Her mouth abandons my skin, and her hand releases me. But none of her warmth has slipped away. I open my eyes, finding she’s somehow scooched closer, her head now tilted to the side.

I’ve never trembled harder in my life than the moment she traces her handwriting tattooed into my skin just above my hip.

There’s a change to the room. I hold my breath, my tense body beginning to tremble.

But when Parker leans forward and presses her lips to my tattoo, I go into full-on shaking.

“When did you do this?” she asks, resting her cheek against my thigh.

“The day after I graduated from Thacher,” I admit as my chest heaves with deep breaths.

A small, sharp gasp flees from Parker’s mouth as her eyes widen, pooling with tears. My hands fling down to her shoulders to grab her because I can’t take space between us anymore, but I’m not fast enough. She climbs onto my lap, leaning her forehead to mine as her center hovers above my swollen tip.

“Why?” she whispers against my lips.

I press my nose against hers, watching Parker’s beautiful eyes fight to keep from fluttering closed. Because we’re close—so close. The heat between her legs is magnetic as it covers me, and she feels it. But she’s strong willed, and I love that about her. I’m grateful that her eyes are wide open as I bare the depth of my love.

“You matter so much, I needed to take a piece of you with me.”

I’ll never forget the sound of a sob blended with a mewl that Parker pours into my mouth when she crashes her lips to mine. Or the way she clutches at me when she sinks down, coating me in her warmth, letting me feel the race of her heart from deep within.

Like her words—our words—I’ll carry this with me forever.

Parker lets me guide our movements, but I let her linger before the up so she can grind down against me with a swivel of her hips. I wish I could be easier, my grip on her hip softer, my kisses much gentler. I wish I could appreciate the softness of Parker’s thighs spread over mine, the shape of her breasts as they bounce, the way her skin smells, how sweet she tastes.

“You’re perfect.” I whisper it along her collarbone, her chest, wherever I can drag my mouth. I want to paint her skin in the words, every inch of it.

My hands take her face, and I hold her lips to mine for a minute before sliding to her waist and lifting her off me. It’s a loss we both sigh frustratedly at the break in connection.

I tap her thigh. “Wrap your legs around me.”