One Tiny Secret

Chapter Twenty Six

When we get outside, my first reaction is to walk to my car, but Parker has other plans.

“I’ll drive,” he says, tugging on my hand in the direction of where he parked. When I send him a worried look, he says, “Don’t worry, your car will be fine here. We’re only going to be gone for a little while, and this place doesn’t close until three in the morning.”

“I don’t know. What if—”

“‘What if’ nothing. Come on, let me drive,” he says.

Reaching his motorcycle, he hands me the one helmet that’s resting on the hook attached to seat’s backrest. “Here, you should wear it.”

“But what about you?”

“I’ll be fine. Besides, you’re precious cargo, and I’m not,” he replies with a grin. I slide on the helmet to cover the major blush that’s destroying my face.

Parker settles onto the bike and pulls out a stick of cinnamon gum from his pocket while waiting for me to join him. He slowly slips the piece of gum into his mouth as he scans me from head to toe. “You getting on, or what?” he asks with a laugh.

“Oh, yeah,” I reply, feeling embarrassed that I was caught staring at him in a daze. His little cinnamon-gum-mouth show was making me reminisce about our last kiss, which I find a very welcoming distraction from thinking about Unknown.

As I snuggle up to him on the bike, he digs through his jeans pockets. He murmurs, “Shit” when he doesn’t seem to find what he’s looking for. He proceeds to pat down his leather jacket, but still comes away with nothing.

“Can’t find your keys?”

“No, I have those. I can’t find my cell phone,” he replies, peering back at me. “Damn, I bet I left it in my dorm. Mind if we swing by there to check?”

“I thought you said you didn’t get my call because you had no reception in the club.”

“Usually I don’t get great reception in there, but tonight I never checked my phone. Probably because I didn’t have it with me,” he explains, his gaze steady on mine. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t believe me?”

“I’m not saying I don’t. I just can’t help but think that this might be some elaborate attempt to get me back to your dorm.”

He releases a small laugh. “Would I really need to go to these great lengths just to get you in my dorm room again?” His beautiful grin is like Medusa’s stare, but instead of turning me into stone, I just melt into a puddle. “It’ll only take a second to get my phone, and then we’ll head to the bar. Promise.”

I nod before I begin to imagine the two of us rolling around on his twin mattress that’s only large enough for one. I try to snap out of it, but I become flustered again while picturing his mouth moving around my body, leaving little kisses all over.

“Hey, I forgot to tell you,” he says, thankfully distracting me from my thoughts. “I stopped by Mr. Whitman’s house today.”

“I’m sorry, but can we not talk about that? After what that sick a*shole whispered in my ear about Mr. Whitman, I don’t want to think about it,” I reply.

“Wait, he told you he killed Mr. Whitman?”

“Yeah, but can we please drop it? Like I said, I’m not really in the mood to chat about that.”

“Sure thing.”

I feel the tears coming on, but I take in a deep breath, fighting hard not to cry. Parker brings my hand, which rests just above his stomach, up to his lips for a quick, comforting kiss. I let out a sniffle when the emotions become too much to bear, but I still manage to battle back the tears. He interlocks his smooth strong fingers within mine and I smile at how gentle he’s being right now.



As we pull into the parking lot just outside his dormitory, Parker finds a spot closest to the stairwell that leads up to his hallway. The senior housing actually resembles more of an apartment complex than an actual dorm.

“Okay, so don’t make this sound like more than it is, but do you want to come up?” he asks, shutting off the engine.

“Yeah, we’re only getting your phone, remember?”

He chuckles. “Exactly.”

“Besides, it’s kind of creepy out here, and I don’t really want to be left alone right now,” I joke, but my voice wavers.

Reaching his dorm room, Parker puts his key into the lock, turns it, and pushes the door open. He flips the light switch, illuminating the room. While still standing outside, I peer around the quaint space that seems perfect enough for one. I’m actually surprised when it doesn’t smell like a gym locker, but instead has a fresh scent. The last time I was in here, I didn’t pay much attention to what it looked like or how it smelled, since I was suffering from one hell of a “hangover.”

“Uh, you can come in, you know?” he calls out to me from the living room area.

“I know, but I’m fine waiting here,” I answer as my eyes pan over to his twin bed in the corner. The bed is made, but all I can think about is messing it up.

After hearing my response, Parker looks over at me, stalling the hunt for his phone. “Come on, don’t be silly. It’s cold outside.”

He smiles when I step into the room before he resumes his search. Closing the door, I move to sit on the comfy-looking couch, all the while watching him look feverishly for his phone. You’d think he would’ve left it somewhere out in the open.

“So, did you hide your phone from yourself or something?” I ask dryly after hearing him murmur, “Where could it be?”

He laughs. “That’s a slight possibility, yes.”

An obvious solution pops into my head. “Why don’t I just call it?”

“Simple, direct…I like it,” he says with a grin.

I roll my eyes before pulling out my phone to dial his. A song that I never expected to hear coming from his phone fills the room.

