“I’m here,” he whispered back across the small space between us.
Our eyes locked and stayed that way as I began to stroke slowly in and out of him. He moved his hands up to clasp my shoulders, and I felt the little imprints of his fingernails as his grip tightened. I didn’t want him to let go of me. Ever.
I wanted to push deeper and deeper inside of him until I settled there, safely locked in his care and gentle protection forever. He was fiercely protective when he wanted to be, and I’d felt every bit of it whenever he’d perceived a threat to me or Marigold.
Then there was the part of me that wanted to do the same to him—to lock him inside of me and protect him at all costs.
“Stay with me,” I begged.
“Yes.”
I wasn’t sure if he realized I didn’t just mean right now or even tonight. But it was enough.
I kissed him everywhere I could reach as I thrust in and out of his body. Our skin became slick where it pushed and slid together. The hair at his temples darkened as the red splotches on his neck and chest did the same.
“Want you to come,” I grunted, reaching down to stroke his hard dick. I felt the precum in a slick streak down the tip and used it to smooth my hand as I pulled him toward his orgasm.
“Dee…” He threw his head back and sank his nails into my skin as his body arched up toward me. I slammed into him two or three more times as I watched him lose control and come all over himself.
“Fuck,” I cried as my balls drew up. “Fuck, God, fuck!”
I buried my face in his damp neck as I tried to catch my breath. The heat of his body still held my dick, and I hated that I had to pull out of him. Maybe one day we could ditch the condoms and I could stay in him longer.
I pressed a kiss to his temple. “Incredible,” I said softly under my breath. His head lolled to the side. He winced when I pulled out. When I got back from disposing of the condom, I snagged one of the packs of baby wipes we kept in a caddy under the sofa table.
“Handy,” he said with a laugh, reaching for the package. I held it out of his reach and plucked out a few wipes to do the cleaning myself.
“I’m a full-service top,” I teased.
He relaxed back onto the quilt. “Then I can be a pillow princess just this once.”
“Not just this once. Always,” I said as I cleaned him up gently. He watched me with an affectionate expression that made me feel good but also a little squirmy. I wasn’t used to being noticed, and I wasn’t comfortable with it, even though it was Parrish.
“What made you say yes?” His voice was soft and hesitant.
“Yes to what?”
“This. Me. Us.”
I met his eyes and noticed how unsure he suddenly seemed. After stretching out on my side next to him, I reached out and took his hand in mine. “Saying yes to you is the easiest thing I’ve ever done, even if it’s the most selfish too.”
He searched my eyes. “No, I mean… why me? Why did you finally start letting me in? You’ve been so closed off in some ways, and I get the feeling you’ve probably been like that for a long time.”
He wasn’t wrong. I considered his words for a minute before answering. “I talked to Ava and the splash park crew about it. They helped remind me that you would never hurt me. You’re a safe place, Parrish. And I haven’t had a safe place outside of the aunts for a really long time.”
I pulled his hand up and pressed a kiss to it. “And I couldn’t take the chance of losing you before I really even had you. I knew you deserved better than someone who didn’t at least try to be an equal partner. If I want to know all about you—which I do—then I have to be willing to share all about me.”
My face felt like it was on fire, but I believed what I was saying. He deserved it.
Parrish smiled at me. “We’re going to get custody of Marigold and live happily ever after, Diesel. I just know it.”
I was glad he felt that way. I wanted to give him his happy ending