Chapter Sixteen
"The knights appear to be focused on one direction,
but are known for making swift, unpredictable shifts and hijacking the entire game. He said I should watch out for you.”
Scout
Breaking Out
It took nearly a month, but eventually, Isadora got her family to agree to dinner. A big issue was Parker’s refusal to dine at Patras Hotel. He refused to be the only man outside of his comfort zone and demanded they dine at a restaurant he believed to be neutral territory or dinner wasn’t happening.
But they finally all reached an agreement because this was what Isa wanted and neither he nor Lucian could turn her down for long. It was, perhaps, the one thing they had in common—well, second, if you counted their care for Scout.
Thank God Scout would be there. Parker was also grateful for Toni’s easygoing presence. At least one of Isadora’s siblings seemed to like him.
“I love what you and Isa did with the library,” Toni said as they waited at the table for Scout and Lucian to arrive. “Next, you need to tackle the study.”
Isadora made no comment. For whatever reason, she never opened the door to the mysterious study so he didn’t expect them to be renovating it anytime soon.
He checked his watch. Lucian was fifteen minutes late.
“Should we order?” He wouldn’t be surprised if they didn’t show.
Isadora fretted and lifted her phone from her purse, glancing at the screen.
“There’s Evelyn,” Toni announced and waved.
Parker craned his neck and recognized Scout’s familiar face practically blanketed by Lucian’s surly presence. He acted like he was escorting the pope the way he protectively guided her through the tables like she might break if someone bumped her. Did the guy not remember his wife had won more scuffles than most ordinary men? She was tough, and Lucian’s dramatic play at bodyguard seemed overly solicitous.
Rolling his eyes, Parker stood. “Scout.”
Her smile emanated genuine fondness as she broke away from Lucian’s hold and pulled him into an affectionate hug. Familiar.
He wasn’t used to her having so much meat on her bones. Even her cheeks appeared fuller. “You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
Once Lucian greeted his sisters, kissing each one on the cheek, he pulled out a chair for Scout. “Sorry we’re late.”
Isadora smiled and Parker settled into his seat. An awkward silence enveloped the table.
“The waiter should be back soon to take our drink orders,” Isadora announced.
Toni wore an expression of intrigue, her gaze bouncing from her brother to her sister-in-law to Parker.
Isadora had grazed over the details of their temporary truce only so her sister didn’t make a scene if anything went wrong. Toni said it was like a soap opera and Parker’s instincts told him she was hoping for drama.
When the waiter approached they let out a collective exhale. Lucian instructed their server not to go far and Parker quietly chuckled. Some arrogance never faded.
“So, Park,” Scout started, pushing through the tense haze. “Where are you living?”
He wished they didn’t have to play catch up, that their friendship hadn’t waned. That was his fault. Something he’d likely always regret. But distance had been necessary. He wanted her to be happy.
“I actually bought a house.”
“You did?” Her excitement was full on radiance, altering her usual beauty to something enchanting. “That’s great!”
His skin flushed as he accepted her praise, knowing she, above all others, would recognize how priceless a home truly was.
“It’s far from finished. Right now I just have the necessities. I’m waiting for the day it actually feels like a home.” And to see if that was where he and Isa would eventually live. He was pretty certain she’d want to keep her house. It was a nicer home anyway, big enough for a family.
Scout laughed. “By necessities, I bet you mean piles and piles of books.” She glanced at Isa. “You finally found someone who loves to read as much as you do.”
Isadora blushed. “Parker’s been testing my knowledge of the classics. In exchange, I’m forcing him to read my favorites.”
He smirked, a touch embarrassed, because some of her novels were sheer torture, but fair was fair. “I’ll never understand the appeal of filthy medieval characters taking a bride.”
Isadora sighed at the same time as her sister. “I love a raunchy historical,” Toni announced. “Nothing better than a domineering man seducing a strong-willed woman.”
Isa snorted. “Like you’d ever put up with that in real life.”
Lucian’s gaze shifted to his younger sister. “How is Shamus?”
Toni’s expression shuttered. “I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him? He calls you more than he calls me these days.”
Isadora sent her brother a reprimanding look, which Parker appreciated, and the subject was dropped. Her unspoken authority over her brother was impressive.
