Nor did he want to have any regrets.
A short while later, he was in bed, flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling. Although he didn’t want to think about it, he wondered if Sebrina would be coming home tonight. He was aware of the ‘no sleep-over’ house rule, so he knew that she and the guy wouldn’t be coming back here. But they could go his place. The thought of that guy doing all the things Parker had been dreaming of doing to her was keeping him awake.
He glanced over at the clock and figured that he’d been home for nearly an hour. Granted she had barely started on her entree when he had finished dessert, but still, he wouldn’t have thought it would take this long for them to finish their meal. Again, he was wondering if she’d gone to that guy’s place. Was it any of his business if she had?
Maybe not, but that didn’t stop the green-eyed monster from rearing its jealous head. He had shifted positions, laying on his side when he heard the sound of the front door opening and closing. Sebrina had come home after all. Needing to see her, even if only to open his door and take a peek, he got out of bed and slipped into his robe.
Sebrina removed her coat and hung it in the closet, glad her date with Bob was finally over. Before they’d left the restaurant, Bob had gotten upset when she’d refused to go home with him. Then he’d had the gall to ask if he could spend the night at her place, since Monica was out of town.
That’s when she’d had to tell him the truth, and not in such a nice way. First of all, they hadn’t gone out together in over a year. So why did he suddenly assume that one dinner date would give him bed rights he’d never gotten before. Then she’d informed him that although Monica was out of town, they had a new housemate. So him coming home with her was out of the question, even if she’d wanted it. Which she didn’t.
Acting like a little kid who’d had his toy taken away, he had barely waited for her to get out the car before taking off, leaving her in the driveway. He hadn’t even bothered to walk her to the door. The jerk!
There was only one light on—the lamp near the stairs—just the way she had left things. That meant Parker probably hadn’t returned yet and he likely wouldn’t tonight. She could always check to see if his car was parked in the garage but why add salt to the wound? What he did and when he came home was his business. Even if they had paid more attention to each other than their dates at the restaurant.
After turning on the security alarm, she crossed the room to switch off the lamp. She was about to head upstairs when she heard her name. She turned, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw Parker standing in the doorway of his bedroom.
The brief light pouring into the room from his bedroom’s lamp cast enough illumination on him to make her heart race even faster. He was wearing a robe, which meant he had probably been home a while. His hair hung around his shoulders and she could tell, from his open robe, that he was bare chested and wearing just his PJ bottoms.
His devastating sexiness caused a distinct warmth to surge through her. Swallowing deeply, she answered. “Yes?”
“How was your date?”
Should she tell him the truth or pretend everything had gone fine? Considering the two of them had spent a lot of time ignoring their dates but being fully aware of each other, honesty was probably best. “Bob was boring as ever.” There was no need to tell Parker that she wouldn’t be seeing him again. He’d figure it out. “What about your date? She was pretty.”
She watched as a smile slid across his lips. “And talkative.”
Okay, she had noticed that, but the woman hadn’t seemed to be talking any more than Bob had. “Bob talked a lot, too.”
“I noticed.”
He shifted his stance and she wished he hadn’t done that. The top part of his robe opened up a little more and it allowed her to admire his solid, muscular chest. She caught her breath.
“May I ask you something, Sebrina?”
“Sure. What do you want to ask me?”
“How many more dates do we have to torture ourselves with before we admit the truth?”
She lifted a brow. “What truth?”
“That ignoring this thing between us isn’t working.”
She began nibbling on her bottom lip. “We’ve only gone out once since we decided on this course of action, Parker.”
“I know. However, I doubt the results would change, even if we went on fifty dates. Can you honestly say you think we have a hope in hell of ignoring this hunger between us?”
She didn’t know what to think. “I don’t know. I’ve never been in this predicament before.”
And she truly meant it. She had been attracted to men, had even desired them, but this thing between her and Parker defied logic. Even now, she was aware of the crackle of sexual energy that passed between them, making the air they were breathing seem hot and erotic.
“There is only one other option left for us to try, Sebrina.”
She didn’t have to ask what he was talking about because she knew. To act on it. “I’m not sure I’m ready for that, Parker.” Even as she said the words, she could feel arousal coiling in her very feminine core.
“Okay,” he said, taking a few steps to cover the distance separating them.
When he came to a stop in front of her, she could see more of him. His penetrating dark eyes were staring down at her and several strands of thick hair seemed to slip down on his forehead. She was tempted to brush them back from his face but didn’t.
“However, I want to leave you with something to think about, Sebrina,” he said.
“What?”
Before she could blink, he had wrapped his arms around her and lowered his mouth to hers. Immediately, his tongue caught hold of hers when she released a breathless sigh. Then he proceeded to make love to her mouth. Never in all her twenty-nine years had a man kissed her this way. It was as if he was trying to get an in-depth taste of her and didn’t plan to pull his mouth away until he’d had it.
In the meantime, she was being driven insane by waves of pleasure flooding her insides. Each stroke of his tongue blasted away her common sense. He wasn’t just kissing her—he was completely devouring her. Even now, she was having a hard time remembering how to breathe.
Then suddenly he broke off the kiss, leaving her weak in the knees. She was grateful his arms remained locked around her waist, otherwise she would have crumbled to the floor.
“When you think you’re ready for us to act on it, Sebrina, you know where to find me. I never sleep with my door locked. You are welcome in my bedroom at any time.”
Drawing in a deep breath, she turned and raced up the stairs.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
PARKER WAS WALKING DOWN the hospital corridor on his way to see one of his patients, but it was Sebrina on his mind. Several days had passed since the night he had kissed her, and he was afraid he’d become addicted to her taste. Her mouth had been as sweet as he’d known it would be, with a flavor that was all hers.
Just thinking of what he considered a much-too-brief moment still sent sensuous chills all through him. Every night since he had issued the invitation for her to visit his bedroom, he had lain awake hoping she would do so. And when he drifted off to sleep, he would dream of her. Now that he knew her taste, his dreams were more intense and a hell of a lot more erotic than before.