“Sit.” She pointed to a small stool by the dressing table. When I did, she dried my hair with a towel, then tossed it aside and straddled me. She had on too many clothes. I needed her naked, to feel her silky skin moving against mine.

Her expression was serious as she held my cheeks in her slim, cool hands. “Forgive me for living in my own head? I don’t have a lot of experience with feeling this way about someone and I got scared.”

I cupped her pert ass and pulled her closer. “Do you forgive me for thinking you were still in love with Theo?”

There. I could say his name without flinching. In truth, I couldn’t even hate him. Parker had given him her love, which meant he couldn’t have been half bad.

Her smile was tremulous. “He’ll always be in my heart. But I’m kind of crazy about someone else now.”

“Yeah?” I asked, dipping my head to nuzzle the curve of her neck where I knew she was extra sensitive. “Is he worthy of you?”

“Oh, yes,” she said with a sigh of pleasure, arching into my touch. “He’s the best man I know.”

I’d been kissing my way along her neck but stopped and lifted my head at that. She had no idea what those words did to me, how they tore me apart and put me back together. With her, I felt like something new, something better. “I’m so fucking crazy about you, Parker Brown. You have no idea.”

Her smile was the sun.

“I might have some idea.” She touched my jaw. “Kiss me.”

So I did, putting everything into it, every emotion I couldn’t say but wanted her to feel. I licked into her mouth, reveling in her taste. Then I stood and carried her to bed to strip each item of clothing from her with care.

She was warmth and soft curves, tender caresses and breathy sighs. I explored her body as though it were new to me, taking my time, kissing every inch. And when I finally entered her slick heat, we both stopped and fought for breath. I stared down at those brown eyes I wanted to see every damn day of my life, and my chest hitched.

Words formed on my lips, words I’d never said to anyone. But it was too much. Too good. I dipped my head and kissed her deep, hungry. Always hungry for her. And she moaned into it as I moved. My hands slid into her hair as I thrust slow and sure. She was utterly precious to me, utterly beautiful.

For the first time in my life, I was making love. And it was so damn perfect. I never wanted it to end. Never wanted to let her go.

And when I finally found my voice, I could only say one thing.

“Parker.”

Twenty-Two

Rhys

“Rhys.” Parkers fingers, threaded through mine, gripped harder with her plea.

Sweat trickled down my back. I moved inside her with a steady rhythm, slow and deep and oh, so good. “You can take it.”

She groaned, turning her head to the side of the pillow. Glossy brown strands of damp hair clung to her flushed cheeks. Her lips parted as she panted. Beautiful. I ducked my head and captured that sweet mouth, felt her heat, tasted her need.

Pleasure licked over my skin, and I shivered. God, I wasn’t going to last. We’d been at this for hours, fucking and kissing and drinking each other in under the hazy heat of the afternoon sun. But boxers were supposed to have stamina.

Parker moaned into my mouth, craning her head to prolong the kiss with a greediness that had my breath catching. With another moan, she came around my cock, her inner muscles squeezing me so hard, my mind blanked.

“Shit,” I rasped. My careful control broke with a thrust, and another. I couldn’t get close enough. I needed in, and in, and in. Parker wrapped her strong legs around my waist and pulled me closer.

“Parker.”

Her fingers slid through my hair. “Give it to me.”

Let go.

I didn’t know how. Not in life. I never knew how. But here, with her, I could.

She held me, cradled in her arms, as I poured myself into her with a helpless shout. Weak and panting, I laid wrapped up in her, our sweaty skin sticking. Then I groaned and rolled to my side, pulling her with me.

Parker rested her head on my chest with a sigh. I hauled her closer, holding on, unable to release her. My body hadn’t stopped shivering. I was supposed to be blowing her mind, rocking her damn world, but she’d flipped the script.

“You okay there, big guy?” she asked softly.

No. Yes.

“Give me a minute.”

She simply petted me, taking it in stride that I was wrecked. I leaned into her soothing touch. After all, she was the one who’d wrecked me. Our breaths evened out, and the sunlight slanting through the loft windows warmed our skin.