Page 52 of Parentmoon

He asked us not to discuss Michael and Keli today. Not until tomorrow could we mention them, but his daughter’s call has flipped his mood.

Suddenly, I worry I haven’t done enough for him. Despite his laid-back attitude, Dallas might have his own concerns for his daughter. Ones he isn’t expressing to me.

I check my phone for a call from Michael, noticing he finally sent me a text.

Doing better.

The stupid symbol and two words are not something I can properly interpret.

Dallas enters the house shortly after me. When we left the beach, he’d slipped his T-shirt and green clam-jammer shorts back over his bathing suit. He stands with his hands on his hips while I lean against the kitchen counter.

“I don’t want you to betray your daughter’s confidence, but I just want to know how she’s doing.”

“She’ll be fine.” Dallas’s voice is too gruff, and I don’t like his answer any more than I liked Michael’s text. “I’m going to shower unless you want to go first. I have some emails to check.”

On a Saturday? The trigger has me vibrating with flashbacks of Craig again.

I need to make a call. In the middle of the night.

I’m heading to the office. On a weekend.

I’ll be in Ohio, for business. Since when did he need to travel for work?

“Go ahead.” I wave in the direction of the bathroom.

Standing in the kitchen, I’m left alone, feeling like a pressure cooker of hurt and an emotional stew of words that need to come out. Before I know it, my feet march their way to the bathroom, because I’m not doing this with him. I’m not letting him make me feel bad for my decisions.

As I turn the corner to the sunken shower, Dallas stands facing the spray. With water cascading down his broad back and funneling along his spine, he’s a sight. Those fine globes of his backside are bright white against the deep tan of his skin and fresh sunburn from today.

He spins, catching me checking him out. In my bathing suit, covered by a sundress, I step down into the shower, fueled by boiling emotions.

“I’m sorry, okay.” I flap out my arms, apologetic while exasperated. “I’m sorry I’m not adventurous enough for you. I’m sorry I wouldn’t let us have sex in the ocean or under the pier or in broad daylight. You didn’t have to flirt with someone else minutes later.”

Dallas’s eyes widen before blinking a few times. Then he swipes both hands down his face. The sudden difficulty of having an argument with a man . . . who’s naked, and hard, and sexy as a god, standing under a shower . . . hits me.

“Don’t be sorry for having your limits, Jo.” He narrows his eyes, determination in them to prove he means it. I don’t need to apologize to him. “I get so hard for you, I just needed time to cool off. I’m not upset. Just—” He blows out a breath. “I can’t seem to tame how much I want you.”

I stare at him, disbelieving him yet watching as his shoulders sag and his head hangs. A man clearly frustrated with himself.

“I’m the one who is sorry. I pushed when I shouldn’t have.”

“You haven’t spoken to me for like an hour.” I sound like a petulant teenager, begging for his attention.

“That wasn’t you, darlin’. Just my thoughts on Keli.” He waves a hand around his ear. “When I promised we wouldn’t talk about them today.”

I sigh, my own shoulders lower, a weight lifted off them, and yet a new concern presses downward. “She isn’t okay?”

“She will be.” Dallas looks left, leaving me with another uncontrollable observation of him. Firm everywhere, water sluicing down his bronzed skin.

He suddenly turns back to me. “And as for flirting with someone else. . . are you out of your mind?”

“I might be. I feel like I’m going crazy today with you. Up and down.” I wave my hand through the air mimicking a rollercoaster.

“Same, darlin’. But I don’t want off the ride.” Something flickers in his eyes.

Still raw with my own emotions that brewed, boiled over, and now simmer, I don’t know what to make of this man. One thing is clear, though. He’s fully erect, almost proving to me without thought, that he wants me unconditionally and constantly like he just said.

“Let me help you with that.” My voice croaks, confidence rebuilding.