Leave the Lights On (11 page)

Tanya’s voice popped into his mind. “What the hell have you been doing?”

Chuckling, he reached over the side of the bed, plucking his boxers off the floor and slipping them on. Before he’d finished easing into his jeans, Sophie peeked around the corner of the doorway.

“Morning,” she said. Her hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, long pieces loose and framing her face. The yoga pants were back on, along with a cropped hoodie that was only partway zipped, so bits of both her belly and her cleavage still showed.
Holy hell.

“Good morning.” He made his way toward her, taking in the sway of her hips as she leaned against the doorframe. Images of the night before flickered through his mind as he dipped his head to kiss her.

The small sigh that escaped her when his lips touched hers was enough to make him want to scoop her up and toss her onto the bed. Her warm fingers sank into the hair at the base of his neck, sending shivers down his spine.

“I made breakfast,” she whispered. “But I have to go. I’ve got an appointment in twenty minutes.”

Parker groaned.
Appointment. “
Shit. So do I
.”
He kissed her again, loving how warm she felt. “Okay. Quick breakfast then.”

Sophie slipped her hand into his and pulled him down the hall toward the kitchen. The table was already set, but just for one. Scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and fruit salad.

I can’t believe I slept through her cooking all of this.
The aroma overwhelmed him as he realized how hungry he was. “You can’t stay and eat?” he asked, sitting and tugging her onto his lap.

She shook her head, the gentle back-and-forth motion surrounding him with the sweet scent of her perfume. “Nope. It’s all yours.”

Parker plucked a strawberry off his plate and held it in front of her. “One bite?”

“Okay, maybe just one.” Her eyes twinkled as she leaned forward, taking the berry between her lips for a second before biting down.

Parker groaned, feeling himself harden beneath her.

She giggled, shifting in his lap with a playful wriggle before she stood.

“I had no idea you had such a cruel streak,” he said, already missing the feel of her.

Laughing harder, she dipped her head and gave him a strawberry-flavored kiss. “Terribly cruel. Sadistic. Now eat your breakfast.”

Parker plucked a strip of bacon off his plate and stuffed it in his mouth, chewing as he watched her gather her purse and briefcase. “You busy later?”

“What’d you have in mind?”

Again their night flashed through his mind. “Whatever you’d like. Movie? Pizza?”

“How about both? Here. And a swim if it doesn’t rain?”

“Sounds great.”

Parker finished eating, washed his plate and placed it in the cupboard, still unable to believe how much his life had changed in less than twenty-four hours. He caught himself whistling as he walked back to his house. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been in such a great mood.

His euphoria faded somewhat when he entered his house. The silence was an instant reminder that his dad wasn’t there. Not that he’d necessarily have told his father what happened last night. He probably wouldn’t have. Or at least not the details. But now his dad would never even know that he and Sophie were… What were they? Together? Dating? Whatever they were doing it would have made his dad happy, and the fact that he couldn’t share it with him ate away a little of Parker’s joy.

The phone rang before he’d even tossed his keys on the kitchen counter. The number wasn’t familiar but he answered anyway.

“It’s true. You’re back.” The deep voice was instantly recognizable. Joey.

“It’s true.”

“I tried you last night, but there was no answer, and it’s still your dad’s answering machine message, so I thought maybe my dad had it wrong about you being home.”

“Nope, I’m here.”
Gotta change that outgoing message.
The thought of erasing his dad’s voice made Parker’s stomach tense, but the house was his now.
Everything’s got to change.

“I’m sorry I missed the funeral. I had an away game. I’d have been there if I could.”

“No worries. Thanks.”

Joey cleared his throat, and Parker could tell he was uncomfortable. It was the same sound he’d heard all of the few times they’d spoken since the accident. “Yeah. Hey, I was calling to see what you’re up to next weekend. You wanna come watch a game? I can get you seats right behind first base.”

For years Parker would have done anything for those seats. Hell, he’d spent countless hours daydreaming that he’d be able to offer those seats to whomever he chose. His dad. His wife. Anyone he wanted to make feel special. Now Joey was offering them to him. “Okay. Sure. Can you make it two, though?”

“Seats? Sure? Who you bringing?”

Parker hesitated. Dates with Sophie were certainly not implied yet. For all he knew she had a wedding that night. Or wouldn’t even want to go. Last thing he wanted was to look like an ass. “What, like I can’t get a date?”
Maybe I can. Hopefully. Shit. Can I?

Joey laughed. “Give it your best shot. I’ll put you down for two tickets. Just go to the box office—they’ll have them. Make sure you bring ID. Buddy of mine left his wallet at home, and they wouldn’t let him in until halfway through the game when a security guard finally came and asked me to prove who he was.”

“ID. Got it. See you then.”

If things went as planned, next week he’d be hanging out with Joey and Sophie, just like the old days. Except absolutely nothing was like it was in the old days.

Sophie rushed from her meeting at the flower market to the community health club.

An impatient Cindy greeted her out front. “You’re late,” she said.

“I know. I got here as fast as I could. Manuel was in the mood to chitchat.”

“Manuel was in the mood to stare at you in your exercise gear.”

Sophie laughed. “Maybe. But we got a great deal for the Robinson wedding.”

They made their way down the crowded hallway toward the exercise rooms. Cindy elbowed Sophie as they shoved their gym bags into the cubbies outside the Zumba classroom. “Stop yawning. You’re making me sleepy.”

“Sorry,” Sophie said, unable to keep from smirking. “I didn’t sleep much last night.”

“I knew it. You had sex.”

“A little louder please. I don’t think the people in the spin class heard you.”

Cindy bounced on her toes. “I don’t care about them. How was it? Was it awesome? Was he awesome?”

