With that same intense scrutiny, he nodded silently and led her out of the kitchen. At the door of his bedroom, Parker waved. “If you need anything…”
She watched his throat bob, noticing how thick his neck and strong his shoulders were. Whether wanting him made her worthy of wearing a scarlet letter—no. She and Matt were over. They’d been done before he kicked her butt then kicked her out. Remembering the last twenty-four hours made her skin crawl. Matt had tossed her around, dragged her upstairs, and thrown her back down. And Bacon. That poor dog had done so much over the last few weeks to stop him. The second Matt had passed out, Lexi ran.
She pulled herself out of her thoughts, vaguely aware of Parker staring at her as though he’d been speaking.
“Lex? You okay? Need the internet password or whatever?”
“I’m good. Thanks, again.”
Kissing Parker, doing whatever with Parker was fine. She shouldn’t worry about strings or complications. Though the abrupt way he’d pushed away from her had been unexpected.
At least she was safe and warm. She could fire up her laptop without complaints from a nasty drunk peanut gallery. Shadow needed files, and she needed to use her laptop’s hotspot to send her broker an update. Parker’s house wasn’t the ideal place to send mega-sensitive documents, but as long as she could get Shadow the word that the files were heading his way, it’d be okay.
Parker guided through his room and to an alcove off the side of the master bedroom. “You can work here if you want.”
His house was large and expansive, expensive, and the area he motioned to had probably been designed for some rich housewife to lounge and dress while sipping on some fruity wine spritzer or something. But he’d turned it into a sleek office with more bells and whistles than she could have dreamed of. Some people had food porn, others had real porn, but this was hacker porn. Holy shit. Everything was turned off, and there was a fingerprint and retina scanner. Her pulse jumped from just looking at the four monitors stacked two on top of two and back lit. There were two sets of ergo-keyboards.
She was hiding her inner geek as best she could, but seriously… “This is some crazy shit, Parker.”
He rolled the chair back and still studied her. “Here you go, all yours. Quiet work space. Do whatever you need to do.”
If it was all hers, she wouldn’t let someone else even breathe on the computing power before her. “I can just work on the…” She’d almost said bed. How presumptuous. Except he was bringing her in there to sleep and work. Oh God, now she really was having a hard time taking a steady breath. They were like the two most intimate places she could be: in a man’s bed and in his personal office—even if it was locked down like Ft. Knox on steroids. That seemed like a lot of trust.
“Feel free. Whatever you need. I’ll take this and be out of your hair.” He unplugged his laptop from a docking station and tapped the back of his chair. “Work and relax. Deal?”
All in all, she was transfixed by the setup and by the man. “Really appreciate it.”
“Alright then.”
The room was big enough that he could have put a dozen feet between them as he left. Instead, he walked right to her, his long strides eating the space between them and sucking the oxygen out of her lungs. He tossed his laptop on the bed and stopped in front of her, and Parker gripped her shoulders and slid his palms to her elbows. His thumbs stroked over the sweatshirt, and she would’ve died had his hand been on her skin instead.
Hoping she didn’t show how desperate she was for his touch, she said, “I haven’t always been this fragile girl who needs to be saved.”
“I know. I didn’t meet you today.”
Two years of watching him from afar. “I know.”
“You might be the most interesting woman I’ve ever met.”
She stepped back, nervous, but couldn’t get far because his hold on her tightened. “Why?”
“There are a lot of things about you that I can’t explain. I’ve known you, liked you, been interested in you, but now…”
Her mind raced. She could just tell him how she pictured herself, who she was and wanted to be. What she did for a living, or even her current project. Even Parker might have trouble understanding though. Laymen learned about the zero day market and thought it was illegal. But he seemed on the up-and-up with all things techy.
She could explain her work in vague terms. Given what he’d seen and said so far, he wouldn’t tease her or break out the name-calling. No nerd girl titles from Parker, who was up to speed in giving nerd-girl-gasms—because she still couldn’t get over his setup.