He pitied the youngest Patras. She clearly was hiding a good deal of feelings regarding her recent breakup.
The waiter returned and they ordered another round of drinks as well as their meals. He blinked in awe as Scout skimmed over the menu and selected her dish. He wanted to comment on how easily she comprehended the words, but he didn’t want to embarrass her in front of everyone.
When she returned the menu to the server, her gaze caught his and he smiled. She blushed and he believed she read his thoughts. She’d overcome one of her biggest challenges and was now literate.
If anything, he savored this glimpse of her new life, finding it incredibly reassuring each time she smiled at her husband. She was happy and that brought him an unanticipated level of peace. For her and her alone, this dinner was not a waste. But the idea that two hours might somehow mend wounds between him and Lucian that were years old… Well, that was unrealistic.
Although they sat only two seats apart, they never acknowledged the other’s presence. Parker appreciated that the guy didn’t throw a fit when Scout spoke to him.
“Excuse me. I have to powder my nose,” Scout announced, and he almost choked on his filet.
It struck him as absurd that this was the same girl who once traded pants with a perfect stranger in broad daylight after winning a bet. The high life had certainly softened her rough edges.
“I’ll join you,” Isadora announced and stood.
“Me too,” Toni said, rising as well.
Ah, fuck.
He and Lucian lifted out of their seats as the women left the table. Hopefully, they wouldn’t take too long.
Parker turned his unused fork on the tablecloth as the silence stretched. He thought about the ring he’d picked up that morning. Not that he intended to give it to Isadora anytime soon, but—had this been a normal situation—it would be the perfect time to let her brother know his intentions.
He glanced at Lucian who watched him with calculating dark eyes. Yeah, he wasn’t asking his permission for shit.
Another minute passed and there was no sign of the women. “Scout seems happy.”
“Does that disappoint you?”
He rolled his eyes. “Is it too much for you to grasp that I see her as just a friend and, as her friend, I want her to be happy? I’m with your sister.”
His mouth remained flat, his glare cold. “We’ll see how long that lasts.”
“You’re unbelievable.” Dropping the discussion, Parker reached for his drink.
“What’s unbelievable is the fact that you’ve somehow managed to wheedle your way back into my life. It’s one thing to interfere with my personal business. Interfering with my family is an entirely different situation. But you’ve seen what happens to those who upset the people I love. I’d have no problem kicking the shit out of you again.”
He placed his glass on the table and gave Lucian his full attention, sitting back, posture straight, challenging gaze daring him to threaten him—One. More. Time. “Do you want some sort of medal because you beat me in a fight, Lucian? Is that what you need to feel vindicated and move on?”
“You couldn’t possibly understand my needs, so don’t try.”
Parker held his glare. “To think there was a time when we got along.” It was brief and tentative, but there had been those few minutes.
“If you’ll recall, I was unconscious for a large part of that time.”
“And if you’ll recall, I told her to go to you.”
“I don’t, nor have I ever, needed your endorsement—”
“We’re back,” Toni announced, cutting off any further discussion of the past as the women took their seats.
Isadora and Scout passed nervous glances, each wearing an unguarded look of hopeful expectation. He gave his head a quick shake and Isa’s mouth turned down in disappointment.
“Should we order dessert?” Toni asked.
“I’m afraid we have to be going,” Lucian announced, saving him the trouble of an excuse.
Parker wasted no time removing his napkin from his lap and standing to say his farewells. “It was great catching up with you, Scout.”
As they said their goodbyes he kept his focus on the women. It irritated the piss out of Parker that Lucian somehow took care of the check before he had the chance.
“You’re being ridiculous,” Isa said on the drive back to his house. “He was being a gentleman.”
“The gentlemanly thing to do would be to let me pick up the tab. We asked them to dinner. I should have handled the bill and he knows it. He likes thinking of me as some sort of charity case.”
“No one thinks you’re a charity case, Parker. Why would you even say that? I think you’re reading too much into Lucian’s behavior. He always gets the bill.”
It amazed him how easily Isa could overlook his past at times. But her brother’s memory was long and he’d never forget where Parker came from or the shady things he’d done.
