Chapter Twelve
“Parker, it’s snowing.” Layla said as he drove their rental higher into the mountains.
“We’re in Maine. It snows.”
She whacked him. “Don’t be such a grump.”
“I’m tired and hungry,” he grouched.
She was, too, but she wasn’t going to complain about it. Today she’d flown in Parker’s personal plane, had been served by his flight staff, and tomorrow was Christmas Eve. There was going to be a wedding, and she was excited to be a part of it all. She only had a few more days with Parker, and after giving herself a hard lecture on what was real and what wasn’t, she decided to take this for what it was, and enjoy every minute she could.
“I know, but you’d think you’d be happy after your project got the green light.” Thank God some investor stepped up to provide the project with money, so they could keep costs down.
He nodded, reached across the seat, and slid his hand over hers. He gave a little squeeze. “Yeah, I am happy about that. The project is pretty important to me.”
As the snow grew thicker, she looked at the big boots he insisted on buying her. At first she thought he was crazy, but now, well, she wondered if they’d even be warm enough. They pulled up in front of a huge lodge. Christmas lights twinkled in the windows as snow hugged the roofline. She almost wanted to pinch herself, never having seen anything like it.
“This place is amazing,” she whispered, excitement bubbling up inside her.
He put the car into park and killed the ignition. “Let’s get checked in.”
She slid from the car and held her hands out to catch the snowflakes, watching as they melted on her skin. Parker laughed at her as he slid his arm around her waist and guided her inside. She spun, taking in the interior. It was gorgeous and rustic, with a big stone fireplace in the center, and numerous sofas positioned around it. To one side, there were tables with kids and families playing chess or putting together puzzles. Her heart squeezed. What she would have done for something like this as a child. As she watched, it made her realize just how much she wanted the white picket fence and everything that came with it.
All the things Parker didn’t want.
She walked around the fireplace, making her way to the floor-to-ceiling window that showcased a huge ski hill. Skiers were flying down the slopes and unease moved through her. Maybe she’d stick to something that didn’t involve breakneck speed.
“Parker,” a male voice boomed, and she turned to see his father and a man she didn’t recognize walk over to Parker and give him a hug. From her distance, she couldn’t quite hear everything they were saying, but “congratulations on his project” did ring in her ears.
They all spoke for a moment, then Parker waved her over, and she crossed the room to meet him. The man she didn’t recognize smiled at her, and she could see his resemblance to Parker. Had to be Grant.
“So you’re the girl I’ve been hearing so many great things about,” the guy said.
“Really? Who’s been feeding you lies?”
Everyone laughed, and Parker said, “Layla, this is my cousin Grant.”
“So nice to meet you, Grant. I’ve heard great things about you, too.” She turned to Albert. “Nice to see you again, Albert.”
Parker’s father took her hand and kissed it. “The pleasure is all mine.”
“Why don’t you two get settled,” Grant said, “then meet us all in the restaurant for drinks.”
Parker nodded. “Good idea.” With his key card in hand, he led her back outside.
“He seems nice,” she said as they settled themselves in the car.
“He’s a good guy.”
“Guess he didn’t get hit by the ‘bachelor for life’ stick.”
He smirked at her and put the car into gear. “Next thing you know they’ll be having kids.”
“Oh, so now you have something against kids.”
“As long as they’re not mine, I don’t.”
She shook her head and was about to comment, when a deer ran in front of them. “Oh my God.”
Parker slowed, and she fumbled to get her phone out to get a picture, but by the time she pulled it from her pocket, the deer was long gone.
“We’ll probably see more.”
“Do you think we’ll see a moose?”
Parker laughed. “You’re like a kid on Christmas morning, Layla.”
She shrugged. “I’ve never been to Maine, or anywhere.”
“Where else would you like to go?”
“Well, I can guarantee you I won’t be much of a skier, but I bet I can pull off lounging on a Jamaican beach in style.”
“You in a bikini on a beach.” His gaze moved over her body. “I’m not seeing a downside here.”
