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His eyes glint with amusement, and one corner of his mouth lifts. “Hmmm. That’s one way of putting it.”
“And thank you for helping me earlier.”
“You can thank me with a kiss.”
There he is again, flirting with me.
He probably flirts with everyone. I mean, I once saw him charming the pants off our elderly landlady. Hmm, now that I think about it, that may be the reason why she let him keep the pig. She’s so particular about cleanliness, and Thor is just… Thor.
Parker most likely expects me to act irritated again. Well then, I guess I have to be unpredictable just this once. I’ll surprise him and do something he doesn’t expect.
Bracing my hands on his shoulders, which feel as hard as his arm, I lift myself and press my lips against his, noting his surprised gasp. My plan to just throw him off-guard and give him a chaste peck backfires on me when his arm wraps around me and he pulls me to him. I feel such an intense, all-consuming longing all the way to my toes.
With the sudden, urgent desire to taste him, I dip my tongue into the warm recess of his mouth. I think for a moment, that’s it. We’ll break apart and say good night.
But Parker has other plans.
Instead of staying still, which, to be fair, I don’t expect him to do, he grabs the back of my head and sucks my tongue, molding his mouth to mine. A whimper sneaks past my lips, and he swallows the sound.
I need to be closer to him, so I clutch his shirt and pull, because all of a sudden, I hate even an inch of space between us.
He deepens the kiss, and I give as much as I get, responding to him as though we’re not outside, as though our neighbors can’t look out their windows and find us sucking each other’s souls.
At 27 years old, this is not my first kiss. But this is the only one that has made me lose my mind completely.
When we finally come up for air, I lose my footing and almost topple backward. Parker reaches his arm and catches me before I fall and land on my ass.
With his face only inches from mine, I’m about to go in for a second kiss. That is until Thor reminds us of his existence and lets out a high-pitched squeal—loud enough to wake the tenants on the first floor. I didn’t even know he could do that.
Parker rests his forehead on mine and sighs. “Should we turn him into bacon?”
“I don’t know how the hell you talked me into hiking,” I mumble as I wipe the sweat off my brow, already regretting agreeing to this in the first place.
Welcoming the crisp morning air, I briefly toy with the idea of enrolling at the nearest gym. We’ve been walking for no more than fifteen minutes, and my lungs are burning. I don’t want to say it in front of Parker, but I feel like if we do this for an hour, I’ll die.
Fine. That’s a bit dramatic, but I probably won’t be able to feel my legs on our way back.
The towering trees continue to form a canopy overhead, which offers us respite from the sun. I already slathered myself in sunblock, but I’m sure I’ll come out of this totally burnt.
“It’s fun and relaxing, Piper.”
Parker stops in front of me, and I have to admit. He’s right. Not the hiking itself, but the nature surrounding us.
From the rustling leaves to the earthy scent of semi-damp soil, it feels like we’re thousands of miles away from the city. I can’t explain it, but even the sunlight filtering through and the gentle breeze pulls a smile from me.
It is relaxing.
Fun? Not so much.
“Fine. Let’s continue.” I drag my feet and try to focus on the ground before me, twigs crunching beneath my shoes with every step.
Parker offers me his tumbler, which I decline. I notice he has a huge grin on his face.
“Why do you look so happy?”
He casts me a mischievous look. “Because I have two of my favorite things right here—hiking and you. The only thing missing is Thor.”
“You have such a weirdly deep attachment to that pig. What if his owner comes to take him back?”
