He stiffened, pulsing inside of her. She could feel warmth coating her insides as he thrust a few more times before coming to a stop. She shivered as aftershocks wracked her body and Ty groaned.
“Fuck, Parker,” he panted as he leaned his forehead against her shoulder.
She smiled as she tried to catch her breath, chest still heaving and little electric shocks still dancing over her skin. “I told you, you don’t have to be so gentle with me all the time.”
Ty kissed her shoulder softly before he pulled gently out of her, turning her around in his arms and wrapping her up tight. “I just didn’t want to hurt you.”
“I know,” she said softly, smoothing her hands over his strong back. “But you didn’t, and you won’t. That was exactly what I needed.”
“It’s what I needed, too,” he admitted, pressing a kiss to her hair.
They stood like that for a few more moments as their breathing finished evening out. Parker pulled back, reluctant to leave his arms, but not willing to stand around naked for much longer. “I’m going to go get dressed before Chase gets back.”
Ty smiled, smacking her ass before letting her go. “Probably a good idea. I’d hate to have to kill my little brother.”
Grabbing her clothes up, Parker shot a look out the window. “It looks like the sun is coming back out. I’m going to run to town if I can’t find what I’m looking for in the kitchen.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to go for you? I don’t mind.”
“I got this one, but I promise, when I have a craving at two in the morning, I’ll let you do the honors,” Parker replied teasingly.
Ty stopped her as she started to walk out of the room, giving her a soft kiss before looking into her eyes. “It would be an honor, Parker. Remember that.”
Parker watched as he grabbed his shirt, pulling it on before looking at the cribs pieces scattered around. She couldn’t have kept the grin off her face if she tried. Ty was pretty irresistible, and was it any wonder she was losing her heart to him so quickly?
Parker walked out of the store, carrying several bags. Leah had offered to make her a cake, but it was her night off and Parker hadn’t wanted to put her through the trouble. She’d also decided she really wanted ice cream, so she’d hopped in the car and driven into town.
She’d gone on a bit of a spending spree, grabbing up the fixings for tacos and some other food. The craving for tacos had hit when she’d passed some salsa, and that was it. Tacos and cake with ice cream for dinner, it was.
She had been really glad she’d gone to the store when she’d passed a display of stuffed animals. Front and center had been the most adorable little wolf, and she’d had to get him. She stopped on the mostly empty sidewalk and pulled him out of the bag, stroking the little face.
He was perfect, with a plush black body and bright blue eyes. Of course, their baby most likely wouldn’t have blue eyes; Ty’s were brown, and hers were more gray than blue. She knew Ty’s wolf was black, though. She couldn’t imagine anything better to put in the nursery.
And maybe she could use it to get Ty talking. Show it to him, maybe get a conversation going where he could tell her the truth about what he was. Ty didn’t seem the type to keep secrets, so she couldn’t imagine what was holding him back. Something clearly was, though.
She was pretty sure his wolf nature was what was holding him back from asking her to stay at Red Moon, too. While she appreciated the fact that he wanted her to know everything before he asked her, she was anxious to have it set in stone. She wanted her stuff there, wanted to be able to call it her home, instead of it just feeling in her heart that it was.
She missed her cat, too. She hadn’t been joking about having one. Her neighbor was watching the large Maine Coon for her while she was gone, but Parker was anxious to get her settled in at the farm. She’d had Shania, or Fluff Butt as she called her, since Shania was a tiny kitten, and this was by far the longest she’d ever been away from her.
Parker looked up with a start when someone bumped into her. The wolf fell from her hands and she watched as Hannah bent over to pick the stuffed animal up.
“I’m so sorry!” Hannah said as she dusted the toy off. “I think he’s okay. The ground wasn’t wet where he landed.”
Parker smiled, trying to put Hannah at ease because she looked nervous. Hannah had never been the nicest to her, but she by far hadn’t been the cruelest, and Parker didn’t want to make her uncomfortable.
“It’s okay, Hannah. No harm done.”
Hannah looked torn, clutching the little wolf in her hands. “This is cute. It must be for the baby. Look, Parker, I... I just wanted to say I’m sorry for how I’ve acted in the past. There’s no excuse for my behavior, in the past or when you first came back to town. It probably makes me sound weak, but sometimes it’s hard to cross others who are more powerful, or go against the grain.”
“It’s really okay, Hannah. You never said anything that I hadn’t heard before, anyway.”
Hannah shook her head, a look of sadness passing over her pretty features. “No, it’s not okay. It makes me sad that the things I said were said to you by others, too. I just want you to know, I can’t stop what anyone else says, but I won’t participate again. And I won’t tell anyone about the baby. Let Ty know that, too--.”
Hannah’s words abruptly stopped and panic flitted across her pretty features. Parker turned slightly sideways, following Hannah’s gaze to Wendy, who was just walking up behind her.
“What are you doing talking to porky Parker, Hannah? You know you’ll sully your reputation if you’re seen talking to her. Mine, too, since we’re friends. And what were you saying about a baby and Ty?” Her heavily made up eyes narrowed as she took Parker in, hardening as she zeroed in on Parker’s stomach. Face cold, she threw her head back with a dark laugh. “Oh, that’s rich! I thought you were just packing on more fat, but you’re pregnant, aren’t you Parker? What, did you get Ty drunk so you could trap him? Because we all know that’s the only way he’d be with the likes of you. It’ll never work, you know. He’ll be back in my bed before you can even pop that brat out.”
“Oh, fuck off, Wendy,” Parker snapped, losing her patience. Hannah’s eyes widened comically as she jerked her eyes to Parker. “Is your life really so sad and pathetic that you have to spend all your time being a bitch and trying to make everyone as miserable as you are? You seriously need some help. You’re not fooling me with all that talk of Ty, either. I know he hasn’t slept with you, and he never will. He has better taste than that.”