Take Me Down (The Knight Brothers 2)

Parker scowled but he quickly schooled his expression into one of complete calm. “But time is passing and there is nothing he can do about the divorce becoming legal, right?” He treated her to a reassuring smile, and when he said it, she believed him.

“Right.”

He glanced over at the waiter and signaled for him.

The man walked over.

“Box up the dessert and have it sent to the room please?” Parker asked.

“Of course.”

Grateful, Emily treated him to a small smile.

“We’re going upstairs and I’m going to take care of you, Emily.” The dark promise in his voice reverberated through her tortured soul.

After the pain of losing the baby, she’d come home to her sick mom and thrown all her focus into helping her dad take care of her. She hadn’t had time to grieve. Parker would let her cry and he’d hold her and be there for her the way no one else had been.

She was coming to rely on him and she didn’t know what she would do when he was gone.

Chapter Seven

Emily had been calling her dad for the last half hour on his cell phone and he hadn’t answered. Since her mom died, she hadn’t been away from home, and she’d just wanted to check on him and let him know they’d be back within the hour. The closer they got to the inn, the more her nervousness increased. Parker didn’t say a word. She hadn’t mentioned not being able to reach her dad but he couldn’t have missed her incessant calling.

She kept herself busy thinking about how gently Parker had handled her after they’d returned to the room last night after she’d told him about losing her baby. No sooner had they entered the suite than he’d kicked the door closed, picked her up in his arms, and walked her over to the bed. He’d sat down and pulled her against him, urging her to let out all the pain she’d been holding in for so long.

And when she was finished, he’d drawn her a bath in the overly large tub, climbing in behind her and pulling her against his hard body, his strong arms cocooning her in warmth and heat, protecting her against anything that could hurt her. Of course, his rock-hard erection pressed insistently against her back, sending spikes of awareness and desire shooting through her system, until emotional pain was replaced by physical desire.

If only it was that simple, she thought now. Physical need would be an easy yearning to fulfill. What she felt for Parker was deeper and reached places inside her that would be harder to patch up and fix when he was gone. Even knowing what she’d feel, she’d turned and straddled him, placed her arms on his shoulders, her gaze on his, his erection temptingly close to entering her.

She’d slid her tongue over her bottom lip. “I haven’t had sex since before I lost the baby and all my bloodwork is clean.”

He’d expelled a harsh groan. “Tested yearly, and trust me, it’s been a fucking long time for me, too.”

“I’m on the pill.” It was huge to her, to trust someone this much, especially this fast but everything about Parker felt right. She wanted to feel him without a barrier and, when he was gone, remember everything about him.

A muscle had ticked in his jaw as he nodded, and then before she could think, she’d grasped him in her hand and lowered herself onto his thick cock.

What had happened next would stay with her for a good, long time. Their bodies joined, eyes locked, and as they rocked together, if she were one to wax poetic, she’d say their souls spoke to one another. It was that deep and meaningful. She’d felt him take her up and over, knew he’d come at the same time she had, his hands stiffening on her waist as he sealed his mouth over hers.

And afterwards? She’d been shaken by the emotional intensity of their encounter. She’d climbed off him and out of the tub. He’d followed. They’d towel dried and slid into bed, wrapped up in each other, but she was lost in her own thoughts and maybe he was, too, because he left her to them, and they stayed fairly quiet throughout the drive home.

Back in the present, she dialed her father once more. No answer. By the time the inn came into view, she was dying to get out of the truck. Nobody was working on the roof today and the outside of the inn was quiet. Maybe the rain outside explained that, she thought. But it didn’t explain why her father wasn’t answering her calls.

As soon as Parker pulled into the spot in front of the building, Emily jumped out of the car and ran up the walk to the porch. The front door was unlocked, as it usually was during the day, and she pushed her way in.