Page 35 of Mother Pucker

Sighing out my exhaustion, I pull his hand toward me, taking a large bite of his burrito.

At first, it feels like an explosion of tastes–spicy, salty, and even a hint of sweet–on my tongue, but the crunchy lettuce, the savory meat, and the flavorful beans have me slowing down my chewing so I can keep the taste in my mouth longer.

Holy shit! I wasn’t expecting that.

I mean, I’ve eaten burritos in the past–I’ve eaten a lot of things in the past that I no longer eat–but I guess I’d sort of forced myself to forget the taste. I made myself believe I wasn’t missing anything. But with just one bite, my taste buds have reawakened, as if they’d been asleep for decades.

Rowan’s thunderous laugh has me safely landing back on planet Earth. “Oh, Doc. I wish I could go back in time. I’d make you promise me something in return because shit, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a smile that big and that happy in all my life.”

I lick my lips before grabbing the burrito from his hand to take another bite. Then, I pass him my salad. “You can go now,” I mumble mid-bite before moaning a little louder than I’d intended. “I might need a few minutes alone with Mr. Big, Thick, and Tasty here.”

Rowan’s eyes flame. “Are you trying to make me jealous of a burrito, Doc? Because it’s fucking working.”

“Who, me?” I blink innocently at him, chewing my food.

He watches me devour almost his entire burrito until I’m in potential danger of going into a food coma–something I haven’t had in years–before placing the bottom part of it in my hand back on his plate on the coffee table.

When he turns back to me, his eyes drop to my lips and there’s that same hunger in them–the one no amount of saturated fat or carbs will satisfy. Raising his hand to my face, he drags his thumb along the corner of my mouth, capturing a trace of sour cream. He then brings his thumb to his lips and licks it clean.

Heat swirls in my abdomen as my heart rate kicks up, and we both stay locked in a moment neither of us want to release.

“What–” I pause, trying to find my words. “What promise would you have wanted in return?”

His gaze darkens, like a forest under twilight, before he grabs a hold of my hand and tugs me to him. In an instant, I’m straddling him on the couch–my small frame almost child-like against his. “That’s easy.”

I place my hands on his shoulders before I slip one around his jaw, rubbing my thumb against his short, dark scruff. “Tell me.”

“I’d have asked for a kiss.”

I bite back my smile, dropping my eyes to his chest, feeling completely tongue-tied. Instead, I deflect to more familiar territory, like the reason I’m here–his physical therapy and injury. “I’m probably making your pain worse.”

His voice is ragged on an exhale. “Oh, you have no idea.”

My eyes connect with his, my fingers trailing to the back of his neck. Have I ever felt this seen before? Like he’s literally looking for any opening to squeeze through and lodge himself deep inside me. It’s terrifying and thrilling at the same time.

“Rowan, I need us to have some boundaries, if–” I stutter, wondering where I’m getting the courage to even say this out loud, “if we’re going to do this.”

His hands rest on my ass. And though they haven’t moved, it’s a strangely possessive hold. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. As long as the rules don’t apply to my food, I’m game.”

I raise a brow, feeling cheeky. “And if they do?”

“Then I’d demand you be naked around me at all times.”

I laugh, watching as his eyes halt on my lips. “Deal.”

“I’d really like to get through these terms and conditions in the next few minutes, Doc. A man can only wait so long.”

I slide my index finger down his neck and feel him harden under me in response. “You’re an impatient man, Mr. Parker.”

His hands tighten on my ass. “You can’t possibly imagine how much patience this is taking.”

“Fine,” I say after a soft giggle. “I’ll start. As you know, I’m a single mom. My son’s safety and well-being is the most important thing to me. So, if we do this, I don’t want Kai knowing about it.”

“Ever?” Rowan grimaces.

I’m a little taken aback by the question. What does he mean, ever? Of course, it’sever. . .

How long does he expect this to last? He’ll fuck me out of his system and move on to one of the many women ready to throw their puck-bunny bodies at him. I can’t risk telling Kai about a short, detached relationship, especially not with his favorite hockey player. He’s only a little kid. We’ve had a brief chat about me “moving on” when the time was right, but I have no idea if he’d be ready for that now.

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