Chapter 4 #2
If it hadn’t still been raining outside, he’d have gone for a walk. Getting outside always eased his tension. Instead, since he was confined to the house, he took an early shower and changed into comfy clothes.
When he emerged, the smell of steak broiling made his mouth water.
In the kitchen, Genna had set the table and had just removed two foil-wrapped baked potatoes from the oven. “You’re just in time,” she said, smiling.
Somehow, this made him feel worse. “Genna, I never want to make you feel uncomfortable.”
His words wiped the smile from her face. “You’re overthinking things. Please, sit down and let’s have a nice meal. It’s been a spectacularly bad day. I’m really not in the mood to make it any worse.”
Damn, he liked her attitude. Quietly nodding, he asked her if there was anything he could do to help.
“Nope. Just sit and eat,” she replied.
“Yes, ma’am.” He sat.
She picked up their plates and carried them to the stove. When she returned and placed them on the table, they each had a perfectly cooked portion of steak, baked potato and asparagus.
“This looks way better than anything I could have made,” he admitted.
“Thank you.” She took a seat and gave him a mock stern look. “Dig in.”
Genna wasn’t sure if it was because of the handsome man sitting across from her, but the dinner they shared tasted better than anything she’d ever made.
Parker definitely appeared to like it. Making appreciative sounds as he ate, he cleaned his plate in record time. “That was amazing,” he said, sitting back in his chair and watching her eat.
Once she’d finished, he grabbed both plates and carried them to the sink. “I’ll wash up.”
“Thanks.” Suddenly exhausted, she didn’t move. Instead, she covertly admired his backside while he washed off their plates and everything she’d used to cook.
When he finally finished and turned around, he studied her. “Did you want to watch some TV?”
Though she really wanted to crawl into bed, it was still early. “Sure,” she said, rising and stretching. “I don’t care what we watch. You choose.”
They settled in the living room. She took the couch and he sank onto his recliner. Using the remote, he chose a crime drama. “I’ve watched a few episodes of this,” she said. “It’s pretty good.”
Appearing lost in thought, he nodded.
Relaxing slightly, she grabbed a throw blanket from the end of the couch and used it to cover up.
She must have dozed off because the next thing she knew, Parker gently shook her. Confused, she sat up, blinking sleepily. The room had gone quiet, the television turned off.
“Did you want to sleep here?” he asked quietly, bending over her. “I wasn’t sure if you’d rather I left you alone, or woke you so you could move to the bed.”
Heaven help her. Maybe her defenses were in tatters due to her being only half awake. Without really thinking, she reached up, pulled his face down to hers, and kissed him.
Oh, what a kiss. It was everything she’d thought it would be, just as passionate and perfect as she remembered. Tongues tangled as they deepened it. Desire, which always seemed to be simmering inside her when he was around, blazed to life.
It would have been a simple thing to tug Parker to her, his full body on top of hers. Though fully clothed, shedding those would have been a simple thing.
Except she knew doing so would be a terrible mistake.
To his credit, Parker kept himself back. Only their mouths met, though he tangled one hand in her hair. If he wanted more, he made no move to take it. Instead, he continued to thoroughly kiss her, letting her make the next move. Which, despite how badly she wanted to, she couldn’t take.
Finally, they broke apart, both breathing hard.
Talk about awkward. She didn’t know where to look, what to do with her hands. Meanwhile, he waited, clearly giving her time and space to choose what she wanted to do next.
What she wanted had nothing to do with anything.
“I guess I ought to go to bed,” she managed to say. “Thank you for waking me.”
Instead of responding, he straightened and nodded. Moving stiffly away, he glanced back over his shoulder at her. “Please turn the lights out when you go.”
A moment later, she heard the sound of his bedroom door closing. The slight click made her wince.
Well, she’d certainly made a mess of things.
Feeling an uncomfortable combination of both arousal and embarrassment, she briefly considered spending the rest of the night on the sofa. But aware she’d likely regret that decision in the morning, she pushed herself up and made her way toward the guest room. She shut off the lights as she left.
After a quick detour to the guest bathroom to brush her teeth, she returned to her little room and closed her own door. Quickly changing into her pajamas, she slid between the cool sheets and gave a sigh of relief.