He turned the corner and went up a long driveway that stopped at a log cottage. “Is this where we’re staying?”
“Yup, our own chalet.”
“I love it.”
“Let’s get inside and get a fire going, so it’s nice and warm for us when we get back.” He handed her the keycard. “Open up for us, and I’ll grab the bags.”
She hurried to the door and slid the key in. The fresh scent of pine and something cinnamon reached her nostrils as she opened the door. Parker came in behind her with their luggage and carried it to the bedroom.
“I might never leave,” she said, walking through the place and taking it all in. “It’s so cozy.”
Parker came back and pulled her into his arms. He dropped a soft kiss onto her mouth, his lips lingering for a moment. “Want to help me get a fire going?”
“Sure. I’ve never done it before though.” Then again, since meeting Parker, she was doing a lot of things she’d never done before. “It’s quite possible I could burn the place down.”
Grinning, he pointed to the stack of newspapers beside the hearth. “Crinkle the paper, and toss it in. I’ll do the lighting.”
She sat and reached for the paper as he pulled logs from the big wooden bin beside the stone fireplace. As she took in his broad muscles, it occurred to her that he wasn’t clenching his jaw quite as much as he used to. He shouldered a lot of responsibility at work, and for the first time, he seemed relaxed. This vacation was going to be good for him. She would see to it.
She filled the grate with paper, and he tossed in a few dry logs. “Do you see any matches?” he asked.
There was a long tube on the mantle. “In there, I think.”
Parker pulled out a long match, lit it, and she watched the dry tinder go up in flames. Making herself comfortable on the plush area rug in front of the fire, she rubbed her hands together as the warmth reached her.
“Room on that rug for two?” Parker asked, as he closed the glass door on the wood stove, locking the flames behind it.
“Get over here.”
He slipped in behind her, his arms going around her waist, his legs hugging her thighs.
God, it felt so good to be held by him, felt so right to be in his arms like this. He rested his chin on her shoulder, the warm familiarity between them evoking deeper feelings inside her. He pulled her hair from her shoulder and kissed her. A shiver moved through her, and he growled.
“As much as I’d like to lay you out right here and spend the rest of the night inside you, we need to get to the lodge.”
“I know, but that doesn’t mean we can’t pick up here when we get back, right?” Yeah, she planned to take advantage of every last second with him, even if it pulverized her heart.
He ran his tongue over the shell of her ear. “Did I ever tell you how much I love the way you think?”
“Really? Then why are you always arguing with me, trying to change my mind about something or another?”
“Because sometimes you’re a real pain in my ass. Always wanting to do things your way.”
She drove her elbow into his stomach, and he let loose a loud oomph. “And you’re a bully.”
“Yeah, I am, and when we come back here tonight, I’m going to rip your clothes off and show you just how much I like to be in control.”
Oooh, yes, please.
“Maybe I’ll even let you,” she countered.
With that, he gave a big belly laugh, and she chuckled with him, loving his playful side and how comfortable they were together.
“Okay, we better go.” He tapped her leg, and she climbed to her feet. He followed her up, and she looked at her jeans.
“I should get changed.”
“You’re fine.”
“There isn’t going to be one member of your family in jeans. Do you want me to fit in or not?”
His eyes fixed on her mouth. “I just want you to be you, Layla.”
As she took in the warmth in his eyes, she fought valiantly to suppress all the things she felt for him. “I’ll always be me, Parker,” she said. “Just like you’ll always be you.”
A self-proclaimed bachelor to the end.
With that last thought in mind, she darted into the bedroom and slipped into a pair of black dress pants and a long-sleeve burgundy sweater. She pulled on a dressy scarf to complete the look. Parker tossed another log onto the fire and secured the door, wanting the place toasty for when they returned, and smiled when he saw her.
“Gorgeous,” he said. “And easy to get you out of later.” He glanced at his own jeans. “Guess I should change, too.” He adjusted the grate on the fire and disappeared into the bedroom. She followed quietly behind, taking in his rock-hard body as he slipped into dress pants and a shirt and tie. Warmth and need engulfed her. Honest to God, no guy had ever made her knees go weak the way he did. A moan she had no control over crawled out of her throat, and he turned.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“Watching.”