There had been a time that Lucian had actually invited him to the hotel for a meal so that Scout could see him and know he was well. Each luxury flaunted chiseled through a layer of Parker’s hard earned pride. It had been intentional then and it was intentional now.
Lucian liked flouting his position over others. And Parker didn’t like feeling so exposed in front of Isa’s family—in front of her brother.
“Everything he does is somehow manipulating someone or some situation,” he grumbled.
“Hey,” she snapped. “He’s still my brother.”
“And you’re his sister. Doesn’t it irritate you that he’s giving us such a hard time?”.
She frowned at him. “He might not have been overly cordial tonight, but he wasn’t rude, Parker. His manners were fine—considering the history the three of you share.”
His mouth formed a firm line. There was no sense in upsetting her by retelling the whole bathroom conversation. He might have missed some etiquette lessons while he was living on the streets, but he was pretty sure threatening dinner guests after the fourth course was frowned upon in all social tiers.
As they pulled into his driveway, she sighed and said, “You know, there isn’t a whole lot of difference between you and Evelyn. Lucian loves her and he’d never hold her past against her. He’d be a hypocrite to treat you differently because of your history. Tonight was about starting fresh.”
“Well, I certainly don’t need his approval.”
She unbuckled her seatbelt and reached over the console. “No. And neither do I.” Her lashes lowered and her smile softened. Her hand slowly drifted up his thigh. “I know tonight was difficult, but you’ll never know how much I appreciate you trying. My family’s important to me. And so are you.”
His head rested against the leather of the seat as he looked at her through a half-lidded gaze. He’d sit through a thousand uncomfortable dinners for her. “Maybe next time it won’t be as tense.”
Her fingers ghosted over the zipper of his pants. “Let’s not talk about it anymore.” The metal catch lifted and the silent car filled with the slow drag of his zipper coming undone.
What was the saying? A lady in the streets and… “Do you want to take this inside?”
She reached into his pants, her warm fingers curling tight around his erection and greeting him with a slow stroke. “Why? Are you afraid someone might see?”
Maybe she didn’t need a bed.
He glanced at the neighbor’s house. Some lights were on, but the chances of anyone looking into his car were slim.
Her fingers tightened and he stretched back. His hand slid through her hair, turning her face for a slow brush of lips. Her tongue skated over his and he chased it, capturing her mouth and dominating the kiss.
Watching her face as he pulled away, her lips shined full and tempting in the moonlight. He dipped his chin toward his lap. “Do it.”
Leaning in for one last kiss, her smile curled against his lips and then her head lowered. The heat of her mouth engulfed him in a haze of ecstasy.
He kept his hand in her hair, guiding her motions, urging her down as low as she could go and letting her up nice and slow. Through his lashes he watched her body move. The pristine clothes, proper pearl earrings, and high-end tights all added to the eroticism, because underneath that well thought out disguise hid a very sexy lioness and he intended to make her purr.
He slid his seat back, giving her more room. His free hand lifted her skirt, his fingers tracing the delicate line of her garters. So utterly fucking feminine. “Do you like doing that to me?”
She hummed agreeably, the reverberation traveling through his cock and vibrating his balls.
His fingers traced the seam of her ass, slipping over the silk of her panties until he found the damp heat of her pussy. “You’re wet.”
He nudged the fabric aside and teased her folds. She sucked harder, her hand moving in tight pulls with her mouth. He gave one garter a little flick and the clip opened.
Running his fingertips across her thighs, he gradually unclasped each one. “Take your panties off.”
She released him, tipping her head to see him. “Here?”
God, she was stunning. Dark eyes flashing like polished onyx, thick black hair falling over her shoulders, a mouth made for sin. He nodded. “Here.”
She returned to the space of the passenger seat and slithered out of the silk garment, placing the panties on the floor. Her hands folded over her rumpled skirt, lowering it back to her knees.
“Let me see.”
Her gaze met his and he waited. A smile twitched on her lips and slowly her skirt lifted. He reached over the console and hiked it to her waist. Wet, soft lips glistened in the light filtering through the windshield. He was enjoying their little exhibition, but he needed more room for everything he wanted to do to her.
Tucking his cock away. He opened the door.
As soon as the interior light kicked on, her thighs clamped together and she covered herself. He rounded the vehicle and opened her door, offering her a hand. They needed to get inside.
