Somebody to Love(83)

Lavinia drained her Seven and Seven. “Then you’ll both be older and wiser and write a song about it or something. I don’t know, sweetheart. He seems like a guy who’s been around a bit. Looking like that, hell, he probably has to hold women off with a bowie knife.”

Where Lavinia came up with her expressions was a mystery.

“When does your son come up?” Chantal asked.

“Sunday. A week from today,” Parker said. Thank God, Nicky would be back in her life. Her little rock.

“So have a fling for a week, Parker. Enjoy yourself. Live a little.” Chantal patted her hand. Just then her phone rang. “Speaking of boy toys,” she said, clicking on. “Hi, babe. Don’t bother me. I’m out with the girls. Oh, really?” Her expression changed to a sex-kitten purr. “Is that right? Uh-huh. Go on. You did not. You did? Ooh. The whole thing? Well, I love you, too. I’ll be home in twenty minutes.” She hung up the phone. “Baby’s asleep, Jonah did the dishes and washed the kitchen floor.” She stood up and smoothed her dress over her lush hips. “My husband is about to get laid. Parker, my advice is, go for it. See you, girls.”

Lavinia drove Parker back to Gideon’s Cove. “Want me to drop you off?” she asked as she came up to the flower shop.

“No, I’ll walk. I could use the air. Thanks, though.” Parker sat for a second. “You’ve been really good to me, Lavinia. I appreciate it.”

“Ah, shit, it’s nothing.”

“It’s a lot. I wish I’d known you when I was younger.”

“Well, you’re hardly in the grave now, are you?”

“Guess not. You’re gonna love Nicky.”

“I’m sure I will, sweetheart. Now get outta my car.”

The stars were blazing overhead. No light pollution up here, that was for sure. The town was quiet, as it was after 9:00 p.m., and the smell of pines and salt filled the air. The shushing of the water in the cove was soft and lovely tonight.

She could do a fling. Sure. Maybe. Probably not, actually. Last night hadn’t felt like a fling. The first time, at Esme’s wedding, yes. That was  p**n o-movie sex. Definitely flingish. But last night had been slow and long and tender, and there’d been smiling, even.

Bugger.

I fail to see a problem here, Spike said.

Parker stood for a minute, looking at the little cottage. It was a far sight better than her first glimpse. The new shingles and roof had perked it up. The back porch had been fortified, the grass cut. She’d paint the doors and railings this week.

She could never have done this without Thing One.

Going inside, she stopped to pet Beauty, who must’ve heard her and was waiting at the door. “Hi, sweetie,” she whispered. “Sorry I left you all day.” Then she straightened up. “I’m back,” she said more loudly.

James stepped out of the bathroom, his hair damp. He was brushing his teeth.

“Okay, here’s how it’ll be,” Parker said, shoving her hands in her pockets. “I can’t have a real relationship, because my life is very unpredictable these days, first of all, and more importantly, I don’t think that would be fair to Nicky, since Ethan and Lucy got married six months ago, and with the move out of Grayhurst and starting kindergarten in September, he’s got a lot of change going on, so me having a, um, boyfriend, it’s not gonna happen. And I can’t have you here when Nick is here, so you’re going to have to either go back to Rhode Island or find somewhere else, because I’m really sorry, but you can’t stay—it’s not the example I want to set. But obviously I find you attractive, so if you agree, then I would say let’s enjoy each other’s company this week, and when my son comes on Sunday, we can part as friends.”

Crap. That was long. Palms sweaty, face burning. But yeah, she thought she covered everything.

James was staring at her. “Can I spit now?” he asked thickly.

“Oh! Sure. Sorry. I’ll be, um, in the living room.”

He raised an eyebrow, then closed the bathroom door and turned on the water.

Rolling her eyes at herself, Parker went down the hall and sat down hard on the couch. Beauty came up to her and pushed her nose against Parker’s hand. Such a soft little muzzle, the nap of her fur so deep and velvety. “How’d you think that went?” Parker whispered. The dog wagged her tail. “Good. Me, too.” The dog jumped neatly onto the couch and curled against her side.

Nice to have a pet. She should’ve gotten one long ago.

The water stopped running, and James appeared, smelling of soap and mint. Kind of hard to look him in the eye after her speech. But he was smiling, and her stomach flipped as he knelt in front of her. “Okay,” he said.

Parker swallowed. “Okay to what?”

“To everything.”

Then he was kissing her, his work-roughened hands under her shirt, hot against her skin, and without further ado, he pulled her to her feet and did her against the wall without even bothering to take off all her clothes.

Meow.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

ON DAY THREE of the Seven Days in Paradise, as he was thinking of it, James called Lavinia and asked her if she’d look after Beauty for the day.

“What for?” she asked.

“I want to take Parker out of town.”