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Disclaimer: The Characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots and The Center are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and are used without permission. If I owed them we'd still be watching new episodes.
One Good Turn Part 10
War and Peace
By Phenyx
"We're there." Jarod said, nudging Parker as he brought the car to a stop.
Once they had picked up Sam in Dover, the trio had retrieved Jarod's car, a sporty all-terrain vehicle, from a storage garage and had driven for the next eighteen hours. Stopping only for food and gasoline, they had each taken a turn at the wheel while the others slept.
As they got out of the car and stretched their sore muscles, Sydney stepped out of the nearby farmhouse and held open the porch's screen door welcomingly.
"We weren't expecting you for several hours yet." Sydney said with a smile.
"We made good time." Jarod shrugged.
Sam looked around the quaint little setting and sighed. "This is real nice." He said. "What a beautiful sunset." He observed.
Jarod looked over his shoulder at the multi-colored horizon as he pulled his backpack from the trunk. "Yea," Jarod snorted disdainfully. "Something about being a free man makes a sunset so much more rewarding, doesn't it?"
Ignoring Jarod's wry attitude, Sydney approached the car and shook Sam's hand. "Welcome, Sam." Turning to Miss Parker, Sydney said, "Did everything go as planned?"
"They nearly caught us." Parker said. "You cut it a little close don't you think?" She hollered at Jarod's retreating form as he breezed passed Broots and went into the house.
Jarod was rummaging through the refrigerator by the time the group caught up to him.
"What went wrong?" Sydney asked with concern.
Shaking a carton of orange juice to find out how much liquid remained, Jarod shrugged. "Nothing went wrong."
Broots glanced back and forth frantically, "There shouldn't have been any sweepers in Dover." He said fretfully. "Sam was on a routine security check at the data annex, no big deal."
Jarod opened the carton and tipped the contents into his mouth before answering. "The sweepers were there," Jarod said. "Because I called them."
"What?" Parker cried. "Why would you do that? If they had caught you after the rendezvous, Sam's life would have been forfeit."
"They didn't catch us." Jarod said, flipping the empty juice carton into the trash. He leaned nonchalantly against the counter and folded his arms across his chest. "As long as he did what he was told, Sam was in no danger."
"Are you mad?" Parker stared at the pretender in shock. "Sam didn't have a clue what was going on! How did you know he would follow your instructions?"
"I didn't." Jarod said calmly. "But he did fine. He followed my orders and everything worked out perfectly."
"You son of a bitch." Parker gasped as the dawning realization crept upon her. "You were testing him."
Jarod stared back at Parker without comment.
"How dare you!" Parker yelled. "You could have gotten him killed! Hell, you could have gotten us all killed you moron!"
Jarod shrugged. "It had to be done, Parker."
"Like hell it did!" she growled. "I know Sam can be trusted or I wouldn't have insisted we go after him."
"I don't have that luxury, Parker." Jarod growled, his voice growing tight with his own anger. "I can't afford to trust Centre employees."
Parker lashed out without thought. Her palm slapped loudly against Jarod's cheek. Debbie gasped from her position in the doorway while the rest of the room grew deadly quiet.
Jarod glared at Parker with hard sharp eyes, refusing to rub at the red mark that was quickly appearing on his skin.
"How dare you?" She repeated as Parker's voice quivered with anger. She slapped him again, hard enough to rock him backward.
Glaring menacingly Jarod growled, "Don't."
"After everything we've gone through." Parker cried. "Everything we've given up for your sake. How dare you?" Her hand flashed across his face a third time.
Suddenly speechless with anger and disappointment, Parker swung her hand at Jarod again. Moving with a quickness that Parker barely saw, Jarod grabbed her wrist in mid-arc, spun around behind Parker and twisted her arm high behind her back.
The kitchen broke out in pandemonium. Debbie screamed, Sydney cried, "Jarod!" Broots put his hands out in front of him in a defensive gesture.
Hissing into Parker's ear from behind, Jarod stated in a deceptively calm voice, "I said, don't."
Sam moved forward to intervene but Jarod quickly stepped back, hauling Parker with him. "Ah, ah, ah." He shook his head. "Stay out of this Sam." Jarod warned.
"Let me go!" Parker demanded. "I mean it, Jarod!"
Jarod grinned evilly. "Careful Parker. I may be forced to break it to prove my point." As if to further accentuate the possibilities, Jarod forced Parker's arm forward a fraction of an inch.
Parker cried out painfully. She was suddenly incredibly aware of the strength Jarod possessed. He could snap her arm like twig if he chose. Never before had Parker internalized the fact that this man was accustomed to pain. He had taken it for thirty years. Logically he would know how to dish it out. And Parker had made the colossal mistake of making him angry.
Jarod's fury is what truly alarmed her now. Parker had never seen Jarod lose his temper before. He had gotten upset when they were on the island in Scotland, just after he realized that he had missed finding his mother. Jarod had been upset and had yelled. But this rage was something far more intense than that had been.
"Jarod," Sydney said quietly. "You're frightening her."
Hard brown eyes glared at the psychiatrist over Parker's shoulder. "That was my intent."
Tilting his head curiously at the younger man, Sydney asked, "Was it?"
With a sigh, Jarod's grasp on Parker loosened and he slouched dejectedly against the counter top. "Not really." He whispered.
