Page 20

TWENTY

SCOUT

H ow long can you stare at someone sleeping before it’s considered creepy?

My eyes flicked to the clock. I’d been sitting here for fifteen minutes, give or take an hour. That was probably entering into creep territory, right?

I’d never stared at someone sleeping before, so I wasn’t sure on the etiquette. Come to think of it, there probably wasn’t any etiquette.

Yep, this was weird.

The problem was I couldn’t tear my eyes away from the lump in the bed, also known as Parker King, currently so fast asleep the fire alarm could go off and he probably wouldn’t stir. On the other hand, I hadn’t had many opportunities to really look at him, so I was taking it.

A lone shard of morning light sliced through the blinds and landed on the pillow in front of his face. The glow highlighted his perfect bone structure and razor-sharp jaw that even sleep couldn’t soften, along with a set of lashes I’d kill for.

Thick, light brown scruff coated his cheeks, the same as it always did, only right now a little shorter. I’d noticed over the past month or so that Parker’s beard varied in length; he’d let it grow, then take a pair of clippers to it and start again, the only constant was how soft it looked. I’d always wondered if it would feel soft, and last night I got my answer.

Yes, ma’am.

There was yet a day to pass where Parker didn’t get more good looking. I’d even been wondering recently whether a situation existed that would result in him looking normal, like us everyday folk. I wanted to see him wake up with a massive pimple, or hair sticking out at all angles. I’d even settle for a couple of face creases from how hard he’d been pressed into the pillow. Bit of sleep drool…but no.

Even now, one massive arm tucked under his pillow with the other curled into his side and a huge thigh wrapped around the sheets while his lips softly popped with each exhale, he could have fallen from the sky and hit every branch of the handsome tree to soften his landing.

Man, those lips.

I stifled a yawn; it had been a long night. I’d almost been counting down the hours until the sun made an appearance on the horizon so I could get out of bed and check I hadn’t been dreaming.

I hadn’t. And it almost made it worse.

That kiss really happened. I was living in a reality where Parker King and I kissed. Kissed while lying in bed together.

So you can see why I spent the next hour pondering on the most intense thirty seconds of my life before I needed to sit down.

I’d thought about it. A lot. More than a lot.

Never had I ever been kissed like that.

I couldn’t even tell you how it happened.

Not only had it been dark, we’d been lying in bed on either side of a pillow wall after the longest day in history, which included a standoff with a bird, and dressed in the world’s un-sexiest pajamas—or I had been. Either way, nothing super conducive to setting up the best kiss in history.

Thank god I’d been lying down because I wouldn’t have been standing by the time he pulled away.

I smiled into the growing light as a memory popped into my head.

My nana once said Grandpa had knocked her socks off. I’d been young, and working off logic. It made no sense, even when she tried to explain it to me. But somewhere around two a.m. this morning, I finally got it. Everything clicked into place.

If I’d worn socks to bed, Parker would have knocked them off, like he’d been doing since the start of the season.

It wasn’t just that he was hot. It wasn’t that he was a professional athlete. It was almost despite those things.

Parker King made me laugh. He was kind and thoughtful. He helped his friends.

And he kept his promises.

It had been a couple of weeks since Mark had shown up, yet I’d not heard it mentioned by anyone, just like Parker had said—not even Pablo—which had to be some kind of record.

So yeah, I kissed Parker King. Or Parker King kissed me. And I’d been sitting here trying to figure out what to do about it, we were going on an hour and twenty minutes. It would have been longer if Parker hadn’t stirred and rolled over, prompting me to grab my bag and sprint out as fast as I could through the connecting doors into my formally bird shit–covered room, before I got caught for creeping.

Still catching my breath, I flicked on the coffee machine. Today would need to be powered by caffeine.

The weather on the West Coast was already 10 degrees warmer than the East, and I’d planned my outfits accordingly.

Usually when I worked I stuck to jeans and a tee with a Lions shirt thrown over the top, but when I’d been hurriedly packing things into my travel bag the night before we left, I’d found a dress at the back of my closet I’d never worn.

Pulling it out, I laid it on the bed. Short but not too short, with puff sleeves and a pie collar, totally plain and appropriately Lions black, but also super cute. It would do perfectly for today, paired with my usual Chucks.

