Page 70 of Heartless
“Do you need help, love?”
I almost cut one of my fingers off.
The silence that followed his words was deafening. Then everyone started talking, chopping and clacking tins and pans too loudly, obviously trying to mask their shock and give us some privacy.
I left the knife and wiped my hands in a cloth, then turned in his arms. He didn’t ease his grip on me, nor did he take a step back to give me space. I raised a brow at him and he understood what I was asking without me uttering a word.
“I really like that one,” Parker leaned into me a little more, a mischievous glint in his eyes. My heart rate quickened at his nearness, his cologne enveloping me. I fought to maintain my composure. He brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, a move that sent shivers down my spine. Before I could come up with a response, he closed the gap between us and pressed his lips to mine in a daring kiss. I opened for him, and he didn’t hesitate. His tongue invaded my mouth, deepening the kiss.
Parker Wilson had me pinned against the kitchen island in my mother’s house, his hands low on my back, devouring my mouth butI couldn’t care less. The world around us seemed to melt away with each swipe of his tongue against mine. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew my mother wouldn’t appreciate this PDA, but I was too into it to really care about it now.
Parker’s hands slipped up from my waste and cupped my face, then he broke the kiss, but gave me a few brief pecks before he took a single step back and placed both his hands on the countertop behind me. I panted and his eyes dropped to my chest for just a second, but it was enough to make me hot everywhere.
Everyone was still talking loud enough to be heard from the other room. Trying to gather my wits about me I said. “You can't just kiss me like that whenever you want.”
“You kissed me back.”
I couldn’t tear my gaze away from him, my body begging for more, while fortunately for me my mouth still obeyed my brain and lied.
“If we were alone, I wouldn’t.”
“I’ll definitely test that statement later.”
My mother cut off our hushed exchange. “How old are you, Parker?”
I straightened at the sharpness of her tone, shot her a glare and answered before he could. “I think that question is against your own rules for polite conversation.”
Parker reached for my hand and rubbed a thumb across the back of my palm. Warmth spread inside my chest at the gesture. Then he turned to face my mother.
“I’m thirty-five,” he answered with a smile.
If he was annoyed because of her interest in him, he didn’t show it.
“At thirty-five, I was already married and had three children.”
“And you were such a devoted mother,” Tyler said and Hannah looked between our mother, Parker, and me like we were a car crash about to happen.
“What is wrong with you?” Sylvia asked my brother and sounded truly baffled.
“A lot of things actually. How much time do you have?”
“Ty,” Parker said. “It’s okay.” Then he focused on my mother again. “I was married once.”
I took a step back as if he had slapped me. He sent me an apologetic look. Was that the conversation he didn’t want us to have in the car?
“Well,” my mother started again. “A lot of people get divorced nowadays. Myself included. I hope you don’t resent the entire concept after the first time around didn’t work out for you.”
“Mom,” I warned.
“What? We are just talking,” Sylvia looked at me like I was the one making a scene.
“Would you like for us to talk about your failed marriage? Or maybe your alcohol problem? Or analyze your relationship with Clem?”
Silence settled around the kitchen. I glanced around taking in the shocked expressions etched onto each face. My outburst caught everyone off-guard, except my mother.
“Clem and I worked out our differences. And we shouldn’t bring up old issues. We have a guest.”
“You and Clem found a way to co-exist in the same room. You haven't really resolved anything. You just swept it under the rug.”
