“Lock up when you leave,” Mom says on her way out the door. She works the hospital admissions desk Sunday through Thursday, so she has to go into work. “It was nice meeting you, Parker.”

“You too, Felicity.” He stands awkwardly in the living room, still dripping and freshly shaven from the shower he insisted on taking after our brief snuggle this morning. I told him he was going to miss her, so he threw on jeans but didn’t have time to finish buttoning his shirt.

It’s taking a lot of effort to focus past his beautiful chest, but before I jump his bones, we need to talk. The man dropped everything and drove twelve hours when he thought I was in the hospital. That means something.

Parker can’t say he’s making a similar effort to stay away from me. He runs his hands along my arms and cups my stubbly jaw, paying special attention to the bruises covering my cheeks and the scrapes over my right eyebrow.

“Are they certain you’re okay?”

I take his hands in mine and bring them to my lips. “Yes. They checked me for concussion, and Mom followed their instructions and watched me all Saturday night to make sure. I’m fine. Just a little banged up.”

“What were you even doing?”

“Ice climbing. Hang on, you have to see the pictures I took before I fell.” Joshua sent them to me after I sent him a note apologizing for ruining the trip. And for having to put up with my mom. It was a freak ice thing, he assured me, and sent me the pictures from the helmet camera. They are freaking incredible. I drop Parker’s hands to look around for my phone. I think I stuck it in my jacket pocket, which I threw somewhere upon my arrival.

“I don’t want to see those pictures,” he says with a grumpy expression. “I don’t want to see anything that reminds me of you getting hurt.”

I take his hands back in mine and lead him over to the kitchen table. “Let me make you some coffee.”

I can feel his eyes on me as I move through the kitchen and it makes it hard to focus.

“So.” I hand him his mug and put honey in mine. “Thought a sudden vacation to Glenwood Springs sounded like a good idea?”

“That’s not why I’m here and you know it,” Parker growls into his coffee.

“I know, but I have to admit, I can’t figure out why you are here.”

Parker looks up in surprise. “Because I care about you. Has that not been obvious this whole time?”

“But you left,” I say, and rush to add, “Not that I blame you for that. Your mom needs you. But even before you left, we weren’t really a thing yet. Moving that direction, yes, but not quite there.”

“What if I want to continue moving in that direction? Or I guess the better metaphor would be, what if I wanted to arrive at that destination?”

I set my mug down hard, because now he really has thrown me off. “Are you moving back to Colorado?”

He scrubs his hands across his face, and he might be freshly showered and shaven, but it suddenly makes him look like he had a rough night. “I don’t know. Yes. I want to. But I’m not sure when or how.” His expression is one that I’ve never seen on him. My Parker usually sees the right way to do everything, but he looks like a lost little kid right now. “There’s so much that I learned while I was there. From Mom. From her doctor. I’m scared of making the wrong decision when it comes to her. But I’m even more scared of screwing things up with you.”

And in that moment, my heart is gone. I didn’t even have to give it away, it flew from my chest and into Parker’s hands all on its own.

“Oh, baby, if you want me, you’ve got me.” I stand and wrap my arms around his neck, pulling his head into my chest and bending down to bestow kisses onto his wet hair. My bare toes rest on top of his, and I wiggle them, trying to worm even closer, needing to touch him from top to bottom.

“I need you.” He breathes the words into my sweatshirt, warming the spot on my chest right over my heart.

I wasn’t going to do this. Or I was at least going to wait until we had everything figured out. But fuck, that plan’s out the window. My fingers tighten around the hair at the back of his head, forcing him to look upward so I can claim his mouth. Parker spreads his legs and I situate myself between them as I deepen the kiss. Every stroke of my tongue is followed by a possessive bite to his lips. I want them swollen and aching in punishment for leaving me. I want to lick and kiss them better for dropping everything at the first hint I might need him.

