Not Negotiable: A Trident Security Series Novella - Book 3.5 (6 page)

Chapter 7

Inhaling deeply, Shelby reveled in Parker’s scent and the feel of his strong, solid body. Moisture pooled between her legs. A kiss. One kiss and she could die a happy woman.
No, damn it
. She could
live
a happy woman. She’d fought death before and won—she could do it again. Not only did she want to live, but she wanted what this man was offering her. Even if it was only for a little while. She couldn’t have forever with him, but she could have now.

“Please, kiss me, Sir.”

The words were barely out of her mouth before he pressed his lips to hers. She could feel the tension in his body as he held himself back. Not wanting gentle, she nipped his bottom lip with her teeth. Parker snarled and plunged his tongue into her mouth. The beast in him was released and she met it with the one inside of her. Their tongues dueled as she shifted to straddle his lap. Kissing him was just as she’d suspected it would be—explosive. All thoughts of her cancer, chemotherapy, and anything else disappeared from her brain as she let her body take over the moment.

Changing the angle of his head, he devoured her. The one hand held her head in place while the other closed around her breast. His heat scorched her and her back bowed, thrusting her lush flesh further into his touch. Moans emanated from her, followed by a whimper when he pulled his mouth from hers.

Breathless, Parker held her to his chest. “Damn, that was better than I remembered it was, and you better believe I’ve dreamed of doing that since the last time I kissed you. But if I don’t stop now, I won’t be able to.”

“What if I don’t want to stop?” And she didn’t want to. All she wanted was for him to keep on kissing her and to fuck her with that rock hard bulge in his pants.

He stiffened and the fingers in her hair tightened just enough to give her a bite of pain. “Topping from the bottom, baby? You know better than that. And until I talk to your doctor tomorrow and have my list of questions answered, this is as far as I’m willing to go. You’re important to me, Shelby, and I don’t want to fuck up and do anything that might hurt you.” Snorting, he ran a hand down her back. “Jeez, if someone told me two days ago that I would stop once I had you in my arms, I would’ve told them they were crazy.”

Resting her head on his shoulder, she placed a chaste kiss on his neck. This was so nice, sitting in his lap as if she belonged there. But she didn’t. Sooner or later she would have to tell him why she couldn’t be his. Why she couldn’t stay.

How long they sat that way, content in the silence, she wasn’t sure, but reality burst her bubble when his phone rang. Figuring it had to be about his work, Shelby slid out of his arms and stood. She picked up their plates and glasses, then carried them into the kitchen as he answered the phone. While she hadn’t meant to eavesdrop, she couldn’t help but hear his aggravated tone of voice.

“Hello…We’ve been through this. I can’t drop everything and run to Boston because you want me to. I have a business to run. A successful one, not that it makes any difference to you…I don’t know when I’ll be able to get up there…State Senate? Well, good for you…I don’t know.” A growl came from the family room and it hadn’t come from Spanky. “I said, I don’t know…I have things to take care of down here…Well, they’re important to me…Fine. I’ll check my calendar…I said…Never mind…Goodbye to you, too, Father.”

The last sentence had been spat out sarcastically, and Shelby got the impression he’d been talking to dead air. His father had probably hung up. Poor Parker. Not only was his brother an asshole, his father sounded like a prick as well. She didn’t know anything else about his family and hoped there was at least one person among them who was there for him, because those two men obviously weren’t.

She realized she was still standing there, frozen in place, and moved to put the plates in the dishwasher as he walked into the kitchen. “You don’t have to do that, I’ll clean up.”

Cocking her hip, she gave him a scowl. “I’m not an invalid, Parker. If you insist that I stay with you during my chemo, then I insist on carrying my own weight around here.”

In a blink of an eye, he was across the room, sweeping her up into his arms. Laughing at her shocked expression, he held her close. “I think I like carrying your weight around, baby. And you’re here to get better, not clean up. But if you want, maybe you can give me some decorating ideas. If you hadn’t noticed, my place screams bachelor pad.”

