by J. Kenner
At least it was finally time for her to get dressed and head to The Fix for tonight's contest.
And for all the things that would come after.
Her stomach flipped over as a fresh wave of jitters overwhelmed her. Sternly, she told herself to chill, and she was coming close to managing that when another thought occurred to her--Thursday.
Parker had told her to take off Thursday, and she'd done just that, confirming the time off with Tyree and Jenna as soon as she'd arrived at The Fix on Monday after her meeting with Parker.
Then, of course, she'd done her best not to think about the implications. Because, well, whoa. She'd anticipated a very late night on Wednesday, with the possibility of another round of--well, whatever--on Thursday morning. But the whole day? Why did she have to take off the entire day?
She'd decided not to worry about it. But now that Wednesday was here and Thursday was fast approaching, she couldn't avoid the issue.
Was he yanking her chain?
Or maybe he was just determined to get a full twenty-four hours? That was certainly possible. After all, because of the contest, their date couldn't even really get started until nine-thirty.
But he'd said he wanted her, and she knew that didn't mean coffee and chitchat. So maybe he really was anticipating some sort of overnight sexcapade? A wildly sensual affair in a premium hotel with the kind of all-night activities that she was certain Parker was expert at--and which were designed to make a woman melt.
She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. Did she want that?
Her mind very primly announced that she most certainly did not.
But if the way her skin was tingling was any indication, her body had a very different opinion.
Frustrated, she grabbed her hairbrush off her dresser, then stood at the window brushing out the knots as she looked idly out the window, her mind on tonight as she pondered the myriad of possible activities Parker might have in mind.
Honestly, it could be anything.
Anything.
A shiver cut through her and she hugged herself as she realized just how true that was. Parker had been friends with Carlton, after all. Who knew what proclivities he might have?
Frustrated, she tilted her head, then began to brush more vigorously. She was being paranoid and unfair. Carlton never actually hurt her, and he'd never done anything overly kinky. He'd just gotten a little weird.
Still...
Parker might turn out to be weird, too. Had she leaped from the frying pan into the fire?
She didn't think so. He felt ... well, right. Arrogant and demanding, yes. But not in a way that made her skin prickle with apprehension. On the contrary, the only tingles she'd felt around Parker were sparks of anticipation.
And that was an entirely different kind of danger.
She drew a deep breath, then started to step away from the window.
That's when she noticed the car. Sleek and black, just like the one she'd seen from her window on Sunday. And, once again, it was double-parked right across the street from her condo, the interior light indicating that someone was sitting inside.
With a shiver, she pulled her robe tight around her, trying to ward off a sudden chill. No such luck, mostly because the room was warm and the chill was in her blood, a bone-deep shiver that she wouldn't be able to quench with a down-filled mountaineering jacket, much less the thin robe she'd picked up on sale at Target.
She forced herself to step away from the window. Because this was nothing. No big deal. Just one black car on the street below her bedroom window. There was no reason to think it was a menace to her or anyone else. Maybe it was looking for parking. Maybe it was marking time until one of the other residents hurried to meet their ride. There were a million possible reasons why a car would be on a street, and most every one of them was innocent.
Besides, there was no way to know if she'd actually seen this particular car before. Heck, it probably wasn't even the same model she'd noticed on Sunday. And even if it was, so what? A slew of people lived in The Railyard condos; there was no reason to think the car had any connection to her, right? Right.
Annoyed by her lingering fears, she moved back to the window. All clear. Not a black car in sight.
Her shoulders sagged with relief, reassured that Carlton hadn't somehow found her. That he hadn't come all the way from Los Angeles to Austin just to mess with her.
Honestly, she was being ridiculous. She'd been in Austin for over three months now, and she hadn't heard a peep from him. It was over. It was done. She'd moved on.
Moved? Try ran. And, yes, maybe that had been an over-reaction, but as far as Megan was concerned, better safe than sorry. Her sister, Leslie, had waited too long to get away from Jerry, and while Megan was relieved that Leslie had come out okay in the end, she had no desire to repeat her sister's mistakes.
