Page 57 of Someday You Learn

Parker’s jaw clenches and then he turns away from the window and heads back into the kitchen.

“Parker?” I call, trailing after him cautiously. “Are you okay?”

He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he grabs the sponge and starts scrubbing a plate like it personally offended him.

“Hey,” I say, placing a hand on his forearm. “I told you I would clean up since you cooked.”

“It’s fine,” he replies, his voice clipped.

I take a step back and study him, wondering how he went from acting the part of adoring fiancé back to grumpy old man again so quickly. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No, Cashlynn. I’m fine, okay?”

“Okay…but you don’t seem fine. You seem like you’re about to go lock yourself in your room and start ironing your whole freaking closet.”

He turns to look at me. “Why would I do that?”

“I don’t know. Why do you iron your socks?”

He shakes his head and blows out a breath. “Just drop it.”

“I don’t understand—”

He drops the sponge in the water and hangs his head. “I just have a lot of feelings right now, and I’m trying not to explode, okay?”

My heart thunders in my chest. “Okay…”

His head turns and our eyes meet, his stormy with something I can’t quite place. “This whole thing…” He lifts a hand and gestures vaguely between us as his eyes drop down to my lips and then back up to my eyes. “It’s just a lot, okay?”

“I get it.”

He nods and retrieves the sponge from the water, going back to washing the dishes. For a second, I contemplate pushing him to open up to me, to tell me everything that’s going through his mind, but I think better of it. Because if he’s feeling even half of what I’m feeling, I’m sure he’s overwhelmed.

Every time this man touches me, my entire body ignites, my skin comes alive, and this need to surrender to him fills my veins. No man has ever made me feel as safe and seen as he does. It was instant the first time we met, and as we slip deeper into our parts in this production, the more I crave that side of him again. This gruff man, the one who’s probably about to crack a tooth from clenching his jaw so hard? That man is not the Parker I fantasized about.

The only thing I can do is try to remind him of what we shared, of how incredible our connection was and still is—how the sacrifices he’s making for me make me want to give myself over to him, mind and body.

“Parker?” I say softly.

“Yeah?”

“Look at me.”

He sighs and drops the sponge back in the water, turning to face me. His green eyes meet mine, framed by his glasses, and my breath catches. “What?”

Without hesitating, I cup his face with both hands and bring his lips to mine. He freezes for a beat, but as soon as I swipe my tongue across his lower lip, he groans and opens up for me.

Mother of God. Yes, this is what I need.

Our mouths move together on instinct, nipping and sucking, swirling tongues and swallowing moans as he lifts me onto the counter, squeezing my hips and devouring my mouth. I wrap my legs around his waist, pulling him closer into me, rubbing myself along his erection I can feel pressing against the zipper of his slacks.

I claw at his back, dig one hand into his hair, and pull him in as tightly as I can. He grabs handfuls of my ass, pressing his cock to my center, right where I need him most.

Butthen, as if someone threw a bucket of ice water on him, he rips himself from me, his chest heaving as he steps back, his gaze locked on mine.

“Fuck,” he groans, turning away and running a hand through his hair.

I hop down from the counter, move closer to him, and gently turn him to face me.

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