But her hesitation was still there. Damn Matt for screwing up her head. She just felt so broken. “Well, see, I, uh—”
“Don’t.” Parker shook his head. “I’m curious. Didn’t say I needed an answer now. Just that I plan on figuring you out.” His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb sweeping from her cheekbone to the corner of her mouth.
“Oh,” she sighed, almost nuzzling his hand like a damn cat.
He took the warm touch away and left her alone, mouth agape and hand wanting to reach out to stop him. Damn. Parker wanted to figure her out? Holy swoonballs! If she was interesting, Parker Black was the most intense man she’d ever met.
Quickly, she went to her computer, trying to shake the tingling feeling that hung in her limbs. Once she was in her email, she typed a message to Shadow.
Monarch is complete, and Matt and I are done. Big day for me, huh? Thought you’d be proud on both accounts. But because of the Matt situation, I’m on the road and not comfortable transmitting the files. Don’t hate. :) Be in touch soon. Xx
Perfect. She hit send, double-checked that it went through, then powered down her laptop. The reliable machine went silent as it turned off, and she was completely aware of how alone she was in Parker’s room. A nap—she needed one and had promised him that she’d try. She must need the rest if he was so adamant she get some sleep.
A nap in his bed though. Obviously he didn’t realize that would likely mean absolutely no sleep. She’d sooner get rest on the tile floor of his bathroom with towels as a pillow. The man did have heated floors in his bathroom, so that wouldn’t be a huge hardship.
Lexi trailed her finger along the smooth wood headboard. Parker’s bed was so Parker. Dark sheets. Dark furniture. Big, strong, but somehow refined. The carved wood was sleek and inherently masculine. Powerful. His bedroom smelled slightly more of him, but his sheets… her hand slipped from the wood to smooth over the pillowcase and sheets.
God. Her stomach flipped, and carefully, almost as if she were savoring the moment, she crawled onto the king-size mattress and fell into Egyptian cotton heaven, thread count a billion.
There was no way she would get any sleep. Her pulse thundered in her throat, and even now, all alone, she didn’t feel as though she could take a deep breath. He’d been gone for twenty minutes at least, and her mind was still entirely focused on Parker. Whose clothes she wore, whose bed she was in, and whose kiss stayed on her lips. Lexi pressed her fingers to her lips. That had been the sweetest, deepest kiss of her whole life, and despite how he’d pulled from her, it was also one of the most empowering moments she could remember.
Her phone buzzed.
Parker: You’re not sleeping
Lexi: How would you know
Parker: Assumed
Parker: Sleep…
Lexi: I can’t if you keep texting me
She couldn’t break the smile from her face. He was flirting with her while she lay in his bed. In what universe was this happening?
Parker: Sleep yet?
Lexi: Sigh. I’m trying
Parker: Buzz me if you need anything
Lexi: Thx 1.0E6
Lexi: Sorry. Thanks a million. It’s a work thing. Never mind. Thx for tonight.
Parker: Know what it means, sweetheart. Sleep.
He was flirting with her. Holy shit. But what was her problem, slipping into Silver-headspace when she texted w
ith him? Or maybe she was just becoming comfortable with who she was around Parker.
“I was almost me tonight,” she whispered in the dark, Parker’s sheets pulled up to her neck.
Her neck and cheeks heated. She was embarrassed by how weak she’d been with Matt, but the world felt full of possibilities just from how Parker made her feel. There was something between them, the kind of connection that made the air feel magnetic, as though it crackled and sparkled the closer they stood.
Her stomach dropped again, despite lying flat on her back, and she smiled. Because she was lying flat on her back in Parker’s ginormous bed, and he’d set the groundwork for something more than just a kiss.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
A noise clanged, pulling Lexi out of her half-comatose dream. She rolled over, buried in everything that smelled like Parker. She sighed, shaking her head and trying to organize her thoughts. Had that been a doorbell?
