Page 45 of To Hold and Protect

She’d fed him that line, curious to see what he’d do with it, and what she got was his body wrapped around hers, her back to his chest. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her to him so that his erection was pressed against her bottom, then he lowered his mouth to her ear. “So, tell me what you have against big heads.”

“Not a damn thing.”

“That’s what I thought.” He trailed his hands up her stomach to her breasts, cupped them, then flicked his thumbs over her nipples, and while he played with her breasts, he nuzzled her neck. When he scraped his teeth over her skin, she shivered. “Like that, do you?”

“Mmm.” She arched against him and secretly smiled when a shudder traveled through him. “I want you in me, Parker.”

“Yes.” He stepped away from her, picked up his jeans, and pulled out condoms.

While he was doing that, she climbed into the bed. She widened her eyes when he dropped three on her night table. “Planning on being here a while?”

“Until you fall asleep on me.” The mattress dipped when he kneeled next to her on the bed. He put his hand on her stomach and made circles with his thumb. “I’ve wanted you since the first time I saw you sitting on your porch wearing your straw hat and cowboy boots.”

“You could have fooled me. I thought you didn’t like me.”

“I didn’t want to like you. I told myself I could ignore you, and I definitely didn’t plan on ending up in your bed.” His gaze skimmed over her body, then he lifted his eyes to hers. “Yet here I am.”

“That’s because I’m irresistible.” She smiled to show him she was teasing, but she was learning that Parker Church, unlike a lot of men, didn’t hesitate to share his honest feelings. That was refreshing.

“Yes, you are.”

“Same could be said of you.” If he hadn’t been, her manless vacation plan wouldn’t have flown out the window without a single regret.

“Lift your head up.” When she did, he reached behind her and pulled the band out of her hair, then he combed his fingers through it. “Your hair is amazing.”

“Thank you.” He couldn’t know what that meant to her. Growing up, both her mother and Cynthia had done their best to try and get her to load it down with product to tame the wildness. It had taken her a long time to learn to like her hair in its natural state.

“Welcome.” He crawled over her, settled between her thighs, and supporting himself with his elbows, he kissed her. She opened to him, and the touch of her tongue against his sent tingles racing through her. She could get addicted to kissing Parker Church.

“So many places I want my mouth on you, Willow,” he said after he lifted his head and stared into her eyes. “But right now, I need to be inside you.” His gaze shifted away from hers. “If that’s what you want, too.”

“Yes, please. I do want that.” There was something in his voice that she couldn’t place, vulnerability maybe? What would make this man uncertain? He was beautiful, talented, and kind when he wasn’t being grouchy. When he rose to his knees to put a condom on, whatever she was thinking was forgotten.

“Oh, my,” she murmured.

He stopped with the condom half-on, lifted his gaze to hers, and grinned. “Still satisfied with what you’re getting?”

Oh, yeah.She grinned back at him. “You’ll still do.” They were keeping the mood light, and she appreciated that. This was an agreed upon fling, no deep feelings for each other involved.

Once the condom was on, he put his hands on her legs, right above her knees. The smile on his face faded away as his gaze traveled over her, starting from where his hands were, then with a pause on her sex before continuing up, pausing again on her breasts. By the time he reached her face, his espresso eyes were even darker, and heat shimmered in them. Had a man ever looked at her as if she was the most delicious thing he’d ever seen, as if he could eat her up?

“Beautiful girl,” he said, almost whispering, as he lowered his body over hers.

Beautiful boy.Instead of speaking the words, she reached down to guide him into her, smiling to herself when he hissed out a breath when she wrapped her hand around him. And as he filled her, moved inside her, kissed her mouth, her neck, her breasts, being with him felt right. She closed her eyes and breathed him in, inhaling the spicy smell of man and musk and sex. His scent was an aphrodisiac.

His hands roamed over her, touching her, claiming her, and she claimed him back as she explored him, her hands growing warm from his body heat. She dragged her fingers down his abs, then up his chest to his shoulders. Strands of his hair had escaped his ponytail, and she reached behind his head and pulled the band off. His shoulder-length hair fell around his face as he made love to her.

Her gaze locked on his beautiful lips, and she lifted a finger to their pillowy softness. He sucked her finger into his mouth and swirled his tongue around it, and she felt like even her bones were melting. When the pressure building inside her became uncontainable, she clenched her core muscles around him, wrenching a hiss and an “Ah, fuck, Willow” out of him, and she let go. He followed her with one last deep thrust.

“Wow,” she gasped when she could catch her breath.

His face was buried against her neck, and his chuckle vibrated over her skin. “Wow’s a good word.” He kissed the sensitive spot just below her ear, then rolled away. “Be right back.”

“I’ll be right here.” When she smiled at him, his eyes shifted away. Uh-oh. Was this where it was going to get awkward?

Chapter Twenty

Parker disposed of the condom, then stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. He wanted to go paint a hundred canvases, each one of Willow. Willow in bed, her hair wild and tousled from his hands digging through it. Willow looking at her lover with desire-filled eyes. Willow nude, her long legs tangled in satin sheets. Willow’s bubble gum toes. He lowered his chin to his chest and closed his eyes. This was not happening. He was not falling for someone...again. He willed it so, and so it would be.

---