Beneath her, Spanky woofed loudly at their antics. Shelby giggled, loving the feeling of being in Parker’s arms. “Yes, it does and I would love to help you decorate. It’ll give me something to do when I’m not sleeping or puking in the toilet.”

Placing her back on her feet, he kissed the top of her head. “How are you feeling? Are you up for a walk with me and Spanky? There’s a dog run in the park up the street and he likes to go hang out with his best buds and lady friends. He’s got the hots for this standard poodle who won’t give him the time of day. But he keeps trying.” Bending, he covered the big dog’s ears with his hands. “Don’t tell him he’s been fixed. I don’t think he’s figured it out yet.”

A full belly laugh burst from her lips. The man was entertaining in more ways than one. “I won’t say a word. And a walk sounds great.”

“Good. Why don’t you put your sneakers on and I’ll grab his leash, ball, and poop bags—extra strength.”

Shelby watched as he left the room with Spanky on his heels. Biting her lip, she tried to tell herself that this was only temporary. She would either move back to her condo when her chemo was done or…well, she didn’t want to think of the alternative. Either way, she’d be leaving this wonderful man. But for now, she selfishly wanted him. She wanted to enjoy their time together while she still had a chance.

* * *

“Hi, Parker.” The ladies greeted him in unison as he opened the front door. Kristen, Angie, Kayla, and Boomer’s new girlfriend, Kat Maier, followed Mistress China into the foyer.

“Hello, ladies. Head on back to the patio. Shelby’s taking advantage of the comfortable weather.”

It was the Thursday after her third treatment and a week since she’d move in with him. The meeting with her doctor the previous Friday had gone well, and Parker had his list of questions answered to his satisfaction. He now knew all about her type of cancer, the course of treatment, the survival statistics—which, thankfully, were good—as well as what he could do to make everything a little easier for her. She’d been a little fatigued that night, so he’d bundled her up on the couch and let her pick out a movie to watch. Expecting it to be a chick-flick, he’d been pleasantly surprised to find out she was an action movie lover like him, and they ended up having a
Die Hard
marathon. It’d been nice having her lay her head on a pillow in his lap as he stroked her hair and arm. When she’d finally fallen asleep, he stayed that way for a while, loving the intimacy of the scene. And that was almost as intimate as they’d been over the past few days, aside from a few chaste kisses and hugs. She no longer seemed uneasy about being with him, but he didn’t want to push things when she obviously didn’t feel well.

On Monday, Parker made sure his foremen could handle things and told them to contact him by phone for emergencies only. Everything else could wait until after Shelby’s chemotherapy session. He had to hand it to the staff at the treatment center—they were absolutely phenomenal. The nurses explained everything to them and answered any questions he thought of. They ensured she was comfortable and even made her laugh with silly stories and jokes. While the drugs were being slowly pumped into her system, a trained therapy dog had stopped by for a visit and Shelby had taken a few minutes to talk with the handler, while scratching the Golden Retriever’s ears. If one had to go through chemo, that was the place to do it. Even the décor was soothing.

Taking her doctor’s advice, he’d filled his refrigerator and pantry with healthy foods and nutritional supplements. Ginger ale, tea, and candies were stocked for when her nausea hit. He made sure she walked with him for exercise when she felt up to it and slept when she needed it. Spanky had become her guardian and Parker’s alert system. If he was in his home office or somewhere else in the house and Shelby dashed to the bathroom to get sick, the Bullmastiff barked until Parker came running. Then master and canine would stay with her until her stomach stopped rebelling against the chemo drugs in her system. And like his owner, Spanky would use his body for Shelby lean on when she was feeling weak. The dog was never far from her side.

Today, Parker had planned to work from home, but Kristen called earlier to say they were coming over for a visit since Shelby was having a low nausea day and felt up to having visitors. Once he made sure they all didn’t need anything and knew to call him if her symptoms changed, he’d take a run to the office and then a few job sites to see if everything was running smoothly. He had a great bunch of workers, but he was still the owner. If things went wrong, they were his responsibility, whether he had been on site or not.

