Lucidity (13 page)

“What? What’d you say?” Parker moved quickly toward the east side of the house, flanked by a massive woodpile covered by a bright blue tarp. The side of the house that seemed to have the worst reception. “Sorry, you’re breaking up. Can’t hear you. Touch bases with you later, man.”

Clicking off, he permitted himself a gritty smile. A smile for the juvenile stunt he’d just pulled, because the thought of Shep being close to Carly, winning her over, becoming something more to her than a guard dog was enough to make him crazy. The grittiness was for the urge he’d suddenly felt to smash his friend’s handsome face to a pulp.

And he didn’t like the persistent questions about where they’d holed up. Maybe he was being paranoid, but paranoia rarely got you killed. Trusting the wrong people would. And the more he learned about Carly’s situation, the more inclined he was to play it safe.

Shep could certainly trace the call, but then he’d have to give a reason for doing so. There was none. Parker had always had on-scene prerogative to choose the safest course. Meanwhile, Vic would alert him to any perceived trouble. From now on he’d use the prepaid phones. And he’d make a point of thoroughly checking on whoever was chosen to replace him.

Right now he needed to get back to her. It would be hard enough to walk away when he had to. They could relax here, if only for a few hours. They were safe.

After hurrying into the house, Parker approached the suite’s door cautiously, remembering his instructions to her. Poor baby, she was probably scared to death—and he was rather attached to his balls.

“Carly?” He knocked and whispered her name, wondering at the way it made his heart race faster than any danger could, before quietly inserting the old skeleton key in the lock. “Carly, it’s Parker. Put the gun down, okay? All clear.”

Easing the door slowly open, his gaze fell on the revolver, lying harmlessly on the floor under the table.

The woman he’d handed it to, the woman he’d been ready to kill for with a primitive savagery that stunned him…the woman he’d left alone and unprotected was not there.

Chapter Twelve

Parker pounced on the table, turning it over in a fit of panic, as if Carly might still be there, somehow hidden from view. “
Shit
.”

His eyes quickly scanned the room. Everything was as he’d left it. No sign of struggle, no blood. “Carly?” he shouted, racing into the bathroom. She might have felt ill, might be hiding in the shower. No. No one there. He ripped the curtain off the rings in frustration. “
Carly!
”

How could he have been so stupid? He was not supposed to engage the enemy. He was supposed to keep her safe, not avenged. He should have stayed with her, had a backup plan, never left her side. Fuck. She’d vanished, while he was outside making arrangements to
abandon
her. How could anyone have gotten to her in the few minutes he was gone? It was his own fault for never taking any of this seriously enough, for not believing in her. He’d never forgive himself if—

“Parker? I’m here, I’m here!”

Carly shrieked at the top of her lungs, taking heart when she heard the crashing of furniture being tossed about and the familiar thudding of Parker’s boots charging through the suite. If she hadn’t been so afraid the old creaky balcony would give way, she would’ve jumped up and down for joy. She knew the bullish roar of her hero shouting her name, would’ve recognized it anywhere.

A moment later, a tentative tug on the handle was followed by a no-nonsense assault, and the sliding door was ripped open, left hanging like a broken wing as he thundered out into the cold and she sprang into his arms.

“Oh thank God, thank God you’re all right!” Carly wrapped herself around him, clinging as he hugged her tight. “I’m sorry. I got so scared just waiting under that damn table. And then I started thinking how stupid I was being and a coward for letting you risk your life while I sucked floor, and I fought with the stuck door and came out here on the balcony, because if anybody broke into the suite I could risk a jump, and if they didn’t I could stand outside and watch over you and even if I didn’t have the nerve to shoot I could scream if somebody came up behind you, but you must’ve been around front because I couldn’t see you, and then it seemed like forever before I heard whispering inside and thought somebody might’ve harmed you, and I was determined to be your backup bitch, and I was being such a
girl
about it all and then I couldn’t get the stuck door open again when I heard you and I felt like such an ass, and…and—”

“
Shhh
. S’all right now. I’m here.” Parker hauled her inside, pacing the room in frantic circuits, supporting her bottom as she buried her face against his throat. He felt incredibly warm and smelled of freshly fallen snow. And he whispered to her, soothing words, words she couldn’t understand, didn’t care about, as long as he held her. It was impossible to tell whose heart was beating harder.

