Leaf, Erin M. - Tango Trio [Dream Marked 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) (2 page)

Chapter 2

“Okay, okay, I’m coming,” Tessa croaked, struggling with the sheets wrapped around her legs. Her body throbbed with the aftershocks of her climax. She knew whoever was at the door couldn’t hear her but couldn’t help muttering anyway. “Jesus, what’s the rush?” She was still trembling and clumsy. What the hell kind of dream was that? She absently rubbed at her arms as she finally freed her feet and pulled her pajama top down. She stood up shakily just as the pounding resumed. She swallowed, her head pounding now, too. She lurched for the door of her bedroom and stubbed her toe on her nightstand. “Ow, damnit!”

By the time she reached the front door, Tessa was thoroughly irritated with whoever was banging on her house at nine fucking o’clock on a Saturday morning. She would kill the person, just as soon as she figured out how to work the deadbolt. Her fingers still tingled from her orgasm, and she hadn’t even had a chance to glance in a mirror.
My hair probably looks like a bird’s nest
. She finally got the lock to obey her and swung open the door. She froze as all the blood drained from her face. Parker stood in front of her, grinning cheekily.
Shit
.
Act normal. Somehow. Even though you just had the most erotic dream of your life in which he held a starring role.
Tessa flushed and glared at her friend as her brain provided her with gorgeous, full-color images of his naked cock.
Just a dream
. She squashed her heated thoughts. “Parker.” Tessa heaved a giant sigh that she hoped expressed her frustration with him. “Seriously, do you know what time it is?” Tessa made no move to open the storm door. She hoped he misinterpreted her blushing for rage rather than embarrassment.

“Baby! Aren’t you happy to see me?” Parker opened his arms.

Tessa wanted to give him the finger, but she was busy trying not to stare at the well-defined pecs under his red T-shirt. He looked like a walking advertisement for hot construction managers. Tessa always imagined guys who worked as the management at a building site would be boring, frumpy, middle-aged men, right up until her best friend took the job and put any thoughts of
dowdy
to rest. “Parker. I just woke up.”

“I can see that.” Parker laughed and opened the storm door. Tessa stepped back in alarm as he shouldered his way inside. “And you’re grumpy as a badger, too, so I assume you didn’t have any coffee to drink yet, either.”

Tessa sighed and walked away, not saying another word. She knew he would follow. She wasn’t really angry, anyway, just uncomfortable at the awkwardness of having him show up at her house right after that dream. She moved through the living room to the kitchen and ran the cold water, splashing some on her face. She hoped it would help cool her flushed cheeks. When she turned around, Parker held a couple paper towels out to her. She accepted them and wiped herself dry, trying not to feel self-conscious. Her nipples rubbed against her soft pajamas, but she refused to cover up.
Let him look
. She dropped her hands to her hips, suddenly impatient with herself.
He’s the one who barged in before I was even awake.

“Feeling better?” Parker asked, leaning against the counter. He crossed his arms over his chest, highlighting the muscles in his arms.

Jesus, girl. Get a grip
. Tessa admonished herself. “Not really,” she said aloud, walking past him to grab her coffeepot. She still felt uncomfortable, like her skin was too tight for her body. Her arms itched, so she suspected she was getting poison ivy. And she was still aroused from her dream. She could smell Parker, the warm vanilla and sandalwood soap he favored stronger than usual. What was wrong with her? She rubbed her forehead, forgetting she held the carafe and hitting herself in the face with the glass. Damnit.

“Tessa, geez, here.” Parker gently took the coffeepot from her and filled it up at the sink. “You sit down and let me make the coffee.” He shoved her in the direction of the kitchen table.

Tessa sank into a chair gratefully. What was wrong with her? She eyed Parker as he measured the coffee, his movements efficient. Did his shoulders seem a little tense? She frowned, scratching at her arms as her eyes dropped to his perfect ass, gorgeously highlighted by the tight jeans he invariably wore. Tessa blushed again and tore her eyes away. She never did this. Parker was her friend and nothing more. She was too old for him, anyway.
That dream is really messing me up.
She tried unsuccessfully to forget the memory of his mouth on her clit. When he turned around, she knew he could see the red in her face.
Damnit!
She looked out the back window. The dogwood just outside was in full bloom.
Focus on that.

Parker coughed then cleared his throat. When Tessa looked back at him, she saw his eyes dart away. Was he looking at her boobs? Nah. “So, Parker, what brings you here so early?”

He grinned, a hint of relief chasing its way across his face. “I’ve got a proposition for you.”

Tessa immediately pictured his hands on her thighs and blushed again.
Oh my God, what is wrong with me?
This was crazy. She took a deep breath, willing herself to settle down. “A proposition? Sounds scary,” she teased, trying to mask her arousal. Parker shifted against the counter, tucking his hands into his pockets. Tessa’s eyes dropped to his groin. Was he hard? Tessa stared. When he shifted again, she swore she could see the outline of his cock pressing against the zipper.
Or it could just be his hands.
She blinked, trying to keep herself from squinting at his crotch.
You will not ogle your younger best friend. Down, girl! Stop acting like a teenager!

“You keep yourself too cooped up in here—” he began, but Tessa interrupted. This old argument? He was always getting on her case about her solitary nature.

“What? I do not. I have work to do!”

Parker rolled his eyes. “I know you don’t actually have to work, Tessa. John left you a healthy pile of money.”

“How do you know that?” Tessa stared at him, disgruntled. At least the weird turn of the conversation finally managed to derail her erotic musings.

“Oh, please, John was my brother’s best friend. Billy and I were close, remember? He told me a lot of stuff.”

“But you were only fifteen when they died,” Tessa said, wrinkling her brow. She welcomed the added reminder of the difference in their ages. She should
not
be thinking sexual things about the younger brother of her dead husband’s best friend. It was just wrong. In every way.

