Chapter 18
PARKER
Coffee in hand, I wandered over to the sliding glass doors.
The sun wasn’t up yet, nor were any of my housemates.
Delaney must have gotten up at some point during the night after she’d fallen asleep.
The blanket that I’d put on top of her after she dozed off was still on the couch, but it was otherwise empty.
Pia assured me that Delaney had the ability to fall asleep on a dime, and that I shouldn’t take it personally.
After how much we’d drunk, and lulled by the warmth of the fire at three in the morning, it hadn’t even occurred to me to do so, but Pia’s reassurance was welcome anyway.
She and Delaney were close, and the fact that Pia worried at all about my reaction told me something about Delaney’s state of mind.
I took a sip of coffee just as the sun began to peek over the mountain.
What a spectacular view. When I built my own house, I’d be sure to position it similarly. Watching the sun rise always gave me a sense of peace and hope for the day. It was part of the reason I enjoyed fishing so much, being up and out early enough to watch the world come awake.
Delaney.
As I watched the sunrise, I thought of my last glimpse of her, fast asleep on the couch.
With luck, I’d never run into her asshole ex.
The last time I’d gotten into a fight was in college, and I’d prefer to keep it that way, but there was no chance I would be able to keep myself from punching that dickhead in the face if I ever met him.
I didn’t blame him for breaking up with her but for messing with her head.
Clearly he’d done a number on her. Controlling piece of shit.
It was probably good she fell asleep. After that kiss, I’d wanted to scoop Delaney up and set her on my lap as we talked. In that position, there was very little chance we’d have only talked, either. Kissing her had been the highlight of my week.
Month.
Year.
“You slept in,” I said as Mason joined me.
“It’s a hell of a lot harder to wake up at the crack of dawn with a woman like Pia by your side.”
“I bet.”
“Speaking of Pia and her friends…”
“Were we though?”
“She’s been through hell, Park. Pia worries about her.”
“I can tell.” I turned toward my friend. “Did you meet him?”
“Makis? Yeah, once. He’s as much of a douchebag as you’d think. But a charmer. She’s way too good for him.”
“Obviously.” I turned toward my friend. “I like her.”
“I figured you would. It’s hard to believe the two of you never met before now.”
“From what I understand, she wasn’t in town a lot.”
“True. But still.”
I caught his eye. I might not have grown up with him like Cole and Beck, but the four of us were inseparable since freshman year of college. I knew him pretty well, and Mason was worried.
“What?”
Mason took a deep breath, let it out and stared me down. “You’re the only one I’d let date my sister.”
“You don’t have a sister.”
“But if I did.”
“What about Cole?” Beck, I got. But Cole was just about perfect. Smart. Successful. Cultured.
“He’s a fucking sexual deviant.”
I laughed. “That’s stretching it, I think.” The four of us didn’t go into detail about our sex lives, but we knew enough. He liked things kinkier than the average guy.
“Maybe, but if I did have a sister, I wouldn’t want to imagine her?—”
“I’ll pass on those details,” I said. “Your point?”
“My point is, Pia cares about Delaney. A lot. She was the first person who befriended her when Pia came to Cedar Falls. Just… keep that in mind.”
“Seriously?” Mason should know me better than that. I wasn’t the sort of guy to screw someone over. Not Pia’s friend, or any woman.
“You took the pact for a reason,” he reminded me. “I think you agreed to it because you didn’t want to end up like your father. Delaney’s been through the wringer already. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I’m well aware.” I took a sip of coffee, trying not to be offended by Mason’s words. He was just looking out for Pia’s friend. And was right. “I’m not promising anything I can’t deliver on. We’re just getting to know each other.”
“Never stay the night.” Cole. Also an early riser, but not usually this early. “Good coffee, Park.”
“Thanks,” I said as he joined us. “I’m not sure the rule classifies.”
“Certainly does,” he said. “You two will be staying here. Alone. Fits the definition to me.”
“Except, we’re not dating,” I argued, well aware Cole was trying to weasel his way into me putting more money in the pot.
We’d each chipped in two hundred and fifty bucks when we came up with the pact and its “rules,” agreeing to a hundred dollars if we broke one and five hundred for the biggie… marriage.
You took the pact for a reason.
A good reason. Despite the fact that Mason had succumbed, the truth was… the pact had been a good idea. A reminder to remember how things ended when clouded by the euphoria of how things began. I shook away the thought. For now.
“We didn’t differentiate,” Mason said. “You don’t stay the night because of where it leads. Simple. I tossed it in the first time I stayed with Pia.”
“I’ve contributed a few hundred myself,” Cole said.
“Right. Same here. But that was different,” I argued. “We’re not together. Delaney and I are only staying because of the storm.”
“Sure, and I’m Peter Pan,” Cole said. “You two are Lost Boys, and we’re not really at Crystal Peak but Neverland.”
“Does that make Pia a mermaid? Or Tinkerbell?” Mason asked. “She looks more like a mermaid to me.”
“Who looks like a mermaid?” Pia asked from the kitchen. Mason didn’t seem surprised she was behind us. He was always aware of everything, even if it didn’t show. As he often said, once a Ranger, always a Ranger. That plus his experience in the NYPD made him impossible to sneak up on.
“You. Long story,” he said as she poured herself a coffee.
“I bet. Cole, what time do you want to head out?”
“Sooner the better. I might as well go up and drag Beck’s ass out of bed now. If we wait for him to get up we’ll be snowed in.”
Beck typically kept bartender hours, which meant he wouldn’t be up on his own for a few more hours.
“Alright,” Pia said. “One coffee, with this view, and I’ll get ready to go.”
Within the hour, all four of them were packed and getting ready to hit the road when Delaney made her way downstairs.
She wore black leggings and a sweatshirt, hair in a ponytail.
She didn’t have makeup on that I could see, but Delaney didn’t need any.
Perfectly arched brows and pink cheeks, she was sexy and cute all wrapped in one fine package.
“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Pia said, smiling.
“How long have you all been up?”
“Not long,” Beck said. “Cole wanted to hit the road early. It’s already starting to flurry.”
“Last chance to escape me,” I said to lighten the mood. The two of us had been staring at one another for long enough to be noticed.
“You don’t think we’ll have a problem getting out tomorrow?” she asked.
“Nah. Not with the truck.”
“Alright. Then I’m going back to bed,” she teased. “With some coffee.”
With some final packing up and after a round of goodbyes, Pia and the guys headed out. Seconds ago, the house was full of voices, but now… just the two of us.
“You really going back to bed?”
“Nah,” Delaney said. “Although it’s tempting. You should see the view from my bedroom.”
I’d like to.
Keeping that thought to myself, I asked if she wanted breakfast. “They left most of the food. Bagel?”
“Sure.”
A knock at the door interrupted us. The roofing guy.
“I’ll grab the bagel myself,” Delaney said. “Are you still interested in hitting the slopes when you’re done?”
“Absolutely,” I said. “After staring at them all morning, I’m ready to get out there.”
“Alright. I’ll get ready so we can leave as soon as you’re done.”
“Sounds good.”
Walking to the door, I watched Delaney climb the stairs, glad for the roofer. I needed a distraction from the fact that she would be, in a few minutes, up there taking off her clothes.
Never stay the night.
We’d debated our “bachelor pact” rules for days, eventually coming up with that one, agreeing that an overnighter brought things to another level. Mason might have been right to caution me. There was something about her that told me this particular overnighter would do just that.
I wanted her.
Craved another kiss.
Craved having her in my arms. In my bed.
More importantly, though, I liked her. A lot.
You took that pact for a reason.
And that was the scariest thought of them all.