Page 50 of Protected
Yeah, unfortunately, Wolf had a feeling, too. There was something about the eyes of the guy in that photo. Something Wolf couldn’t shake. Even if this Parker guy wasn’t his son, it was a little spooky at how much the man favored Junior.
Maybe I should be the one to go to Atlanta.
Chapter Twenty-One
Chelsey stood on the balcony of their hotel suite and allowed the crashing of waves against rocks to lull her into a peaceful state. The sun had set hours ago, and she couldn’t wait to see their ocean view in the morning.
As she held onto the wrought iron railing, the gentle breeze blowing her curly hair around, she gazed into the distance, awed at how the moonlight shone brightly and reflected off the water. She basked in its beauty and the calming feeling it presented.
The whole setting was the perfect end to a long day.
Well, maybe not exactly the end. It had been hours since the meeting with Rock, and she and Parker still needed to talk more about it. They’d chatted some over dinner, but the restaurant hadn’t been a good place to discuss something that private and serious. They also couldn’t say much on the way to the hotel since Rock had offered them a car and a driver during their stay in town.
So now she was waiting for Parker to finish with his phone call to Mason, and then they’d weigh their options.
Chelsey glanced over her shoulder when she heard the sliding door open, and Parker stepped out onto the balcony.
“Hey, sweetheart,” he said and moved behind her. When he slid his arms around her waist, Chelsey nestled against him.
“Hey, yourself.” She could barely get the words out as he peppered kisses on her bare shoulders, along her collarbone, and worked his way up to nuzzling her neck.
A sweet thrill charged through her body at the contact, and her eyes drifted close. Having him hugged up behind her, along with the alluring scent of his woodsy cologne, had her desire for him stirring. Which wasn’t unusual. Parker always had that effect on her and she couldn’t wait for them to get naked and crawl into bed, but first, they had things to discuss.
“I guess you talked to Mason,” she said as more of a statement than a question.
“I did,” he said against her heated skin, still insistent on driving her crazy with his sweet kisses.
When Parker eventually lifted his head, he planted a quick kiss on her cheek and continued to hold her close. Except for the sounds of the ocean, silence surrounded them as they stared out into the deepening darkness.
Chelsey wasn’t sure what Parker’s silence meant. Maybe it meant that during his conversation with Mason, his mentor had given him even more to think about. Or maybe his silence was due to the long day, and he wasn’t ready to make any life-altering decisions.
Fine with her. It felt good to be cocooned in his loving embrace with his strong, protective arms holding her tightly. She had longed for some quiet time with him since they’d stepped off the plane earlier. Just the two of them basking in the love they had for each other and the sound of waves crashing in the background.
They stood that way for several minutes until Parker broke the silence.
“After my mom died, I didn’t care about anything, except for getting revenge against Wolf. I wanted him to suffer the way I had, and maybe he did. I don’t know. All I knew was that because of him, I no longer had the one person who loved me unconditionally. I spent years hating him and hating everything he stood for. I might have a chance to take him down, but now that you’re in my life…”
Chelsey didn’t miss the emotion in his tone and the way his voice cracked with some of the words.
She turned within his arms to face him, and didn’t miss the love in his dark amber eyes.
“I never thought I could ever have a normal life,” he said. “I never imagined I could be anything other than a thug raised by a drug dealer. And I sure as hell never thought a woman like you, one who makes me feel like I can be and accomplish anything, would ever give me the time of day. Chelsey, you have no idea what you’ve brought to my life. What you mean to me.”
Tears pricked the back of her eyes as his words penetrated her heart. She was so grateful that he felt the love she had for him. To know that she had that type of effect on anyone made her heart sing. He meant the world to her, too, and no matter how many times she told him she loved him, it didn’t matter unless he felt it.
What made this moment even more special was that he made her feel the same way. Outside of her family, no one had ever loved her as completely as he did. She understood the emotions he was currently experiencing. To be loved for who you were, despite any mistakes of the past, meant everything.
She placed her hands on Parker’s hard chest and stared into his eyes. “I’m so glad you’re mine. I don’t know what Mason said to you, but like I said during dinner, I’m with you, baby. However, you decide to move forward, just know I’ll be right there with you.”
Whatever decisions they made this weekend would dictate their future together, and Chelsey meant what she said. She was sticking by her man, no matter what.
Parker held her face between his hands. “I love you,” he choked out and placed his forehead against hers. “I just…I love you so much, and I don’t want to make the wrong decision.”
She slid her arms around him and said, “You won’t.”
They stood there breathing each other in until Parker crushed his mouth over hers. The hunger of his kiss sent spirals of ecstasy racing through Chelsey’s body. Desire pounded through her veins, joy leaped from her heart, and her knees trembled.
Goodness. This man’s mouth and tongue needed a warning label—too hot to handle.