by Parker, Ali
He let his hands wander over my shoulders, waist, and hips. “You’ve changed everything I thought I knew.”
He’d done the same for me.
The hum of the shower and the gentle rush of the water hitting the floor at our feet faded into the background as Walker stole more kisses. He made it difficult to achieve our objective of being in the shower, which was to clean ourselves up, but we managed between kisses. He soaped up my loofah and massaged my whole body with it, leaving me smelling like lemons. I did the same for him, and as I rinsed the loofah in the stream of water, I watched him massage my shampoo into his scalp.
I traced the lines of his profile with my gaze as he closed his eyes and lathered. I admired his strong jaw, sharp nose, and perfect lips. I savored the sight of his Adam’s apple and the way his collarbones gave way to strong shoulders. His torso narrowed at his hips and my attention got caught up as my gaze fell on his cock, straight up and proud.
I bit my bottom lip and glanced back up at him as he stepped under the stream of water and let it wash the shampoo out of his hair.
I couldn’t help myself. The wait was too long.
While he rinsed his hair, I went to my knees on the shower floor. I gripped his thighs to let him know I was there and felt his muscles tighten. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his tip. His stomach flinched in surprise. I smiled before taking him in my mouth and using my tongue against the base of his shaft to guide him to the back of my throat. He hurried to rinse away the lingering shampoo so he could get a good look at me as I held him deep in my throat.
The growl that escaped him set my nerve endings on fire.
I took my time working him over. Walker reached down and pulled my wet hair away from my cheeks. He strained against the pleasure and gently rocked his hips forward. I sat up higher on my heels, spread my knees on the floor, and reached down to rub myself. My arousal left me swollen and supple.
Walker grew impatient and grabbed me by the elbow to pull me to my feet. A giggle escaped me as he turned me around and pressed me flush against the glass wall of the shower with my back to him. He pressed a knee between my thighs and forced me to spread my legs while leaning in close and applying pressure to my back with his body.
His free hand wandered down between my legs, and two fingers stroked my pussy.
“I worried I’d never feel your body like this again,” he whispered in my ear.
I leaned my head back against his shoulder. “Me too. But you have me now.”
He eased his fingers inside me. My breath hitched and my muscles tightened until my thighs ached.
He gave me more. I leaned more heavily against him and he held me up as he fucked me slowly with his fingers. Pleasure thrummed through me, fuzzy and warm, and it became impossible to keep my eyes open.
And to stay quiet.
I whimpered and squirmed, trapped between him and the glass wall. Walker held fast, unyielding, until I could hardly take it anymore.
His stubble-rough cheek grazed mine and he pinched my earlobe between his teeth before whispering in my ear. “You don’t have to hold back,” he purred. “Let go.”
My thighs trembled and my spine curved.
It wasn’t that simple. I wasn’t holding anything back. My whole body strained against the building release. I could feel myself tightening around his fingers. He must have felt it too because he pressed in harder, faster, and curled his fingers against my G-spot until a cry tore out of me and stars exploded behind my eyelids.
“That’s it,” he said huskily in my ear. “You’re so sexy, baby.”
My orgasm left me breathless and euphoric. Walker turned off the water and held me up so he could dry us off. While he ran the towel over my skin, he paused to kiss my breasts and flick his thumbs over my nipples. He kissed my collarbones, navel, hips, and thighs, and when he was down on his knees, he lifted one of my legs over his shoulder so he could lick my pussy while he looked up at me.
I had to lean against the corner of the shower to stay balanced on my foot while he licked and suckled and brought me right back to the brink of another release. He backed off seconds before I came undone with a cheeky smile.
“Tease,” I said in a trembling voice.
He straightened. “Let’s take this to the bedroom, shall we?”
He didn’t give me time to respond. Still damp, he hoisted me over his shoulder and carried me out of the bathroom and down the hall to my bedroom, where he threw me down on my unmade bed.
“Are you the kind of girl who keeps condoms in her nightstand?” he asked.
“Do you want me to be?”
He chuckled as he went to his knees between my thighs. “It would help our current situation.”
“Then yes, I am that kind of girl.”
He leaned over me. I reached up and traced the silhouette of his abs and pectoral muscles with my fingertips while he rummaged through my drawer until he found a box of condoms.
He pulled one free and held it in front of my eyes. “Do I need to worry about these being expired?”
I shrugged one shoulder. “I bought them before I went away, so they’re over a year old.”
“What’s life without a little risk, right?”
I giggled. “I’m pretty sure condoms are good for something like five years.”
Walker tore open the wrapper. He sat back to roll it on before leaning over me again and planting one hand on either side of my head. I spread my legs in invitation and he dropped his hips. His cock grazed my pussy and he teased me until I couldn’t take it anymore and reached down to guide him inside me.
He filled me up and I moaned with gratitude. His cock felt so good.
I wrapped my legs around his waist, reached up, and pulled him down to me. Our lips crashed together and I held him there, desperate for all I could have of him. Walker buried himself inside me over and over, and the bed creaked and groaned beneath us. He fucked me deeper into the mattress until my blankets were built up all around me and all I could see was him.
