Page 128 of Mother Parker
I smiled and gave him a kiss, a quick one. The only kind I had strength for right now.
“With all my heart,” I said.
A smile crept up his face and brightened the darkness in the room.
“You make me so happy, Hwan. I love you. I’ve never loved anyone like I have you, and I’m sorry if that scares you—”
I put my fingers to his lips and shook my head. “It doesn’t.”
“Good,” he said. “Because if it does…tough shit.”
I laughed and lowered my arm, draping it around him. He did the same, resting his hand on the small of my back and pulling me onto him, close to his heart, so its soothing beat could lull me to sleep.
I couldn’t believe I’d almost pushed this feeling away, this man.
Thank God for Halmeoni. If it weren’t for her, I didn’t know if I’d be lying here with Parker.
“I love you, Parker,” I whispered against his chest and waited.
“I love you too, boba,” he said, and I nuzzled against him, the pet name on his lips making me feel warm and at peace.
It was okay.
It was all going to be okay.
TWENTY-SEVEN
HWAN
Exhaustion stretched over my body like a tangled web, but despite last night’s events, I had to get up. Even if I wanted to sleep in—and didn’t I deserve it after what happened—my brain was awake by eight in the morning.
Parker stirred beside me, his hand still wrapped around me, keeping his promise to never let me go. Apparently, not even in his sleep.
“Good morning,” he said with a lazy smile.
I reciprocated with a kiss on the nose and tried to get out of bed only to be dragged back down to him.
“Parker, your shoulder,” I said as he attacked me with kisses and tickles that crawled under my skin and clogged up my heart with fuzzies.
“My shoulder’s fine,” he said. “I’ve got something else that’s sore though.”
“Oh my God, Parker. Shut up!” I tried to push him off me, laughing, but seeing as I didn’t want to hurt him or pop those stitches, there was very little I could do about being subjected to his torture. His sweet, sweet torture.
Not that I was complaining.
In fact, I wanted nothing more than to stay in bed with him, but it was impossible.
The town was slowly rising, if they hadn’t already, and the destruction of my beloved shop would be clear as day. And I needed to do something before someone decided all my furniture and equipment were up for grabs.
If they haven’t already.
“I need to go,” I said.
“Please stay, boba. We’ll deal with the world later,” he mumbled, gnawing on my earlobe and inhaling like a hungry dog.
“I can’t,” I groaned and finally escaped his clutches and jumped in the shower before he pinned me down. Not that I hated the idea.
When I came out, Parker tried to snatch the towel from around my hips, but all he got was a flick on the dick. He bent over like a wounded puppy.
