Page 26

TWENTY-SIX

PARKER

“ I s that Scout?” asked Tanner when the buzzer for the elevator sounded, indicating someone was on the way up.

I nodded. “Yup.”

“Why didn’t she just get a ride home with us?”

Grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge, I kicked the door closed, just as another strike of lightning lit up the living room. The heavens had opened twenty minutes after we left the field, and it didn’t look like they were going to close anytime soon.

“Because we’re trying not to be seen together. We have to stay a secret until she hears about the job.”

“Dude—”

“Not now, Tan,” I snapped, interrupting him before he could say any more.

I was already in a bad mood because we’d lost to the Cubs, I didn’t want it to get worse by Tanner warning me, again, that I needed to get the form signed before Coach found out.

“And don’t bring it up this weekend either,” I added as an afterthought.

The last thing I wanted was for Scout to get more stressed out about her job, or get annoyed with Tanner. Or me. The few sleepovers we’d had so far had been at hers, and this would be the first time she’d ever stayed over at my place.

Therefore, I kind of wanted it to go well, and I really wanted her to come back again.

He held his hands up in surrender but thankfully stayed silent as he continued his nightly search through the cabinets for a bedtime snack, which inevitably ended when he found either the Froot Loops or the Cocoa Pebbles.

“Thanks, man,” I called out, while sprinting across the living room to where the elevator doors opened directly into our apartment. “Appreciate it.”

I made it with a second to spare, and the moment I saw Scout standing in front of me, all the annoyance about losing the game and all the thoughts about the unsigned form vanished.

Yeah, she was totally worth dodging Coach for another few days.

“Hey.” She smiled, tucking a loose blonde strand behind her ear.

Holding my hand out, I tugged her from the elevator and pulled her into me. “You’re here.”

Taking her face in my hands, I pressed my lips to hers and breathed her in. Immediately my entire body relaxed and calm washed over me, taking with it all the tension I’d been carrying since the game finished. Scout was in my apartment where we’d stay for the next thirty-six hours, and I wanted to savor every single second.

“C’mon, let me show you around.”

Easing her bag off her shoulder, I took hold of her hand and guided her into the main room. Just as everyone did when they first stepped around the wide column separating the living room from the elevator, she stopped dead in her stride.

The floor-to-ceiling, wraparound windows provided one of the most incredible views in all of Manhattan, and it was always a lively discussion over which time of day showed the city at its best.

Ace liked sunrise, not that he was ever up that early, so I wasn’t entirely sure how he’d discovered it. Tanner and Lux always went with late afternoon when the sun hit the Hudson just enough to make it look like it was golden.

But me? I loved right now when the city that never sleeps was lit up by a million twinkling offices and the lights of the cabs and cars far below.

Right now was when New York really came to life. You couldn’t see it from this angle, but in my room, the Empire State Building was so huge stretching out in front of me, that I’d lie in bed at night staring at it while I waited for the adrenaline from that evening’s game to subside.

“Wow,” was all Scout managed, which was the standard response.

“Awesome, right?” I laughed, pulling her toward the kitchen where Tanner was pouring out a bowl of Cocoa Pebbles.

“Yeah, it’s really something. I didn’t expect it to be so big,” she replied, tearing her eyes away from the windows as we stopped in front of the kitchen counter. “Oh hey, Tanner. Sorry, I didn’t see you there.”

“It happens,” he mumbled, shoveling an overflowing spoon of cereal into his mouth.

“Four of you live here?”

I nodded. “Yep, Tanner and me, plus Ace and Lux. This floor has two apartments on it. We each take half of the building.”

“Is everyone here?”

“No, Ace is at his girlfriend’s. Lux and Radley went to bed already.”

Scout’s eyes widened again, I couldn’t tell if it was because she was still genuinely impressed with the apartment or if she was nervous at the thought of so many people being here.

In truth, I was kind of nervous too.

We’d never spent time together with people —with friends. I’d been to hers a couple of times when her roommate was away, but this would be the first time we’d be in a group, and I sent out a silent prayer I wouldn’t blow it.

Although given Tanner was now drinking down the remains of his cereal while spilling milk everywhere, including down his chin, I’d say the likelihood of Scout leaving before sunrise would be down to our caveman ways of living.

When he was done, he swiped an arm across his face, pushed out of his stool, and deposited his empty bowl into the sink. “I’m going to bed. I’m not going to stick around so I can be reminded I’m the only one without a girlfriend.”

“Night, Tan,” I called, only to get a grunt in response as he disappeared down the corridor leading to his room.

Scout turned to me. “What did that mean?”

“Nothing, just ignore him.” I shook my head, picking up the two bottles of water I’d taken from the fridge, and draped my spare arm around her shoulder. “Come on, it’s bedtime.”

“Do you mind if I shower?”

“Nope, because I’m joining you.” I grinned and silently led her down the corridor all the way to the end, where my bedroom door was wide open.

