"Mmm. I think I like the sound of that," he said, twining his hands behind his head as he sat up, leaning against the headboard. Then he reached over and pressed the button for the electronic drape, flooding the penthouse condo with light. "Hop back in bed and play with me some more."
She let her eyes roam appreciatively over his truly exceptional bare chest that she'd come to know so intimately. Her gaze dipped lower to the sheet that covered the rest of him, but was tented just enough to prove that he'd been serious about his offer to play.
"Hold that thought," she said, forcing herself not to laugh.
"Why don't you hold it for me?"
The laugh bubbled out. "Perv."
She took a step toward his bathroom. Like everything else in his condo, it was brilliantly appointed and wonderfully luxurious, with the most incredible shower she'd ever seen, complete with a rain-style head above and a series of jets that sprayed from three of the four walls.
She turned back to him. "Although it is a big shower, and I really should clean up before I meet the girls..." She was having breakfast at Magnolia Cafe on Lake Austin Boulevard with Taylor and Mina. Originally, they'd planned to go running, but they'd unanimously agreed that being lazy and catching up on gossip would be much more fun.
"You really should," he said, tossing the sheet aside, and then striding toward her. She glanced down, her pulse kicking up as he walked toward her, his erection hard and huge.
She swallowed. "Wow. You're really excited about that shower, huh?"
His smile was pure sin. "You have no idea."
She narrowed her eyes as she watched him approach, her own bare skin feeling hot and itchy with anticipation. "Just promise me you won't make me late to meet the girls."
"Cross my heart," he said, then took her hand and led her to the shower.
* * *
She was twelve minutes late for breakfast, and although she swore it was because of traffic, she saw the knowing glint in the other women's eyes.
"You're off the hook," Taylor said, her hair tucked under a BoHo style bandana. "We just got seated. The wait here just gets worse and worse."
"Worth it, though," Mina said. "I'm splurging on gingerbread pancakes." She gave both of them the evil eye in turn. "And we are running tomorrow. Otherwise my ass will not survive the way I've been eating lately." She leaned back in the booth, looking smug. "Great sex makes you hungry."
Taylor rolled her eyes. "I don't even want to hear about it. You and Cam. This one and Parker. Honestly, I feel like I'm going to shrivel up and die if I don't get laid soon."
"Don't die," Megan said, squeezing her friend's hand. "Who'd stage manage the contest?"
"Bitch," Taylor said mildly, then smiled sweetly at the waitress who arrived to take their order.
"Speaking of great sex," Mina said after the waitress left, "you're looking chipper this morning." She raised a brow, focusing on Megan. "All brimming over with vim and vigor."
Megan laughed. "I deny nothing. But I'm also not sharing details."
"Totally unfair," Mina said, as Taylor rolled her eyes.
"Vim and vigor?" Taylor said, glancing toward Mina. "Who talks like that?"
Mina ignored her. "Come on. Tell us everything."
"Oh, great," Megan said. "It's analyze Megan time."
"It's going well, then?"
She sighed, remembering the morning. Heck, remembering all their time together. "I think I'm really falling for him."
"And it's mutual?"
Megan thought of Parker's touch. The way he talked about her struggles to rebuild her business and his support of her ambition to take it further. She thought of the way they laughed, the heated way he looked at her. About the way he made her feel safe and loved and special. "Yeah. It really is."
"That's so great."
"I know, right? After the weirdo I dated in LA, I thought..." She trailed off, not wanting to let Carlton-the-prick into her thoughts. "At any rate, let's just say that Austin's been very good to me."
"Excellent," Mina said.
"Talk about reaping the rewards," Taylor added. "First you screw him with the flyer, then you end up getting screwed right back. Only in the best possible way of course."
Megan tossed her napkin at Taylor. "Crude, much?"
"But true," Taylor said.
And since Megan couldn't actually deny it, she just shook her head in mock exasperation.
"Do we want to catch a movie after this?" Taylor asked.
