“Are you… I am pretty sure the stench is going to make you gag.” Parker laughed as he pushed himself up on the handles. “Alright, lead the way.” He nodded towards the bathroom.
Delilah pushed open the door and situated the shower seat in the stall. She was grateful it was a walk-in shower, making it easy to get him inside. Turning on the water to let it have time to heat up, Delilah turned to find Parker fighting with his shirt.
“Here, let me help you.” She grabbed the hem and pulled it over his head. She pushed her desire down, wanting nothing more than to lick the steel planes of his chest and abs.
“Like what you see?”
“Um… sorry. Let’s get your pants now.” Delilah squatted in front of him and tugged the sweatpants down. He was not wearing any boxers, “What the hell, Parker. Where are your underwear?”
“What was the point. It’s just one more thing to fiddle with. Why? Is my dick distracting?”
“Um. No.” Delilah stood, “Get in and sit down.”
Parker grabbed her hand, tugging her into his chest. His lips caught hers as his hands wound in her hair. “I love you.” He pressed his forehead to hers.
Delilah squeezed her eyes shut, “Get in the shower.”
She didn’t know why she was being such a chicken. She knew she loved him back, but she was terrified what it meant when she said those three little words. She helped him get situated and then left him to his shower, “Call me when you’re done. I’ll come help you get out and dressed.”
∞ ∞ ∞
Parker let the hot water pour over his body. His leg was wrapped in a protective sheath, keeping the water from ruining his cast. It had only been four days, and already he wanted the damn thing off. Cutting the water off, he called out to Delilah. He knew better than to try and get up on his own. He might be stubborn, but he wasn’t dumb.
“You ready?”
Parker nodded, scooting towards the walker and pulled himself up with Delilah’s help. She wrapped a towel around his waist, using another to dry him off. Parker leaned against the sink and brushed his teeth. Delilah stood behind him, her smile filled the mirror. He looked like he’d been run over, his face littered with cuts and bruises. “I must look like a monster to you.” He closed his eyes, feeling self-conscious.
“No. You don’t.” Delilah ran her hand across his shoulder, “You will heal.”
She followed him from the bathroom, watching his towel dangle precariously around his hips. All it would take is a flick of her hand and his towel would come off. But as much as she wanted to tear it off his body, now was not the time.
“Can you grab me some new pants?”
“Sure.” Delilah snatched a pair of clean sweats and helped him ease them over his leg. “You sure you don’t want some underwear?”
“Nope. Pants is fine.”
Delilah turned her cheek, blushing as she slid the cotton up his thighs and over his semi-erect cock.
“You don’t have to be shy. You’ve seen it before.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t have a cast and nearly killed. So I’m trying to be respectful.”
“Maybe I don’t want you to be respectful.”
“Parker.” Delilah stood, guiding him into the bed, “When you’re healed, I promise to be so disrespectful you will want to punish me. But for now, I need you to get better. Ok?”
“Fine. When we going to have that talk?”
“Talk?”
“Oh… you thought I’d forgotten you promised to tell me what was on your mind, did you?”
“No. I just thought you needed rest.”
Parker crossed his hands behind his head and leaned into the frame, “I’m rested.” He watched her as she fidgeted on her feet. “Come, sit. What are you so scared about?”
“Everything.” Delilah let out an exasperated sigh.
Parker brushed his hand down her cheek, “You don’t need to be scared.”
“Parker,” she stood and paced in front of him. Taking a deep breath, she started to spew every emotion inside her chest. “When I left for college, I thought my life was beginning.” Delilah paused, glancing at Parker over her shoulder, “I had no idea it was really the end. John was not the man I thought he was. He controlled everything I did. He kept me from the only woman I knew as mom. He took my career from me and left me a shell of a woman. Then Momma Belle died. She died and I wasn’t here – I know what you’re going to say, that she made peace with that, but I haven’t.”
Delilah stared out the widow, “Then I came home and met you. You are confusing, pushy, and make me feel things I wasn’t ready for. And then Ed, my horse – the only thing left connecting me to her – died. Or at least that’s what I thought. The letters she left for me were filled with pain, love, and insight. And when Hank told me you’d been in a car accident, my heart stopped.”
“Delilah,” Parker whispered her name.
“No, let me finish. Parker, I’ve been running. My whole running and looking for something I thought I was missing. But I realize what I was running from was here in Alabama this whole time. You brought something back to life inside me, something I didn’t even know existed. Momma Belle was right.”
“Right about what?”
“She said I deserved more. She said the man I needed was here, waiting for me. Parker,” Delilah turned to face him, “I’m not scared.”
“Not scared of what?”
“Loving you.”
Chapter 31
“You love me?” Parker shifted towards her.
“Yes. More than I thought possible. I love you, Parker.”
“Mother fucker.” Parker slammed his hands into the bed.
“Mother fucker? I tell you I love you and you say Mother Fucker?”
“No… it’s not what you think. I am laid up in this bed, and the woman I have been in love with since before I met her, just told me that she loves me. Do you see the irony in that?” He laughed, really laughed, deep from his belly. Delilah couldn’t help but laugh with him.
“I’m sorry,” she breathed out between giggles, “I didn’t really think about timing.”
“Come here,” He extended his hand towards her. Delilah slipped her fingers into his, “I love you, Delilah.” Parker pulled her into him, pressing his lips to hers. Her hands pressed into his bare chest as he kissed her as though his life depended on it like the air he needed to breathe.
“Parker,” Delilah pushed him back, “Your leg.”
“Delilah, if I don’t get you naked right this minute, I might go insane.”
“I don’t want to hurt you. This can wait. We have a lifetime.”
“My leg is broken, not my cock. Now take off your clothes.”
Delilah hesitated, but relinquished and stood. She stripped her clothes off and climbed in bed, straddling his lap. “This alright?” She asked, pressing down on his shoulders, “I don’t want to break you more.”
“Baby, leaving my dick rock hard would be the only way you could hurt me.” He pulled her in for another smoldering kiss. His hands fisting her head. Delilah shifted against him, lifting up enough to slip his engorged cock into her slick and waiting channel.