Tempting Mr. Parker Read online

  It had taken all but a second for the girl to steal her way into his heart. Right then and there he knew it was over for him. He wanted her and he felt like a pervert for it.

  He was thirty-five years old and lusting after his sister’s friend. His little sister’s black, seventeen-year-old friend. He had never dated or shown interest in a woman of a different race. He didn’t have to guess what everyone would think of his sudden attraction to Shakara—Caden Parker had developed a fetish for young black girls. If she was older and higher educated it might not cause such a stir, but she wasn’t. Having no other choice, Cade plastered a look of distaste and disinterest to his face. The years went by and he adjusted to the grave he dug for himself. Pushing her away while wearing his facade of superiority, assured that Shakara would never know the anguish that ate away at him each and every day from loving her and being unable to act on it.

  He was a bastard. Regardless of what she did for a living it gave him no right to accost and insult her. Not even his jealousy and obsession with having her was reason enough for his cruelty.

  Cade didn’t need to close his eyes to picture her earlier tonight at the restaurant. She’d looked so vulnerable and tired. He sighed and grimaced, hating himself for ignoring her and allowing his colleagues to treat her like trash.

  Coward. He was the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, overseeing one of the most successful architectural firms in the state, and yet he was afraid of admitting his emotions to a woman.

  Not just any woman. The only one who had every right in the world to despise him. Not to mention he hadn’t apologized for speaking to her like a common whore, insinuating that she took money in exchange for favors.

  That conversation was awhile in the making. Ever since the day Cade overheard her telling Julie about an incident at the strip club, anger and betrayal festered in him. A stripper. The woman he loved received money for exposing herself to men. Strangers instead of him.

  It was no longer just her age that stood in his way. She stood in the way of them being together. It took everything in his power not to go to Shakara and shake her, yell. Anything to get her to open her eyes and see how much it was hurting him. He should be the only one to see her, touch her with possessive intimacy.

  Good luck. Shakara probably saw him as nothing more than a cold and bitter old man. She wouldn't be far off. Each year, month, that went by without confessing his love to her drove him one step closer to resentment.

  Naturally, it led to the question he hesitated to ask. What prevented him from telling her? The obvious fear of rejection, or worse. Was he an elitist, apprehensive of what others might think? Caden Parker romancing a young girl of a different race, and a stripper no less.

  He yanked down the navy and white sheets, climbing into bed with a sigh of resignation. Tonight would be no different from yesterday and the night before. Shakara would once again take center stage in his dreams. On top of him, under him in every way imaginable.

  Christ. He was sick. Cade groaned out loud and scrubbed a hand over his face. This had to stop. This obsession. Shakara deserved better than a starring role in his wet dreams.

  He hardened his jaw, determination coursing through his frame. It was time to come clean, rejection or not.

  Chapter Four

  “You can’t skip my party,” Julie whined.

  Shakara pressed the phone against her ear. She put the paintbrush aside, dragging her attention away from the canvas to listen to her friend.

  “If it’s because of Cade, you have nothing worry about. He hates parties.”

  She wasn’t going to touch that. “I wish I could be there for you but I can’t. I have to work until closing.”

  “Man, I must sound like the biggest bitch complaining about a party when you have to go to work.”

  “Just a little,” Shakara joked. “But I do have a present for you.”

  “You didn't have to get me anything.”

  “Duh, I know that. I wanted to. There’s a big difference. It also means you have to like what I get you.”

  Julie laughed. “I swear to it. Unlike my dear brother, it doesn’t take a minor miracle to get me smiling.”

  “Was he always like that?”

  “Always! Okay, maybe not. He used to be more laid-back. He was so much older. I remember he used to give me piggyback rides. Whenever he came home to visit he used to spend a lot of time with me. Cade would probably kill me if I told you this, but once he even sat down and had a princess tea party with me. It was awesome. Although I must say, raising me might have played a part in his madness.”

  Shakara smiled. “I can definitely see that. He must really love you. You’re extremely lucky, Jules, to have a big brother who cares so much about you.”

  “Yeah,” Julie agreed. “He’s not all that bad. I’m sure his mood would improve a ton if he had a girlfriend. Don’t you think so?”

  Shakara furrowed her eyebrows. That was an odd question to ask her. “If he can find someone to put up with his attitude, then yeah. Good luck to them both.”

  The line went silent and Shakara worried that Julie was offended. She should have kept her mouth shut.

  “I shouldn’t have said that. I’m sure he’s a nice person.” To everyone else.

  “That’s not it,” Julie said. “Cade isn’t so bad. I’ve seen him with women and he can be really charming. I guess that’s why I don’t understand his behavior toward you. I’ve never seen him show so much hostility to any other woman. It’s really weird.”

  Shakara shrugged, trying not to let Julie’s words affect her. “It must be one of those things. Sometimes you meet a person and you automatically get a bad vibe. Maybe that’s what happened with Cade and me.”

  “Don’t kill me for saying this, but I bet if Cade got to know you he’d really like you. I could totally see him chasing after you, disgusting as that sounded even to my own ears. But the point is you two would make a cute couple.”