When she opened her eyes again, it was morning. The instant she woke, sitting up in Parker’s guest bed, she immediately realized she’d made a huge mistake.
She’d kissed him.
Moving on autopilot, she tried not to think. Today was another workday, and they’d be working side by side for large chunks of it. There couldn’t be any lingering awkwardness between them. She had to clear this up. Somehow.
While she showered in the guest bathroom, she tried to think of what to say.
Should she apologize? Explain that she’d been barely awake and…
what? Acted on the constant, simmering desire he aroused in her?
No, that wouldn’t work. It sounded too much like an invitation to try again, or to take things even further.
She definitely didn’t want to lead him on. Because, plain and simple, they were coworkers. Nothing more. Nor could they ever be. She wasn’t willing to risk this blowing up in her face yet again. Especially since her livelihood would be affected.
After finishing, she shut off the water, toweled dry, and tried to clear her mind.
She hadn’t been able to come up with much and decided she’d simply apologize and leave it at that.
Decision made, she ignored the butterflies in her stomach, dried her hair and got dressed.
As a general rule, she didn’t wear a lot of makeup, just mascara and lip gloss, which meant it didn’t take her long to get ready.
Sadly, Genna didn’t feel refreshed. She hadn’t had much success sleeping.
The kiss and the break-in had weighed heavily on her mind, making her toss and turn all night long.
Every time she’d managed to drift off to sleep, booms of thunder had yanked her back into awareness.
The storm had continued into early morning, finally moving on right before dawn.
Because thinking about the break-in terrified her and dwelling on the kiss made her want to cry, she wished she could get through the morning without thinking.
At least until she got to work. Once at RTA, she could keep herself busy enough so she wouldn’t have to dwell on anything.
Except, she did need to have the front door repaired and call an alarm company and make an appointment to have a system installed.
But first, she had to face Parker. He’d been kind enough to offer her a place to stay, and then she’d kissed him. What if he’d taken that to mean she wanted more than just a kiss?
And what if she did? Too much to consider, especially since she’d always been a fan of weighing all her options.
She’d kissed him. Damned if she hadn’t wanted to do a whole lot more.
Admitting that brought to mind visions of their night together.
She relived every moment, wondering how it could be seared inside her brain.
Their tangled bodies, the passionate kisses and the way he’d made her feel sexy, beautiful and whole again.
Special. At least until he’d disappeared without a call or text.
In retrospect, that had turned out to be a good thing.
She hadn’t wanted to go straight from her disastrous marriage into another relationship.
She’d needed to learn how to live on her own and rebuild her self-respect, especially after being betrayed not only by her husband but by a woman she’d considered her best friend.
Genna never wanted to feel that level of pain again.
Yet when she’d gone slinking back home to her parents to lick her wounds, and she’d been ghosted after she’d indulged in one amazingly carnal night with the sexiest man she’d ever met, it had hurt nearly as much. Maybe because she’d been vulnerable.
Even though Parker had belatedly, one year later, offered up an excuse, the rejection still stung. Likely more than it should have. Maybe she needed to finally let it go.
Giving her hair one final swipe of the brush, she stared at herself in the mirror.
Then she took a deep breath and opened her bedroom door.
The scent of coffee brewing drifted down the hallway, making her mouth water.
When she made it to the kitchen, Parker was standing at the stove, his back to her, stirring something.
Dang, he looked good. Flushing, she remembered she owed him an apology. Not yet though. She needed to be fully awake for that. Needing fortification, she made a beeline for the coffeepot.
“Morning,” Parker said, turning to smile at her. “Mugs are in the cabinet to the left of the coffee maker. I have half-and-half in the fridge and sugar in the smallest of those canisters on the counter.”
“Thanks,” she replied, pretending that his smile hadn’t knocked the breath from her. “Any reports on storm damage?”
“Not yet.” He filled two bowls and carried them to the table. “Since we’re opening RTA, we can fill everyone else in once we get there.”
Slowly, she nodded. “What are you cooking?” she asked, feeling ridiculously tongue-tied.
