Pillow Talk (24 page)

When he heard her say those words, he wanted to plunge inside her, claim her in the most primal way. But he hadn't yet pulled on the damn condom and he most certainly wasn't making the same mistake twice.

Meg lifted her head, then almost in slow motion moved so that instead of him lying above and beside her, she knelt in front of him. "Lie back," she said.

He did as she asked. She moved between his legs and dipped her head. Kissing one leg slowly from ankle to calf to knee to the thigh, she said, "I've thought of a way to thank you for making me feel so beautiful."

"You don't have to thank me," Parker said softly. "You'r
e giving me more pleasure than I
deserve."

She smiled, glanced up at him, then took him in her mouth.

Parker exhaled sharply and closed his eyes. But only for a moment. He gazed at the beautiful sight of Meg's dark hair spread over his groin, her lips hot and tight around his arousal.

She swallowed him more deeply. With one hand he lifted her hair to one side, the better to watch her pleasuring him.

But as she moved her mouth, then started a delicious dance with her tongue, he moaned, closed his eyes again, and let his body move with the rhythms she was orchestrating.

He knew he couldn't hold out much longer. "Meg, Meg
,"
he said, touching her hair. "You'd better stop."

She lifted her head. "Do you want me to?"

"No. Yes." Parker groaned, then opened his arms. "Come here, I want to be inside you."

She wiggled onto his chest, then leaned over the edge of the bed to reach the condom he'd left there at the start of their discussion.

She slipped to his side. He took it from her, ripped it open, and jammed it on.

He wanted her now.

But he could wait a little longer.

Rather than entering her at once, which he was sure she expected, he circled her right earlobe with his tongue. "You know the saying that what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander?"

"Yes."

"Well, it works both ways." And before she could ask him what he meant, he'd slipped between her legs and lowered his head to taste her.

"Oooh, Parker," she breathed. "That is so, so exquisite."

She clearly had never had enough good loving. He mouthed, then sucked, then slowed his tongue so that he was scarcely touching her. She writhed against him and clutched at his hair. Her legs came around his neck, drawing his head even closer to her inner lips.

He licked faster, feeling her pleasure mount She panted and cried out and tensed. He slowed his tongue against the tiny nub, letting the sensations build until they overcame her. Still clasping his hair, she pulsed against his mouth and cried out. He lapped and held her as she reveled in the release.

And only then did he enter her, claiming her once more as his. And only his.

Twenty-two

E
ven Jem slept as Parker rounded the bend from Car
rollton and turned onto St. Charles Avenue. After describing the harvesting they'd watched with Mr. Solomon in great detail, with Ellen in particular claiming sugarcane farming superior to fishing, the kids had requested a stop at McDonald's.

Afterwards they'd fallen asleep, with Meg drifting off about half an hour later. Behind the wheel, Parker didn't feel at all sleepy. He felt more alert and yet also more at peace than he ever remembered being.

And ironically enough, confirmed bachelor that he'd become, he felt like a family man. His ex-
fiancée
Renee, and about a dozen other women Parker could call to mind, would swear that Parker A. Ponthier would never spend a weekday ferrying four children, a mongrel dog, and a mother to and from a day in the country.

A most beautiful day in the country.

He glanced over at Meg, who stirred and slowly opened her eyes. With a start, he realized this life could be his. It didn't have to be a pleasure adopted only for the moment.

The vision both pleased and frightened him. He gripped the wheel. The voice of caution reminded him he barely knew the woman seated beside him and that her marriage to Jules was an unsolved mystery. He must have frowned because she asked softly, "Are you tired?"

"Far from it," he said.

"Thanks for doing all the driving." She stretched and yawned. "What a delicious nap. Oh, look at the lights!"

The Christmas display featuring animals fashioned from white lights illuminated the entrance to Audubon Park and Zoo on their right; on their left the front of Tulane University twinkled and glowed with the traditional white lights found all along St. Charles Avenue.

When he saw the delight on Meg's face, he pulled the van over in front of the outlines of elephants featured in the park display. "Teensy does Ponthier Place, too," he said, "but the decorator is behind schedule."

Meg woke the kids. Samantha blinked then cried, "Did I sleep until Christmas?"

Meg reassured her she hadn't missed Santa Claus. Even Gus said, "Yeah, they're kind of nice, if you like that sort of thing."

For Gus that was high praise. Parker pulled
back into the line of cars crawling along St. Charles Avenue and smiled as Meg and the kids ogled over the Christmas lights on all the avenue's finest homes.

