To Hold and Protect by Sandra Owens

Author:Sandra Owens
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Carina Press
Published: 2023-02-06T18:08:28+00:00

Chapter Twenty

Parker disposed of the condom, then stared at himself in the bathroom mirror. He wanted to go paint a hundred canvases, each one of Willow. Willow in bed, her hair wild and tousled from his hands digging through it. Willow looking at her lover with desire-filled eyes. Willow nude, her long legs tangled in satin sheets. Willow’s bubble gum toes. He lowered his chin to his chest and closed his eyes. This was not happening. He was not falling for someone...again. He willed it so, and so it would be.

What had just happened between them had been incredible, yes. Near the end he had felt as if they’d transcended just having sex and traveled into something magical. Just because he’d never experienced anything like it, not even with Simone, didn’t have to mean he was falling for her.

He wanted to get back in that bed with her and do it all over again.

Reason enough not to do exactly that. They’d talked about it, had agreed on what this was, but did she really understand the rules? He needed to make sure she did, so he returned to the bed, but instead of climbing in like he wanted to, he sat on the edge next to her legs.

“I need to say something, and please don’t take this wrong.”

“Okay.”

She smiled, and his mind camera-clicked a mental picture of her beautiful smile for future reference, because he might tell himself he wasn’t going to fill a canvas with anything Willow, but he knew he was lying to himself.

Even so, he had to say the words that would probably hurt her but would protect him, and in the long run protect her, too. “Don’t expect more from me than I have to give.”

She put her hand on his arm. “I don’t expect anything from you, fireman, except for more amazing orgasms.”

“Firefighter.” Her grin said she was teasing him. His gaze shifted to the two unused condoms on her side table. As much as he wanted to crawl back in bed with her and wrap his body around hers, he needed to distance himself from the temptation of Willow Landry until he had his emotions under control.

“I seriously need to spend time in my studio before my show sneaks up on me and I’m not ready.” Not a lie. She watched him dress, and he wished she’d say something. Did she want him to go? He should be glad she wasn’t asking him to stay, and he shouldn’t be disappointed that she didn’t.

When he was dressed, he stepped next to the bed, leaned down, and brushed his lips over hers. “Sweet dreams, beautiful girl.”

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