“If you keep looking at me like that, we’re not going to get out of here.”
“Like what?”
As she leaned against the doorjamb, he stepped up to her and braced his hands on the doorframe above them. He dipped his head, and said, “Like you want to get out of those clothes, lay on this bed, and spread your legs for me.”
Heat flashed through her, escalating the want inside her. “That’s not what I’m thinking at all,” she said.
“No?”
“No, actually I was thinking I’d like to grab those pillows, throw them in front of the fire, and lay over them, so I can lift my hips for you, the way you like.”
“Fuck me,” he growled.
She grinned, loving that she could rattle him so easily. “Exactly.”
Lacking any kind of modesty, he grabbed his crotch and shifted his erection in his dress pants. “You know that’s all I’m going to think about tonight.”
“Me, too,” she whispered.
“I think we should walk to the lodge.”
“Why?”
“I need the cold air—either that or a fast shower. Then again if I’m walking around with a hard-on, no one will question our quick engagement or think we’re just putting on a show.”
At the reminder of their fake engagement, and that they needed to be affectionate in front of everyone, she pushed down all the feelings blossoming inside her, grabbed her coat, and slid her feet into her new boots. Parker pulled his coat on and opened the front door. She followed him outside, and when she nearly slipped, she was glad they were walking. The white flakes were coming down so hard, and driving would have been difficult.
Tilting her head, she glanced skyward. “Maybe we could make snow angels.”
“Are you trying to fucking kill me?” He stopped and adjusted her zipper to her chin, then pulled her big hood up. “Come on.”
“You have something against snow angels?” she asked as she trudged through the snow, having no idea what his problem was.
“No. I have something against you lying on your back and spreading your arms and legs when I can’t do anything about it.”
“Oh.” She bent down, scooped up a pile of snow, and threw it at him. Laughing as it walloped his stomach, she took off running, but his long legs caught her quickly. He picked her up and spun her around, as a car slowly crept past them.
The window came down. “Parker, what are you doing?”
“Hey, Mom,” he said, setting Layla back down. “We were just having a snowball fight.”
“Hi, Charlotte,” Layla said, shoving her cold hands into her pockets.
His mom smiled at her, then waved a warning finger. “You lovebirds better get inside before you catch your death of cold.”
“Okay, see you in there,” Parker said.
“Someone’s in trouble with their mommy,” Layla teased.
The smile fell from his face. “I’m just so glad she’s feeling better. And she seems happy doesn’t she?”
“She and your father seemed to be hitting it off again.”
“Yeah, it’s so weird.” He shook his head. “I guess it took a near-death experience for them to reconnect, to realize what they meant to each other.”
“Maybe true love really does exist, Parker. Maybe your mother never tried to trap your father, and they married for love.”
“They argued a lot.”
“All couples fight. Heck, look at us,” she said, but as soon as the words left her mouth, she tried to get them back. “Not that we’re a couple. We’re not. Heck, when we leave here, it’s life back to normal for us.”
God, I’m rambling again.
“You only blurted out that we were engaged to make your mom happy. You were worried about her. It’s understandable. But she seems a lot stronger now, so she shouldn’t take our breakup too hard.”
His steps slowed, and he opened his mouth like he wanted to say something but then shut it again. Not wanting to think too much about how painful the split was going to be, she said, “Come on, I’ll race you.” She took off toward the lodge and was breathless by the time she reached the front doors. After she stepped inside, she looked at her boots. “Shoot, I forgot to bring shoes. I’m going to look silly in my boots all night.”
“You look beautiful.”
“I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“No, only you.”
She rolled her eyes at him and shook the snow from her coat. “It’s damn cold out there.”
“Ah, Maine, Layla. Not Jamaica.”