The green glow of his alarm clock read a little after nine. Hours had passed since she’d showed up at Parker’s. Her limbs were sore, and her face ached. She was bruised and beaten and all of her muscles hurt from Matt. Wait—a doorbell? She shot up in bed. Dread arrived hard and fast because somehow she knew, without a second thought, that Matt was there. Bacon rolled over and whined at the foot of the bed. Dogs always knew what was up, and that whimper said her ex was definitely there.
What was she supposed to do?
She started shaking. Matt would kill her. She was lying in his friend’s bed? In his clothes? Holy crap. His violent mood swings had been epic lately. But Parker would protect her. Hell, he wanted to shred Matt to pieces. So she was safe.
The tiniest spring of relief tried to push into her mind. Parker would keep Matt away from her. She took a calming breath and quickly ducked down, burying herself in the pillows and comforter. Maybe her instinct was wrong, and it wasn’t Matt. Maybe Parker would lie and say he hadn’t seen her. Maybe Matt was risking life merely by approaching Parker. But the more she thought about Matt’s jealousy, the more she trembled.
So what to do? Just stay in bed with Bacon? Or she could spy on their conversation. Just a bit of eavesdropping to see what was going on between the men. Anything was better than having a panic attack in Parker’s bed.
“What do we do?” she asked the dog that had crawled up to her side.
Bacon’s ear pricked up, pivoting as both ladies strained to hear anything. Lexi came up short, but her pup heard something. A low, protective growl came from the pudgy pooch.
Carefully, Lexi crawled from underneath the protective cocoon of the sheets. Cool air heightened her senses, making her feel chilled even though she still wore Parker’s sweats. “Stay, girl.”
But Bacon ignored her and jumped down.
They inched toward the door together. Butterflies spun in her stomach as if she’d been drinking tequila on an empty stomach, and she grabbed Bacon to feel less queasy. Together, they cracked the door. Hard voices drifted up the stairs, but the words were lost.
“Stay.” She pushed Bacon back inside the bedroom then crept closer to the stairs, hoping to hear exactly what the hateful mumbles were. Inches turned into feet, and she stopped at the corner. Their words drifted up the stairs.
“Showing up here isn’t the answer,” Parker’s baritone boomed, making her slide just another foot closer.
Matt’s anger resounded though mumbled, probably slurred, words that she couldn’t make out.
“Not my problem.”
What wasn’t Parker’s problem? Her? Matt? Their messy breakup? She had twenty questions, and they all revolved around her. Anger rushed through her veins. God, she was just so done. She had to have an empowering I’ve-taken-back-my-life moment, and this was it, even if there was a stronger likelihood that she would puke from nerves. Lexi stood on shaky legs, ready to confront him, and—what? Would she really tell Matt to leave?
Yes. She’d say get out, that it was over, that he couldn’t hit her, hurt her, steal her thoughts for a moment longer. Lexi pushed past the corner, her heart rioting against her ribs, warning her to stop. But it was too late. She couldn’t stop even if she wanted to.
Silver gave no fucks about the world, and she was her! Lexi gripped the handrail and forced her legs to take each step down. Her stomach soured. Adrenaline spiked into her blood, and a cold sweat broke out on neck.
When she was three steps from the bottom of the stairs, the men’s conversation died. Both sets of eyes were on her, both men with vastly different looks on their faces.
Matt’s was familiarly scary. Angry. Harsh lines that didn’t come from laughing creased around his eyes. His mouth, which she’d once found sweet, was snarled and rabid-looking.
And Parker normally looked protective and handsome, but there was nothing sweet or sexy on his face now. His strong features were marred with protective concern.
“Are you fuckin’ shittin’ me?” Matt growled, charging forward.
Parker’s arm shot out and caught Matt across the chest. “Chill out.”
“Fuck you, and your I’m-not-fuckin’-Lexi bullshit.”
Lexi glanced down. Wearing Parker’s clothes didn’t do her any favors. “Matt, you have to go.”
“Get your skank ass outside and in the—”
“No.” She stood her ground and shook her head. “We can’t do this anymore. I’m done.”
“Outside, Lexi.”