“Is that Jason Mraz’s I Won’t Give Up? Wait…is that set to my number, or is that your ringtone for everyone?”

He scrambles to grab his phone from under some clothes on top of the dresser, clearly embarrassed that I heard it. “Uh, it may possibly…be yours,” he replies, sweeping his hand through his hair.

“Huh.”

“Huh? That’s it? That’s all you have to say?” he asks, joining me on the couch. He slouches back into the opposite corner and props his right leg in front of him. “Say what you will about the song, but I can honestly tell you I’ve never done this for anyone else.”

I’m not quite sure how to respond to him. Sure, it feels nice that this is the first time he’s customized a ringtone for someone, but…

Aw hell. Who am I kidding? He’s freaking adorable.

“Actually, I really like that song,” I admit with a smile.

“Good.” He returns the smile. “You know, you have the prettiest smile I’ve ever seen. It’s a shame with everything going on that you aren’t able to smile more often.”

My cheeks flush with heat as I dodge his intent stare. The smile that was on my face turns into less than a half-smirk and I simply reply, “Thanks.”

The grin on his mouth widens. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable or anything.”

“You didn’t. It’s just that I don’t hear things like that very often,” I reply, glancing over at him then averting my eyes.

“Well, then it looks like I came back into town at just the right time.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because you should’ve had guys telling you this all day, every day,” he responds and my blush completely wrecks my face.

Though I find everything Parker’s telling me very romantic and swoon-worthy, I just can’t seem to shake the fact I was physically assaulted by Unknown tonight. Don’t get me wrong, I’m glad Parker is trying to distract my mind with all this. It’s something he’s always done quite well. But reality is a bitch sometimes.

“Was it something I said?” he asks, seeming to realize my mood has changed.

“No. I was just thinking about how vulnerable Unknown has made me. I feel like my whole life is at his disposal to just eff with anytime he feels like it. I appreciate you trying to distract me, but the scary truth is I could’ve died tonight. He had me in his grasp and could’ve easily strangled me. That’s a terrifying thought, you know?”

Parker goes quiet for a moment and leans forward, resting his right elbow on the back of the couch. “Don’t think like that, Dani. I’ll admit that the thought of me losing you tonight has been on my mind this whole time. It rips my heart out to even think about it. And because we’re never guaranteed tomorrow, I’m a firm believer that we should always seize what we want the moment the feeling hits us. Almost losing you tonight reminded me of that.” He slides closer to me and places his hand on my leg. “Which is why I’m going to do what I’m about to do right now.”

Before I have a chance to say anything, he leans in and lightly kisses my mouth, as if testing the waters. As he pulls back slightly, I feel his warm breath caress my lips. He hovers there, waiting. When I don’t reciprocate the action right away, he takes a hold of my hand and places it on his chest. His heart is pounding ferociously. I feel every beat.

“Do you see what you do to me?” he asks, his husky voice making me shiver. “That’s all you right there.”

I find myself getting lost in his gaze and want so bad to just kiss him back, but I’m having a hard time separating Unknown’s hands all over me from Parker’s.

“Parker—” I start to say, but then I’m distracted by him moistening his lips. “You know all I want to do right now is kiss you, but—”

“Then what’s stopping you?” he asks, sliding my hand through the gap between the buttons on his shirt to rest on his bare chest.

For a moment, every thought about Unknown leaves my mind, and all I can think about is how badly I want this man in front of me. Then my stubbornness gets in the way.

“Unknown—he’s stopping me. I can’t get the idea of his filthy hands touching me out of my head,” I reply, removing my hand from Parker’s grip.

“Well, how about you just touch me?” he asks, laying back to lean against the arm of the couch. “You can be the one in control.” He raises his arms above his head and lays there in a submissive pose.

I stare at him, his face is serious, yet comforting. This doesn’t seem like him being cocky or too forward. He’s just trying to express how much he cares for me, and is even willing to let me be in control in order to make me feel more at ease. It’s kind of hot. He knows we both want this, and have for some time now.

“I don’t want to force you to do anything you don’t want to,” he says, bringing his hands to rest on his stomach.

“What makes you think you’re forcing me to do this?” I ask as I crawl on top of him. He goes to wrap his arms around me, but I scoop them up and rest them back behind his head. He smirks at this action, and lets out a small breath.

“I could get used to this,” he says, raising his head to kiss the front of my neck.

I release a tiny moan of satisfaction once the feeling of his lips on my skin becomes too much to bear. The sensation of his warm breath on the cool moist places wherever he leaves a kiss causes my body to erupt in delicious goose bumps. Leaning back to rest on his legs, I grab his shirt and rip it open. Thankfully his buttons are of the snap-together variety. I sit there admiring his physique with my hands—a physique he’s clearly put a lot of work into. He grins up at me when I catch his eyes, and pulls me closer. He wraps his arms around my waist and rolls himself on top of me.

“Is this okay?” he asks close to my face. I can tell he wants to make sure this whole thing is how I want it to go. He truly does want me to be in control.

