Ten Below ZeroTen Below Zero(34)

He climbed back over me, slowly. And then he laid on me, covering my body with his. I felt every inch of his body against mine. His eyes were on mine, his face so close it was all I could see. His lips touched my cheek, the side that wasn’t marred by the scar. His lips moved up my temple and down again before settling on my own lips.

“Mmmm,” he moaned against my mouth. He kissed like I was a meal to savor. I squirmed again, desperate.

“Everett.” I bucked my hips slowly, indicating what I needed.

He sighed, blowing warm air into my mouth. He moved his lips to my chin, to my neck, over my shoulder, and around my breast. His lips moved down my torso as he reached for something next to my hip. I heard the wrapper being opened.

“Thank God,” I whispered.

I felt his returning smile against my stomach before he stood back, slipping the condom over himself. He climbed back onto the bed and in a flash he was inside of me. I couldn’t help it, I gasped. And then he moved. Again, and again, until my head was thrown back, my eyes closed, my breathing ragged. I felt pressure on my * and opened my eyes, staring into his ice blue ones. Before I could close my eyes again, he spoke, his voice deep, gravelly. “Look at me, Parker.” I couldn’t help it; I did exactly as he asked. And when he saw me slip over the edge, spiral into my bliss, his own eyes closed and he hammered his final strokes, falling onto me afterwards.

We were silent for several moments then, Everett’s face next to my right cheek, his breath in my ear. I stared up at the ceiling while my heart beat leveled out. I tried to make my mind blank, but it rebelled, unable to think about anything but Everett.

It was the first time I’d had sex since before Morris Jensen had cut into my life. Three years. There’d been a reason I’d avoided this sort of thing. I knew it would be hard to have such a physically intimate connection with someone and keep emotions from the situation.

I didn’t want to feel. I wanted to roll out from under Everett and walk away casually. And the fact that I knew I couldn’t do that was terrifying.

Everett turned his head and kissed my ear. “Stop,” he said, before delivering another kiss to my cheek this time.

“Stop what?” I asked, a tiny bit breathlessly.

“You know what. Stop the turning in your head. You spent too much time in there.” He turned his face so I could feel him staring at my profile. “It was fun. That’s all.”

Ouch. For some reason, that hurt more to hear than a messy confession of emotions.

I must have frowned slightly because Everett leaned over me. “You know what I meant, Parker.” But I didn’t. Did he just make me another Charlotte? I refused to meet his eyes, confused by my feelings.

His hands framed my face, forcing me to look at him. “It was fun. I want to do it again. Soon. Let’s add it to the rules.”

I frowned again. “Add what, exactly?”

“Sex. Lots of sex. No feigning me off with an excuse of a headache or some other bullshit, because that would mean breaking the no lying rule. And breaking the rules equals punishment.” He cocked his head to the side, a smile lifting the side of his lips. “On second thought, please break a rule. I’ve love to punish you.”

I squirmed, uncomfortable with his weight and his words. I tried pushing him off.

“No, Parker. We’re going to lay here next to each other for a little bit. No running. Add that to the rules as well.” His cheek was pressed to mine again. Each word he spoke grazed his facial hair on my cheek. I found it soothing, the bite of his stubble against my flesh. So soothing, my eyes closed, relaxing.

“Right underneath ‘no black clothing’?” I asked, sweetly.

He huffed and laid down, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me so we were facing each other on our sides. “Can we change that one, slightly?” he asked.

“Depends.”

“How about I can’t wear all black clothing? Like say, black shorts and a color tee. Or vice versa.”

“Hmm. Okay.” I felt sleepy all of a sudden, probably thanks to the warmth of being wrapped up in his arms. I turned my face to his and inhaled, the smell of cool rainwater filling my nostrils. “You smell good,” I murmured, slipping into sleep.



I awoke cold, and alone. A sheet had been pulled up over me, but the room was empty. I sat up, holding the sheet to my chest as I looked around. Bright sunlight still lit the room, so I safely assumed it was early afternoon.

I slid out of the bed, looking for my clothes. They were missing. All of them. In fact, the room looked like it had been picked up and straightened. I spied Everett’s bag in the closet and strode to it, yanking out the first black shirt I found and slipping it over my head.

It hung off me like a sack, but it was my only option. I walked out into the living area that separated the two bedrooms, looking for Everett. I finally found him on the patio, holding his blue notebook with the cover closed, looking out over the view.

He turned his head to me, his eyes lighting up at the sight of me. I was sure I looked funny wearing a tee that was several sizes too large for my frame, my hair a mess. He patted his knee, indicating that I sit there.

Instead, I sat in the adjoining chair. Then he grabbed me, picking me up like I weighed nothing, and put me on his lap. “I like your choice of clothing,” he commented, setting his journal onto the glass patio table.