Page 23 of Puck You Not

With turmoil roiling inside me, I followed him through the back door of his house, so we could avoid most of the party.He led me into a short hallway then to his room.When he turned the lock behind us, the sound of it had been loud in the silence that had fallen between us, though with the revelry out front, the house wasn’t quiet at all.

He set down the basket of things he’d carried inside for me, then turned, taking a deep breath.We faced each other, both standing beside the bed.How had I gone from studying at Nash’s to this, all within the space of a couple hours?

“I can sleep on the floor,” he offered.“I’d just go take the couch in the living room but…”

But the party was still going strong.It was loud and crowded, and I actually had no idea how either of us would get any sleep tonight.Thankfully, I didn’t have class until noon the next day.

“Don’t you have conditioning in the morning?I remember when we had Shakespeare together that you had some sort of training in the morning.”

“We had Shakespeare together?”

“Yeah.”

“I must have been more fucked up that semester than I’d thought.Must have been if I didn’t notice a goddess like you in the class.In my defense, I had a night class that year.I was there late, then had to get up ass-early for conditioning, then rush to class.It’s a miracle I even learned anything about The Bard.”

“You learned he was called The Bard.”I spared him details and didn’t mention that he’d usually sat right beside me, since there was always an empty seat.“So…do you have to be to the rink in the morning?”

“Yeah.We’re getting ready for the championships.I have a half-practice at six,” he answered on a yawn.I suspected he was usually in bed by now.

“Then you can’t sleep on the floor.I’ll—”

“No fucking way,” he interrupted.“There’s no way on earth I’m letting you sleep on the floor while I take the bed.”

His jaw had gone hard again, and his eyes narrowed, telling me I’d have a fight on my hands if I tried to argue.

“Look…” I sighed, at an impasse because I wouldn’t let him take the floor, either.“Porter and Nash trust you, and I know they’d both kick your ass in their own ways if you did something I don’t want.So…why don’t we just…share your bed.It’s a queen, right?We’ll do fine.”

“You’re sure?”he asked, uncertainty and a trace of hope in his tone.

“Yeah.”

“Yeah,” he echoed.“So… There’s something else, before we climb into bed together.”

A shiver cruised down my spine at the rumble in his voice.

“You have weird appendages?”I teased, because we’d gotten way too serious.

“Depends on what you call weird,” he laughed.“I promise to keep my big appendage away from you—for tonight anyway.But I also promised you something else.”

He stepped closer to me, his hand coming up to cup the side of my face.My breath caught as he pulled me toward him.His lips slanted over mine in a brush, just like earlier when Sheena had watched us.But this time, it wasn’t a fleeting touch.He growled, his mouth pressing more firmly, demanding entrance as I sighed and opened for him.

My arms slipped around his neck.His fingers cupped my cheek before they slipped back to thread into my hair, forcing my braid to unravel.Parrish splayed his other hand on my lower back and jerked me into him.Our bodies aligned, touching chest-to-chest—well, my chest to his upper abs and the ridge of his cock pressed into my belly.My nipples tightened into aching points and arousal ebbed through my body in waves, my center growing wet and tingling with need.

I went to my toes to get closer, fingers pushing up into his hair.It was just as soft as I’d imagined it to be.Only…I’d never imagined his smell.Fresh, masculine, with a hint of crisp sea air, but holding something dark that crept down into my soul.

Parrish’s ironlike hold clamped me to him, taking control, but it didn’t frighten me.I wanted exactly what he was delivering.His mouth plundered mine, but it was more than kissing.It was devouring.It was owning.

I moaned, my foot hooking on his calf while I leaned into him.Parrish’s fingers inched down, curling into the upper curve of my ass.

A gasp ripped from me when he reared back.“We have to stop.God, I don’t want to, but we have to.We have to or I won’t be able to keep my promise.”

Promise?What promise?Disoriented, I stared at him.

He set me back from him, but the wild look in his eyes screamed what he really wanted.And it wasn’t to stop.He wantedme,and it gave me courage.

“It was okay?”I asked.The words held a multitude of questions.Was the kiss okay?Did he want more?Was he disappointed?Would we kiss again?But that was my insecurity speaking.

“Everything I imagined,” he confirmed, ghosting his curled fingers along my cheek.Needy for touch, his touch, I leaned into the caress.

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