Page 129 of This Wild Heart

My eyes shut as his lips brushed my forehead, my hands clutching at his shirt while we stood there just breathing each other in.

I pulled back just far enough to look into his face. My hand cradled his jaw, my fingertips dancing along the short hairs along the back of his neck. “I love you too,” I whispered back. He shut his eyes, a sigh of relief making his shoulder slump. “Can we pretend one more thing?”

The affection in his eyes when he opened them … made my head spin. “What?”

I leaned up on the balls of my feet, my hand gripping the back of his neck. “Pretend my entire family isn’t watching right now,” I spoke against his lips.

Parker laughed, his wide, bright smile like the sun breaking open over us. “Deal,” he murmured. “But if your dad kicks my ass for this, you have to protect me.”

“Always,” I said around a smile.

His mouth was on mine in the next heartbeat.

I pressed closer, tilting my head to let him deepen the kiss, my arms winding tight around his neck, a relieved moan slipping from my mouth to his when he wrapped one arm around my waist, his other hand diving into my hair.

Behind us was a flurry of squeals and claps, and I was pretty sure I heard Violet let out a loud whistle. But it was all muted. The only thing I could really focus on was the feel of his tongue teasing mine, the steady thrum of his chest where it pressed against me, and the mind-spinning feel of the muscles in his arms as he gripped me tight.

There was strength in the way he held me. Like he’d never let me go.

And that was a good thing, because I didn’t want him to.

Chapter 34

Anya

He couldn’t stop touching me.

My parents invited Parker inside, and after the initial flurry of high emotions ebbed, it was just good to see him hang out with my family. But no matter what we did, I was always within reach.

His hand reached for mine as he and my dad talked sports—his upcoming season and some of the roster changes in Washington and Portland.

When he sat on the floor to play a card game with Willa, his back against the couch, I sat with my legs on either side of him so I could play with the short hair on the back of his neck, Parker occasionally wrapping his hand around my ankle, his thumbs dragging along my skin.

If I sat down next to him, his arm was around me, fingers tangling in my hair. Or his palm was over my thigh, a casual proprietary hold that made me a little breathless.

Leo was the biggest hit of the party. The girls all made a huge fuss over him, each taking turns trying to make him smile, which seemed to distract Willa from her death-defying YouTube dreams.

At one point, my dad had Leo standing up on his lap, his big hands wrapped around Leo’s little rib cage. And when Leo sneezed, my dad let out a low, amused laugh, pulling the baby up to blow a kiss on his belly, and I saw Isabel swipe underneath her eyes.

“You could always have another one,” I whispered.

She smacked my thigh—the one Parker wasn’t holding. “You bite your tongue. I’m in my forties. Plus, imagine Willa teaching the younger generation.”

I winced. “Fair enough.”

Willa’s friends were slowly picked up, and more than a few parents wore stunned facial expressions at the addition of Parker to our party. Mia’s dad gave me a sheepish smile and disappeared with a lot less chitchat than when he’d dropped her off. In his defense, I was sitting on Parker’s lap, his arm banded around my waist. It didn’t leave much needed in the way of explanation.

The skies were getting dark, and Willa’s sugar crash was hitting her. She’d fallen asleep on the floor with one of her new toys gripped in her arms.

Parker finished his cake, a speck of pink frosting clinging to his bottom lip as he set the plate down on the coffee table in front of the couch. I cupped his face and brushed it off with my thumb.

“Missed a spot,” I told him.

His eyes held mine. “I don’t think you got it all.”

With a grin, I leaned in and kissed him softly, swiping my tongue along his bottom lip. “All clean,” I whispered.

At the dazed expression on his face, I bit down on my smile, but Isabel noticed, a knowing glint in her eye where she sat by my dad and Leo on the couch. She laid her head on Dad’s shoulder as he made silly faces to get the baby to smile.

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