"I'm in," Mina said, but Megan shook her head.
"I need to run by work first, and then I have to do laundry and change the cat boxes."
"You really know how to have a good time," Taylor said.
"It's because she's having a good time that she's avoided all those things," Mina quipped.
Megan laughed, then batted her eyes innocently. "She's not wrong."
"So why are you going into work?" Taylor asked a few minutes later when the waitress delivered their food. "I thought you were off for the next couple of days."
"Technically, I am." She had a few makeup gigs lined up, so she'd pulled back on her schedule at The Fix. "This morning was supposed to be a bridal shoot, but they pushed it back a week--I guess the dress isn't ready. So I thought I'd pop in and run something by Jenna and Tyree."
"Yeah? Tell."
"I was thinking that since Tyree's releasing the cookbook with the calendar later in the year, maybe we should do a big, fancy food fair. The Fix could sponsor it, but we could invite other bars and restaurants. A community building thing, but also great promo. Because the other bars would have flyers at their locations, too, and the flyers would all prominently feature The Fix, what with us being the main sponsor."
Taylor and Mina exchanged glances.
"What?" Megan asked, a little paranoid.
"That's a really great idea," Mina said.
"You'd need to do it someplace other than The Fix." Taylor said. "Neutral territory, you know?"
"Hmm," Megan said. "You're right." She was silent for a minute, then sat up straight. "That guy who Parker introduced me to the night of the Mr. June contest. Darrin or Derek or something. He's some big shot hotel dude."
"There you go. Ask Parker for an introduction."
"I will." She dug into her breakfast, moaning in ecstasy because the gingerbread pancakes really were like a slice of heaven. "But first, I'll make sure Jenna and Tyree like the idea."
Megan was so psyched by the idea that she finished the meal in record time, then actually left her friends before they even got the check, tossing enough cash on the table to cover her share and then some.
She hurried to The Fix, dragged Tyree and Jenna into the office, and was thrilled when they both thought the idea was fabulous.
Giddy, she walked home, planning to ask Parker for an intro that evening.
She was still smiling when she reached her building. And even the fact that some annoying person had used their bike to prop open the pedestrian gate didn't spoil her mood. But she had to wonder why people went out of their way to make secure properties insecure.
She was slipping inside, beside the bike, when a woman in leggings and a helmet hurried toward her, apologizing as she grabbed the bike. "Forgot my water bottle," she said, then gave Megan a wave as she headed off down the street.
Megan rolled her eyes and started walking the few yards to her entrance, only to see someone waiting on the single step up to her door. A man, sitting with his head down as he tapped out something on his phone.
She felt the chill first, even before she recognized him, and she started to back away. But then he looked up, his smile wide and welcoming and utterly charming.
"Megan," Carlton said. "I've been waiting for you."
Chapter Fourteen
Terror sluiced over Megan, and she stood stone still, her blood like ice, her eyes fixed on the man on her stoop.
Casually, as if this were no big deal at all, he stood up, then flashed her that brilliant smile
that had charmed her so thoroughly the first time she'd met him. "Wow, Megan. You look great. Austin agrees with you."
"Get away from me."
His brow furrowed, and he shook his head as if confused. "Hey, whoa. What's wrong?"
"Do not even try to bullshit me. Get the fuck away or I'm calling the cops."
He lifted his hands in surrender. "What the hell happened to make you so paranoid?" His eyes widened. "Oh, shit. Is it Parker? Am I too late?"
She opened her mouth to respond, realized she didn't understand what he meant by any of that, then closed it again. "Just go. Dammit, Carlton, just leave me alone, please. Can't you just leave me alone?"
"No, not when I'm scared for you." Sincerity oozed from his voice. "I tried to call, but you blocked my number." He exhaled, then shook his head. "I get cutting ties with an ex, Megan, but that seemed a little extreme."
"Extreme!"
Before she could continue, he barreled on. "But since I was going to be in Austin anyway, I thought I'd warn you in person."
