Page 28 of Parker
Joel pulls himself up beside me. “I’m sorry, baby. This is a disaster.” He runs his hand through his hair as he scans the room and then turns to me. I kiss him softly on the lips as he wipes a tear from my eye.
“No,” I whisper. “This is perfect.” My heart flutters as he watches me. “Our own secluded cave. I love it.”
He exhales. The tension leaving his body before my eyes. And for a moment, everything and everyone outside this little haven doesn’t exist.
***
The soft fur surrounds us as we lie in a tangle of limbs, our bodies intertwined from top to bottom. We haven’t left our room since we found it hours ago. Our cases lie at the front door unopened, the kitchen unused for the hours we’ve been here.
Joel’s fingers skim my back. I love when he touches me in this way, gentle and with care. It’s in these simple moments that I know he truly wants me. This isn’t just a figment of my imagination. A crazy love story we have created for ourselves. “What are you thinking?” he asks.
I pause, considering whether I should answer, not wanting to ruin this moment. “Hmmm,” I mumble. “Keep doing that. It’s divine. I love the feel of your skin on mine.”
“I may only have known you a few days, Nicky. But I know from the look in your eye that’s not what you were thinking about.” He fixes me with a glare. “Talk to me, please. Together, we’ve got more baggage than a normal couple. Nothing should be off limits.”
“Okay,” I mutter. “I was just thinking that you should’ve been married by now.” His fingers stop stroking and start drumming on my spine. The motion directly affects the space between my legs, and I feel the wetness building again. For hours this afternoon and evening, his head has been down there pleasuring me. The man is insatiable, and I’m not complaining.
“If I’d never met you, I might have married her.” He smiles softly, not meeting my eye. “For a simple life.” His fingers continue to drum over my skin, moving toward my waist. “That would’ve been my greatest regret. Thank you for saving me from myself and my assumed responsibilities.”
Time passes unchecked as we lie together, not speaking. Being with each other is enough. “What time is it?” I ask, eventually.
“I’ve no idea,” he chuckles. “I suppose it’s time I turned my phone back on.” He grimaces at the thought. Joel switched itoff as soon as we left Glasgow this morning, knowing his family would chase him for information on his whereabouts.
“You don’t think they actually went to the cathedral, thinking you would turn up.” He shrugs. “Surely not. You told them you wouldn’t be there.”
With a sad smile, he moves a strand of hair from my cheek and kisses me gently. The gesture is romantic and intimate. This feeling between us is so much more than our short relationship.
“You haven’t met my family, baby.” His voice is serious. “My father is used to getting what he wants. We’re all meant to dance to his tune.”
Wriggling from the covers, he extracts himself from the bed. The ceilings are so low, he must crouch slightly to move through the room. I lie back on my pillow, hands above my head, and watch him. It’s a fine show with his muscular back, tight ass, and long legs. If he turns and gives me a full-frontal view, I think I may explode.
“Fuck, you’re hot,” I purr. He turns and throws me a cheeky grin.
“Not so bad yourself,” he says. His eyes scan my body. The covers lie pooled around my waist, but my fully exposed breasts show erect nipples from hours of his attention.
“Now, where’s my bloody phone?” he mutters.
Finding it beneath my discarded underwear, he twists it between his fingers. He’s nervous. I don’t blame him. From what I’ve learned about his family from our conversations, getting on the wrong side of the Parker family is bad news. After a few minutes, he presses the power button, and it springs to life. Beeps and rings trill from the handset, which lights up like a Christmas tree.
“Fifty-two missed calls, 165 text messages, and a photo of the woman I left at the altar.” His face drops as he stares at the screen. I see the guilt engulfing him from here. “She actuallywent to the cathedral.” His voice is mechanical with disbelief. Running his hand through his hair, he paces up and down the room.
“Is there anything I can do?” I ask. He shakes his head. “It’s not your fault. You told them you wouldn’t be there. You canceled.”
He glances at me. “The puppet master did not accept the cancellation.”
Joel’s world is a mystery to me. There is so much I don’t know yet. But I’ve learned so far that being loved by a man like him will be complex. He has strings tied to every limb, tight enough to break the skin. I can only pray I’m strong enough to pass him the knife to cut them.
But fifty-two missed calls.
A woman waiting in a wedding dress.
An empire threatening to implode.
All for me.
For us and our new love. That truth is hard to swallow, as heartwarming as it is terrifying. Heaviness weighs on us both as we run into our future and try not to look back until we have to.
Whatever happens next, we’ll face it together. Even if the world burns around us.
