conversation of the night was the Panther’s big win; everyone was talking about how well the team had played and about the hit Parker had taken. It was impossible to get away from him, everywhere she went his name was being spoken. Parker this, Parker that, it was driving her around the bend.
Bored of forcing a smile, Chloe headed outside for a breath of fresh air and was surprised to see that it was dark out. Walking down the porch steps, she craned her head back to stare up at the stars, twinkling on a blanket of midnight blue. Sitting down cross-legged on the lawn, she splayed her fingers out over the dry, prickly blades of grass. Someone really needed to turn the sprinklers on once and a while.
“Mind if I sit?” a voice behind her made her jump, peering over her shoulder to see a large figure looming over her.
She didn’t answer, just turned her face back towards the night sky and after a moment he joined her anyway, folding his long limbs into the same position and leaning back on one hand, taking his hat off with the other and putting it on the ground between them.
“You wanna tell me why I’m gettin’ the cold shoulder?”
Once more, she didn’t answer, because she didn’t know how, and he sighed loudly, leaning his shoulder against hers. Lifting a hand, he brushed the hair away from her face, his fingers trailing over her cheek and down the side of her neck. Gripping her chin gently, he turned her face towards him and the next thing she knew his lips were on hers, light and warm. It wasn’t really a kiss, just a momentary press of lips. It may have been an accident, but the look in his eyes as he drew back said otherwise.
“W-what was that?” she stuttered, after a moment of stunned silence.
“Obviously, I didn’t do it right,” he murmured. He was sitting so close that his breath tickled her skin and her heart pounded against her ribcage as he leaned in once more.
Another kiss. More decisive this time, more pressure, her lips parting beneath his. One large hand cupped the back of her neck, kneading softly, the other hand tangling in her long hair. Her mind blanked and instinct took over. Her own hands found their way into his thick hair, before sliding down to grip his shoulders, her nails digging into the hard muscles.
For a moment, she almost forgot that she’d seen him kissing another girl only a few hours ago. Almost. Turning her face away, Chloe gasped for breath, pushing at his shoulders to regain some of her personal space.
“What are you doing?” she snapped when she could breathe once more.
“Kissing you.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve wanted to since I first met you.”
“You have a girlfriend.” Either that or he was a star-player even off the football pitch.
“Why the hell’d you think that? I told you I don’t do relationships.”
“But that girl you were kissing earlier… the blonde…”
“Karla? We’re not dating, we just fuck occasionally.” Immediately, he seemed to realize that he’d said the wrong thing because he leaned back, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. “It’s not like it sounds,” he tried to explain, “it’s just a bit of fun, nothing serious, but I haven’t fucked her, or anyone, since I met you.”
The breath caught in her lungs. “Why?”
He shrugged, glancing away. “Because even though I said I didn’t want a real relationship, I guess deep down I knew that you’d never date me if you knew I’d been screwin’ around.”
“Are you saying that... Do you want..?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You guess so,” she echoed, arching one brow indignantly. “Well, don’t sound so sure.” Shaking her head, she threw up her hands in frustration, “God, you’re confusing! Since we met, you’ve done nothing but send me mixed messages. What do you want, Parker, just tell me?”
“I want you.”
“Exclusively?” she challenged, “A proper relationship? Because I won’t do friends with benefits, it’s all
Bored of forcing a smile, Chloe headed outside for a breath of fresh air and was surprised to see that it was dark out. Walking down the porch steps, she craned her head back to stare up at the stars, twinkling on a blanket of midnight blue. Sitting down cross-legged on the lawn, she splayed her fingers out over the dry, prickly blades of grass. Someone really needed to turn the sprinklers on once and a while.
“Mind if I sit?” a voice behind her made her jump, peering over her shoulder to see a large figure looming over her.
She didn’t answer, just turned her face back towards the night sky and after a moment he joined her anyway, folding his long limbs into the same position and leaning back on one hand, taking his hat off with the other and putting it on the ground between them.
“You wanna tell me why I’m gettin’ the cold shoulder?”
Once more, she didn’t answer, because she didn’t know how, and he sighed loudly, leaning his shoulder against hers. Lifting a hand, he brushed the hair away from her face, his fingers trailing over her cheek and down the side of her neck. Gripping her chin gently, he turned her face towards him and the next thing she knew his lips were on hers, light and warm. It wasn’t really a kiss, just a momentary press of lips. It may have been an accident, but the look in his eyes as he drew back said otherwise.
“W-what was that?” she stuttered, after a moment of stunned silence.
“Obviously, I didn’t do it right,” he murmured. He was sitting so close that his breath tickled her skin and her heart pounded against her ribcage as he leaned in once more.
Another kiss. More decisive this time, more pressure, her lips parting beneath his. One large hand cupped the back of her neck, kneading softly, the other hand tangling in her long hair. Her mind blanked and instinct took over. Her own hands found their way into his thick hair, before sliding down to grip his shoulders, her nails digging into the hard muscles.
For a moment, she almost forgot that she’d seen him kissing another girl only a few hours ago. Almost. Turning her face away, Chloe gasped for breath, pushing at his shoulders to regain some of her personal space.
“What are you doing?” she snapped when she could breathe once more.
“Kissing you.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve wanted to since I first met you.”
“You have a girlfriend.” Either that or he was a star-player even off the football pitch.
“Why the hell’d you think that? I told you I don’t do relationships.”
“But that girl you were kissing earlier… the blonde…”
“Karla? We’re not dating, we just fuck occasionally.” Immediately, he seemed to realize that he’d said the wrong thing because he leaned back, rubbing the back of his neck self-consciously. “It’s not like it sounds,” he tried to explain, “it’s just a bit of fun, nothing serious, but I haven’t fucked her, or anyone, since I met you.”
The breath caught in her lungs. “Why?”
He shrugged, glancing away. “Because even though I said I didn’t want a real relationship, I guess deep down I knew that you’d never date me if you knew I’d been screwin’ around.”
“Are you saying that... Do you want..?”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You guess so,” she echoed, arching one brow indignantly. “Well, don’t sound so sure.” Shaking her head, she threw up her hands in frustration, “God, you’re confusing! Since we met, you’ve done nothing but send me mixed messages. What do you want, Parker, just tell me?”
“I want you.”
“Exclusively?” she challenged, “A proper relationship? Because I won’t do friends with benefits, it’s all
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