Take Me Down (The Knight Brothers 2)

He walked quickly and she stumbled to keep up.

“Hey! Slow down!” she said, shaking her arm loose. “What is wrong with you?”

He moderated his pace, waiting until they reached the truck before he turned, bracketing her against the side of the vehicle with his hands. “You’re going on a date.”

She narrowed her gaze. “Yes.”

“No. You’re not.”

“You don’t get to tell me what to do, Parker. I’ve had enough of that with– I mean I’m an adult. I can do what I want.” She had no intention of getting into personal details with a man who wasn’t acting particularly rational.

Although she couldn’t say she minded the fact that he was jealous… It was flattering in its own way. But she was wary of any guy who told her what she could or couldn’t do. Rex was good at that, and though she’d found it sexy at first, she’d quickly realized it was in his nature to control everything, not just about their relationship but about her, as well.

Parker met her gaze, tipped his head, bringing himself nose to nose with her. “Maybe I should rephrase. I don’t want you to go on a date with Matt.”

“Except it’s not your decision to make.” And the fact that he thought it was made her want to defy him just because she could.

“Unless I change your mind,” he said in a husky, growl-like voice.

She swallowed hard. “You can try.” And a naughty part of her hoped he did.

“Hmm.” The sound reverberated in long-neglected places, causing a distinct tingling between her legs and making her nipples tighten in need.

She swallowed hard. And then his lips came down on hers. She gasped at the shock, despite having sensed it was coming, and immediately opened for him, meeting him more than halfway, willing in spite of herself. In spite of the fact that he represented things she didn’t want in her life or for herself. Because she wanted him.

He slid his hands through her hair, his palms holding her face, tilting her to the side so he could glide deeper inside her mouth.

She moaned at the delicious invasion, her tongue dueling with his, the kiss turning hot fast despite the fact that they were outside. He aligned his body with hers, chest to chest, his thick erection nudging unmistakably against the rising heat between her thighs.

More. She needed more. But before she could reach for it, he broke the kiss and stepped back, putting unwanted distance between them. At least, until she came back to herself and realized the error she’d just made both in action and in judgment.

“Still going on that date?” he asked, his tone too smug for his own good.

“Damn right I am,” she muttered, and because he’d been such an arrogant ass, she refused to enlighten him about the date being a means to explain to Matt that she wasn’t interested. Let Parker Knight stew while she was out with another man. It would serve his arrogant ass right, she thought, turning to stomp away.

“Emily, I’m your ride home,” Parker called out with a chuckle.

Dammit. Cheeks burning, she turned back around, making her way to the truck, only to find him waiting with her door open. Like a gentleman.

Too bad he was anything but.

* * *

Parker sat across the dinner table from James Stevens, eating the older man’s delicious stew. According to him, it was his wife’s recipe and he fed it to all guests sometime when they stayed at the inn. He admired the man’s dedication to the love of his life and his determination to keep her spirit alive.

James was the opposite of his daughter, open where she was closed off, warm and friendly where she was snippy and wary. But he saw now, a part of why she was so prickly was because she’d lost her mother, an obviously strong presence in both James’ and Emily’s lives. But he sensed there was something deeper that kept her wary and apart from people in her life. From men specifically. And Parker in particular.

Although she’d let her guard down during that kiss, and holy hell, had it been spectacular. He discreetly adjusted his dick under the table at the thought of how hot she’d been in his arms.

Unfortunately, he’d also been in the kitchen when Emily had bounced down the stairs for her date. She hadn’t been dressed up. She didn’t need to be in order to knock him on his ass. Tight jeans tucked into a pair of high boots that made her legs look long and lean and he wanted them wrapped around his hips as he sank his cock deep inside her. Her blouse revealed a hint of cleavage, not enough to give Matt any wrong ideas, but if Parker was imagining those small globes in his hands, the asshole would, as well. He frowned at that.