“Billy didn’t talk to me like I was a kid, Tessa.” Parker shoved off from the counter and sat down next to Tessa. “Remember, my mom was doing all she could to keep us afloat. Billy came home a lot from New York to help out. He might have been a hotshot investment banker, but he still worried about Mom and me.” He took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her palm. Tessa repressed a shiver at the heat from his fingers. “I was already working at that age. I helped pay for food and rent. I didn’t want my mom having to do it all alone.”

Tessa sighed, remembering how hard Parker had it as a kid. “It sucks that your dad died when you were little.”

He shrugged. “I don’t really remember him, so it’s okay.”

“Still.” Tessa closed her fingers around his, trying to convey her sympathy, but Parker pulled away. Just as well. She saw that the poison ivy was beginning to show. Her forearms looked bruised. “It sucks what happened to Billy and John, too.”

Parker sighed and ran his hands through his blond hair, tousling the wavy strands even more. “A lot of people died on 9/11, Tessa, not just John and Billy.”

She nodded. “I know, but it still sucks.”

“Well, I didn’t come here to rehash the worst moment of our lives.” Parker sat back in his chair, and Tessa did her damnedest not to stare at the front placket of his jeans.

“Why did you come here then? You know how much I adore mornings,” she asked sarcastically. “And if you’ve forgotten, let me remind you—when I say adore, I mean hate. Mornings are the pimple on the butt of the day, as far as I’m concerned.”

Parker laughed. “Yeah, I got that the last few hundred times I woke you up early. But I’m not afraid of you.”

“You totally should be,” Tessa asserted, happy to hear the ding of the coffeepot. She tweaked his ear on the way to the caffeine, smirking at his mock-shocked expression.

“Abuse!”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. You can take it,” she muttered, inhaling the sweet, sweet heat of the black nectar of the gods she’d just poured. She sipped cautiously. It was just right. She closed her eyes and slurped another mouthful.

“You are disgusting,” Parker stated, pulling his own cup from the cupboard. Tessa gave him the finger for real this time. He snorted, and she opened her eyes to find him staring at her mouth.
What the—?
She licked her lips, catching a stray drop of coffee. Parker’s smile died, and he looked away, a faint blush rising on his cheekbones. Tessa almost dropped her cup. Parker never blushed. Never. No way she could let this go without torturing him.

“Parker? Are you blushing?” she asked oh-so-innocently.

He choked on his first sip. “Hell no, I’m not blushing.” He grimaced. “How can you drink this stuff black?”

“You’re deflecting!” Tessa crowed, abruptly feeling much better about her weird and sudden attraction to Parker. If he was attracted back? Well. All bets were off. She firmly pushed down her misgivings about his age.

“I am not.” Parker moved to the refrigerator and splashed a dollop of milk in his cup. “I’m thinking you’re insane. I don’t blush. Ever.” He sipped at his cup and lifted an eyebrow at her then promptly ruined his aura of nonchalance by scratching at his arms. Tessa smirked then had to rub her own arms. Stupid allergies.

“So, what are you doing here anyway?” she asked, pushing up her pajama sleeves. Her skin was red from all the rubbing. The bruising was worse. She shouldn’t have pulled those weeds out yesterday without gloves.

“Since you’ve holed up in your house all winter, I decided you need some exposure to fresh air and a bit of exercise before you waste away. I’ve come to take you out tonight!” Parker exclaimed theatrically.

Tessa rolled her eyes then smiled. She couldn’t help it, despite the hideousness of being awake before ten a.m. Parker made her laugh no matter how grouchy her mood. “Oh, really? What makes you think I’m out of shape?” Tessa put her hand on her hip and tossed her head, then immediately regretted it. Did she just flirt with Parker? No way. She hunched her shoulders a little. Shit. She was really off her game today.

Parker’s eyes roamed over her body, and she felt the fading arousal from her dream spark back into flame. His gaze lingered on her bare feet then slid up to her breasts. Tessa knew her nipples were poking at the soft fabric. She quelled the urge to cross her arms.

“Darling, I didn’t say you were out of shape. Not at all. I said I’ve come to take you out,” he drawled. Tessa’s body went hot all over at his tone. Had her friend’s voice ever sounded so sexy?

“Uh—” Tessa swallowed and tried again. “What does taking me out entail?”

Parker set his cup down and walked over, stopping right in front of her. She leaned back involuntarily, her eyes landing once more on his groin.
That is definitely his cock, right there.
She inhaled. Musk and sandalwood teased her then Parker took her hands and drew her up into his arms. Tessa squirmed, uncomfortably aware of the way her nipples scraped against the thin cotton of his T-shirt.

“Dancing, baby. We’re going to take ballroom dancing lessons.”

Chapter 3

“Oh hell, I don’t know how I let you talk me into this kind of shit,” Tessa complained, rearranging her skirt around her legs. Parker’s black Mustang was ridiculously hard to get into while wearing heels and a dress. She’d nearly fallen ducking inside, the fabric of her blue dress riding perilously high on her thighs. And she
knew
that Parker copped an eyeful since their relationship seemed to have taken a dive into sexual insanity today. Damnit to hell. She even let him close the door for her, first time ever she let him get away with that kind of sexist behavior, because she was too distracted trying to wrestle her freaking clothes back into submission to reach for the handle. And her arms were still itchy, on top of everything else. Tessa wasn’t sure if she wanted to cry or scream. Maybe both.

“Everything okay?” Parker settled into the driver’s seat and started the car. She nodded, watching him shift the car into gear, his strong fingers resting on the stick as he backed out of her driveway. She had a sudden flashback to those fingers on her ass in her dream. Oh God.