I am still discreetly smelling his jacket when the car pulls up. Then I feel his hand on the small of my back leading me to the car. It wouldn’t be noticeable to anyone around us. It just looks like a friend is casually leading me to the car, but to me it feels like more. I feel like I can feel his touch everywhere.
Once we are all in the car, I lean forward a little and casually place my hand on his knee. “So what’s this big surprise you need to tell us.” I see Parker glance down to where my hand is touching him. Yeah, back at you buddy. I can make casual touches feel like more too. I begin slowly circling my finger on his knee.
Becca grabs Doug’s hands and smiles back at us. “Well, the reason I was feeling so tired tonight and wanted to leave earlier than we usually do is because we’re pregnant!”
“Oh my gosh!” I go over to hug Becca. They have been trying to get pregnant for almost a year now, so I am happy for them. Parker gives Doug a manly handshake. “Congrats man.”
I lean back and look down at her belly. “How far along are you?”
“Three months. We wanted to wait to tell anyone so we wouldn’t get anyones hopes up in case something happened.”
I go in and hug her tighter. “You know I would’ve wanted to know even if something did happen.”
She puts her hands up in defense. “I know. I know.”
Then we both squeal. “Oh my gosh, you’re going to be a mommy.”
We spend the rest of the car ride talking all things babies. They don’t know the gender yet, so we discussed different name options and how we are going to paint the nursery. The distraction was good, but now the car is pulled up in front of my apartment building. Our apartment building.
We say goodbye to Doug and Becca, and then we walk into the building and into the elevator together.
Neither one of us says anything as the elevator goes up to our floor. We are standing about a foot apart, but it feels like he is surrounding every ounce of air around me. I am not exactly sure how we got to this point tonight, but things are definitely different between us than they were before. The air feels electric like if we accidentally touched, it would create an explosion.
The elevator dings at our floor, and we slowly walk toward our apartments. I just want to break some of the tension, so I awkwardly say, “That’s great for them.”
Parker gives me a small smile. “Yeah. They’ve been trying for a while.”
We stop in front of our apartment doors. I shift on my feet for a moment, then I don’t know what to do, so I just give an awkward wave. “Okay, goodnight.” Then I quickly run into my apartment and shut the door behind me without giving him time to respond.
What was that? I blow out a breath and head into the kitchen for a glass of water. I am reaching up for a glass when I hear my front door open. I set the glass on the counter, but I don’t turn around. I don’t even breathe.
I can feel him behind me. Then his hands are placed on the counter on both sides of me, and I can feel his breath on the back of my neck. He leans forward a little, and I feel his nose rubbing where my neck and shoulder meet. “Ava…” He breathes out.
I am not sure what to do. I feel like I am frozen in place. I have wanted Parker for so long, and now he is here with me in my apartment. I lean my neck to the side a little and he runs his nose up it. The contact makes me let out a small moan, and that seems to be enough confirmation for Parker that I want this too.
His hands leave the counter and come down to my hips, and his lips trace the trail that his nose just left until his mouth is right by my ear. He lets out a small breath and whispers in my ear. “You look so beautiful tonight.”
Beautiful. Of course he would say beautiful. Usually whenever I bring guys back to my place, they tell me I’m hot or sexy.
I turn around and look up into his eyes. “Parker...are you sure you wan-...”
I am cut off by Parker’s finger over my lips. He doesn’t say anything, but he lowers his finger from my lips. He is just staring back at me. Then his eyes fall down to my mouth again.
I feel my heart rate pick up. He lowers his face slowly, and his lips press ever so gently against mine.
It reminds me of the first time I kissed him except this time he doesn’t push me away. I let my eyes fall shut, and then I just as gently kiss him back.
The second my lips move over his, Parker lets out a growl deep in his throat and pulls me against his body. His right hand is pressing against my lower back, holding me close to him, and his left hand is threaded through my hair, tugging my head in whatever direction he wants. The kiss is no longer gentle.
I push us away from the counter, and push Parker against the kitchen island. I wrap my ankle around his leg and move my hands over his chest. I can feel his erection pressing into me through my dress.
I start unbuttoning his dress shirt when I feel his hand stop me. “Wait.”
My eyes shoot up to his. I step back. “Are you kidding me right now?” I ask angrily.
He looks down to the floor and shakes his head. “It’s just...It’s you, you know? I don’t want to move things too fast.”
I shake my head right back at him. “No. I don’t know. I’ve been waiting for this for six years. I think things are moving much too slow, and if I remember correctly, you are the one who came into my apartment.”