Thick as Thieves (Aster Valley 4)

I shivered and tried to call up even a shred of the self-control that had let me hide my feelings for Parker for nigh on two decades… but it all seemed to have evaporated in mere days.

I was possessive as fuck when it came to my boyfriend. I didn’t want to hide anything anymore.

When Parker had said we had dinner plans, I’d assumed he’d meant that we would be meeting up with Erin and her parents, but when Parker gave our name to the hostess and she led us to a private table for two at the edge of the sand, I realized Parker had something else in mind.

“Is Erin’s family joining us?” I asked, looking around.

He shook his head. “Nope. They already left for Cancún so they could replace her passport first thing in the morning. It’s just us tonight.”

The warm breeze from the ocean was a nice change from the cold winter night air in Aster Valley. Glass-covered candles flickered on the restaurant tables around us, and faint sounds of crystal and tableware clinking mixed with the rhythmic rumbling of the waves at the edge of the surf.

I paused beside the little table. “This is… it’s like… a date.” It sounded silly to say it out loud, but my brain was having trouble putting things together.

Parker laughed, and the little crinkles next to his eyes caught the light. “Yes. That’s exactly what it is.” He pulled my chair out for me and gestured for me to sit down.

“Oh,” I said, feeling my face go hot. “Wow.”

Parker nuzzled my neck briefly before taking his own seat. “Babe, one of these days, you’re not going to be so surprised when I do something romantic for you. I can’t wait for the day when you start to rely on it.”

“It’s not just you, it’s…” My voice trailed off as I wondered how to describe my feelings. “I’ve never had this with anyone, you know? Even when I’ve dated other people, there was always you in my mind. In my heart. So in some ways, all of this is new to me, too.”

“Then I’m really glad I get to be your first.” He winked and reached for my hand on the table, then looked down at the menu and began predicting which dish I would probably order.

I couldn’t believe he was so comfortable holding another man’s hand in public that he didn’t even look around first.

“You think you know me so well,” I teased, squeezing his fingers. “Maybe I should get something completely unexpected, just to prove you wrong.”

Parker leaned toward me and said in a confiding whisper, “I knew you were gonna say that,” and I burst out laughing.

Parker Ellis had been my sunshine for the past twenty years, and there was no one I relied on more.

When the server came, Parker ordered a bottle of wine and an appetizer. I let the fact of the Rokas family’s departure sink in.

“It’s just us here?” I asked.

“You and me, on my honeymoon,” he said with a smirk. “The way it always should have been. I did invite you originally, if you’ll recall. See what you would have missed out on?”

I stared at Parker’s handsome face in the flickering candlelight and nodded. “Oh, yeah,” I whispered. “I see.”

The server came and presented the wine, allowing Parker to taste and approve it. Once we were alone again, I savored the first sip.

Parker eyed me over his glass. “This afternoon, while we were talking with Erin and her parents, I couldn’t stop thinking about everything you’d gone through so you could fly down here to be with me—”

I blushed. “It actually wasn’t that hard. When I told Mikey and Tiller what was happening, they insisted that we reschedule the meeting so I could be here with you. And my dad lent me the family plane. So, really—”

“I don’t mean the logistics, babe. I mean the emotions.”

Oh.

“You deserve to be my number one priority without having to give it away to someone else, even for a little while,” he concluded.

Parker was sexy as hell sitting there in the candlelight with the sea breeze lifting strands of his hair. His shirt collar was open, revealing a hint of light chest hair. I knew how that chest hair tasted, how it felt against my cheek when his skin was sweat-slick and flushed with lust.

My eyes flicked up to meet his.

“Hmm,” he said with a knowing grin spreading across his face. “I know that look.”

He did. I fucking loved that he knew that look.

“I was thinking about being selfish,” I admitted. “I want to stay here with you a little longer and take advantage of the rest of our vacation week.”

He pretended to consider my words, tapping his fingers on the side of his wineglass. “You know… I had the exact same thought. In fact, we could take all of next week, too. What are our bosses going to do if we don’t show up on Monday? Fire us? We’re quitting to go work for Tiller and Mikey anyway, aren’t we?”