Taking one sip of coffee and burning my tongue in the process, I hotfooted it into the shower. I stood there, letting the water blast away whatever was going on in my belly. Nerves churned as my thoughts picked up from where I’d left them, along with a whole barrage of new questions firing into my brain from all angles.

Too fast for me to make any sense of them, that’s for sure.

Parker and I had kissed. One hot kiss.

Now what?

He was going to sleep until lunchtime. It was quite likely I wouldn’t see him again until tonight. He had practice, I had work to do. We’d have to talk about it at some point, wouldn’t we? Would we?

Yes. We would.

Should I bring it up? Do I wait for him to bring it up?

Does it change anything? Do I want it to change anything?

I shrugged to myself and squeezed out a dollop of shampoo.

Parker wants to date you, do you want to date Parker? I dunno. It didn’t exactly fit into any plans I made to focus on myself.

What will you do about work? Ugh, work . A ten-minute shower was not long enough to figure out that conundrum.

Do you want to kiss him again?

The answer to that question was the only answer I’d had all morning. Um…Yes. Most definitely.

Then what are you going to do about it?

Hmm.

By the time I’d rinsed the shampoo and followed up with everything else that one did in a shower, I was still no closer to an answer. Nor had I figured one out after downing another cup of coffee, drying my hair, carefully applying makeup so I didn’t look as tired as I felt, and getting dressed.

It was not to be found.

Replacing my search for an answer with a search for my cell charger was easier, but no less anxiety inducing when I remembered exactly where I’d left it.

Plugged in next to Sleeping Beauty.

Crap.

I had to meet my team in twenty minutes, which could easily be spent wearing out the carpet with the amount of pacing I’d already completed trying to decide whether to get it or borrow one before concluding I was being entirely ridiculous.

Thankfully, in my hurry to rush out I hadn’t closed the connecting doors properly, which meant, in theory, I could sneak in while he was still sleeping and grab it.

Carefully inching my fingers around the door, I eased it open enough to peer around.

Parker wasn’t still sleeping.

The lump in the bed was missing, but the sound of his shower running came in loud and clear. This was perfect. Parker was preoccupied in what was technically another room, I could definitely grab my charger and leave without him noticing. I wouldn’t even need to run.

Easy.

I was halfway across the room when it dawned on me the noise of the water was way too loud, and all the confidence I’d had in my plan drained away.

Parker hadn’t closed the bathroom door, like he had last night. Nope. It was wide open. And from where I was now frozen in place—miles away from my plugged-in charger—Parker King was standing, his back turned and water cascading over his gloriously, totally naked body.

I’d already stared at Parker way more than anyone should stare at a person, but it didn’t seem like I had any plans to stop now. I don’t think I even blinked.

His head bent as he faced the wall, torrents of water traversing down thick, sculpted muscles either side of his spine until it hit the wedge of his ass. Immediately I was taken back to the day in Marnie Matthew’s office where he pushed himself to exhaustion, and I’d spent the rest of the afternoon wondering if his ass was as impressive as his shorts made it look.

Yes, it was. Resoundingly, yes.

Oh boy, what an ass.

I was so focused on his ass that I didn’t immediately realize that Parker wasn’t just showering. The rhythmic movement of his arm couldn’t be mistaken for anything else. Nor could the hand flat on the shower wall, so tense that his fingers were almost digging into the tiles.

Every cell in my body stood to attention. My breath shallowed. I had a sudden need to crank the AC.

I shouldn’t be watching this.

I should leave.

I shouldn’t know the two divots at the base of his spine deepened as his ass clenched tight. Tighter.

I shouldn’t be imagining what he looked like when he came. Whether his lips softened and his mouth dropped. If his eyes stayed opened or closed. What color they turned.

I shouldn’t wonder if this was when dangerous Parker made an appearance, the one I saw every time he stepped behind the plate. Focused and ready.

I really shouldn’t be watching this.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think that seeing a guy jerk off could be this hot.

Okay, maybe somewhere in my wildest dreams if I ever had a dream featuring Parker jerking off, it would be hot.

But not this hot.

Parker’s fist pumped harder, faster.

My teeth sank so deep into my lip I almost drew blood. My chest heaved. Goose bumps erupted on every spare inch of my skin.

