Her Marine Next Door - Aliyah Burke Page 0,73

without her.

Mrs. O’Neary’s conversation at him—it wasn’t one she had with him; she talked, he listened—made everything about Skylar all that much clearer. Parker wasn’t angry with her—hurt she hadn’t told him about her past, yes, but no longer angry.

There were things to be addressed and fixed when he got back home. His woman put everyone else before her, no matter the cost, and he loved her all the more for her selflessness. It was time for him to take care of her, show her that he could be the man she deserved to have at her side. That he would do right by her. Treat her as she should be.

Right now, though, he needed some shut-eye and went inside to crawl in his bed. While he fell asleep easily enough, he didn’t stay that way, waking alone in the dark with all-too-clear visions of Skylar.

Fuck he wanted her.

Pushing the waistband down past his hips, he gripped his shaft and stroked along its length. He conjured up a mental image of Skylar in the shower with him.

The way the water beaded and rolled over her figure. From the droplets on her insanely long natural lashes, to how they followed the curves on her body. He pinched the head of his cock and clenched his jaw to keep the moan contained.

Up and down he worked his grip, wishing it wasn’t his own touch but hers. Smaller and slightly less firm but perfect. He loved watching her jack him off. The hunger overflowing in her brown eyes, the way her tongue constantly darted out along her lips as if she couldn’t bear the wait to taste him, the heavy way she breathed along with him.

It didn’t take much more than that and he was coming with a low growl as he shot his load up along his bare chest. Heart pounding, he lay there for a moment and thought once more about how much nicer it was to have her warm body to curl up against.

Chapter Fourteen

When he returned home from deployment, Parker stood in the kitchen and saw Gemma speaking with his mother in the living room.

What the fuck was this woman doing back in his house? Before he could think of a way to calm himself down, he dropped the final paper bag he’d been folding after getting groceries and stalked over to where the women talked.

“What the fuck are you doing in my house?”

“Parker,” his mother admonished. “Language.”

“Enough.” He waved her off, not looking away from Gemma. “Answer me. I told you never to come back here.”

“He’s her son, too, Parker. She’s not the reason your fake fiancée bit didn’t work out.”

Grasping Gemma by the arm, he propelled her to the door and pushed her outside on the step. “Set foot on my property again, and I’ll have you arrested once more.” He stepped back in and slammed the door in her face, wheeling around to find his mother glaring at him.

“I know I raised you better than that, Parker Lucien Jax. You owe that woman an apology.”

“No way.”

She crossed her arms and glared; he didn’t back down.

“Sir? Can you come in here, please.” May as well deal with this now.

His father walked in from where he’d been sitting on the porch.

“I’ve had enough of this, and I’m not putting up with it anymore. From either of you. Yes, I lied about Skylar. We know this, but we also know why I didn’t tell you. You, Mom, can’t keep a secret to save your life and went running to Gemma the second I told you Skylar and I were no longer.”

“She’s the mother of your child. It’s not right that you let him call your neighbor ‘Mama.’”

He held up his hand, silently asking her to shut it. “You know, I don’t get you, Mother. It baffles me why you hate Skylar so much when she’s the most beautiful person I know. Inside and out. It doesn’t make sense, and I don’t fucking care if you can’t stand her skin color, the fact that she’s a woodworker…it doesn’t matter to me what your issues with her are. Cullen loves her. But more than that, I love her.”

She set her lips. “He also loves his mother. Remember her? The one who carried him and gave birth to him. You should be a family.”

“She’s a drug addict and an alcoholic. She is not good for Cullen.”

She rubbed her hands on her arms before leveling another glare in his direction. “You and Gemma