Miss Parker watched her hand as she moved it up Jarod's skin, her nails lightly brushing next to his navel. Her fingertips danced across Jarod's lightly tanned skin, slid across his smooth muscles. She pressed her palm to his chest as she continued up, finally looking at Jarod's face. Jarod was still watching Parker's hand as it moved, his mouth slightly open. Parker smiled and brought her hand up, lightly catching Jarod's chin. He looked at her as her thumb brushed across the bruise on his jaw.

"Does this hurt?" Parker asked and Jarod shook his head as he swallowed. Parker smiled, then leaned forward, pausing with her mouth right next to Jarod's. His eyes were wide, his breathing shallow. Parker smiled. "Do you want me to stop?" she asked and in response Jarod shut his eyes and closed the gap between them, pressing his mouth against hers.

Miss Parker pulled back on the handcuffs as she leaned her body against Jarod's, her mouth eating at his. She finally broke the kiss and tilted Jarod's head back, her fingers caressing Jarod's cheek as her thumb pushed up and Jarod reclined. Parker lightly kissed the bruise on Jarod's jaw, then moved down, gently biting along Jarod's neck. He squirmed and Miss Parker ran her tongue across his collar bone. She placed a light kiss above that bone, then pressed her mouth down, sucking hard against Jarod's pulse. When he gasped, she pulled back, smiling as the small oval bruise started to form immediately.

Parker stood and let go of Jarod's face as she kissed him, his mouth working against hers. Parker reached into her pocket, pulled out the handcuff keys out, and reached up to unlock one side of the cuffs. Jarod broke the kiss and Miss Parker looked down into his stunned face. She pressed the keys into his palm, then stepped back, and headed into the bedroom.

Bill was awake now, too and they were both struggling futilely. Miss Parker grabbed her socks and her boot and headed back to the living room, closing the door behind her. Jarod sat staring at her from the chair where she had left him, the handcuffs and keys held in one hand. Parker walked past him and sat on the chest behind the couch. She bent over and slipped on her socks, the dried blood across the top of her left sock making it difficult, but she managed and finally pulled her boots on, zipping them up.

"Why are you doing this?" Jarod asked and Miss Parker sat up, looking out the window. She took a deep breath.

"Because," she said finally. "I still remember the little boy who I stole my first kiss from." She heard Jarod stand and go into the bedroom. A minute later he came back out.

"What about them?" Jarod asked. Miss Parker looked back at him. Jarod had put his jeans back on and added hiking boots, a white t-shirt and a loose weave blue sweater. Parker glanced at the bedroom, then stood and moved around to the couch. She flipped the CB on as she sat down and grabbed the handset.

"Kiki, come in. Over."

"This is Kiki. Come back."

"Kiki, can you send the sheriff out to Sarah Applegate's cabin?" Parker asked. "Over."

"Of course I can, hun. Is everything okay? Over."

"The men who helped Ranger Bob kill that little boy are tied up here."

"They also killed Sarah," Jarod said. Parker looked up at him.

"Over," she said. and Kiki voice came back distraught.

"Jarod, is that you? Did you say Sarah was dead?" She didn't bother to say over.

Miss Parker pressed the button on the handset and held the receiver up as Jarod crossed his arms and came to stand next to her

"Yeah, Kiki, it's me," he said. "And these guys said Sarah was dead. Over."

"Oh, Jarod," Kiki sighed. "I'm sending the sheriff your way and I'll call the police for Sarah. Over."

"Thank you, Kiki. Jarod, over and out." Parker released the button and set the handset down as she turned the CB back off. She sat forward and rested her chin on her hand. After a minute, Jarod turned away and started moving around the cabin, gather his things. He could tell Parker was watching him, but she never said anything.

When Jarod had every packed in a duffel bag that was slung over his shoulder, he moved around behind the couch and tossed the handcuffs and keys down next to Miss Parker. She glanced down at them, but didn't look back at Jarod. He sighed.

"So, what happens next time?" he asked finally and Parker arched an eyebrow.

"Next time, I'm taking you back to the Centre," she said. Jarod smiled and leaned over the back of the couch.

"Next time," he whispered, "maybe we can get a hotel room." Jarod kissed Parker on the side of the neck, then stood and headed for the door.

"This didn't change anything, Jarod," Miss Parker called after him, but he could hear the smile on her lips, and Jarod smiled again. This changed everything.

Jarod hurried to his Jeep and tossed his duffle in the back before getting in. He back down the muddy driveway and glanced at the cabin as he put the rig into drive. Miss Parker was standing in the doorway of the cabin, watching. Jarod turned away and drove down the forest road. He had only got about a mile when he stopped the Jeep.

Jarod wrung his hand on the steering wheel, then looked back over his shoulder, suddenly feeling guilty he had left Miss Parker alone in the middle of the woods with two very dangerous people.

Miss Parker is the dangerous one, Jarod though suddenly. She can take care of herself. Jarod shook his head and found himself turning the Jeep around. He drove back up the muddy road, coming to a sudden stop as he spotted the large black SUV sitting in the road next to Miss Parker's wrecked car. Jarod backed up the Jeep and parked it, then got out and headed into the trees toward the cabin. Jarod heard someone get out of the SUV and he stopped next to a large tree, sinking down as he watched them walk up the driveway toward the cabin.

"Miss Parker?" Sydney called and Jarod watched her come out onto the front porch as Mr. Broots came up the hill next to Sydney.

"Oh, my gosh," Broots called. "Miss Parker, you're bleeding."

"Just get me a cigarette, Broots," Parker said and he turned and hurried back down the hill. Sydney stopped in front of her.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Miss Parker crossed her arms.

"Just get me back to the Centre, Syd."

"What about Jarod?" Sydney asked.

"What about him?" Parker asked and she started down the hill past Sydney. "This place is a dead end. Let's go. Broots! Where is my cigarette?" Jarod watched Sydney turn a slow circle, smiling as he looked out at the trees. As soon as Sydney started down the driveway after Miss Parker, Jarod turned and snuck away back to his Jeep.

The End