Desperate to get closer, she twined her legs around his waist, arms tightening around his neck. She might have lost him. He might’ve gotten hurt or killed before she had a chance to tell him how much he’d come to mean to her, how much she cared.

He paused before the ruined glass door and set her gently on her feet, running the fingers of both hands through her hair. His face was pale, his expression pained. “Are you okay?”

“Fine. Just fine.” The gruff emotion in his voice made her feel even worse. “Don’t be nice about it, Parker. I’m so sorry. I locked myself out of the room, for shit’s sake. You might’ve needed help, an extra gun, and where the hell was I? I’d feel better if you told me it was a silly thing to do, or what a pain in the ass I was, or—”

“Later.” He claimed her in a hard, fierce kiss, his mouth demanding against hers. “Jesus, I’ve never been so…” He braced her face between his hands, holding her still, forcing her lips to part for him.

Carly tried to give as good as she got, her tongue tangling with his, her head spinning with excitement. None of her nocturnal fantasies about him had ever measured up to the reality of his touch, his taste. There wasn’t enough air in the room and too much space between them. Her shaking fingers fumbled with his shirt, gave up, then slid down to cup the swelling length of him.

Holy wow, she’d hit the mother lode. She’d teasingly called him “big guy” since the day they’d met. Damn if he wasn’t living up to the nickname.

He shuddered in her grasp, and his hands seized her shoulders, his iron eyes full of dark intent, holding hers. The straps of her nightgown snapped easily beneath his fingers, the silk settling with a seductive whisper at her feet.

Parker kissed a burning trail to her throat and paused to suck the flesh, effectively taking her breath away. The searing heat of desire bloomed in her core, quickly flaming to wet warmth between her thighs. His fingers slid over the bare skin of her back like a promise, trembling slightly, before his thumbs, rough and sure, found her aching nipples.

“
God
, that’s good.” Carly’s knees nearly buckled as a wave of wanton heat blazed through her. He rolled the stiff peaks between his fingers, his muscular thigh easing hers urgently apart when she nearly cried out for more.

Greedy for him now, she squeezed the bulge that bowed his jeans, delighting in his guttural groan. Clothes. Why were there still clothes between them? Frustrated, she nipped his tattoo, needing to taste him, as his hands slid feverishly back to her butt, rocking her hard against him. The need for release was already pulsing inside her, the pressure swelling her clit, sending her climbing. Hell, another grind or two and she’d swear the earth was flat and fly off the edge.

His eyes dilating into dark smoke, he forced her back against the door, one hand lifting her ass higher, the other barely steadying them. The cold glass shocked her skin, intensifying the heated craving below her waist, and she couldn’t seem to bring herself to care. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think when he wedged himself between her legs, the grating sound of his zipper slicing through the silence.

“This is a mistake,” he ground out, freeing the solid length of his cock. “Carly—”

“Parker, if you go straight-arrow on me now, I swear I’ll kill you.”

“Just once. Goddammit, just this once.”

And then he was inside her, stretching her, his strong hands tilting her hips against him as he pushed forward.

Carly moaned, her eyes glazing over as one of his fingers sank into her from behind and everything but sensation faded away. He was murmuring again, his powerful legs bending to sink deeper, the thickness of his feverish cock filling every grasping inch of her. She had no idea what he was saying, but she wanted more. Her nails savagely dug into the strong biceps she’d fantasized about, urging him on. For now, this was her reality, the feeling of him wanting her, taking her, the only dream she wanted to dream.

Parker’s gentle, senseless words were swallowed as he rammed into her, hurriedly, violently. He pounded her against the glass, one wicked finger working her anus from behind, his cupped hand kneading bruises into her rump. She matched him stroke for stroke, writhing in the iron grip against his steely rod, perspiring as he relentlessly pumped fire into her body, chilled by the cold mist that glazed her bare skin.