Her eyes were full of promise as she glided to her feet and looked up at him with palpable trust. Her skirt fell to her knees, once again hiding any signs of impropriety.
He escorted her in silence and she patiently waited as he unlocked the door. The hall was dark and he didn’t bother with the lights. He never let go of her, pressing his front to her back as soon as he shut the door.
“Do you have any idea how sexy you are?”
His fingers teased the hem of her skirt as she leaned her weight into him. Lifting the material, he cupped her hot little pussy, the heat of her arousal warming his palm. She sighed and sagged into him, her body leaning in between him and the wall.
“I want to fuck you, Isadora. Hard and deep.”
Her breath left in a delicate quiver. He moved his hands to her blouse and lifted it over her head, tossing it aside. Her breasts were so perfect, not too big, not too small. He loved seeing them in all that expensive white lace.
He pinched her nipples through the material and she moaned. He thought about their dinner conversations. Not the bullshit with her brother, but the important little hints he learned about her.
“Are you trying to tell me something with all these books you’ve been making me read?”
Her head lulled to his shoulder, her breath coming faster as he teased her nipples. She didn’t answer, so he pinched harder and she moaned.
“Do you want me to take you like one of those men in your stories?” He was starting to see the appeal.
She moaned again and he took that as agreement.
“As you wish, m’lady.”
Giving her no chance to object, he twisted and tucked an arm under her hips, hoisting her over his shoulder. She gasped and giggled as he carried her up the stairs. There was no stopping until he dropped her onto his bed.
He grabbed her ankles and yanked her to the edge of the mattress. Pulling her legs apart, he bent close to her sex and breathed her in. His tongue swiped over her clit, quick and enough to get her full attention.
“So fucking sexy.”
Stripping off his clothes, he climbed over her, nudging her slit with the tip of his cock, teasing with a preview of what was to come. His mouth closed over the sheer lace of her bra, his fingers sliding the straps down her arms. Reaching behind her, he unclasped the garment and tossed it away.
Sharp, little nipples beaded tightly and his need grew into a steady throb. “I have to get inside of you.”
“Do it,” she all but growled, fingers digging into his shoulders as her leg hooked over his hip.
He shoved into her, burying his cock to the root and she gasped, her lips parting as her eyes closed. He didn’t go gently and she didn’t object. As a matter of fact, his forcefulness was spurred by her pleas that he not stop.
He pumped a few more times, getting his dick nice and wet, then withdrew. Rising, he straddled her waist and teased the valley of her breasts with his glistening cock. “Taste.”
Her eyes darkened as her lashes flared. Resting his palm by her head, he gripped himself and leaned over her mouth, tracing the smooth tip of his cock against her full lips. Her tongue snaked out and he pressed in, making a slow glide to the back of her throat.
“Jesus, Isa.”
She moaned and gripped his ass, pulling him into her as he slowly stabbed in and out. If she kept at it he’d come before her.
He groaned in pleasure and withdrew, returning to her breasts. “Hold them tight.”
“They’re not big enough.”
“They are.” And he was coming to learn how much she liked nipple play, so she’d probably love this.
She cupped her breasts, pressing them together around his length, a satisfied and daring glint in her eye. “Like this?”
“That’s it. Good girl.” He slid between her flesh, loving the feel of her skin against his. The fit was so tight, so close and a different sort of intimate. Wanting to make it good for her, he found his rhythm and pinched her nipples, pulling just enough to make her gasp.
“Does that hurt?”
“In a good way.”
He pulled and fucked, but once again he came close to losing control and he wanted to drag out the pleasure as long as possible. Rising, he dipped back into her mouth and she welcomed him with palpable hunger.
When he returned to her breasts, he was distracted by the dark tips. “Just a taste.”
He sucked and bit and nibbled and pulled, pretty sure he could make her come this way, but not wanting her to climax yet. He wanted it to build until they couldn’t handle another second of pleasure. Back to her mouth.
The longer he teased her like that the more frantic she became. Her body twisted and arched beneath his, every inhibition melting away.
Pumping his flesh between her breasts, he reached back and teased her wet sex. His finger shoved deep and she let out a needy moan.
