20. Parker

CHAPTER 20

Parker

H as anyone seen Audrey?” I asked the living room full of my teammates. We’d won the game and that meant the guys wanted to celebrate, the party now in full swing. But there were way more people here than we’d discussed, and I was concerned that it was getting out of hand for a weeknight.

“Parker!” Samuel slurred. “About time you showed up, man. We can’t celebrate the winning goal scorer without him actually present!”

“Dude,” I dropped my voice low. “Are you drunk right now? Coach is going to kill us if we show up with hangovers tomorrow at practice.”

I was one-hundred-percent sober. Hadn’t had a drop to drink all night. How could I, with Audrey in my room, looking like temptation incarnate?

I’d been hard as a rock all fucking night, especially with Audrey sprawled out over my bed, wearing my jersey, looking like an angel with her golden hair spread out around her. All I wanted was to touch her. To pull her into my arms and kiss her again. After our kiss earlier, I was pretty sure she felt the sparks between us, but my lack of experience made me feel at a loss for words. What was I supposed to do?

“I’ll be fine.” Sam’s voice brought me back into the present. The living room, with my team. Right. I blinked at him. “Just need to sleep it off and I’ll be right as rain tomorrow.” He slung an arm around my shoulder. “Anyway?—”

“Have you seen Audrey?” I repeated, feeling a bit more frantic. It had been what felt like twenty minutes since I’d seen her last, when she’d slipped out of my room saying she needed water and the bathroom. I knew there was no way she would have taken this long. Plus, I’d looked for her all over, and I hadn’t seen her in the house anywhere.

“I think I saw her go out front maybe ten, fifteen minutes ago?” Taylor piped up. “She had a bottle of water and her cheeks were flushed.”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?” I rolled my eyes, turning to go towards the front door. But when I got to the entryway, there was Audrey. Shaking, with her back pressed to the door.

I narrowed my eyes, coming to stand in front of my girl. She was wearing my jersey, her gorgeous golden locks gathered into a high ponytail with that sparkly pink scrunch she always had on, and even if it was fake, I couldn’t help my instinct to protect her. Not when her eyes were watering and there was a red mark on her cheek.

“Who did this to you?” I gritted out, unable to keep the violence out of my voice.

And I knew . I knew without asking. Because it was obvious from the way she was trembling.

“Parker—” she whimpered, reaching her hand out to grab mine as if that would help calm me down. But, fuck, I could still see the marks on her wrists from where he’d grabbed her. I saw red.

“It was fucking Duke, wasn’t it? He put his hands on you?”

Audrey nodded, tears spilling from her eyes.

“Fuck, baby,” I said, opening my arms. “Come here.”

She did, collapsing into my hold as I wrapped my arms around her, rubbing soothing circles down her back. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

“He’s never—” she hiccuped. “He’s never done that before. He’d never hurt me.”

“Where did he go?” My words were sharp. Lethal. I flung open the door, intending on getting payback for her.

Coach was going to fucking kill me if I started a fight, but I didn’t care. Not when this asshole was trying to hurt my girl. Not when it was my job to keep her safe.

My girl. Mine.

“Parker.” Her small hand grabbed mine, interlacing our fingers. “Please,” she whispered. “Don’t go after him.”

I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand.“He can’t keep doing this to you, Audrey. I just?—”

The steps on the porch creaked, and there was her ex. Pushing her behind me, I tried not to notice the way she was still cupping her cheek. He’d hit her. He hit her, and now he needed to pay.

“Aud, I just wanted to—” Duke started.

I shook my head. “No.”

“No?” He raised an eyebrow, like he was questioning my command.

“No . Don’t talk to her, don’t look at her, don’t even fucking think about her. You hurt her. But here’s the thing, Duke. She’s not yours. She’s mine . And I don’t intend to let her go. Not ever. So if you ever so much as lay a finger on her again, I’m coming for you. And you won’t like it if I do. No matter how much money your daddy has, I can assure you, mine has more. I’m not afraid to fight you.” I’d done my fair share of research into Duke Prescott, who was only one minor infraction from being expelled from CU. This wasn’t the first time he’d harassed a girl, but I would make sure it was his last.

He scoffed. “Like you can touch me.”

“Try me.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

He lunged, but I had the upper hand. Predominantly, because I was sober, and I was sure he’d been out drinking. There was no way he wasn’t on something.

My fist met his jaw, and he went down, collapsing backward into the door frame.

“Parker!” Audrey gasped.

