Page 80 of Just This Once

“What?” I screeched. “No!”

He shrugged that off with the hint of a smile, only to scoff a moment later. “God, please don’t tell me you were going to light the place up with candles and spreadrosepetals across the bed or some shit.”

“Of course not.” I think I scowled even harder at that suggestion. “I just want an orgasm, not a night ofromance.”

“Then what the hell’s in the fucking bags?”

He pulled his hand from his pocket and reached for one to peer inside.

But I suddenly felt like too much of an idiot to let him see what I’d been planning.

“Don’t,” I said, panicking.

He halted and glanced up in surprise. “What the hell? Ah, shit. Itiscandles and rose petals, isn’t it?”

I sniffed. “No, it’s not.”

“Then why can’t I see? Isn’t it for me?”

“No,” I repeated with a roll of my eyes. “It’s forme. It’s just—Oh my God, it’s makeup and lotions and stuff. To primp. Okay?” When he opened the top of one sack wider with one finger and peeked in, I moodily explained, “I was going to show up early tomorrow and take a shower here and do up my face and hair and—I don’t know. Now it just sounds stupid.”

He blinked at me as if I’d lost my mind before he snickered. “Hell, yes, it sounds stupid. I’ve been hard sinceTuesdaybecause of your little request. Do you really think I need all this crap in order to get it up for you?”

I paused because—oh boy. But then I chased that titillating piece of information off with a scowl because—“Like I said,nothing in there is for you. I just wanted to feel—” Fumbling for the right word, I shook my head before coming up with, “Fancy. Alright? All that is for me.”

But it was as if he hadn’t even heard me. “I could take you just the way you are right now. I don’t need fancy. I could pin you against that wall and fuck every thought you ever had right out of your head.” After taking in the wall and mentally measuring its durability, he slid his gaze back to me. “In fact, I think I will.”

He started toward me with a primal hunger in his eyes, and I lurched back bumping into the wall before skidding sideways along the surface with an alarmed, “The deal was for tomorrow.”

He paused, narrowing his eyes in displeasure. “Yet we’re both herenow.”

“But I’m not ready,” I countered, gesturing desperately toward my bags of goodies.

Parker shook his head and took a slower, predatory step closer. “You don’t need that shit, Hope. Trust me.”

My breathing started to escalate because I was completely unprepared for this. I didn’t have anything set up as I’d planned it in my head. And we couldn’t stray from the plan. I wouldn’t know what to do or say or?—

Shaking my head frantically, I whispered, “Tomorrow.”

He watched me for a moment as if trying to climb into my brain and read my thoughts. Then he asked, “You want to back out completely?”

I shook my head. “No. Not at all. I just—” I needed to prepare. I didn’t feel prepared. I wasn’t going to be able to relax and enjoy anything until I felt completely prepared.

“You just what?”

“I’m nervous.Okay?” I boomed, glaring at him for making me admit it.

He straightened in surprise. “Nervous?”

An anxious laugh tumbled from my lips as I glanced up at the ceiling. “Well, yeah. Duh.”

“What’re you nervous about?” he asked as he drew near enough to reach for a single piece of my hair from my shoulder and idly coil it around his finger. “I’m the one who needs to impressyou.”

My stomach twisted with desire, and I gulped before shaking my head to tell him I had no idea why I was nervous, but then words just started to spill from my mouth against my consent. “If I can’t come for you, it’s not your fault, okay? It’s me. I’ve never come for anyone. I’m just—” I shook my head insistently. “I’m broken.”

“You’re not broken,” he told me, sounding sure of himself. “You’ll come just fine for me. I guarantee it.”

I scoffed. “What makes you so sure?”

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