Craving You (TBX #2) (22 page)

Kelsey

I didn’t plan to eavesdrop, but after
that
cock match I just saw downstairs, I’m nosy.
It’s one of my superpowers because, obviously, I’m flawless …

Annnnddd just like that, curiosity killed the cat
.

Or in this case, broke my heart in two. I don’t know what to do with the information I’ve just absorbed, and that’s exactly what’s happened. It’s soaked into my blood, filtering through my bones, and seeped into my soul. My whole body is yearning to comfort Parker.

His steps register before I look up to see him. I thought my heart was broken. I was utterly wrong. The wetness falling down my face betrays me just before our eyes meet. His face is set in hard stone, eyes red and emotions betraying him as well. Tightening my thighs, my feet push me to stand before him, my body aching to heal his pain.

Parker’s steps falter with my rise, and when he stops, I still. “Kelsey, I don’t have time to deal with your shit so save it.” The clench in my gut almost causes me to vomit. When he breezes by me, I hear a mumbled, “I just can’t. I’m sorry.” His apology doesn’t help the slicing agony ripping me apart.

Once my brain catches up with my heart, I rush toward his retreating back. “Parker!” I call out right before reaching for him. The door slams in my face. I knock once. No response. “Talk to me,” I whisper through the wood separating me from him. The wood scraping down my spine is the only sensation I feel before my butt hits the floor with a slight thud. I refuse to leave him when his world is crumbling at the sturdy seam he thought he’d conserved. Knees to my chest and head in my hands, I allow myself to feel sorry for myself, for Parker, and for life in general.

Minutes, hours, hell even days can pass, but I’m not moving until I speak with him. The click of the door sounds before the wood behind me gives causing my body to fall backward. “Shit, Kelsey, what’re you doin’?” He kneels down to my body lying halfway into his room.

“I want to be here for you.” Emotion clogs my voice box while his eyes bore into me, his face soft, almost as if he’s trying to figure me out.

“I’m stugglin’…” Running his hands through his hair, I wait on pins and needles for him to finish while still lying flat on my back.

“What’s goin’ on here!” Tim’s voice reaches us from the game room. “I have a clear view up your shorts. I’m just sayin’.”

“Fuckin’ turn around then!” Parker growls while helping me up. The whole time I’m staring at his face trying to read him. Trying to find the crack I can slip myself into, to help heal him any way he’ll allow.

When I’m stable and standing on my own two feet, my face inches from Parker. I take this time to categorize his features. The strong jawline that I envy, his kiss-me lips, and damn, when they part to accept oxygen, my ovaries clench. His white teeth glimmer for a second before his sigh is complete and the brown pools of his soul beg me for more time.

I’ll remember this moment for the rest of my life.

My heart is hammering at a furious pace inside my chest and the need to be skin against skin with him is nearly killing me. I think my legs may give out at any minute. Everything fades away. Tunnel vision has taken over and the bright shining light of the train headed straight for me is Parker. All of the emotions crash into me at once with a force so strong I stumble face first into him.

“Are you okay?” Strong arms engulf me while my nose takes in his comforting smell. He smells like home. Nodding my head, I hang on to him a little longer than I should, but before I can push away, he lifts my chin to gaze into my eyes.

“I love you.” The words tumble out on an exhale before I could bite my tongue, before my brain even has time to chew over this new information, but the heart wants what she wants. I feel his reaction, the quick intake of breath with a sharp rise of his chest. “I mean I love you if you’d let me go … yup.” I push away from his strong body with shaky hands and my stomach nearly in my throat.

What the heck was my heart thinking? Never show weakness!

Parker’s stare is unwavering. I know because I feel it, as I look everywhere else but at him. Taking in also the fact that Tim seems to be no longer in the near vicinity. Did he hear my confession and run? Just like I’m sure Parker is going to do. I’m positive it’s ingrained in boys before birth. The dreaded “L” word. Did I really just tell Parker I love him? Placing my hand over the pulse in my arm, yup, it’s racing. This is real life. Kelsey Whitten is in love and holy hotdog buns am I. Even now as my gaze collides with his, my heart skips a beat. I’ve never felt anything like this in my life.

“Kelsey …” My whispered name leaves his lips. A tight grasp pulls me hard to the wall of his chest, and just like that, I’m home again. His hands find my hair, pushing his fingertips through my waves and holding me close to him as if I may run. I’m
so
tired of running.

My arms wrap around his back before my chin is brought up again so our souls meet. Time no longer exists in my mindset. Longing, however, is crippling me. The urge to connect with this man before me sends chills up and down my spine. The golden specks shine brightly in his chocolate brown irises, like my love for him is igniting the same flame inside of him.

Warm lips soft as a feather begin to touch mine in no hurry to devour me, but to savor the taste. Flutters run through my body while I fear the pounding in my chest couldn’t get any faster. Parker’s breathing has picked up causing me to feel that I’m affecting him just as much. His arms roam up and down my cheeks, neck, and arms, and then back again. His wet tongue slides over the seam of my lips before my mouth opens to him. Rough hands travel their way back up my body and into my brown locks.