He was rough, merciless, as if he’d waited a lifetime to have her and couldn’t go deep enough fast enough. She held on to his broad shoulders, panting for more, her pussy tightening, clenching, weeping. A tight coil of tension sizzled at the point of contact, curling outward to pique every nerve ending on her skin, demanding surrender as he punished her with pleasure, jarring the remains of the door behind them with every savage blow.

He tightened his grasp on her buttocks, growling low in her ear as he bucked madly against her. Carly gasped in a surprise orgasm that slashed through her like the sting of a razor and held on tighter. Just the razor’s edge. She was soaring with him again, ready to beg for more. His harsh breathing deepened, became labored snarls as her body clenched around his, sparks of pure-white energy sending her over as he stiffened, shouted her name once, just this once, and burst inside her in an explosion of pulsing, liquid heat.

Parker slowly came to his senses. He was still holding on to her full, round rump, still sublimely joined to her body. The body that still trembled in his arms, still enticed him to take more.

He’d been right. It had been a mistake. This simply wasn’t supposed to happen. Stupid for him, dangerous for her. Still, he was reluctant to break the connection. Her lusty behavior belied those dark dreamer’s eyes and made him crazy. Made him lose control he didn’t know he
had
.

Having a taste of her was worth any price—and then some. And with that admission came the awareness that he’d been fairly rough with her. He drew a deep breath, nuzzling the blossoming sucker bite on her neck. “You’ll have bruises tomorrow. I’m sorry.”

“Are you?” Carly went still in his arms. “Are you sorry this happened?”

“Fuck no.”

“Oh, that’s good to hear.” He felt her smile against his cheek. “Please don’t apologize. I keep telling you I’m not some fragile little thing. You can bump bods with me anytime, big guy.” She drew away enough to brush a flat hand over his hair. “So you’re
always
the strong, silent type. Odd. You talked a lot in the dream.”

He stood straight, carefully separating his body from hers, and placed her on her feet, giving her a long, lingering kiss. She looked drowsy and satiated, her lips swollen and flushed, and he already wanted her again. “What?”

“I said when I dreamed about you—about us—making love, you used a lot of sexy talk. It was kind of hawt.”

She laughed, and his heart lurched painfully in his chest. The relief of finding her safe had opened the floodgates to every feeling for her he’d so carefully kept in check. Damn, he’d fallen hard. “Sorry. Guess I’m not very romantic. I’m usually too preoccupied for talk.”

“Works for me.”

Her tresses fell in tangles over her eyes and breasts, silk over satin. He pushed it back, wanting to relish the sight of all of her. “You realize your dreaming of this had nothing to do with it happening, right? This was free will, babe. I just lost…” He paused, getting his emotions in check. He wouldn’t tell her that when she’d gone missing it had nearly driven him insane.

If what she’d been telling him was true, if all the dream crap he didn’t want to believe was a fact, she was special. Gifted. Chosen for a higher purpose. He was just a grunt foot soldier in the grand scheme of things. Yeah, they both had jobs to do, important ones. But he had to remember they were very different people on diverse paths, and any flirtation—okay, okay, hot, mind-numbing sex—couldn’t be more than a temporary diversion. A
luscious
diversion. “Damn, you must be freezing.”

“Not at all.” She slipped her arms around his waist, hugging him tight. “Some crazy man came in, ripped off my gown and rescued the hell out of me. Warmed me right on up.”

“An overload of that adrenaline I was telling you about. Sorry.”

“Don’t you
dare
apologize for making me feel…
human
again. Adrenaline is good. I like adrenaline.” Carly moistened her lips and squirmed against him, circling one of his nipples with her fingernail. “Got any left?”

Parker laughed, and it had been so long he was amazed his face didn’t crack with the effort. Whisking her up into his arms, he carried her to the bed. Taking a second to snatch his T-shirt and jeans off, he joined her, lying between her soft, welcoming thighs, already feeling the stirring of primitive hunger again. “Loads and loads to come.”