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Authors: Natalie J. Damschroder

Sophie's Playboy (39 page)

BOOK: Sophie's Playboy
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  • Or maybe it was because Parker was more engrossed in his men
  • She tried to ignore him back without feeling childish and co
  • While the others debated what to choose, she looked around t
  • "Is this restaurant non-smoking?" she murmured to Parker. He
  • The waiter arrived and—speaking unaccented English, Sophie w
  • "How about this," Parker offered. "If the advertiser doesn't
  • Mollified, Stevie went back to his menu.
  • "Are we ready to order?" The waiter stood next to the table,
  • We. What, were they in a nursing home or something? Sophie s
  • The waiter eyed her. "Can I?"
  • Sophie laughed, her bad mood immediately gone. "Maybe next t
  • Parker ordered chicken cordon bleu, Melina a veggie wrap, an
  • "We have to get the full range of menu items," he protested
  • "No. Just trying to stay in my jeans."
  • "Please!" Parker raised a hand. "No diet talk! I get enough
  • Melina scanned the little group, then smiled uncomfortably.
  • The chuckles ceased. Stevie cleared his throat. Melina looke
  • "Are you pregnant?" Sophie blurted, hoping it was a "positiv
  • "I wish." Melina licked her lips, then drank some of her wat
  • "Wow." Stevie stared at her. "You'd never know it. You look
  • She shrugged. "Well, I am. Mostly."
  • "How often do you go to dialysis?" Sophie asked. She'd known
  • "Now it's three times a week. Next week I have to start doin
  • Sophie didn't know much about kidney disease, but she knew o
  • "Are you heading for a transplant?" she asked softly. There
  • "Eventually." Her voice was hoarse. "My—" She stopped and pl
  • Parker, who had been silently watching her until now, reache
  • She smiled wanly at him. "Got an extra kidney?"
  • Parker didn't hesitate. "If that's what it takes, yes, I do.
  • In that instant, Sophie leapt over the wall she'd been climb
  • * * * *
  • Sophie couldn't wait for dinner to be over. The waiter had a
  • Still, Sophie had to concentrate on her meal so she'd have s
  • Parker loomed large to her left, smelling like Drakkar and h
  • Parker didn't even seem to know she was there.
  • She was desperate to get him home, in her bed, over her, und
  • It would be foolish, she knew, dimly hearing the chatter aro
  • No, she amended, he wouldn't run screaming. He'd gently and
  • They finally finished their desserts and called for the chec
  • "I'm gonna just walk home," Stevie told them, and motioned d
  • If she gave Parker any hint of what she wanted, what she fel
  • Sophie put a hand on her queasy stomach. Parker and Melina w
  • * * * *
  • Parker wondered what Sophie's next move would be. When he'd
  • When he'd heard Brianna's message the night before, he'd bee
  • Why did he care so much what Sophie thought of him? He'd wor
  • He cared more what Sophie thought of him than he'd ever care
  • Maybe he cared more about Sophie than he'd ever cared about
  • So when they got back to the station, he didn't know what to
  • "I'll see you tomorrow," Melina said, and started to walk to
  • Her joke fell flat, but she just shrugged and waved goodbye.
  • "You'd really give her your kidney?"
  • Parker looked down at Sophie, who was still watching Melina
  • "Of course," he answered. "If it was a match."
  • Now she looked up at him, and what he saw in her eyes both t
  • "Sophie..."
  • "Come home with me tonight, Parker." Her hand laced with his
  • He couldn't say no, and for the first time, he didn't feel d
  • * * * *
  • He followed Sophie to her condo and in the front door. She d
  • Sophie moved into the bedroom and toward the center of the r
  • She turned toward the closet, and he almost swallowed his to
  • Still she ignored him.