Looking morosely at the troubled faces around the room, Jarod heaved another deep sigh. Without another word, he strode across the room and slammed out the back door.
---
It was late, well past midnight, but Parker couldn't sleep. Not even the soothing sound of crickets through the open window could lull her tension- wracked body to sleep. Donning her robe over the dark satin nightshirt she wore, Parker padded barefoot down the stairs toward the kitchen for a glass of juice.
Curling up on one end of the worn couch, Parker reveled in the solitude of the darkened farmhouse. The window beside her was open allowing a comfortable night breeze to blow passed her. Gazing into the darkness outside, Parker could see a hundred flashes of light as lightning bugs danced across the yard. Spring seemed to have slipped away, replaced by early summer. The night was warm enough to warrant leaving the windows open but the uncomfortable heat and humidity of August was still more than a month away.
Parker sat quietly with her cup and listened to the wind chimes on the porch. Just on the other side of her window, the metal chimes sang softly in the gently whispering wind.
As relaxing and mellow as her surroundings seemed to be, Parker could not ease the anxiety from her limbs. Her hand ached forebodingly, reminding her of the horrid scene in the kitchen with Jarod. As far as Parker knew, no one had seen the pretender since he had stormed out of the house.
In the back of her mind, Parker knew that she was waiting for Jarod to return. Much of her tension was caused by the niggling thought that he might never come back. Ultimately, she couldn't blame Jarod for leaving. She had done a fine job of chasing him away. Time and time again he had approached her with kindness but Parker had reacted in her typical style.
Parker had done the same thing with Tommy all those years ago. Early on in their relationship, she had been nice to Thomas Gates just often enough to keep him interested. But each time he had displayed affection or tenderness, Parker had cruelly pushed him away. It was only Tommy's persistence that had finally worn down her defenses. Tommy had worked so hard to get close to Parker, and he'd been rewarded for his trouble with a bullet in his brain.
Jarod too, was a persistent creature. Parker had been yanking his chain for decades. But even Jarod's patience must have its limits. His tolerance had been wearing thin, Parker knew. His sharp retorts and cutting remarks had been increasing over the past few weeks. It was only a matter of time before they both said things they'd never be able to take back.
Parker sat in the dark for nearly an hour, brooding morosely over the discordance between her and Jarod. She had just decided to go back to her room when she noticed that the lightning bugs had abruptly ceased their twinkling. A tall figure was making its way across the yard. As the shadow approached the porch steps, moonlight illuminated his face.
Jarod stood at the foot of the porch steps, staring grimly at the house. With a heavy sigh, he climbed the stairs to the door. But rather than entering, Jarod veered left and plopped down on the wooden porch swing. Parker watched him through the screen on the window as Jarod began swinging slowly back and forth.
Jarod suddenly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He punched in several numbers and put the device to his ear. From her vantage point on the other side of the window, Parker could not only see him, but she could also easily hear Jarod's voice when he started to speak.
"Did I wake you?" Jarod asked in a low voice.
Jarod paused while the person on the other end of the line answered.
"No," Jarod said. "I'm not in town. As a matter of fact, I'm several states away. Same time zone though. I just needed to hear a friendly voice."
Jarod sprawled out on the porch swing. Pillowing his head on the crook of his arm, he leaned against one arm of the swing. With one leg still planted firmly on the ground, he lazily pushed the swing into a gentle rocking motion as he talked.
"I'm just stressed out I guess." He shrugged. "My new boss has really been riding my ass the last couple of weeks."
Parker's gut twisted guiltily at the weariness in Jarod's voice.
The other person said something that made Jarod laugh. His soft deep laughter took on a sensuous tone and Parker realized that Jarod was talking to a woman. The awareness sat like a lump of cold ice in Parker's chest.
Tears sprang to Parker's eyes. She wanted to run, she didn't want to hear anymore. But if she moved now, Jarod would notice her and her embarrassment would only multiply.
"Talk to me, Zoë." Jarod purred. "Take my mind off my troubles for a little while."
Parker vaguely recognized the name from Jarod's file at The Centre. Anger flared in Parker then abruptly flashed out. How could she blame Jarod? Parker had been foolish enough to believe that she alone had been the recipient of Jarod's late night phone calls. Why would she have thought that Jarod had no other interests?
As Parker watched, Jarod sat up with alarm.
"Are you okay? Was anyone hurt?" He asked with concern.
Returning to his reclining position with a sigh of relief Jarod said, "Well that's good. I hope you were wearing your seatbelt."
Parker gritted her teeth at the caring sound in Jarod's voice.
"Oh no!" Jarod cried in disappointment. "Not the convertible."
Jarod paused a long while as Zoë talked.
"Get it fixed anyway." Jarod said as he started the swing moving again. "Forget what the insurance company says."
There was another pause.
"Zoë," Jarod growled playfully. "You can not let that convertible go."
After Zoë's response Jarod said firmly, "Get it fixed. I'll pay for it."
Jarod laughed. "Of course, I mean it. I have some very fond memories of that car." He voice dropped to a low sultry murmur, "Especially of the back seat."
Parker felt hot stabs of anger searing through her. A moment later, she recognized the feeling for what it truly was. Jealousy coiled in her like venomous snake.
As Jarod continued his conversation with the girl on the phone, Parker could see the serene smile on his face. The girl was doing most of the talking as Jarod's eyes slid shut and his side of conversation turned into a series of single syllable replies.
