Take Me Down (The Knight Brothers 2)

So really, it was all for the best.

Wasn’t it?

* * *

Once he had a purpose, Parker immersed himself in the job he wanted to do at the inn. After taking a tour with James, making notes in his phone on what needed updating, renovating, and outright replacing, they spoke about who James wanted to hire. If he chose to give the job to locals, Parker was happy to do so. He wasn’t interested in taking over, just paving the way for the man to have the inn of his and his wife’s dreams. And he hoped Emily didn’t bust his balls in the process.

He noticed that James hadn’t gone out of his way to fill her in on his plans, so Parker didn’t offer up the information that he was funding the renovation himself. That was between father and daughter, a place he did not belong. He wasn’t comfortable withholding the news but it wasn’t his to provide.

As for Emily, Parker had given a lot of thought to his conversation with James about her past relationship. She was obviously recovering from a serious situation that had hurt her a great deal. Parker himself seemed to trigger her, and coming on like a caveman wasn’t going to help matters. As a result, he’d started to give her space to figure out if she wanted to get involved with him while he was here. In the meantime, he felt useful for the first time in a long time.

But as the days passed, he found it harder to keep his distance from Emily. Waking up and walking downstairs to the smell of her delicious treats baking in the kitchen, finding her hustling around the room, hair in a high bun or ponytail, adorable strands hanging around her face, sometimes humming, sometimes dancing to music in her earbuds as she worked, left him with a constant hard-on.

He stood in the doorway, watching her swivel her hips to whatever beat she heard in her ears, when his cell phone rang, startling her and causing her to drop the spoon she’d been holding. She glanced over and shot him an annoyed glare, then bent to pick up the utensil, giving him a perfect view of her ass as he answered the phone without looking at who was calling.

“Yeah?” He was annoyed at the interruption.

“Parker?”

“Sebastian. What’s up?” He hadn’t spoken to his younger brother since he’d gotten to Colorado. “Everything okay? Ashley good?”

“All fine. No worries. Ethan’s just giving the rest of us hell because you’ve finally taken a vacation. What gives?”

His gaze on Emily, who was pouring batter into muffin tins, Parker couldn’t help the grin that lifted his lips. “Let’s just say I found something better than family business to occupy my time.”

With the earbuds in, she didn’t so much as flick a glance his way to indicate she’d heard him.

“Hah. Switzerland finally made a decision.”

Parker rolled his eyes at that damned nickname his family had thrust upon him, first because of his time on the slopes and later because he was the most laid-back of the siblings, letting them make decisions around him and staying neutral unless he had something earth-shattering to say.

“So you finally found a woman who does it for you. Let me be the first to congratulate you,” Sebastian said. “I was beginning to think celibacy was going to be your permanent state.”

Parker rolled his eyes. “Shut the fuck up,” he muttered to his brother.

Sebastian laughed. “Come on. Someone has to give you shit and Ethan’s too busy being an ass.”

Parker shook his head. “What are we going to do about him?” he asked, concerned about his oldest sibling.

“We’ll intervene when you get home. When will that be?”

Not any time soon, Parker thought. “Couldn’t tell you. But I’ll be in touch,” he promised Sebastian, as Emily slid her muffins into the oven and closed the door.

“Okay, take care. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do, which leaves the field pretty wide open with whoever this woman is.” Sebastian disconnected the call and Parker slid the phone into his jeans pocket.

Emily’s back was to him and Parker decided he’d had enough distance. He’d intended to give her a chance to come to him but she wasn’t that type of woman. He’d just have to offer her an out should she want one.

Walking up behind her, he slid his hands over her waist and pressed a kiss to her neck, inhaling the sweet scent that was Emily when he wasn’t smelling chocolate or the baked goodness that surrounded her.

“Yum,” he whispered in her ear at the same time he pulled her against him.

“Parker!” She jumped in surprise, but instead of jerking away, she leaned back into him, her ass pressing against his groin.

He swallowed a groan, willing to put up with the discomfort in order to be near her. “I don’t want to keep my hands off you,” he whispered against her ear.