Chapter Eleven

Eleanor's POV

"Did you enjoy the night?" I heard Parker murmur right beside me in the back of the limo.

So far, I'd been giving him clipped answers. I didn't know what Parker did that irritated me tonight. I just wasn't in the mood. I remembered the kiss that happened earlier tonight. Just by thinking about it, I grew a light shade of red and turned my head to look out the window so he wouldn't see. I wonder if he would kiss me again... I thought wistfully then mentally slapped myself soon after.

"Eleanor?" Parker's light touch on my elbow drew me from my thoughts, and I turned to see he had moved to the middle seat that was our past barrier. We were awfully close now with him leaning towards the side of my face.

"Parker! Jesus, you gave me a fright!" I yelped slowly inching closer to the door. 

"Sorry," he replied apologetically leaning back giving me breathing air. "I asked if you enjoyed the party."

Right. The party. The one where I was openly insulted by Parker's ex girlfriend (or so she said she was) and my own husband made no move to defend me. Maybe that's the reason why I was so cold with him. Although I shouldn't care anyways. "It was wonderful."

"Good, that's good," he nodded his head still looking at me. 

I cracked a smile at what I found on his face. "You-you've got a little something." It was a dot of chocolate icing on just on the corner of his lips. It was probably from the icing on the cake which was absolutely delicious! I bravely brought my hand up to his face and swiped it away with my thumb. My eyebrows frowned in confusion for my action. I looked up to see Parker's reaction.

He was looking at me intently his once hard eyes turning soft. His hand came up to capture my hand that was already on his jaw, placing it there. I couldn't look away even if I wanted to. I was lost in the beautiful brown pools of his eyes. "Parker I-"

I wasn't able to finish my sentence when he had the nerve to crash his lips on mine, kissing me for the second time of the night. I sat there frozen in place, not knowing what to do. Parker usually lead the kisses, and I would just follow. Not this time though, and Parker could tell, for he deepened the kiss wanting a reaction from me.

"Kiss me, ma cheríe," he whispered against my lips cupping my face in his hands. 

"Parker, I can't," I whispered bringing my head to the side, so he wasn't able to continue kissing me. "I have no idea what's going on between us, but it has to stop."

"Stop?" Parker asked confused, removing his hands from my face to look at me from a distance. "From the signs you've been giving me, I would have thought otherwise." I finally turned up to see his smug smile on his face.

My face flustered in anger and sat up straight. "If I were to give you any 'signals' they'd be of loathing."

Parker chuckled and replied, "Touché."

"You are an incorrigible man, Parker Jenkins," I huffily said crossing my arms against my chest. "What I am trying to get across is that you cannot just go ahead and kiss me whenever you feel like. This is not the agreement we agreed one before we hastily got married."

"But you can't also deny these attraction between us, can't you?" 

I snapped my head up to look at him. His words surprised me and got me thinking. Attraction? I never thought of the kisses between us as a sign of attraction for each other. I mean, sure he made me feel like no other man could, but... I shook my head. No, it was probably just lust. "There is no attraction between us, Parker, and if there was, it wouldn't be mutual." I finally brazenly said after a pause.

"Ever the feisty one, aren't you? Besides, our deal was that we wouldn't fall in love. I didn't say anything about giving in to our lust."

"I'm not sure if I would want to."

"Oh, but you're starting to."

I let out a sigh of frustration. "Look, Parker. I will not be one of those women who you toy around with. So you best stop trying."

"But you're not," Parker said looking me in the eye with the most softest expression I'd ever seen him wear on his face. "You're my wife, ma cheríe. We're together 'til death do us apart." I looked down not being able to take the gaze he has been giving me. "Face it, Eleanor. I will be the only man in your life who's able to give you the pleasure you want. We're bounded together."

"What are you trying to say?" I whispered fiddling with the bracelet on my wrist. 

"We might as well make most of this marriage," Parker stated lifting my head up with his hand on my chin forcing me to look at him. I searched his chocolate brown eyes detecting nothing but seriousness. Could Parker really be genuine? 

"I don't know know if I can trust you," I stated simply not knowing what else to say.

