In Your Eyes: Parker and Megan (Man of the Month Book 6) Page 8

She bit her lower lip. She hadn’t expected it, but just the thought made her sex tingle and ache. “Please,” she said before he even asked. And his answer was nothing more than a low groan of satisfaction.

  He shifted, releasing her breasts as he slipped one hand under her lower belly, holding her in place. “It’s more intense because you’re bound,” he said. “But I want to take you there. To that line between pain and pleasure. I want the sting of my palm to linger on your ass as you balance on that knife-edge. And when I fuck you, I want you to tumble over into pleasure, all the more intense because you’ve touched its counterpart.”

  She wanted to answer, but her throat was too thick with anticipation, and when he got behind her and rubbed her ass, she sucked in a breath. And when his palm came down with a smack on her skin, sending prickles of awareness through her, she arched up and moaned as the heat of his hand seemed to cut through to her aching, needy sex.

  “Oh, baby, you’re so fucking beautiful. More?”

  “Yes.” Her voice was tight. “Please.”

  He complied, taking her higher each time his palm connected with her tender flesh until she was dripping with desire and tugging at her bindings, wanting to free her hands so she could stroke her clit, touch herself, make herself come.

  “Now,” he said, and then one hand was on her hip and with his other, he was guiding his cock into her core. She tried to shift her position, making them fit better, but he had complete control of her, and she gasped, crying out his name as he thrust inside her in a timeless rhythm as his hand reached between them and he teased her clit.

  He was right, the intensity of their connection was so much more when her skin was so hyperaware, but even so, she wanted to see him. To face him.

  As if reading her mind, he said, “I’m untying you. I want to watch her face. I can’t take you from behind the first time, Megan. I need your face. I have to watch you go over.”

  “Yes,” she said, as he hurried to unfasten her, and she flipped over onto her back noticing that at some point he’d sheathed himself with a condom.

  “On me,” he said, moving beside her and urging her to straddle him. “And hurry, baby. I have to be inside you, Megan. I’m about to lose it.” And since she wanted it as much as he did, she hurried on top of him, easing down, and then rising up again, over and over, riding him with the help of his hands on her hips.

  He was so deep, and it felt so good, and she saw his coming orgasm in the fierce expression on that beautiful face. “Please,” she begged. “I want to feel you explode.”

  He came then, his bucking body taking her close to the edge once more. And though she didn’t think she’d go over again, when he teased her clit with one hand and teased the rim of her ass with the other, she completely shattered, abandoning reason to passion and losing herself to the onslaught of pleasure.

  They clung to each other for hours after that, just breathing and dozing and enjoying the feel of skin on skin.

  He roused her with kisses before dawn and took her to Café du Monde for coffee and beignets before they walked along the Mississippi as the sun rose.

  They spent the day talking and laughing, their conversation covering everything and nothing. He told her about the challenges of running a company, and she told him about how she dreamed of one day having her own skincare and makeup line. “It’s a big step to go from doing someone’s makeup to creating my own line, though.”

  “If you want it badly enough, you’ll figure it out. And fortunately you happen to know a brilliant businessman who can answer all your questions.”

  “Do I?”

  “Well, he’ll answer them for a price. One kiss per question.”

  She raised her brows, letting her gaze drop to his crotch then back to his face. “A bargain. I would have willingly paid so much more.”

  “Well, you can always offer him a tip,” he said, before pulling her to him and exacting the negotiated payment in advance.

  He took her on the trolley to Camellia Grille in the Garden District where they ate burgers before strolling down the lovely streets and checking out the homes. They wandered for hours, their conversation never stalling, until they finally caught the trolley back to the French Quarter.

  There, they wandered the market, trying on masks and silly sunglasses, then took a horse-drawn carriage around the Quarter.

  It was a lovely day. Perfect, really. And though she didn’t want it to end, at seven, they headed back to the jet, and she paused on the stairs. “Thank you,” she said. “This was the best punishment ever.”

