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“Believe me, I don’t want to get hurt either.” I sat up straighter, determined not to let this happen. “I won’t. It’s sex and dates and…marriage, but that last one is beside the point. I’m not going to let my heart get involved.” Even to my own ears, I sounded uncertain.
“Maybe you should trust yourself,” Marcus said.
“Huh?” Why the fuck would I do that? I made terrible decisions.
“I’m not saying I trust Elliott, but I do trust you. If you like him, maybe he deserves it. You’ve never had anyone plan a whole date around spoiling your ass before.”
“Everyone wants to fuck me,” I said, trying to turn it into a joke, like Marcus was talking about spoiling me by treating my hole real nice.
“I’m not playin’,” Marcus replied. “I’m just saying, protect yourself. Sebastian is right. Maybe this is more than you thought.”
I…was at a loss for words. That wasn’t typically how Marcus spoke. He sure as shit wasn’t a cheerleader for relationships and feelings. Still, I couldn’t let myself consider what he was saying. It was a recipe for disaster, and I was tired of being a walking mess when it came to relationships.
“I don’t like him that way,” I assured the group.
Now I just had to make myself believe it.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Elliott
“Elliott! There’s a stain on my shirt. How in the fuck is there a stain on my shirt! Oh shit. Never mind. It’s a shadow.”
I laughed, walking into the closet where Parker was standing in a pink jockstrap while he slid his white shirt on. “You’re freaking out.”
“I am not.”
“You thought a shadow was a stain.”
“I was testing you!” He began buttoning.
Fuck, he was really sexy…and sweet. I got closer to him, swatted his hands away, and began helping with his shirt because I enjoyed doing things like this for him.
“This is our first big event as husbands, Elliott. A lot of really important people are going to be there, and this is so important to Cat. I just don’t want anything to go wrong.”
I kissed the tip of his nose. “It won’t.”
“There will literally be senators there!”
“Only one. He and Dad are friends. But they’re people too. Tonight is about helping people. That’s all that matters. Well, that and showing off my sexy husband.”
“Oh.”
“Praise slut.” I swatted his ass. “As much as I’m going to miss the view, you should put your slacks on.”
Parker had been a little subdued lately. It started not long after Vaughn came over. Sometimes he would be fine, laughing and talking and cuddling with me, and then it would be like he wasn’t sure if he should do that and would suddenly shut down and pull away. I had no idea what had caused the change, but I didn’t fucking like it. I wanted my husband back. And I was getting way too comfortable using that word…
“I could fake sick.”
“You love this kind of thing.”
“I really wish you hadn’t listened to old episodes of The Vers.”
“I didn’t hear that on The Vers. You mentioned it once.” I made it a point not to listen to the podcast anymore, not after the Declan-versus-Marcus debate. All that shit would do was get into my head, so I’d made the decision to stay away from it.
“Oh,” he said again, then smiled.
“Always love being the center of attention.” I kissed him. “Finish getting dressed, beautiful. We gotta go soon.”
“You’re good at that—making me feel listened to. Most men I’ve dated haven’t been this way.”
I winked. “Other men aren’t as good as me.”
“There’s the cocky husband I know and…know.”
“Know and know?”
“Go away so I can get dressed!” He pushed me out of the closet.
I went easily, laughing.
A half hour later we were in my car, driving to the hotel where the event was being held.
Parker went back and forth between fidgeting and texting on his phone. “Who are you talking to?”
“Declan. He’s kinda my person. He helps with stuff like this.” I’m not jealous, I’m not jealous, I’m not jealous. “Not like you do. It’s different.”
Was he saying I helped too? I knew this, so why did I suddenly feel too hot?
My stupid, annoying heart got that twitchy feeling again. God, this was torture. Why did something so small make me feel like I was going to dissolve into mush?
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. I’m here for you, ya know? Whatever you need tonight, I want to help too.”
Even without looking, I knew he was smiling. “You’re a good man. I don’t think I tell you that enough.”
“You should tell me again…and again and again and again,” I joked. Kind of. I loved hearing it.
He laughed. “Never.” Then more softly, “You’re a good man.”
“So are you, gorgeous.”
“Obviously.”
“Who’s the cocky one now?”
“Still you. Always you.” But then Parker put his phone away, reached over, and placed his hand on my thigh.
