Chapter 9 #4
“Oh,” Parker says in clear surprise.
“We keep repeating the same three words. Is this how arguments between us will always go?”
Parker dances his finger across the rim of his mug as he avoids my gaze. “I’m not one for arguing.”
“Me neither. Reid burned all the arguing out of me over the course of his absolutely awful teenage years.”
“I’m sure,” Parker replies with an eye roll. “Okay, well, I killed Senator Hyland.”
Suddenly the air is punched out of me. “I’m sorry, what now?”
Parker takes a sip of his tea and looks at me over the mug. Everything tilts a little sideways. “Yes, that was me. But I made it look like a suicide. Which was my plan with your uncle as well.”
“You…”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.” I press my hand to my forehead, suddenly a little overwhelmed and kind of dizzy. “That’s… Have you killed other high-profile people. I know your kill count but… I am not sure I want to know the answer to this question.”
Parker sucks at his teeth. “I’ll let you consider that one before answering.”
“Right. You need to kiss me, right now.”
Parker looks startled. “Why? Also, what about the mouthwash and toothbrushing?”
“Because it’ll distract me, I think, from having an anxiety attack. And right now, none of that shit matters.”
“You’re not selling it real hard here.”
“Shut up and kiss me, Parker Chambers.”
Parker lurches across the table to plant his mouth on mine.
It’s a closed-mouth kiss and a little painful, but my brain shuts right off.
I all but climb the table to move toward him, and he spreads his thighs to make room for me to stand in front of him, his hands tentatively going to my hips.
Our lips work together to soften the kiss through teamwork, his lips moving over mine to gentle my nerves like I’m a frightened foal. Which I guess in a way I kind of am.
“Mason,” Parker whispers against my mouth.
I only moan and press in closer, until his tongue swipes against my bottom lip in invitation to be let in.
All I can focus on is Parker, the movement of his mouth against mine, the fresh, clean smell of him, the tender touch of his fingers that hesitate for permission to touch my bare skin as they dance along the hemline of my shirt.
“Do it,” I beg on a groan.
Parker doesn’t ask if I’m sure, doesn’t second-guess me, he just slips his hands under my shirt against the small of my back, effectively branding me as his own.
I want to climb into his lap and feel his hard cock under my ass.
I want to rut against each other until we come in our pants, because my own cum doesn’t freak me out at all, so I think that would work.
But I also think he’s a closet romantic, and I’m not sure he wants to frot with me for the first time after an argument, while drinking tea, with me using him to shut my brain off.
“Okay,” I mumble against Parker’s slack mouth.
I pull far enough away that we’re just breathing each other in.
The view from this angle is delightful because all I see is Parker’s blown pupils, kiss-wet lips, and stubbled cheeks.
“My brain just said I should ride you until we both come in our pants, but I think maybe that’s better for another time when your ribs aren’t bruised and we didn’t just argue? ”
Parker’s eyes darken. “My ribs are fine.”
“Parker.” I say his name like a reprimand.
“Fuck me.” Parker dips his head forward to tuck his face into the crook of my neck.
I loosen my hands from his shoulders to tangle them in the loose hair at the back of his neck.
His hair is so soft, silken-fine, and it does something to all those touch-starved sensory receptors in my brain. “You’re petting me like a dog.”
I pause my petting. “Is that okay?”
Parker grunts. “Don’t stop. It distracts me from how you just said you wanted to ride me until we come in our pants.”
“Well, I do.”
“Shhhhh.” Parker’s fingers tighten against my hips hard enough to bruise. I like it, more than I should. “I kind of want to—”
The doorbell ringing interrupts Parker’s sentence.
I really want to know what he was going to say.
But instead, I disentangle myself from his lap and rush toward the front door.
Jacob’s imposing figure fills the doorway, but then Reid peeks around the side of him with a half smile, half glare. Oh no.
“Where’s Parker?” Jacob asks.
The loud groan from inside the kitchen is all Jacob needs to hear to gently push past me—without touching me—to find his brother. Reid plops his hands on his hips and glares at me.
“You look rumpled,” Reid notes.
I hurriedly run my fingers through my hair. “I was helping Parker get settled since he’s injured.”
“Settled,” Reid says with lots of forced air quotes.
I narrow my eyes. “Are you implying something, Reid?”
