7. Parker Cain
7
PARKER CAIN
Declan’s house was…big.
Like enormous.
I’d known the guy had money, but it was a lot of fucking money if his house was anything to go by.
It was a modern affair with very neat, clean lines. Everything was symmetrical and tidy, which I would have expected of him. If I’d learned anything about Declan in the past year, it was that he was all about order and routine. Everything had a time and a place, and we could never deviate from that.
Of course, I took a lot of joy in messing with his order and control when we were together in bed.
But I was stepping into his world out of desperate need, and it was only right that I abide by his rules.
My gaze skimmed over the neatly manicured lawn and the shrubs that were all trimmed into perfect shapes with nary a leaf out of order.
Surprisingly, I didn’t find it stifling, but it called out to my artist’s soul like a giant blank canvas begging to be filled with colors and chaos. That probably wasn’t what had been in Declan’s mind. It was also a good thing Joy wasn’t mobile yet. I could keep her brand of chaos confined to a small area while we were staying with him. With any luck, it would just be for a day or two.
Declan parked the car at the foot of the wide half-dozen stairs leading up to the double front doors. The windows in the pale-gray house were long rectangles, appearing to run from the floor to the ceiling.
“Does anyone else live here with you?” I asked as I unbuckled my seat belt.
Declan turned off the engine. “There’s also a cook and a housekeeper-assistant, but they live in the eastern-most rooms close to the kitchen. You won’t see them much.”
“Oh. Um…Joy and I will try not to make more work for them.”
“It will be fine,” Declan murmured as we got out of the car.
I walked to the other side and worked on getting Joy’s seat out of the car while Declan moved to the trunk to grab our bags. The hatch was dropping as a man rushed out and down the stairs wearing dark slacks and a collared, long-sleeved shirt.
“Forgive me, sir. Allow me to assist you,” he said in a low voice. His eyes seemed to give the barest sweep over Joy and me before focusing on Declan.
To my shock, Declan dodged the man, his fists tightening on the bags as if he couldn’t stand the idea of someone else touching them. “No, it’s fine. I have them. Franks, this is Parker Cain and his daughter, Joy. They will be living here for the foreseeable future. Your number one priority is seeing to their comfort and needs.”
Franks stiffened for a breath. It was almost like seeing a computer lock up as it attempted to parse some problematic code. But in the next breath, he had accepted the information and incorporated it into his programming.
“Welcome, Mr. Cain. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me for anything you or Miss Cain might require,” he greeted with a tiny bow of his head.
“Thanks, but don’t worry about me and Joy. We won’t be staying long, and we won’t create any extra work for you.”
“It’s no trouble at all.”
“Franks, please park the car in the garage,” Declan cut in, stopping our attempts to out-polite each other. “In a little while, I want you to accompany me to pick up Parker’s car.”
I opened my mouth to argue with him, but in the end, I closed it without saying a word. In truth, I didn’t want to go back to the apartment to get my car because it would mean dragging Joy out as well. If Declan and Franks went, it meant Joy could take a much-needed afternoon nap while I tried to sift through the remaining scraps of my life.
“Of course, sir.”
“I’ll be putting Parker and Joy in the first guest bedroom.”
“Of course, sir. I’ll alert Chef Donovan that there will be another person for dinner this evening.”
“Thank you,” Declan murmured and gave me a nudge to get me moving toward the front door with him.
Franks must have been the person Declan had referred to as the housekeeper, but I had a feeling that he was more of Declan’s personal assistant, keeping up with the house, his clothes, cars, and his other personal needs. He didn’t need to deal with Joy and me as well.
Blessed coolness washed over us as we stepped into the house. Soft classical music drifted from hidden speakers, just barely breaking the overwhelming silence. But more than the quiet, the white walls took me aback. As I followed Declan through the large two-story house filled with large windows to let in the bright sunlight, everywhere I looked were white walls and dark wood floors. Almost no color broke up the monochromatic decor. The furnishings were simple and very expensive in appearance, but sparse. There were no knickknacks or family photos—a couple of landscape paintings and that was it.
I’d almost asked if he’d recently moved in but swallowed the question. If he hadn’t and this was how he preferred to live, then to ask would be insulting.
At the beginning of the second-floor hallway, Declan pushed open a door and led the way into a large bedroom that had to be at least twice the size of my old one with a simple but beautiful king-sized bed with a gray comforter and matching pillows. He turned on one of the bedside lamps and set the two bags down at the foot of the bed while I put Joy’s chair on the end of the bed and worked on getting her out of it. Thankfully, she’d fallen asleep during the drive to Declan’s and was still zonked out after the day’s excitement.
Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Declan’s frown as I set Joy in the center of the bed and created a pillow barrier around her. She was just starting to get good at rolling over, but the pillows were more than big enough to stop her from falling off the bed.
