Page 93 of Just This Once

“They’lldry,” he ground out in a harder tone before gripping my face to gain my attention. “Hope,whereare your pills?”

I blinked sleepily and tried to focus on his eyes. “In my purse. Foyer. Table.”

Gah, but that hot tub had seriously zapped all the energy out of me. Sleep suddenly sounded incredibly nice.

In front of me, Parker nodded and then let go of my face before hurrying off.

I took that moment to slide off the bed to keep it from getting soaked. But it was so freaking cold in here. Shivering, I huggedmyself as I crumpled onto the floor where the carpet seemed to offer a smidgeon of warmth.

When Parker returned, he had my whole purse along with a bottle of water, and he was still buck-ass naked. I blinked up at him, entertained by the sight, while he paused in his tracks when he found me trembling in a ball on the floor, hugging myself for warmth.

“Stubborn-headed woman,” he muttered and knelt in front of me.

After unscrewing the cap on the water, he handed it to me and upended the purse to make all the contents spill across the carpet. Tampons, receipts, mini hand sanitizers, lotions, wallet, spare change, and hair scrunchies everywhere. When half a dozen pill bottles spilled out with them, Parker started snatching them up, one by one.

“Which ones?”

I squinted through a fog to read the labels before picking three. “These.”

“Okay.” He nodded and opened them for me, so I only had to hold out my hand as he dropped the required amount of pills into my palm. We repeated the process until I’d taken everything I needed.

But Parker still watched me closely as he asked, “Is that it?”

I bobbed my head and shuddered, hugging myself tighter before I admitted, “Cold.”

“I’ll get a towel.”

As he popped to his feet and disappeared inside the bathroom, I tried to peel the strap of my teddy off my shoulder, but as wet and plastered to my skin as it was, it might as well be glued on. Growling in frustration, I gave it a tug to no avail.

“Here. Let me.”

Not realizing Parker had returned, I blinked up at him blearily and watched as he methodically went about strippingme, looking about as affected as if he were taking the clothes off a mannequin.

“You look really good walking around here naked,” I said, gifting him with a tired smile.

He grunted and then scowled at my teddy before ripping at the cloth to help remove it. Then he finally glanced up, distractedly answering, “Yeah. You too.”

I glanced down at myself before slowly picking up the tattered remains that were still hanging off me. “My teddy.”

“It served its purpose, trust me.” And Parker finally managed to shed it from me with one last violent tear. Tossing it aside, he wrapped warm terry cloth around my shoulders and started to rub heat back into my limbs.

Amazed by how charitable he was being, I blinked up at him and mumbled, “Thank you.”

He didn’t answer, just picked me up off the floor so he could stand with me in his arms and deposit me back onto the bed. From there, he crawled in with me and covered us both with the blankets, probably to ensure that I wouldn’t try to climb off again.

But I couldn’t deny that I liked all his toasty flesh pressed up against mine. Burrowing into his side, I rested my head on his chest and wrapped my arm around his waist before sighing.

“Yes. Nowthishits the spot.”

He tightened his arms around me and kissed my hair. “What else do you need?”

“Nothing,” I realized. I had everything right here. The world was perfect. But then my eyes closed of their own volition, and I slurred, “Maybe jus’ a little nap.”

From there, I knew no more.

24

PARKER

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