Page 28 of Sexploitation
Bless her heart.
“Does he usually leave his shirts here? That doesn’t feel very casual to me.”
I grind my teeth, sliding my eyes back over to her. “How would you know? You gave up on your sexploration after the first dickstination. You skipped casual and went straight for the church.”
“We didn’t get married at a church,” she retorts with a huff, her arms crossing. “And I’m just pointing out the obvious. You don’t have to get snippy with me.”
I inwardly groan, fighting the urge to roll my eyes. She is so damn touchy these days. Add that to the long list of reasons I never want to get pregnant.
“I’m sorry,” I say, bumping her leg with mine. “Come on, dickstination. You have to admit that was funny, though.”
“Yeah... it really was.” Her features soften as she snickers. “But I’m very happy with my current dickstination. And I think you are too.”
Happy.
I let the word roll around in my head for a moment. I’ve been breaking all my rules to be with Elias. And the past few months have been... nice. But pinning the responsibility of your happiness on another human, especially a man, will only lead to disappointment.
“Yes... okay. I’m verycontentwith my current dickstination. But that doesn’t mean I want to take up permanent residency. Men are like vacations. They’re fun for a while but tend to lose their luster if you stay too long.”
She frowns. “That’s not true for all men. Some make great retirement destinations.”
“Well, I’m not looking to retire anytime soon.”
“You may not be. But I think you’re closer than you think. Or want to believe.”
“No.” I shake my head in denial, despite the knot growing in my stomach. “No. You’re merely seeing what you want to see.”
“Am I?” she presses, a grin tugging on her lips. “You’re spending all this time together. He frequently stays the night here. Now, he’s fixing your faucets and shit.” She pauses to give me a pointed look, her brow lifted. I knew telling her about that was a mistake. Knew she would turn it into something more. “You’re even spending time with his kid.”
Ouch.That last one hit below the belt.
“That’s not a big deal,” I say, lying to both of us. “Grace already knew me from school, so...”
She lets out an exaggerated sigh. “It’s been what? Three months? And you haven’t been out with or slept with anyone else? Sounds a lot like—”
“We’re not dating,” I hiss.
She laughs. “I was going to say... it sounds like something that starts with re and ends with ship.”
“Fuck off. We’re not in a relationship. Jesus.” I scoff. “I don’t need to sleep with anyone else because the dick is just that good.”
“Yeah. I know what good dick can do,” she teases with a smack of her lips. “What was it you said? Straight to the church?”
The knot in my stomach turns to lead, and I turn my attention back to Billy Crystal, my chest tight as I watch him run through the streets of New York on New Year’s Eve. Maybe Josie is right. Maybe I’ve let this thing with Elias go too far.
Elias
Parker straddlesmy hips as I pull her into my lap, the warm smile on her face making my heart swell. I brush my fingers through her golden hair and tuck it behind her ears, admiring how absolutely stunning she looks in the soft glow of Christmas lights.
“You’re so goddamn beautiful.” She lets out a soft moan when my hands move to her thighs, rocking her hips as I slide them under her dress. “Stay with me tonight.”
Parker has never felt comfortable spending the night here before. But Grace is with my sister and won’t be home until late tomorrow afternoon. There’s no reason for her to go. And it would be so nice to wake up with her in my arms. The nights without her are getting harder to bear.
“Elias, I...” Her words trail off as I kiss her neck, her hands diving into my hair while I lick and suck the sensitive flesh, whatever excuse she was about to give me forgotten.
It hasn’t been easy, waiting for Parker to let her walls down. Waiting for her to let me in, to trust me—to trustus. But she’s worth the fight. And we’re finally in a good place. More settled.
“Stay with me tonight.”