Parker had driven the street so many times, over so many years, he was ashamed to admit it, but he rarely slowed to admire the beauty of the scene. Driving the avenue, as Meg had just said, was like being part of a 3-D Christmas card.

They reached the block before Ponthier Place. Parker was glad to see the display at the house was illuminated at last. Teensy must have had the decorator working double time while they'd spent the day in the country.

White lights sparkled in the trees around the expanse of grounds. Traditional green garlands laced with more white lights hung from the wrought iron fence that marched the full way around the block. On the front terrace a wire and light design of a sleigh pulled by reindeer vied for superiority with the decorations put up by the Audubon Zoo's designers.

"Wow," Ellen said. "Your house is the best of all. I'm glad we're staying here. Christmas will be so much neater with all these lights."

"Yeah, and Santa can't miss us cause his sleigh is already here," Samantha added.

Meg's heart caught in her throat. How was she going to explain to the children they were headed back to Las Vegas? She'd been worried about bringing them to New Orleans, and
might not have done so if Grandfather hadn'
t
taken matters into his own hands. And now she had to worry about wresting them away.

She should have left immediately after the funeral. Before she'd ever made love to Parker the first time. Before the children had been brought here, now to be disappointed in their return.

Life at Ponthier Place was make-believe. Their real world existed in Las Vegas, in the half of Mrs. Fenniston's house she'd been so sweet to rent to Meg.

When Parker came around to open her door, Meg tried to shake off the cloud that had descended on her spirits. But she couldn't quite meet his gaze.

"You must be tired,” he said. "Go on in and I'll get the kids.”

How she loved hearing those words from Parker's lips. But she had to stop her silly daydreaming. She'd married this man's brother for money with the understanding that she'd help him sell Ponthier Enterprises away from Parker's control.

No man could forgive such treason.

She pulled her hand free from Parker's. "That's okay. I don't need any help.” Then she turned her back and opened the van's sliding passenger door.

She knew even without glancing at his face she'd hurt him. After everything they'd shared that afternoon, her behavior was a slap in the
face. Maybe that was for the best; he wouldn't mind when she slipped away and let him return to his previous well-structured existence.

A Mercedes-Benz sat in the drive in front of the van. Hauling a sleepy Samantha from her seat, Meg hoped she didn't have to face any guests. The kids were covered in grime, and she and Parker didn't look much more presentable.

They were all trooping through the foyer en route to the kitchen to clean the fish, when Teensy appeared with her arm around a much younger woman.

A woman, Meg realized, who looked far too much like Gus not to be related. Not to be his mother.

"There's your baby," Teensy said.

An older man, silver-haired and dressed in an expensively tailored suit, joined the two women.

"Marianne," Parker said. "This is a surprise."

Gus hadn't said a word. He stood clutching the bucket with the two fish, a glare in his eyes as he summed up the man who'd just taken his mother's hand.

"Meg, Marianne, Gus's mother," Parker said.

"How do you do?" Marianne gave her a formal nod, the corners of her lips scarcely moving. "Teensy told me who you are. My
condolences on the loss of Jules. May I present my
fiancé
Cleveland Morrisette."

He and Parker shook hands. Meg nodded, her hand in Samantha's.

"You didn't have to g
et a new husband on my account,"
Gus said.

"Mind your mouth, Auguste," Marianne said in a waspish voice. "And come give your mother a kiss."

Gus didn't budge.

She shrugged and looked up at Cleveland as if to say, see what I mean? He's impossible. "Go clean up and put some decent clothes on. You look like a ragamuffin. We're late for dinner."

"
I
already ate." Gus's tone warned he was ready to do battle.

"Then go change your clothes and thank Mrs. Ponthier for taking care of you. You're coming with me tonight. You've been a burden here long enough."

"Oh, he's no burden," Meg said before she could stop herself. It was really none of her business but her heart went out to Gus. Ther
e
wasn't one drop of affection in Marianne's behavior towards her son.

"I'm sure that's sweet of you but if you knew my little boy the way I know him—well he's the spitting image of his father and that ought to tell
you
something."

Meg was overcome by a strong urge to scratch the woman's eyes until they bled.

"Go to hell," Gus said, and turned and ran from the room, Jem at his heels.

Marianne sighed. Cleveland remained impassive. Teensy fluttered her hands.

Ellen ran after Gus.

"What did I tell you?" Marianne said. "Just like his father. Look, he already ha
s a girl
friend."

Meg refused to dignify that comment by responding. Instead she followed Ellen and Gus.