And, no, maybe Carlton's weirdness wasn't really pointing that way, but there'd been signs. She could have overlooked the increase possessiveness while they were dating, labeling it as a protective streak. But it was after she'd broken it off with him, that she'd started to get twitchy. The late night calls from blocked phone numbers. The cars that parked outside her apartment. Flowers delivered with sensual notes and no signature. And that horrible, persistent sensation of being watched.
So she'd cut and run. Left LA for Austin, a town to which she'd had no prior connection, so why would anyone look for her there? A town with enough wealth and entertainment types to ensure that a freelance make-up artist could squeeze out a living.
Except it turned out that squeezing out a living thing was harder than it sounded, not in small part because Austin was freaking expensive.
Thank goodness for The Fix.
She drew in a breath, her circular thoughts finally coming to rest on what was really important at the moment--getting dressed and getting to the club.
With one final frown toward the window, she pulled on the yellow sundress with the fitted bodice she'd picked out for tonight. Simple and flattering and paired with jeweled sandals and a thin cotton sweater. It was the most versatile thing in her wardrobe. Casual enough to wear to The Fix, and flirty enough to pass if Parker took her somewhere nice for dinner. And since Parker hadn't given her a clue, it was just going to have to do.
She didn't see any sinister vehicles during her short walk to The Fix, but even so, she was thrilled when she stepped inside the bar and saw Griffin waving her over.
"You look nice. What happened to the usual jeans and The Fix T-shirt for contest night?"
"Just changing things up," she said, not quite meeting his eyes.
"Mmm." He signaled Eric to bring him a fresh drink, then ordered her a water since she was technically on the clock until the contest wrapped. "I saw that Parker Manning's still on the contest line up," he added. "How'd you convince him?"
"Oh, we're turning his participation into a whole charity thing. You'll hear about it when Bev does the intros."
"Uh-huh," he said, once again looking at her outfit. This time when he met her eyes, there was a knowing look in his. "Christ, Megan, you didn't--"
Thankfully, she was saved by the exuberant arrival of Amanda Franklin, a local real estate agent and a regular at The Fix. She was also one of Jenna's best friends, and that connection had spilled over onto Megan.
"Amanda!" Megan gave her a friendly hug, a little more exuberant than necessary, but she was just so grateful that Amanda's arrival had waylaid Griffin's questions.
"Hey, girl! Jenna told me everything you've done--"
Megan rolled her eyes at that, making Amanda laugh.
"Yeah, she told me everything," she admitted, with emphasis on everything. "But she also said that you fixed it. So good job."
Amanda glanced around the crowded bar, that was becoming more crowded by the second. "You know, I think this may be the best night yet. Your flyers definitely upped the interest, and what's on the flyer's not too bad either. I mean, Parker? Holy hell, that man is hot."
<
br /> Griff rolled his eyes, but Megan just laughed. "Seriously hot," she admitted, enjoying the nice warm buzz of her secret. He was hot. And tonight, he was her date. Assuming she could stretch the definition of date, that is.
"Honestly, if this were a bachelor auction instead of a calendar contest, I think I'd have to bid." Amanda started to fan herself, and Megan had to clap a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, because Parker had come up right behind her, and even with the din, there was no way he could have not heard her.
"Hey," he said, his attention focused entirely on Megan. "I'm looking forward to tonight."
In front of him, Amanda twisted, her eyes going wide when she saw him, then widening when she caught sight of his companion, a man with dark hair cut short, pale gray eyes that looked like they hid a thousand secrets, and a wide mouth that was curved into the slightest hint of a smile.
Megan was about to ask who the man was, but Griff spoke first, his words directed to Parker. "Looking forward to tonight?" he repeated. "You mean the contest?"
"Of course," Parker said, though he was looking at Megan and not Griffin. "What else?"
