He chuckled.
“It was not one of my finer moments,” I said as I mixed up the cayenne with the buttermilk for the fried chicken batter. “Do your brothers like spicy food? I should have asked.”
“We’re from the American West. Hot sauce and chilies are their favorites.”
“You like it hot!” I joked, licking my finger, pressing it to my hip, and making a sizzling noise.
Parker prowled over to me, grabbing me around the waist. “Do that again,” he said in a low voice, “and you’re going to find out how hot it can get.”
I blinked up at Parker. He grinned wolfishly.
“Why didn’t you invite me in last night?” he asked.
Why didn’t the little piggy invite the big bad wolf in?
“I don’t know.”
“Do I scare you? I won’t hurt you.”
“You’re my boss.”
“This is a small town. The deputy mayor passes laws to screw over my brother, who is her ex. Garrett, I think, has bribed half the police force. Ida is a walking sexual harassment case and spreads excessive amounts of gossip on Facebook about anyone and everything. No one cares if you’re banging the boss. Besides,” he continued, “I think I can make a pretty good case for why you should choose me instead of greasy Tinder hookup number nine as your first foray into sex.”
I swallowed. “Everyone says the first time sucks and to just get it over with.”
There was that wolfish smile again. “It wouldn’t suck with me. In fact”—his hands skimmed lightly up my torso—“I think you might enjoy it so much it will ruin anything you experience with any other man.”
“You are so full of yourself.”
“I have two PhDs, one in biomedical engineering. I know a thing or two about the human body and what makes it tick.”
“Oh really, Dr. Svensson?” I said, my hands resting on his back and sliding lower just because they could. My inner teenager was shrieking that I was actually touching a man—and not just a handshake. My hands were on his very firm ass. And was that something else firm pressing against my stomach?
“What exactly are we talking about here?”
“Let me show you,” he breathed against my neck, pressing his lips to the soft skin under my ear.
Was this it?
You don’t have any condoms. And you can’t have sex in this kitchen. It would be sacrilegious.
I pushed him away and shook out my clothes. Parker followed me with his eyes but didn’t move. I finished the biscuit dough, checked the consistency, and then dumped it out on the linen tea towels powdered with flour. I folded the dough over a few times so the layers would puff.
“I can’t tell if you’re scared or you don’t like me,” Parker said as I set the biscuits in the fridge to rest. “Or is it really the employer hang-up? I can secure you a different job. Shoot, I could just make you a full-time employee of Remy’s foundation, though I’d rather he didn’t spend all that time with you.”
What was my hang-up? Fear? Of what—change? Success? That I’d like it? That it would hurt?
You’re afraid you’ll fall in love with him and he won’t love you back.
“Sex isn’t that big a deal,” Parker continued. “It’s stress relief, it’s fun, it doesn’t have to mean anything. This can just be casual. You probably shouldn’t get attached to the first person you sleep with anyway. That’s weird.” He scowled for a moment, then his features were back to the model good looks and slightly cocky expression. “Just let me show you a good time, then we can go our separate ways.”
I approached him that time; his hands cupped my ass. I pressed my palms to his chest.
“Just fun. Nothing serious. I’ll show you all the good things mankind has to offer,” Parker continued.
But I want the marriage and the baby carriage.
“Just a good ol’ fashioned workplace affair. What do you say, Sadie? Can I eat your cherry pie?”
