Tyree sat for a second, his eyes unnaturally wide, fighting his own urge to cry.
"You aren't happy, Dad."
And, dammit, there went the tears. He drew in a wet, stuttering breath. "It's not you, son. You know that, right? You're the best thing in my life. You and Elena."
"Yeah, yeah. I get that. So does she. But Dad, come on. It's kind of obvious. And you know what? Mom would get it, too."
For a moment, Tyree simply sat there. A little shell-shocked, the world feeling hollow around him, muffled. Like the eerie silence after an explosion. Then he drew in a breath, gathered himself, and faced his son. "I think your mom would have liked Eva."
The corner of Eli's mouth twitched. "Yeah. Me, too."
He thought about Eva. About the life she had in San Diego. About how he must somehow convince her that things had changed. That he loved her fully and completely and without reservation. That he wasn't going to give up on them, no matter what the price and no matter how long it took to prove it to her.
Then he looked at his son. "Did you mean what you said the first time we had Elena and Eva over to the house? About thinking it would be cool to live in California?"
"Are you kidding? Surfing? Hell, yeah."
Tyree nodded, considering.
"So, I guess you're going to have to go see her now, huh?"
"I guess I am." He looked at his son, seeing a much older and wiser kid than he had the day before. "How'd you get to be so smart, anyway?
"Must've got it from Mom," Eli said, dropping to the couch and letting Tyree swing an arm around his shoulder. "'Cause you can be a real dumb ass."
Chapter Nineteen
Thank goodness Eva's work schedule was light, because ever since she'd returned to San Diego, she'd had the most terrible time concentrating.
Fortunately, Marianne had taken point. Taking over organizing the calendar, covering a few basic shoots for corporate clients, and handling the various retouching orders that had come in from past weddings, parties, and the like. Eva had trained Marianne on Photoshop years ago, and she was patting herself on the back for having made that decision.
Now, Eva was staring at her own computer screen trying to organize her upcoming schedule. She'd talked to Jenna yesterday, and they'd agreed that she'd fly to Austin in July for a two-day shoot, then again when the contest ended in early October. That way they could be sure and have the template for the calendar worked out by the time it needed to go to press.
Already, Eva was nervous about the trip. She hadn't heard from Tyree, and was desperately afraid that she'd pushed too hard. He'd loved Teiko so much, and she knew that his wife's death had almost broken him.
Had she been an idiot to push him? She didn't know. All she knew was that she couldn't share a bed with a man who felt guilty when he made love to her.
No. She hadn't made the wrong choice. It was the right one, absolutely.
But it was also the choice that hurt.
She heard the beep beep beep of someone punching in the code for the studio's keypad lock, and she moaned in anticipation. Marianne had promised to return with a Starbucks latte, and Eva was in desperate need of the caffeine.
"You saved me," she called. "Hurry up and get in here before I pass out."
"Wouldn't want that."
She gasped, her hand flying to her chest and her heart pounding as Tyree stepped into her doorway, then leaned casually against the frame.
"I--What are you doing here? And how did you get in?"
"Elena told me the code. Why are you going to pass out?"
"Shock, apparently," she retorted. "Seriously, why are you here?"
"Do you want the long answer or the short one?"
She considered, decided to go for the gold. "The short one."
"Because I love you," he said, the words like the sweetest perfume. "Because I need you. And because I've finally got my shit together."
"Oh." Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as her pulse skittered. "And the long version?"
"That I'm not going to lose you. That I'll do whatever it takes, for however long it takes, including moving back to San Diego if you need more time to believe that I mean it, or if you don't want to leave your home or your job. I already lost one woman I love, Eva. I'm not going to lose you, too. And I'm not going to feel guilty about loving you. It's not fair to you, and it's not fair to Teiko.
That surprised her. "Not fair to her?"
"She wasn't a bitch," he said. "She'd want me to be happy."
"I think I would have liked her."
"You would have. But she's my past. You're my present. And my future. At least," he added, "I hope you are."
She came around the desk slowly, then stood right in front of him and took his hands, forcing herself not to simply leap into his arms. It was important to do this right.
"Definitely the future," she said. "But there are three legs to this stool, Tyree."
His brow furrowed in confusion.
"You love me. You love Teiko. And you love The Fix."
"True?" He said the word, but his tone and his expression turned it into a question.
"I told you I'd never expect you to stop loving her. And you damn sure better not stop loving me. But if you think that I want you to leave The Fix behind, you're sorely mistaken."
"I can't ask you to pick up and move to Austin."
She nodded. "Yeah, you can. You need a whole building. I just need my camera." She made a face. "Well, and Marianne. But she can be my West Coast office, and I can fly here when I need to." She grinned. "See? I hook up with you and suddenly even my career has more cachet. And you forget that my daughter's there."
He chuckled. "Fair enough. Although Eli will be disappointed."
Her brows rose.
"He was looking forward to learning to surf. I figure he'll get over it."