Parker guided her to the fire to warm her up and swatted the snow off his own coat. Once they were warm, they stepped into the lounge area, where Grant introduced her to his bride, Claudine. The place quickly filled up with their family and friends, and the next few hours flew by in a whirlwind of introductions and champagne. She soon found herself back talking to the bride and groom.
From across the floor she could feel Parker’s eyes on her, warming her from the inside out. As she took in the warm smile he cast her way, her heart fluttered. He claimed to be a bachelor to the end, but when he looked at her like that…
Claudine took her hand. “I’m not surprised,” she said.
“About what?”
“That you were able to tame Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. You’re gorgeous, and talented from what I hear. I overheard Parker bragging about your paintings.”
Her gaze slid to his and held a moment. He was bragging about my paintings? “Really?”
“He seems very proud of you. How did you two meet anyway?”
“He hit me with his car.”
Claudine and Grant laughed. “No way,” she said.
“You know Parker. Sometimes he’s like the absentminded professor.”
“Speaking of that, I was chatting with him earlier. I’m happy his project is getting off the ground. Grandma would be happy, but he’s taking quite a risk.”
“Risk?”
“Investing so much of his own money.”
Parker invested his own money.
“I…he told you that?”
Grant shook his head. “No, it’s not like him to come right out and say something like that, but the big investment had to come from somewhere. It’s not his style to boast, and most people think he’s a total hard-ass, but that’s because they don’t know him like we do. Deep down he’s just a damn good guy.”
“I know,” she said quietly as she stole another glance at Parker. He was obviously responsible for distributing the coats to the homeless, but he didn’t take credit for that, either. Her heart swelled. If she didn’t love him before, she sure as hell would have now. How could she ever have thought he cared more about money than people?
“So I also hear you’re an art history major,” Claudine said.
She nodded. “Only four more classes until I graduate.”
As she went on to tell them about her credentials, Grant took a sip of his champagne and exchanged a look with his fiancée. “Claudine and I talked earlier, about how much the museum could use some fresh blood and a new eye for the exhibits.”
She stood there for one shocked moment.
“I know it’s a long way from Seattle,” Claudine said, “but you have great credentials, and I bet if you applied, you’d get the job. You could commute for a while, and it would definitely give you experience and pad your resume.”
“Are you serious?”
“Serious about what?” Parker asked, stepping up beside her. He dropped a soft kiss onto her mouth. A soft, wait-until-later kind of kiss, that had her heart thumping. They might be pretending to be engaged, but holy hell, he sure didn’t kiss her like she meant nothing to him.
Don’t go there, Layla. Once the holidays are over, life goes back to normal.
Then again, things seemed so different between them. Every touch, every kiss felt deeply intimate. Was it possible that after the holidays they could have a real relationship? In a move that had possession written all over it, and one she was getting quite used to, he slid an arm around her back and pulled her to him.
“Grant and Claudine were telling me about a job at the museum. They think I’d be a great candidate and said I should apply.”
Parker frowned, his body visibly tightening. She took in his body language, the mixed emotions dancing in his eyes. Clearly the idea bothered him, but why? This was a dream come true for her, and her moving to New York didn’t impact him at all. Right?
Unless…
Was it possible that he felt the same way about her as she did about him? Did she dare hope that the renowned bachelor might want more?
He blinked and seemed to pull himself together. “That’s an amazing offer.” He shook Grant’s hand and gave Claudine a kiss on the cheek. “We’ll definitely talk about that.”
He pressed his palm against the small of her back, to guide her into the main lobby. “I can’t believe they think I’d be great for the job. I’m so excited,” she said. “It could be a stepping stone to big things, and I’ll be able to pay all my debt.”
“That’s great, Layla. You deserve it.” His frown deepened. “But I don’t want to talk about that right now.”
“No?”
He shook his head and drew her mouth to his. “No. I want to talk about what you want to do with the pillows.” He pressed his lips to hers for a deep, passionate kiss and as her body warmed, her heart swelled. When this all started, it never occurred to her that she would fall so hard for him. But what if he wasn’t changing and didn’t want her the same way she wanted him?
What if he did?