Benny sighed softly as he stood outside Jarod and Miss Parker's room. Chase's orders were very clear to the man, walk into the room, without knocking, and get Jarod downstairs to Chase, pronto. But not knocking, well that seemed rude to Benny. He had been raised with manners after all. But he had seen the look in Chase's eyes and his objections had died. Now he did as he was told.
He swung the door open without a sound and stepped into the room. For a moment he stood, silently watching as the 'guests' slept on. Miss Parker's head was nestled on Jarod's shoulder and Jarod's cheek rested against Parker's dark brown hair. Benny hated to disturb them but he was nothing but loyal to his don.
"Rise and shine!" he called out good-naturedly, his voice at a low decibel.
Awareness came back to Jarod slowly, his eyes squinting against the sunlight filtering into the room. Something stirred against his shoulder and he looked down to find Miss Parker cuddling closer to his neck. 'If this is a dream, don't wake up Jarod,' he firmly told himself. But a millisecond later he sensed an unwelcome character in his "dream" and his eyes snapped up to Benny.
Benny smiled at the look of surprise and disappointment on Jarod's face. "Chase wants you downstairs, now."
Miss Parker's first sound sleep in a month seeped away as voices pulled her into consciousness. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at a strong neck, and a firm jawline. Letting her eyes travel upward, her eyes met Jarod's and she froze, uncertain of how she came to be lying on Jarod's chest. Before her mind could fully put together the facts, Jarod's eyes meaningfully swung up to their guest.
Following his gaze, Parker met Benny's presence with a cold glare. "You're a bold peeping Tom, aren't you?" she drawled as she pulled away from Jarod, flung the covers back and sauntered to the bathroom.
Jarod watched her go with regret. Talk about poor timing on Benny's part! Turning his attention again to Benny, Jarod sat up in bed, "Alright, I'll be down as soon as I take my shower."
But Benny shook his head, "Now. Throw these on," and he tossed the new clothing he held to Jarod.
Letting the clothing land on the bed, Jarod smiled up at Benny, "Sure but it'll take Parker a good hour to get presentable."
Benny's look darkened, "She ain't going. Just you."
Alarm swept through Jarod. He couldn't let Parker out of his sight, not with the bull's eye she'd painted on herself. "I don't think Chase'll mind if she comes along," Jarod jovially tried to convince the Italian.
But Benny shook his head, "Just you, that was Chase's orders. Your girl stays here. Now get changed or wear your PJs for the day."
'Damn!' surged through Jarod. He hadn't planned on getting separated from Parker...not even for a second. But then another thought broke into his panic, 'Course maybe she's better off not sharing whatever Chase has in store for me.' Aloud he asked, "Can I have some privacy to change and a minute to tell Parker I'm leaving?"
"Sure. Ya got two minutes," Benny agreed and he stepped from the room and closed the door behind him.
Crossing immediately to the bathroom, Jarod knocked urgently on the door. "Parker we need to talk, now," his voice low but urgent. Anticipating an argument, he stumbled back a step when the door swung open instantly and he found himself face to face with Parker.
"So what does our "gracious" host want?" her eyes meeting his with a twinge of the softness he had seen when she awoke on his chest.
Clamping down on the desire to run his hand through her disheveled, beautiful hair, Jarod swallowed hard before he spoke. "He wants me downstairs, now." His eyes grew dark with worry. "And without you."
Parker accepted this news like a present. "Great. It'll be easier to find out about scarface with Chase busy entertaining you.......or burying you in a landfill," her mouth curled up in a smile at her own humor.
But Jarod snapped back, "You will not talk to anyone about Antonio! And you're going to stick by Anna until I return."
"Jarod, you do things your way, I do things my way," she sneered as she stepped back and began closing the bathroom door.
But Jarod stepped into the door's path, stopping Parker's escape. Knowing that she would react badly if he revealed his gut wrenching concern, Jarod tried to sway her resolve with logic. "You told me that I was responsible to set the trap, so why don't you let me do that. I've done this kinda thing a time or two before, you know," a twinkle in his eyes belying the tension that ran through his body.
"And what's this trap, Jarod?" Parker demanded.
"Trust me," Jarod taunted with his mischievous little boy smile.
Parker stiffened at that and her icy glare lanced into him, "But I don't trust you, Jarod."
Jarod stepped closer to Parker, his lips hovered above hers. "Then why were you sleeping contently in my arms?" he whispered.
"Loverboy! Time's up!" Benny called as he slammed the door open. Seeing Jarod's lack of progress, he groused, "For pete sake, put on the clothes!"
Jarod didn't turn to face Benny but kept his eyes glued to Parker. "I'd never hurt you Parker. I know you know that." He saw a softening in her eyes.
"Clothing. On. Now!" Benny barked.
"Promise me you'll do as I ask." He gripped her arms desperately, "Please, Parker. Please," his voice was soft and quivering with his emotions.
His desperation was like an electrical current that ran from his fingers into her body. And then there was the look in his eyes...fear. She didn't think Jarod was afraid of anything. Against everything the Centre had taught her, against everything her father, Mr. Parker, had taught her, she trusted Jarod. More than any other soul she had ever met. She sighed and softly agreed, "Alright Jarod, I promise."
Impulsively, Jarod kissed her joyously on the lips, his hand buried in her hair. But an instant later, Benny's burly hand snagged unto his arm and yanked him toward the door. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he called as Benny yanked him out the door, not with angry force but big brotherly insistence.
Parker stood watching the open door, her fingers lightly tracing her lips that tasted like Jarod. Somehow, his parting words meant more to her than any of her past lover's emotional declarations. Jarod's words held promise and concern and protection and... 'Don't say it!' her mind threatened but her heart had already murmured it in her soul since she was a little girl. 'Love'.