"So we'll go back?" She couldn't wait. She missed Elena and the friends she'd made at The Fix more than she'd anticipated. And though she loved Marianne, they'd still talk every day by phone or by text. And her friend would love being in charge of Eva's West Coast division.
"We'll go back," he agreed. "But in a few days."
"Oh?" She lifted her brows. "And what exactly will we be doing in all that extra time?"
He laughed. "That, yes. But I also want to walk around San Diego with you. Visit the places we used to go. I want to stroll hand in hand with the woman I love, and I want to soak up this town. Mostly, I want to remember us."
"Us," she repeated. "I like the sound of that."
"So do I," he said, then kissed her. A long, sweet kiss full of passion and promise. A kiss that sealed the past and opened the door on a future.
Their future. Together. As a family.
Epilogue
Megan Clark paced the reception area of PCM Enterprises, still unable to believe she'd made such a boneheaded mistake. And she had absolutely no one to blame but herself.
Well, herself and Parker Manning's idiot assistant.
But, no. Megan couldn't pass the buck to the other woman. This had been her project, her baby, her stupid, lame-ass mistake.
All she'd wanted to do was prove to the folks at The Fix that Jenna hadn't made a mistake in hiring her. That she actually had a brain and could help out with all of the various tasks at the popular bar. Most important, she wanted to help out with the marketing, because that was Jenna's area, and Jenna had taken a risk and offered Megan a job, even though The Fix was on a tight budget. And even though Megan knew buckets about makeup but next to nothing about marketing.
Still, she was the one who'd come up with the idea to start advertising the entrants in the Man of the Month contest instead of just the winner. Get people excited to see who was competing against each other.
And she was the one who'd wanted to up the game a bit where the entrants were concerned. Yes, most of the guys who entered were total hotties, but very few of them were local celebrities. Which meant that very few people were paying attention. But
if they could get some of the local television guys or wealthy business owners ... basically anyone who made the news or the tabloids regularly, that would be a total plus. Especially if the guy was a social media draw.
And Parker Manning was about as social media centric as they came.
He came from a Texas oil money family, but he'd lived in LA for a while. He'd dated actresses, dabbled in producing, and been front and center with two successful companies that he'd turned around and sold right after they hit big.
Rumor had it he'd tripled his net worth within a year, and the starting number in his family trust fund had been none-too-shabby.
Everyone at The Fix had agreed that he'd be a great guy to have on the contest slate, and since he and Megan had run in the same circles in LA, she'd assured Jenna she could land him.
In fact, she'd not only run in the same circles, she'd actually crossed his path. Once, he'd even asked her out, making clear that he was very, very interested. She'd been tempted. He had a bad boy reputation, so he wasn't a guy she'd want to date, but back in LA she'd been wilder and stupider, and there'd been a definite tug in the area of her nether regions.
She hadn't accepted his offer, though. That was about the time she'd started dating Carlton. And he'd made it very clear that she was his exclusive property.
She shivered, remembering those months with him. Remembering more why she'd bolted.
She'd left Los Angeles without looking back, and her first sight of Parker in Austin had been an unpleasant twinge. That was part of why she hadn't asked him to participate personally the first time. She'd put the request out through his assistant, who'd told Megan that Parker would love to be part of it.
But apparently his former assistant was a space cadet--and Megan was a stupid idiot for not making sure the signed agreement had been returned.
Now Parker was pissed because his picture was on flyers for a contest he knew nothing about, and Megan had to somehow dig herself out of this hole.
She had no idea how she was going to manage that. She hoped their past acquaintance would smooth the way. And groveling was definitely on the menu.
"Ms. Clark?"
At the sound of her name, Megan stopped pacing, probably to the great relief of the overly coiffed receptionist.
"Yes?"
"Mr. Manning will see you now. If you'll just follow me?"
She drew in a deep breath, then nodded as she fell in step behind the leggy blonde. Parker's office was down the hall. A corner office, of course, and when the receptionist opened the door, Megan was struck by the stunning view of the Capitol building, the University tower, and a wide spread of the Austin skyline.
More than that, though, she was struck by the sight of the man who stood in front of his desk, leaning casually against it in a light gray suit that looked like it cost more than she made in a year. Possibly two.
His eyes met hers, an icy blue that somehow radiated heat.
"Ms. Clark," he said, his voice a sensual tease. "I understand we have a little problem."
"I--well, yes." She sounded like an idiot, but dear God, he was distracting.
His eyes swept over her in an inspection so slow and intimate it left her with the distinct impression that he'd seen right through her simple black dress. "Fortunately, I have a solution."
"Oh," she said. "Um, what?"
That wide, sensual mouth curved up with obvious amusement. "I thought that would've been obvious, Megan. I want you."
* * *
A note from JK:
I hope you enjoyed Get It On!
Be sure to grab Parker and Megan's story, In Your Eyes, book 6 in the Man of the Month series!
