Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Fire poured through my veins, and I lost myself in the taste of him. The feel of his body in my arms was both exhilarating and calming, as if some missing piece had slotted into place and I was whole again.
My free hand skimmed along his back and I fumbled with the hem of his T-shirt. I needed skin. To touch all those delicious parts that made him cry out and beg for more.
Yet, at the first brush of my fingertips on his bare skin, Parker broke off the kiss. “No. Wait.” He pushed off me as if trying to step away, but he seemed to forget that a chair was directly behind him. He flopped down and bounced once, his eyes wide. I didn’t think he’d meant to do that.
“What’s wrong?”
Parker opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His cheeks reddened, and he closed his mouth.
“Do you not want to?” I asked. He’d given every sign that he was interested, but maybe I’d read him wrong.
“No, I do! I…” Parker broke off, turning his head away so I couldn’t see his expression.
“What?”
Parker let out an angry huff. “Because I’m not…I’m not like I used to be…”
“I don’t understand.”
My lover’s eyes snapped to me, and frustration crackled around him. “I haven’t seen the inside of a gym since Molly died. My hard abs are gone. My sweet, round ass is gone. I’m even a month overdue for a haircut. I’m a fucking mess. We had an unspoken agreement that we fucked because we were hot as hell. But I’m not anymore…and you’re going to be disappointed.”
Oh. Is that all?
I pulled Parker to his feet a second time and resumed devouring his mouth. He didn’t put up any resistance, just kissed me back with the same hunger and blistering heat he always did. I gripped his wrist and pressed his palm to my hard dick as it strained against the front of my pants. Parker groaned as I tore my mouth from his. He fondled me through my pants.
“Does that feel like I’m disappointed?” I growled.
“No,” Parker whimpered.
“Good. You have fifteen minutes to shower. Then you will come to my bedroom, where I will fuck you until you can’t walk.”
A low hum escaped Parker. “Mmm…my favorite thing.”
With more effort than I wanted to admit, I released him and stepped away so he could move. “Don’t be late.” Before leaving, I scooped up the baby monitor he always carried when Joy was sleeping. “I’ll watch over her while you shower.”
“And what happens if I’m late?” Parker called out. I didn’t stop walking, just continued to the hall and main staircase. Parker’s low laugh nudged my own lips into a half smile. “Fucking tease,” he muttered.
Maybe I was. He loved the struggle, to be overpowered, to be pinned. I would never force him to do anything he didn’t want to. He wanted the illusion of having all his control taken away. And fighting me, acting out, gave me the opportunity to seize that control from him.
I fully expected him to be late. Or more likely, I would need to hunt him down. Anything to get my blood boiling. The chase was almost as fun as the act.
But he wasn’t late.
As the timer ran out, he appeared in my bedroom doorway with his wet hair slicked back, wearing a pair of soft sleep pants and a T-shirt. I’d been sure he’d appear in nothing but a towel if he came to me.
My frown deepened. “You don’t believe me.”
“I tried.”
But he’d had too much time, allowing his doubts to creep in.
“Then I’ll have to do a better job of convincing you.”
“Declan…”
I ignored his halfhearted attempt at an argument. Parker wasn’t the type to throw a pity party or need reassurances. Until now, he’d been the embodiment of confidence. Fuck. He was the king of cocky, and I needed to help him reclaim his crown.
I walked past him and closed the double doors, shutting out the rest of the world. Joy was sleeping soundly in her own room, and the monitor was resting on my nightstand. Nothing else mattered right now.
His shoulders were tense, and his hands were balled into loose fists at his sides. I wanted to tell him that we might have started with raw attraction, but we’d grown beyond that over the past several months. Now I craved his smile, the sound of my name on his tongue, his laughter filling the room, the way my soap smelled on his skin. Despite any grumbling, I had looked forward to his daily interruptions and seeing him sprawled in the chair in front of my desk, that devilish grin on his face. I missed him in the office, but now he was in my home every night. Yet, I knew there were no words that would get through to him. He needed action.