Parker (Rich & Single #2)

by Lexy Timms

  “This,” he said simply. “Can you take a lunch break?”

  “I think I can push it a little longer.”

  The other guys were out still, having their own lunches, and Parker intended to take full advantage of that. It was tempting to just open the door of the car and lay her down in the backseat, but there was always a chance that the rest of the crew would come back early and if they found him wrapped up in some chick, they were never going to let him hear the end of it. So he caught her by the hand and pulled her toward the house.

  “Oh,” she said, suddenly stopping. “I don’t think we should… Mr. Reid really wouldn’t be happy if we had sex in his house.”

  Parker stopped, too, turning to look back at her over his shoulder. “There’s no reason Mr. Reid has to know.”

  Gina shook her head, and he let out his breath on a sigh. So much for a lunch-break quickie.

  “You have any other suggestions?” He saw her look at her vehicle, then his, speculation in the tilt of her head. “There’s a good chance the rest of my guys will be back before we finish.”

  “What time are they due here?”

  He might have stared at her. She looked back at him, and he laughed. “Okay. Fine.” He glanced at his watch. “Twenty minutes, maybe. Probably not too much earlier than that. They don’t make a habit of being late, but I’m not all that strict on exact time limits for the lunch hour.”

  Her smile made her intentions clear even before she tugged him back toward her and the truck.

  “We can make it happen in twenty minutes.”

  ***

  The red light Parker was sitting behind turned, and he hit the gas, pulling past it and then switching lanes to hit the highway ramp.

  Thinking about Gina’s mouth while driving was proving to be frustrating. He hadn’t exactly gotten to finish back at Reid’s, and while the argument had certainly cured him of any desire to do so in that moment, it hadn’t taken long for the memories of his first meeting with Gina to bring it back. He growled a little and punched the accelerator as he merged into traffic.

  What had Reid come home early for anyway? Tomorrow, he needed to call Gina and apologize to her. Probably send some flowers. It wasn’t really the kind of thing he usually did when he was sure the relationship was over, but she’d had a rough night and could probably use a bit of a pick-me-up, and a talk with a guy who wasn’t a dick. Although if she had actually been fired, she probably wouldn’t be all that interested in talking.

  But then, she hadn’t been all that interested in talking most of the other times they’d met either.

  ***

  Gina pushed him back onto the seat of the truck and climbed up to straddle him, her long legs set either side of his own. Parker curled his hands around her hips and leaned up into the press of her mouth as she kissed him. His tongue teased at the curve of her lip, and she laughed and opened to let him in, her fingers tangling in his hair and curling around his shoulder as her hips rolled against his, quickly waking a very firm interest.

  “See?” she said against his mouth. “I told you we could make it good and fast.”

  Her hips rocked again, dragging the warmth of her body against his own, and Parker tangled a hand in her hair and pulled her closer, growling into the kiss. She dropped her hands down to scramble at the fastenings of his jeans, coaxing him free of his underwear. It didn’t take much coaxing.

  When he was free, she leaned up and back for a moment to work her panties down her legs and off one, leaving them around the ankle of the other while she curled a hand around him to hold him in place.

  “Oh yeah... You’re as big as I hoped.” She sounded a little smug about that fact.

  An instant later, she was sliding down him, and the hand around her hip was curling tighter. He hoped she wouldn’t mind a little reminder of their tryst, because he had a strong grip. She sure as hell didn’t seem to be complaining about it in the moment.

  The kiss broke, both of them panting, and he dropped his forehead to her shoulder, only to lift it a moment later as she began working herself up and down on his length. Her hair fell into her eyes, shadowing her face, and she dropped her free hand to his other shoulder for leverage. The dig of her nails against his skin would leave him a few souvenirs of his own.

  “Fuck,” Parker hissed. “Yeah. Harder.”

  He used the hand on her hip to help her lift and she picked up the pace, rolling her hips with each thrust to make sure he stroked against everything she wanted stroked. His eyes flicked to the windshield of the truck, but there were no other cars coming up the drive. Parker dipped his head enough to bite at her throat, careful not to leave any marks.

  She slowed. He growled. Gina answered the sound with laughter, low and a little breathless.

  “You want it, big boy, come and take it.”

  Both hands wrapped around her hips, and he lifted her slight weight over his, pulling her up until she almost slid off of him and then dragging her slowly back down. She moaned, fingers curling harder around his shoulders and nails digging a little more sharply into his skin. Another, and then he wasn’t slow anymore. Fast and hard and both of them were panting, spilling moans across each other’s skin on hot breath.

  ***

  A car pulled out in front of him without checking to see if he was there first, and Parker hit the brakes, bringing the heal of his hand down on his horn. Fucking New York City drivers! He merged into the next lane and moved around the man who had almost been run over by his truck, not even bothering to look in the guy’s direction. Flipping people off didn’t even have any meaning anymore in a city like this. At least he was almost home.

  Another minute, and he slipped into the far right lane to take the exit, moving down into residential streets. When he’d first moved to the city, he’d thought about getting an apartment in Manhattan, but after a few weeks in the insanity of downtown he’d decided a little farther out was better. It was quieter, for one. He pulled into the parking complex and took his usual spot, turning the key in the ignition as he put the truck into park.

