“I’ll do the dishes,” Parker announced as he rose from his chair.

“Damn right you will,” I told him, my voice teasing. “It’s your fault I’ve been lumped with them in the first place.”

He grabbed my plate and shot me a grin that made my heart leap in my chest.

I watched him stroll into the kitchen, swagger in his step, and sighed at the sight.

Beside me, I heard Hannah make the same noise.

I was finally ready to admit it, the man was gorgeous. I was having a hard time figuring out why I hadn’t gone for the dark, handsome and covered in tattoos type before.

No one does tall, dark and dangerous like he does.

“Parker Sloan is doing my dishes,” Hannah hissed at me.

I rolled my eyes and carried on watching the show. I hadn’t had much of a chance to just stare and appreciate. He was always looking at me.

“Mmmm,” Hannah hummed in appreciation. “That is one fine specimen.”

“Eyes off my man,” I instructed without looking away from his t-shirt-clad torso as he reached up for something from the highest shelf.

His shirt rose, revealing a strip of tanned, tattooed flesh on his back.

Oh god, I am so screwed.

“Your man, huh?” Han replied with barely concealed amusement.

Parker bent down to look for something in the cupboard under the sink.

I bit down on my lip, the sight of his fine ass making me want to drag him to the bedroom and have him do dirty things to me.

“Uh huh,” I mumbled to her without looking, all of my attention on the man in front of me. “I’m not even sorry,” I muttered.

“Where’s the brush?” he called over his shoulder.

“Try that top shelf,” Hannah called back, knowing full well he wouldn’t find it there.

Parker reached up again, and this time I caught a glimpse of not only his sexy back, but a sliver of his toned abdomen too.

Good god.

We both sighed again in appreciation of the view.

“No?” he called back when his search came up empty.

“Maybe under the sink?” I offered.

Hannah and I laughed lightly as he bent down to look again.

The brush was in the drawer right next to him, but I was enjoying the show too much to stop him now.

“Nope,” he called back as he spun around to face us.

Hannah was faster than I was and didn’t get caught making eyes at him, I wasn’t as quick off the mark.

He smirked at me in that bad-boy way he had down pat. “Like what you see, legs?”

Fuck it… I’m owning it.

I nodded slowly and licked my lips in an attempt to tease him.

He stayed where he was, but the tense of the muscles in his arms and shoulders gave him away.

I affect him too.

“It’s in the top drawer.,” I admitted sheepishly.

He grinned and muttered under his breath something that sounded a lot like ‘you’ll be the death of me, woman’.

 

 

“I’m not gonna rush this,” I told him firmly as we said goodbye at the door. “I need to spend some more time figuring out what kind of guy you are before I go giving it up.”

“Giving what up?” he asked, frown lines appearing on his brow. He was leaning against the door frame, towering over me in that sexy way men did in the movies.

“You know…” I insisted with a blush.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” He shook his head in confusion.

“My… you know…” I mumbled.

“Her vagina!” Hannah called loudly from the kitchen.

Jesus.

Parker spat out a laugh and shot me a knowing smirk, his poker face slipping.

Bastard knew exactly what I meant.

“Thanks for that, Han!” I yelled back, now thoroughly embarrassed.

Parker dipped his head to look into my eyes. He lightly gripped my chin between his thumb and fingers and tilted my head up.

“I would never rush you,” he promised. “I’ll do my best to jump through any hoop to prove what kind of guy I really am.”

“Why’d you have to go and turn all sweet?” I breathed.

He grinned wickedly.

“You were so much easier to turn down when you were a cocky prick,” I complained, my eyes still locked on his.

His pupils dilated slightly.

“Oh, babe, I’m still that cocky prick, but there’s no way you’re getting away from me now.”

His voice held authority and promise, but not the kind to be feared… the kind to be anticipated.

I felt myself shudder under his intense gaze.

He was doing that thing again where he just oozed sex appeal. I liked to think of myself as a capable woman who was in control of her emotions, but there was something about this man that was slowly turning me into putty in his hands.

“I think you’d better go,” I whispered. I was hanging onto my last shred of self-control.

“Judging by those eyes you’re giving me, I think I should stay.” He smirked, knowing exactly how quickly my resolve was crumbling.

I shoved him lightly, further out the door. “Not gonna happen, rock star.” I grinned.

“Call me Parker,” he growled at me.

“I don’t believe I’ve ever met a Parker?” I pretended to ponder the thought. “I just met some egotistical rock star in a club.” I shrugged innocently at him.

“You serious?” He huffed out a breath.

I shot him a ‘deadly serious’ look.

Lesson one for Parker Sloan: being famous wasn’t gonna cut it.

Not even close.