Parker wanted to weep. Jarod obviously had tender feelings for this unseen girl. The implied knowledge that Jarod had been sexually involved with the girl, Parker found to be annoyingly hurtful.
Jarod yawned and sat up as the conversation wound down. "Yea, I'd better go too." He said. "Take care of yourself, Zoë. Try to stay out of trouble."
Jarod chuckled at the girl's reply. "I know. You always try, but it seems to find you anyway."
"Goodnight, Zoë." Jarod said.
As he ended the cell phone connection, Jarod stood up and stretched. Parker felt panic rising in her throat as Jarod walked toward the door. If he saw Parker sitting there, he would know that she had eavesdropped on his entire conversation. Unable to move without drawing Jarod's attention, Parker chose to sit motionless. Perhaps he wouldn't see her.
Parker should have known better, she realized. Jarod slipped through the door and quietly closed the latch behind him. He turned and saw Parker almost immediately. For a moment he simply looked at her.
With a sigh, Jarod walked to the couch and flopped down on the cushion beside Parker. Slouching low in the seat, he leaned his head against the cushioned back and closed his eyes. They sat together in silence for a time.
"I'm sorry that I hurt your arm." Jarod said finally. "I shouldn't have gotten angry."
Parker shrugged, though Jarod, with his eyes still closed, couldn't see her. "I shouldn't have hit you." She whispered.
Turning his head to look at her through the darkness, Jarod reached down and took Parker's hand gently in his own. "What are we going to do?" he asked wearily.
Parker stared at their clasped hands. "About what?" she asked in a low voice.
"About us." Jarod said.
Parker couldn't stop the words that came out next. "I've told you before, Jarod. There is no us."
Jarod studied her face calmly for nearly a minute. Leaning forward he whispered tenderly, "Do you honestly believe that, Miss Parker?"
Her lip quivered as she shook her head. "No." Parker finally managed to say quietly.
"We can't keep tearing each other apart this way." Jarod urged softly.
A tear slid down Parker's cheek. "Perhaps you should go." She said.
Again Jarod was quiet for a long time. Finally he asked, "Do you want me to leave, Parker?"
She shrugged and bit down on her lower lip to stop its trembling. "I'm sure there are other places that you would rather be." Parker said with resignation.
"Like where?" Jarod said petulantly. "Where else am I going to go?"
Parker glanced up at him in confusion, revealing the dampness on her cheeks. "You could go see your friend."
Jarod frowned, "What friend?"
Parker snatched her hand away angrily. "I heard you on the phone just now, Jarod. If you are so unhappy here, you should just go to your little girl friend."
"She thinks I'm an accountant." Jarod said simply.
"What?" Parker asked.
"An accountant." Jarod repeated. "She thinks that I am an accountant with ties to some unscrupulous people."
"What has that got to do with anything?" Parker said with a puzzled frown.
Jarod shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "Zoë doesn't know me." He said. "I care about her. We have a lot of fun together. But she doesn't know who I really am."
Parker shrugged again. "Then you should tell her."
Jarod pondered that for a moment. "No." he said slowly. "I don't think so. My inner demons are too intense for the type of relationship that she and I share. It's almost as though we have this unspoken rule. Nothing too serious."
"Do you love her?" Parker asked, half afraid of the answer.
"I care about her." Jarod said. "I guess I do love her in a way."
Jarod's eyes stared intensely at Parker. In the darkness she could not tell where the deep brown color of his eyes changed into black pupils. He reached out and took Parker's hand in his once more.
"I suppose that some small part of me will always belong to Zoë in the same way that some part of you will always belong to Thomas." Jarod said gently. "But neither Zoë nor Thomas ever owned either of us entirely. Did they?"
Parker swallowed and shook her head.
"Why do you suppose that is, Miss Parker?" Jarod asked.
"I don't know." She shrugged.
Jarod laughed sadly, making a low mournful sound. "Poor Miss Parker." He whispered tenderly. "It is so hard isn't it? It would be easy to let a stranger get close. But to let in someone who really knows you? Someone you can't hide from with that ice queen façade of yours. That is just so very hard, isn't it?"
The gentle kindness in Jarod's voice was her undoing. There wasn't a trace of derision or irony or malice in his words. Parker's shoulders started to shake as silent sobs wracked her body.
"Someone who knows every wound." Jarod went on softly. "Who understands every nightmare, every teardrop." With one hand Jarod cupped her cheek, caressing a tear away. "It makes us so very vulnerable."
"What do you want from me, Jarod?" Parker sobbed.
Jarod leaned in close so that Parker could feel the breath from his next words tickling her lips. "Why ask questions that you already know the answers to, Parker? You know what I want. Don't you?" He whispered.
"Don't you?" he urged again.
Parker nodded.
"Say it." Jarod demanded urgently.
"Me." Parker sighed. "You want me."
Their lips touched. Jarod brushed feather light kisses over Parker's lips. Tiny cautious contacts where only their lips met. Parker tasted her own tears on Jarod's lips and another sob tore from her throat.
Wrapping his arms around her, Jarod murmured into Parker's ear. "It's going to be okay, Parker. You don't need to be afraid anymore."
The tenderness, the conviction in Jarod's voice was so strong that Parker felt herself begin to believe him. Her own arms curled around Jarod's neck as Parker finally surrendered to him. She deepened the embrace, nibbling passionately at his flesh.