She should tell him again to get lost, and then call the police if he didn't. But, dammit, she wanted to know what he meant. Still, she pulled out her phone, then held it tight, ready to hit the SOS icon if she needed to. "Warn me about what?"
"Parker," he said, the name like a bullet to her heart. "I saw a picture of you with him at some bar, and I just--oh, hell, Megan. I just couldn't live with myself if I didn't warn you. Especially after he did all that weird stalking shit in LA."
Her legs went weak and she stumbled backward. "What weird stalking shit?"
"Driving by your house. Calling you. Leaving flowers."
"Bullshit."
"I wish it was. I went to your place one night after we broke up. I had a pink T-shirt of yours I wanted to return."
She remembered the shirt; she never had gotten it back.
"I got distracted when I saw Parker sitting in a car across from your place. I confronted him--he didn't tell me the details, but I put together enough."
She shook her head. "You lying sack of shit."
"And then the son-of-a-bitch cornered me at my house and beat the living shit out of me."
She swallowed. If nothing else, she knew that was true.
"Pretty fucked up, right? They arrested him for assault, but we've been friends for a long time. I figured he just snapped. So I cooperated when he wanted to sweep it under the rug. I mean, he's got the kind of money to make that happen. Worse, too." He stepped toward her, close, almost pinning her against one of the stone support columns. "You should go. Get the hell out of Austin before he starts his shit all over again."
"Megan!"
Relief flowed through her, and she turned to find Parker racing toward her, her spare set of keys tight in his hand. He didn't pause, he didn't even stumble. He just slammed his fist into Carlton's face and sent the little bastard crashing to the ground.
"Get inside," he told her.
Her eyes went wide. "What are you going to do?"
He turned to her, his eyes hard on hers. "Do you trust me?"
She thought of all the horrible things that Carlton had said to her. Of all the accusations he'd made, and even the truth he'd told about Parker beating him up.
And then she looked into Parker's eyes.
"Yes," she said, without hesitation. "Absolutely, yes."
Chapter Fifteen
"Thanks, man," Parker said to Brent as they watched a local detective haul Carlton's complaining, bitching carcass away.
"Devon will make sure he gets on a plane back to LA," Brent said, "but he's only doing it as a favor to me. We can't really press charges for today. After all, you're the one who slugged him."
"I don't want him coming back," Parker said. "I don't want him ever getting close to Megan again."
"I've got an idea about that," the ex-cop said. "I said we can't press charges for today. But maybe the cops in LA can latch onto something from the past."
"I'm listening."
"You said you used to walk in the same circle as that piece of shit. How many women other than Megan do you think he harassed?"
"I don't know. A lot, I'd guess."
"So we talk to them. Get an investigator to do the leg work, then take the package to the cops, all wrapped up with a nice, shiny bow. He might do time. Even if he doesn't, it'll make it a hell of a lot easier to deal with him if he ever sets foot in Austin again."
Parker went rigid. "Do you think he will?"
Brent shook his head. "In my experience, no. That kind of guy wants to stay in control, but only in the shadows. Once the gig's exposed, he has no interest stepping into the light. He's not about revenge. He's about fear and humiliation and control. He knows Megan won't be afraid anymore. She has you."
"She damn sure does."
"But we'll still be careful," Brent said. "Just in case I'm wrong."
Parker nodded. "You have an investigator in mind?"
"I'm friends with a guy who heads up an Austin division of Stark International. He does a lot of security tech work, and he introduced me to the Stark International Security Chief. I figure any security guy who works for Damien Stark knows his shit."
"I'd think so," Parker agreed. He'd never met the billionaire in person, but he knew the man by reputation. "Will this security guy do you a favor?"
"I'm sure of it. Either him or someone else." He gave Parker a friendly clap on the shoulder. "One way or another, we'll nail that bastard's ass to the wall. And we'll make sure he doesn't harass Megan or anyone else again."