Sophie nodded, feeling the flush spread across her cheeks. “It was amazing.”

“Yes,” Cindy boomed.

“Shhh.” Sophie dragged her down the corridor so there was no one immediately around them. “Will you please stop yelling everything?”

“Sorry. Now tell me. I want details. Big?”

“Cindy.”

“Come on, Soph. Give me something to work with here. Bigger than Nate?”

The grin returned before she could stop it. “Yes.”

“Yay.” Cindy clapped her hands. “And he was good?”

Sophie looked over her shoulder to make sure no one was within earshot. “It was seriously the best sex I’ve ever had.”

“Get out,” Cindy bellowed as Sophie pushed her farther down the hallway.

“Can you please be a little more discreet?”

“I’m sorry, I’m just happy for you. And a little shocked. First times aren’t usually described as the best anything.”

First times. That was one detail she wasn’t about to share with Cindy. The fact that she’d been Parker’s first was their secret and theirs alone. Her heart skipped a beat just thinking about it.

She lowered her voice to a whisper. “It wasn’t just our first time together. It was the first time I ever…you know…during sex.”

Cindy’s eyes bugged to a comical size. “Are you kidding me?”

“Nope.” Cindy had tried countless pep talks over the years, giving Sophie all sorts of tips and techniques in an attempt to help her achieve orgasms during intercourse. All to no avail. “I didn’t the first time but the second time, oh my God.”

“Marry him.”

Sophie snorted. “I think I should probably see if he asks me out again before I plan to marry him.”

“Fine. Date him a few more times. Then marry him. He’s the one. I know it.”

“You haven’t even met him.”

“I know. And I already like him so much more than I ever liked Nate. Marry him, I’m telling you.”

Sophie laughed. “I love you.”

Cindy studied her for a minute, eyes narrowed. “You love him, don’t you?”

Flinching Sophie stepped back. “Love him? Cin, we just started seeing each other.”

“After knowing each other for years and having a secret crush on him half your life. And now all of a sudden, you’re having the best sex ever.”

“He’s just a very attentive lover.”

Cindy sighed. Sophie knew she’d be able to distract her with more sex details. “How attentive?”

“Like a goddamned mind reader. I didn’t know guys could be like that. It was like he didn’t even care about anything other than making me feel good.”

“I’m melting here.”

“How do you think I felt?” The memories alone were enough to turn her insides molten.

“Pretty damn good apparently.” Cindy grinned. “So, when do I get to meet this sex god? Not that I don’t already adore him, but I do want a closer look.”

Meet him?
She hadn’t thought about that. How would he feel about meeting her friends? They hadn’t discussed, well, anything. Nervousness bubbled inside her. Would he even want to get to know her friends? Was this too much too soon? He was just home from rehab, still adjusting to his father’s death. What if a relationship was the last thing on his mind? “I don’t know. I guess I’ll see how things go.”

“Yeah. You do that. I’ll start looking for my maid-of-honor dress.”

“Cut that out.”

Cindy cackled as she headed toward the Zumba room. “Come on, let’s exercise. I don’t want to look fat in the wedding photos.”

Chapter Fourteen

Parker settled himself into the cushioned massage table, letting the heated blanket on his back lull him into a state of bliss. By the time Tanya entered the room he was nearly asleep.

“How’s it going?” Tanya asked.

Parker opened his eyes, looking through the cutaway area of the table. Tanya’s black and gray Chucks had purple laces in them today. “Nice shoes.”

“Thanks, kid.” She pointed a toe, holding her foot closer to the table. “What’s going on with you? We working on anything in particular today?”

“Whatever you want.”

Tanya snorted as she removed the blanket. The air in the room coated his back in a cool rush. Her small but firm hands went to work, starting at his shoulders, making their way down his back. “Did you start working again?”

“Did I ever stop?”

“No, I mean, lifting shit. You doing actual landscaping? Your knots aren’t in the usual pattern. You’re doing something different.”

Parker breathed out a laugh, glad he was facedown so she couldn’t see the grin that he couldn’t keep off his face. The only thing he’d lifted was Sophie, and he didn’t want to spend too much time thinking about that while he was ninety-percent naked on a massage table. Tanya was cool but he still didn’t want to make an ass of himself.

Knowing she wouldn’t stop asking until she had an answer, he took a deep breath. “I had my date last night.”

Tanya’s hands froze for a second, and he could practically hear the wheels turning in her mind. “That’s right. How could I forget? How’d it go?”

Parker concentrated on the pain as she dug her fingers into a particularly sore spot below his hipbone. “Great. Really great.”

“Great enough that your pelvic muscles got a workout, I see.” She chuckled, and he heard her getting the minty liniment that burned and chilled simultaneously.

Tensing as her hands rubbed the icy liquid on him, he exhaled long and slow. “You talk to all your clients this way?”

Tanya laughed. “Only the ones I like. So, can I assume from how happy you sound that everything went well?”

“Yes.”

“Awesome. I’m glad you had a good night, kid. You certainly deserve it.”

Parker had never thought about deserving a good time. Certainly not in the form of sex. And he’d never imagined that last night would work out as well as it had. “Thanks.”

“You seeing her again?”

The smile returned instantly. “Tonight.”

“Good boy. Don’t be one of those idiot guys who makes her wait for you to call.”

Parker snorted. “Yes, ma’am.”

“And don’t call me ma’am.” She dug her fingers in extra hard, and Parker laughed as he felt the knot finally release.

The pizza box burned Parker’s hand, but holding it from underneath was the only way he could manage to carry it along with a six-pack and the bouquet of bright blue hydrangeas he’d picked up on the way.
Is she going to think flowers are stupid?
He didn’t have to worry too long because she answered the door two seconds after he leaned on the doorbell with his shoulder.