I really needed AC.

“Ahhh…fuuck…Scout…”

It wasn’t loud, but it may as well have deafened me.

He jerked forward a split second before his cum hit the wall. My eyes stayed glued to that spot while my ears still rang with the sound of him calling my name. Even as Parker stroked himself down and rinsed the wall clean, I never looked away.

I was so dazed, I didn’t notice him turn around until it was too late.

The bright green had given way to something darker as they found mine and held my gaze.

Only then did I manage to blink.

Any normal person would have been embarrassed…maybe shocked, at the bare minimum, that something so private had been witnessed. But the expression playing out on his perfect features was nothing short of conceit.

I’d just watched him jerk off, and he was now staring at me with undiluted smugness. I could almost see his brain ticking over, calculating his next move.

My legs were too heavy, every cell in my body was too busy throbbing for me to run back out as I had this morning. I’d need to sprint. But there I stood as Parker cut the shower, reached for a towel, and slowly wrapped it around himself.

Never had a thick white terry towel looked as obscene as this one did, resting on those equally obscene divots stretched above his hips. Abs. More abs than I’d seen in my life, except you know, the last time I’d seen them.

But that time hadn’t felt like we were trying to make a porno.

Right now, it was debatable.

“Good morning.” He stopped in the doorway and his gaze dropped to my bare legs. It was debatable who felt more naked, me or him, as his eyes slowly tracked up again. “Nice dress.”

I tried and failed to calm the thudding in my chest. “Th…thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Grabbing another towel, he rubbed it over his head and down his torso. It was a poor attempt to dry his damp skin. We both knew he was putting on a show. A show for me.

I still hadn’t moved. I still hadn’t looked away.

I was staying right where I was, and he knew it.

I had zero clue for what was about to happen and the anticipation was enough to have my heart trying to break free of my rib cage.

“Enjoying yourself?”

“I…”

“Oh, come on now, Davison, don’t go all shy on me.” He stepped nearer, though from the way his narrowed eyes never left mine, stalked would be a better description, one steady foot in front of the other. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

My flushed cheeks answered for me.

One more step.

“If I’d known I had an audience, I’d have really dialed it up.”

Parker was about ten feet away now, and for the first time my eyes dropped only to dart right back up to his grin, one that could have been taken from the devil himself.

His incredibly impressive dick I’d just watched him fist, and was suddenly desperate to experience for myself, was standing to attention under his towel.

A towel that now looked in danger of falling off.

“What do you expect?” He shrugged. “You come in here teasing me in that little dress and you want me to pretend you’re not wearing it for me? Nah, I can’t do that.”

I opened my mouth to respond, only to close it again.

One more step.

“And you think I don’t know you’re soaking wet under there, aching for me to touch you. Wanting me to give you what I just took for myself?”

Again, I couldn’t answer. My entire body was frozen. He was right about one thing. I was soaking wet. This wasn’t the sweet Parker who’d kissed me last night, the one who’d made my knees weak.

But I had a feeling this Parker was going to make my knees weak in a whole different way.

One more step. “You want to know what I was thinking about as I fisted my cock?”

This time I forced myself to nod.

“You, Davison. Always you. On your knees, lips wrapped around my cock.” He scratched the edges of his jaw. “Or sometimes I wonder what you’d be like ass up, my hands gripping into your cheeks as I slide into you. Or how you’d look riding me, tits bouncing in my face. Fucking amazing is my guess. Should I go on?”

My mouth dropped. My entire body hummed with static buzzing through the air, I didn’t think I’d ever been so turned on in my life. It was a wonder I could still remember how to breathe. My stomach almost convulsed as Parker’s pink tongue darted out and licked along his lower lip.

“On second thought, I have a question…”

“Yes?”

“Do you think about me?”

Slowly, I nodded. I didn’t have the brain cells to deny it.

“How much?” he asked, his head tilting as he waited for an answer. “Scout, how much?”

“A lot. More than I should.”

“What do you think about?”

My cheeks still hadn’t cooled from five minutes ago, but they heated up all over again, and he noticed.

“Okay, let’s try it like this…” One final step and Parker was so close that I had nowhere to go. The scent of him overpowered me until I was fighting for oxygen. The heat coming off his damp chest was enough for a tiny bead of sweat to materialize between my shoulder blades and roll down my spine.