Too soon, he’s pulling away from me, and for a minute, I’m shocked until I feel his forehead rest against mine. His breath brushes across my face, hot and fast. Fluttering my eyes open, my heart rate picks up speed again, setting a deadly pace.

“You’ve had it wrong for a while now, ya’ know? You’re always three things. Right, awesome ...” The gravel of his emotion-filled voice causes my knees to weaken and watching those sexy fingers count out about me has me in knots. “… and loved by a man who craves you. A man, who until recently, was too stupid to know that the craving I feel for you, Kels, has always been love. Craving you is the best addiction. One I won’t
ever
want to quit.” Is this what Brea meant when she was describing what it felt like to love someone? I know he has a lot to deal with, especially now with the newfound information, but I swear I feel the tilt and shake of the earth realigning. Two souls molding together—our souls.

My legs bounce up and wrap around his waist as I connect our lips once more. I can never be close enough to this man. This kiss is different than the previous.
This kiss
is rough and needy. Once again his hands are in my hair except this time at the base of my neck. A sharp pain stabs at me before I’m roughly tugged away from his lips by my hair. Focusing on his red, swollen lips, a growl rumbles through them. “Tell me.” The gold specks are still glowing in his eyes, his nose flaring with the urge to inhale more oxygen.

“I’m craving you.” Rubbing up against the bulge in his pants, I let out a soft moan. “I love you, Park-” His lips slam down onto mine, attacking me with his tongue.

It’s messy, it’s raw, and it’s
us
.

Parker

“I love you, Park-” Relief washes over me when the sweet melody of her nervous voice reaches my ears. The weight on my chest rises, and the hollowness inside is filled with a warm wholeness. Sealing my lips to hers, I swallow her confession. Acceptance is the sweetest taste I’ve ever had.

Kicking the door shut and pushing her back against the wood, I take what I want and what I want more than my next breath is
her
. Eager hands roam up and down her thighs, sides, breast, neck, and face. I’m touching her, yet at the same time, not touching her enough.

Kelsey’s hands tug and pull my hair with a needy force. “I need you inside me.” Our breathing is ragged,
desperate
. Dropping her to the floor, we both make quick work of removing our clothes, throwing them all around the room with eyes locked on each other the entire time. When she’s naked before me, I halt my urgency. Absorbing her beauty, I stare. “Don’t look at me like that,” she breathes softly.

“Like what?” My voice sounds foreign, a graveled rasp, even to me. Silence. Her eyes are half-mast as her body calls out to me. “Like you’re it for me? Like you’re the only girl I’ll ever need again? Like you’re the girl who fuckin’ owns me? Nah, sweetness, I’ll forever look at you this way.” The blush that creeps up her face just makes my dick harder.

“I’m sorry,” she responds. Those perky tits risin’ with every strain of breath she takes.

I stalk toward her. “For what?” I won’t let her chase me away again. My hands cup her face. When I’m inches from her lips, she trembles. “For being a pain in the ass. For running away from you, for a million things I wish I could take back. I wasn’t sure I deserved this.”

“And now?”

“Now? I just want
you
. I don’t care about anyone else. You make my world a better place.”

Her eyes prickle with water and I immediately want to soothe her. Placing a soft kiss on her lips, she sighs with contentment. “You changed me, Kelsey. I know I’ve never done anything to deserve you, but hell if I’ll ever let you go. You’re done running.”

“Yes.” The sweet smell of mint washes over my face at her admission.

When our lips crash again, I jerk her body to mine and pull her legs up and around my waist, slipping into her with ease. Moving inside her is unlike anything I’ve ever had the pleasure to experience, and it’s this way every.
Single
. Damn time. “You fit me so perfect.” With my lips against hers, I whisper, “I love you,” over and over while I drown in my addiction.

“I’m so close.” A moan escapes her.

“I know, sweetness.”

“I love you, Parker!” I thought the first time I’d heard her say it was the best. No. When she tells me she loves me as I make us both fall over the edge—that’s the fuckin’ best.

“How much did you hear, you little kitten?”

“Kitten?” Her giggle hits my ears.

“Curiosity killed the cat. You’re still alive and well, too sexy to be a cat. So I’d say you’re a kitten.” Kelsey turns her head into the nook of my arm hiding her face from me.

“Everything. I heard everything, Parker. I thought he was an old rival or something from the way you guys were talking to each other. I shouldn’t have listened. I feel horrible,” she rambles with a muffled voice.

Rolling her over onto her back, I say, “It’s okay that you heard.” Puffing out an exhausted sigh, I ask, “How do I handle this?” as I bury my head in her neck.

Slender fingers massage the nape of my neck. “You need to tell Colt before too much time passes. I’d hate for him to be angry with you. No matter what, though, we’ll deal with it.”

After lifting my head to kiss her soft lips, I nod. “
We
will. I like the sound of that.” Yeah, I just handed over my man card, and I’m perfectly okay with that.

She kisses my lips again and hums, “I’m so happy.”

“Me too, sweetness.”