Parker’s fingers skim underneath the corduroy skirt that I threw on along with an old sweatshirt at five in the morning before heading back to Glenwood Springs. They dig into the backs of my thighs, spurring on every punishing nip and suck that I can bestow onto his lips. His fingertips edge the lace of my boyshorts that I might have selected with this potential for reconciliation in mind. I didn’t bother with my hair, twisting it into a ponytail, or shaving, as evidenced by the light scruff that scrapes against his smooth flesh, but damn if I was going to be caught in ugly underwear.

“Fuck, I really like you in lace,” Parker groans.

I take the moment apart to breathe and study Parker’s reactions. His eyes are glassy, but after a few blinks, his senses seem to return somewhat.

“I can’t do this if you aren’t sure,” he says, thumbs rubbing circles along my lace-covered hips. “And I’d understand, given that my situation is still so precarious. But I need you to know that you’re it for me.”

I might be frozen in place by his words, but the joy that is spreading rapidly through my veins warms every square inch until I feel like my chest might float away like a hot air balloon. I’ve waited my whole life to hear those words, but that doesn’t even matter, because those words coming from any other set of lips would have been worthless scraps of sentences, devoid of meaning. Those words weren’t meant for me from anyone other than this gorgeous and tragically unsure man sitting at my feet.

“You’re it for me too,” I whisper, because I don’t think I could say it any louder without my voice breaking down into sobs.

He stands suddenly and cups my face, bringing his lips to mine in a gentle kiss. I return each soft brush with the same gentleness. His lips are hot against mine, probably my fault for such demanding kisses earlier, so I try to soothe them with light licks.

“I want you,” he says between kisses, and I take the initiative and his hand, to lead him back to my bedroom.

We’ve just reached the hallway when he tugs me to stop. It’s dark in the hallway since there are no windows, but I can still tell that he’s struggling to say something.

“What is it?” I face him and run my hand through his hair. It’s almost dry already.

He takes several deep breaths through his nose; his lips are sealed and worried with his teeth. “Are you only comfortable with me being inside you? Or would you ever want to …”

I don’t even realize I’m pushing him against the wall. My thoughts have been hijacked by a whole new world of possibilities.

“Are you trying to tell me that you want me to fuck you?” I ask him, and my voice comes out like pulled taffy, stretched and strained to the limit. My lips hover over his ear, and I can’t smother the temptation to trace the outside with my tongue.

Parker’s breaths are shallow pants, but he finally ekes out a “yeah.”

My mouth moves to his earlobe and down his neck, sucking and biting, until I can feel his pulse against my tender skin.

It’s my instinct to throw on my “honey” persona and confidently tell him that I’m going to rock his world. But that’s not what he needs right now, and after he’s been so honest with me, it would be almost sacrilege to cover my own emotions. He needs me to ease his fear of rejection and accept him, claim him. And that means so fucking much to me, to be the one he’s leaning on right now.

“Thank you, for entrusting me with this. I want to make you so happy. I want to give you everything.”

I drop to my knees, running my hands along his chest as I go. There’s a very light dusting of curls that have grown back since he stopped waxing for Shelby. It somehow changes him from that devilish frat boy I first met into the grown-up sexy-ass man I’m claiming as my own. I claw at the curls, digging my fingers into his hair and his delicious muscles at the same time.

The bulge in his jeans lets me know he wants this, and I pop the button and do my best to temper my movements so I don’t yank his penis along with his pants. But I’m so eager to have him in my mouth.

His length is already dripping, and I dig my tongue into his slit to get as much of his taste onto my tongue as I can.

“Hng, I want …”

I rise and capture his lips again. “I know, baby. And I’m going to give you what you need. I promise. I just wanted a little taste before the main course.”

I lead him to my bedroom, helping to steady him as he kicks off his jeans the rest of the way as we rush down the hall. When we get to my room, I have him bend over my bed with his ass out.

His crack is sprinkled with light fuzz like his chest, and I rub my cheeks along his. My stubble prickles his skin, while his soft fuzz is like velvet on mine.

