. “Only if you promise to be my assistant,” he says, green eyes glinting with that familiar mischievous spark.

"Assistant, huh?" I cock an eyebrow and swipe a finger along the edge of a rib, stealing a taste. The sweet and smoky flavor bursts on my tongue. I let out a contented hum, and his gaze heats up, locked on my lips. “How about partner in crime?” I suggest, licking barbecue sauce off my finger with a wink.

"Perfect," he murmurs, his voice husky.

Shaking off the intoxicating moment, I turn and beckon a cluster of guests towards the house. "Come on, y'all. Let me show you what we've been up to inside." I lead them through the wide-open doors.

"This is one of my favorite things in the house." I say, pointing to a custom-built bookshelf nestled in the corner. "Ryan built it for us with Sylar’s repurposed wine barrels from Bennett Family Vineyard. Can you believe it?" Their oohs and aahs make me smile.

"Y’all should see the rooms down the hall," I continue with a grin, leading them down the hallway lined with black-and-white photos of Heartville’s rolling hills. "Whoa! The electricity must have gone out."

Murmurs turn to gasps, and a titter of nervous laughter ripples around the small group.

I hear Parker's boots before I see his flashlight beam cut through the dark. "No need to fret, folks," he drawls. "We've got more candles than Jackson's Bar has whiskey bottles."

"Which is saying something," someone quips, causing everyone to laugh.

He soon emerges with lanterns and a box of candles clutched in his arms. "Now, who's ready for that rustic charm we advertised in the brochure?"

"Better than advertised," someone shouts back.

Under the flickering candlelight, I watch Parker's silhouette move with purposeful ease, and I'm reminded why I fell so hard and fast for this man. His steadiness, his humor—it all wraps around me and is so comforting.

"Looks like we're back in the nineteenth century," he says with a grin, setting a lantern down near me. "Good thing we're not wearing corsets, huh?"

"Speak for yourself," I shoot back.

Laughing, I nudge the door closed with my hip just as a burst of giggles erupts from the hallway. A flashlight beam dashes across the walls, and I see where it’s coming from. That one door, the one we thought was locked.

"Oops," comes a voice, followed by a chorus of oh-my-gods and no-ways. My cheeks heat up under the amused stares. Parker's eyes meet mine across the room, a sheepish grin playing at the corners of his mouth.

"Nothing to see here, folks," I say, but it's like waving a red flag in front of a bull. The guests edge closer into our playroom. I just chuckle at their wide-eyed wonder. It's not every day you stumble into your hosts' private den of kink.

"Let me tell y'all a story," I begin, leaning against the doorway with a tilt of my head. "Once upon a time, in the small town of Heartville, a girl met a cowboy who was more vanilla than the ice cream in the freezer section at the grocery store..."

Parker sidles up beside me. "And this cowboy thought his wildest ride would be on the back of a horse," he chimes in. "But then, well, he met Tess."

Someone whistles, another claps, and even Ryan's booming laugh joins in from somewhere behind.

"Turns out, there's a first time for everything, including leather chaps that aren't just for riding horses," I add, winking at Parker, who feigns a blush. "And let's just say, this cowboy... well, he got a taste for adventure."

"More of an acquired taste, really," Parker drawls, wrapping an arm around my waist. "Like fine wine or that fancy cheese Tess insists on pairing with it."

"Or handcuffs with fuzzy lining," someone quips, and the room erupts again.

"Hey now, don't knock it 'til you try it," Parker retorts, and the applause that follows is hearty.

"Anyway, it's all about trying new things, right? Whether it's a new dish at the diner or exploring... other appetites."

“Like the food I just pulled off the grill. Dinner’s ready, everyone,” Parker announces, and everyone chuckles as they rush towards the kitchen to fill up their plates.

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