Chapter eleven Cashlynn #2
“Well, my father announced he’s retiring in three months, so now Parker and Seth are battling it out to see who will take over the practice.
Parker has been running himself ragged trying to prove himself.
He was working late the other night, so I had dinner waiting for him when he got home, and we sat on the couch together and talked.
It felt so…normal. And I swear, he looked at me like he was glad I was there.
That is, until he went to turn on the TV I forgot I’d unplugged earlier… ”
Hazel and Willow both burst out laughing. “Oh my God,” Willow manages. “What did he do?”
I chuckle at the memory. “He snapped, saying he doesn’t understand what kind of human would do such a thing, and told me I had to stop. So, I challenged him to rock, paper, scissors for it—and I won. Now I get to keep pushing his buttons, one power cord at a time.”
Willow tilts her head. “Rock, paper, scissors? That’s one way to handle a disagreement, I guess.”
“It’s how he got me to hold his hand on the plane when we met.”
She covers her chest with her hand. “Oh my God. That’s adorable.”
Hazel chuckles. “Sounds like something the old Parker would’ve done.”
“The old Parker?”
Her expression dims slightly. “The one before Sasha put his heart in a blender.”
Nodding in understanding, I lower my gaze to the table.
“I just don’t know if he’s ready to open himself up to me, you guys.
I see these glimmers of the man I met on the plane—sweet, funny, a little cocky—but then the closed-off grump comes out, and I feel like I’m getting emotional whiplash trying to figure out how to handle him. ”
Hazel and Willow share a look before Hazel speaks up. “Besides the kiss and the grazes, have there been any other physical moments?”
I bite my lip. “Not really.”
Hazel shrugs like the solution is obvious. “Then you need to step it up.”
“I don’t know…”
Willow nods. “No, I think she’s right. Sometimes men just need to get their pent-up frustrations out to relax enough to talk about their feelings. When Dallas is in a mood, I always initiate sex, and afterward, he spills his guts. It’s not exactly moral, but it works every time.”
I blink, unsure whether to laugh or take notes.
“Have you taken your shirt off yet?” Hazel asks.
My cheeks heat. “No…”
“There’s a reason why sex sells, Cashlynn. I’m telling you…show him some freaking skin.”
“You are strangely invested in Parker’s love life,” Astrid says, reappearing with a plate of raspberry scones.
“It’s not just that, okay? Tormenting my brothers is entertaining as fuck, for one,” Hazel says, holding up a finger. The rest of us laugh. “But two,” she continues, sadness filling her eyes now. “I want my brother back.”
Astrid nods in agreement. “I get it. He just hasn’t been the same since Sasha.”
“Has he opened up to you about that yet?” Willow asks me.
“No, and I haven’t pushed him.”
Hazel shakes her head. “And now’s not the time for that. First, get him to admit that he wants you. Then maybe you can get him to talk to you about his feelings.”
“There’s definitely something between us. The things he says, the way he touches me in front of other people—like he can’t help himself.”
Hazel leans forward and places her hand on top of mine. “I know we haven’t known each other very long, but I can tell that you care about him.”
My heart is hammering so hard that I can hear it in my ears. “I do. More than I probably should.”
“All I’ve ever wanted for my brother is to find someone who understands how incredible he is.
Parker is one of a kind, genuine and smart.
He treated his first girlfriend in high school like a fucking prize, and I knew I could only hope to find a man that treated me like that one day.
But Sasha…” Her jaw tightens. “She didn’t appreciate him.
He was still the same man, though, bending over backwards to make her life incredible.
She burned him—scarred him so deep that it’s almost as if a part of his heart died along with the loss of her. ”
My heart aches at the weight of her words. “I wish he would tell me everything.”
“He will, once you get that pent up frustration out.” Hazel winks and Willow nods in agreement. “But since you’ve been here, I’ve seen glimpses of the old him, so as disturbing as it is to say… You need to fuck my brother, and fuck him good.”
I choke on my coffee, coughing as Willow cackles. “Yeah. That was disturbing coming from you.”
Willow shakes her head, still laughing. “Okay, now that we’ve established Cashlynn’s mission to fuck Parker’s brains out, can we get to our business meeting?”
Hazel stands from her chair. “Yup. I’ll leave you to it. I have a long day of editing to get through, and I need a raspberry cheesecake cupcake to reward myself with.” She waves her fingers at us as she walks away. “Have fun you two. And don’t forget, Cashlynn—strategic nudity.”
Once she’s out of earshot, I lean in toward Willow. “That was a little weird, right?”
She shrugs. “Yes, but she’s not wrong. It sounds to me like the only thing standing between you and Parker’s feelings might just be your clothes.”