“We should get her a new bed,” Declan whispered.
My head snapped to him, and my mouth hung open at his pronouncement. The man was ready to step in and spend whatever money was necessary to make Joy comfortable. I’d witnessed his eagerness to splurge on Joy a week ago in the office, but it still rocked me to my core. It wasn’t that I’d ever thought Declan to be a stingy man. Just detached. I’d never expected him to notice something like Joy’s comfort or happiness.
“No!” I hissed in a low voice. “We won’t be staying long. Besides, you bought a bunch of stuff for her last week. You can’t keep spending money on her like that.”
“Why not?”
Why not? Wasn’t it obvious? Normal people didn’t do that.
“Besides, all the stuff was likely lost in the fire, correct? It will need to be replaced. ”
I reached for Declan to shake him, but I curled my fingers into fists and marched to the other side of the room so I could throw myself into one of the two overstuffed chairs.
Yes, the room was large enough to have a sitting area.
Declan followed me, but he didn’t sit. He hovered, his frown deepening, but it wasn’t a look of displeasure. Those usually amused me because it meant my teasing had annoyed him, and he always let his annoyance out as very excellent sex. No, this frown was a mark of confusion.
“I don’t understand why you’re determined to help me. You hate me,” I argued, being careful not to speak too loudly and wake Joy from her nap.
The tall, brooding blond rocked back a step. “I don’t hate you. Why do you keep saying that? I couldn’t fuck someone I hated.”
That was a pretty good point. “Well, you don’t actually like me.”
“Why do you believe that? I find you annoying at times, but we both know you do that on purpose. When you’re not being intentionally annoying, you’re…interesting. You have a refreshing take on things, and I enjoy listening to you.”
His words stole my breath away. There was nothing in my brain. The poor, overtaxed thing had stopped working by the time Declan had found me outside my apartment complex and every attempt to reboot had been met with one new shock after another. But his thoughts on me didn’t match how I’d believed he felt about me.
Those first few months together, he’d come to my place for sex and then be out the door before either of our heart rates had returned to normal. However, more recently, he’d lingered afterward longer and longer. Sometimes we’d go another round, but mostly, we’d lounge in bed together with my head on his chest while I talked a bunch of nonsense. I hadn’t even thought he’d been listening to me.
Declan cleared his throat as if he’d just realized what he’d admitted to me. “The point is, I believe we have become friends, and I believe in helping my friends. You need help, and I can provide that with ease.”
“Thank you.” I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts to add more, but everything was racing around in my head, fractured and disjointed. It all felt too big, too much. I released the air locked in my lungs and said the one thing I could. “Thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t called.”
“You would have figured it out.”
I was shaking my head as I spoke. “Everything has been a disaster since Molly died. I know nothing about taking care of a baby. The only time things felt a little smooth was when my parents were in town, and my mom was helping with Joy. I wasn’t terrified that I was screwing her up every second she was awake. Molly left Joy in my care, not because I’m her biological father, but because she trusted me. Yet, now I’m homeless. I’ve lost her things. The things that Molly picked out for her. Gifts from her parents. I’ve lost all my art, my clothes. On top of the fact that I’m utterly useless.”
“Stop,” Declan snapped in a louder voice. My entire body jolted, and I sat up straight. “You don’t know what you’ve lost yet. The most important thing is that you and Joy are safe. Many things are replaceable, and there’s still time for you to make more art.”
“You’re right. I’m thinking…maybe…I should head back to Arizona. If I’m close to my parents and the rest of my family, I’ll have people who can help me with Joy. At least until I get better at being a dad.”
“I don’t think it’s wise to make any big life-changing decisions right now. You’ve been through a lot of heavy, stressful events. Stay here for a while in the peace and quiet. Recuperate. Get some rest, so you can be sure that you’re making decisions with a clear head.”
What Declan was saying was smart and very logical, yet I couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that escaped me. “Rest. I feel like I’ve barely slept in the past two weeks. I’m running on adrenaline and fear. My body is exhausted, but my brain is wired with nervous energy.”
Declan stood over me, his frown growing fiercer. As I was coming up with something to brush off his concerns, Declan nodded.
The taller man reached down, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me to my feet. The heat of his hand burned my skin, but there was something so calming about his touch. Something familiar when the whole world seemed wrong. But he didn’t stop there. Still holding my wrist, he dragged me across the room to the en suite bathroom. With his free hand, he flipped on the light to reveal pristine white walls with subtle touches of black tile and brushed-nickel fixtures.
“What are you doing?” I demanded as he pulled the door nearly shut. Declan left it open enough to hear my daughter if she stirred.
“I’m going to make you come.”
A choked sound erupted from my throat as my body forgot how to breathe. Had he lost his mind? Maybe I’d misheard him. But there was no chance to ask. His mouth descended on mine, stealing away my ability to speak or even think.