There was nothing more beautiful in the world than him.
Walker’s kisses grew more intense and he held my face in his hands as he fucked me harder. Soon, I could hardly contain myself, and my breathless sighs turned into cries of pleasure as he fucked me with wild, unbridled lust.
“Yes!” I screamed at my ceiling.
Walker’s fingers plunged into my hair. His fingers tightened into a fist. The strain on my scalp was glorious. He had the control and I gave in. My toes curled and another scream escaped as my orgasm tore through me.
Walker’s shoulders rolled and he shook above me. Our release was simultaneous and left us both panting for breath with our foreheads pressed together and electricity humming in our veins.
I ran my hands over his back and shoulders. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” he breathed.
I could have lain there forever counting his eyelashes and thanking the universe for leading me to him.
But we had a trip to Bali to book.
Chapter 38
Walker
“Ouch.” I shook my hand and my singed thumb and forefinger after the flame on the match burnt down to my fingertips.
It had taken some time, but I managed to get all hundred candles lit in the gallery in less than ten minutes.
The curtains were closed over the windows, plunging the whole gallery into darkness before the candles sputtered to life and filled the place with soft, warm, romantic lighting. The dancing flames reflected off the glossy floors and the effect made it seem like there were actually two hundred lit candles in the place.
Win for me.
The sun had gone down over two hours ago. Across the street, the coffee shop had closed, and Briar had gone home for the night, leaving me alone in the gallery to prepare for my evening with Nora. She was being dropped off any minute now by Grace so we could enjoy a romantic evening together. She had no idea what I had planned but had been told to arrive with an appetite.
>
In the middle of my gallery, I’d set a table for two. Candles sat on the floor near our chairs but at a safe distance that wouldn’t catch our clothes or the sheer black tablecloth on fire. Short-stemmed red roses were nestled in a glass vase between two more candles on the table, and the reflection of the flames echoed on the gold cutlery.
The sound system, which I hardly ever used, played soft and romantic music through the speakers mounted on the walls. A bottle of champagne sat chilling in a bucket of ice on the table, and more wine waited in the bar fridge if needed.
My fingertips still burned several minutes after I lit the last candle, so I wandered into my studio to run them under cold water. It was then that someone knocked on the gallery door.
I turned off the water, patted my fingers dry on the towel, and hurried back out into the gallery to the front door. I unlocked it and pushed it open, revealing a bright-eyed Nora dressed to the nines for our date.
“Hi, handsome,” she said as she tried to sneak a glance past me at my gallery.
I leaned with her, blocking her view. She scowled at me as I peered over the top of her head at Grace, who had pulled over to the curb to drop Nora off. I waved at her. “Thank you, Grace,” I called.
“You’re welcome. Have a good night, you two. Don’t do something I wouldn’t do.”
Nora rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mom.” Her gaze slid back to me. “What are you hiding in there?”
“I might have a surprise for you.”
“I thought we were going to dinner?”
“I never said that.”
She frowned and cocked her head to the side. Her hair fell over one shoulder. “Walker? What are you up to?”
She looked beautiful tonight. Well, she looked beautiful every night, but tonight, she was especially radiant. Her hair seemed fuller and shinier, and her lips were bright red and shimmery. She’d done something different with her eye makeup too. It was gold and warm, and she’d lined her eyes, something she never did. Her cheeks were intentionally rosy and caught the light as she turned her head to the side to try to peer past me one last time.
Finally, I stepped back and invited her inside. “Welcome to your own private showing, complete with a full-course meal and, of course, champagne.”
Nora gasped when she stepped into the gallery.
I locked up behind her as she soaked in the sight of our table for two and all the candles. She spun to face me. “You did all this?”
“I did.” I slid my hands in my pockets. “Do you like it?”
“Like it?” she breathed, turning in a full circle. “I love it!”
She paused when she spotted a dark place on the wall. A black curtain hung in front of a painting that had just been installed this afternoon.
“What’s under there?” she asked.
“It’s a new piece from my recent collection.”
Nora knew I’d been working on several new pieces over the last two weeks and was intent on adding them to the showroom before she and I started traveling. I wanted the gallery to be fresh while I was away, which meant I had needed to paint like a madman.
Lucky for me, inspiration was at my fingertips.
“Can I see it?” Nora asked.
“After we eat.”
Nora watched me with curiosity as I went behind the reception desk and opened the mini fridge. She took a seat at the table while I pulled out a basket with our meal inside. I brought it over to the table and set it down before lifting the gingham cloth resting on top of it.
Nora strained to see over the edge of the basket as I began removing items and placing them on the table.
“First,” I said, “we have a selection of homemade finger sandwiches. Cucumber and cream cheese, egg salad, or ham and swiss.”
“Very sophisticated,” Nora said. She wore a charming smile and her eyes glittered with intrigue as I reached back in the basket.
“Next, we have chocolate-dipped strawberries. A must, really.”
“Obviously.”
