Parker (Striking Back #3) (2 page)

Lana
smiles at her daughter and sets aside her textbook. “Sure, baby girl.”

It
occurs to me there’s something I can do to brighten the little girl’s day and
give back a little to these wonderful women who accepted me so warmly. I hunt
down Ms. Den to see if it’s possible for me to order pizza for the fifteen residents.

“Jamie
got to you, didn’t she?” Her creased face shows her amusement as she shakes her
head.

“I’d
like to do something nice for them. Everyone has been so good to me.”

I’m
caught off guard when she gives me a warm hug. “Let me make a call.”

An
hour later, Parker strolls through the door in a cloud of sexiness with five
large pizzas in his arms. “Hey delivery man,” I tease, hoping he can’t hear the
tremor in my voice when those fuck me eyes land on me.

“I
hear this was your idea,” he replies, placing the boxes on the kitchen counter.

“Jamie
really wants Pizza Hut.” Laughing, I try to hand him the money for the food.
“Thank you for picking it up.”

A
smirk raises his lips and he shakes his head at the money. “I’ve got it.”

“What?
No, I’m the one who ordered them.”

“That’s
sweet of you, but S.B. can afford it.”

Does
he think I can’t? Anger and embarrassment rush through me as I realize he sees
me as some helpless damsel in distress. And why wouldn’t he? Look where I am.
“Take the money, Parker. I want to do something nice for the other residents
and you’re ruining it. I have a job. I can afford it.”

His
grin is infuriating as he takes the bills from my hand and leans to whisper in
my ear, “You know, the tips of your ears get pink when you’re angry. It’s kind
of cute.”

I
don’t know whether to kick him or lick him. In the end, I try to be diplomatic.
“Would you like to stay and have some pizza?”

He
watches me pull out a stack of plates and a big bowl of salad. “I wish I could,
but I have to get going.” My stomach tightens at the sight of his impish grin.
“Enjoy your dinner, Macy.”

Parker

“Forget
it, Alex. I’m not going to a gay bar. Meet me at Hype. There’s a dance floor,
you’ll like it.”

“Fine,”
Alex huffs into the phone. “Meet you at ten.”

“Bye,
dipshit.”

“Later,
ass nugget.”

I
press the end button on my phone and go back to running line drills across the
gym. Maybe I don’t have Mason’s bulk, but I’m just as strong. Really, who needs
a chest like a shaved gorilla?

“Evening,
Parker,” Janice greets, tossing her purse on the front desk. Mason hired her
last month after Anna quit. Okay, maybe she didn’t hand in her resignation as
much as shatter the front window while calling me a dick. Christ. I fucked her
one time, two days after we met and she was talking about what our kids would
look like. I politely explained—again—that I wasn’t interested in a
relationship, and smash, glass everywhere.

I
swear Mason hired Janice because she’s old enough to be my grandmother. No
chance I’ll take her home and she’ll wig out. “It’s Friday night. Don’t you
have a date?” Janice teases.

“Yep.
She just doesn’t know it yet,” I reply, grinning.

“You
should find a nice young lady and settle down,” she lectures. “Quit being such
a gigolo.”

Laughing,
I unwrap my hands. “Gigolo’s charge, Jan. I provide a valuable free service.”

“Until
your pecker falls off.” Nothing like hearing a sixty year old woman say pecker.
Janice looks like somebody’s sweet old granny, but you can never predict what
will come out of her mouth. She’s great.

“I
protect the merchandise. Mason will be in to teach in an hour or so,” I tell
her, changing the subject. “Place should be quiet until then.”

She
waves me away. “I’ll be fine. Get out of here and have some fun. Youth doesn’t
last forever.”

“Yes,
ma’am.”

* * * *

Hype
is packed to the walls with couples, women wearing as little as possible, and
men looking to get them drunk and naked. I don’t particularly care for hanging
at the club, but it’s the best place to find a girl for the night. Well, not
the entire night.

