Cinderella's Shoe Size by Kathleen Webb

Author:Kathleen Webb
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2013-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Cindy reached up and grazed the outline of his jaw with her fingertips. “Is anyone ever really sure?” She felt his jaw clench.

“Don’t look to me for assurances, Cinderella. I’m fresh out.”

Cindy moistened her lips with her tongue. From her earliest recollections she had always known exactly what she wanted and grabbed for it hard and fast. So why the hesitation? Tonight, at this moment, she wanted Parker. Everything else ceased to matter.

“And if I don’t need assurances?” she said softly.

“What do you need?”

She heard the uncertainty in his voice and realized that he wasn’t all that sure of himself or her answer. She looked up, saw her image reflected in his eyes and swallowed thickly.

She was not drowning.

Not losing herself in him.

She was in full control of the situation. “I need you.”

He exhaled heavily, as if he’d been holding his breath. “I’m awful glad to hear you say that.” As he gathered her against him hip to hip, breastbone to breastbone, she could feel the heavy thud of his heart against her breast. Her every nerve ending tingled in response, as if a million megawatts of electricity had been transmitted through him to her.

Arms snugged around each others’ waists they climbed the staircase to the bedroom.

Parker hadn’t exaggerated. The skylight encompassed almost the entire ceiling, exposing a star-studded canopy of sky. An open window provided a symphony of sounds as the waves lapped at the pilings beneath the house.

“If I lived here, I’d never leave,” Cindy said. “Never.”

Parker busied himself with the zipper on her dress. “Till now it’s been somewhat on the lonely side.”

Cindy attacked the buttons on his shirt, measured, precise movements effectively masking her inner lack of assurance. “Just so you know. The first time with someone, well I don’t expect much.”

Parker raised a brow. “Gee, thanks.”

“I mean it’s always awkward and stuff. Much better to get it over with.”

“Get it over with,” Parker echoed.

“You know. Behind us. And then if we want to get together again sometime, well, there’s no first-time awkwardness. It’ll be much better.”

Parker caught her hands in both of his and stilled her movements. “A word of warning. I don’t do one-night stands, Cinderella. Never have.”

“You say that now. But who knows how you’ll feel afterward? I mean, if it turns out to be a mistake it’s best to admit that right away and move on, don’t you think? Rather than belabor the point.”

Parker crossed his arms over a tautly muscled chest that was the result of hard manual labor, not free weights in a gym. “I have to hand it to you. You sure know how to ruin a good seduction.”

“I just think it’s best to be up front about these things. Realistic and all.”

“You’ve got a real gift for pushing folks away, anytime you feel them start to get too close, you know that?”

“Guilty as charged.” Cindy punctuated her words with an awkward laugh. “Marissa says it’s my safety valve. To not let someone near me until I’m convinced they need me more than I need them.

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