Sliding his leather jacket off his shoulders, Parker grasped handfuls of Jarod's shirt. Throwing one knee across his legs, Parker became the aggressor, demanding more and deepening the kisses. Jarod reacted with an equally fervent passion, hauling her body against his. Quickly finding his way through the robe to caress her bare back with his fingertips.
When she yanked the hem of his shirt from his pants and gently clawed her fingernails across the flesh on his chest and stomach, Parker was rewarded with a delighted shudder from Jarod. But when she quickly undid his belt buckle, Jarod abruptly grabbed her arms.
"Wait!" He hissed.
Parker, unmindful of Jarod's warning, continued opening his pants. Panicking suddenly, Jarod tried to back away but there was nowhere to go.
"Parker!" Jarod gasped.
They tumbled off the couch and on to the floor. A moment later, Jarod had scooted away. Panting as he tried to restrain his passion, Jarod held one hand out toward Parker, as though warding her off.
"Wait a minute." Jarod gasped. "What is going on here?"
Parker laughed a low sultry laugh. "I thought it was relatively obvious, Genius."
"I mean," Jarod stuttered as he reigned in his libido. "Why the sudden change of heart?"
Parker's sad gray eyes looked up at him. "I don't want you to leave, Jarod."
Jarod sighed. "I won't. I promise." He said. "You don't have to buy my loyalty with your body, Parker."
With abrupt clarity, Parker suddenly realized just how well Jarod really knew her. Her tears started flowing again as she stared up at him with unabashed awe and wonder.
"My feelings for you are unconditional." Jarod murmured as he took her face in his hands. "You don't need to prove anything. I'm never going to turn my back on you. I will always be there for you. My affection for you will never be contingent upon sex or anything else for that matter." Jarod kissed her lips softly.
"I thought you wanted me." Parker whispered.
Jarod laughed wryly and dragged Parker onto his lap and into a warm embrace. "Good God, Parker, you have absolutely no idea." He growled playfully into her ear. "You drive me to distraction, do you know that?"
"Do I?" Parker asked with feigned innocence. She wriggled seductively against him, making Jarod groan.
"Come on." Jarod said firmly. He stood and scooped Parker off the floor and carried her upstairs. When he reached Parker's room, Jarod set her gently on her feet. With soft, tender motions, Jarod untied the robe at Parker's waist and slid the silk onto the floor. Then, lifting her carefully, Jarod lovingly placed Parker between the sheets of her bed and tucked the blankets around her.
Kicking off his shoes, Jarod sprawled across the bed without bothering to remove any other clothes. Lying on top of the covers, Jarod pillowed his head on Parker's stomach and wrapped his arms around her thighs.
Parker ran her hands through Jarod's hair, massaging little circles on the back of his head. He made a sighing, purring sound of contentment that made Parker giggle.
"Jarod?" she asked quietly. "What are doing?"
"Making a point." He replied.
"Enlighten me." Parker said.
"There are ways to show each other how much we care." Jarod said. "Ways that don't include sex."
Reveling in the guilty pleasure of it, Parker brought her other hand up to join the first in exploring Jarod's silky hair. "But all the fun ways include sex." She cooed erotically.
Jarod moaned and hugged her tight.
"I'm fairly certain that I could seduce you." Parker commented playfully.
"Definitely." Jarod mumbled into the soft flesh of her stomach. "But then I will have wasted all the chivalrous, gentlemanly behavior I have been working at so diligently for the last half hour."
Parker laughed. "That would be a tragic waste. You've worked so hard."
"Hmm." Jarod agreed. "The effort has been excruciating."
Parker continued to play with the strands of hair between her fingers. Many long minutes had passed before she spoke again. "Jarod?" She asked uncertainly.
"Hmm?" he mumbled sleepily.
"Say it for me, just once." Parker said in a small voice. "Please?"
Jarod hugged Parker tightly. Lifting his head, he kissed her navel through the blankets. "I love you, Parker. Always have. Always will." He buried his face in her abdomen and kissed her again. "We belong to each other. And I will tell you that as many times as it takes to get you to believe me."
They smiled at each other adoringly in the dark for a time. Jarod finally snuggled back down, his cheek pressed against Parker's midsection. Several minutes passed and Jarod's breathing took on a deep even rhythm.
"Jarod?" Parker called softly.
"Hmm?" Jarod mumbled again.
"Are you falling asleep?" she asked, mischievous amusement curling her lips into a grin.
"I'm giving it my best shot." He grumbled laughingly.
"Poor baby," she said, caressing the back of his head. "You must be so worn out."
"Hmm." Jarod grunted.
"Jarod?" Parker said.
"What?" He answered with a sigh.
"Get some sleep." Parker giggled. "You are going to need the rest."
Raising his head, Jarod looked at Parker curiously. "Why is that?" He asked.
"I'll be seducing you in the morning." Parker said seriously. "I thought you should know."
Jarod laid his head down again and Parker could feel his quiet laughter rumbling through her body. "I'll be sure to eat my Wheaties." He murmured.
Parker smiled to herself in the dark. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so complete. The warm weight of Jarod's body covering her own was comforting. Her breathing slowed to match his and her caresses through his hair ceased.
They were both nearly asleep when Parker whispered, "Jarod?"
"Hmm?" He breathed.
"I love you." She sighed.