If he noticed, he gave no sign. “I made some oatmeal with raisins.”
Though she usually nursed a cup of coffee until fully awake, since she felt like she’d been up for hours, she appreciated the hot meal.
“That’s very kind of you,” she said, grabbing a mug from the cupboard and filling it.
Once she’d added her cream and sugar, she took a seat at the table and took a sip.
He’d already placed a couple of spoons there, along with paper napkins.
The aroma of oatmeal, cinnamon, and raisins made her realize she was starving. No one had made her breakfast since her mother when she’d lived at home. The small kindness made her insides go all gooey. She decided maybe she’d wait on the apology, at least until after they’d eaten.
“Dig in,” he said, dropping into the chair opposite hers.
Though she tried not to watch him through her lashes, she couldn’t help herself. He ate quickly and efficiently, the way he did most everything—except make love. Again, the thought made her entire body flush. She concentrated on finishing her breakfast, glad he couldn’t hear her thoughts.
“Do you think the roads have cleared?” she asked, wondering if she should offer to help with the dishes. Since doing so felt too intimate, she stayed put while he carried their bowls and utensils to the sink and rinsed them before placing them in the dishwasher.
“Yes,” he replied, turning back to face her. “Despite the early morning clouds, it looks like the sun is trying to come out.”
His phone rang before she could comment. She sipped her coffee, watching as his expression changed. The grim sound of his one-word responses sent a shiver up her spine.
“Thanks for letting me know, Eli,” he said. “Please keep me posted if you learn anything else.”
“What’s going on?” she asked. She knew his brother Eli was a state trooper.
“Another body was found. This time on a remote hiking trail outside of town. Young woman, same scenario as the other four. Black dress, and cause of death appears to be strangulation.”
Genna swallowed. “That’s awful. They haven’t even identified the fourth victim and now there’s another. Even more reason to worry me and all the other women in Shelby.”
“They need to catch the bastard.” A muscle worked in Parker’s jaw. “I know Eli is frustrated. I’m sure everyone working the case is.”
Just then, a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds and beamed through the sliding-glass door. Parker turned, walked to the door and opened it. He stepped out onto his back porch, leaving the door open.
Unsure whether or not to follow, Genna pushed to her feet. After getting a second cup of coffee, she ventured outside, walking on the balls of her feet. She wanted to be ready to turn and go back in at the first sign that he might want to be alone.
Leaning on the railing, he drank his coffee and eyed the forest. “This used to feel like the safest town on earth,” he said. “At least, growing up here. We used to ride our bikes and explore the woods from sunup to sundown. No one worried we might be abducted.”
She walked up to stand next to him. “All the bonfires we had near the river in high school. My parents always knew I’d make it home safe.”
“Yeah.” He glanced at her. The dark shadows in his eyes made her heart ache. “Now everyone has to worry. Lakin has promised to never go anywhere alone. Would you mind doing the same?”
Though touched, she had to shake her head. “That’s not possible,” she replied. “I live by myself. I have to buy groceries and go shopping. There’s no way I can live my life if I have to constantly look for someone to accompany me everywhere.”
He acknowledged the truth of her statement with a dip of his chin. “Okay, but don’t take any solitary hikes until this killer is caught.”
“Now that, I can do,” she murmured, cupping her mug with both hands.
In the distance, an eagle circled, hunting.
“I’ve never been much of a hiker.” She didn’t tell him that she’d gone once as a teenager with a boy she’d thought she’d liked from school and had nearly been raped.
She’d been able to talk her way out of danger and had made it home unscathed, but the experience had made her understand how dangerous the wilderness could be. Not solely from wild animals, either.
“Really? It’s one of my favorite activities when I’m not working.”
“Isn’t that one of the things you do when you are working?” she asked, her tone dry. “I know you take out a lot of hiking expeditions.”
“True.” He shrugged. “I enjoy being outdoors. There are too many fun activities, no matter the season.”
She eyed him briefly. For a second, she considered asking him if he’d ever enjoyed sitting in front of a blazing fire in a warm and cozy living room, watching the snow fall outside.
But then she realized it wasn’t anything she needed to know.
Better to think of Parker as someone completely incompatible.