Page 29 of Sexploitation
A soft whimper passes through her lips as my plea brushes across her skin, her resolve crumbling as I lift my head to meet her stare. “Okay. I’ll stay.”
“Good girl,” I tease, giving her ass a little smack.
She rolls her eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of her full pink lips. “Whatever. I’m staying for the pretty Christmas decorations, not you.” She turns her head to admire the fake Douglas fir perched in front of my living room window. “That might be the prettiest tree I’ve ever seen.”
Parker didn’t even have a tree until I showed up with a little one a few days ago. She protested the way she does every time I try to do anything for her, but there was real joy on her face when we decorated it together.
It’s rare for her to share things about her past with me, but she told me that night that her parents never really celebrated Christmas when she was growing up. She hasn’t spoken to them in years, and I got the impression she doesn’t have any other family to spend the holiday with.
“You know, I was thinking...” My hands glide up her back, my fingertips lovingly stroking her. “You should spend Christmas with me and Grace.”
The holidays have been tough on me since Molly passed, the weight of her absence weighing heavily on me. It was hard to find that joy, despite how hard I tried for Grace. But this year feels different. More hopeful. Parker is a big part of that. I don’t want to spend them without her. And I damn sure don’t want her spending them alone.
“Christmas?” Her voice cracks, her back going stick straight.
I bite back a smile. “Yeah. I mean, if you don’t have plans. You could go with us to my sister Rosie’s Christmas Eve party then just stay here and do the whole Christmas morning thing with me and Grace.”
Her eyes search mine, panic swirling behind them. “You want me to spend Christmas with your family?”
I cup her face in my hands. “I wantyouto spend Christmas withme.”
Her stare falls as she pulls out of my hold. “Elias...”
“Come on, Peach. Don’t go freaking out on me. It’s not a big deal. You’re supposed to spend the holiday with—”
“No.” She crawls off my lap, her head shaking. “I can’t do this.”
My heart sinks as she puts more space between us, but I try to play it cool. “Can’t do what?”
“This,” she breathes, gesturing between us. “I’m not your girlfriend, Elias. I don’t do family functions and holidays. That is not what this is.”
My head swims as her words sink in. It doesn’t surprise me that the whole idea of spending time with my family made her a little skittish. I was expecting that. But she’s talking like she’s just some random woman I’ve been hooking up with instead of the person I’ve been sharing my life with for three months.
“No?” I get off the couch, my jaw ticking. “Do tell, then. What exactly do you think has been going on between us the past three months?”
She steels her back, tilting her head to meet my hard glare as I tower over her. “I told you in the beginning, this was just sex.”
“Bullshit!” She finches at my harsh tone but quickly squares her shoulders again. “You know there’s more between us than that.”
Her eyelids fall as she takes a deep breath. “I think it’s best if I just go.”
Panic scurries up my spin as she turns to walk away, and I grab her arm to stop her. “Wait. Are you seriously going to blow this whole thing up because I asked you to spend Christmas with me?”
Her eyes flicker to my hand on her arm then to me, cold and indifferent. “This is what I’m trying to explain to you.” She sounds almost bored as she speaks, her tone level and low. “I’m not blowing anything up because there’s nothing to blow up.”
“Nothing?” My tone is anything but calm, my shaky hand releasing its hold on her. “Are you fucking kidding me? You’ve been a part of my life, a part ofmy kid’slife, for three goddamn months. That’s not nothing.”
My decision to bring her around Grace wasn’t made lightly. I never would’ve done it if I thought for a second that we weren’t past this shit. That Parker wasn’t ready.
“Don’t put words in my mouth,” she clips. “I didn’t say it was, but...” There’s a hint of sorrow in her voice as her words trail off, remorse dimming her hazel eyes.
She’s still running. After all this time, she’s still afraid to give this a real chance.
“No... you don’t get to run from this. You don’t get to run from me.”
She plants a hand on her hip, her features tightening with annoyance. “That’s not what I’m doing. I’m simply ending things before they get more...complicated.”
I take a deep breath, inching closer to her. “You’re scared. Don’t you think I get that? The way I feel about you fucking terrifies me sometimes. I never expected to fall in love again.”