He shimmied down her body and opened her knees, baring her soft pink flesh. His tongue stabbed into her, his fingers rubbing her clit hard as he licked over every delicate fold.
Sitting up on his knees, he slipped two fingers inside of her, stretching until he found that hidden bundle of nerves. He continued to rub her clit with the added pressure of his fingers and she arched off the bed, crying out his name as she came in an unrestrained rush of abandon.
“Again.” He pumped his fingers harder, his mouth lowering to pull greedily at her clit.
He nibbled and savored every taste of her pleasure, working another finger into her tight pussy and pressing deep. Her lips parted as she moaned a mixture of broken syllables and gasps.
Her release slicked his fingers and her thighs. Her tired body went limp, sprawled beneath him, satisfied and spent.
Scooping her into his arms, he pulled her over his knees and sat up with her. “Stay with me.”
Her lashes fluttered as her arms lazily wrapped around his neck and she straddled him. Face to face, kneeling in the center of the bed, they held each other.
He looked into her eyes, his hands cradling her lithe body to his as she lowered all the way onto him. Buried deep inside of her, his body trembled, emotion tunneling through him with a devastating burn.
His fingers brushed the damp tendrils of hair from her face, his lips pressing to hers, traveling to her cheeks and eyes, her ears and jaw.
“I love you,” he rasped, pulling her as close as their bodies allowed.
Her spine arched as she slowly rode him, her motions divine and languid. Situated on the center of the bed, facing each other as they were, he felt his heart shift, all the broken pieces drifting away like dust.
She breathed into his soul. Filled him with unexpected happiness. She was his everything and he wanted to be hers.
The words left unsaid seemed to pass between them in the silence and something shifted inside of him, something he felt very deeply that hadn’t moved in quite some time. Security.
Her fingers combed over the back of his head as she pressed her lips to his. Passion poured from her, breaking down the last of his barriers.
His heart stammered behind his ribs as something choked him. Fear. Happiness. It was the first time in his life he had something so priceless the thought of losing it terrified him to the core. It was the burden of love and, as it settled over him, he accepted he’d wear it like a mantel for the rest of his life.
“You could break my heart so easily,” he murmured, his lips tracing the delicate curve of her ear.
Her dark gaze found his as she turned his face to hers. “Your heart’s something I’m very protective of, Parker. I never want to break it.”
The pressure in his chest tightened, making it difficult to swallow as his breath labored. Her eyes shimmered as she looked at him the way no one else ever had.
“I love you, Isa.”
“I love you… I love you… I love you,” she whispered, brushing her nose along his cheek until her lips were so close to his ear he could hear her breath tremble past her lips. “You have all of me. There’s no hiding. And I’d never let anyone hurt you, including myself.”
His hand curled around the back of her neck, his throat constricting as he struggled to breathe. His vision wavered as he kissed her deeply, easing her body onto the bedding.
His lashes clung together as he filled her again, slowly, savoring every upstroke and glide. Her name played inside of him with every downbeat of his heart until the pressure in his chest escaped in a sigh that seemed lodged in his throat for far too many years.
She stripped him bare yet again. All his life he’d been hiding, protecting himself from a cruel world, but she somehow changed that. She saw behind his armor, found every scrape and scar, and loved him anyway.
When the first tear fell he lost a battle he’d fought for as long as he could remember. Her fingertips traced his cheek as she smiled up at him with pure acceptance.
“It’s okay,” she whispered. “It’s okay.”
What was happening to him? Where was this coming from?
His face pressed to her throat as he caught his breath. It was a certain kind of surrender. A torturous gift that encompassed more than he could bear. Maybe that was why love took two people, because it was so big, so overwhelming, it needed two hearts to carry all it conveyed.
Her lips pressed to his temple, laying soft kisses as she held him tight. “Do you feel that?”
He didn’t know if she felt what he was feeling, but whatever had a hold of him, it was the biggest emotion he’d ever known. It was jagged and beautiful and built out of two broken souls that somehow fixed each other and made one. “I feel it.”
“That’s us, Parker. Only we feel like that.”
Her mouth found his and the last of his walls came tumbling down, all the pressure dissolving into peace. She was his peace. And maybe—just maybe—he could be hers.