An hour later, an inconsolable and furious Gus was led away by Marianne and her
fiancé
. His mother refused even to consider letting him bring Jem. Only after Parker swore on his honor to keep Jem safe with him would Gus allow himself to be dragged away.

Flashes from the miserable years following the death of her foster parents swam in Meg's mind. The McKenzies had been her family for more than six years when they were killed in an auto accident. The social worker had collected her on the day she was supposed to be celebrating her tenth birthday, and Meg's world had gone downhill quickly after that. Her spirits drooped even more with the memory, and it made her feel even worse when she reflected that, with Gus gone with his mother, there was no need for her to remain in New Orleans.

That night's pillow talk consisted of the same wish for everyone—to have Gus back with them. Jem lay on the floor beside the bed, cocking his head every time a floorboard creaked.

Meg didn't know where Parker had gone, but as coldly as she'd treated him earlier, she couldn't blame him for not seeking her out.

When she walked Teddy across the hall to his bed, she found Parker sitting on Gus's bed, his face a study in concentration. He smiled at Meg and Teddy and rose.

"Do you think you can rescue Gus?" Teddy looked up at him, faith in his eyes.

Parker patted Teddy on the shoulder. "I'm working on it."

"Great!" Teddy jumped into bed, his trust in Parker's ability evident as he settled happily under his covers. Not ten minutes earlier he'd been moping despite Meg's every attempt to comfort him.

Jem appeared in the doorway, his lopsided ears looking even more off-balance than usual. He whined. Teddy called him. Jem jumped on top of Gus's bed, where he wasn't permitted, and settled his nose on his paws with a heavy sigh.

And not one of them had the heart to chase him off the bed. Meg kissed Teddy goodnight and Parker gave Jem a gentle pat on his lopsided ear. Then Meg and Parker left the room together.

In the hallway, Parker smiled and took her hand. "This is starting to feel familiar," he said.

She nodde
d, a lump in her throat, and ex
tracted her hand from his. "Do you think Marianne will send Gus back to that awful school?"

"It depends."

"On?"

"On whether Cleveland Morrisette is willing to foot the bill. Jules paid for it before."

"And Marianne doesn't have her own income?"

He shrugged. "Enough for most people but her lifestyle is extravagant. To the max, as Gus would say."

She'd seldom heard such a critical tone to his voice.

"Unfortunately," Parker continued, "Cleveland is more than able to afford St. Suplicius and there's no way he'll want Gus underfoot." Parker frowned. "If necessary, Grandfather will sue for custody."

"
A
c
ourt would grant it to a great-
grandparent over a mother?" Meg knew she sounded disbelieving.

"Don't underestimate Grandfather," Parker said in a dry voice. "He has a way of getting what he wants."

Meg thought of how he'd rounded up Mrs. Fenniston and her children, zipping them from Nevada t
o New Orleans in a private plan
e and wondered how she'd convince him to send them all back the same way.

"Let's go downstairs," Parker said.

She hesitated.

Standing so close to her, yet feeling as if she
were holding him at a great distance, Parker saw her hesitation and couldn't understand why she'd r
etreated from him. He thought of
the one word that had worked the other evening and said in a low voice, "Please?"

Still she hesitated. Then in a troubled voice she said, "Oh, Parker, I shouldn't."

"And why shouldn't you?" At least her feet moved forward even as she sought to justify her reluctance.

"It's been a long day and I'm sure you have work to do and—"

"—
and I've moved too far too fast and you need me to back off before I frighten you away?" He put an arm around her as they descended the stairs. She stiffened slightly but did lay her head briefly against his arm. "Just tell me, sweet Meg," he said, "and I'll slow down."

The side door opened before Meg answered him. Mrs. Fenniston walked in followed by Grandfather. They wore evening clothes and were talking animatedly, with Grandfather humming a few bars of music to punctuate his conversation.

Parker thought he'd never seen his grandfather looking so happy. Just then Mrs. Fenniston broke off their discussion and with a glance towards the bottom of the stairs, said, "Meg, Parker, hello. We've just been enjoying the most scintillating evening of chamber music."

Grandfather waggled his right hand. "
Hor
ton said you spent the day at Sugar Bridge. I suppose those kids
are sleeping soundly tonight."

"Gus caught his first fish," Parker said. "Why don't we go into the library? There's something I need to tell you."

"Good idea," Grandfather said, a satisfied smile on his face. "We have a bit of news ourselves, don't we, Elizabeth?"

Mrs. Fenniston smiled, then looked at Meg, as if to check her reaction at Grandfather's use of her first name.