Page 92 of Just This Once

He sent me a warning glance. “Don’t turn it into a thing, Langston.”

But I couldn’t help myself. This was just too juicy. Playfully dancing my fingers up his bare chest, I sang, “You wanted me first.”

Catching my hand in a firm grip, he snorted. “Not if you were thinking about me while you were with other guys, I didn’t. Besides, you fucking flirted with me all Monday night long.Youstarted this.”

I gasped indignantly. “I didn’t flirt with you on Monday.”

“Oh, really?” His eyebrows arched before he started quoting, “You’re just jealous I didn’t climb on top of you. Don’t pull my hair too hard; I might like it. Thanks for theride.”

Throwing my head back, I laughed outright and nudged his shoulder. “That is not at all how I said that last line.”

He smiled along with me, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “Well, that’s how I heard it.”

I shook my head over his insanity, only for a wave of dizziness to swamp me. “Whoa,” I reached for the edge of the hot tub while vertigo took over and the whole balcony started to swim.

“What?” Parker asked, his voice alert with concern as he caught my hand to help ground me. “What’s wrong?Hope.”

I shook my head and swallowed as the world slowly started to right itself again. “Just got dizzy for a second. I’ve probably been in the water too long.”

“We’ll leave, then,” he decided immediately, lifting me with him as he rose and causing gallons of water to cascade off us.

“But I was having fun,” I protested even as I let him take my hand to help me out.

“We can have fun anywhere,” he assured, holding on tight as I slowly swung my leg over the side.

Gah, I was starting to feel shaky and nauseous too. I made sure not to mention that, though. Parker already seemed worried.

As water kept pouring off me because I still had clothes and shoes on, I cringed. “I’m getting the floor all wet.”

“Fuck the floor. It’ll dry.”

I nodded and took a step toward the sliding door that led back inside, only to stumble in my heels.

“Hey,” Parker said, tightening his grip on my hand that he’d never bothered to let go of.

“I’m fine,” I assured, waving away his concern. Then I grumbled, “Stupid heels,” as I bent my knee to bring my foot up behind me so I could unbuckle the strap and tug the shoe off.

Parker stayed beside me, holding my hand as I removed the second. Once I was barefoot, I blasted him with a relieved smile, announcing, “All good. See.”

And I took another step forward to lead the way inside, determined to show him that I was fully recovered.

Except two strides in, my knees buckled and the world slanted sideways. “Shit.”

“The hell?” Parker caught me in his arms and hauled me completely off my feet so he could carry me. “All good my ass. What’s going on, Trouble?”

“I don’t—” Turning my face into his bare, wet chest, I closed my eyes and drew in his natural scent that I could still make out over all the chemicals that had been in the water. Breathing him in helped tamp down the nausea, and my brain started to work better. “Damn,” I remembered. “I forgot to take my nightly meds.”

He swerved an incredulous glance to my face. “Missingonedosage does this to you?”

“Sometimes,” I slurred, closing my eyes and beginning to pet his arm since goosebumps were popping out on my own flesh.

“Is it too late to take them now?”

“No.” I shook my head and rubbed his skin a little more aggressively to warm him up. The air-conditioning was running full blast, I swear. “Probably a good idea to take them now.”

“Okay.” His voice was calm as he lowered me. “Do you have them here?”

I opened my eyes and glanced around to find us in the bedroom already. When my bottom hit the mattress, I tried to arch right back off it. “I’ll get the sheets wet.”

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