"I'm your husband, you're suppose to trust me," he winked before swooping his lips down to mine once again.

This time, I kissed him back with so much intensity than the other kisses I had given him before. Maybe he was right... I didn't have to love him, but that didn't mean I couldn't have some fun in this marriage.

"Oh Charlotte. We are so sorry we got home late," I greeted the babysitter after rushing through the front doors of our home. I found her on the couch doing some of her studies for school. I felt absolutely terrible that she couldn't go home earlier than we promised. "There was an accident that we encountered on the way."

Charlotte stood up gathering her belongings. "Oh, it's no problem at all Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins," she nodded at me then at Parker who's presence was right behind me. 

"I hope the boys weren't giving you any trouble?" Parker asked pulling out his wallet and handing Charlotte the payment. 

"I've had a bit of trouble putting them to sleep, but otherwise they were lovely to babysit for," she smiled warmly at us. "I better get going now. Goodbye!"

I waved goodbye to her until she disappeared through the doors. I yawned setting down the clutch bag on the end of the sofa. 

"Tired?" I felt Parker place both of his hands on each of my shoulder pulling me closer to his body. "It has been a very busy night."

"I didn't have any time to say this to you tonight," I started turning around, so I could look at him. His arms instantly went around my waist keeping me in very close proximity to him. Somehow, I didn't feel shy around him anymore. I was enjoying being in his arms, basking in the glory. I smiled confidently before continuing. "Congratulations on being the new CEO."

"Where did this boldness come from?" Parker grinned raising an eyebrow. "Just yesterday you hated me."

"I figured, I could take your advice as well. I do need some fun in that department, and even though I'm not ready to give myself to you fully... I know this attraction between us isn't going to go away anytime soon."

"Now this... This is the feisty Eleanor I have come to know," Parker smirked before claiming my lips in a quick peck, for we were quickly interrupted by a tiny voice.

"Momma?" I turned my head to see Luke rubbing his eye sleepily. "I can't sleep."

"Oh my angel," I quickly disentangled myself from Parker's arms and went over to my older son. I picked him up in my arms the dress being pulled down from his weight. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"No, Momma," he shook his head putting his head on my shoulder. I was waiting for him to explain further but got no reply. I looked at Parker who was watching us patiently. "I'll just go put him to bed."

He nodded, and I continued on my way down to my son's bedroom. After putting a sleeping Luke to bed, I quickly made my way up to the master bedroom itching to get out of this dress and into some cotton pajamas.

The next morning, I woke up in a rather different position. I usually woke up alone on the far left side of the bed, my toes freezing from them peeping out from the covers. That morning, however, was different, and I quite liked it.

"Good morning," Parker whispered on the top of my head after he felt me stir in his arms. 

"Morning," I murmured against his bare chest, making circles on his upper arm with my fore finger. "Aren't you suppose to be at work already?"

"I decided to take a few days off before officially taking my place as the new CEO," he explained lifting my body up higher on the bed so we were face to face. I stared into his eyes with a small smile on my face. "We have the whole weekend all to ourselves. Would you like to do anything? Go to Paris? Maybe Milan, to visit my sister."

"Oh no," I quickly declined. "That's too much money, and I can't afford anything like that. Staying here would be lovely."

"Nothing's expensive when you're with me," he cockily replied earning him a slap on the arm from me.  

"Of course. I married you for the money didn't I?" I tried pulling it off in a joking way but wasn't successful when Parker's eyes dimmed for a bit. I coughed trying to cover up my mistake. "I better go check on Peyton and Luke. They're early risers."

"I'll come with you," Parker said also getting up on the other side of the bed, putting on a shirt.

I looked at him for a second before nodding my head. "Okay."

We both walked down the other level of the house where the rest of the bedrooms were. I looked around the game room and saw it trashed with my boys' toys. Ever since Parker started bringing them toys, they've been stubborn on not cleaning up after themselves.

"You have got to stop bringing them toys," I complained picking up a superhero figure that I almost stepped on and tossed it aside. "You're spoiling them. It's not good."

