Chapter 21

In the end, it was almost pathetically easy. The Colombian, aka Enrique Rodriguez, pretty much peed his pants as soon as he figured out who Eliot was. Apparently, the man was familiar with Eliot's body of work. So to speak.

It hadn't taken very much at all for the man to 'agree' to leave Parker be. Parker'd followed instructions obediently for once, staying outside the room and keeping an eye out for any curious eyes while Eliot took care of things inside. She'd only stuck her head in the window twice, and that was fairly good for her. He hadn't been sure how far he'd have to go in order to persuade the man, but he'd known he didn't want Parker to see him hurt someone. It just… it stuck in his throat if she watched him break a man's fingers, one at a time. It wasn't the same as the damage he caused when he was buying her safe-cracking time.

In the end, he'd barely ruffled the man's feathers. Rodriguez had fallen all over himself apologizing when he'd realized that Parker was under Eliot's protection. Smart man. Eliot was willing to be egotistical enough to admit, he had been one of the best in the business. Scary, dangerous, and ruthless. Creative, too. And that rep was serving him well, even though he'd moved away from that kind of soul-darkening work.

At any rate, with the Colombian on his way back out of the country, Tiny Tim in lock-up thanks to some anonymous tips and Pitts currently trying to explain the reams of evidence of his illegal betting ring and sabotage of race cars to the authorities, they'd wrapped up their job. It was time to head back home, back to the city. Things had moved rather faster than Eliot had expected; apparently Hardison was really ready to get back to his own internet connection. It was amazing what the geek could do with the proper motivation.

Eliot had barely had a moment alone with Parker since they'd left the motel and Rodriguez, things had come to a head so quickly. Nate had called them on the drive back to their own motel to give them the heads up, and they'd been scrambling since.

Eliot tossed his bag in the trunk of the Camry, on top of Parker's. Sophie and Nate would fly back, Hardison had his own car. Eliot had every intention of being with Parker in his.

He closed the truck with a snap. In fact, he was planning on getting 'lost' on the way home. There were a couple of sites he wanted Parker to see. Not to mention he really really wanted to see if he could get her to say whatever it was that had been lingering on the tip of her tongue the past two days.

He leaned against the car and watched Parker walk toward him, that curiously energetic and mesmerizing walk of hers so obvious to him, but so oblivious to everyone else. Eliot smiled a little. He liked it that way. Not only was it safer for them all if the whole world didn't realize how incredibly hot Parker was, but it also meant he didn't have to worry about someone trying to make a move on his girl.

"Who's driving?" Parker asked cheerfully as she skipped to a stop next to him, hopping up on the trunk to sit.

Eliot kept his spot next to her, but turned his body into hers, his elbow resting on her knee. "Well, darlin', that depends," he drawled, tossing the keys loosely in one hand. He had to grin when, as expected, Parker couldn't resist the urge to snatch them out of the air before dropping them guiltily back into his.

"On what?" Parker asked, eyeing the keys again.

He turned so that he was standing between her knees, and rested his hands on her thighs. Lovely strong thighs, he thought, and squeezed gently.

"On how long we want to take to get home," he said, watching her with a smile in his eyes. "I figure, you drive, we're home fast. Me, I might take my time a little more, if you get my drift."

Parker blinked at him. "No," she said. "I don't get your drift."

Eliot bit back a sigh. Fine, he'd spell it out. "I'd like to take our time, Parker," he said. "Drive slow. Stop a lot. See a couple of things on the way." He nudged her nose with his. "Find a few out of the way spots where it'll be just the two of us." She grinned at that one and kissed him, and for a few moments, his brain was focused solely on her lips, her mouth, her taste and how hard it would be to work those pants off her without being seen in the parking garage.

Then he forced himself to pull back, and gave her an admittedly hungry grin. "Something like that," he said.

Parker was eyeing him like she would a untouched vintage safe from Nazi Germany. It was hot. "I think you can drive," she said.

Eliot grinned. "Sounds good," he told her, and started to step back. He was stopped, however, when Parker reached down and caught his hands against her legs. Eliot looked at her again, questioning.

Parker had a little furrow between her eyes as she studied him, and Eliot had a feeling that there was more than sex ideas going on in her head right now. "Eliot," she started slowly. His heart quickened. Maybe she was going to say whatever it was from before.

"Eliot, maybe we can both drive?" Parker finally said, those blue eyes meeting his, clear and honest and something else. Eliot furrowed his brow, knowing there was more to that question that she was saying. "I mean," she rushed on, "I did all the driving on the track, and you drove us around town, and that seemed to work pretty well, right? When we shared the driving?" She looked down at their hands, hers on top of his. "It just seems like it works when we share. The driving, I mean."

It was like a little light went on in his head. "Parker," Eliot said softly, and waited for her to raise her eyes back up to his. "There's no one I'd rather share the driving with than you, sweetheart," he said, his heart beating fast. "No one else I'm going to share the driving with."

Parker's eyes were boring into his. "Not Sophie? Not Nate, or Hardison?"

He shook his head slowly, not looking away. "Not a chance," he murmured, drawing every so slightly closer to her. His hands slid up her thighs to her hips. "Different kinda car, baby."

"What about hot girls at a bar?" she asked, voice getting softer as he slowly, slowly pulled her down the trunk and up against his body. Her legs were wrapping around his waist as she spoke.

"I'd never let them drive," he said softly, faces close. "Wouldn't even let them in the car." A thought occurred to him, and he pulled back ever so slightly. "How 'bout you?"

Parker smiled, just a twitch of lips. "No one else has a drivers license," she said. "And no one else likes to drive with me." She gave him a solemn look. "I'm crazy, you know."

A chuckle was surprised out of Eliot as he pulled her closer again. "Yeah, darlin', you are, but you're the best kinda crazy," he said. "Suits me to a tee." He cocked his head at her. "So we share the driving?" he asked. "Just the two of us?"

Parker nodded slowly, her hands sliding up his chest to rest on his shoulders. Those long, slender, talented fingers toyed with the tips of his hair. "You're the only one who can drive with me," she finally said. "I don't think I've ever let anyone else drive."

Warmth bloomed in Eliot's chest, the kind that kept a man warm on the coldest of nights, in the darkest of holes and through the saddest of times. It started in his chest and spread out to his fingers and toes. It had him pulling her closer, closer until they were flush against each other, and his forehead was resting on hers. "No one but you, darlin'," he told her roughly. "No one but you."

And Parker grinned, quicksilver bright and hot and full of passion and fire and so much more that they'd put a name to later, much much later. "Ok," she said, and kissed him, hard. Then she pulled back and grinned again. "But I get to go first," she said, and slipped out of his arms and danced to the drivers side of the car.

Eliot blinked at the empty space where his thief used to be, then looked at her glowing face as she dangled the keys in the air, and finally laughed. "All right," he said, and stepped over to the passenger side. As he dropped into the seat, Parker slipped the keys in the ignition.

"Buckle up, Eliot," Parker said, eyes sparkling. She threw the car into reverse. "It's gonna be a great ride."

Awww…. I so enjoyed writing this ending. I hope you've all enjoyed this story, and thanks for all the reviews! As every writer says, it's the reviews that keep us going and coming up with more chapters and content. Thanks again!