Griffin didn't answer, and Megan didn't look at him. But she could feel his gaze boring laser-like into her skull. "Who's your friend?" she asked Parker, mostly as a diversionary tactic, but also because she was genuinely curious.
"Sorry," Parker said. "Everyone, this is Derek Winston. Derek, this is Megan, Griffin, and Amanda."
They shook his hand in turn, although Megan noticed that Amanda hesitated, then pulled hers free a tad too early. An odd reaction considering Amanda was the last person Megan would expect to be intimidated by a good-looking guy.
"Winston Hotels," Griffin said, the comment shifting Megan's attention from Amanda and back to Derek. "Nice properties."
"Thanks," Derek says. "It's a family business, but I've taken over as the director of North American operations. I'm in town for personal visits to the three Austin properties. Since Parker and I go way back, I thought I'd come watch him shake his groove thing up on that stage."
"If my groove thing does any shaking--" Parker glanced so swiftly at Megan that it might have been her imagination, "--it won't be on that stage."
"There you are!" Taylor's familiar voice fell over their group, and then the woman herself shoved her way through the crowd, saving Megan from another round of questions from Griffin.
Taylor grabbed Parker's arm, and a swirl of jealous soup curled in Megan's gut, even though she knew perfectly well that the gesture wasn't intimate but was instead the stage manager's method of wrangling one of the contestants back stage.
Not to mention the fact that Megan could hardly feel jealous about a man she had no claim over in the first place.
"See you all later," Parker said, speaking to all of them, but his attention on Megan.
"Good luck," she called. She expected Amanda to say the same thing, but she was focused on her phone, though Megan had the distinct impression that the device was a prop, and Amanda was really in massive avoidance mode.
But who--or what--was she avoiding?
That, however wasn't something she could think about at the moment. "I need to go check on Beverly," she said, pointing to the emcee, who was signaling for Megan to come to the stage. "Nice to meet you, Derek," she said before hurrying toward the stage, with Griffin at her side.
"You want to tell me what's going on with you and Parker?"
"No," she said simply, to which his eyes widened. She paused long enough to draw a deep breath. "I mean yes, but later. Drinks tomorrow night?"
He looked like he wanted to argue, but he nodded. "Fine. I'll go grab us some seats at the bar. You do your thing and meet me there."
She nodded, then hurried over to Beverly, passing Taylor on her way back. "I swear it's like herding cats," the stage manager said, making Megan laugh.
"You're in a good mood," Beverly said, as Megan did a quick touch-up on her make-up. The show was being filmed so that segments of the contest could be edited into The Business Plan, the reality TV show that centered on the remodeling of The Fix. Because of that, Megan knew that Beverly was hyper-conscious of her appearance on that stage. Not that she had reason to be. Bev hit all corners of the celebrity triangle as far as Megan was concerned. Natural beauty, genuine niceness, and natural talent.
"Perfect," Megan said. "Now go."
"Thanks," Beverly said. "Time to break a leg."
Megan laughed, then turned to head back toward the bar and Griffin. She didn't make it, however, because she caught sight of Jenna and Reece standing at the edge of the stage.
"Hey," Jenna said, waving her over. A wide grin lit her eyes as Megan approached. "Good job turning a screw-up into a victory."
"Thanks. I won't deny it was stressful."
"But you pulled it off," Reece said. "Congratulations."
He had his arm around Jenna, who was leaning against his broad chest, looking a little tired.
"You okay?"
"Oh, yeah. Fine," Jenna said. "Just wiped."
"Do you want me to grab you a chair?" Megan asked. She was certain that Jenna was pregnant, but she and Reece had still not officially said anything to their friends.
"I've got one for her right here," Reece said, pointing to the chair that his large body was blocking. "She says she won't have a view." He rolled his eyes, then flashed a mischievous grin. "What's she need to see these a-holes for? She's already got me."
"And I'm keeping you," Jenna said, then winked at Megan. "Doesn't mean I can't window shop."