  • He watched as she tucked the blouse into a laundry bag, then
  • And stood in front of him in a black push-up bra, a garter b
  • He pressed his sweating palms to his ribs to dry them on his
  • But she didn't take off the bra. She sat at an old-fashioned
  • But she was teasing him, and he was loving it. Loving her fo
  • She swiveled to one side and bent to slip off her shoes. Par
  • "Jesus Christ, Sophie," burst from him. His hands dropped to
  • She smiled at him in the mirror. That confident smile of a w
  • Sophie stood and turned to face him. "Hello, Parker." She re
  • "Leave them on." He smoothed her hair where it lay above her
  • "Thank you."
  • "You have no idea what you've done to me tonight."
  • "I have some idea." Her hand pressed against his hardness an
  • "You are a witch," he said through grinding teeth.
  • "Yep." She tilted her head. "Does that mean you don't want m
  • "Yeah, right, I don't want you. Like a starving man doesn't
  • "Come here." Sophie beckoned and he went, supporting himself
  • "You haven't kissed me yet," she murmured, her hands moving
  • "Didn't I? I don't remember." Exerting incredible control, h
  • "Do it." At that moment, her hands found him. He crushed his
  • So he touched her. He pulled back and fell to his side, prop
  • "Parker, I don't want slow and gentle. I want you to devour
  • "Shh." He pushed her hand back to the bed. "Don't worry. I'l
  • God, she was hot.
  • He lowered his mouth to her breast and sucked, simultaneousl
  • Quickly he moved over her and positioned himself. She parted
  • "Parker, God, it's not over!" She arched against him, trying
  • Just before he exploded, Sophie's eyes met his. Her lips did
  • CHAPTER 12
  • Sophie went to work the next day feeling like she'd gotten t
  • Right up until the end. When Parker had entered her and driv
  • They'd held each other for a few minutes, then Parker had si
  • "I did."
  • He leaned back to look at her. "What?"
  • She squirmed and looked at his shoulder. "I use a diaphragm.
  • "That protects us from pregnancy, but what about the rest?"
  • She liked the way he said "us" when talking about pregnancy.
  • "Are you afraid of catching something?" she asked. He grinne
  • "Not hardly."
  • "Hey!" She slapped his shoulder. "That wasn't nice."
  • "I didn't mean what you think." He stroked his hand over her
  • "Usually."
  • "Are you afraid of catching something?"
  • Given Parker's reputation, she probably should have been. Sh
  • He shook his head. "Never. Not even my first time. I've neve
  • That heated Sophie's blood again and she kissed him. "Mmmmmm
  • Parker pulled back. "Again?" He looked amused.
  • Sophie frowned in concern. "Can you?"
  • He laughed and hugged her. "For you? Anything!" They stroked
  • "There are some pre-filled applicators in the drawer."
  • Parker sat up and opened the drawer, removed a long tube, an
  • "Open for me."
  • Sophie did, and the act was more erotic than anything he'd y
  • They tried for tender this time, but when they got to the po
  • Sophie fell asleep on top of Parker.
  • He'd been gone by the time she woke this morning and she vag
  • The team was meeting mid-morning to go over their dinner of
  • She didn't get it. To her disappointment, Parker actually ar
  • "Crisis at the office," he apologized, settling on the couch
  • Sophie struggled to keep her attention on what they were doi
  • "The hamburger was fine. Juicy, done the way I wanted it, ch
  • Sophie let Melina coax a few more comments out of him. She w
  • "Hey, Sophie, what's with the dress?"
  • "What?" She looked at Stevie, who was somewhat out of focus.
  • When Melina said, "I think we've got it," Sophie jumped up a
  • "Anyone want to join me for lunch?" She dusted her hands as
  • Maybe later, too, she'd feel guilty for being glad that Meli
  • "I'll join you for lunch, Sophie."
  • He sounded so calm it made her excitement jump ten points. T
  • "How about my office?" Parker murmured in her ear. "It has a
  • Sophie shivered. "Perfect."