TBC
He swung the door open without a sound and stepped into the room. For a moment he stood, silently watching as the 'guests' slept on. Miss Parker's head was nestled on Jarod's shoulder and Jarod's cheek rested against Parker's dark brown hair. Benny hated to disturb them but he was nothing but loyal to his don.
"Rise and shine!" he called out good-naturedly, his voice at a low decibel.
Awareness came back to Jarod slowly, his eyes squinting against the sunlight filtering into the room. Something stirred against his shoulder and he looked down to find Miss Parker cuddling closer to his neck. 'If this is a dream, don't wake up Jarod,' he firmly told himself. But a millisecond later he sensed an unwelcome character in his "dream" and his eyes snapped up to Benny.
Benny smiled at the look of surprise and disappointment on Jarod's face. "Chase wants you downstairs, now."
Miss Parker's first sound sleep in a month seeped away as voices pulled her into consciousness. Opening her eyes, she found herself staring at a strong neck, and a firm jawline. Letting her eyes travel upward, her eyes met Jarod's and she froze, uncertain of how she came to be lying on Jarod's chest. Before her mind could fully put together the facts, Jarod's eyes meaningfully swung up to their guest.
Following his gaze, Parker met Benny's presence with a cold glare. "You're a bold peeping Tom, aren't you?" she drawled as she pulled away from Jarod, flung the covers back and sauntered to the bathroom.
Jarod watched her go with regret. Talk about poor timing on Benny's part! Turning his attention again to Benny, Jarod sat up in bed, "Alright, I'll be down as soon as I take my shower."
But Benny shook his head, "Now. Throw these on," and he tossed the new clothing he held to Jarod.
Letting the clothing land on the bed, Jarod smiled up at Benny, "Sure but it'll take Parker a good hour to get presentable."
Benny's look darkened, "She ain't going. Just you."
Alarm swept through Jarod. He couldn't let Parker out of his sight, not with the bull's eye she'd painted on herself. "I don't think Chase'll mind if she comes along," Jarod jovially tried to convince the Italian.
But Benny shook his head, "Just you, that was Chase's orders. Your girl stays here. Now get changed or wear your PJs for the day."
'Damn!' surged through Jarod. He hadn't planned on getting separated from Parker...not even for a second. But then another thought broke into his panic, 'Course maybe she's better off not sharing whatever Chase has in store for me.' Aloud he asked, "Can I have some privacy to change and a minute to tell Parker I'm leaving?"
"Sure. Ya got two minutes," Benny agreed and he stepped from the room and closed the door behind him.
Crossing immediately to the bathroom, Jarod knocked urgently on the door. "Parker we need to talk, now," his voice low but urgent. Anticipating an argument, he stumbled back a step when the door swung open instantly and he found himself face to face with Parker.
"So what does our "gracious" host want?" her eyes meeting his with a twinge of the softness he had seen when she awoke on his chest.
Clamping down on the desire to run his hand through her disheveled, beautiful hair, Jarod swallowed hard before he spoke. "He wants me downstairs, now." His eyes grew dark with worry. "And without you."
Parker accepted this news like a present. "Great. It'll be easier to find out about scarface with Chase busy entertaining you.......or burying you in a landfill," her mouth curled up in a smile at her own humor.
But Jarod snapped back, "You will not talk to anyone about Antonio! And you're going to stick by Anna until I return."
"Jarod, you do things your way, I do things my way," she sneered as she stepped back and began closing the bathroom door.
But Jarod stepped into the door's path, stopping Parker's escape. Knowing that she would react badly if he revealed his gut wrenching concern, Jarod tried to sway her resolve with logic. "You told me that I was responsible to set the trap, so why don't you let me do that. I've done this kinda thing a time or two before, you know," a twinkle in his eyes belying the tension that ran through his body.
"And what's this trap, Jarod?" Parker demanded.
"Trust me," Jarod taunted with his mischievous little boy smile.
Parker stiffened at that and her icy glare lanced into him, "But I don't trust you, Jarod."
Jarod stepped closer to Parker, his lips hovered above hers. "Then why were you sleeping contently in my arms?" he whispered.
"Loverboy! Time's up!" Benny called as he slammed the door open. Seeing Jarod's lack of progress, he groused, "For pete sake, put on the clothes!"
Jarod didn't turn to face Benny but kept his eyes glued to Parker. "I'd never hurt you Parker. I know you know that." He saw a softening in her eyes.
"Clothing. On. Now!" Benny barked.
"Promise me you'll do as I ask." He gripped her arms desperately, "Please, Parker. Please," his voice was soft and quivering with his emotions.
His desperation was like an electrical current that ran from his fingers into her body. And then there was the look in his eyes...fear. She didn't think Jarod was afraid of anything. Against everything the Centre had taught her, against everything her father, Mr. Parker, had taught her, she trusted Jarod. More than any other soul she had ever met. She sighed and softly agreed, "Alright Jarod, I promise."
Impulsively, Jarod kissed her joyously on the lips, his hand buried in her hair. But an instant later, Benny's burly hand snagged unto his arm and yanked him toward the door. "I'll be back as soon as I can," he called as Benny yanked him out the door, not with angry force but big brotherly insistence.
Parker stood watching the open door, her fingers lightly tracing her lips that tasted like Jarod. Somehow, his parting words meant more to her than any of her past lover's emotional declarations. Jarod's words held promise and concern and protection and... 'Don't say it!' her mind threatened but her heart had already murmured it in her soul since she was a little girl. 'Love'.
TBC