She wasn’t breathing because this wasn’t working. What had she expected? If she walked out the door with him… bad, bad things would happen.
“Please—” She swallowed around the lump in her throat. “I left. You knew I left because you forced me out. I don’t care if I see you or my things ever again. I have what I need. Let’s both walk away.”
“Stupid fucking woman. Your things? The only things you care about are your stupid computer and that fat-ass dog.”
“Time to go,” Parker interjected.
“Fine. Fuck it if I care. She’s a lazy fuckin’ screw anyway. You’ll see if you don’t already know, goddamn Judas.”
His words… her molars grinded, her head exploding. She was so sick of this. God! Lexi shook her head, seething. Her fists bunched as she slammed her arms straight. “No one’s screwing me, but if they did, from here on out, they will have to have my permission! Now get out!”
“Excuse me?” Parker growled, catching her eye then turning to Matt as though he was a hair away from strangling the guy.
“Like you didn’t want it.” Matt exploded, and he dove at her, hands outstretched like a predator.
Her body had been trained to react. Her forearms covered her face, her hands wrapped around the back of her head. She dropped and curled into a ball, awaiting the punches and kicks that would rain down on her.
But nothing hurt her. The scuffle she heard didn’t touch her, and she blinked, surprised, and opened her eyes. Parker had Matt on the floor. When Matt looked ready to tap out or die, Parker dragged him toward the front door. With a quick move, like something out of the movies, Parker flung it open and lofted her ex through it, then slammed it shut. His gaze sliced to her. Their eyes locked, and he stalked over, his hand outstretched.
“You okay, Lex?”
Carefully, she unfolded herself and let him tug her up. They stayed connected at the hand for a minute until his hand came toward her face—not fast but apparently too quickly because she flinched. Hard. Then she cringed because Parker wouldn’t hurt her. A guy like him did nice, sweet things. He was strong and tough but had amazing intentions.
“I think…” His jaw flexed in a beautifully pissed-off way. “That it’s time to talk.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Phiber had followed the man he assumed was Silver’s boyfriend, hoping to locate the woman. One day she never left the home, the next she was gone, and Phiber couldn’t think of a single hacker con she might have gone to. So he followed the guy from Silver’s house to this house, only to watch him come out flat on his ass. He’d literall
y been tossed out, and that guy wasn’t small. What was this? Days of Our Lives? Phiber shook his head, almost feeling bad. There was no question reject boy was drunk, angry, and had just been dumped.
The question was how could this guy help him get what he needed? He watched reject boy climb his stumbling ass into the driver’s seat of the truck that had barely gotten him there alive. The truck’s engine revved, and the man hung out his driver’s side window, cursing at the house. Phiber opted to stay close to reject boy instead of snooping around Silver’s new location. He turned over his ignition and pulled out behind the truck.
They swerved to the local dive bar, and reject boy parked his truck crooked across two parking spots. Asshole. Phiber parked in one spot like a decent human being and followed him in. There was no way, as drunk as the guy was, he would recognize Phiber from one passing encounter at the grocery store. The guy could barely think, evidenced by his turning on his right turn signal only to go left.
The bar looked exactly as he would expect: sparse and crappy with a few folks who looked as though they hadn’t moved in days. Phiber sat on the stool next to reject boy and watched him slug back a beer.
The bartender leaned over, wiped the counter, and threw down a napkin. “What’ll it be, son?”
Phiber tilted his head. “Same as this guy.”
Reject boy looked over, his eyes narrowing. “Do I know you? You look familiar.”
Not too drunk to forget a fifteen-second encounter. “Not yet.”
Whatever memory he had tried to grasp faded as he jerked back, swaying on the stool. “I’m no fag. You’re barking up the wrong tree.”
Phiber laughed. “Nah, man. I like pussy. No worries.”
He nodded. “Right.” Then he killed the rest of his beer in a few gulps.
Plan was to let him get even more sloshed, then siphon him for info and figure out if he knew where any of the parts of Monarch were or if Silver’s new location was permanent.
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