Keep Me Safe (21 page)

Parker slid his arm around the back of me and squeezed me to make me lean into him. He kissed me on the top of the head and I looked up at him, the moonlight bouncing right off his eyes.

“You are so strong. I don’t know how you stayed levelheaded and calm enough to get yourself through that. Not to mention, practically doing it alone.”

“I guess I never thought of it as being strong. I saw it as survival. I didn’t want to spend my life like that, and I certainly didn’t want to wonder if the next time he got mad, was this going to be the time that he gets so angry that he kills me? Or puts me in the hospital? I probably made a huge mistake by not telling my parents. But even worse than that would’ve been them getting a call at two in the morning from someone telling them I had been seriously injured or even killed.”

“They still don’t know anything about it?”

“Nope. I’ve never had the heart or the courage to tell them. The more time passes, the more I realize that they don’t need the guilt of wishing they could’ve helped me.”

Parker laid back and smiled. He reached his arms out for me to lay with him. I found a comfortable spot easily, lying with my head on his chest. His heart was beating at a slow pace that I found comforting enough to help slow my own. His hand rubbed repetitiously across my lower back and I knew if I sat there too long, I was going to fall asleep.

“Beth invited me over for Thanksgiving.”

“Oh really? I knew she would. What did you tell her?” I could almost hear excitement in his voice.

“I told her I’d come over. My family won’t be here anyway. Spending it alone would probably just make me cook something unworthy of being a Thanksgiving dinner and watch stupid chick flicks all day.”

“Are you okay with meeting my parents? I know it’s soon. I’ll make sure my mom knows we just started dating, so she doesn’t act all excited and do the whole ‘welcome to the family’ thing.”

“No, it’s okay. I don’t mind at all. I just wish my parents were here to meet you, too.” The holidays always made me homesick, but I was a little more homesick than usual this year. Knowing that Brent had no control over me but I still wasn’t going to see my parents was bothering me.

“Me too. Do they know about us?”

“Um, I told my mom a little about you the other day when we talked, but I haven’t talked to her since then.”

“Oh yeah, what did you tell her?” he asked playfully.

“Wouldn’t
you
like to know?” I pushed myself up with one arm to look at him, but he immediately pulled me back down to kiss me. I felt a tiny pain on my arm and realized I was being bitten by mosquitos repeatedly.

“Any chance we can move this make out session inside?” I slapped one off of my arm. “The mosquitos are having me for dinner.”

“Yeah, of course, you grab the beers and I’ll grab the blanket and shake it out.”

When we both got back inside, I just stood there and searched Parker’s face to see what he wanted to do next.

“How about the living room?”

“What about the living room?” I questioned.

“We can take our kiss fest in there. We can put the blanket down on the floor.”

“Oh! Yeah, you’ll just have to slide the coffee table over.”

I went into the kitchen and grabbed the candle lighter out of one of the drawers. I walked over to the living room and put our beers on the floor, then walked over and lit the two candles on the end tables on both sides of the couch. Parker was already sitting on the blanket, using the couch as support.

“Miss Montgomery, are you trying to seduce me?” he teased.
Hell yes I am.

“That depends – do you need seducing?” I crouched down and straddled him. I placed my hands on his stomach and I could feel his ab muscles through his shirt.

“I certainly don’t need any seducing when you’re around. It takes all I have not to be all over you every second we’re together. I want you even when you’re not around.”

His words were enough to give me the go-ahead. I moved my hands down a little lower and grabbed the hem of his shirt. I pulled it up painfully slow and he helped me pull it off. He did the same for me in return, slowly rubbing my arms on his way down. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around my back, strongly enough to pull my body into him.

He kissed my neck, collarbone, and then continued to the other side. A shiver shook my whole body.

“Are you cold?” he said, not stopping the travel of his lips.

“Just a little I guess. I blame your lips.” My voice came out a whispery whine. He had barely touched me and I already felt unhinged.

“Well, let’s fix that then, shall we?”

Parker leaned forward again with enough momentum to lay me on my back. He placed himself on top of me, and flung the side of the blanket over top of us.

“Better?”

