Thick as Thieves (Aster Valley 4)

“Oh, god.” Lorraine sniffled into Erin’s shoulder while Rod patted her back comfortingly. “That’s true love, right there. And it’s so beautiful. That’s what I want for you, my girl.”

“Yeah?” Erin gave Jules and me a small smile. “I don’t know. True love looks a little terrifying.”

Julian tucked me against his side and lifted his arm for Erin to step into his embrace also. “But you have an adventurous spirit, right? Present circumstances excluded.”

Erin’s grin widened, and she moved forward to hug him. “I do.”

“So you’ll be fine,” Jules whispered into her hair.

“And you have friends who’ll have your back,” I promised, my eyes meeting Julian’s over her head. “That’s one thing that won’t change.”

But as Julian’s gaze burned into mine, I knew that lots of things would change.

And I was more than ready to put some of those changes into motion.

20

JULIAN

If I could get through Parker’s public displays of affection in front of the Rokas family without dying of embarrassment, I could do anything. While we’d spent time with Erin and her family, Parker had been incredibly attentive to me and made sure I felt secure in the knowledge that he wasn’t going to hide his feelings for me in front of anyone.

Including his almost-wife and his almost-in-laws.

He’d even told Rod that he was planning to relocate from Vail to Aster Valley so he could head up the ski school for Tiller and Mikey.

While it was incredibly endearing, it was also nerve-racking. I didn’t want anyone to feel awkward around us, and I’d hoped Rod wouldn’t be angry that Parker was leaving the Vail store. I knew Parker thought of him as a surrogate father.

Thankfully, Rod and Lorraine turned out to be surprisingly supportive, and Erin was gracious and kind. It was clear she felt the loss of Parker keenly, but hopefully she’d find someone or something someday soon to help her realize Parker wasn’t the right future for her. Rod had even gone so far as to shake Parker’s hand and tell him this was just the excuse he’d been looking for to expand Rokas Sports into Aster Valley.

“You’ll manage the new Aster Valley location, of course, son,” he told Parker. “I’ll call you in a week or two, and we’ll start scouting properties for the storefront, alright?”

Parker had nodded and said that was very alright.

Eventually, we’d split up to arrange a room for Parker and me. I’d been looking forward to spending a few hours alone with my guy and maybe a couple of those alcoholic beverages that came in coconuts. But after he let us into our private oceanfront suite, I hadn’t had time to do more than push him up against the wall and kiss him before he’d turned me toward the enormous bathroom and told me to have a soak in the tub that overlooked the water.

“I’ve got a few things to take care of,” he said mysteriously, kissing my cheek. “I’ll be back in time for dinner.”

An hour later, a tuxedo-clad waiter had knocked on the door with a fruity coconut drink and a note in Parker’s handwriting that said “Drink Me”… but Parker still hadn’t arrived.

I’d ended up drinking on the private balcony, wrapped up in a resort robe.

Half an hour after that, the concierge brought me a linen shirt and pants from the store in the main lobby—an outfit that was perfectly my style and not at all Parker’s—with a note that said “Wear Me.”

I’d chuckled to myself as I got dressed, thinking this was probably the first time Parks had ever dressed me before, but I could definitely get used to it.

But by the time the third knock came ten minutes after that, I’d gotten a little impatient. I didn’t need more presents; I needed my boyfriend.

I threw open the door. “Yes?” I snapped.

Parker lounged against the doorframe, wearing a light green shirt that made his eyes glow… or maybe that was just the loving look he’d fixed on me.

“Get it right, baby. In this family, we answer the door with ‘We don’t want to have sex with you,’” he teased.

“But what if I do want to have sex with you?” I bit my lip.

Parker stared at my mouth for a beat, then swallowed hard and shook his head to clear it. “In that case, you’re going to have to be patient. We have dinner plans.”

“I take it that’s what you were arranging all afternoon?” I stifled a groan. “I’d imagined that flying to Mexico to surprise my boyfriend and tell him I love him would involve some reward nookie. I’d hoped you were just running down to the gift shop for lube.”

“Oh, I got that, too,” Parker assured me, taking my hand as he led me down the path toward the main resort building. He pulled me close so his words were a breath in my ear. “And you will be rewarded, Julian, I promise. All in good time.”