  Shakara forced a laugh. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

  “C’mon, I’m serious. It’s not that far-fetched.”

  “Do you think I’d still have to call him Mr. Parker?”

  Julie groaned. “I can’t believe he makes you call him that. Worse, I can’t believe you actually do it.”

  “I didn’t mind it at first. I wanted to be respectful. Now, it’s just a power trip for him so I don’t take it seriously.”

  The call ended soon after and Shakara snapped the cellphone close. She was going to have to stop by the house tomorrow to drop off the painting. If there was a higher power up there paying attention to her, she would be lucky and avoid running into Cade.

  Shakara spun around, surveying the tiny apartment she had resided in for the last four years. It was a closet compared to Cade’s house in Warrington Hill. True, her location wasn’t ideal. Newcomb Park did have its fair share of crime—what place didn’t?

  If anything, she’d be willing to bet what little money she had that there were just as many embezzlers and tax evaders thriving in wealthy suburbia as drug dealers and common thieves roaming these streets.

  Then again, she was happy to not have any of that nastiness coming to her door. She had a roof over head and four walls to shelter her. Nothing and no one was going to take that away from her ever again.

  Shakara shook her head and rubbed two fingers against her forehead smoothing away the tension. Dredging up those memories served no purpose. She had no reason to run away. Not from her mother, foster parents, or even Cade.

  She frowned, annoyed that her mind always seemed to find a way to fixate on the forbidding man. God she could see it now, the disgust on his face if he ever stepped foot inside her apartment. Her second-hand furniture was a lifetime away from his lavishly furnished house.

  Well screw him and his money. His opinion didn’t matter anyway. She could never be with someone who refused to see past her way of life. As if she’d been given a say in the matter.

  Shakara blew out a breath a
nd wrenched the ponytail holder from her hair. Cade was the last person she wanted to think about before getting into bed. It was obvious he viewed her as low-class. Why the hell she craved his attention was beyond her. Idiot. That’s what she was. An idiot and a glutton for punishment.

  Chapter Five

  Cade sat at his desk attempting to concentrate. He raked a hand through his hair, staring unseeing at the thick stack of papers demanding his attention. He was spending too much time thinking about her and the fact that he hadn’t seen her in a week, not since the night at the restaurant.

  He glanced at the calendar on the wall, guilt weighing heavily on his mind. In three months he would be out of the country meeting with a prospective client. He needed to clear the air with her because he wasn’t sure how he would be able to function abroad, so far away from her. Not with her hating him and believing he felt the same about her.

  He prayed he hadn’t burned that bridge. Cade didn’t want to think about her reaching to a random guy for comfort. He curled his fist and a familiar knot twisted in the pit of his stomach. Shakara with another man.

  He wasn’t born yesterday and he damn sure didn’t own a pair of rose-colored sunglasses. Shakara was a beautiful young woman who was too cute for her own good. Doe-shaped eyes set into a delicate round face. Her eyes were the darkest shade of brown he’d ever gazed into, and the most stunning.

  Her looks were just the tip of the iceberg for him. Everything about her intrigued him. How many times had he lurked nearby when she sat watching a movie or chatting with his sister in hopes of catching a glimpse of her bright cheery smile or hearing her decadently rich husky laugh? Cade grimaced and swiped the sheets of paper across the desk. Exactly how many men were thinking of her in such a way right this moment? Shit. He didn’t want to picture another man fucking her. More than likely someone younger and more suitable for her than he—an old white man.

  He remembered saying those same words to Radcliffe, meaning them for himself. A rationale for why he needed to maintain his distance from her. Pointless. The only thing he’d accomplished was shooting himself in the foot before entering the race.

  God he wanted her. Cade scrubbed his jaw, a combination of shame and lust waging a battle in him for the second time today. The first occurred earlier during his morning shower. His thoughts inevitably wandered to her and within a minute he was stroking himself, coming so hard and fast it was a blessing the water washed away the sticky evidence before he could dwell on it.

  He shook his head. Back to work. Shakara or not, he still had a business to run. He assembled the discarded files in order, pausing at the low chime of the doorbell.

  He ignored it.

  Ring.

  He ignored it again, yet the sound kept vibrating throughout the house, halting his concentration. Pushing out his chair, Cade pounded outside his office and down the staircase. He stopped in front of the entryway, wrenching the door open.

  ****

  Shakara shifted her weight preventing the vast canvas in her hand from slipping. For days she’d worked on the piece, pouring her heart into it. Art, her one and only talent, was her means of escaping the daily grind of everyday living. The door jerked open and a cheerful smile filtered across her lips. Fully expecting to see her friend, Shakara’s smile faltered the instant she saw who it was.

  “Where’s Julie?” she blurted, cutting the agonizing silence.

  “She isn’t here.”

  She frowned. Julie knew she was coming by today. “Oh. I thought she’d be home.”

  “She left over an hour ago. What was it you needed?” he asked in a conversational tone.

  Shakara blinked in astonishment. This was unexpected—Cade being civil toward her after treating her like a stranger in the restaurant.