He went back to kissing my collarbone, getting progressively lower. All I could get out was an ‘mmhmm’ type of sound. As he continued his kissing pattern at a torturously slow pace, he slowly slid the strap of my bra off of my shoulder and did the same thing to the other side. I propped myself up on my elbows to give him room to unclasp it and take it off. He took the hint and had it unhooked in no time. I wondered how guys were such masters at that. 

When his warm breath reached my nipple, I let out a moan loud enough to surprise even myself.

“Damn baby, that’s got to be the sexiest sound I’ve ever heard,” he said, looking up at me from my exposed body.

I put my head back and let him finish his exploration. From one nipple, painfully slow to the other. He kissed all the way down my stomach, one inch at a time, until he got to my shorts. He sat up and unbuttoned them, pulling them and my panties off together at the same time. He stayed up on his knees and looked me over. I felt so exposed, but in the best way possible. Although my mind automatically went to my scar, right now I didn’t care. Parker had called me strong, and this was the battle wound to prove it, so to speak.

He came down on top of me again and kissed me hard; full of passion, desire, and a ‘can’t wait’ sort of need. I reached down to undo his belt, followed by the button on his pants, needing him just as much as his kiss said he needed me. When I got it unbuttoned, I slid them as far as his thighs and he kicked them the rest of the way off in record time.

“Are you okay?” he whispered in my ear, just causing me to come further undone.

“I’m better than okay. I’m perfect, Parker.”

“You sure are.”

After teasing me with his perfect finger techniques he brought his body up to meet me at eye level and pushed into me part of the way, both of us moaning simultaneously. A little more each time, I needed him. Not some of him, all of him.

“Don’t tease me,” I pleaded.

He moved slowly, his kiss matching his speed. I wrapped my legs around his hips and locked my ankles. His speed picked up and so did our kiss. There was something so needy about the way we kissed.

I felt a sudden rush of control.

“Roll over,” I whispered in his ear, biting the lobe for good measure.

He rolled us over until I was on top of him and I sat up. I grinded my hips into him and he hissed through his teeth. “Fuck, you feel amazing.”

I started to move my hips more rapidly and Parker grabbed them to help me. I was quickly coming to the edge and I could tell he was too. I pulled my hair over to one shoulder and leaned down and kissed him, holding myself up with my hands on the floor by his head. Our rhythm quickened and so did our breathing.

“God, you’re so incredible.” We were both panting and breathing heavily but his words went right through me to my core. His words sent me over the edge, and my orgasm slammed into me with ferocity. My hands could barely hold me up and I slowed my hips as I lay down on top of him. He rolled us back over and grabbed my leg by the thigh while leaning over me.

“Oh no, I’m not done with you yet.” He quickened, not faltering in a single movement. I threw my head back to somehow balance out the pleasure that was flowing through my body. I felt his body tense as he finally hit his climax. He leaned down to lay on top of me, almost gasping for air. We sat like that for a few moments, just getting ourselves together.

“Holy shit.” His breathing had slowed but his heart rate had not.

“Um, yeah. That seems to be the consensus.” I giggled.

He rolled off of me to his side, and I rolled slightly to face him. He brushed the hair out of my face and rubbed his thumb along my cheek.

“I care about you a lot Parker.”

“Yeah?” he said with a smile. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“Please don’t hurt me.”

My words sort of hung there. No movement, no sounds, just…my plea.

“Don’t worry, I’m crazy about you. I will do everything possible to make sure no one hurts you again.” He smiled and it confirmed every emotion coursing through my body.

“I’ve never felt this way before. I want to just hang onto this. Will you just stay here and hold me?” I snuggled in closer to him.

“There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

Twenty-three

Where had this week gone? After we had to get up early Monday morning to start the work week, Parker and I didn’t get to see each other but one time Wednesday night. Trying to wrap up the paperwork and files on his now almost finished case took up so much of his time. He’d had media interviews and meetings with the District Attorney and I was thankful for the very few phone conversations we snuck in at night before we both passed out from exhaustion. Thankfully, we stayed in Friday night and Parker spent the night.

I felt the tickle of fingers running down my ribcage. I opened my eyes to see Parker lying on his side, watching me intently. 

