“I’ll be fine,” Amanda assured her. The truth was, her head was beginning to ache from the pressure of all the things she couldn’t say. She just needed a few hours where she didn’t have to guard every word and she’d be fine.
Just the thought of a hot shower and a nap made her feel better.
The three of them finished their drinks and parted ways and Amanda heaved a sigh of relief as soon as she was alone in her room. She picked up her phone to check her messages and saw three, one from Colin and two from Parker.
She smiled to herself as she pulled up Parker’s messages.
PH:How are you today? Surviving your spa day?
PH:Last night was really nice.
Grinning from ear to ear, she typed out her response.
AH:Barely. I just got back to my room and I think I need a nap. Or a drink. Or both.
AH:It was really nice. We should do it again sometime.
She set the phone down to get undressed, only to scoop it up again when it dinged a moment later.
PH:Oh, we will.
AH:Tonight?
PH:Are you going to behave yourself?
AH:Do I have to?
PH:Yes.
AH:You’re no fun.
PH:I think we both know that’s not true.
AH:But you could be so much more fun.
PH:If I just let you have your way? That’s not happening.
PH:And you’d be surprised how much more fun I could be if you followed the rules.
AH:But… I don’t want to.
PH:*sigh* hence our problem.
AH:Hence your problem.
PH:Keep talking. I’m still keeping track, you know.
AH:Oh, yeah? And what’s my tab up to so far?
AH:I wonder if I could break some kind of record. What do you think the record would be for a three-day weekend?
PH:Don’t. Try. Your tab is already pretty high.
AH:How high?
PH:I’m thinking one, maybe two weeks…
AH:?
PH:Before you’ll be able to walk again.
AH:QQ… That’s it?
AH:That doesn’t scare me.
PH:I swear to God…
PH:BEHAVE.
PH:And you can start now, by going and taking your nap. Did you eat?
AH:Boo! And yes. We had lunch and mimosas.
PH:But did you eat?
AH: Yes, sir.
PH:You’re rolling your eyes again.
AH:You can’t prove that.
PH:Don’t need to. What did you eat?
AH:A mediocre cheeseburger with some surprisingly good fries. And chocolate cheesecake for dessert. Do I pass?
PH:Yes. Good girl.
PH:Now, nap. I’ll see you at the rehearsal dinner.
AH:Fine. But I expect a reward for being a good girl.
PH:Let’s just see how the evening goes...
Amanda covered her face with her hands. She was smiling so wide she was sure her face would split. She didn’t think she’d ever been this excited about anyone before. There was just something about Parker that made her pulse race and her heart perform acrobatics in her chest. And it wasn’t all about sex.
The night before had been more than nice. She’d felt safe and warm and cared for. And even though he’d laughed at her a little, Parker had actually listened. No judgment, no telling her what she should do or telling her she was overreacting. He just… listened.
And she’d forgotten how nice it was not to sleep alone, although she couldn’t remember it ever feeling quite that good. It was usually a little cuddle, then back to back for sleeping. Parker had held her all night long, like even asleep he didn’t want any space between them.
If anyone had asked her if that was something she would be into, she would have said no. But with Parker… she could easily get used to it. Trying to nap alone in her hotel room seemed a little sad in comparison.
She was not optimistic that it would be much better when she was at home in her own bed. There were memories there now that would actually make it worse. She imagined quite a few lonely nights in her future, lying in her bed just… missing him.
You are so fucked…
✽✽✽
“You look happy, Mijo.”
Parker looked up, a little embarrassed that he’d practically forgotten where he was. He and Jackson were having lunch with Maria, who was basically his mom, too. Jackson had been making an effort at first, but he’d gotten quieter as the meal progressed, which meant Parker had tried to pick up more and more of the slack.
“I’m good.” Parker smiled at her, soaking up the motherly love. He’d really missed her since she was up for Thanksgiving last year.
“No, this is something… more than good, I think.” She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, looking at his phone first and then at him.
Uh- oh.
He glanced nervously at Jackson, but he was struggling to pay attention to what Maria’s… friend was saying.
“You have a girlfriend?” Maria’s smile was hopeful, and he felt a stab of guilt.
“Me? No. No girlfriend.” It wasn’t a lie, really. He had… a lover? A Sub? Beyond that, they hadn’t really discussed what they were.
“Parker would have to actually go out and meet a girl to have a girlfriend, Mami.” Jackson’s tone was joking, but he gave Parker an odd look like he was trying to figure out if he’d missed something.
“Hmm. We’ll see.” She waved away the subject and they returned to their lunch and Parker jumped into the conversation between Jackson and Michael.
Parker wasn’t sure he liked him yet, and he could tell that Jackson wasn’t exactly thrilled, either. Hank had been gone a long time, but it was still tough to see anyone try to fill his shoes. He could only imagine how much worse it must be for Jackson.
Parker hadn't known Hank for long before he died, and though he’d idolized the man, Hank hadn’t been his father.
This new guy was going to have a lot to prove before Jackson would give him his blessing, but Maria seemed happy. From what Parker could tell, Michael was a good guy and treated her well, but that wasn’t enough to convince him that he deserved her.