Parker drifted to sleep with Jarod's grin pressed against her warm stomach.
One Good Turn Part 10
War and Peace
By Phenyx
"We're there." Jarod said, nudging Parker as he brought the car to a stop.
Once they had picked up Sam in Dover, the trio had retrieved Jarod's car, a sporty all-terrain vehicle, from a storage garage and had driven for the next eighteen hours. Stopping only for food and gasoline, they had each taken a turn at the wheel while the others slept.
As they got out of the car and stretched their sore muscles, Sydney stepped out of the nearby farmhouse and held open the porch's screen door welcomingly.
"We weren't expecting you for several hours yet." Sydney said with a smile.
"We made good time." Jarod shrugged.
Sam looked around the quaint little setting and sighed. "This is real nice." He said. "What a beautiful sunset." He observed.
Jarod looked over his shoulder at the multi-colored horizon as he pulled his backpack from the trunk. "Yea," Jarod snorted disdainfully. "Something about being a free man makes a sunset so much more rewarding, doesn't it?"
Ignoring Jarod's wry attitude, Sydney approached the car and shook Sam's hand. "Welcome, Sam." Turning to Miss Parker, Sydney said, "Did everything go as planned?"
"They nearly caught us." Parker said. "You cut it a little close don't you think?" She hollered at Jarod's retreating form as he breezed passed Broots and went into the house.
Jarod was rummaging through the refrigerator by the time the group caught up to him.
"What went wrong?" Sydney asked with concern.
Shaking a carton of orange juice to find out how much liquid remained, Jarod shrugged. "Nothing went wrong."
Broots glanced back and forth frantically, "There shouldn't have been any sweepers in Dover." He said fretfully. "Sam was on a routine security check at the data annex, no big deal."
Jarod opened the carton and tipped the contents into his mouth before answering. "The sweepers were there," Jarod said. "Because I called them."
"What?" Parker cried. "Why would you do that? If they had caught you after the rendezvous, Sam's life would have been forfeit."
"They didn't catch us." Jarod said, flipping the empty juice carton into the trash. He leaned nonchalantly against the counter and folded his arms across his chest. "As long as he did what he was told, Sam was in no danger."
"Are you mad?" Parker stared at the pretender in shock. "Sam didn't have a clue what was going on! How did you know he would follow your instructions?"
"I didn't." Jarod said calmly. "But he did fine. He followed my orders and everything worked out perfectly."
"You son of a bitch." Parker gasped as the dawning realization crept upon her. "You were testing him."
Jarod stared back at Parker without comment.
"How dare you!" Parker yelled. "You could have gotten him killed! Hell, you could have gotten us all killed you moron!"
Jarod shrugged. "It had to be done, Parker."
"Like hell it did!" she growled. "I know Sam can be trusted or I wouldn't have insisted we go after him."
"I don't have that luxury, Parker." Jarod growled, his voice growing tight with his own anger. "I can't afford to trust Centre employees."
Parker lashed out without thought. Her palm slapped loudly against Jarod's cheek. Debbie gasped from her position in the doorway while the rest of the room grew deadly quiet.
Jarod glared at Parker with hard sharp eyes, refusing to rub at the red mark that was quickly appearing on his skin.
"How dare you?" She repeated as Parker's voice quivered with anger. She slapped him again, hard enough to rock him backward.
Glaring menacingly Jarod growled, "Don't."
"After everything we've gone through." Parker cried. "Everything we've given up for your sake. How dare you?" Her hand flashed across his face a third time.
Suddenly speechless with anger and disappointment, Parker swung her hand at Jarod again. Moving with a quickness that Parker barely saw, Jarod grabbed her wrist in mid-arc, spun around behind Parker and twisted her arm high behind her back.
The kitchen broke out in pandemonium. Debbie screamed, Sydney cried, "Jarod!" Broots put his hands out in front of him in a defensive gesture.
Hissing into Parker's ear from behind, Jarod stated in a deceptively calm voice, "I said, don't."
Sam moved forward to intervene but Jarod quickly stepped back, hauling Parker with him. "Ah, ah, ah." He shook his head. "Stay out of this Sam." Jarod warned.
"Let me go!" Parker demanded. "I mean it, Jarod!"
Jarod grinned evilly. "Careful Parker. I may be forced to break it to prove my point." As if to further accentuate the possibilities, Jarod forced Parker's arm forward a fraction of an inch.
Parker cried out painfully. She was suddenly incredibly aware of the strength Jarod possessed. He could snap her arm like twig if he chose. Never before had Parker internalized the fact that this man was accustomed to pain. He had taken it for thirty years. Logically he would know how to dish it out. And Parker had made the colossal mistake of making him angry.
Jarod's fury is what truly alarmed her now. Parker had never seen Jarod lose his temper before. He had gotten upset when they were on the island in Scotland, just after he realized that he had missed finding his mother. Jarod had been upset and had yelled. But this rage was something far more intense than that had been.
"Jarod," Sydney said quietly. "You're frightening her."
Hard brown eyes glared at the psychiatrist over Parker's shoulder. "That was my intent."
Tilting his head curiously at the younger man, Sydney asked, "Was it?"
With a sigh, Jarod's grasp on Parker loosened and he slouched dejectedly against the counter top. "Not really." He whispered.
Looking morosely at the troubled faces around the room, Jarod heaved another deep sigh. Without another word, he strode across the room and slammed out the back door.