For me. Not for her shitty-ass ex. I didn’t even make sure he landed okay, just closed the door. He was someone else’s problem. Not mine. Right now, my priority was the girl in front of me who was shaking like a leaf.

“Are you okay?” Audrey asked, and I pulled her into my arms.

“Me?” I laughed, smoothing down her hair. “Are you okay?”

She melted against me. “I will be now.”

Damn right she would.

I scooped her up into my arms, happy when she didn’t protest at me carrying her as I moved into the kitchen to grab an ice pack and a treat I’d gotten Audrey earlier. Luckily, since we were college athletes prone to pulling joints and muscles, we had plenty. Snatching one up, I carried her through the crowded living room and towards the back of the house.

“My room or the back room?” I asked her, keeping my voice low. Soothing.

“Your room.” She snuggled her face into my neck, and damn, I was content to keep her right here for the rest of all time.

Her eyes fluttered shut as I headed back up the stairs to my room.

“This is nice,” she murmured. “Why don’t we do this more often?”

“Me punching your ex?” I asked, earning me a laugh from the girl in my arms. “I can do that any time you want, baby.”

“You know what I mean.”

I was pretty sure if I could see her cheeks, they’d be pink, but she kept her face buried against me.

Kicking open my door, I shut it behind us, walking over to my bed and setting her down on the edge. Handing her the ice pack I’d kept tucked under my arm, I watched as she guided it up to her cheek.

I ran my hands through my hair, begging for some self control, before taking a seat beside her. “You okay?”

“Yeah. It doesn’t really hurt anymore. Just stings a little.” Audrey bit her lip before climbing onto my lap, wrapping her arms around my neck. “I can’t believe you did that.” The ice pack was discarded at her side.

“Of course I did,” I said, curling my hand around her hip and holding her protectively. “I’m never going to let anything happen to you, Rosie Girl. I promise.” That she’d gotten hurt tonight at all—and on my turf, at my party—was enough to tear me up inside.

“I know.” Her smile was sweet. Soft. “I’ve always known that, Parker. You’re my best friend.”

Your best friend shouldn’t be thinking about how much he wants to kiss you right now, I thought to myself. “Of course I am. World’s best fake boyfriend, right?”

She hummed in response, and I didn’t care if no one was around. If no one was watching us. If none of this felt fake. “Any girl would be lucky to have you.”

The idea of any other girl touching me, of having anyone else with me like this, felt wrong. It was my Rosie I wanted, not anyone else.

I dragged my thumb across her lower lip. “But they don’t.”

“Hmm?” Her eyes were lidded.

“Have me,” I murmured. “They don’t have me. You do.”

She nodded.

“Because you’re mine,” I said, marveling at how soft she was. All those curves, her beautiful golden hair, her pretty pink lips—all of it was soft. I wondered if she was soft all over. God, I wanted to touch her. To worship her body.

“Parker,” Audrey whimpered.

“What do you want, baby?” I asked, running my finger over her cheek. Wishing I could take her pain away.

“Kiss me.”

Like there was any world that I’d tell her no.

I pulled her in closer to me, bringing the hand not holding her hip to her neck, guiding her mouth to mine. After tonight, I needed it. I craved her like I’d never craved anyone else. Like I couldn’t get enough. I wasn’t sure I ever would.

The sweet treat I’d bought for her fell out of my pocket, tumbling onto the bed beside us, but I didn’t even care when the kiss deepened, and Audrey moaned into my mouth as our tongues met. She nipped on my bottom lip, and I sucked on her tongue. Neither one of us seemed to want to be the first one to break the kiss.

I was too aware of the way she was straddling my lap, her heat pressed against my aching cock. The only thing separating us was our jeans and underwear. Damn, I wouldn’t be able to last with her on top of me.

How could I? Not when it felt so good to taste her, to hold her like this. Her fingers ran through my hair, raking her fingernails against my scalp in the most delicious way.

She writhed on top of me, like she was desperately seeking friction as I devoured her mouth. Each movement made me harder until I was practically weeping in my pants.

When we pulled apart, her lips were swollen, both of our breaths coming out in little pants.

Audrey sucked in a breath as her hips involuntarily rocked against mine, her eyes widening as she felt my erection pressing against her. “Oh.”

I groaned as she experimentally rocked against me again. “Rosie Girl, I’m not going to be able to hold back if you do that.”

She fluttered her eyelashes. “Then don’t.”

“What are you saying?” I whispered, aware of every line we were crossing. Best friends. Fake relationship. And yet none of it mattered as she ground down against my cock.