"I'm just giving them what they deserve," Parker replied intertwining his hand with mine. I looked up to see his yawning face. "Besides, they're good kids."

"I know," I sighed, "but I don't want them getting used to it."

"Well they should get used to this lifestyle. They're going to live it until the day they leave the house."

"How are you so sure?" I asked slipping my hand from his and crossing my arms over my chest. Parker talking about the future... I didn't know. It was still a touchy subject to me. We agreed on just going along with everything, but then he started talking about the future. It was just confusing to me. 

"No divorce, remember?" Parker winked, and I gave him a timid smile and nod. 

I walked on ahead of him to Peyton's bedroom door and opened it slowly only to see him wide awake sitting on his toddler bed. "Mummy!"

"Hey sweetheart," I cooed walking over and sitting right beside him. I grabbed him in my arms kissing his chubby cheeks to make up for the good night kisses I couldn't give him yesterday. 

"No night from mummy!" He grumpily replied. 

Laughing at his cuteness, I stood up with him in my arms. "I'm sorry I wasn't here yesterday night, sweetheart. Can you forgive mummy?" He nodded and gave me a kiss on my cheek, warming my heart completely. "Let's go to Luke's room, alright?"

"I'm already here Momma!" I heard his squeal coming out of his bedroom with Parker trailing behind him. "Parker woke me up!"

I looked at Parker's smiling face and gave him a grateful smile. "Oh, did he now?" I set Peyton down to give my eldest son a hug. "Good morning, Angel. Did you sleep well last night?"

"I did when you put me to bed!" He answered then running towards the play area. "Come on Peyton!" Peyton followed right after his brother.

"Boys, you have to pick those toys up later okay?" I told them before walking up the stairs. "I don't want a single toy out of the toy box."

"Momma!" Luke whined shaking his head.

"No if's, and's, or but's. Those toys will be cleaned up before we have breakfast."

"A bit harsh don't you think?" Parker asked falling in step beside me.

"No, it's called parenting. You wouldn't know anything about it."

"Ouch," Parker said teasingly, then pulling me to the side of the staircase leaning me against the wall. He bent over me, his eyes glistening. "I believe I didn't get a good morning kiss from you, by the way."

I leaned over to peck him on the lips. "There. All better?" 

"Not quite," he said and started to lean it to me slowly.

My eyes flicked from between his eyes and lips. My kids were just in the other room; I couldn't let them see Parker and I kissing. I didn't know what they would interpret it as, and I was not ready. Out of the blue, I blurted out: "Why are you so cross with your father?" I mentally slapped my head. Gee, great question.

I could tell Parker's body went rigid. He leaned away from me but didn't break any eye contact. I couldn't  read his face. He was always so good at masking his emotions, that I could tell from the many times we had been alone together. 

"I think that's a story for some other time," Parker replied softly toying with the strand of hair that got loose from the rest behind my ear. 

"I want to know," I pushed the topic further since we were already on it. "I saw the way you interacted at the party last night. It definitely wasn't the normal father/son bonding time. It's like, every time you and him are in a room together, the tension is so thick." I watched the expression on his face trying to get at least something to give me an idea. There was nothing. His face was as blank as a sheet of paper. "I see the way you address him. It's like you're forced to acknowledge him."

"Well aren't you quite the observer," he bitterly spat at me turning away.

"As your wife," I said a bit louder than before, which stopped him from walking further, "I want to know everything about you Parker Jenkins."

Parker turned around slowly with a sarcastic amused glance on his face. "As my wife? Who do you think you are, Eleanor?"

I flinched back, stung by his harsh words. "I just thought that-"

"That what?" He bellowed walking closer to me pinning me against the wall once again. All those times I complained of not being able to read his face, well now I could. It was one of red with fury. "That just because we're getting along and giving in means we have to get into each other's personal lives?" Then in his sarcastic tone he added, "I'm sorry, but none of that will be happening." 

I blinked back a few tears threatening to spill. "I- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get you angry." Then I pushed against him running towards the kitchen where I was far away from him.

--A/N

Just a question... Do you guys like longer chapters or shorter ones?