---
It was late, well past midnight, but Parker couldn't sleep. Not even the soothing sound of crickets through the open window could lull her tension- wracked body to sleep. Donning her robe over the dark satin nightshirt she wore, Parker padded barefoot down the stairs toward the kitchen for a glass of juice.
Curling up on one end of the worn couch, Parker reveled in the solitude of the darkened farmhouse. The window beside her was open allowing a comfortable night breeze to blow passed her. Gazing into the darkness outside, Parker could see a hundred flashes of light as lightning bugs danced across the yard. Spring seemed to have slipped away, replaced by early summer. The night was warm enough to warrant leaving the windows open but the uncomfortable heat and humidity of August was still more than a month away.
Parker sat quietly with her cup and listened to the wind chimes on the porch. Just on the other side of her window, the metal chimes sang softly in the gently whispering wind.
As relaxing and mellow as her surroundings seemed to be, Parker could not ease the anxiety from her limbs. Her hand ached forebodingly, reminding her of the horrid scene in the kitchen with Jarod. As far as Parker knew, no one had seen the pretender since he had stormed out of the house.
In the back of her mind, Parker knew that she was waiting for Jarod to return. Much of her tension was caused by the niggling thought that he might never come back. Ultimately, she couldn't blame Jarod for leaving. She had done a fine job of chasing him away. Time and time again he had approached her with kindness but Parker had reacted in her typical style.
Parker had done the same thing with Tommy all those years ago. Early on in their relationship, she had been nice to Thomas Gates just often enough to keep him interested. But each time he had displayed affection or tenderness, Parker had cruelly pushed him away. It was only Tommy's persistence that had finally worn down her defenses. Tommy had worked so hard to get close to Parker, and he'd been rewarded for his trouble with a bullet in his brain.
Jarod too, was a persistent creature. Parker had been yanking his chain for decades. But even Jarod's patience must have its limits. His tolerance had been wearing thin, Parker knew. His sharp retorts and cutting remarks had been increasing over the past few weeks. It was only a matter of time before they both said things they'd never be able to take back.
Parker sat in the dark for nearly an hour, brooding morosely over the discordance between her and Jarod. She had just decided to go back to her room when she noticed that the lightning bugs had abruptly ceased their twinkling. A tall figure was making its way across the yard. As the shadow approached the porch steps, moonlight illuminated his face.
Jarod stood at the foot of the porch steps, staring grimly at the house. With a heavy sigh, he climbed the stairs to the door. But rather than entering, Jarod veered left and plopped down on the wooden porch swing. Parker watched him through the screen on the window as Jarod began swinging slowly back and forth.
Jarod suddenly reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He punched in several numbers and put the device to his ear. From her vantage point on the other side of the window, Parker could not only see him, but she could also easily hear Jarod's voice when he started to speak.
"Did I wake you?" Jarod asked in a low voice.
Jarod paused while the person on the other end of the line answered.
"No," Jarod said. "I'm not in town. As a matter of fact, I'm several states away. Same time zone though. I just needed to hear a friendly voice."
Jarod sprawled out on the porch swing. Pillowing his head on the crook of his arm, he leaned against one arm of the swing. With one leg still planted firmly on the ground, he lazily pushed the swing into a gentle rocking motion as he talked.
"I'm just stressed out I guess." He shrugged. "My new boss has really been riding my ass the last couple of weeks."
Parker's gut twisted guiltily at the weariness in Jarod's voice.
The other person said something that made Jarod laugh. His soft deep laughter took on a sensuous tone and Parker realized that Jarod was talking to a woman. The awareness sat like a lump of cold ice in Parker's chest.
Tears sprang to Parker's eyes. She wanted to run, she didn't want to hear anymore. But if she moved now, Jarod would notice her and her embarrassment would only multiply.
"Talk to me, Zoë." Jarod purred. "Take my mind off my troubles for a little while."
Parker vaguely recognized the name from Jarod's file at The Centre. Anger flared in Parker then abruptly flashed out. How could she blame Jarod? Parker had been foolish enough to believe that she alone had been the recipient of Jarod's late night phone calls. Why would she have thought that Jarod had no other interests?
As Parker watched, Jarod sat up with alarm.
"Are you okay? Was anyone hurt?" He asked with concern.
Returning to his reclining position with a sigh of relief Jarod said, "Well that's good. I hope you were wearing your seatbelt."
Parker gritted her teeth at the caring sound in Jarod's voice.
"Oh no!" Jarod cried in disappointment. "Not the convertible."
Jarod paused a long while as Zoë talked.
"Get it fixed anyway." Jarod said as he started the swing moving again. "Forget what the insurance company says."
There was another pause.
"Zoë," Jarod growled playfully. "You can not let that convertible go."
After Zoë's response Jarod said firmly, "Get it fixed. I'll pay for it."
Jarod laughed. "Of course, I mean it. I have some very fond memories of that car." He voice dropped to a low sultry murmur, "Especially of the back seat."
Parker felt hot stabs of anger searing through her. A moment later, she recognized the feeling for what it truly was. Jealousy coiled in her like venomous snake.
As Jarod continued his conversation with the girl on the phone, Parker could see the serene smile on his face. The girl was doing most of the talking as Jarod's eyes slid shut and his side of conversation turned into a series of single syllable replies.
