“So why now?” I teased, feeling overwhelmed by the way he was looking at me.
“I think the better question is what took me so long.” His words were muffled as he came closer to me, but I tasted them against my lips. I didn’t realize how starved I was until that moment. Then his lips touched mine, the first drag of his lips stealing my breath.
I had thought about this moment forever, dreamed of it, wished for it, but I never imagined it would be this good.
His hands gripped in my hair angling me exactly where he wanted me, and I gasped for breath as he pulled my bottom lip between his teeth.
His tongue ran along the same spot before it entered my mouth, and I only thought I was starving before.
We became a mess of lips, tongues, teeth, and hands. He gripped my waist in his hand before he pressed me against the house. I hadn’t even realized we had moved, but I didn’t care. I wrapped my legs around him, which seemed to shock him but only for a moment. He pressed into me, and I could feel him everywhere. I was surrounded by him, and I had never wanted to be somewhere so badly in my life.
My stomach was coiled tight, almost in pain, and I knew that I needed more from him. One of his hands was holding my weight under my ass while the other felt like a brand on my thigh. Searing me. Setting me on fire. I ran my hand against the edge of his t-shirt before running my fingers against the ridges of his stomach.
He shuddered under my touch, and I pressed my center into him harder, needing more.
His mouth pulled away from me, his forehead pressed against mine, but I wasn’t ready to stop. I tried to bring his lips back to mine, but Parker took a step back, dropping me back to my feet.
I was leaning against the house, not trusting myself to hold my own weight yet, and he was staring at me, his hand running through his hair.
“Why’d you stop?” I asked, my voice breathless. My chest tight with anticipation of his answer.
“Because I’m about to lose every bit of control I have left.” He took a deep breath. “Fuck, Livy.” His gaze ran down my body, and I could feel it as if it was his hands. “Fuck.”
P A R K E R
Present
“What do you think about this one?” Emily held the fork out to me with another bite of cake on it. After fifteen different choices, they were all starting to blend together.
“It’s good too.”
“Ugh, Parker. We have to pick one. We don’t have much time.”
I wanted to tell her that we wouldn’t be in this predicament if she hadn’t fired the first baker, but I was smart enough to know that comment wouldn’t be appreciated.
“Then I say lemon cake with that vanilla frosting.” I pointed to the yellow cake that was getting lost in the sea of all the others.
“Really?” She snarled her lip. “I liked the chocolate one.”
“Then get the chocolate one.” I had to force myself not to roll my eyes. I didn’t know why she brought me to this shit anyways. She didn’t really care what my opinion was.
“Babe, I have to go. I have another appointment at one.”
She smiled a tight smile, clearly irritated with me. “Okay. Love you.”
“I love you too.” I kissed her on the top of her head.
She didn’t look back at me again as I walked out. Instead she was deep in conversation with the baker, pointing to the chocolate cake.
I pulled my phone out and checked the time. I only had about twenty minutes until my appointment, and I was grateful. I needed to get lost with the vibration of my gun in my hand. It would clear my head.
Livy didn’t even look up when I walked into the door of the shop and that was fine. We had been pleasant toward each other since she started, having no problems, but we weren’t friendly. I could hear her joking around and laughing with Brandon and Staci while I was in my station, which was great, but as soon as I entered the room she tensed up. She tried to hide it, but I could see it.
We could all see it.
I began setting up my equipment, the routine almost robotic. I had just got it set up when my client walked in the door. We shook hands, and I adjusted my chair for him.
Before I even had to ask her, Livy had my music playing through the speakers. I got to work on the massive back piece I was finishing. I had already spent about six hours on it about a month ago, doing all of the outline, and now he was back to have all the color work done.
An hour into it, I was completely zoned out and didn’t even hear anyone else come into the shop. It wasn’t until I heard Livy’s voice and the words it was saying that my attention was pulled away from my work.
“I’m sorry. I already told you that we are completely booked out.”
We were booked out pretty damn far, but not indefinitely.
“Seriously, Livy. I know Parker has something. You can’t refuse me an appointment.” It was a woman’s voice. It was vaguely familiar and slightly annoying.
“First, don’t call me Livy. It’s Liv. Second, we have the right to refuse service to anyone we want.”
That got my attention.
“Give me a second,” I said to my client, and he just nodded his head.
I poked my head around the door of my workspace to see who on earth Livy was being so rude to. We never refused to tattoo anyone unless they were underage, drunk, or just wanted something so incredibly stupid that I couldn’t bring myself to tattoo it.
As soon as I saw the head of blonde hair that I knew belonged to my ex, Madison, I knew I might be in trouble. Livy was staring at her with murder in her eyes, and I didn’t dare interrupt them. Madison stopped by the shop about once every six months. Every time she came by, I refused to see her, but it never seemed to deter her.
“You’re a bitch, Liv.” Madison sounded out her name.
“Yeah, well you’re a fucking leech, Madison. Still trying to get close enough to suck the life out of him, huh? Didn’t you hear he’s getting married?” Livy was leaning over the desk precariously close to Madison.
“I did, actually.” Madison swept her hair over her shoulder. “But I think the two of us have that in common, not giving a fuck if he’s taken or not.”
I could see the anger filling Livy, and I knew from experience that girl had quite a bit of fire inside her. When she burned, everyone else burned with her.
I needed to step in. I should have stepped in, but I also wanted to know Livy’s reaction. I desperately wanted to know what was going on in that head of hers.
“That’s where you’re wrong, sweetheart,” Livy spoke through gritted teeth, looking hot as hell. “The only thing that the two of us have in common is that he broke both of our hearts. Now get the fuck out of here before I break something else.”