Because Scout hadn’t come back with us, I’d taken the opportunity to rush home from the game, steal some of the candles Ace was always burning, and light them around my room. The blinds were open, so between the city lights and the flickering flames, the place looked like it was glowing, and even if I did say so myself, it looked pretty fucking cool. Especially with the rain.

It was the most effort I’d ever gone to, and if I was a girl, I’d definitely sleep with me.

“Wow.” She walked straight to the windows at the end, stopping in front of where the Empire State Building stood tall fifteen blocks away, with its top floors glowing green. “This view is seriously amazing.”

“Sure is.”

I guess she expected me to be looking out the window, too, except when she turned around, my eyes were on her, and her only. Where they’d been since she’d walked in. Where they always were when she was around.

Her head crooked as she peered at me. “What’re you doing?”

“Nothing, just watching you.”

“Yeah?”

“Yup.”

“Why?”

My mind swirled with a million thoughts, a million reasons why I would be watching her. But that’s not what she meant.

“Because…because I’ve thought about this for so long, and now you’re finally here in my bedroom…well…” I grinned wide, a poor attempt to lighten the moment and stem the near-overwhelming flow of emotions rising in my chest. “I just hope you’re prepared.”

“I’m prepared.”

Scout stepped back. She was doing that thing she did when she was nervous, where she kind of chewed her lip, except she didn’t look nervous. Her pupils had flared way too much for that.

I stayed where I was as she slowly removed her sneakers, followed by her jacket, letting it fall to the floor.

My mouth dropped.

I hadn’t noticed much about what she was wearing when she arrived, beyond the shorts and a tee she’d had on at the game today. I was too focused on kissing her and dragging her into my lair. If I had seen, there’s no way I’d have stopped to chat to Tanner.

We’d have been in my bedroom in under ten seconds, her feet barely touching the floor.

Scout’s eyelashes flickered against her cheekbones, and she looked up at me. “I’m sorry you lost today.”

Given my current view, I honestly couldn’t remember what had happened up to the second we stepped over the threshold to my bedroom and I’d closed the door. Yeah, we lost. It sucked. But if this was my consolation prize, I’d lose every damn day of the week.

Right now, standing before me, looking more glorious than I’d ever seen a human look, was Scout wearing my shirt, and if I was correct—which I was—she had nothing underneath. I’d had a couple of girlfriends throughout high school who’d worn my number and the thousands of fans who wore it to every game, but I’d never been that bothered about it.

Yet Scout in it…my dick was thickening to the point of painful.

She was the best view of all views.

Holding her gaze, I walked toward her until I was almost touching the tip of her toes with mine.

“My shirt has never looked better.”

The hem stopped just below the line of her shorts, and I ran my finger along it just to check that it was really real. Her breath caught as a knuckle brushed the soft skin at the top of her thigh. I couldn’t tell what I was more turned on by, that sound or Scout in my shirt.

“You like it?”

“No, I fucking love it.”

“Really?”

“Really. And you’re going to be wearing it the entire time you’re here.”

She rolled her eyes with a smirk. “Okay, hotshot. I packed a bag, but whatever. We’re not leaving the bedroom, right?”

“Nope. Not leaving,” I repeated, though I wasn’t really listening. My focus was trained entirely on my shirt wrapped around her, and what was underneath.

Except in her next breath, she began unbuttoning it.

I stopped her hands from moving further down. “No, Davison, you’re not taking that off.”

“But aren’t we having a shower? It’ll get wet.”

“And I have a hundred more for you to dry yourself with.”

I could tell she thought I was crazy, and there was a large possibility I was, but it was too late. I would never get enough of seeing Scout in my shirt, and if that meant she was wearing it every second of this weekend, then sobeit .

“Point me in the right direction then.”

I’d never stripped off quicker, and dragged her through my dressing room to the bathroom, at the end of which was a double shower the width of the room. When we’d first moved in, I’d won the master suite with the bath, but Lux traded me for a year’s worth of movie-watching privileges because he’d loved baths.

I definitely got the better end of the deal. This shower was awesome.

“Your shower is bigger than my apartment.”

I reached in and turned on the water, waiting until it was hot enough for steam to rise and hit the glass walls. “Not quite.”

Stepping out of her shorts and panties to move around me, Scout stood just out of reach of the torrents raining down from the two enormous showerheads, one perfectly arched eyebrow raised and directed at me.

“Sure you want me to keep this on?”

“I’m sure.”

“Okay,” she replied, and moved under the shower, tipping her head back.

I knew she’d look sexy, I didn’t know she’d look this sexy.

This was my own personal wet T-shirt contest, a Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition cover come to life.

The fabric immediately clung to her, emphasizing each perfect, delicious curve of her body.

The swell of her tits, the dip of her waist, the hips I loved to dig my fingers into when I fucked her from behind.

Even through the black cotton, I could see the hard peak of her nipple as beads of water ran down her chest and dripped off the end.

I knew for a fact she had absolutely no idea how perfect she looked, or how gone I was for her already. I wanted to wrap myself around her and never come up for air.

She glanced over at me, wiping the water from her face. “Are you just going to stand there?”

“Uh-uh.”

