Head Over Heels (7 page)

“Lord, I hope not,” he murmured as he held open the door for her to enter.

Delilah’s was one of her favorite places in the Bay Area. Unfortunately, Cyn didn’t often have the opportunity to come here. She was looking forward to showing Parker around the place, but to her utter amazement he didn’t just know of Delilah’s he knew Delilah. When they walked into the club, the dark-skinned, heavyset woman greeted him as if he were a long lost son. She came from around the bar and crushed him to her in a bone-breaking hug.

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Lena Matthews

After a few back-cracking slaps, she pushed him from her and stared up into his face.

“Damn, boy, when was the last time you brought your pretty ass in here?”

“It’s been awhile.”

“I’d say.” The loud woman cackled as she stepped away. When she glanced over Parker’s shoulder and spotted Cyn, her smile widened. “Although last time you were here, your date wasn’t as lovely. Who’s this cute little thing?”

Grinning, he placed his arm around her and brought her forth for introductions.

“Cyn, this is Delilah, my godmother.”

“Nice to meet you.” She held out her hand but it was swiftly cast aside as Delilah wrapped her arms around Cyn, hugging her almost as fiercely as she’d hugged Parker.

“We don’t stand on ceremony around here, girl.”

Nor did they understand the meaning of personal space. “I see.”

“Ya’ll go over there and have a seat. I’ll send Geanie over to get you a drink. And, boy, don’t you think of leaving here without saying goodbye.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Can you go ahead and send Geanie upstairs?”

“Sure can.”

As they made their way up the stairs, Cyn couldn’t help but tease him. “Bring all your dates here, do you?”

“You’d be the first.”

“Then what did she mean when she said I was prettier than the last date you brought here?”

A slow smile spread across his lips, making him look even yummier than usual.

“She’s talking about my best friend, Solomon. He’s as in love with Delilah as I am.

Whenever he’s in town he bugs me to bring him here so he can, as he says, woo her.”

Cyn glanced over her shoulder at the woman in question behind the bar, laughing it up with her customers and found it easy to believe how his friend could become enamored with the vivacious woman. “She seems as if she’s a wonderful lady.”

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“She is,” he agreed. “She’s my mother’s best friend. Back in the day, Delilah used to be a make-up artist and she worked on one of the shows my mother was cast on. They’ve been friends since the moment they met.”

“So now that you have me here, whatever shall you do with me?”

“You mentioned over dinner you enjoyed playing pool.”

“I play a little,” she lied.

“You want to play a few games?”

“Most definitely.”

The upper area was less crowded and more relaxed, which was just the atmosphere Cyn preferred. The three pool tables were filled with players and smokers, smashing the balls to the heavy beat of the music. Parker slapped down seventy-five cents on the corner of the table, signaling he wanted to play next and pulled out a bar stool for her.

Easing up on the stool, she leaned back against the bar and watched the men in front of her clearing the table.

“What would you like to drink?”

“A soda would be great.”

“What, no more alcohol?”

“No, I have to get up early. I have to meet my trainer at the gym.”

Placing his hand over his heart, he let out a moan of despair. “Say it isn’t so, pretty lady. Tell me you’re not trying to slim down this lush body.”

Lush
. She rolled her eyes. Man was he full of it. “I’m actually very happy with my body. I work out to stay healthy, not to get skinny. There is a difference you know.”

“Marry me.”

She couldn’t help herself, she had to smile. Something she’d been doing a lot since meeting him. “Now what would you say if I said yes?”

“Thank you, Lord, comes to mind.” Parker’s face was devoid of humor and if she didn’t know better, she might have thought he was serious.

“Whatever, smooth talker.”

“I know you won’t believe me, but it’s only around you.”

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Lena Matthews

“My drink,” she commanded, giving him a little nudge towards the waitress making her way in their direction. There was plenty of time for him to talk her out of her panties.

Right now she wanted to play some pool.