My tongue darts out to lick starbursts around his pucker, and I’m rewarded with a gasp each and every time. I slow my tongue until it’s just a small pressure, nudging against his hole until it finally grants me entrance. I take my time licking around the edges before thrusting in as far as my tongue allows. Parker’s bubble butt will only let my face get so close. But that means when it comes time to fuck him, I’m going to be rewarded with a massive treat for the eyes. I can’t wait to see those cheeks bounce against my cock.

I don’t want him to be too sensitive, so once he’s at a point where he’s nothing but a panting mess, I pull away, though not before bestowing a final sloppy lick to his crack, from taint to top.

“Move up onto the bed, love,” I say, and help him until his head has found a pillow. I roll him to the side and prop up one of his legs with his knee pointed to the ceiling. I think the easiest position would be for him to ride me, but I want him relaxed and not having to do any work right now.

I reach for the box under my bed. I never had a nightstand growing up, so all of my supplies are in a shoebox under the bed. When I don’t immediately feel it, I’m seized with a panic that my mom got rid of it. Thankfully, it was just pushed back farther than normal, which I discover after dropping to my knees on the ground.

I rush back to Parker’s side as quickly as I can. After sliding on a condom, I pour some lube into my hand and reach around to stroke his length while I feast on the back of his neck. When I hit a spot halfway between his spine and his ear, his whole body erupts with a shiver and I know I’ve found my spot.

“Keep stroking yourself for me,” I say and move his hand to his cock. I take my already slick fingers and rub tiny circles around my target. It’s still damp from my tongue; adding the lube almost makes it hard not to slide right on in.

When my finger finally breaches his ring of muscles, I bite down onto the spot on his neck. Parker moans. His fist around his cock is fast and wet.

“Slow down. I don’t want you to get there before me.”

His hand slows, but his groans don’t subside, letting me know he’s still just as turned on. I slide my finger in and out, making sure to push as much lube into his hole as I can, and stretching the muscle with each thrust of my fingers.

“I’ve played with toys before,” Parker whines after a rougher stroke hits him so right that he shouts at the feeling. “You don’t have to be so careful.”

Well, blow me over with a feather. Imagining Parker at home nailing himself with toys is so hot, I need to be inside him. Now. I scoot down until I’m lined up, and replace my fingers with my cockhead. I hold my breath as I push slowly and steadily until the head fits all the way inside. He blows out a long breath that has him relaxing, and the next time his muscles contract, they pull me in deeper of their own accord. Fuck. He’s perfect for me.

“I’m good,” he whimpers. “You can move.”

I pull back slowly and thrust back in. My balls slap against his ass with each thrust, and they ripple at the contact. It’s even more gorgeous than I imagined, and I know I won’t last long.

I pull out and roll Parker to his back, bringing his knees up with me as I position myself and slide back home. With every new thrust, I try to angle my hips in a way that makes sure I hit his prostate. I can tell I’ve succeeded when drops of precum bubble at his slit with every punch.

I remove his hand from his cock and take over. I grip it tight, twisting at the end in time with each thrust, until finally Parker breathes out, “Coming.”

His cum pours from his dick into pools on his stomach and catching in his belly button. His whole body is slick with sweat, and his hair is matted to his forehead. He’s beautiful, and wrecked, and it’s all for me. I’ve done that to him.

I don’t mean to, but I can’t keep from holding my breath as my own orgasm overtakes me. I’m dizzy, but the feeling is so all-consuming. It feels like I can’t come from just the blood pulsing inside my cock, but I need every cell in my body working to eject my seed out of my body and into the condom buried deep inside Parker.

I start to sway, and Parker reaches up to catch me, and gently lowers me to the bed beside him. I’m supposed to be the one to take care of him afterward, but instead he cares for me, removing the condom, settling me down, helping me recover.

He kisses my lips, briefly, carefully, and trails fingertips lightly across my face around the cuts and bruises. I still don’t know where this thing with us is ending up, but it feels like every line he draws along my face is another piece of our story sliding into place, telling me this is real and that everything is going to work out.