There was nowhere to go. My knees hit the edge of the bed, and I fell back.

Immediately Parker dropped to his knees, placing himself right in my eyeline. Green eyes bored into mine, seeking permission for what he was about to do. Or waiting to see if I was going to stop him.

I wasn’t.

My gaze followed the path of his fingertips inching up my thighs until they reached the hem of my dress and disappeared underneath. I couldn’t see his fingers, only feel them. And with sight taken away, all my other senses heightened.

His fingers hooked around the elastic of my panties. “Have you ever thought about what it would feel like to be spread out in front of me?”

I managed a nod as he eased them down and slipped them over my ankles. My eyes were open enough to see his darken another degree. The dangerous Parker was well and truly in the room, and right now he was pushing up my dress until it sat around my hips, and there was nowhere to hide.

Never in all my life had I felt so exposed. Never had I been so turned on.

Combustion was imminent.

His fingertips dug into the flesh on my thighs.

“Fuck, Davison. You are better than every dream I’ve ever had about you,” he breathed out, sending goose bumps over my skin as he leaned in.

His face was inches from the apex of my thighs. If I had any second thoughts about this, they vanished along with my self-consciousness when I took one look at the expression he was wearing.

“Have you thought about how my fingers will feel sliding inside your tight, wet pussy?”

I could only moan in response as his thumb pushed through my wetness and circled my clit, followed by one thick finger slowly easing inside me. And then those magic hands of his, the ones which had caught so many balls, cupped around me and ground down.

“Oh my god .”

The muscles along his shoulder popped with each flex of his wrist. He looked incredible, only surpassed by the reverence on his face aimed directly at me.

“You’re squeezing me so tight, the thought of my dick sinking inside is making my head spin.” The timbre of his voice had reached a pitch that vibrated across my bare skin, even more so when he narrowed the space between his mouth and the spot I directly wanted it to hit.

It was possible the moment he made contact I blacked out. Warm, wet laps of his tongue with the perfect amount of pressure shot sparks along my spine, twisting it like a corkscrew.

“Fuck, you taste incredible,” was all he muttered before getting down to work.

There’s no way I was holding out. The sensation of his soft stubble against my hypersensitive skin was the sexiest thing I’d ever experienced.

My bones were on the verge of snapping from the tension building inside me. As much as I wanted to watch the magic he was performing, I couldn’t stay upright.

I wasn’t sure if I fell back or if he hooked his arms under my knees and pulled me into him, but either way my head hit the soft comforter and my eyes rolled into their sockets.

His mouth surrounded me, devouring like I was a lifeline he needed. With each precision-targeted swipe of his tongue and curl of his fingers inside me, I hurtled toward the finish line.

It was only a matter of seconds before I exploded.

I’d been running on a heightened state of arousal since Parker had found me sitting outside my room in the early hours of the morning.

“Gahhd. Oh god, Parker .”

The rhythm he set matched each one of my violent convulsions, until I was pushing him away. I couldn’t take it any longer. I needed reprieve, and it took a second for me to realize he’d given it to me.

A cool breeze alerted me to the fact he was no longer within inches of me. Summoning the bare minimum strength I needed to push myself up on my elbows, I found him looking impossibly smug, staring straight at me.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m way better than okay. Hearing you come with my name…” He shook his head. “Fuck me, Davison. I’ve been waiting a year to do that. Waiting a year to taste you and watch you fall apart…it was more incredible than I could have imagined.”

As he spoke, his hands rubbed along my thighs, up and down. I didn’t have a clue what time it was, I barely even knew where I was. The only thing on my agenda was to experience that again.

I expected Parker to drop his towel, I was desperate for him to drop it. Only he dropped his hands and leaned back.

“Wh…what are you doing?”

“You’re going to be late for work. There’s no way I’m rushing this.”

I had to force the lump in my throat away. “We’re not rushing. I’m ready.”

He shook his head. “No, Davison. When I said rushing, I meant I’m not rushing our first time. I plan to take all night long, I’m going to worship you, starting the second the game finishes tonight.” His eyes glanced over to the clock and back to me. “Thirteen hours.”

It was going to be a long day.