Closing the shower door behind me, I found her staring at me, big blue eyes filled with amusement, and one fist propped on her hip. “Is this what you had in mind?”

My hand slipped across her wet ass and down to her thigh. “Oh, you’re way better than what I had in mind, Davison. You’re so fucking hot, sometimes I think my head’s going to explode.”

Just like she always did when I paid her a compliment, her cheeks flushed and she couldn’t hold my eye, but I was having none of that today. Gripping her chin, I brought her back to facing me. I needed to see that every word out of my mouth was the god’s honest truth.

“You blow my mind, Scout. The reality of you is better than any fantasy I ever had, I like you so fucking much, and I’m never going to stop telling you. So stop shying away when I pay you a compliment.”

She paused for a second, I could almost hear the whirring of her brain, and then she sank to her knees. “Was this one of your fantasies?”

Before I had time to answer, her full, pink lips wrapped around my dick.

“Ohhh…fuuck. Yeahhh…”

Her tongue flattened out and ran along the underside of my shaft, catching the sensitive patch of skin near the tip that almost had my knees buckling. My eyes opened enough to catch a glimpse of hers flashing up at me, before her mouth sank back onto my cock.

The sensation of her tongue, the image of Scout on her knees while my dick swelled in her mouth, was almost too much for my brain to compute. It was midnight, I’d played a long, hard-fought game that we’d lost, and I should have been exhausted, but my body was firing on all cylinders, and I didn’t want to miss a second of it.

Brushing her damp hair to one side, away from her face, I watched her cheeks hollow out as she sucked me in.

Pressure shot down my spine, gathering in my balls. I was seconds away from detonating. If she didn’t want me coming in her mouth, she needed to move.

“Ahhh, Davison…” I managed to garble. “I’m…so…close.”

Instead of kneeling back like I expected her to, her nails dug into my ass until she was almost pushing me into her. Fisting her hair, my hips drove forward of their own accord, fucking her mouth until I couldn’t hold it any longer and I exploded down her throat.

Even when I fell back onto the bench running the length of the shower, her tongue worked to stretch out my orgasm until I had to pull her away and onto my lap. Before she even realized what had happened, I’d gripped the back of her head and pulled her lips to mine.

Over and over my tongue swiped against hers, tasting myself in her mouth. It was addicting, she was addicting. I doubted I would ever get enough of her. My fingers ran through her hair, scraping it away from her face, and I slowly moved back so I could look at her.

A lone drop of water ran down from her brow. The steam had turned her cheeks pink, which in turn made her blue eyes appear even bluer, reminding me of a trip to the Bahamas we’d taken last winter. It was becoming harder to ignore the way my heartbeat quickened the longer I stared at her.

“You become more perfect every day.” I smacked another kiss to her lips. “Now it’s your turn.”

Slowly, I slipped each button from its hole until the shirt opened to reveal Scout’s beautiful body and perfect smooth, golden skin.

My dick was already getting hard at the sight of her splayed out before me, thighs wide enough that I could see the tiny nub of her clit peeking out. Slipping my hands between her thighs, I eased two fingers inside her.

“Look at you, Davison. So fucking perfect. So fucking wet. All for me.”

She let out a garbled moan.

“Do you like that? I know you do, I can feel your pussy tightening. Tell me, I want to hear you say it.”

“Yes,” she breathed out, “it feels so good.”

She arched back, pushing her tits into my face as she gripped my neck and rocked on my palm. I wanted to make this good for her, as good for her as she’d done for me.

Catching sight of it from the corner of my eye, I suddenly found a purpose for the stupid, pointless handheld shower I had never, ever used. Careful not to drop Scout, I leaned forward, switched it on, and held onto it. Her eyes tracked the movement as I hovered it directly above the apex of her thigh, right where she spread over me.

The first powerful hit of spray on her clit had her crying out, her head once more lolling back, and her walls clenching hard around my fingers, still twisting inside her.

“Oh god, Parker…”

From her groan, I could tell she was trying to stay quiet, and that wasn’t going to work for me. I wanted her loud.

Dipping my head, I ran my tongue around her taut nipple. “No one can hear you. Not with the shower running, too, you can scream my name all you want, Davison.”

“ Ahh …Parker…yes.”

“Better.”

It was becoming too much not to join in; she was too close and I was too selfish to let her have this all to herself. I wanted her to squeeze my cock. Her pussy was so slippery I only needed to line her up and ease her down, before I was nestled right up to my balls. Her head was already lolling back as I worked her clit.

Her cries bounced off the tiles as the spray circled over her sensitive skin. Each swipe of the water powering across her skin had her pussy gripping me like a clamp as the pressure inside her built until she needed more.

Tossing the showerhead to the side, I gripped her hips and lifted her, over and over, driving up into her as her thighs shook violently. It only took another few seconds before her convulsions began for real, pushing us both over the edge.

She collapsed onto me, her body heaving as she tried to level her breathing, until all I could hear was the water still pummeling the tiles while the showerhead snaked across the floor, spraying everywhere, but I had no energy left to turn either off.

I reasonably wondered if we could stay here all night.