“Good morning,” I whispered. My lips turned up into a smirk.

“Seeing that smile first thing, I’d say it’s definitely a good morning.”

I felt his foot brush against mine and I pulled my leg up to rest on top of his thigh.

“Oh man, my back is killing me.” I rolled onto my back and the sharp pain radiated again. I stretched the best I could while lying on the floor, but I knew it was going to bother me for the rest of the day. It always did.

“Yeah, sleeping on nothing but a rug and a comforter again was definitely not the best idea.” He leaned over and kissed my cheek, amusement in his voice. “I’d gladly take a back ache to do last night again though.”

“Yeah, I think you’re right. This is my punishment.” I laughed.

“How about a massage?”

“I’ll never turn that down.”

I rolled onto my stomach, my naked ass barely covered by the blanket. I folded my arms under my head and Parker positioned himself so he was straddled over my legs. He started at my lower back, applying just enough pressure for it to help without hurting. He kept up a slow, upward motion on both sides, and I thought for sure I’d fall back asleep. I’d never had a massage before, but if it was like this, I had been missing out.

“That feels so good,” I mumbled. Parker didn’t say anything, just kept going.

Fifteen minutes must’ve gone by before he stopped.

“Is that good?”

“That’s amazing.” I rolled over and noticed immediate relief from the pain in my lower back. “It feels so much better. Thank you Parker.”

“Anything for you. Besides, if I want to spend the day with you, we can’t have you be in pain can we?”

He was still up on his knees, towering over me. He leaned down to kiss me and my body responded to him right away. I smiled as I kissed him. He noticed and pulled away just a few inches.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. I was just thinking about the fact that my body was getting geared up and ready to go five seconds into kissing you. You seem to have that effect on me.”

“Glad I’m not the only one.” He pulled his leg over me and lay on his side, propping himself up on his elbow. He was quiet momentarily as he held eye contact with me. “Can I ask you a serious question, Sadie?”

“Of course. You can always ask me anything.”

“Will you tell me about your scar?”

I lay there – silent. I knew it would come up eventually. I had been naked in front of him three times now and it was pretty hard to miss. I guess it was time to go there.

I sighed deeply. “Remember when I told you I couldn’t have children?” I spoke really softly, hoping I wouldn’t be choking on my own emotions by the time I finished.

“Yeah, I remember.”

“The day I left Brent, I had an accident. I had to have surgery and was told there would be so much scar tissue that I wouldn’t be able to get pregnant in the future.”

“Oh God Sadie, I’m sorry.” He put his hand on my face and I closed my eyes and leaned into it. His face said so much more. I saw pain and empathy but I also saw curiosity. “What do you mean when you say ‘accident’?” 

I swallowed hard.

“We were…fighting. He grabbed ahold of me and when he let go, I fell down the stairs. I landed on the pair of scissors I was holding.”

“You-you just fell?” he stuttered. “That’s a lot of information with very little explanation.”

I sighed and knew this was it - my darkest secret spoken out loud. I had only told two people what happened to me. My therapist after I left the hospital, and Stephannie. Telling Parker seemed so much more horrifying.

“It was the week I was going to leave him. Stephannie told me I could move in with her, so I had been packing my stuff and taking a couple boxes at a time to her at school. That night, I was sewing a button back on one of my shirts when he came home early. He saw clothes that I had thrown out in the garbage can outside and asked me about it, but he seemed to have believed me when I told him it was just stuff that I didn’t want anymore. We were standing at the top of the stairs when he started giving me the speech about how I could never leave him, he’d never live without me, the same threat I’d heard numerous times.” I sucked in a deep breath. “I left the door open. I mean, we had a guest room and I kept most of our important papers in a filing cabinet in there. He went in there like, once, the entire time we’d lived there, so I boxed some of my stuff up and left it in there to take to school with me the next day. But I left the door cracked by accident and he saw it when he was talking to me. He lost it and wrapped his arms around my neck and tried to choke me. I tried to run but I slipped and fell and ended up at the bottom of the stairs. I was unconscious by the time the ambulance got there, so I was told anyway.”