Megan bit back a smile, her attention turning to Reece. They'd actually shared a one-night stand a few months back, before he and Jenna had gotten together. Megan had just arrived in Austin and had been feeling lost and lonely. Reece had felt the same. She'd been running from a man, and he'd been running from his desire for a woman he didn't think he could ever have.
Reece had gotten his happily ever after, and though Megan would never begrudge him that, she couldn't deny the envy that curled through her as she looked at him and Jenna together.
Reece was living his dream, lost in love and family.
And Megan? She was off to have one more shallow encounter with a man who made her pulse pound, but who she knew didn't really want her. All he wanted was payment.
She tried to tell herself that was okay. She was young. Why shouldn't she go out? Have fun? Have sex?
There was nothing wrong with that, not so long as she was careful and smart.
And maybe that was true.
But it wasn't a question of wrong or right.
It was a question of more. She wanted more than a one night stand. More than a fast fuck, even with a gorgeous man with exceptional skill.
She wanted the full meal deal, and she wanted it super-sized.
But she was starting to be afraid that she was never going to actually find it.
"Megan?"
She jerked up, twisting around to find Jenna looking at her. "You look lost."
"Sorry. Mind wandering."
Thankfully, the theme music started up, and she didn't have to say more. Instead, she rose up on her tiptoes and craned her neck over the crowd so that she could see the back of the room, where Parker and the other men gathered in the doorway to the back bar, waiting on their cue.
As if he sensed her attention, Parker looked up, his eyes meeting hers, full of heat and promise. Slowly, he smiled, and she sighed with pleasure as the heat of that smile warmed her soul.
Maybe she didn't have what Reece and Jenna had. Maybe she never would.
But for tonight, at least, she had Parker.
And Megan would take what she could get.
Chapter Five
"--to begin!" Beverly chirped, her bright smile lighting up the room. She held up her hands, and Megan had to smile at how expertly she settled the crowd. "But before we get going, I have a quick announcement. Those of you familiar with the Man of the Month contest will notice that tonight's contest is a l
ittle different. Thanks to the kind suggestion of contestant Parker Manning, tonight's contest not only benefits all you women in the audience--"
"And gay men!" someone yelled from the back, causing the room to erupt with laughter.
Beverly laughed, too, but didn't lose her stride, "--it also benefits the favorite charities of each of the contestants. And, of course, you are all supporting our favorite local bar, The Fix On Sixth, by coming here tonight, buying the drinks, and eating the food."
She went on to explain that Parker was donating one-hundred dollars per vote to each contestant's favorite charity. As for the winner, he was taking that number and multiplying it by ten. But in order to make sure that the votes were for the men and not the charities, the guys wouldn't announce their selected charity until after the competition.
"And that's it," Beverly said, wrapping up as the contest music started. "Let's give a warm welcome to our first contestant, Parker Manning!"
The room erupted, and Megan lifted herself onto her tiptoes, trying to see over the taller heads in front of her as Parker sauntered up the red carpet waving at the audience and generally soaking up the appreciation.
And, just as he'd done in his office, with each step he took, more of his outerwear came off. First the tie, which he flung into the audience. Then he unfastened the buttons. One, then another, then another. All the way down until his shirt was hanging completely open by the time he reached the stairs to climb up onto the stage.
Megan stood to the left of the stage, and now that he'd come closer, she had a clear view. First of his chest, broad and firm with a perfect six pack and deep cuts that angled down from his hips and led under his tight, faded jeans. Jeans that, she noticed, he'd unbuttoned. Not to reveal anything, but just to give that extra edge of heat.
Everyone on that side of the stage could see his picture perfect body, and when he took the next step and peeled the shirt all of the way off, she heard gasps from the women behind him, and a sharp jolt of envy cut through her that she didn't have a view of his broad shoulders and tightly muscled back.
What she did have was his attention. Because he'd paused on the steps leading up to the stage, and his eyes were fixed on hers, so intently that Megan wasn't entirely sure if she could recite her own name, much less tell anyone what city she was in. All rational thought had been replaced by one basic truth.