  The night air was just cool enough to be pleasant when he stepped out of the truck. It brushed against his skin, carrying the scent of oil and metal and the bushes arranged along the apartment complex’s edges. It was a nice building. Definitely not the kind of place he would have been able to afford before his rise to the top, but exactly on the same scale as Reid’s multimillion-dollar mansion. Which was fine with him.

  Parker stepped into the elevator that would take him up to his floor, leaning back against the wall of it, and ran a hand across his face, dropping it back to his side with a sigh. Some kind of night. He shook his head.

  Honestly, he knew why Reid had been angry. His secretary fucking his construction guy in one of his guest beds probably hadn’t been what he expected to come home to. Parker wasn’t particularly perturbed by employee fraternization; he employed a lot of hot, fit people. They were going to sleep together whether he liked it or not. His rules were just to remove as much of the drama from the situation as possible when the breakup and the fallout inevitably occurred. But people in office buildings didn’t think the way he did, even the men who ran the office building. Especially the men who ran the office building.

  Still, if he’d found two of his employees going at it in his house… Parker grinned. Actually, he’d probably ask about joining.

  The elevator dinged as it hit his floor, and he pushed off the wall to stride into the hall and down to his own door. He dropped his work bag on the nearest chair as he moved through the kitchen and pulled a beer out of the fridge, popping the top with the edge of one of his keys. Those he dropped onto the counter.

  After a quick flip through a few of his favorite channels, he discovered there was nothing on TV. He lifted his beer to his lips and took a sip, then set it back on the side table and dropped his head back against the back of the sofa. Images of Gina slid across the dark space behind his closed eyelids. He really should pick some diff
erent material now that they weren’t fucking anymore, but she was a good-looking girl and he had been interrupted in the middle of a very good time with her. He sighed, running his palm over his jeans.

  Damn, she’d looked good riding him like that. She’d looked good every which way.

  Another long swallow of beer, and Parker reached down to unfasten his jeans, freeing himself from his underwear and wrapping a hand around his length. It wasn’t quite a substitute physically, but the slide of skin on skin felt good, and he let his mind drift back to Gina and the way she’d looked on his bed last week, lips bruised with kisses and pupils blown wide.

  ***

  “Harder, come on,” Gina begged, looking back at Parker over her shoulder as he rocked into her, his hands on her hips, dragging her back to meet the friction. “Come on, Parker, really give it to me. Fill me up good.”

  Parker growled, fingers tightening over the fading marks left from their last encounter. Italian women. They never shut up. He took her harder, deeper, and then she wasn’t talking anymore because she was too busy moaning. That, Parker could work with.

  He uncurled one hand from its place on her hip, sliding it down around the curve of her waist to slip between her thighs and stroke over her clit. Her hips rocked into the touch, then back into the stroke of him inside her, caught between the two sensations.

  “Enough for you?” he demanded, grinning as her fingers curled in the sheets and her thighs shuddered. “Still want more, babe?”

  The motion of his fingers slowed, gentled, until he was touching her just enough to keep her hanging on the edge, his hips moving just as slowly.

  “You know I do,” she groaned. “Always want more with you.”

  “Right answer.”

  He picked up the pace, pressed his fingers down over her clit, and watched her come apart underneath him with a shuddering moan.

  Parker took her through it, slowing but not stopping. His fingers slid away from her clit, stroking over the lips of her sex until she was pressing back against him for more, already asking for it harder. Faster. He gave her exactly what she wanted, moving in her until both of them fell over the edge into ecstasy.

  ***

  The memory of it, sliding together with his memories of her in the guest room at Reid’s, moving over him with her dark hair loose against her back, was enough to have him spilling over his own hand, a groan vibrating in his chest.

  He sat for a moment, panting and slumped against the couch.

  It had been fun while it lasted, that fling with Gina. He hoped she didn’t get hurt by it. Parker reminded himself to send her a bouquet of apology flowers and maybe a gift card to somewhere nice. Then, with a sigh, heaved himself up off the couch and went to get in the shower.

  Chapter 2

  Parker pushed a hand through his hair, shoving it back out of his eyes, and turned his face up into the spray of the gym’s shower. Other men were moving around the locker room, their voices muffled by the sound of the water, and they were easily ignored. He reached for the bottle of soap he knew was on the little shelf in the corner, pouring some into one hand and then lathering it to rub it over his chest and arms, taking his time and enjoying the easy slide of the soap against his skin. His limbs still felt loose from the rush of the workout, a little heavy. It was good. He bent to finish soaping the rest of his body, then rinsed himself down and turned off the shower.

  He had half an hour before his first class, just enough time to bolt down a post-gym snack of tuna and crackers. As he was tidying away the container, the phone range.

  “Fitness and Health Sports Club. Parker here.”

  “Parker.” The voice on the other end was a woman’s, obviously cheerful despite an hour that would be considered painfully early by a lot of people’s standards. “I was calling to inquire about the private training packages you offer.”