Maria was a gem, a treasure. She was everything a mom should be; patient, loving, funny. She was also feisty enough to raise three boys, four if you counted Parker, without ever taking shit from any of them.
She was a little like Amanda that way and it made him smile to think that she would approve of his choice in women if he ever got the chance to introduce her as his girlfriend.
“You can lie to Jackson, but you can’t fool me.”
“Sorry?” Parker realized he’d zoned out again and he was now alone with Maria at the table.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell him, but I know what a man in love looks like, Mijo.”
Love? No. It was way too soon for that. They weren’t even officially dating yet. Love wasn’t and couldn’t be part of the equation. He liked her and he certainly cared about her. He enjoyed spending time with her and thought she was beautiful and funny and smart. But letting himself fall for her would be disastrous.
“How did you know- with Hank, I mean. How did you know you were in love?”
Her eyes grew sad and misty but her smile was tender.
“Ah, my sweet Hank. Just seeing him made my heart beat fast. I couldn’t stop smiling even when he wasn’t around.” Here she paused, giving him a significant look. He looked away and she continued. And I was happier fighting with him than being without him. Even when he was being an idiot and I wanted to strangle him, I never wanted to be anywhere else.”
Maria sighed, but there was a gleam in her eye when she said, “And I wanted to scratch the eyes out of any woman who looked at him twice.” Maria laughed and so did Parker, but inside, he was quietly panicking. If that was love, then he was so fucked.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Dinner was going surprisingly well, as had the rehearsal. Amanda hadn’t so much as looked
at him sideways all night, which was fortunate because Jackson was still climbing the fucking walls.
Apparently, Janie had finally checked in with Alexandra and was on her way, but until he saw her, Jackson was still going to be wound like a spring. Parker had to nudge him twice during the rehearsal to get him to pay attention, and he hadn’t said a thing to anyone all through dinner. He’d spent the whole night looking at the door every five seconds, obviously waiting for Janie to waltz in and sit down at the table.
“Hey, man,” Parker asked, leaning toward Jackson who was seated to his right. “How are you holding up?”
“I feel like I’m going to explode,” Jackson replied, grimly. “I don’t think I can do this whole bachelor party thing. I might just lose it and ruin the whole damn night.”
“You can’t do that. I’m sure Connor would understand, but you’ll drive yourself crazy sitting in your hotel room. Besides, if you go ballistic, you know I’ll be there to knock your sorry ass out.”
“Right,” Jackson scoffed. “Like that would ever happen.”
“Hey, man, I’ll do what I’ve got to do.”
“I’m not saying you wouldn’t,” Jackson said with a wry smile. “I’m saying you couldn’t.”
“Bullshit,” Jackson smirked. “It’d be easy. You fight fair.”
Jackson frowned like he was trying to figure out if that was an insult or a compliment. It was neither, really, it was just a fact. But Parker wasn’t such a stickler, not when it counted.
“Just come,” Parker said. “If you need to duck out early, then you can. But I really think it would be better than sitting here alone all night waiting for her to show up. Do you even know what you’d say to her?”
“Not exactly,” Jackson replied, running his hand through his hair in frustration.
“Never go in unprepared, stupid. Take the night, come to the party and you can sit in the corner all night drinking beer and coming up with a strategy.”
“I already have one.” Jackson looked away, rubbing the back of his neck.
“What was that?” Parker asked, not sure he’d heard correctly.
“I already have a plan,” Jackson said more clearly, fidgeting with his bottle of beer. “For the wedding. I have a plan. To get her back.”
“See?” Parker punched him in the shoulder. “You’ll just ruin it if you jump the gun. Go with your original plan and win her back tomorrow.”
“Fine,” Jackson sighed.
“Attaboy.” Parker grinned. “I knew you’d see reason.”
“Shut it, Hanson,” Jackson mumbled. They only ever used last names when they were really cranky, so he knew it was time to back off.
He picked up his beer and took a sip and for the fifteenth time in the last hour, he looked down the table to where Amanda sat with her parents. She glanced over and caught his eye, giving him a small private smile. He then watched as she proceeded to excuse herself and get up from the table.
Less than two minutes later Parker’s phone buzzed and he fished it out of his pocket, confused. Everyone he knew was at this table. Everyone except…
His jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw the picture message pop up on his screen.
✽✽✽
Amanda smiled at her reflection in the mirror, pleased with herself. She’d been the very best girl all night. She hadn’t said or done anything inappropriate, which had been pretty easy since Parker wasn’t conveniently seated next to her at dinner this time.
Instead, she found herself sandwiched between her parents. It probably would have been less awkward sitting right between Connor and Alexandra.
Her parents had kept talking to each other over and behind her, and although the conversation was all perfectly cordial and PG, it made her feel icky to be in the middle of it, especially knowing that it was all an act and that they were making the beast with two backs behind the scenes.
Even if she hadn’t planned to slip out to give Parker a little surprise, she still would have needed to get away for a few minutes.