* * *
If you want your very own Man of the Month calendar, you can grab it now! (While supplies last!)
* * *
Guess what? I have even more exciting things coming in 2018, including more Nikki & Damien Stark! Keep reading for details!
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Subscribe to my newsletter or text JKenner to 21000 so you'll be among the first to know when fab things happen!
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Check out all of my books at www.jkenner.com and be sure to join my Facebook fan group!
In Your Eyes
Be sure not to miss Parker and Megan in In Your Eyes!
* * *
Possessive hands. Wild obsession.
He'll break any rule to claim her.
* * *
Billionaire bad boy Parker Manning buried his dark past beneath fast cars and faster women. With his chiseled good looks and Texas oil legacy, Parker's used to laying claim to whatever--or whoever--he desires, and he's never met a woman he couldn't seduce into his bed.
* * *
Not, that is, until Megan Clark. Years ago, she flatly refused him. Now, she's back--and she needs a favor. No way is Parker letting her get away again, and he conditions his agreement on one sensuous night with Megan in his bed and at his mercy.
* * *
He never expects to want more. To crave this woman who fascinates and challenges him. But he does, and now he's determined to possess her.
* * *
But Megan's a woman with secrets of her own, and if Parker wants to claim her, he's going to have to conquer his past and show Megan his true heart.
* * *
Meet Mr. June. Summer's heat has nothing on him.
Grab your copy now: In Your Eyes
* * *
Who's Your Man of the Month?
When a group of fiercely determined friends realize their beloved hang-out is in danger of closing, they take matters into their own hands to bring back customers lost to a competing bar. Fighting fire with a heat of their own, they double down with the broad shoulders, six-pack abs, and bare chests of dozens of hot, local guys who they cajole, prod, and coerce into auditioning for a Man of the Month calendar.
But it's not just the fate of the bar that's at stake. Because as things heat up, each of the men meets his match in this sexy, flirty, and compelling binge-read romance series of twelve novels releasing every other week from New York Times bestselling author J. Kenner.
* * *
"With each novel featuring a favorite romance trope--beauty and the beast, billionaire bad boys, friends to lovers, second chance romance, secret baby, and more--[the Man of the Month] series hits the heart and soul of romance." New York Times bestselling author Carly Phillips
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Down On Me
Hold On Tight
Need You Now
Start Me Up
Get It On
In Your Eyes
Turn Me On
Shake It Up
All Night Long
In Too Deep
Light My Fire
Walk The Line
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and don't miss Bar Bites: A Man of the Month Cookbook!
* * *
Want your own Man of the Month calendar? Grab it now! (While supplies last!)
The Men of Man of the Month!
Are you eager to learn which Man of the Month book features which sexy hero?
Here's a handy list!
Down On Me - meet Reece Hold On Tight - meet Spencer Need You Now - meet Cameron Start Me Up - meet Nolan Get It On - meet Tyree In Your Eyes - meet Parker Turn Me On - meet Derek Shake It Up - meet Landon All Night Long - meet Easton In Too Deep - meet Matthew Light My Fire - meet Griffin Walk The Line - meet Brent
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and don't miss Bar Bites: A Man of the Month Cookbook that includes a short story featuring Eric, slices of life, and bonus scenes for all the men!
Want your own Man of the Month calendar? Grab it now! (While supplies last!)
Meet Damien Stark
Only his passion could set her free...
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The Original Trilogy
Release Me
Claim Me
Complete Me
And Beyond...
Anchor Me
Lost With Me
Meet Damien Stark in the award-winning and internationally bestselling series that started it all...
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The Stark Saga by J. Kenner
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Download Now
Meet Damien Stark in Release Me, book 1 of the wildly sensual series that's left millions of readers breathless ...
Chapter One
A cool ocean breeze caresses my bare shoulders, and I shiver, wishing I'd taken my roommate's advice and brought a shawl with me tonight. I arrived in Los Angeles only four days ago, and I haven't yet adjusted to the concept of summer temperatures changing with the setting of the sun. In Dallas, June is hot, July is hotter, and August is hell.
Not so in California, at least not by the beach. LA Lesson Number One: Always carry a sweater if you'll be out after dark.
Of course, I could leave the balcony and go back inside to the party. Mingle with the millionaires. Chat up the celebrities. Gaze dutifully at the paintings. It is a gala art opening, after all, and my boss brought me here to meet and greet and charm and chat. Not to lust over the panorama that is coming alive in front of me. Bloodred clouds bursting against the pale orange sky. Blue-gray waves shimmering with dappled gold.
I press my hands against the balcony rail and lean forward, drawn to the intense, unreachable beauty of the setting sun. I regret that I didn't bring the battered Nikon I've had since high school. Not that it would have fit in my itty-bitty beaded purse. And a bulky camera bag paired with a little black dress is a big, fat fashion no-no.
But this is my very first Pacific Ocean sunset, and I'm determined to document the moment. I pull out my iPhone and snap a picture.