A
waitress I don’t recognize approaches our table. “What can I get you, honey?”

“Jack
and Coke. Make it two, please,” I reply, waving to Alex as he comes through the
door.

“You
got it.” She shuffles away in her too high heels, and I get a chance to check
out her ass. Not bad. The sight of her long dark hair makes me think of the new
woman at Striking Back. Macy. Long black hair, pale skin and coffee colored
eyes. I had to keep reminding myself she’s a resident. Completely off limits. I
may be a jerk who sleeps around, but I’d never take advantage of the women we
help.

Alex
thanks our waitress, settling on the stool across from me. “Cooper’s on his way
to join us. Try not to be yourself.”

“Relax,
I won’t embarrass you in front of your boyfriend.”

“Not
my boyfriend. Yet, anyway. But I like him.”

“You
fuck him yet?”

Alex
shakes his head like he’s fed up with me, but his lips twitch up. He’s caught a
lot of shit in his life for being into men, so I know the fact we can talk
about his sex life just like we do mine makes him happy. I don’t know why men
are so squeamish about anal sex when most have taken a woman that way. And
really, an asshole is an asshole.

“A
couple of times.” A light blush travels across his cheeks. We may be twins, but
Alex and I couldn’t be more different. You know how they always say to watch
out for the quiet types? They’re talking about my brother.

Compassionate
to a fault, he comes off as shy, but has a worse temper than me and Mason
combined. “Have you heard from Mason today?” he asks, changing the subject and
signaling the waitress for two more drinks.

“A
few hours ago. He’s pretty torn up, just wants to be left alone.” What a
weekend. Our charity waterpark day turned into a disaster when some psycho
tried to drown Everly, Mason’s girlfriend. Then Mason calls this afternoon to
tell me he had to tell her about our underground operation.

“Well,
his girlfriend accused him of trafficking girls. That’s got to sting. We should
check on him tomorrow.” A slim man with wavy brown hair heads toward our table.
“This pretty boy has to be your guy,” I tease, nodding toward him as he makes
his way around the dance floor.

“Say
anything inappropriate and I’ll tell every chick in this place you have crabs
and three illegitimate kids,” he mumbles under his breath while smiling at his
date. They hug and Alex gestures to me. “Cooper, meet my brother, Parker.”

“Nice
to meet you.” Cooper grins, showing a dimple in his cheek. “You’d never know
you two are twins.”

It’s
true Mason and I look more alike with our dark hair and blue eyes. When we were
kids, I used to tell Alex he was found in a dumpster and that’s why he has
blond hair and brown eyes. “Not his fault the handsome gene skipped him,” I
reply.

Cooper
laughs and throws his arm around Alex. “Looks like there was plenty to go
around.”

Alex
grins and kisses him. That’s my cue. “It was nice meeting you, Cooper, but
there’s a woman on the dance floor waiting for me to make her night.”

As
I walk away, I hear Alex snort when Cooper asks, “His girlfriend is here?”

I’m
not exactly the monogamous type. I tried that once and it blew up in my face. I
have no desire to do that again, but that doesn’t mean I don’t need to get
laid. And the blonde sizing me up and shaking her ass will work just fine to
meet that need.

It
turns out her name is Susie and she’s only in town one more night. Perfect.
Within an hour, we’re on our way to her hotel room. I know what people say
about me, that I’m a manwhore, a male slut. But I don’t feed a woman any
bullshit promises, so if we both want the same thing—to get off—I don’t see the
harm.

Two
seconds after we step through the door, I pin her to the wall and drag my lips
down her neck. A faint smell of flowers mixed with sweat fills my nostrils. She
shudders and presses her groin into mine.

A
low moan rattles her throat when my hands slide under her skirt and she wastes
no time unzipping, letting it fall into my hands. She whimpers when I roll her
nipples between my fingers and murmur, “Tell me what you want.”

“Just
fuck me, please.”

“You
got it, baby.” Rolling on a condom takes less than a second.