  He laughed, and once they were inside the plane and belted in, she leaned against him. His arm went around her and she closed her eyes.

  She was asleep even before the jet left the ground, feeling warm and content and absolutely wonderful.

  Chapter Ten

  “How’s it going, ladies?” Tyree asked as he stepped into his office. Megan and Eva Anderson had commandeered his desk to look at various images from around Austin as they brainstormed where in town they wanted to photograph the various men of the month for the calendar.

  “Not bad,” Eva said, leaning back against him as he slid his arms around her. A big bear of a man, his hug engulfed Eva, but it was clear she didn’t mind. The photographer recently moved from Seattle to Austin after reconnecting with Tyree, the father of her grown daughter, Elena.

  Secure in his arms, she tilted her head back and smiled broadly at him. “Take a peek,” she said, indicating the printed images scattered over the desktop and the virtual images on the computer screen.

  “We’ll go to the actual locations with all you winners, of course,” Megan said. “And we’re shooting the first six winners tomorrow. Right now, we’re planning to shoot from the Loop 360 bridge with the river in the background, the Capitol grounds, Mount Bonnell, the stone cows at the Arboretum, Lake Travis, and someplace on campus. We’re not sure where, though.”

  “All sounds good. And why don’t you shoot from the South Mall? Put a guy on the steps and get the Tower in the background.”

  The women exchanged glances and nodded. “Perfect,” Eva said.

  “Which man’s getting which location? Personally, I want the Capitol.”

  “All for all,” Megan said. “That way we have more choices for the calendar.”

  Tyree chuckled. “Fair enough. And we’re doing this all tomorrow? It’s going to be a crazy day.”

  Megan didn’t disagree, but she did tell him that Taylor had managed to borrow a van. “So at least we’ll all be together and no one will get lost in traffic.”

  “We’re doing each of the men inside The Fix, too,” Eva told him. “And outside on the street with the facade behind them.”

  “I think you two have this well in hand.” He smiled, his attention on Eva, who rose up on her toes and kissed him.

  “Off you go, man,” she said. “You’re distracting me. But I’ll see you at home. You’re working late?”

  “Not tonight. Reece is closing. I’ll be home by eight. And,” he added, “Eli’s staying over at a friend’s.”

  Eva shot Megan a grin before turning back to her fiancé. “That, Mr. Johnson, is some very interesting information.”

  He chuckled, then said goodbye to both of them, pausing beside Megan before heading out. He pressed a paternal hand to her shoulder. “I’m sorry about what happened with Parker. But looks like it all turned out okay, yeah?”

  “Hmm? Oh. Yeah.” She nodded. “Things are totally squared away.”

  “Glad to hear it,” Tyree said, then headed out of the office with one final kiss toward Eva.

  She returned it, then cocked her head. “Squared away? Girl, I think that might be an understatement.”

  Megan stood up straighter. “I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about,” she said, but she couldn’t maintain it. And within a minute, both she and Eva were laughing and comparing notes about the men in their lives.

  Barely twenty-four hours had passed sin
ce she and Parker had returned from New Orleans, and they’d spent most of those hours together in his downtown condo. They’d split a bottle of wine and watched a movie in his bed yesterday afternoon, pausing it from time to time when their chatter about the movie blossomed into a longer conversation.

  Of course, that made the movie go longer than three hours, so it was late by the time it was over, and it seemed prudent to skip dinner and stay in bed. They’d made love slowly, almost lazily. After, Megan had fallen asleep on her side with Parker spooned around her and had awakened to the smell of coffee brewing and bacon frying.

  That was nice enough, but when she stumbled into the kitchen and saw him flipping bacon in briefs and a Kiss the Cook apron, her heart had flipped over. And in that moment, whatever this thing was between her and Parker ratcheted up another notch, leaving her feeling warm and safe and happy.

  So maybe Eva was right. Not that Megan was going to say so out loud, though. Instead, she kept the sweet secret bottled inside, and went through the day with a smile on her face.

