Page 53 of Parentmoon

A pinched expression forms on Dallas’s face as he slowly shakes his head. “Jo.” My name is a whispered warning and quiet cry. He wants me.

“Come here,” I demand, conviction rising a bit. He’s taken care of me in so many ways. With Keli in his head, and promises to press pause on our children today, I want to distract him.

There’s a ledge to the side of the sunken stairs and I brace against it.

“Dallas,” I command, feeling bolder. Reaching for him, I brush the side of his hip, pressing into his firm flesh.

Hesitantly, he takes a step toward me. Cautious like a child. Hungry like a man.

Only I’m in charge here. With tenderness at first, I cup him in my palm, squeezing the growing length. He’s done so much to my body, but I haven’t truly explored his.

“Darlin’,” he growls.

The endearment echoes in the steam rising from the shower. The edge in his voice tells me he’s at the end of his control. When we were near the pier, his desire vibrated around him. His willpower slipping. He’d never hurt me, but he wanted to be inside me, carefree and careless.

That’s the result of how he feels about me.

Stroking along his firmness, I lower my head and kiss the tip. It’s been a long time since I’ve done this, and I’m not certain I’ll do it well, but I want to please him.

I also want to do this for me. I made him this hard. I made him hungry with need.

Dallas’s fingers skitter over my head. My hair is in a tiny ponytail at my nape, and he tugs the band, releasing my hair to dig his fingers into the strands.

“I just want you to want me,” he hums over me.

Does he not see that I do? I want so much of him it frightens me.

Dallas hisses like I’ve scorched him when I lick up his length. Like I might burn into his skin like he’s etched into my heart.

I’ll always remember these days with him.

I open and take him inside my mouth, sucking along the firmness, lapping along the length.

“Fuck,” Dallas grunts. “That feels so good, darlin’.” He continues to pet me as I take him deep and swirl my tongue around the head. Opening wide once more, I suck on his hardness and worship him as best I can.

When his hips buck forward, and I gag at the unexpected thrust, he stills and whimpers with apology. “Sorry. But don’t stop. Please don’t stop.”

I smile around him and continue with growing enthusiasm. I want to be what he needs.

Who chases his demons?

With another pucker of my mouth over the tip and a swallow against his thickness, Dallas stills. I clap a hand to his backside, keeping him in place, telling him with my touch to give me everything.

“Fuck. Jojo.” His Southern drawl thickens with strain as he spills down my throat.

With a last lick, I slip free and glance up at Dallas. His eyes, almost the same color of the clear ocean on the opposite side of the island, watch me with such intensity. He drags his palm along the side of my face and then he’s kneeling on one knee on the hard tile. His arms band around my lower back and his head comes to my middle. I brush my hands over his nearly-bald head.

“I’d never be disloyal, Jo. Never.”

The adamant tone brings confused tears to my eyes. Riding the high of pleasing him, that emotional rollercoaster dips at the recognition of one of my biggest fears. Years of questioning what should have been a committed relationship have led me down the path of not being able to trust easily.

I’m startled to find I do trust Dallas.

In the short time I’ve gotten to know him better, I believe in him.

I kiss the top of his head while stroking down his shoulder blades. His position strangely looks like a knight, pledging his fealty to me. Yet, he’s only a man. A strong, solid man, on his knees, holding onto me like I could be his everything.

“Finish your shower, baby,” I whisper near his ear. His head pops up and he stares at me, wide-eyed, a bit dazed, but full of something. Something I shouldn’t consider as possible. He kisses me soft and sweet before pressing on my legs to help himself stand. His knees crack. The tile couldn’t have been comfortable.