“But that’s just it, guys. I don’t love Parker and I’ve never been into having sex just as something to do.”
Victoria and Kennedy looked at each other. “That might be true, Bree, but you might not have a choice,” Kennedy said.
Sebrina frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you might have been able to dodge the chemistry so far, but now you’ve thrown a monkey-wrench into the mix.”
“How?”
“The two of you have kissed,” Victoria added.
“And?”
“And now you know his taste and he knows yours. You’re going to want to sample it again, and pretty soon, a taste won’t be enough. You’ll want more. And trust me, when I say more, I mean more.”
Sebrina glanced over at Kennedy, who was nodding her head in agreement. Sebrina hoped they were wrong, but she had a sinking feeling that her cousins knew what they were talking about. She had seen Parker a couple of times when she’d left for work this week and more than anything, she had wanted him to kiss her goodbye.
Finally, the waiter returned with their food and she seized the opportunity to change the subject. “I miss Monica.”
“I hate that she isn’t here to join us,” Kennedy said. “But I’m sure she’s having a great time.”
“When will she be back?” Victoria asked.
“The weekend after next.”
“Then you and Parker won’t be there by yourselves anymore. That might help you control yourselves.”
Sebrina certainly hoped so.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
PARKER WOKE UP SUDDENLY in the middle of the night. He’d had yet another dream about Sebrina. Easing up in bed, he drew in a deep breath. His dreams were getting more and more erotic. He couldn’t take much more of this.
Glancing at the clock on his nightstand, he saw it was close to two in the morning. He hadn’t even heard Sebrina when she left for work. Since he was off tomorrow, he would make sure he was around when she returned home in the morning. That thought revved up his libido.
Deciding he needed something to drink, he got up to grab a cold glass of water. He didn’t bother with his robe since he had the house to himself.
When he saw the light on in the kitchen, he figured Sebrina must have forgotten to turn it off when she’d left for work. But when he walked in, he stopped dead in his tracks.
Sebrina, dressed in a short red satin robe, was bent over, looking in the refrigerator. The way the material stretched across her backside created instant arousal. Even from behind, she looked too damn sexy for words. What was she doing home? Had she taken the night off?
Parker drew in a deep breath, not sure how much more he could handle. He tried to get his feet to move, to back out of the kitchen before she detected his presence and return to bed, but his legs seemed glued to the floor. So instead, he asked, “Looking for something in particular?”
She jerked around, revealing the matching short nightie that barely covered her thighs. Damn, the woman was definitely one captivating female. “Parker, what are you doing here?”
He found her question amusing and leaned against the counter. “I live here.”
She frowned at him. “I know that, but I thought you were asleep.”
“And I thought you were at work,” he countered.
“I traded shifts with one of the doctors who needed Sunday night off.”
“I see.” In fact, he saw more than she probably wanted him to. He loved the color red on her. “So, what were you looking for?”
“I woke up hungry and thought I’d try some of those hot wings you made yesterday,” she said, tightening the belt of her robe around her waist. Too late. He’d already seen her sexy nightie and the image was one he wouldn’t forget anytime soon.
“They are in there somewhere,” he said, crossing the floor to the refrigerator. When he noticed how quickly she got out of his way, he asked, “Does my being here bother you, Sebrina?”
“No, I’m just surprised to see you. I thought you were asleep.”
Parker nodded. “And I’m just as surprised to see you, since I assumed you were at work.”
He turned back to the refrigerator, then pulled out the container she’d been looking for. “Here you are.”
Instead of taking it, she said, “Maybe I shouldn’t be eating this late after all. I think I’ll go back to bed.”
“Why? If you’re hungry, you won’t be able to sleep. Besides, I’ll join you. I’m feeling a little peckish myself.” And he was hungry, but not for food. Still, he wasn’t telling her that. “Besides, I need to talk to you about something.”
“What?”
“Our next outing,” he said, taking the bowl of wings over to the microwave to warm them up.
“I didn’t know there would be others, Parker.”
“Why wouldn’t there be? We’re still working on being friends, right?” he asked, pulling the bowl out the microwave when it went off. Then he moved to the table and sat down.
He glanced over at her, waiting for her to answer. She was still standing across the room, as if trying to decide if she should stay or leave. She shifted her gaze from him to the bowl of wings he’d placed in the middle of the table. They looked good and their aroma filled the room.
“Friends don’t kiss, Parker. At least, not the way we did.”
“Did you enjoy it?”
Instead of answering, she broke eye contact with him. When she finally returned her gaze to his, he noted a longing he’d never seen in her eyes before. It took every ounce of control he had not to get out his chair, cross the room and take her into his arms and—
“Yes, Parker. I enjoyed it.”
There, Sebrina thought. She’d said it. She had admitted to the one thing she couldn’t lie about even if she had wanted to. Not when she longed for the taste of him again. The yearning was so powerful, she hadn’t been able to sleep knowing he was downstairs in his room—a room he had invited her to come to whenever she wanted.
Tonight, she had come close to knocking on his door. She had stood outside his room for a few moments before getting cold feet and going to the kitchen. She’d felt a small sense of relief mixed with disappointment…until she’d turned around and saw him standing there, his feet bare, his PJ’s riding low on his hips, and she’d been hit with an overwhelming wave of desire. Even now, she could hear the strumming sound of her heart.
“I really enjoyed it too, Sebrina.” Then as if he’d made up his mind about something, she watched as he put the lid on the bowl of wings, then got to his feet.
Sebrina could feel her heartbeat pounding in her ears as he slowly advanced, moving toward her with the sexiest walk she had ever seen. Her pulse throbbed with every step he took. And by the time he was there, standing in front of her, sexual energy crackled all around them.
“Sebrina?”
She wished he wouldn’t say her name like that, as if he was dealing with an ache deep in his gut, a force that was more powerful than he could handle. His gaze was filled with raw need and she knew it reflected what he probably saw in her own eyes.
“Yes?”