17. Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Seventeen
Parker
F ive hours had passed since I kissed Madison and I could still feel her lips on mine. All I could think about were her bottomless emerald green eyes looking up at me, her full pink lips waiting for my kiss. And that gasp against my mouth. If that kiss had happened in private, I wouldn't have walked away. I would have hoisted her up from her chair and sucked on every inch of skin she would allow me access to.
She was attracted to me. And as much as I felt guilty about it, I was attracted to her.
That made me knock on the door of The Pink Diamond at ten o’clock in the evening holding the perfect excuse for my visit.
Madison opened the door, her usual blank expression on her gorgeous face, until she noticed what I was holding. Her brows shot up and her eyes widened .
I had to fight my smile from spreading. “I need help.”
“I’m not helping with that,” she pointed at the ball of fur in my hands. “I hate dogs.”
“That’s not a surprise,” I said, my heart thudding in my chest. “I’ve always pictured you with something slimy and deadly.”
“If that’s how you talk to women, no wonder you are still single.” She repeated the comment I made about her not so long ago. And while it didn’t seem to have an impact on her when I said it, her telling me that felt like a stab to the heart.
I ignored the pain and smiled at her. The blank expression on her face morphed into an uncomfortable one as I refused to insult her back.
“So what? You bought a dog and decided I would love to know that at ten o’clock in the evening?”
I finally allowed myself to glance down to her body and I found her dressed in a midnight blue combination of lace and silk. The neckline revealed just the right amount of skin to make me want to push the thin straps off her shoulders to bare her chest for me. The hemline sat high on her thighs, showing off her long legs.
Desire stirred inside me at the sight of her, but I was her boss and her secret fake boyfriend. Acting on the attraction seemed like a terrible idea, but I couldn’t stay away. Not that night at least. Not after that gasp.
“I didn’t buy the dog.” I forced my eyes up to meet hers. “Your brother did. For Hannah. That’s where we went when we left Clem’s bakery.”
Her throat bobbed with a swallow at the mention of our encounter. I stared at her long, delicate neck, but she brought me back to the conversation. “I thought he was helping you with something. ”
“We lied. It’s her Christmas present. The previous owner is going out of town and wanted to get rid of the puppies, so Tyler had to take him now. I offered to hide this little fellow until Christmas.”
“And I thought that pets weren’t allowed at The Gem.”
“I’m pretty sure that if there was a person who could break the rules around here, that would be me.”
She tilted her head to the side examining my face. “And I need to know all of this because…?”
“I don’t want to keep him locked up alone the entire day tomorrow.”
“Oh, no.” Madison shook her head. “No. No. No. If Tyler wants to get Hannah a dog, that’s his problem. If you decided to help Tyler, that’s your problem. I’m not taking care of that.” She pointed at the dog.
“Come on. He’s fun to be around.”
“Yes, it will be fun. Until he chews on my shoes or pees on the carpet.”
“Then you’ll just have to keep a close eye on him,” I replied with a cheeky grin. “It’ll be like having a cute little security guard following you around.”
I saw the hint of a smile tugging at her lips before she pursed them together. “I don’t need a security guard.”
I couldn’t argue with that. If anything the rest of us needed protection from her silent but deadly wrath.
“He’s just a baby, cupcake,” I teased her. “He has been with his mother and the other puppies and now he has to be alone all day long while I work. Doesn’t that just break your heart?”
“I’m heartless, remember?”
I looked her straight in the eye. “I don’t think you’re heartless. I think you want to be. ”
There was a moment of silence, then she opened the door wider and invited me in. “If he destroys anything, you’re paying for it.”
“I already am. That’s my villa.”
“I was talking about my shoes.”
A laugh escaped me. “Of course you were.” I gently left the dog down on the floor. It immediately ran over to Madison and started sniffing her legs.
She bent down to pet it. “This is so Tyler. An idea pops in his head and then someone else has to take care of his mess. Is it a beagle?”
I nodded and watched in amusement as her expression softened while the dog jumped around her hand playing with her.
“You have a soft spot for him already.”
Madison’s cheeks flushed slightly. “He’s sleeping at your place. I will help when I can during the day, but that’s it.”
I smirked and crouched down next to her and the puppy. It wagged its tail enthusiastically and licked my hand before turning back to Madison for more attention.
“We have a deal, cupcake.” She ignored the obvious tease, but I wasn’t ready to leave just yet. I wanted to talk to her more, so I tried another tactic. “Aren’t you going to offer me a drink?”
“All I have is water.”
“That’s fine.”
“Help yourself,” she pointed at the fridge.
I was desperate to prolong my visit and I racked my brain for any topics we could discuss, but then Madison said something that made my blood run cold in my veins.
“I forgot to tell you. I’m meeting with the architect in two days. Do you want to join?”
I ground my teeth together. “No. ”
“He’ll be coming here,” she said, like that would make a difference for me.
“I told you. You’re in charge of that.”
“I know, but I still feel like you should give your opinion beforehand.”
Gazing up, I shot her a glare. “And I think you should learn how to shut up and follow orders.”
The moment I said that, I regretted it. Lately I had been enjoying Madison’s wit and determination to always have the last word. But I had to draw the line at the fucking gardens.
“I don’t want to hear another word about that. You have a green light to do whatever you see fit, but I don’t want to be a part of it.”
Then I whistled and the dog came running. I picked him up and started walking towards the door. I heard her footsteps behind me and felt the need to leave on a slightly better note.
“Do we have another invitation for a family dinner from your mother or am I banned forever?”
I tried to make my voice sound friendly and I failed.
“You’re not banned,” she said without offering any details, which annoyed me.
“I guess all that alien talk didn’t make me an undesirable son in law after all.”
“Your interest in Daphne saved you. And that insinuation that you’re looking for the mother of your future children also helped.”
I wanted to tell her everything. The words piled up one over another on the tip of my tongue, but I didn’t want to bring it up like that. In the middle of the night. Right after I acted like a jackass. So I faked a laugh, wished her good night and went on a walk around the gardens with the puppy in my hands .
I walked past the bench that always made my gut twist, but after a few steps I turned back and sat down on it. Because who knew if it was even going to be there soon? I spent a couple of hours there, torturing myself with memories.
When I finally returned to The Blue Diamond, I showered and settled into the bed with the small creature snuggled next to me.
And that was the first time I slept with a living thing in the past four years.