Her Marine Next Door - Aliyah Burke Page 0,17
tall cup of water.
He nearly railed at the boy for running off without telling him anything but paused. The expression on his face was open and real. No fear or hesitation, only joy and interest as he listened to Skylar talk and work.
Six hours later, after dropping Cullen, now going by C-Man, with the kid’s mother and wishing him good night, he made his way back to Skylar’s. This time he didn’t knock, just walked in and gently closed the door behind him.
She sat on the dark green sofa, legs curled beneath her as she worked on a crossword puzzle book. Skylar flickered a glance up to him, then back down to the puzzle. Soft violin music played, and Alpin was already snoring on his bed.
“You said we needed to talk.”
“I did.” She put her pen to paper and wrote something down.
“Can you look at me, please?” He sat on the other sofa, facing her.
Her actions were deliberate as she stopped working, put the pen in the book, and closed it. He lost his breath when she did finally look at him, those damn brown eyes ripping into his soul and taking it with her. Something that definitely wasn’t part of his plan when it came to his relationship with this woman. “Fling.” “Temporary.” Those words didn’t mesh with stealing his soul.
“I know I put you on the spot today.”
She lifted an eyebrow but didn’t say a word. He rubbed the back of his neck. This wasn’t fair. It sucked. Drop his ass behind enemy lines any day over this.
Skylar sighed and rose. “Let’s postpone the talk until later. It’s been a very emotional day. I put your bags in the guest room.”
He didn’t want her to go. “What about your hand?”
Annoyance flashed before vanishing. “I’m fine. Hand is fine. Meds are taken. I put a stack of blankets in the room. If you need more than that, they’re in the hall closet. If that’s it, please just take it and go. I’m exhausted and really want to head to bed.”
He herded her to the wall and braced her in his arms. Dipping his head until their mouths were tantalizingly close to each other, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply of her scent. “Is that an offer?”
She lifted her chin ever so slightly and blinked. He fell further beneath her spell, mesmerized by the thick, curved lashes framing those dark brown orbs. “What happens if I say yes? Because I think you’re simply trying to get a rise out of me and don’t actually mean what you’re saying. Or you’re scared some of those women have something you can catch, and you think I’m a safer bet because no one will have wanted me for sex.”
“Something has a rise in it for damn sure.” He pressed closer, allowing her to feel the hard ridge of his cock against her. “Say yes, Skylar.”
It was in her eyes—he could see her desire to say yes to him. For a moment, he thought she might give in to the need riding her as hard as it was him. Parker knew he could coax it from her, but he refused. He wanted to make sure she was as ready as he was for this heat between them to go to the next level.
She flicked her tongue along her lips, causing an answering jerk in his cock.
“Good night, Mr. Jax.”
She bent at the knees and ducked under his arms, walking up the short hallway without a look back. His head hit the wall, and a stream of curses flowed from his mouth, a mixture of berating himself for pushing her and not pushing enough to get what he wanted.
“One night, Skylar. Tomorrow I will be in your bed.” He fisted a hand and took one final deep breath, imagining he could still smell her. He latched onto that and carried it with him as he got ready for a long, lonely night in the guest room.
As he lay back on the queen mattress, he closed his eyes. The ringing of his phone snapped him up once more, and he answered on the second ring. “Jax.”
“How’s things going with the fiancée and the son?”
He groaned and flopped back. “Ioan. I don’t know if it’s my kid. I’ll be having a DNA test done to find out one way or the other.” There was no explaining away the draw he had to the boy, and it wasn’t going to be easy, keeping C-Man at a distance.