  The gym brought in business. They had a regular clientele, and since their name had gotten big they were always picking up new people eager to see what they had to offer. Sometimes they moved on once the novelty had worn off. Most of them stayed. DVD sales and subscriptions to the training videos on their website for those who couldn’t make it to Fitness and Health Sports Club in person weren’t a slouch in the profit department either.

  But the real source of their money was their private training packages. A private trainer wasn’t cheap. The really good ones were an accessory of the rich and famous, and paid like it, and Parker was one of the good ones. He smiled into the phone.

  “Good morning, ma’am. We offer several private training packages that you can choose from. All of them are detailed on our website, but I’m happy to give you the basics over the phone. May I ask your name?”

  “Jenna White. I don’t really want to be a body builder or anything, but I’m a new mother and I’d just like to get back in shape again. I’m sure you understand”.”

  “You’re definitely not the only mother who feels that way, Jenna. Our basic trainer package might be the best option for you. It’s one hour with one of our certified personal trainer three days a week, renewable monthly. We also give you a personalized meal plan, and exercise requirements for the days you’re working on your own. Of course, if you would like to add more days to the plan that can definitely be arranged.”

  The woman on the other end of the line laughed. “Actually, three days a week sounds great. I’m pretty busy these days with the new little one and all the running around.”

  “You can sign up for a plan online, and specify the kind of trainer that you’re looking for, as well as anything else important for us to know. Or, if you’d like to see our gym, you’re welcome to come in and sign up in person. Every personal training package comes with a free gym membership as well. If you come in person, you can meet some of our trainers before you decide who you’d like to work with.”

  “That sounds promising. I’ll see what my schedule looks like the next couple of days and then I’ll either sign up online or drop in. Thank you so much for the help.”

  “No problem, Mrs. White. Have a great day.”

  “You, too.”

  She hung up, and Parker set the phone back onto the cradle, breathing out on a sigh. Then he stood and headed out into the main part of the gym.

  At this time of day, it was a little less busy than it had been in the earlier hours when he’d done his own workout. Most of their before-work clients had already packed up and headed out to their jobs, and the lunch time rush wasn’t in yet. There were a few people scattered through the room, one or two of them set up with the personal trainers. Parker strolled through the area, past the leg equipment and the racks of weights, and into the room where he was teaching the barbell class. None of his students had arrived yet, and he stood for a moment in the silence, breathing in the clean smell of the pine floor and the metal scent of the weights.

  There was something special about standing in an empty room waiting for his students to arrive. He’d told the reporter from Rich & Single that he was most satisfied when he was working out, and that was true, but teaching came in a close second. He liked seeing the moment of change on another person’s face, that second when they were sure they were going to give up and then suddenly a new rush of energy pushed them forward, making them feel like they could go on forever.

  He liked knowing that he’d given them that.

  The door opened, and the first of his students slipped into the room, giving him a little wave as she set her gym bag down in the corner.

  “Good morning, Melissa.”

  “Morning, Parker.”

  Another woman stepped through the door, and then they were trickling in by twos and threes, gathering their bags and chatting as everyone else arrived. Parker stood at the front of the room with his arms crossed over his chest, and watched them. Occasionally, one of the women would glance up at him, like she had suddenly realized his gaze was on her, and her cheeks would flush. They still hadn’t quite gotten over that, even three week
s in. Parker hid a smile.

  “You ladies ready?” he asked when the door had closed behind the last woman.

  A resounding ‘Yes’ went up from the group. He’d encouraged them to be enthusiastic in their answers.

  “Awesome. Let’s get going.”

  ***

  An hour later, Parker watched the women trickle out again, sweat staining their workout clothes and smiles on their faces. They always left smiling. He made sure of that. Feeling good was the whole point of it. It was the reason he did what he did. No one was going to leave his gym feeling like they had failed, if he could help it.

  Sure, he was hard on them. Pushed them to do their best. But he never shied away from praise where it was due, and he always gave help when it was asked for. He wiped down the weights and picked up his water bottle, heading back to his office for a brief break before his 10am session.

  His cell phone rang.

  Parker picked it up, glancing curiously at the Caller ID. Jackson. They’d just had their twice-weekly meeting two days ago. The next one wasn’t until the day after tomorrow. It wasn’t unheard of for Jackson to call him between them, but it was unusual enough that Parker frowned as he swiped his thumb across the screen to accept the call. “Jackson. What’s up?”

  “Have you seen the advertisements for this new chick? Jennifer Leandra?”

  Parker shook his head, then realized that it wouldn’t do Jackson much good over the phone. “Nothing about her. Why?”

  “She’s new in town, I guess, but she’s got a pretty significant social media presence, and she’s picking up hits, and clients, fast. Head of Lioness Home Fitness, and she’s claiming that she can out-train you.”

  “She’s what?” Parker stared at his surprised look in the mirror.

  “Just look her up. We’re going to have to get on top of this before it becomes too big a media circus. I’m not worried about your reputation. That’s solid. But we don’t need the press crawling all over the place and constantly getting in the way.”