  An hour later, Megan was walking home, and since she was still thinking about the way she’d described Parker to Eva—funny, charming, and so sexy it should be a crime—she decided to go the long way home so that she could pop in and surprise Parker at his condo, which was on the opposite side of downtown from hers. He’d told her he was going to spend the day working from home, then would head over to her place for dinner.

  Unless he’d left early to run an errand, she should be able to catch him, and then they could walk over to The Railyard together.

  She was just turning south onto Congress Avenue when her cell phone rang. She snatched it out of her purse, assuming it would be Parker, then squealed with delight when she saw that it was Kasey.

  “Finally! I text you to tell you I’m actually going out with Parker Manning, and it takes you this long to get back to me?”

  “You wouldn’t believe how busy I’ve been. I swear, I’ve stressed off at least five pounds. This new job is the best weight loss program ever.”

  Megan rolled her eyes but didn’t ask. By the next time they talked, Kasey would have moved on to another best job ever.

  “I can’t believe you actually went out with Parker. How was it? Did you sleep with him? Is he amazing?”

  Megan tried to get a word in, but luck wasn’t with her. It rarely was where Kasey’s chatter was concerned.

  “But do me a fave, okay? Be. Careful.”

  “Careful?” Megan blurted the word, determined to squeeze the question in. “What are you talking about?”

  “After you left, there were all these rumors about him.”

  She frowned. “What kind of rumors?”

  “Nasty stuff. That he’d stalked this guy—or maybe it was a girl. I’m not sure. And that he was actually arrested. For assault!”

  “No way.”

  Her body felt cold, her skin as prickly as if she’d jumped into a frozen pond. “That’s ridiculous. Parker Manning? It would have made the papers. You would have seen something official. And I would have heard about it on social media.”

  “Dunno. Maybe. I mean, remember what town we’re talking about. This is LA. Coverup city, right?”

  “I don’t believe it,” she said stubbornly. But even as she spoke the words, she remembered what Parker himself had said about all the shit his brother pulled—and how all it had taken was Daddy’s checkbook to keep it out of the papers and the courts.

  “No,” she said again, but this time more weakly.

  “You’re probably right. I mean, you know the rumor mill out here. Oh! That reminds me. I have not told anyone where you are. You know that, right? I mean, you trust me?”

  “Of course. Why?”

  “It’s just that I can’t believe Carlton would go there. I mean, it’s been months. Why would he?”

  “Yeah,” Megan said, her voice full of trepidation. “Why would he? And why would you even think it’s a possibility?”

  “Only because there’s this picture floating around now. You and Parker.”

  “What?” How had she missed that? “From where?” She closed her eyes, hoping it wasn’t from New Orleans. That it wasn’t an intimate kiss on the banks of the Mississippi.

  “That bar in Austin that you’re working at. He’s shirtless—and holy freak, does he look good. And you’re standing right beside him.”

  “Oh.” She exhaled, trying to process the implications.

  “The name of the bar is clear, so if Carlton wanted to find it, he wouldn’t have any trouble at all.”

  “No,” Megan said, frowning. “It wouldn’t.” She shook off the funk. “But you know what? You’re right. Why would he? By now, I’m old news to Carlton.”

  “That’s what I figure.”

  “Listen, I need to go.” She’d reached the corner and had been loitering so they could finish the call. “Talk to you again soon?”

  “Hell, yeah. I miss you.”

  “Me, too,” she assured her friend, then hung up. She drew in a breath and tried to gather her thoughts, reassuring herself that Carlton wasn’t coming and that Parker hadn’t beat anyone up. Or if he had, then it was for a damn good reason.

  She turned right on Third Street and continued on a few blocks, thinking that she’d just ask him about it. Surely he’d tell her.

  His building was one of the modern high rise condos that had sprung up like chrome and glass weeds all over downtown throughout the past decade. Now, she stood across Third Street from the glass entrance, waiting for the one-way traffic to clear so she could jaywalk over to his building and see if he was home.

