Leave the Lights On (7 page)

“Do you have any idea how cold that water was?”

“I do. I’d stuck my foot in right before the party and was totally bummed because I knew no one would go in.”

“Then that should give you an idea of how much I needed to cool off after seeing you.”

Sophie couldn’t stop grinning. “Thanks for telling me that.”

“I can’t believe I just did. I’m just trying to make a point. You were not a geek in high school, no matter what you might have thought.”

Sophie looked down, unsure of how to respond. Parker reached over and picked up her hand. The feel of his fingers sliding over hers warmed her. His fingertips grazed hers gently, sending tremors up her arm. She stroked his palm, and he linked his fingers with hers, closing around them. It was such a simple gesture.
He’s just holding my hand. Why does it feel like my heart is going to burst?
They rode in silence until he pulled into the parking lot at Kelsey’s.

“I didn’t know we were coming here,” she said.

“Is that okay?” Parker looked worried.

“It’s great. The Blue Moons are playing tonight. I book them for weddings a lot. They’re an awesome cover band.”

“Good.” Parker gave her hand a quick squeeze before letting go. She missed his touch immediately.
Get a grip, would you?

There was a small crowd of people at the doorway but Parker ushered her past them, his hand on her lower back in a way that made her feel dizzy.
I’m not going to survive the night at this rate.

The waitress seated them at a booth slightly off to the side of the room so they had a little privacy but were close enough to the stage that they’d still be able to see the band. “Have you been here before?” Sophie asked.

Parker shook his head. “No. You?”

“All the time. The owner used to work at one of the catering halls I use a lot.”

“Is there anyone you don’t know?”

Sophie felt her cheeks burn again. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be name dropping.”

“No, I think it’s awesome. You’re amazing. Your business. The way people respond to you. I’m so proud of you.”

Proud of me?
Sophie couldn’t remember the last time anyone had said they were proud of her. The divorce had made her feel like the disgrace of the family. She tried not to think about it but she knew her divorce had been the deciding factor in her parents moving down to Florida two years before they’d planned to go.

And her ex. He’d been anything but proud of her career. He’d all but blamed her job for causing their marriage to fail. “Maybe if you’d been working on our marriage as much as you work on other people’s, I wouldn’t have been alone so much and I wouldn’t have cheated.”

“You okay?” Parker touched her hand, and the tingle returned.

Nodding, she smoothed her fingers against his. “I’m better than I’ve been in a while.”

Sophie saw Laura, an old classmate and notorious busybody, making her way to their table, menus in hand. Her eyes widened as she approached them. “Oh my God, Parker. I thought that was you.”

“Hey, Laura. Wow, it’s been a long time.”

“You look great. When did you get back in town?”

“A few days ago.” Sophie tried to gauge his reaction. He seemed a little uncomfortable.

“I was real sorry to hear about your dad.”

Parker’s expression remained unchanged, with the same smile on his face as he nodded, but Sophie noticed his eyes darken, his posture tighten.
Just give us our menus, would you, Laura?

“Thanks,” Parker said.

“Hey, we should all go out for drinks some time. Like the old days, right, Soph? It’s so funny seeing you two together again.” She placed the menus on the table. “I’ll tell Nick you’re here.”

Sophie tried to say no, but Laura had already darted away from the table.
Shit.
Sophie had been flirting with Nick for months, hoping he’d ask her out. He wasn’t serious dating material, but he’d been a great distraction when she’d first gotten divorced. Sweet. Sexy. Easy on the eyes. And always ready to shower her with the attention she’d desperately craved right after Nate had left her. Tonight, however, the last thing she wanted was a flirty conversation with another guy.

“Who’s Nick?” Parker asked.

As her mind raced to come up with the best answer, Nick Calabra strode toward them with a huge grin on his handsome face.

“He’s the chef.” She managed to get out before Nick bent down and kissed her on the cheek, pulling her into a half hug.

“Where’ve you been hiding, Soph? Haven’t seen you in a few weeks.”