He racked up the balls, centering them as perfectly in the triangle as he could, trying to make sure everything evened out. This was the official tie breaking game and he had absolutely no intention of letting her win because she was a girl. Female or not, the woman was ruthless.

He should have known he was in for it when she offered to break. No one offered to break if they “played just a little” as she’d claimed. Not only had she made sure the balls scattered around the table, she’d also knocked three solid ones in with the first stroke of her stick. The damnedest part was the vixen had the nerve to give him a little smile and say “beginner’s luck”, as if he would buy that.

But it wasn’t just luck kicking his ass all over the green felt table; it was also her body, which always seemed to be in his peripheral vision whenever it was his turn to make a shot. Cyn did everything from passing behind him and accidentally stroking his ass, to leaning down to check out his shot and pressing her full breasts against his arms.

She was a cheat. A dirty rotten, sexy-as-all-hell cheat and Parker was loving every second of it.

She came up behind him and breathed on his neck. “Here let me help you line that.”

Parker stifled a grin. She just wasn’t going to play fair. “Get your little sweet ass on the other side of the table.”

“I’m just trying to be helpful.” She pouted, making her lips look even more kissable than he could have imagined. Not that he needed any help in the imagination part. All night long he’d been thinking of things to do with and to her, and half of them involved tying her naughty body to the very table he was using to hide his erection.

Parker steadied the shot and forced himself to concentrate on the white ball in front of him instead of the blue balls in his pants. He brought the stick back and sent it barreling towards the ball, giving himself a little mental high five as the balls scattered in 52

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Head over Heels

every direction, sinking three stripped ones at the same time. Standing, he eyed the table, calculating his next shot, before looking over at Cyn, who was frowning at the table. “For some reason, I’m not believing the whole you trying to be helpful thing.”

“Now why is that?”

“Corner pocket,” Parker called, as he lined up his next shot. “Hmm, could it be you’re a hustler.”

“Now, now, Parker, if I was trying to hustle you, I would have made a wager.”

“It’s not too late.” He could think of several things he’d be willing to bet on. “I’m willing.”

“So I see.”

He froze on the down stroke and looked up into her twinkling eyes. If he had any doubts before that she wasn’t aware of his attraction to her, those were now laid to rest.

He was certain she missed very little. “What do you mean?” he questioned as he took his shot, cursing to himself as he missed. She was getting to him.

“I just meant you look like a betting man.” Taking the stick out of his hand, she nudged him with her hip and leaned over to take her shot. She looked up before she thrust her stick between her long brown fingers and cocked a brow, “What did you think I meant?”

She executed her shot perfectly, winking at him as she stood.
Fuck this
, Parker thought, as he watched her bend over again. Her dress rose a bit in the back, flashing smooth, groin-tightening chocolate thighs at him, forcing a savage growl from his throat as he noticed he wasn’t the only one looking.

A couple of guys at the next table were watching her intently,
too
intently for his peace of mind. He didn’t mind she was teasing him, but the thought of anyone else enjoying the view was enough to piss him off. Glaring at the men in question, he walked behind her, blocking her ass from their sight.

“Aww,” one complained, earning a scowl from him as he twisted around to see who said it.

“What did you say?” she asked when she stood once again.

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Lena Matthews

“Nothing,” he replied as he turned back to face her. “Did you make it?”

“Weren’t you watching?”

“No.”

“Then yes.” The laughter in her voice told him another story.

“Cheat.” He reached for the stick, brushing his hands against her. All the laughter froze as the touch forced them to make eye contact, real contact for the first time, and he really liked what he saw. He wasn’t the only one feeling the pull between them. He was just the only one not fighting it. “You know you worried me there for a moment.”

“
Moi
?” she asked, pressing her hand flush to her chest. Once again his mind went back to the pool table, and her on top, arms spread wide gripping the pool stick as he feasted on her body. “How did I do that?”

“I wasn’t sure if you were going to show tonight.”

“And stand up the Prince? Never.” Her pretty brown face was relaxed in a smile.

