trademark grin shows across his face. It’s a little strained, but still as effective as ever. “Aren’t you two sights for sore eyes?” He chuckles, but then winces in pain.
Phoebe lets out a worried laugh at his comment, moving over to the bed and placing her hand on his arm. “How’re you holding up?”
“I’ve been better.” He grins again, rubbing her hand. “I fucking hate hospitals, though,” he adds as he pans over to me. He bows his head in a sexy manner. “Dani?”
“Parker,” I reply, a smirk forming.
Phoebe bends down and plants a kiss on his forehead before saying, “Well, it looks like you two have some things to discuss. I’ll wait outside. I think I saw a vending machine out there with my name on it.” She giggles, but I can tell she’s exhausted.
“You don’t have to go—” I start to say, but Phoebe grabs my hand and leads me over to the door.
“Parker told me about you two. It’s fine, really. It’s like that old saying: ‘If you love something, let it go, and if it comes back to you, it was meant to be’…or something like that.”
I smile at her and she returns it. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I ask, pointing at Parker and then to myself.
“Do I really have a choice?” she jokes. “Go on, you better not keep him waiting. You know how much of an ass he can be if you do.”
As she leaves the room, I peek back around the open door at Parker. He’s grinning at me. Raising his hand in front of him, he points at me and curls his index finger, telling me to come closer.
I slowly move around the door and stroll over to the side of the bed. Parker extends his hand for mine with his palm facing upward and just waits for me to take it. I lightly touch the base of his hand and trail my fingers across his palm, ending at his fingertips. His skin is so warm and soft.
“You know, I never did thank you for saving me earlier,” I say, moving my fingers down from the tips of his digits to his palm again.
“I think you’re doing a great job of that right now,” he replies. His baby blue eyes pierce through mine as he looks up at me. Then he does something I’ve never seen him do before—he smolders at me. I instantly decide that it takes the place of his grin as being his most gorgeous weapon. “Dani, I have something I need to tell you.”
“Oh? You do, do you?”
He lets out a soft chuckle. “Yeah, but you have to promise not to freak out, okay? I’ve got a lot riding on what I’m about to say to you. Seriously, my ego has taken an incredible kick in the balls already tonight, and you freaking out would most certainly finish me off.”
I find Parker’s ability to bring humor into any situation a breath of fresh air—even though at times it’s completely uncalled for. Here he is, laid up in a hospital bed after being stabbed, and he’s talking about balls.
“I won’t freak out, promise,” I laugh, keeping eye contact with him.
He takes a moment and stares at me, a smirk on his face. The next thing I know, he’s taking my hand and drawing in a deep breath.
“I just wanted to say...damn, this is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.”
I’ve never seen Parker this flustered before. He’s usually so suave and good with words.
He takes in another deep breath. “Danielle Marks, I love you.” The words flow from his lips like a melody. “I’m sorry it took me this long to say it, but truthfully, I knew I did even before I left for California. These past couple years have been torture for me. I lost count of how many times I got to the point of just packing up and coming back to you, but then I got in my own way with thoughts of me ruining your future.”
I smile widely while bending so my face is close to his. Gently bracing his chin with my other hand, I reply, “I love you too. And for the record, you can only improve my future…not ruin it.”
I press my lips to his. He reaches over with his other hand and places it on the back of my neck, putting more into the kiss. Then he groans in pain and I pull away