Page 47 of Just This Once

I lifted my eyebrows over his little tantrum, and his nostrils flared as he shook his head warningly at me.

And that’s when I finally dropped the bomb.

“Have you ever given a woman a genuine orgasm before?” I asked, pushing the tray out of my way so I could rest my clasped hands there. “Like, during sex?”

He blinked at me before dropping his gaze to my fingers. “Excuseme?”

“Honestly,” I insisted. “I’d like to know; can you make a girl come or not?”

“What the fuck, Langston? I’m trying to work here.” Still scowling, he reopened his laptop and shook his head to clear it before returning his gaze to the screen.

“Okay,” I said, drawing in a deep breath. “Let’s try a new track, then. Can I tell you something, and younottell it to Alec?”

“No.” Keeping his gaze glued to his laptop, he muttered, “I thought we clarified this; I’m not your damn secret keeper. I’m not hiding anything from your brother.He’smy best friend, not you. So I couldn’t give a shit less about whatever private thing you want to tell me. Go gab it to one of your girl friends.”

God, this man was so freaking stubborn. “I don’t have any girl friends,” I told him plainly.

He scoffed. “Shocking.”

“My liver’s failing,” I went on, ignoring the jab and causing him to lift his gaze in surprise. “Again,” I added with a what’re-you-gonna-do shrug. “The piece that Alec gave me stopped working too. I need a re-transplant.”

Shock flashed over his features, but he masked it quickly as he kept staring at me. Then he sniffed bitterly and rolled his eyes. “Sothat’swhy you’re back in town. The truth finally comes out. You want to takemorefrom him?”

“What?No!” I screeched, pulling back in utter offense. “That’s why Idon’twant you to tell him. Because he probablywouldtry to give me more of his liver. But I’m not taking anything else from Alec, and he can’t donate to me twice, anyway. So the only thing telling him would do is upset him. AndI’m not going to doanythingto hurt my little brother. I’m here because he’s my favorite person, and I just—I wanted to spend what remaining time I have left with him.”

For a long, frozen moment, his hard stare bore a hole through me as he absorbed what I’d just revealed.

“So… What? You’redying?” he finally asked.

When I nodded, he sniffed, not buying it.

“I’m on a waiting list with UNOS for another liver, of course,” I explained. “So it’s entirely possible I’ll get another transplant opportunity, but the chances of something actually coming in on time aren’t looking that great, so…”

Parker gazed at me unmoving for the longest moment, his expression completely unreadable, before he shook his head. “Why are you tellingmethis?”

“Right.” Remembering my plan, I slapped a piece of paper down on the table between us. It had been folded enough times to make the sheet soft and pliable. “So I started a bucket list.”

One eyebrow arched. “A bucket list?”

“Yeah. You know, things I want to do beforekickingthe bucket.”

Parker shook his head slowly. “You don’t look like you’re dying.”

“Aww.” I tipped my head as if he’d just complimented me before I straightened and shot back, “And you don’t look like a rich, conceited jerk, but here we are.”

He narrowed his eyes darkly.

I cleared my throat. “No matter how I look, the fact remains that I need a liver because they don’t think I have another five years left in me. Which is why I’d like to get as much done on my list as I can. Meaning?—”

“I’m pretty sure I don’t want to hear any more of this,” Parker warned, pulling back in his chair as if he already knew what I was going to ask of him.

But I ignored him, unable to stop now. There were no brakes on this ride.

Spreading my hands over my list to smooth it out flat on the table between us, I cleared my throat to read one specific line, “Number four. I want to have an orgasm.”

Parker’s jaw went taut. He glanced down at the list, then back up at me.

“I’ll buy you a vibrator,” he intoned dryly.

---