“And I can’t forget the expertly diced cantaloupe, the perfectly tossed Greek salad, or the celery with cheese whiz.”
“A staple in every home.” Nora giggled.
Nora wasn’t a fancy girl, and I wasn’t a fancy guy. Sure, the setting for our date was elegant, but our meal was not, and I knew it would be the perfect combination. The way Nora smiled at me suggested I’d hit the nail on the head.
I lifted the lids off the Tupperware containers and we began picking items to put on our plates.
Nora started off with a cucumber and cream cheese sandwich, which she polished off in three large bites before licking cream cheese from her fingers and nodding with satisfaction. “You’re a wonderful chef.”
“Thank you,” I said as I poured us each a glass of champagne. “A toast?”
Nora picked up her glass and held it up, waiting for me to speak.
“To whatever comes next.”
Nora smiled. “I like that.”
We tapped our glasses together and continued our meal.
“Did you ever tell your folks we’d broken up?” I asked after downing my first sandwich.
Nora shook her head. “Are you kidding me? For the first time in my life, I was seeing someone they approved of. It hadn’t even occurred to me to call them before we got back together. Even if it had, I would have waited until I was out of the country.”
“I should’ve known.”
“Yes, you should have,” she teased. “Did you tell anyone?”
“My assistant.”
“What did she say?”
“She told me I looked like shit and went across the street to buy me a coffee.”
Nora giggled. “Oh.”
“She was also very supportive and the reason I showed up on your doorstep. Without her pushing me, I might have continued to wallow in self-pity.”
“Well, you wouldn’t have wallowed for long.” Nora took a sip of champagne and held it aloft with an approving nod before going in for a second and third sip. “I was on my way to you. I was going to come here first, and if I didn’t find you, I’d have shown up at your apartment.”
“I’m glad I had the chance to collect myself.”
“Me too. Because your assistant was right. You were a hot mess.”
I swept my arm across the room in a grand gesture. “After all the effort I went through today, you’re going to sit there and insult me?”
“It’s kind of my thing,” she said. “It’s how we met, after all. And apparently it’s why you fell in love with me.”
“What does it say about me that I’m attracted to bullies?”
“That you’re weak,” Nora teased.
“And prone to leaving myself open to attacks apparently.”
“I find it endearing.”
“My naïvety or my somewhat twisted liking to people being mean to me?”
“Both.” Nora shrugged.
We both laughed and drank more champagne. In the candlelight, Nora looked even more beautiful than she had when she first arrived. Her dress, a red long-sleeved little number, showed off all her best assets. It had a sash around her waist that showed off her curves and gold buttons from the collar to the hem, which ended right below her knee. It was sophisticated and sexy all at once, and completely left field compared to the clothes she usually wore.
“Red is your color,” I told her.
“I know.”
“And humility is your defining quality.”
“As it is yours,” she said, eyes twinkling, lips curling in a coy smile. “As we sit here surrounded by your artwork in your very understated gallery surrounded by hundreds of candles.”
“Touché.”
She crossed one leg over the other and tugged at the hem of her dress. The coy smile never fell from her red lips. “I’m glad we’re here.”
“Me too. And just think. Two weeks from now, we’ll be in Bali in a private villa on a hillside in the jungle.”
Traveling with
me meant Nora would have access to my funds, which meant we could do away with the checklist of recommended hotels that had been emailed to her by Helen, the woman she would be reporting to at Words from Abroad. I hadn’t been opposed to average accommodation, but it seemed silly not to mention to Nora that we could up our game a little bit if I paid for our hotels.
At first, she hadn’t been too fond of the idea. She didn’t want me using my money when this was about her getting her career off the ground. But I assured her it wasn’t about that. It was about us making the most of our time traveling the world.
After a few days of gentle pushing, she’d agreed.
Hence the private hillside villa in Bali.
Did I mention it came with a plunge pool and butler service, too?
Nora rested her chin in her hand and sighed dreamily. “My life looked so different six weeks ago.”
“So did mine. It was a hell of a lot less colorful.”
Nora reached for another cucumber sandwich. “Likewise.”
Chapter 39
Nora
It was easy to picture a morning in Bali with Walker. I could see myself waking early as birds chirped outside the doors to our villa. Somewhere nearby, water would sound like it did in a creek in the forest—not a trickle but not a rush either—and I’d make coffee and open all the windows and doors to let the sweet tropical air flow through the villa while Walker slept for an extra half hour or so.
Maybe by the time he woke up, I’d be able to get some writing done.
Maybe he’d find me lounging by the pool with a bowl of fruit in my lap and a second cup of coffee just within reach. A book would be open in one hand and it would most definitely have to be something fictional, maybe with a bit of magic involved.
And a love story. Obviously.
He’d greet me with a good-morning kiss and unceremoniously leap into the pool, splashing me, my book, my coffee, and my fruit with water. Shortly after, I’d have to join him either of my own free will or because he chased me down and dragged me in with him.
We’d spend as many hours in the pool as we wanted with my legs wrapped around his waist and my lips glued to his, and we’d talk about how beautiful the countryside was and where we should go next.
