Page 133 of Just This Once

Parker scowled out at me before growling, “In here.”

I set my hands on my hips and returned his glare tenfold. “Did you really justsummonme? During my brother’s song? What do you think you’re?—?”

He grabbed my arm and yanked me into the bathroom.

As soon as the door clicked shut, he spun to me demanding, “What the actual fuck, Trouble?”

My brows lifted. “Well, hello to you too.” Glancing around, I couldn’t help but ask, “Where’d your friend go?”

He had the audacity to look confused. “Friend?”

“Thegirl,” I bit out from between clenched teeth. “The girl who slipped you a note, and youfollowedup here?”

“I didn’t follow anyone up here,” he claimed. “And she didn’t give me a note. She gave me her number. Which is now in that trash can right there.”

After I traced his gaze to the trash and saw a crumpled bit of pink in the same shade as the note that the skank had given him, I smiled. “Really?”

“Don’t fucking smile about that,” he ordered irritably.

Unable to stop, I taunted, “Why, Grumpy, is something the matter?”

“Something?” he sputtered. “Try a whole fuckinglistfull of somethings.”

With a quick laugh, I pointed at him. “Lists, right?” I nodded in understanding. “They’re freaking addictive, aren’t they? Pretty soon, you’re going to have your own bucket list started.”

Parker did not share the love. Grinding his teeth, he glanced toward the ceiling as if seeking patience. Then, he met my gaze with a pointed glower.

“First of all,” he started, but instead of listing a single grievance, he grabbed a fistful of my shirt and hauled me in to smash his mouth against mine.

His tongue spiked between my teeth, and I moaned, arching up onto my toes and tangling my hands in his hair. He kissed me hotly and thoroughly, putting everything he had into it.

And when our lips broke apart so we could gasp for air, he stayed right there with me, resting his brow against mine as he breathed heavily.

A moment later, he shifted his gaze up to mine and squinted in confusion. “What the hell are you wearing?”

Remembering my lime green eye shadow and over-the-top liner, I sniffed out a smile. “The girlfriends and I decided to dress crazy to cheer Xander up. She still misses her boyfriend.”

He blinked. “You have a black tooth.”

“Oh yeah.” I slapped a hand over my mouth and started to crack up. “I forgot about that.”

Parker reached out and rubbed it away with his thumb. Then his gaze traveled over my face before he tenderly tucked a piece of my hair behind my ear that had come free of my braid.

“You told the girlfriends about the orgasm king.”

I cringed. “Only because I didn’t think they’d go and immediately blab to everyone else about him.”

Eyes glittering with smug pleasure, he said, “You bragged about me.”

“No,” I denied. “I?—”

“Bragged about me,” he insisted, only to furrow his brow. “So why were you starting shit with me then?”

“Huh?

“You were zinging potshots from the moment I walked in the door.”

“Oh.” I blinked in confusion because he should already know why. “I thought weagreedto glare and bicker at each other when we were around the others, you know, to throw them off the scent.”

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