All I Want(33)

“I’ve always wanted to put one here in the house to see what Oreo does all day long,” she said.

Nope, he thought, laughing at himself. Not on the same page. Not in the same book. “He sleeps on the couch,” Parker said. “He snores. He occasionally farts and wakes himself up. He trolls the kitchen in case the elves have brought him food and then he goes back to the couch. That’s about it, but sure, have at it.” He pulled the camera from the bag and set it on the table. “You’ll need to load the app on your computer.” He rattled it off, expecting her to say never mind, it was too complicated, but she didn’t look intimidated in the least.

In fact, other than when she was attempting to bake, Zoe never looked intimidated at all. And damn if that wasn’t attractive as hell.

She went back to her French toast, taking another bite before moaning.

And Parker went hard. “Damn, woman.” He looked to the pan on the stovetop hopefully—yes, there was a God, because there were two more pieces in there. “Can I—”

The doorbell rang.

Oreo barked and farted.

Zoe rolled her eyes and pushed the dog off her lap. “Wonder who’s here?”

“Oh yeah,” Parker said. “It’s your date.”

She blinked and then her mouth opened in an Oh! of surprise.

Parker stared at her for a beat and then tipped his head back and laughed. He’d been feeling pissy about the date with Joe, and she’d not even remembered. “You really forgot?”

She put her hands on her hips and appeared to fight for words, which gave him a moment to take in the rest of her. Her hair was piled up on her head, but much of it had escaped, brushing her bare shoulders. She was wearing sweat bottoms that were way too big for her, but that was okay because they’d slid dangerously low on her hips, leaving a strip of her stomach bare.

She had a belly ring piercing, a twinkling pale blue crystal. He wanted to put his mouth to it. A little surprised at the force of the urge, he took a step back and shoved his hands into his pockets on the off chance they decided to act without his brain’s permission and toss her down on the table so he could pillage.

“Shit,” she said. “I really did forget.” She blew out a breath and looked down at herself. “I’ve got to change. And also pretend I didn’t just stuff my face.”

Parker grinned.

Zoe pointed at him. “Shut it. And let him in?” she asked, heading to the stairs. “Tell him I’ll be just a minute.”

Parker eyed her hair. And the syrup drop on her left breast. “Maybe you should take two minutes. Or you know . . . more.”

She made a sound of great exasperation and left. She raced up the stairs and slammed her bedroom door.

A beat later it whipped back open. “Hey!” she yelled down. “Why didn’t a brick fall out of my fireplace?”

Parker, halfway to the front door, stopped and eyed the fireplace. A brick hadn’t fallen out because he’d fixed it with one trip to the local hardware store for a mortar patch. But Ms. Prickly I’ve-Got-It wouldn’t want to hear that. “A brick totally just fell out,” he said.

There was a pause, and then she was at the top of the stairs, staring down at him. “You just lied to me.”

“It was a white lie,” he said. “And everyone knows white lies don’t really count.”

She blinked and then pointed at him. “Stop fixing my life!”

He laughed. “This house is not your life.”

The look on her face told him that he was wrong. She thought that the house was her life. “Hey,” he said. “I—”

The doorbell rang again.

“Just get the door!” she said, and vanished.

Parker had to fight the urge to go up those stairs and make Zoe forget all about Joe. He could do it, too. This wasn’t ego but fact. She looked at him every bit as much as he looked at her. But again, it was a massively bad idea so he opened the front door.

“’Bout damn time.” Joe stared and stopped at the sight of Parker. “Is this going to be awkward?”

“Not for me,” Parker said, and gestured him in. “She’s not quite ready.”

Joe nodded and hunkered down before Oreo, who’d come into the living room behind Parker. “Hey, boy. Hey, buddy. What’s your name?”

Oreo growled low in his throat and hid behind Parker’s legs.

Joe pulled his hand back in. “No? We’re not friends yet?”

“He’s a rescue,” Parker heard himself say. “He doesn’t like men all that much.”

Oreo poked his head around Parker’s thigh and glared balefully up at Joe before licking Parker’s hand.

Joe laughed a little. “So what does that make you?”

Parker ignored this and picked up the silly oaf, who weighed as much as a mountain.

Oreo set his big head on Parker’s shoulder and sighed trustingly.

It was possibly the best thing that had happened to Parker all day. He loved dogs. He loved all animals. He’d certainly saved enough of them. But in his line of work, moving around as he did, being gone for weeks at a time on a case, he’d never gotten to have a pet of his own. He’d never realized how much that bothered him.

“Sorry I’m late,” Zoe said, rushing down the stairs. She’d put on that same long, flowery old-lady dress as on Parker’s first day, and for some reason Parker felt a whole lot better. Especially when he saw Joe’s face.