  A moment later, though, she saw him emerge onto the sidewalk with a lovely redhead at his side. Even from across the street, Megan could see the intense affection in her eyes. That was enough to have her mouth going dry. But then her stomach dropped all the way to her knees when he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her.

  Granted, the woman had turned before the kiss so that her back was to Megan, but even though she couldn’t tell if it was a full-on mouth kiss complete with tongue, she could definitely tell that the hug was exuberant.

  Whoever she was, she was no stranger to Parker. Not only that, but he seemed to adore her.

  All of which made her stomach twist. Especially since this revelation of a cuddly bitch in his life was laid out next to Kasey’s news about assault.

  Could it be true, after all? And who was the woman?

  And had she been an idiot for trusting her feelings and falling hard for Parker Fucking Manning?

  Chapter Eleven

  By the time she got back to Congress Avenue, Megan had convinced herself that there was nothing going on between Parker and the woman.

  By the time she’d reached the pedestrian gate to The Railyard, she was convinced that they were in a long-term affair, and Megan was nothing more than his piece on the side.

  By the time she was in her kitchen, and the sauce was simmering, and the water for spaghetti was sitting on low heat, she didn’t know what to think. All she knew was that she was a mess, and that for the last forty-five minutes, she’d been alternating between crying and scolding herself for jumping to conclusions. Even the cat had looked at her like she was crazy. The fish, thank goodness, seemed to have no opinion at all

  When seven o’clock rolled around, and he hadn’t arrived, she told herself that he’d dumped her, forgotten to tell her, and had run off with the redhead.

  Stop it. Just stop it.

  Frustrated with herself, she picked up the phone and dialed Griffin, who answered on the first ring.

  “You owe me a drink,” he said.

  She tried to laugh, but it came out choked.

  Immediately, his tone shifted to concern. “Are you okay?”

  “I—yes. Sure.” She scrunched her eyes closed, grimacing. She shouldn’t have called Griff. He was already overly protective of her. And what if turned out to be nothing?

  No. Correction. It would turn out
to be nothing. And if she went and dumped all of her Parker problems on Griffin, then how were the two of them supposed to end up being friends?

  “Christ, Megan. I can practically hear the wheels turning. What’s going on? Or, rather, what’s going on that you don’t want to tell me?”

  Why, why, why hadn’t she called Taylor or Mina instead?

  “It’s nothing. Really. Just me being insecure.”

  Griff exhaled loudly. “Am I going to have to come punch Manning in the face? Because I have to be honest, I’d rather not. I mean, I’ve been working out, but I think he could take me.”

  She couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing. “It’s probably me being stupid. I saw him with someone earlier, and it looked like—well, I think he was kissing her.”

  “And what did he say when you asked him what was going on?”

  “Yeah, about that…”

  He sighed. “Okay, listen. All I know about the guy is he swooped you off to New Orleans for what I can only assume were kinky shenanigans.”

  “They so were not!” A lie, yes, but a prudent one.

  “But you came back in one piece and, honestly, you looked pretty pleased with yourself. And you’ve only had good things to say about the guy.”

  “Because he’s a good guy.”

  “So there you go. Despite my very real threat to bash his face in if he so much as hurts your feelings, I was about to say that he seems like a good guy to me. And you’ve been telling me he’s a good guy. So why are you suddenly robbing the poor man of the benefit of the doubt and wrapping him up in your weird girly shit?”

  “Excuse me?”

  “Honestly, Kelsey does the same thing,” he said, referring to his sister.

  “This is not weird girly shit. He was kissing her.”

  “You think. And you haven’t asked him why.”

  All true. “You know what? Forget it. I’m sorry I even called you.”

  He laughed. “No, you’re not. You love me. Because even when I’m right, I don’t say I told you so. And I promise not to say it tomorrow when you tell me I was right.”