The burning touch of his lips and the sweep of his tongue shoved away the few thoughts I’d cobbled together. In all the months we’d spent together, we hadn’t taken a lot of time to kiss. The most productive thing we’d done with our mouths had been some cock sucking.
But I was starting to wish we had kissed more. Declan Foster claimed my mouth as his own personal property and settled in like he planned to build a home. And there was nothing I could do about it. Fuck . Who would want to? My body melted into his bigger frame, and my brain shut off all but the most basic functions.
I kissed Declan with everything I had, not caring how we’d gotten to this point. It was the first time in so fucking long that something felt good. That the pain in my chest was no longer choking me, and panic didn’t swamp me. With one kiss, I believed everything was going to be okay.
Declan’s hands wandered down my body, massaging away the tension from my shoulders and back. They dug deep into the tissue of my ass until I moaned into his mouth. One hand slipped between us and cupped my growing hard-on through my shorts. I hissed in a mix of pleasure and pain as I broke off the kiss.
“We can’t.”
“Why?”
I could only stare at him in dumbfounded shock. “My daughter is in the next room.”
“Your daughter is sleeping in the next room, which means you need to be quiet.”
Before I could argue further, Declan spun me and pulled me close so that my back slammed into his chest. My shorts fell to my ankles. When the hell had he found the chance to undo the button and zipper? Declan wrapped his powerful arms around me, one hand going to my dick and the other closing carefully on my throat. In a matter of seconds, he’d created the feeling of being safe and completely under his control.
“I’d forgotten how much I appreciated your preference for commando during the warmer months,” Declan whispered in my ear. Goose bumps broke out across my arms as his lips brushed my earlobe.
His semi-rough hand drifted up and down my shaft, stroking with enough pressure to get me hard, but not enough to get me off. A needy whine squeezed from my throat.
“Declan, don’t tease.”
“Wanted to make sure I had your attention.” Declan lifted the hand holding my cock and spit in his palm before gripping me again .
He resumed stroking me, his grip firmer and his motions faster. His hand on my throat also tightened without ever constricting my ability to breathe. It wasn’t about asphyxiation but knowing Declan was in complete control of my body. He’d taken away everything so that my only job was to feel . No more decisions, responsibilities, or searching for answers.
A moan poured from my lips as an intense wave of pleasure built within me.
“Quiet. Not a sound,” Declan admonished while speeding up his strokes.
Flashes of our first two times together passed through my mind. The cold and proper Declan Foster’s thick cock deep in my ass, him growling at me to be quiet in that tiny stall while people came and went in that bar bathroom. The devil in me had wanted to cry long and loud so everyone would be jealous of the incredible dicking I was receiving, but I hadn’t because I was afraid he’d stop, afraid I’d never get to have this a hundred more times in my bed.
“Next time I touch your cock, you’re going to be riding mine. Do you understand?” Declan growled. He shifted his hips as he spoke, pushing them forward so I could feel his hard dick pressing against the crease of my ass. “I want to watch you fuck yourself on my dick. You can be as loud as you want.”
My exhausted body could summon up no more energy to fight off the inevitable as my mind glommed on to the image of riding Declan’s perfect dick while those hot, greedy eyes watched me.
The orgasm that had been building tore through my resistance as if it were wet tissue paper. Scorching hot pleasure burned through my body, destroying all thought and stress. My mouth fell open to let out a cry, but the hand on my throat slapped across my lips, muffling the last of my orgasm.
When I stopped coming, I leaned all my weight on Declan, relying on him to keep me upright now that my legs had stopped working. He removed his hand from my mouth and gripped my shoulder with his forearm across my chest. He released my cock with the other hand and slowly licked his fingers clean, sending a shiver through me. Declan Foster was gruff and taciturn, but he could also be so sexy it short-circuited my brain.
“Now, I want you to take a hot shower. I’ll sit with Joy until you’re out. Then you will take a nap. Your car will be here. We’ll have dinner and figure out your next steps. Okay?”
I nodded, clinging to the feeling of calm as long as I could. The panic was gone. With a few simple sentences, he’d made the world seem manageable again.
As he released me to stand on my own, he brushed a soft kiss to the tender flesh right behind my ear, causing my heart to flutter. He’d never done that before. Kissing between us had been foreplay and nothing more.
This was something else entirely.
I shoved the thought aside as soon as it formed, and stripped. The hot shower helped to keep me relaxed, and I might have taken extra pleasure in the expensive soaps I found in there.
When I returned to the bedroom with a towel around my waist, I found a set of Declan’s sleep pants and a T-shirt waiting for me on the foot of the bed near a blissfully sleeping Joy. Declan rose from the chair he’d been sitting in and gave me a silent nod, then left the room.
I stared at my adorable daughter and sighed. Today could have been a hell of a lot worse. At least she was safe.