All I could think about was how good this felt, and how I wanted more. Her hands wrapped around me. My tongue running over every inch of her body. To lose myself in her. I already knew no one else would ever compare to her.

“Make me forget about him,” Audrey said, her words so soft I wouldn’t have been able to hear them if I weren’t directly underneath her. “I don’t want to think about him. Just us. Just you.”

“You and me,” I agreed, pressing a kiss to her neck to keep the other words in. Because I’m yours.

She tugged my t-shirt out of my jeans, smoothing her palms up my abs. Her eyes lit up as she traced each ridge with her fingertips. “I feel safe with you. Comfortable. Like we could do anything—try anything, and I know I’d be okay.”

Yeah, she would. Because I’d put her first. I might not have much experience with this, but I knew enough. And God, I’d do anything she asked.

I whipped my shirt off, throwing it to the floor so she could continue her perusal with her hands. “You can. Anything you want, Audrey.”

“Anything?” Her voice was breathier this time.

“Yeah. Tell me what you need.”

She bit down on her lower lip, those teeth peeking out in such an adorable way. “I need…” Audrey blinked up at me, her eyes unfocused with lust. With need. “To come.”

“Use me,” I offered.

“What?” Audrey’s voice comes out all breathy. I watch her swallow, then look back at me. Her eyes are wide, intensely focused on me.

“Use me, Audrey. Take what you need.”

I rubbed my erection against her, a little moan slipping from her lips.

“It doesn’t have to mean anything,” I said, digging my fingers into her thighs. “Just let me take care of you.”

“It doesn’t mean anything,” she agreed. “And it doesn’t change anything.”

And yet, somehow, I knew it would change everything.

Adjusting our positions, I rested my back against the headboard, dragging her along to keep her with me. Audrey’s hands came to my shoulders, and with my hands on her hips, we started working in tandem. She rolled her hips against me, and I thrust up against her, painfully hard. My dick was all too eager to be inside of her, but that wasn’t happening tonight. He needed to not get his hopes up.

“Touch me,” she whispered, grabbing my hands and guiding them up her stomach, over the soft skin, to the bottom of her lacy bra. “Please.”

I nodded, my thumbs brushing over her hardened nipples before I cupped each of her breasts in my hand, squeezing softly—tentatively. Even though I wanted to rip her shirt off, to bare her to me and see those perfect tits with nothing concealing them, we weren’t there yet.

She was making the sweetest noises as she rubbed herself against me, and somehow dry-humping in my bedroom had topped the charts for the single best sexual experience of my life. Not that I had a lot to measure it against.

“Fuck,” I groaned. “Audrey—” I shut my eyes, trying to think of un-sexy things. Things that weren’t my girl in my jersey or the breathy sounds she made every time my hips met hers.

She whimpered, still moving back and forth, her hips working in overtime as she chased her orgasm. “I’m so close.”

I took her lips with mine, not caring about anything else as we ground against each other. Fuck, it felt incredible. Losing myself in the kiss, I let passion take over, working us higher and higher. My hips thrust up, and she met me stroke for stroke as I coaxed her mouth with my tongue in tandem.

Audrey’s head fell back, and she let out a low moan as she came. I wasn’t far behind, unable to hold back as I felt the telltale signs of my own orgasm ripping through me.

“Fuck,” I muttered, looking down at my lap.

“Did you just—” Audrey giggled.

“Dammit, Rosie,” I groaned.

Yeah, I’d just come in my jeans like a teenager who’d never touched a girl before. In some ways, I was. My cheeks felt warm, embarrassment dotting them. I wasn’t ashamed of what we’d done, but all of this was new to me.

Audrey nuzzled her face against the crook of my neck, one of her hands resting over my heart, my chest still bare. “That was… amazing. That’s never happened to me before.”

I blinked. “Really?”

“Mhm. Orgasming just from rubbing against each other is basically unheard of in my world. Normally I had to, um…” Audrey blushed, her cheeks growing pinker by the moment. Like she’d only just realized what we were talking about. “I had to get myself off,” she whispered, not meeting my eyes.

“For the record, that’s never happened to me before either,” I joked, needing to see her smile again. “I don’t normally make it a habit of coming in my pants.”

She giggled, and I grinned at her, feeling relieved. This hadn’t changed everything between us. We were still us. Best friends who could laugh about the absurdity of the situation.

And that was good. Better than I could have asked for, really.

Because it meant I still had a chance. I hadn’t fucked this up completely.