“We keep repeating the same three words. Is this how arguments between us will always go?”
Parker dances his finger across the rim of his mug as he avoids my gaze. “I’m not one for arguing.”
“Me neither. Reid burned all the arguing out of me over the course of his absolutely awful teenage years.”
“I’m sure,” Parker replies with an eye roll. “Okay, well, I killed Senator Hyland.”
Suddenly the air is punched out of me. “I’m sorry, what now?”
Parker takes a sip of his tea and looks at me over the mug. Everything tilts a little sideways. “Yes, that was me. But I made it look like a suicide. Which was my plan with your uncle as well.”
“You…”
“Yeah.”
“Oh.” I press my hand to my forehead, suddenly a little overwhelmed and kind of dizzy. “That’s… Have you killed other high-profile people. I know your kill count but… I am not sure I want to know the answer to this question.”
Parker sucks at his teeth. “I’ll let you consider that one before answering.”
“Right. You need to kiss me, right now.”
Parker looks startled. “Why? Also, what about the mouthwash and toothbrushing?”
“Because it’ll distract me, I think, from having an anxiety attack. And right now, none of that shit matters.”
“You’re not selling it real hard here.”
“Shut up and kiss me, Parker Chambers.”
Parker lurches across the table to plant his mouth on mine. It’s a closed-mouth kiss and a little painful, but my brain shuts right off. I all but climb the table to move toward him, and he spreads his thighs to make room for me to stand in front of him, his hands tentatively going to my hips. Our lips work together to soften the kiss through teamwork, his lips moving over mine to gentle my nerves like I’m a frightened foal. Which I guess in a way I kind of am.
“Mason,” Parker whispers against my mouth.
I only moan and press in closer, until his tongue swipes against my bottom lip in invitation to be let in. All I can focus on is Parker, the movement of his mouth against mine, the fresh, clean smell of him, the tender touch of his fingers that hesitate for permission to touch my bare skin as they dance along the hemline of my shirt.
“Do it,” I beg on a groan.
Parker doesn’t ask if I’m sure, doesn’t second-guess me, hejust slips his hands under my shirt against the small of my back, effectively branding me as his own. I want to climb into his lap and feel his hard cock under my ass. I want to rut against each other until we come in our pants, because my own cum doesn’t freak me out at all, so I think that would work. But I also think he’s a closet romantic, and I’m not sure he wants to frot with me for the first time after an argument, while drinking tea, with me using him to shut my brain off.
“Okay,” I mumble against Parker’s slack mouth. I pull far enough away that we’re just breathing each other in. The view from this angle is delightful because all I see is Parker’s blown pupils, kiss-wet lips, and stubbled cheeks. “My brain just said I should ride you until we both come in our pants, but I think maybe that’s better for another time when your ribs aren’t bruised and we didn’t just argue?”
Parker’s eyes darken. “My ribs are fine.”
“Parker.” I say his name like a reprimand.
“Fuck me.” Parker dips his head forward to tuck his face into the crook of my neck. I loosen my hands from his shoulders to tangle them in the loose hair at the back of his neck. His hair is so soft, silken-fine, and it does something to all those touch-starved sensory receptors in my brain. “You’re petting me like a dog.”
I pause my petting. “Is that okay?”
Parker grunts. “Don’t stop. It distracts me from how you just said you wanted to ride me until we come in our pants.”
“Well, I do.”
“Shhhhh.” Parker’s fingers tighten against my hips hard enough to bruise. I like it, more than I should. “I kind of want to?—”
The doorbell ringing interrupts Parker’s sentence. Ireallywant to know what he was going to say. But instead, Idisentangle myself from his lap and rush toward the front door. Jacob’s imposing figure fills the doorway, but then Reid peeks around the side of him with a half smile, half glare. Oh no.
“Where’s Parker?” Jacob asks.
