Parker kissed her hair, then her shoulder, pulling her into his chest like he could bury the whole world behind her spine. Time didn't exist anymore. The rain outside had gone quiet, the house dimmed and distant, and nothing—nothing—mattered more than the soft, desperate beat of her heart against his.
He tilted her chin with two fingers, slow, reverent. Their eyes locked like gravity snapped into place, and then his mouth found hers again—this time not hurried. This time, like he meant to memorize it.
His lips moved over hers like a vow. Her hands curled into his hair, pulling him closer until he exhaled into her, like she'd just knocked the wind out of his ribs. And then their bodies—God, their bodies—began to move like magnets too long separated. No hesitation now. Just the fire they'd tried too long to ignore.