“Just busy working.”

Nick glanced at Parker, and Sophie realized she’d better introduce them. “Nick I’d like you to meet my…”
Oh shit. My what? It’s way too soon to say boyfriend.
“…friend, Parker.” As soon as she blurted out the F word she regretted it.
Maybe he didn’t hear me.

“Hey, Sophie’s friend Parker. How’s it going?” Nick said.

He would have to repeat it, wouldn’t he?

Nick extended his hand. Parker gave it a firm shake, holding eye contact with Nick for a minute before glancing at her, one eyebrow cocked.

Sophie wanted nothing more than for Nick to leave them alone but she didn’t want to be rude. “Looks like you guys are slammed. What’s good tonight?”

“You know it’s all good.” His voice dripped sex appeal, and Sophie wished he would disappear. “If you’re having trouble deciding, try the shrimp pasta. Or the Southwest burger. The guacamole’s full of cilantro, just the way you like it.”

“Thanks.” She tried to give him a you-can-go-now smile, but he seemed to misread it because he winked at her instead of leaving.
Oh God, please go.

“We really are pretty slammed. I better get back to the kitchen. Nice to meet you, Parker. Enjoy your dinner.” He bent and kissed Sophie on the side of her head then waved as he headed back across the room.

Maybe Parker didn’t notice.
She dared to look up and found him staring at her with a look she couldn’t decipher on his face.

“Still think you’re not popular?”

Sophie looked down, letting her hair cover her face to give her a second while she composed herself. “I just know all the local foodies.”

Parker smiled at her. “Okay, food expert. You tell me then. What should I have for dinner? I’ll take your recommendation over Nick’s.”

He reached for her hand again, and she relaxed as she slipped her fingers into his. “The steak tips with Portobello mushrooms is probably my favorite thing on the menu. Or the stuffed chicken breast. It’s full of garlic-herb cheese. So good.”

Parker had a hard time thinking about food while Sophie’s fingers moved against his. When he’d heard her introduce him as her friend, he’d had a second where he thought maybe he’d been misreading the signals. But her hands seemed to be making it pretty clear that she had more-than-friendly feelings.

At least he hoped that’s what she was saying. It was certainly what he was hearing. Every stroke against his palm sent a message straight to his groin, which was feeling tighter by the minute.

Laura returned to take their order, and Parker noticed the frown that flickered across her face as she eyed his hand on Sophie’s. Ever so slightly tightening his grip, he felt a ripple of pleasure as Sophie’s fingers curled against his.
Good.

Sophie ordered the steak tips, and Parker seconded. Garlic herb chicken didn’t sound like a good precursor to the kissing he hoped would round out their evening.

Chapter Ten

Laughing and talking through dinner, Parker couldn’t remember a time when he’d felt more at ease. The tension of the early part of their date had completely faded. When the band began playing “Wonderful Tonight” Parker gathered his nerve. “Wanna dance?”

The slow smile that pulled at Sophie’s sweet lips made his stomach quake. Leading her onto the small dance floor, he slipped his arm around her waist. Her delicate hands reached up to rest on his shoulders. She kept her head lowered, seeming shy, until they started to sway to the music. He brushed his thumb back and forth over the curve of her hip, loving that he got to have his hands on her.

Drawing her closer, he was overjoyed when she inched her fingers back behind his head and lightly stroked the skin at his hairline. His entire body tingled from her touch.

Her hips shifted, curving in toward his, and he was certain she could feel how hard he was.
She’s not pulling away.
The realization filled him with hope. Lowering his forehead to hers, he closed his eyes, wishing he could suspend that moment in time. Just the two of them. Moving together. Bodies touching. He hadn’t realized how much he’d missed human contact and, now that he had it, he felt as if he couldn’t get enough.

The final notes of the song played, and the crowd clapped. Parker brushed his nose against Sophie’s and gave her a soft kiss. She kissed back, opening her mouth and licking at his lower lip. The quick brush of her tongue was enough to make his knees weak. “You want to get out of here?” he asked.

