25. Late night cravings

TWENTY-FIVE

Del ??:

U up?

Istared at the screen, wondering if what I was seeing was actually real. Delilah Howard had just sent me a "U up?" text from across the hall in our own house after I edged her in the front seat of my truck and left her hanging. She had practically run to the house to get away from me and slammed the bedroom door before I could apologize.

The car ride was mostly for show. I got off on punishing her, and I knew she enjoyed it too. Which is why I could guess that she'd be locked in her room taking care of what I started. I didn't expect her to cave so easily or to ask for dick over text.

Parker:

Fast asleep

Del ??:

Do you still have the Kindle app?

Parker:

Yeah I'm still logged into your account too

Del might not have talked to me over the last year and a half, but I'd kept up with everything she read and checked her Kindle library nightly. It might have been the creepiest thing I'd ever done, but it was my only way of knowing she was okay when she wouldn't reply to my calls or texts and had blocked me on social media.

Del ??:

Freeloader

Parker:

I don't think I was the one watching Gossip Girl on my Netflix account.

Also, you read some fucked up shit, Dellie.

Del ??:

Don't yuck my yum, asshole.

Parker:

I particularly enjoyed the dragon one. I finished it before you did actually. Crazy that their bonded dragons were banging and making the characters horny by proxy.

Del ??:

You did not read that book. ??

Parker:

I've read everything you have since your trip to Buffalo. I logged myself in.

Del ??:

No you haven't!

Parker:

Quiz me

After she got over the embarrassment of her late-night reads being exposed, she thought it was hilarious. We texted back and forth until almost 4 a.m. I insisted she drink lots of water and eat the sandwiches I left by her door. When I heard her door click open my phone pinged with a motion detected in the kitchen. I turned off the alarm system and pulled up the cameras. She was sitting on the counter helping herself to the assortment of ice cream I bought just for her.

Wearing nothing but that lacy bodysuit. If I thought it was hard to resist her before, I was completely screwed now.

Delilah helped herself to several flavors and lined them up on the counter. I chucked to myself as I watched her climb up and sit next to the containers. She reached down and slid the silverware drawer open, grabbed two spoons, and looked straight into the camera. Damn, she was cute.

I didn't bother to put on more clothes, she hadn't anyway. I threw off the blanket and walked downstairs in my boxers. Del was already digging into the cookies and cream when I entered the kitchen.

She smiled around a huge spoonful. "I knew you were watching me. Stalker."

I ran my hands up her bare thighs and squeezed, stepping into the space there. "Just making sure you weren't an intruder."

"Right, so you checked and then put your phone away?"

"Uh huh." My eyes caught on the wide flare of her hips. Without her skirt on, I could see just how high the fabric went on her sides. I wanted every inch of her exposed skin on mine. Memories of the parts of her I couldn't see haunted my dreams. Waking or not.

"So you wouldn't have seen me get two spoons."

"Okay you caught me. I watched longer than necessary."

"Hmm."

"One of those for me?" I pointed at the tubs of ice cream. She reached for the snickerdoodle one as I slid next to her. "No peanut butter?" Snickerdoodle was my second favorite after peanut butter, but Del hated everything about the substance. The smell alone made her gag.

"I thought you might kiss me, and I didn't want to blow your chance by throwing up in your mouth."

"Ah, you were doing me a favor." I tucked a curl behind her ear and she ate another spoonful. I stole the next one as it was on the way to her mouth, holding her wrist in my grasp. I held her stare as I made sure to get every last delicious bit off the spoon and licked my lips.

"Hey!"

Her black pupils grew, hiding the light blue iris. Del could be so closed off sometimes, but every emotion played across her face when her guard was down. I loved her cold, but when she was warm and open like this it reminded me of our childhood and how easy she was to read, to protect.

"It's tomorrow, you know." Her voice was a low murmur that drew myeyes to her lips. They were slightly wet, slightly sticky with ice cream. The urge to have a taste was too much.