"Thanks."
"No problem." He nodded toward Megan's door. "I'm done here, and I think you have somewhere else to be."
"Yes, I do," Parker said, then moved to Megan's door. He opened it, and she flew into his arms, relief and trust and love clinging to her like perfume. And he knew without a doubt that this woman was his, now and forever.
And damned if he didn't belong to her, too.
* * *
"I'm so sorry," Parker said, lifting her into his arms as he kicked the door closed, then carried her to the sofa.
"What on earth for?" she asked, curling into him. Wanting more than anything to get lost in the safety of his arms.
"For not being here sooner."
"Are you insane? That you came at all was a miracle. You swooped in like a superhero." She'd almost burst into tears when she'd seen him, she'd been so relieved. And now he was apologizing? "Actually, why did you come at all? I didn't think I was going to see you until later tonight?"
"I had some news for you. But it can wait."
"Good news?" When he nodded, she snuggled closer. "Well, tell me now. After that encounter, I'm all about the good news."
"Remember in New Orleans how you mentioned that you wanted to take your makeup business to the next level? Get into skincare products?"
"I remember." She'd talked about it at length as they walked along the Mississippi, telling him how she made her own, experimenting to find the best texture and results, but also admitting that since she wasn't a chemist, she could only take her ideas so far. "What about it?"
"I told you about the trial for Tatum, right? The new topical that PCM is working on?"
She nodded, confused.
"Well, I was talking with the folks at the lab, and at least two of my chemists said they'd love to chat with you about what you have in mind. Maybe see if you can put together a sample of a product that you could test on your clients and refine."
Her breath caught in her throat, and she thought her heart might swell to breaking. She blinked, and a tear trickled down her cheek. "You did that for me?"
"Baby, I'd do pretty much anything for you."
The tears fell in earnest. "Yeah? In that case, I think you should make love to me now."
He chuckled, then lightly kissed her. "Happy to oblige."
Gently, he carried her to bed like she was the most precious thing in the world to him. He undressed her, then pulled her to him, and when they kiss
ed, it seemed as if the whole world fell away. It was only the two of them, with the future wide open in front of them, while fear and regrets were left far behind.
"Now," she said as she knelt on the bed, then held out a hand to tug him close. I want to feel you moving inside me. I want you to take me to the stars, and I want to take you right along with me.
"To the stars? Baby, you take me to heaven every day." He cupped her cheek, and she fell back against the pillows, drawing him down, over her. Into her.
She arched up as he thrust deep inside, filling her with his body and his love. And when passion cut through him, making him tremble, she held him close and followed him over, shattering into a million pieces, but unafraid. Because she knew that Parker would always be there to put her back together again.
When the electricity in her limbs finally calmed and she could breathe again, snuggled closer, then sighed. "You're mine, Parker Manning." She propped herself up on her elbow. "Just so you know, I'm not ever letting you get away."
"Good to hear," he said, the love in his eyes making her heart sing. "Because I'm not going anywhere."
Epilogue
The Night of the Mr. June Contest
* * *
Amanda eased toward the back of the bar, thinking that she'd slip out through the back exit to the alley while the contest was going on. Not that she wanted to miss the contest, but she definitely had someplace else she wanted to be right now. And though going out the front might make more sense, she didn't want to get waylaid by one of her friends.
Derek.
She sighed with happiness--and with anticipation--as all of her girly parts fired up at the prospect of seeing him again.
For almost a year now, they'd been meeting in secret whenever he came to town for business, usually every three months or so. It had started when he'd picked her up in the bar of one of his hotels. She'd gone in for nothing more than a drink and to soothe her own crappy mood, but his tempting smile and more tempting offer had won her over.
And he had very thoroughly turned her mood around.
They'd been clear from the get-go that the encounter would be nothing more than a fling. She wasn't interested in more, and he swore that neither was he. And when he told her that he was only in town for the night for business, the whole encounter had seemed like a no-brainer.