A
nervous giggle escapes her when I bend her over the bed and pull down her
panties. It quickly turns to a moan as I sink inside her. “You okay, babe?”

“God,
yes.”

Her
hands grip the bedspread as I pound into her fast and hard until her pussy
contracts around me. Her shrill cry puts a smile on my face. Is there any more
powerful feeling than making a woman come?

After
my release, I dispose of the condom in the nearby trash can and stretch out beside
her on the bed, grinning at the blissed out expression on her face. “That was
amazing,” she breathes, dragging a finger down my chest. “I really needed it.”

My
hand lands on her hip while I try to decide whether I want to fuck her again.
It’ll probably lead to me having to stay the night, which is the last thing I
want. “It was great for me too, baby.”

She
looks torn for a moment before whispering, “I do have a very early flight to
catch.”

Ha!
She’s kicking me out! “I understand. I’d better get going. Have a safe trip
home.”

A
smile breaks across my face as I walk down the hotel hallway. How lucky can a
guy get? No uncomfortable discussion about staying over or request for a phone
number. I’m not a total dick. I stay if they want me to, even though I hate
sleeping in the same bed. It’s impossible to fall asleep with a chick wrapped
around me while I lie there sweating and choking on her perfume.

It’s
almost two a.m. when I fall into my bed, sated and satisfied.

The
next couple of days pass quickly. Alex and I manage to drag Mason out of his
stupor of self-pity and alcohol. I never thought I’d see him that blown out
over a chick. I can’t give him shit for it, though. I know how it feels to have
a woman tear out your heart and hand it to you.

Mason
was there when my high school girlfriend taught me a lesson I’ll never forget.
Love is bullshit. The only good things in life are a good fight, a good meal
and a good fuck.

My
muscles scream their protest of last night’s workout when I roll out of bed.
It’s nothing a hot shower won’t fix, but I’ll have to make it quick. Striking
Back has a day trip to Eagle Creek planned, and I’ve been drafted.

Not
that I mind helping out, but I prefer the middle of the night rescues and
fights to providing security. I feel like a glorified babysitter. At least I’m
meeting them there and not stuck driving the van.

When
I arrive, Jensen waves at me from a picnic table where he’s watching over the
playground. “Hey, Park, there’s a group wanting to walk to the lake and fish.
Want to go with them or watch the kids?”

“The
rugrats are all yours, buddy,” I say with a laugh and receive a surreptitious
middle finger.

Luckily,
one of the women knows her stuff when it comes to fishing and gets everyone set
up. I’ve never been the outdoors type. I can bait the hook, cast, and reel it
in. That’s about it. My fishing experience is limited to video games.

After
chatting with the women for a bit, I notice Macy sitting under a tree a few
feet away, a laptop balanced on her crossed legs. “Who brings a laptop to go
fishing?” I tease, standing over her.

Sweet
brown eyes peek up at me. “I could lie and say I feel sorry for the fish, but
the truth is much more girly. I don’t want to touch the worm. Plus, I have work
to do.”

“What
kind of work do you do?” I ask, sitting beside her.

“Copywriting
and editing.”

“Funny,
you don’t sound like a grammar nerd.”

“It
doesn’t spill over into my conversations,” she agrees with a laugh. “I’m guilty
of saying ain’t, or different than instead of different from.”

“You
rebel,” I taunt, and she throws a leaf at me.

Shadows
shift across her face as she grins up at me. “Shouldn’t you be patrolling the
perimeter or something, Mr. Bodyguard?”

“Are
you trying to get rid of me?”

A
light blush sweeps across her pale cheeks. “Of course not. I’ve had worse
company.”

“I’m
going to take that as a compliment.”

“You
do that.” Her gaze follows two runners as they jog past on a trail circling the
lake.

“It’s
kind of hot to be running,” I remark. The humidity is sky high today and the
sun seems too close, baking the dry grass. It looks like we’re headed for
another drought.