We didn’t talk much on the drive over - there was something in the air that made us both realize that talking was unnecessary. What we were moving toward doing was more primal, more elemental, than talking required.
When the Pinewood apartments came into view I pointed them out, still saying nothing. Parker nodded and pulled into a guest parking spot, shutting the beast down and making me realize just how loud and sexy its sound had been the entire ride over here.
We got out of the car, and I shivered in the wind. It had been warm during the day when I landed, but now, deep into the night, the wind was biting. Parker came around the car and took my hand again, and pulled me into him. Our kiss was hot and heavy, and I thrust myself into his warm embrace.
For half a second I wondered about the neighbors who might be watching us, stirred awake in the middle of the night by the exotic car’s approach, but just as quickly, I stopped caring. I didn’t know these people anyway, and in the quiet of the moonlit night I couldn’t hear anyone grumbling, or even anyone outside other than us.
When we finally broke contact, Parker looked at me like he was asking an unspoken question. I wasn’t quite sure what the question was, but I knew what my answer was. “Come on, let’s go in. It’s cold out here.”
“Lead on,” Parker said, his voice husky and getting lower. I walked first this time toward the elevators, pulling Parker along. There wasn’t an elevator waiting at the ground floor, so we had to wait. It started out as an awkward silence, but then both of us smiled at each other, like teenagers who couldn’t figure out what to say to their crush.
It was heartwarmingly romantic, especially for someone I didn’t know. When the elevator arrived, we both got in and I pushed the button for the third floor.
As soon as the doors started to close, Parker crossed the small elevator and wrapped his arms around me. I lifted my head and before I knew it we were kissing again, like it had been days or weeks since our lips had last touched.
The only reason we stopped was when the doors opened on my floor. We both pulled apart, staring down the hall before I realized that Parker wouldn’t know where to go. I took the lead again, walking down the corridor till we stood outside my door.
“Your roommate…” Parker started, but I shook my head and he didn’t finish.
“It’s a studio, no roommate.”
He smiled. “Great. Unlock the door.” His tone was gruff, like he couldn’t wait to get inside, and I was right there with him.
I reached into my purse and pulled out the key, turning it in the lock, and opening the door. Parker immediately put his hand out to hold it open while I put the key away and looked back at him.
“After you,” he whispered.
“Why thank you,” I replied, and stepped inside, still facing Parker. He came in after me.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Parker scooped me up in his arms and we were kissing again, even harder and more passionately now that no one else could see us or wander in and disturb us.
Parker lifted me up off my feet and held me in the air, one of his arms under me, the other against my back, keeping me steady. I couldn’t believe how strong he was, but he held me steady while we fooled around with no problem. I had my hands running across the hard muscles of his shoulders and upper arms, finding nooks and crannies to explore later.
We stood, well, Parker stood and I…held on, in the doorway of my tiny studio apartment like that for what felt like a long time, but was probably no more than 4 or 5 minutes, kissing and getting used to having our bodies close together.
Already I was starting to wonder whether I’d see Parker again after tonight. I was never the kind of girl to have one night stands, in fact this was definitely looking to be my first, but something about Parker had just jumped out at me. Like he was a beacon in the night, a lighthouse that I could use to come home.
Especially since what I thought of as ‘home’ was in a state of flux right now. Aside from Sandy, I was all alone here, didn’t know anyone, and I hadn’t even met my coworkers yet, aside from my future boss, the head of the athletic training staff for the Patriots.
Basically, it was a weird time for me, and it would be nice to have met the perfect guy on my first night here, is what I was saying. Whether or not Parker was that guy remained to be seen, but as he held me in his arms and we kissed like the other person had the antidote to the poison running through our veins, he sure seemed like a reasonable choice for perfect guy to me.
Finally, after a few minutes of these thoughts running through my head, Parker took a few steps into my apartment, tentatively at first, but then gathering confidence as I pulled myself into his shoulder with my arms around his neck, nuzzling under his head and smelling him, sighing contentedly all the while.