Never had he been turned on before by just simple foreplay. And that was what it was.

They hadn’t touched, not really, but he was just as aroused as if they had.

It was something about her—no—it was everything about her that was a turn on from her smooth, chocolate skin, to the sexy sway of her ass. He was intoxicated on her beauty and enraptured by her charm. “So does this mean I get your phone number this time?”

“If you’re a good boy.”

“Oh, baby, I promise you. I’m good.”

“I bet.” Glancing down at his outfit, she looked him over in a way that made him feel it as if it were her fingers instead of just her gaze. “I like you in black.”

He was willing to bet he’d like himself in black as well. “Thank you.”

She looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes as she picked up her drink. “I have this theory.”

“Do tell.”

“All men look good in black. Black clothes, black cars…” she toyed with the straw in her glass, with a soft demure smile across her lips as she continued, “…black women.”

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Damn! He went from intrigued to aroused in two seconds flat. Leaning in closer so there was no chance she would miss his words, he teased back, “I’m a man of science you know, and I’m a big believer in theories. The ‘
big bang’
is one of my personal favorites.”

She coughed on her drink, bringing her hand quickly to her mouth to stifle the soda that was surely about to fly out. Sputtering, she reached behind her on the table and grabbed a napkin to wipe up her mess. “Boy…” she chuckled, in between coughs,

“…you are too much.”

“Just enough I’d say.” He could tell she was used to having the upper hand in relationships. She was in for a mighty fall if she thought he was going to roll over and play lap dog for her. “Are you a betting woman?”

“Could be. Depends on the bet I guess.”

“I win this game, you come home with me.”

“Hollywood?” She quirked her eyebrow questioningly.

“No, I have a townhouse here, as well.”

“Okay, and if I win…” Her voice trailed away as she waited for his response.

“We’ll go out for coffee instead,” he offered nonchalantly.

She pondered the comment for a moment, before setting her drink back on the table.

“Sounds like a great bet.”

Bending, he took aim. It was a win-win situation as far as he saw it. Yes, he wanted to go to bed with her, but half an hour spent in her presence was a great consolation prize.

As he pulled the stick back, she chimed in, “I want to change the bet a bit.”

Damn, he knew things were too good to be true. “You want me to change my wager?”

“No.” Walking around to where he was, Cyn ran her hands down his stick suggestively. “If you win, I go home with you. If I win, you go home with me.”

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Lena Matthews

There had been no sweeter victory for Cyn as when she sank the black ball in the corner pocket. Although the winner of the game held no real importance, seeing as how they both had the same end goal in mind.

She’d made some rash decisions in her time, but taking Parker to her bed, only a week after she met him, made all the sense in the world to her. Everything about him worked for her. Playing coy just seemed silly and false. She wanted him. He wanted her.

What else was there to say about the matter?

They barely made it into her house before they began to merge into one another. His lips teased her neck as he pushed her gently back against the wall, his greedy hands moving under her dress to pull at the soaked silk clinging between her legs.

“Tell me something.” Parker’s fingers slipped beneath her panties and slid teasingly across her curl-covered mound.

“Hmmm…anything.”

“How attached are you to these?”

“The panties?”

“Yes.”

“Not at all.”

“Wonderful.” That was the only warning she received before he pulled his fingers from out of her moist sex and with each hand took a hold of the fabric on her hips. With a deft pull, he ripped the silk sides in two. The tattered remains fell to the floor like scraps of unwanted material. “Much, much better.”

He moved his hand between her thighs and slid two fingers into her damp, snug box.

“Much.” He groaned again.

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“Ohhh.” Cyn tilted her head, exposing the length of her neck to his teasing lips as his fingers pumped inside her. She wanted nothing more than to surrender to him and come screaming his name, but there was a little matter of her unwanted houseguests hopefully sleeping just a few rooms away. She stole a quick glance down the hall and lowered her voice to a whisper. “We have to keep it down.”