“Yeah,” I reply, nodding my head before placing my hands on his face and kissing him. He doesn’t resist in the slightest, and our lips collide.

I reach around to the front of his shirt and wrestle to pull it back and down over his shoulders. He shakes out of it the rest of the way and plants his firm chest on me again. My hands find themselves exploring his sculpted back as he kisses me. The feeling of his firm tongue sweeping through my mouth fills me with anticipation of where this is eventually going to lead.

When his hand begins to creep up my shirt, I squirm because I’m a little ticklish.

“Is this still okay?” he asks, removing his hand from under my shirt. I smile at him because of how attentive and caring he’s being.

I nod and put his hand right back where it was. He leans down close to my ear as his hand trails up my stomach to just below my bra. He grazes his fingertips just underneath it, causing me to clench my eyes shut while drawing in a deep, pleasurable breath.

“You’re so f*cking beautiful,” he whispers.

Reaching down, I unbuckle his belt and undo the button on his jeans before sliding down the zipper. The sound of his zipper seems to send him into overdrive. He wraps an arm around me and pulls my shirt up. I raise my arms above my head, allowing the shirt to be easily removed.

Parker holds my gaze when our eyes meet again, and gently caresses my face with his firm fingers. “There’s so much I want to tell you right now.”

“Don’t tell me. Show me,” I reply, feeling all negative emotions slipping away and fully embracing Parker.

He rises from the couch and tucks one arm under my knees and the other against my back. He cradles me into his arms as I wrap mine around his neck. Our lips remain connected until he lays me on his twin-size bed, and even then, it takes a few moments. We’re completely enraptured with one another. I sense every emotion Parker has for me through the slightest touch on my bare skin.

He kicks off his shoes, followed by his pants, revealing the black-and-blue striped boxer-briefs underneath. He brings his mouth to rest on my stomach, placing small kisses around my belly button. His strong hands brace my hips as I begin to squirm from the crazy sensation. When I reach down to unbutton my hot pants, he stops me. He takes my hands and gently places them by my sides before flashing me a smile. His fingers graze my bare stomach, leading down to the top band of my hot pants. He teases my panty line before unbuttoning and unzipping the hot pants. Sliding them off with a little assistance from me, he tosses them to the ground to join the rest of our clothes.

He brings his head up and places a kiss on my lips before heading over to his dresser. Throwing open the top drawer, he draws out a condom. He shuts off the light, plunging the majority of the room into darkness. The only source of light now is the one coming through the blinds just behind the bed.

He places the condom on the nightstand next to the bed and climbs up, straddling me in the process. His muscular legs feel so nice next to mine. The blinds create a pattern of light across Parker’s chest, leaving his face silhouetted.

“Are you sure you want to do this? Because I’m cool with just some on-top-of-the-clothes stuff. Well, at least what we still have on,” he says with a subtle laugh.

I lean over and grab the condom from the stand. “I want to,” I reply, putting it in his hand.

He brings his face into the light and I smile when I see that gorgeous grin of his. “Will you do the honors?” he asks in a smooth, sexy voice while putting the condom wrapper in front of my mouth.

I rip open the package with my teeth and hand it back to him. After he crumples the wrapper in his fist and throws it off to the side, he presses himself against my bare skin. I look up at him and am filled with happiness at the look in his eyes. They aren’t lustful eyes. They’re caring eyes.

As he braces his arm around me to get in a better position, I close my eyes and moan in anticipation of the first push. I wish he could feel what he’s doing to me right now. The love I feel for this man—

Wait! Did I just say love?

“I want you to look at me, Dani.” He speaks softly, hovering right above my face, penetrating my thoughts. I open my eyes and he smiles. “I’m not going to hurt you, okay? We’ll take it slow.”

“Okay,” I reply.

His lips press against mine in a passionate embrace as he eases inside me. I clutch his back and leave the comfort of his lips to rest my head in the space between his head and shoulder, preparing for the next thrust. I feel him pull back a little and place his hand on my chin so I face him.

“I want you to look at me,” he whispers with gentle eyes just before he slides in again. His voice is so calming, and I just get lost, cast adrift amongst his words to the point that the slight pain felt is now replaced with pure, unadulterated bliss.

I begin to move with him, feeling every inch of his muscles tensing along with mine. My eyes never leave his, even when he dips down to kiss me once more.

“Dani?” he whispers breathlessly into my ear.

It takes me a moment to reply because I’m so distracted by taking all of him in. “Yeah,” I answer moments later, just as out of breath.

He starts to say something, but it’s stifled since my attention is focused on his hips moving forward against mine again. Then I slowly process what he was about to say before he cut himself off. He almost said the “L” word.

I can’t lie and say I haven’t thought about telling him this too, but it’s quite a different thing to say it out loud. When you say it, that’s when it becomes real and not just some crazy thought in your own head.

As he kisses me again, I can’t help but wonder why he stopped himself before he said it.