My arms braced on the counter, caging her in. I leaned in and swiped my tongue over her bottom lip. "Delicious." Del held onto my biceps so I didn't back away entirely. "You were saying?" Her mouth hung open a little like she was still processing. I nibbled on her lower lip, taking advantage of the opening. "It's tomorrow?"

"Oh, yeah, You said we'd revisit the situation tomorrow when I was… not inebriated." She sent a pointed look to the clock hanging above the fireplace mantle. It was half past four.

"And are you not… inebriated?"

She shook her head. "I'm not going to beg you Parker, but this is your chance. Take it or leave it."

"Take you or leave you?" I rubbed my chin like I had to think about it. "What a silly question, Dellie Girl. I'd take you anywhere, anytime, any way you want me to."

She rolled her eyes. "Stop teasing me."

I leaned in and kissed the soft skin where her neck met her jaw. "Never, baby." She arched and let out a small moan as I worked my way up and behind her ear. "I'll stop teasing you when you stop loving it." I slid her to the edge of the counter and we both let out a breath when my lower half met hers.

"Parker," she whined.

"Tell me Dellie." I sucked on her neck, and her hips crashed into mine involuntarily. She was so responsive to every way I touched her. "I'm not kissing you again until you ask me to."

"Please kiss me," was her breathless response.

There was something to be said about wanting what you couldn't have that only made you want it more. I'd wanted to kiss Del from the moment my little kid brain could string two thoughts together. She should've been my first kiss and I should've been hers. On one hand, I was grateful it didn't go that way. I had no doubt teenager me would have fucked it up somehow. The person I was now wouldn't let her slip through my fingers. I had plenty of growing left to do as a dad and as a person in general, but I knew I could love her the way she deserved. I would be so fucking good that she'd never doubt she was the best thing in my life.

I tipped her chin up so her lips were just a breath away from mine. "Do you trust me?"

"You're the only man I trust." I could see the sincerity in her eyes. A clear, blue pool of emotion she was hesitant to give, afraid she'd never get it back. She looked away for the briefest moment. "Don't make me regret it."

My thumb grazed her smooth cheek and brushed against her pouty bottom lip. I knew I had her heart in my hands, and I treasured the power it gave me. I didn't take it lightly.

I ducked down to meet her lips, and she sunk into my touch, relaxed into my embrace, and completely gave in. I coaxed her to follow my lead and took my time with gentle kisses that morphed into more. They became needy and frantic like we couldn't get close enough.

My hands slid down her back to cup her ass and pull her to me over and over again. This moment had played through my head so many times. I couldn't help feeling like I needed to jump at the opportunity I'd been given, and show her how much she meant to me.

Apparently Del was thinking the same thing because she grabbed the hem of my shirt and ripped it over my head before I could protest, not that I would. Her hands roved over my bare chest cataloging every dip and bend like she wanted to memorize it.

Before I could bring her lips back to mine, she pressed against my chest to create distance between us.

"Wait, what's this?"

I looked down to see her, mouth slightly open, finger tracing the swooping lines of her name inked into my flesh. Her skeptical stare flicked from my eyes to my chest, then back to my eyes again.

"Am I high, or do you have my name tattooed across your heart?"

"I don't think you've ever smoked Del. As much as you call me a goody two shoes I think we both know you're just as bad."

She had to be in shock or something because she didn't even try to argue or make a sassy remark. "When did you get it?"

"I can't believe you didn't see it at the gym. It was my first tattoo. The guy told me it was a bad idea, but I did it anyway."

"Okay, you're going to make me cry, and I don't cry, so please change the subject."

"Yeah, wouldn"t want someone to take away your black hearts club membership or anything." I kissed the corner of her eye where one tear was about to drop. "So, Dellie Girl, should I take you right here on the counter like in your book? No one's watching now, but I could arrange it for next time."

She gasped when I grabbed a handful of her hair in a fist and angled her lips to mine. She tasted so sweet. In that moment I knew cookies and cream was going to be my new favorite flavor.

"You are the most precious thing in my life. Don't forget that when I fuck you like you aren't." I wrapped her legs around my waist and carried her up to her bedroom.