Reid deflates as if he’s been properly reprimanded. “Just wanted to make sure you were okay. And that my archnemesis is fine.”
“Parker is not remotely your archnemesis, and he’s fine. You can come in and check if you’d like.”
I step aside so Reid can come in, smiling when he immediately takes off his shoes.
We walk into the kitchen to find Jacob kneeling by Parker with a worried frown.
They stop their murmuring when we walk in but Parker looks a little calmer now, which is probably a good sign of him being willing to accept care.
“Hayden was going to come but he’s awful when one of us is injured, so he stayed behind. Parker says he’ll stay here and you’ll make sure he gets rest?” Jacob asks with a knowing little smile.
“Yes.”
“Reid?” Jacob says with a lift of his eyebrow.
“Right.” Reid jogs back toward the door and returns with an insulated bag.
“Jacob and I made Italian penicillin. It was this soup our mom always made when we were sick, so I mentioned it once and Jacob wanted to learn. Anyway.” Reid holds the bag out to me like it costs him millions of dollars to be kind. “Mason knows how to reheat it.”
“Thank you, Reid,” I say with real emotion. “Mom’s pastina fixes everything.”
“Well, it’s probably not as good as hers was,” Reid argues, looking severely uncomfortable.
“I’m sure it’s better,” I say.
Jacob stands and shoots me a wink. “Definitely since I helped. If Parker stops listening, let me know and I’ll come back to put him in his place.”
Parker grumbles something that makes Jacob snort, then let out a deep belly laugh.
I get the feeling Parker is a notoriously bad patient.
There are so many questions I want to ask them, like how they got involved in this murder-for-good business.
I want to ask how many men Jacob has killed to see if it’s as high as Parker’s kill count.
For some strange reason, I like the idea of Parker having killed the most men because in an odd way, it makes me feel even that much safer with him.
“Where’s Dante?” I ask Reid as I walk them back toward the front door.
“Working with Hayden.”
I lift an eyebrow. “Oh?”
Reid waves a hand. “Internal stuff, I guess. They only bring me into the loop when it’s time for a mission, and those are paused until caveman back there is healed up. No missions without him, I guess.”
“’Cause we’re all walking grenades without Parker,” Jacob says out of the corner of his mouth. He skewers me with a look as he stands halfway out of the front door. “Seriously, if he refuses to rest, call me and I’ll come back. But I think he will, considering his incentive.”
Huh? “What incentive?”
Jacob snorts. “Amazing, there’s two of you.”
I watch as Jacob jogs down the steps, then pauses at the bottom for Reid.
This tentative friendship between both men is endearing and cute.
It’s obvious to see how much Jacob cares for Reid even in the small moments like this, just waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs.
Reid does that painful little half smile he makes when he’s attempting to have an emotion. I bite back a grin at the sight of it.
“You’re okay?” Reid asks, sounding a little unsure.
I nod. “Yeah, I’m all right.” I glance behind me toward the kitchen, finding Parker leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed. “Better than all right, I think.”
“Well, I made the soup with love, so you better eat it.”
“Promise.”
Reid’s smile turns genuine, even a little shy, before he lifts his hand to tap his nose.
I’m not sure what comes over me, what powers have blessed me for the day, but instead of copying the movement, I lean forward to wrap him in a hug.
He doesn’t smell like cigarettes anymore; instead, he smells fresh and clean, and his hair that’s auburn at the roots is a little damp from a shower.
Oh, Reid. His breath hitches a little as I clutch him tight for a brief moment, then let go once it starts to feel like too much for me.
“I love you, Reid.”
“Gross,” Reid says with a wrinkle of his nose.
I sigh. “All right.”
Reid grimaces, then mumbles, “I love you too.”
“Have you ever thought about therapy? It might help. It’s helped me.”
Reid just rolls his eyes. “If you think Dante hasn’t already coerced me into therapy, you’re crazy. We both go. And then he rewards me with some very strenuous lovemaking.”
Disgusting. But good for them, I guess.
Jacob salutes me once Reid joins him at the bottom of the steps, then I watch them disappear toward their house, catching Reid turn around once to look back at me to ensure I’m still watching.
Once they’re too far gone for me to track, I return to the house and lock the door, turning the alarm system back on.
“Want some of the pastina? It’s so good.”