Page 26 of Protected
Parker’s gaze shot up, and he had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing. Damn, he missed her sass. He missed everything about her from her bow-shaped, kissable lips, to the way she screamed his name whenever he was buried deep inside her sexy body.
He sighed. This was not why he came over here, but being this close to her, made him want to carry her to the nearest bed or any flat surface. It didn’t help that he hadn’t been with another woman since the first time he’d made love to Chelsey. No one else would do. She was it for him. The complete package.
“Parker, I don’t have all day to stand here, and if I’m honest, I don’t give a—”
“My father killed my mother,” he interrupted, knowing he had to talk fast. “And I couldn’t tell a soul. To this day, no one knows she’s dead and died at the hands of my father.”
Chelsey’s mouth dropped open, but then she closed it quickly. She stared at him, horror in her eyes and her hand over her heart. Each time she opened her mouth to speak, she closed it again.
Okay, maybe he could’ve figured out a better way to start, but this was going to be one of the hardest conversations he’d ever had. He wasn’t exactly sure how to share everything he wanted and needed to tell her.
“Oh, my God, Parker, I…” she started but stopped and shook her head. Then she reached for him, linking her fingers with his and pulling him further into the living room. “I am so sorry. I knew your mother passed away, but I had no idea she was killed.”
That was something they had in common. Her mother had been killed during a bank robbery when Chelsey was an infant. While he’d had twelve years with his mother, Chelsey never knew hers.
Another difference in the way they’d grown up was that she’d been raised by a father and three older siblings who adored her. She had once told him that they had showered her with so much love that she never got a chance to miss the mother she never knew.
“How? Why? We’ve talked about our mothers. Why didn’t you tell me this before?” she asked.
Parker rubbed the back of his neck. He’d had more than enough opportunities to tell her the details about his mother’s death, as well as the other stuff about his past. Yet, he had kept quiet.
“I wasn’t ready, and if I had told you, it would’ve led to more questions that I couldn’t discuss.”
“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?” she asked quietly, and he didn’t miss the hurt in her eyes. “You claimed to love me. Yet, you didn’t love me enough to trust me with that information.”
“Wait!” he said, the word snapping out like a whip crackling through the air. He got in her face so fast that Chelsey tensed and took a step back. Which put her against a wall.
Parker placed his palms against the wall above her head, locking her in before bending slightly to make sure they were at eye level. He needed her to see the truth in his eyes and hear what he was about to say.
“I love you more than I haveeverloved another human being! So get that thought about me not loving or trusting you out of your head,” he growled, but seeing her wide eyes, he reined in his emotions enough to not totally freak her out.
“Chelsey, I know my behavior lately has been all over the place, and I’m so sorry about that. I’m hoping to clear some of that up today, but baby, don’t ever think that I don’t love you. I love you so damn much it hurts,” he choked out, then swallowed hard. “I willalwayslove you; whether you give me another chance or not, you willalwaysown my heart.”
She nibbled on her lower lip and blinked rapidly as if trying to hold back tears. None fell during the seconds that ticked by as silence fell between them. But then she caught him off guard and pounded her fist against his chest with enough force to have him stumbling back.
“Ow,” he said, rubbing his chest.
“Dammit, Parker! I’m trying to stay mad at you, but when you say mushy stuff like that…” Her words trailed off and she dropped her gaze.
Relief flooded through him, and Parker couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his lips. He stepped forward and got back in her face, glad to see she was softening toward him.
He lifted her chin with the pad of his finger, and when their eyes met again, his heart squeezed. The love brimming in her dark orbs matched what he felt for her to the depths of his soul.
“Baby, I am so sorry I hurt you,” he said. “I’m an idiot, and hopefully after we talk, you’ll understand why I thought I had done the right thing by breaking up with you.”
Her dark eyes met his before her gaze dropped to his lips, lingered, and then returned to his eyes.
Parker wasn’t exactly sure what she was thinking, but he was sure they wanted the same thing. Without hesitation, he cupped her face between his hands and lowered his head until his mouthcovered hers. He marveled in the softness of her pillowy lips that were warm and sweet. This was what he needed. His emotions had been out of balance before he arrived, but in this moment, he felt a calmness settle over him. A calmness he hadn’t felt since before they parted ways.
He tried to tame his eagerness, but it had been weeks since he had tasted her. Weeks since he held her in his arms, and weeks since he’d known that she wanted him as much as he wanted her.
As their tongues explored the inner recesses of each other’s mouth, Parker slid one hand behind her neck and lowered the other to her waist. He pulled her flush against his body and deepened their connection.
Chelsey might’ve drove him crazy with her sass, but no one soothed his tattered soul the way she could.
His heart thumped uncontrollably as the kiss turned more intense, and a rush of pleasure pulsed through him. She filled him with hope, while also making him long for more. There was no doubt she felt his erection pressing against her stomach. It was impossible for him to be this close to her and his body not react to her nearness. She felt too damn good, and all he wanted to do was carry her upstairs and make mad, passionate love to her.
But he needed to get back on track. Not only did he want to tell her the rest, but he wanted to make something else clear.