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Didn’t stop the wanting, though

But he had his own stuff to deal with His own bills to pay, his own job to find

“Okay, here we are,” Parker said, walking carefully with the tray Beauty bounded onto the dock and flopped down expectantly, irl It’s for him Ta-da!”

Lobster Drawn butter, reen beans “There’s peach cobbler for dessert, but it was too hot to bring down just yet,” she added

“Wow,” he said “This is really nice, Parker Thanks”

“Well I owe you For all you’ve done”

Ah He was being relegated back to the help Got it

The food was fantastic Hard to really love your kiss-off s…a little gossip from the flower shop, the busload of Canadians that had stopped at the diner today, Stuart fro by with a “blonde with sand” for her today, which apparently was a cup of coffee with creaar

All very pleasant conversation, same as she’d have with the mailman

“Why wouldn’t you go out withdown his fork “After your cousin’s wedding?”

His question surprised James nearly as much as it surprised Parker Herthe plates neatly onto the tray, where Beauty surreptitiously gave them a few licks Then, finally, she looked at him “Well, at the ti One My father’s minion”

“But you were okay with using me for sex”

She flinched a little “I guess so It wasn’t like I’d planned anything” She looked out over the water “I figured you slept with me because my last name is Welles”

“I slept with you because you dragged le guy in his right mind would say no to that” He smiled a little to soften the words

Her ears grew pink “Right I did drag and maul It’s true But then you went off with my father, and it seemed very…convenient You were already in hter, too”

His sht I was complete scum, in other words”

“You were my father’s favorite person My father is complete scum You were scu, if it helps”

He said nothing

“I figured if you really wanted to date me,” she added quietly, “you would’ve tried harder”

Woht you flowers I ca You weren’t going to date me, Parker I was the help”

“No It wasn’t that It was hed “I don’t know I didn’t think you were sincere I figured you cahter Not me” Her cheeks were flushed now, so at least there was that, a little shaht you’d try again But you didn’t” She was pinching her pinkie finger “I guess it was a test or so”

“See, to me, it didn’t seem like a test I came over with flowers, and you were aron and your kid and told e to call you again”

“That was a rotten thing to say I’m sorry for that”

“Well, shit, Parker I’m sorry I assumed you knew that you were an adult who knehat you wanted I’m sorry I didn’t read your mind”

She blinked Then she sed “You’ve made your point, James,” she said, her voice husky “And for the record, I wasn’t drunk I knehat I was doing”

There it was again, her way of saying so abruptly honest She was so careful all the tiilant about what she’d tell hi like that, and it was a sucker punch to the heart

Also, her eyes et

Their last night together, and he washer cry

Shit

“Don’t cry,” he said, his voice soft

“I’m not,” she lied “I’m sorry for how I acted back then I really am”

“It’s just that I thought about you A lot” He reached for her hand, ran his fingers over the back of it She didn’t look at hi honest”

That lance up “Really?”

“Yes Many thoughts” He grinned a little

“What kind of thoughts?” she asked, a s

“Dirty”

“Really?”

“Filthy”

“How filthy?” She was s in full now

“Extremely”

“Any interest in pursuing those now?” she asked, raising an eyebrow

He stood up “Race you to the house”

LATER, AFTER SEX and peach cobbler and another—and possibly last—round of love, Jaers in her hair She was asleep, her breathing soft and slow