Sophie answered by taking his hand and tugging him back toward their table.
Thank God.

The jingle of the keys in Sophie’s hand as she unlocked her front door made her acutely aware of how nervous she felt. Not bad nervous. Excited. Parker followed her into the house, hands tucked in his pockets.

Sophie kicked off her heels, hoping Parker would do the same. She wanted a sign that he planned to stick around for a while. When he didn’t, she moved to plan B. “You want a beer?”

“Sure.”

He followed her into the kitchen. She grabbed two bottles from the top shelf and turned to see Parker watching her. His gaze swept up the length of her body to her eyes then seemed to settle on her lips. Sophie swallowed hard, her pulse picking up speed. Knocking the fridge door shut with her hip, she handed Parker a bottle. He twisted off the lid and handed the open one back to her, taking the other for himself.

She took a sip, trying to quiet the heat that seemed to be spreading throughout her body.
Calm down.
The tiny bit of liquid did little to settle her nerves but it did make her aware that she needed to pee. “I’ll be right back.” She set down her beer and tried to be as nonchalant as possible as she made her way to the bathroom.

As soon as she closed the door, she started to freak out.
What’s wrong with me?
Her hands shook as she lifted the toilet lid and sat.

She already knew the answer. She hadn’t had sex in two months. Not since the date she’d had with Bryan, Cindy’s boyfriend’s brother. And that had been a disaster. She’d done it mainly to prove that she was divorced and free to fuck whomever she wanted. The only problem was she hadn’t really wanted to fuck him. And by the time she’d realized, she was already doing it.

This is different. Totally different.
She’d known Parker forever. Had wanted him forever. None of which was making her any less nervous.

She shook her hands, trying to stop them from tingling, and then plunged them under the cold water in the sink. Focusing on her breathing as she lathered and rinsed, she studied her reflection. Her cheeks appeared to be permanently flushed. Her eyes looked wide and wild.
Jesus. I look like a lunatic. I hope I don’t scare him off.

She dried her hands then straightened her blouse, reaching into her bra cups to lift her boobs a bit higher. Taking a deep breath, she headed back to the kitchen.

Parker leaned against the kitchen counter, his long legs angled out, hips resting against her silverware drawer. His hair swept low over his eyes as he looked down, fiddling with the label on his beer bottle. He straightened as soon as he saw her.

“Hey.” His voice sounded husky, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he was nervous too. Though she couldn’t imagine why he would be. She’d been sending him positive signals all night, and he seemed to have been picking up on them.

“Hi.” She stopped as close to him as she could get without actually throwing herself at him. Leaning past him to grab her beer, she felt his hand slip around her waist. The gentle pressure of his fingers sent a rush of liquid heat to her belly, flooding her with warmth.

He stroked her hair, his fingers combing it back behind her ear before he lowered his lips to hers.

Oh God, yes.
She inched closer to him, her body leaning into his. Her mouth opened, inviting his tongue inside with teasing licks. Parker responded by holding her tighter, his hand fisting her shirt.

Touch me.
She wanted to feel his hands on her bare skin. His mouth was doing decadent things to hers. Dizzying, breathtaking things that made it impossible for her to focus on anything more than kissing him back.

Sliding his lips to her neck, he sucked on the tender skin just below her ear. She rocked her hips toward his, feeling him hard against her. As he pressed into her, visions flashed through her mind. Clothes coming off, strong arms carrying her to bed, Parker easing himself inside her.

She skimmed the ridges of his muscled back.
God his body is beautiful.
She explored every contour, keeping her touch light. He shuddered, and she hoped it was in response to the same exhilarating feelings that were making her shiver. Feeling bolder, she ran her fingers over his broad shoulder and smoothed her way down the plane of his chest.
So solid.
Her hand passed lower, grazing his stomach, aching to palm the bulge that had been nestled against her. Spinning with thoughts of wrapping her fingers around him, she almost didn’t realize that he’d pulled back.