Pulling his head up to meet mine, I bring my mouth to his. My arms wrap around his slippery neck for balance. His fingers dig into my waist, pulling me closer to his hardness pushing between my thighs.

“Parker,” I moan into his mouth when his fingers come to rest between my legs, separating me.

“I got you, babe.” His fingers slip inside of me. Letting my head fall back against the shower wall, I open myself wider for him. “That’s it, baby.”

Parker covers my wet body in kisses as his fingers move inside me. The pressure builds fast around his fingers. Rocking into him, I ride out the shocks. I feel Parker move inside me. His arms come around my back, pulling me closer. He pushes me up against the shower wall with the hot stream falling onto his back and splashing in my face. He moves fast and hard inside of me, causing me to cry out.

“Right there. Don’t stop.”

“I’m not f**king stopping.” He thrusts into me harder and I feel my body giving way underneath him. His hand moves to grip my waist, keeping me from sliding farther down. “I love you, Aundrea. God, I’ve missed you.”

“Me too. So much.”

When he tenses and a loud moan escapes his lips, I kiss the side of his head.

He stays inside me, not separating us. “Shit, I’m an ass.”

“Why?” I ask into his shoulder.

“Because I got carried away. I hope it wasn’t too rough for you.”

Bringing my hand up to his face, I cup his cheek. “No, I don’t think it could ever be rough enough with you,” I say with a wink.

“Woman,” he groans. “You never cease to amaze me.”

“You just wait.”

Giving me a quick kiss, he pulls out of me.

We spend the remainder of our shower cleaning one another between small kisses.

Later that evening, after spending the afternoon with my parents, Parker is reading an article on the latest surgical advancements in the animal world while I finish some online course work that I’ve put off.

“Want to go out tonight?” he asks.

“Uh, not really.” I don’t look up at him when I reply.

“You haven’t been out in over a month, Aundrea. Let me take you out. We can do whatever you want.”

“I’m okay right here, I promise.”

He sets the journal he’s reading down on the coffee table. “You can’t hide forever.”

“I’m not hiding.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Then what do you call this?”

“What?” I look over to meet his eyes.

“Sitting in the house? Not leaving?”

“Parker, I just got out of the hospital. It’s unfair to say that I’m not leaving when I just got here.”

“You don’t want to go out and celebrate? Dancing? Dinner? The mall? Bookstore? Anything?”

“No.” Actually, I do miss the bookstore.

“Well, too bad. We’re going out.”

“I can’t!”

“Yes, you can.”

“Have you not noticed my face, Parker? I am missing hair! It’s growing back in weird spots. I look like a damn freak. Who wants to see that?”

All I can think about is Jean’s party and someone asking what happened to me. I don’t want to be put in that situation again.

Scooting closer to me, he speaks calmly. “Aundrea, listen to me. You do not look like a damn freak. You’re beautiful, and I want to take my girlfriend out and celebrate her being done with her cancer treatment. Now, please, let me take you out?”

“I can’t. I’m sorry.”

“That’s it,” he says, taking my hand and pulling me off the couch.

“What?”

“We’re going out, one way or another.” He leads me into the master bath.

“What are you doing?”

He ignores me, opens the medicine cabinet, and pulls out hair clippers.

“Parker …”

Still ignoring me, he turns it on and brings it to his head, causing me to scream out, “What are you doing!”

He doesn’t answer. I watch as he buzzes his beautiful blond locks. My eyes are wide with shock when I see him work so intently at removing all his hair.

Once it’s buzzed down to the scalp, he turns it off, putting it away.

“Now,” he looks at my eyes in the mirror, “You’re going to shave my head.”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

I start to back away, shaking my head as I do. “I’m not shaving your head, Parker.”

“Oh, no you don’t.” He reaches out, grabbing my arm and pulling me back into the bathroom.

“I’m not going to spend the next month cooped up in this apartment because you can’t face the world. Your hair is just a small part of who you are, Aundrea. I don’t want to see you hiding behind that mask anymore. Let it go. Strip it off.”

“I’m not hiding.”

“No?”

“Maybe a little.”

Grabbing my hands, he clasps our fingers together. “You don’t need to be someone you’re not. Haven’t you learned that? Stop being scared and face the world. I know you’re not in remission yet, but who can say they have been through cancer twice and beaten it? Confront the world, Aundrea. You’re alive. Be proud of the strong woman you are and stop hiding behind your wig.”