So, she excused herself and found the bathroom, where she proceeded to take a lovely photo of the temporary tattoo she’d placed on her backside.
She’d ordered it literally the same day that he forbade her to ever get a tattoo of his name on her ass. She’d found a place that made custom semi-permanent tattoos and it had arrived three days later.
Thank you, express shipping!
Now seemed like a good time to-
The door to the bathroom slammed hard against the wall as Parker shoved it open. He checked the stalls, saw that they were empty, and locked the bathroom door.
When he turned back to Amanda, he looked positively feral. His eyes were dark and intense, and the muscles in his jaw and neck were standing out beneath his skin.
He stalked toward her, his hands clenched at his sides until she was pinned against the far wall by his presence alone.
That was when she knew she’d really fucked up. All the other times he’d been playfully annoyed. But this time… a storm was brewing behind his eyes and she was going to feel its wrath, here and now.
“Show me.” His voice was low and commanding and she had to swallow hard before she could speak.
“It’s fake.” For some reason, she thought that would save her. It was just a joke, right?
“Show. Me,” he growled, leaning closer.
She turned around and lifted the skirt of her blue dress up to her waist. She felt his hand smooth over the skin of her cheek right where the words “Property of Parker” had been inked, temporarily, on her ass.
“You think this is funny?” he whispered, his voice deadly calm.
“I mean… sort of?” she replied, her voice cracking. “I mean, I did. But-”
“There’s a reason I forbid you from doing this,” he replied, his voice strained. “And now you’re going to find out why.”
Amanda heard the rustle of cloth and the clink of a belt buckle and her pulse kicked up even higher in anticipation. Parker’s fingers slipped under the waistband of her thong and he yanked hard, ripping it from her body.
She gasped and a large hand came around her throat.
“You want to pretend to be my property? That means I treat you like my property. I treat you like you’re mine.”
He shoved a knee between her legs, forcing them apart. He nudged one foot to the side and then the other until her stance was wide.
“I’m going to fuck you. Hard. Because you’re mine and I can.”
She felt him push into her a little to make sure the angle was right and then, without warning, he slammed into her to the hilt. The invasion stung, but she’d wanted this for the last week and it felt so damn good to have him inside her.
She moaned a little and he squeezed her neck. Not enough to hurt just enough to remind her to be quiet. She bit her lip as he withdrew and slammed back home again and again.
His pace was relentless and pressed to the wall by the weight of his body, she had nowhere to go and nothing to do but take it.
She felt his breath on the side of her neck.
“I warned you. I said you wouldn’t be able to sit for a week, and this is what I meant. That I’d take you again and again and again- anywhere, anytime, and any way I want. You’re mine, Princess. As long as my name is on your ass, you’re mine,” he growled.
A shiver went up her spine and she felt her body tensing, on the verge of orgasm.
Again he squeezed her throat for a moment, a little harder this time.
“Do. Not. Come.” His voice was stern enough to tell her he meant it. She must have whimpered or whined at the thought that she wasn’t going to get the release she’d been craving all week because he repeated himself.
“You do not get to come, you hear me?”
She couldn’t speak so she nodded as much as she was able and focused on trying to stave off the impending climax.
She didn’t know anything about baseball, so that was out. Soufflé! How did you make a soufflé
? She ran through the steps in her head, trying to ignore all the sensations her body was feeling.
Egg whites, you had to… beat the egg whites. Then… melt the chocolate...
Parker’s pace increased until the only sound she could hear was the sound of his hips colliding with her body and their harsh, panting breaths as they echoed through the bathroom.
“You’re mine, Princess.” Parker’s voice was a low rasp in her ear.
A moment later he stilled, digging his fingers into her hip so hard that she thought he might have left bruises. Oddly, she hoped he had.
He groaned, long and low, his head tucked into her shoulder, and she felt the wet warmth of his release fill her.
His hand came away from her throat and he released her hip, taking a step back. She almost fell and he reached out and took hold of her waist to steady her while she literally got her legs back under her.
When she was steadier, he turned her to face him. She was still clutching the skirt of her dress, leaving her on display from the waist down.
Parker reached a hand between her legs, feeling the wetness that had begun to seep out of her. He dipped two fingers inside her, making her gasp as he grazed her still sensitive clit, and then smeared his release on the inside of each of her thighs.
“You don’t wash this off for the rest of the night,” he commanded, tugging her skirt out of her clenched fingers and smoothing it back down over her hips. “And you don’t come again until I make you. Understood?”
Amanda stared at him in shock. That was going too far.
“That’s not fair,” she whined.
“You should have thought about that before you put my name on your ass, Princess. You belong to me now, and every orgasm you have is mine to give you.”
“How will you even know?” She narrowed her eyes at him.
“I’ll know. Don’t test me.”
He tucked in his shirt, zipped up his slacks, and buckled his belt and within five minutes he was striding out of the ladies’ room like nothing had happened.
Amanda, meanwhile stood there looking crumpled and flushed and smelling like sex. Anyone with half a brain would be able to tell what she’d been doing with one look at her. How was she supposed to go back to dinner with her family after all that?
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