“Parker, I love your house. It’s beautiful inside and out,” Angie gushed. “Ian said you renovated it, but I didn’t expect this.”

During the renovations, he’d incorporated elements of nature into the design of the patio. A river rock fireplace was on one side of the sitting area and a matching outdoor kitchen with built-in barbeque was on the opposite end. Instead of having a tin roof or retractable awning, a large portion of the patio was covered in a stained, teak canopy. The in-ground pool had been created to mimic a small pond, complete with a rock waterfall. Trees and foliage helped make it a tropical paradise. This was the one part of the house he’d decorated nicely with comfortable sitting areas and strategically placed lighting for when the sun went down. It was his and Spanky’s favorite part of the house.

“Thanks. But I need help with decorating the inside. Shelby’s been making notes about what I need to buy so it doesn’t scream bachelor pad.” Before they’d gotten there, he’d set out a pitcher of lemonade and a vegetable platter with dip. Now, he pointed to the kitchen area. “There are plenty of other drinks and snacks in there along with glasses, bowls, and stuff. If you need anything else, feel free to raid the indoor kitchen.” Turning to Shelby, he asked, “Do you need anything else before I go?”

Smiling, she shook her head. “Nope. I think we’ve got everything. Thanks.”

“Great.” He hesitated and then thought ‘what the hell’. Striding over to where she was sitting on a lounge chair, he leaned over and captured her lips with his own. Her breath hitched, but she didn’t pull away. When he broke the kiss, her cheeks were stained red and the pulse in her neck was pounding. Satisfaction coursed through him. “Have a nice visit with your friends. If you need me, call my cell and I’ll come right home.”

“Okay.”

The word came out a on a soft whisper and it thrilled him, knowing he was the reason she was breathless. Standing erect again, he nodded at the others. “Have fun, but make sure she doesn’t overdo things.”

Charlotte narrowed her eyes and teased him. “Honestly, Parker. We’re not taking her out for shots and dirty dancing. We’re saving that for tomorrow night.”

The others laughed as Parker rolled his eyes. “Right. Sorry. I’ve gotten a little overprotective the past few days. Have a good time.”

Convinced they would take good care of Shelby, he left them to whatever women did when they got together like this.

* * *

As Parker cut through the house to the front door, Shelby’s five friends stared at her in open curiosity. Her blush deepened. “Um. Does anyone want iced tea instead of lemonade?”

“Oh, no you don’t, Shelby.” Kayla wagged a finger at her, then picked up the pitcher. “I’ll get everyone’s drinks, while you start dishing out about Master Parker and that hubba-hubba kiss he just gave you. And don’t leave out a single naughty detail.”

She bit her lip, then shrugged. “There’s nothing to tell.”

“Bullshit. Don’t make me get my whip, Shelby.” The expression on Charlotte’s face said Mistress China was making an appearance.

Knowing there was no way around it, she let out a deep breath and filled them in. “Okay. To tell you the truth, I have no idea what’s going on. I mean…we haven’t played or anything. We’ve only kissed a few times.”

“But he wants more,” Angie stated with confidence. “And so do you.”

“But I can’t.” How could she explain this without telling them everything? They were her friends and would understand, but they would also tell her she was being crazy. “I can’t be what he wants…what he needs. He needs a sub who can be a wife and I’m not wife material.”

“What?” Kristen crossed her arms and stared at her. “What the hell are you talking about? You would make a great wife…and we aren’t telling you to marry the guy if you don’t want to, just have some fun for a while…see where it goes.”

Kayla handed her a glass. “Exactly. You know the lifestyle better than anyone. Negotiate a contract with the man. Put an end date on it, so no one has false expectations.”

As the others added their input, Shelby eyed the silent Kat. Everyone was so glad Boomer and she had worked things out because they’d been in love with each other since they were teens, but a cruel fate had forced them to be separated for many years. Shelby still didn’t know her that well, but what she did know, she liked.

Kat raised an eyebrow and smiled when she noticed Shelby staring at her. “What? You look like you want to ask me something.”

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