The humid August day was becoming more oppressive as it progressed. Her clothes were pasted to her body lending to the appreciative glances in her direction. She took another look up at the overcast sky wrinkling her nose at the strong smell of damp earth that permeated her senses. Miss Parker again became focused on her objective, her prey. She knew without question he was nearby just as she knew it was about to storm.

The distant rumblings of thunder did nothing to alleviate the sense that her time was running out. Parker picked up her pace when she caught the flash of lightening in the now nearly storm darkened sky. She was given seventy-two hours to find Jarod.

"A Parker would need no more than that, Angel" Her father's words still sounded in her head, the distaste from them still lingered in her mind. She could no longer deny that the Parker family legacy was one that she would not pass down to another generation. She would sooner die childless and barren then pass that inheritance on to an unsuspecting child.

Broots had pinpointed this mid-western bus stop as a sure bet. He bet his ass on it. No she bet his ass on it. She grinned to herself as she remembered how easily she intimidated the tech, verbally beating the information out of him, to find he learned the location from a chat room both he and one of the "little people" from one of Jarod's pretends had connected in.

Parker slowed looking at the buildings she was nearing with more interest, her eyes scanning, searching each detail. He was near. The goose bumps on her forearms confirmed her intuition.

Suddenly the storm broke upon her leaving her instantly soaked and unable to see more than a couple of yards in front of her. Parker stopped and looked around her for a place to duck out of the rain. On the corner ahead was a car wash. The enclosed bays appeared empty. Parker made for the shelter the middle bay offered.

She entered the darkened area smelling the recently used wax and detergents, her hand searched for the controls to lower the doors and switch on the lights. She flipped the toggle several times before conceding that either the power was off by the storm or the hick town's supply didn't reach this far, as though anything in this hickville would work in her favor. She moved to the entrance, stumbling over a large industrial size bucket. Parker turned it upside down and moved it just far enough inside the exit to avoid the blowing rain. She sat on it to watch as the storm continued plying the small town with its wrath.

Her mind continued going over the conversation with her father, she felt helpless in her never-ending search for her own truths. Never knowing any certainty in her past, or future. Just never knowing. At the sound of an engine reviving behind her, Parker quickly moved to the side of the bay as a jeep pulled in stopping just in front of her. The headlights easily identifying her presence to the driver, while the glare from the headlights shielded his identity from her. The engine died but the driver remained in the vehicle. She felt eyes on her, her hand slowly made its way to gun under her jacket, as she waited for the new arrival. She heard the engine try to turn over when the driver attempted to restart the jeep. Once, twice, three times then silence.

"Shit!" It was a deep resonating voice. She thought a familiar voice. She could barely make out the shadow of a form jumping over the passenger door before the sound of running feet drove home that the arrival was Jarod.

Parker took off after him, once she passed the glare from the jeep's light she could better see the form in front of her. He slid in the mud, righted himself and continued running up a grassy hill toward a small settlement of homes. That slight slip was all it took for her to dive for his legs as he began the steeper assent. They both slid in the wet grass, tangling together as the two rolled each trying to gain dominance over the other. The rain making skin slippery and turning clothing into a muddy second skin concealing nothing. Parker finally managed to pin Jarod holding him with her weight, as she straddled him for better leverage, her knee pinning one of Jarod's wrists into the ground beside his waist and her elbow pressed against his Adam's apple. She had lost her gun during their wrestling. As her mind raced to find an alternate way to secure his cooperation her cell phone rang.

"Damn!" The ringing became background noise as she stared down into Jared's rain soaked face. The sky lit up again, exposing the pretender's eyes. Eyes that never left hers, never wondered away, never showed fear, just bored into her soul. The boom of thunder startled her enough that her hold on Jarod's hand relented, she watched as he slowly reached inside of her jacket to retrieve the phone that had been tucked away in the hidden pocket in the jacket's lining. His hand grazed her breast as he slid it out holding the phone, handing out for her to take. The next flash and rumble came closer together; the thunder vibrated the wet ground. Jarod without warning tossed the phone off to the side and pulled her down to him with the freed hand. For one moment she remained laying on him feeling his heart against her breast, her face against his wet neck, then she pushed against him, "Just what the hell do you think you're doing?"

Both arms now free Jarod held her to him, and spoke into her ear, "You're too exposed."

She began to struggle to free herself. "What are you talking about? She sat up to look at him pinning him now with her anger.

"We're in the middle of an electrical storm with no cover. You're too exposed=85 to attempt to use that phone. Let's go back to the car wash. It's safer. You can decide there what your going to do."

She stayed still, sprawled out on him not wanting to move, not wanting to think about what she needed to do. She felt his hands now at her waist sliding up the bare skin over her ribs. She heard him whisper, "Parker, your cold, let's see if I can start the jeep again."

She stayed still. Feeling his lips move across her face, her own reacted, naturally without forethought, without any thought at all, they were moving against his neck. She was totally lost in him and it only took a few light kisses. She groaned when she realized just how easily distracted she was by this man.

"Parker lets go back, the storm is right above us. It's not safe." He sat up pulling her with him. She fought him for a few seconds until the next bolt of lightning seemed too close as it made contact with a light pole up near the settlement Jarod had been heading toward. They were both quickly on their feet and moving back toward the jeep. Their hands linked tightly as they stumbled and slid trying to find their way back. She had let him lead, as her mind continued processing the thought that perhaps she was always easily distracted by him, he had been a priority in her life for more years than any other relationship she had had.

Suddenly Jarod pulled her to him, she pulled back looking around them when the rain was no longer pelting them, they were once again in the shelter of the car wash. Parker backed away from him, broke all physical contact and looked around trying to think, to rationalize what she wanted to do with what she was sent to do. She heard the jeep trying to turn over, stop then another attempt before it started up. Parker turned, expecting to see Jarod escaping; instead, he had found the crank to lower the doors to keep the rain from blowing in. She watched him move, his black tee shirt and jeans plastered to him. She walked over to him as the overhead door behind her banged shut. Jarod moved back to turn the jeep's ignition off. She turned her back to him trying to give her brain time to assimilate the consequences of the wrong action. Parker felt his arms pull her toward him, enclosing her in their warmth, a warmth she had found no where else, they were offering her a security she needed. She smiled realizing that the decision was made.

When his lips finally hungrily consumed hers, she reacted to the sensual feel of this wet body pressing against her. Parker slid her hands under his soaked tee shirt, moving them up his chest, she pulled away enough to kiss down his neck while she gathered his tee shirt to pull over his head. She felt his hands gently caressing her body, past the silk blouse his fingers trailed along her skin.

"Silk on silk." He spoke against her. Then as he furthered his caress past the satin undergarment, "Satin on satin." His words created more, urgency in her own explorations.

Parker stood in the morning light the discomfort of the damp clothing couldn't completely wipe away her smile as she watched Jarod pull the jeep forward, stopping for her to climb in. She caught his smile, returning it as she looked back at the car wash. "You know, I'll never look at a car wash the same way." The wind caught Jarod's laugh tossing it back to the now empty middle bay.

The End