  • She felt like a nymphomaniac, but didn't care. She climbed i
  • "I'm not wearing any underwear."
  • Parker ground the gears.
  • "My God, Sophie." He stared at her, appalled. "Don't do that
  • She laughed, delighted with her affect on him. She squeezed
  • Parker's leg jerked and the car lurched. He swore and moved
  • They pretended to be in deep discussion about the show as th
  • "Damn," he whispered. "Can't this elevator move any faster?"
  • Sophie just grinned.
  • She nodded professionally at Parker's secretary and preceded
  • Their kiss was like one ending a months-long separation. Par
  • She loved it.
  • "The couch," Parker panted, trying to get her across the roo
  • "No." She pulled him to his chair and shoved him into it. "H
  • "Oh, yeah."
  • She gathered her skirt and straddled him, sinking onto him i
  • "Oh, Parker." She sighed. "If this was all there was, I'd be
  • Parker gripped her hips and gave her a quick but thorough ki
  • He lifted her almost completely off him, then lowered her un
  • "Me, neither."
  • He was close. She could see it in his clenched features, fee
  • "Sophie, I think you're going to kill me." He sighed and hug
  • Sophie sat up and grinned. "But you'll die happy."
  • "Oh, yeah." He smiled back and Sophie caught her breath at t
  • * * * *
  • Parker saw Sophie's smile fade and hope come into her eyes.
  • He'd been afraid he had the potential to hurt Sophie. But it
  • He levered her to her feet and stood, fixing his clothing an
  • He looked at the grandfather clock in the corner. "We should
  • "Parker?"
  • He couldn't bear the tiny voice, so different from her usual
  • She stretched up and kissed his cheek. "Take all the time yo
  • Betty winked at him when they walked by, still holding hands
  • He was as bad as his father. It didn't matter that he'd done
  • Because Sophie was important. He'd never had someone importa
  • It wasn't too late, he told himself. But it was. He knew wha
  • * * * *
  • Sophie wasn't stupid. She knew what they'd done in Parker's
  • But God, she wanted him. And, she determined, looking at the
  • They arrived at the station and gathered their notes for the
  • Sophie had a feeling they'd be a bit flat on that subject to
  • She couldn't be more wrong. Halfway into the first hour they
  • "The problem with romance, Sophie," he explained in a very r
  • "That's quite a generalization," she responded. Parker didn'
  • "I think women shouldn't expect to be important."
  • "Wow. Karl, you're not bitter or anything, are you?" She lau
  • Parker chimed in. "So you think a relationship is the right
  • Sophie let the fear that had been simmering in the bottom of
  • "Like what?" His eyes burned into hers. What was he looking
  • "I don't know, like respect and love and feeling like you ne
  • "Have you ever felt that way about someone?"
  • Sophie's blood ran cold. What was he doing? Why was he putti
  • "Actually, Parker.... "She dragged out the silence just a be
  • Stevie had decided they should pretend they went separately,
  • "Yes, I was there with our program manager, Steve." Melina's
  • "It was the first time I'd ever eaten in there. Parker took
  • "You had leftovers?" Melina asked.
  • "Yeah, even Sophie couldn't finish her huge portion," Parker
  • "Oh yeah, Parker? I noticed you managed to clean your plate
  • "And the rice and green beans amandine," he added. "What did
  • "Well, Steve and I are on a bit smaller budget than you two.
  • "Hey, I resemble that remark!" Stevie had slipped into the b
  • They all laughed, then Sophie said, "I liked how the staff s
  • "No smoke, either," Parker added. "I dislike eating in a pla
  • Sophie noted the time and wrapped it up. "I think it's safe
  • "Well done, everyone!" Stevie waved his hands. "Parker and S
  • "What?" Sophie stared at him. "What are you talking about?"
  • He shrugged. "Just, you know, make some innuendoes. Use the
  • If he only knew how hot they could get. Sophie's face began
  • She was all too afraid she knew where he was going.
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