Jade sipped her champagne and shook her head. “Nah. Not until Brody stops nursing. Lana says it should be just another month or so. When that happens, we’ll leave him with her and take a few days for ourselves, but not until then.”
“I guess I can hang around a while. Get to know Ben and Brody some more,” she told Jade.
“Awesome,” Jade hugged her again.
The wedding organizer showed up. “Time for the first dance.”
Parker took another glass of champagne and walked out to the terrace, leaned against the railing and watched people sit out on sofas around the pool area.
“Not a fan of watching the first dance?” a deep voice asked beside her.
She straightened and gulped down her champagne. Holy Toledo. It was Mr. Hotness. “No, it’s not that. I’m just a little hot.”
“Hello, little hot, I’m Ryan.”
She grinned. “Parker. I meant it’s hot with all those people inside.”
He stared at her again and she wondered if there was something wrong with her face.
“Want to take a walk?”
She knew this was a bad idea. Oh, was it a bad idea. The way he was staring at her. The way she had butterflies in her chest. It was way past a bad idea. But instead of saying no, she found herself nodding and taking the hand he offered.
An electric ping traveled through their joined hands. She sucked in a breath and glanced down where he held her hand in his.
They started along the side of the mansion down a gravel path into the gardens.
“This place is massive. And beautiful,” she sighed, loving the different trees, the colorful flowers and the pristine trimmed bushes. They walked under arches wrapped in branches with what looked like cherry blossoms.
“Come on. I know where the real special stuff is,” he said, leading her past the trimmed hedges and bright plants to an area farther away. There was a big tree with hanging blue flowers that they had to walk around to see the continuing path.
“See, people don’t know this is back here,” Ryan said. “So when they see the big blue tree, they turn around or go down a different path.”
Farther down, she could barely hear the wedding music playing. Then they stopped and she realized what she was seeing.
“This is surreal,” she gasped. Slipping off her shoes, she held his hand as they walked to the lake.
There were wide grassy walkways that connected land with lake. The walkways were shaped into swirls and circles and spheres and gorgeous figures that left her speechless. One walkway linked to another. The circles and spheres held flowers in the centers and at the middle of the lake was a large circle that had to be man-made.
It was like a giant sunken seat. The circle was lined with cushions and a throw blanket. There was even a lantern to turn on if it got darker. Farther in was a fountain with lights, and a large wolf howling, water spouting from its muzzle.
Pine trees lined both sides of the lake entrance to give the entire area privacy.
“I had no idea this was even here,” she let him help her into the cushioned circle. “I wonder if Jade knows about this place.”
“Probably. This was our favorite spot when we were kids.”
She raised her brows and sat on a cushion. “Who’s we?”
“Dean, Gavin, and me. Lana was like a mother to me. She was always so caring and loving, taking in kids other parents didn’t pay attention to,” he said. He leaned back on the cushion and grinned at her. “Want to see another surprise?”
She blinked. “There’s more?”
He lifted a cushion and pulled out a bottle of champagne with two glasses from an ice box.
“Hang on a second,” she sputtered. “You can’t tell me that has just been sitting there.”
He barked a laugh. “You’re right. It hasn’t. I asked the butler to bring it here for us.”
She watched him tug the top off and fill two champagne flutes. “Seems you were pretty confident I’d come out here with you.”
“No. You have free will,” he told her and sipped his champagne. “But I had hoped.”
The sound of the music at the distance made her sway her head to it.
“Would you like to dance?” he asked, his voice low and rough.
God. Ryan’s whole aura was that of a predator after his pray. She had never dealt with a man who was like that. The guys she dated were boring and safe. Guys that wouldn’t be difficult to break up with when she got antsy and needed to go on an adventure.
She took his hand and stood. He pulled her into his arms, her body pressed into his. Her breath caught in the back of her throat. She was surrounded by him. The sun had gone down, and the moon was full and the lights from the fountain lit their surroundings.
They swayed to the music. She knew the song well. It was a romantic song that spoke of everlasting love. A man and a woman sang to each other. Parker closed her eyes and let the warmth of Ryan’s body calm her.
“You’re so beautiful, Parker. Beautiful and a great dancer,” he whispered by her ear, his lips almost brushing her lobe.
A sizzling current raced down her spine. “Thank you. You are, too.”
“I’m glad you think I’m beautiful,” he chuckled, pulling back to meet her gaze. “I’m going to kiss you. If you don’t want that, stop me now.”
Chapter Three
Parker curled her arms around his neck, glanced from his eyes down to his lips, got on her tip toes and brought his head down to meet her lips.
The kiss was slow and sensual. His hands slid down her back, the silky material of her dress an almost non-existent barrier between them. He grabbed her ass and pressed her into him.
His tongue swiped over her lips and invaded her mouth. She moaned and let him take control. Their tongues rubbed and curled over each other as if desperate to touch. She raked her nails into his hair, grasping the strands and clinging to him. His kisses were electrifying.
She hadn’t come to this wedding looking for a hook up. A one-night stand had been nowhere in her thoughts, but the way Ryan made her feel. Alive. She hadn’t felt that way in years. Dedicating her life to helping others had been front and center of her existence for so long. But tonight he made her feel as if she was the center of his world.
He pulled away from their kiss and licked his lips. “I need more of you, but I won’t push. I can wait.”
She shoved him back into the cushions, slipping the tiny straps of her dress down her arms until the dress pooled at her feet. She picked it up and laid it on a cushion so it wouldn’t wrinkle. Then she turned back to him, completely naked, and met his gaze. “I can’t wait. I want more now.”
She knelt before him, unbuckling his pants and unzipping them, yanking them down but he stopped her. “Let me.”
He removed his jacket and tie and let his pants fall. She licked her lips, taking a seat and watching him strip. The man was gorgeous. The moonlight made him seem dangerous. His eyes flashed gold again. She sat back and watched him kneel between her legs. He leaned forward, pressing his lips over hers, his hands cupping her face.
She sucked a breath when he kissed his way down her neck. Leaning her head back and glancing at the moon, she did nothing but feel. His lips caressing her breast. He sucked one nipple into his mouth, and she groaned and glanced down at him. One of her breasts was in his mouth and the other being fondled by his large hand. She didn’t have overly big breasts, but men had never complained. But with his huge hands on her chest, she felt tiny.