Parker wanted to weep. Jarod obviously had tender feelings for this unseen girl. The implied knowledge that Jarod had been sexually involved with the girl, Parker found to be annoyingly hurtful.
Jarod yawned and sat up as the conversation wound down. "Yea, I'd better go too." He said. "Take care of yourself, Zoë. Try to stay out of trouble."
Jarod chuckled at the girl's reply. "I know. You always try, but it seems to find you anyway."
"Goodnight, Zoë." Jarod said.
As he ended the cell phone connection, Jarod stood up and stretched. Parker felt panic rising in her throat as Jarod walked toward the door. If he saw Parker sitting there, he would know that she had eavesdropped on his entire conversation. Unable to move without drawing Jarod's attention, Parker chose to sit motionless. Perhaps he wouldn't see her.
Parker should have known better, she realized. Jarod slipped through the door and quietly closed the latch behind him. He turned and saw Parker almost immediately. For a moment he simply looked at her.
With a sigh, Jarod walked to the couch and flopped down on the cushion beside Parker. Slouching low in the seat, he leaned his head against the cushioned back and closed his eyes. They sat together in silence for a time.
"I'm sorry that I hurt your arm." Jarod said finally. "I shouldn't have gotten angry."
Parker shrugged, though Jarod, with his eyes still closed, couldn't see her. "I shouldn't have hit you." She whispered.
Turning his head to look at her through the darkness, Jarod reached down and took Parker's hand gently in his own. "What are we going to do?" he asked wearily.
Parker stared at their clasped hands. "About what?" she asked in a low voice.
"About us." Jarod said.
Parker couldn't stop the words that came out next. "I've told you before, Jarod. There is no us."
Jarod studied her face calmly for nearly a minute. Leaning forward he whispered tenderly, "Do you honestly believe that, Miss Parker?"
Her lip quivered as she shook her head. "No." Parker finally managed to say quietly.
"We can't keep tearing each other apart this way." Jarod urged softly.
A tear slid down Parker's cheek. "Perhaps you should go." She said.
Again Jarod was quiet for a long time. Finally he asked, "Do you want me to leave, Parker?"
She shrugged and bit down on her lower lip to stop its trembling. "I'm sure there are other places that you would rather be." Parker said with resignation.
"Like where?" Jarod said petulantly. "Where else am I going to go?"
Parker glanced up at him in confusion, revealing the dampness on her cheeks. "You could go see your friend."
Jarod frowned, "What friend?"
Parker snatched her hand away angrily. "I heard you on the phone just now, Jarod. If you are so unhappy here, you should just go to your little girl friend."
"She thinks I'm an accountant." Jarod said simply.
"What?" Parker asked.
"An accountant." Jarod repeated. "She thinks that I am an accountant with ties to some unscrupulous people."
"What has that got to do with anything?" Parker said with a puzzled frown.
Jarod shook his head, a sad smile on his face. "Zoë doesn't know me." He said. "I care about her. We have a lot of fun together. But she doesn't know who I really am."
Parker shrugged again. "Then you should tell her."
Jarod pondered that for a moment. "No." he said slowly. "I don't think so. My inner demons are too intense for the type of relationship that she and I share. It's almost as though we have this unspoken rule. Nothing too serious."
"Do you love her?" Parker asked, half afraid of the answer.
"I care about her." Jarod said. "I guess I do love her in a way."
Jarod's eyes stared intensely at Parker. In the darkness she could not tell where the deep brown color of his eyes changed into black pupils. He reached out and took Parker's hand in his once more.
"I suppose that some small part of me will always belong to Zoë in the same way that some part of you will always belong to Thomas." Jarod said gently. "But neither Zoë nor Thomas ever owned either of us entirely. Did they?"
Parker swallowed and shook her head.
"Why do you suppose that is, Miss Parker?" Jarod asked.
"I don't know." She shrugged.
Jarod laughed sadly, making a low mournful sound. "Poor Miss Parker." He whispered tenderly. "It is so hard isn't it? It would be easy to let a stranger get close. But to let in someone who really knows you? Someone you can't hide from with that ice queen façade of yours. That is just so very hard, isn't it?"
The gentle kindness in Jarod's voice was her undoing. There wasn't a trace of derision or irony or malice in his words. Parker's shoulders started to shake as silent sobs wracked her body.
"Someone who knows every wound." Jarod went on softly. "Who understands every nightmare, every teardrop." With one hand Jarod cupped her cheek, caressing a tear away. "It makes us so very vulnerable."
"What do you want from me, Jarod?" Parker sobbed.
Jarod leaned in close so that Parker could feel the breath from his next words tickling her lips. "Why ask questions that you already know the answers to, Parker? You know what I want. Don't you?" He whispered.
"Don't you?" he urged again.
Parker nodded.
"Say it." Jarod demanded urgently.
"Me." Parker sighed. "You want me."
Their lips touched. Jarod brushed feather light kisses over Parker's lips. Tiny cautious contacts where only their lips met. Parker tasted her own tears on Jarod's lips and another sob tore from her throat.
Wrapping his arms around her, Jarod murmured into Parker's ear. "It's going to be okay, Parker. You don't need to be afraid anymore."
The tenderness, the conviction in Jarod's voice was so strong that Parker felt herself begin to believe him. Her own arms curled around Jarod's neck as Parker finally surrendered to him. She deepened the embrace, nibbling passionately at his flesh.
