THE BENNETTS' CHRISTMAS (The Bennett Family and the Masters Family #6) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,72
she paid off her student loans.”
“Do you have big plans for your off day tomorrow?” he asked when he opened the door in the garage that led to the kitchen.
“Not really. I want to go by the gym and start working out again. I haven’t been there in a long time.”
“Which gym do you go to? I joined one today.”
“You did? I’m a member of Casey’s.”
“That’s the one I joined. It’s a nice place.”
“Yes, it is. You’re going to love it.” She wondered if he was aware that Rosemary Nestor was also a member of that gym. For all Sebrina knew, that might have been his main reason for joining, but she doubted it. He had seemed rather annoyed that morning when Rosemary had demanded his attention.
“Well, this is where we part ways, Parker. Again, I want to thank you for inviting me to go with you tonight.”
“We’ll have to have other outings,” he said. “This one was fun.”
It had been, but Sebrina wasn’t sure that the two of them spending more time together was a good idea, so she didn’t answer him. Instead, she said, “Good night, Parker.”
She desperately needed some space, if she was going to avoid making a fool of herself. The sexual tension between them had only grown through the evening, almost overwhelming her. There was no way he could have missed it…or her reaction to it. Even now, a distinct warmth was flooding her core.
“Goodnight, Sebrina. And enjoy your day off tomorrow.”
“Thanks. I will.” Then she turned and hurried up the stairs to her room.
Parker watched her go, even though a part of him was tempted to call her back, then pull her in his arms and kiss her, the way he’d longed to do all night. Still, he knew that if he did such a thing, it would ruin the friendship they’d started tonight. Even with all the stirrings of sexual chemistry that just wouldn’t let them be, they had managed to enjoy each other’s company, not as sexual beings but as two people who’d gone out to have a good time.
And he’d had a good time. The movie was great, and the company had been awesome. He’d loved her reactions to certain parts of the film, especially when she’d hidden her face during the scenes she really hadn’t wanted to see. Yet she would peek through her fingers, watching them anyway. He also loved how she discussed the film with him once they’d left the theater, telling him the parts she had liked, as well as mentioning the moments she’d wanted to jump into the movie and help the superhero fight his battles. He had found it amusing because several times, he had felt the same way.
He also enjoyed how they had wound up the evening with cheesecake. They had pretty much managed to ignore all that sexual energy surrounding them and simply engaged in good conversation. He couldn’t recall the last time he had felt so relaxed with a woman. He had felt comfortable with her—something that didn’t happen to him very often, at least, not in a woman’s company. And he had laughed. When was the last time he’d done that, other than when he’d been hanging out with a few of his male friends?
Parker had always thought he dated to fill the time, not fill a void. He was human after all. But every once in a while, he would sit back and wonder what it would be like to have a special woman in his life—a woman who could be a life partner. One who shared his dreams, the way he would share hers. Hanging around Rae’jean and Ryan, as well as Sean and Liz, had shown him that some marriages really could work. They weren’t all as dysfunctional as his parents’.
He would never forget the day he’d discovered that his parents had had an arranged marriage, thanks to their parents. When Parker had questioned his father about it, his old man had admitted it was true. In fact, his dad had even gone farther to say although he and Parker’s mother loved each other, they never actually fell in love. After learning that, he was glad his uncle Grady and Rae’jean had recognized the difference between those two things when they had and broken their engagement.
Once he was in his bedroom, with the door closed behind him, he tossed his car keys on the nightstand and began removing his clothes. One thing he didn’t want to think about