  “I wanted to drop off her birthday present.” She hoisted the canvas under her arm.

  “You have a present for her?”

  “Yes,” she clipped, offended by his assumption. “She’s my best friend. Did you think I wouldn’t get her anything?”

  He sighed. “I never said that, Shakara. I’m scratching my head at what more my sister could possibly need.”

  He said her name. Cade rarely, if ever, referred to her by her name. Why the heck did it sound so elegant coming from his lips?

  “That’s why she has me. I don’t have cobwebs in place of an imagination.”

  He smiled. An actual smile, aimed at her without the usual hint of mockery.

  “What did you get her? Are you going to show it to me or is it top secret?”

  She bit her lips and narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “I’ll let you see it as long as you can keep your mouth shut.”

  His eyebrows went up. “You don’t trust me?”

  “No,” she answered flatly.

  He nodded slowly at her. “Fair enough. I’ve never given you an incentive to do so.” He issued her a pointed look. “That’s going to change.”

  “Really?” Shakara raised her eyebrows, studying him with caution.

  “Really,” Cade repeated, widening the frame of the door. “Are you coming inside?”

  “I say that I don’t trust you and you invite me in. What am I missing here?”

  His gaze sharpened on her. “I haven’t been the nicest person to you, Shakara. I’m more aware of it than you can imagine. However, I would like for things to be different between us.” He smiled. “Will you step inside now?”

  She nodded, stifling a gasp as he leaned forward and removed the heavy canvas from her grasp.

  “Thanks.” She entered the house, a nervous bubble forming in her stomach at the resounding click behind her.

  Chapter Six

  Cade strode toward the dining room, swerving around to see Shakara rooted to the spot by the main entrance. He cringed at the tension emanating from her. She was wary of him and his motives. He couldn’t fault her. Hadn’t he honed his bitterness and sharpened his contempt on her for years? It would take awhile for her to warm to him. With great care, he laid the canvas on the dining room table and turned to her.

  “Why are you standing there?”

  She lifted her shoulders. “You told me to come in. I wasn’t sure how far inside your house I was allowed, Mr. Parker.”

  “Mr. Parker,” he repeated in a self-deprecating manner. He felt like a bastard ten times over for demanding she refrain from using his given name, stemming from the fear of his reaction to the sound of his name rolling off her delectable lips.

  “You don’t have to be so formal. But you knew that, didn’t you?” He smiled with tenderness and returned to her.

  “How should I refer to you? Sir?” she asked.

  He shook his head realizing she was teasing him. “Cade. Caden. Whichever you prefer.” Daring to touch her face, he said in a low voice. “Pick one. I want to hear you say it.”

  Her eyes sparkled and Cade stroked beneath her chin urging her to look at him.

  “Say it.”

  Swallowing, Shakara whispered, “Cade.”

  “That’s what you’re going to call me from now on. No more Mr. Parker.”

  “Why?” She glared at him. “Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?”

  He averted his eyes toward the dining room. “I’ve already explained it.”

  “Yes. I heard you, but you didn’t say how you wanted it to be different between us.”

  His muscles tensed. Shakara was giving him the opening he sought. With three simple words he could divulge the truth to her. But what if she wasn’t ready to hear it? He ran the risk of embarrassing and alienating himself in the process.

  “I want to see what you’ve brought for Julie.” Coward.

  They entered the dining room. Cade stood watching her uncover the thin gray sheet protecting the canvas.

  He let out a reverent breath and stared at her, then back at the painting. “This is absolutely amazing.”

  Her exquisite face beamed with pride causing the lone dimple in her right cheek to deepen. S
he was so fucking sweet. His heart ached and his cock hardened for the girl smiling at him.

  “Why are you working in that restaurant when you have such a wonderful talent?” he blurted.

  She lifted a shoulder. “It’s a hobby. Painting isn’t going to pay the rent or buy food. It’s not that serious.”

  He inhaled a sharp breath, loathed to be reminded of the means she relied on to provide for herself. “Are you still stripping?”

  Shaking her head, she hastened toward the entrance and muttered a curse beneath her breath loud enough for him to hear. “Is this why you invited me in? For a replay of how disgusting I am and that I should be ashamed of myself.”

  “Shakara,” he cried, rushing to the door. “Wait. You’re jumping to conclusions. Just wait. Please.”

  “Wait for what? For you to pull out cash this time. Maybe you have some loose change you want to get rid of. Because everyone knows how easily I’d spread my legs for your almighty dollar, right, Mr. Parker?”

  She placed a hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side. “Oh wait. If I recall correctly you were trying to find out my going rate for a blow job, wasn’t it?”

  He had to stop her. Lifting her hand off the handle, Cade pulled her to him, uncaring of her struggles against his hold.

  “Shakara. That’s not what I meant at all.” She wriggled in his arms, but he held her firm, yet gentle, seeking only to give comfort. “I’m sorry. I’m so damn sorry for insulting you, for everything I’ve ever done to upset you. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life. I didn’t ask with the intention of hurting you. I wanted to know because...” He stopped suddenly and jerked her head up to face him.