Sliding his leather jacket off his shoulders, Parker grasped handfuls of Jarod's shirt. Throwing one knee across his legs, Parker became the aggressor, demanding more and deepening the kisses. Jarod reacted with an equally fervent passion, hauling her body against his. Quickly finding his way through the robe to caress her bare back with his fingertips.
When she yanked the hem of his shirt from his pants and gently clawed her fingernails across the flesh on his chest and stomach, Parker was rewarded with a delighted shudder from Jarod. But when she quickly undid his belt buckle, Jarod abruptly grabbed her arms.
"Wait!" He hissed.
Parker, unmindful of Jarod's warning, continued opening his pants. Panicking suddenly, Jarod tried to back away but there was nowhere to go.
"Parker!" Jarod gasped.
They tumbled off the couch and on to the floor. A moment later, Jarod had scooted away. Panting as he tried to restrain his passion, Jarod held one hand out toward Parker, as though warding her off.
"Wait a minute." Jarod gasped. "What is going on here?"
Parker laughed a low sultry laugh. "I thought it was relatively obvious, Genius."
"I mean," Jarod stuttered as he reigned in his libido. "Why the sudden change of heart?"
Parker's sad gray eyes looked up at him. "I don't want you to leave, Jarod."
Jarod sighed. "I won't. I promise." He said. "You don't have to buy my loyalty with your body, Parker."
With abrupt clarity, Parker suddenly realized just how well Jarod really knew her. Her tears started flowing again as she stared up at him with unabashed awe and wonder.
"My feelings for you are unconditional." Jarod murmured as he took her face in his hands. "You don't need to prove anything. I'm never going to turn my back on you. I will always be there for you. My affection for you will never be contingent upon sex or anything else for that matter." Jarod kissed her lips softly.
"I thought you wanted me." Parker whispered.
Jarod laughed wryly and dragged Parker onto his lap and into a warm embrace. "Good God, Parker, you have absolutely no idea." He growled playfully into her ear. "You drive me to distraction, do you know that?"
"Do I?" Parker asked with feigned innocence. She wriggled seductively against him, making Jarod groan.
"Come on." Jarod said firmly. He stood and scooped Parker off the floor and carried her upstairs. When he reached Parker's room, Jarod set her gently on her feet. With soft, tender motions, Jarod untied the robe at Parker's waist and slid the silk onto the floor. Then, lifting her carefully, Jarod lovingly placed Parker between the sheets of her bed and tucked the blankets around her.
Kicking off his shoes, Jarod sprawled across the bed without bothering to remove any other clothes. Lying on top of the covers, Jarod pillowed his head on Parker's stomach and wrapped his arms around her thighs.
Parker ran her hands through Jarod's hair, massaging little circles on the back of his head. He made a sighing, purring sound of contentment that made Parker giggle.
"Jarod?" she asked quietly. "What are doing?"
"Making a point." He replied.
"Enlighten me." Parker said.
"There are ways to show each other how much we care." Jarod said. "Ways that don't include sex."
Reveling in the guilty pleasure of it, Parker brought her other hand up to join the first in exploring Jarod's silky hair. "But all the fun ways include sex." She cooed erotically.
Jarod moaned and hugged her tight.
"I'm fairly certain that I could seduce you." Parker commented playfully.
"Definitely." Jarod mumbled into the soft flesh of her stomach. "But then I will have wasted all the chivalrous, gentlemanly behavior I have been working at so diligently for the last half hour."
Parker laughed. "That would be a tragic waste. You've worked so hard."
"Hmm." Jarod agreed. "The effort has been excruciating."
Parker continued to play with the strands of hair between her fingers. Many long minutes had passed before she spoke again. "Jarod?" She asked uncertainly.
"Hmm?" he mumbled sleepily.
"Say it for me, just once." Parker said in a small voice. "Please?"
Jarod hugged Parker tightly. Lifting his head, he kissed her navel through the blankets. "I love you, Parker. Always have. Always will." He buried his face in her abdomen and kissed her again. "We belong to each other. And I will tell you that as many times as it takes to get you to believe me."
They smiled at each other adoringly in the dark for a time. Jarod finally snuggled back down, his cheek pressed against Parker's midsection. Several minutes passed and Jarod's breathing took on a deep even rhythm.
"Jarod?" Parker called softly.
"Hmm?" Jarod mumbled again.
"Are you falling asleep?" she asked, mischievous amusement curling her lips into a grin.
"I'm giving it my best shot." He grumbled laughingly.
"Poor baby," she said, caressing the back of his head. "You must be so worn out."
"Hmm." Jarod grunted.
"Jarod?" Parker said.
"What?" He answered with a sigh.
"Get some sleep." Parker giggled. "You are going to need the rest."
Raising his head, Jarod looked at Parker curiously. "Why is that?" He asked.
"I'll be seducing you in the morning." Parker said seriously. "I thought you should know."
Jarod laid his head down again and Parker could feel his quiet laughter rumbling through her body. "I'll be sure to eat my Wheaties." He murmured.
Parker smiled to herself in the dark. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so complete. The warm weight of Jarod's body covering her own was comforting. Her breathing slowed to match his and her caresses through his hair ceased.
They were both nearly asleep when Parker whispered, "Jarod?"
"Hmm?" He breathed.
"I love you." She sighed.
Parker drifted to sleep with Jarod's grin pressed against her warm stomach.
