All Fired Up (DreamMakers)

by Arend, Vivian

Jack frowned. Huh. That was weird. Parker was usually at the office before he and Dean even rolled out of their respective beds.

  Then again, Parker was also having wild, lovey-dovey sex with his woman every night, and when your woman looked like Lynn Davidson, of course you didn’t want to drag yourself away.

  “I wonder if the star of today’s Entertainment News and Views will want us to post the full-page spread of his ugly mug on the front door.”

  Dean’s smile widened. “Let’s do it. Lynn’s in the pictures, too—that makes them worth looking at.”

  Jack laughed. “You stare at her too hard and Parker will string your eyes on hooks and feed them to the fish.”

  The other man stretched his legs out in front of him, leaning back as he gloated. “Can’t take away the very fine memories I have of my time with the lady. Did I mention how very fine they are?”

  “Fuck off,” Jack muttered without heat. “How you can keep flirting with her is beyond me.”

  “She blushes so prettily, doesn’t she? But we’re cool. I mean, the first time I saw her after that night she was beet red for the entire conversation, but my winning charm has soothed away any lingering awkwardness.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m just glad Parker never fell for any of the women he and I tag-teamed. You’re the one who ended up in the keeper’s bed with him, which means you’re the one he gets to punch out if he’s ever feeling extra possessive.”

  “Does this mean you’re abstaining from any further threesomes?” Dean taunted. “Just in case the next woman who ends up between us is my forever love?” He made loud smooching noises until Jack whirled a seat cushion at him. “Not to change the subject, but what was your favorite part of the article? I loved the line about—” Dean checked the paper for the wording, “—Wilson’s dreamy dating skills.”

  “I did wonder that the writer could use sexy single Romeo, most eligible bachelor, and delectable all in the same paragraph without having to add a nausea warning.” Jack dropped onto the couch and tossed the paper on the coffee table. “I suppose it’s still great promo for us.”

  “You suppose? Damn right it is. The article mentions the company three times. One of the biggest local success stories of the past year. We’re going to have the phone ringing nonstop again.”

  “Yeah.”

  Jack’s absent tone made Dean frown. “You have a stick up your ass about something. Spill, bro.”

  “Nothing’s wrong. Shut up.” He fought to keep from voicing his real concern and failed miserably. “I hadn’t realized Parker and Lynn have been seeing each other for two months already.”

  “Time flies when you’re having fun. Oh wait, that would be me. You don’t have fun, do you?” Dean went on taunting him, and Jack was glad his friend seemed to have missed his slip-up.

  His thoughts rambled back to the calendar. Exactly how long did it fucking take for people to drive across the country?

  —And he wasn’t going to dwell on it any longer. He had no right to have the nagging sensation in his gut, but whether or not he should—

  It was there.

  Chapter Thirteen

  My office. 9:30 a.m. sharp. Re: the Digital Transition Program. Phil.

  Lynn stared at the email in disbelief. What the hell was his problem? She’d told him far too often to leave her alone, especially at work. So now he was going to drag her project into the mix?

  Dickhead. Jerkface.

  Grabbing her purse, she flounced from her cubicle, tromping down the hall to the elevator. If people saw her being pouty, who gave a damn? Not her. Not one single hoot of a damn.

  She glared at the doors of the slowest set of elevators on the planet while she devised ways to skin Phil using available office supplies. She’d wanted a hassle-free Friday. Just a normal work day that started and ended without any issues so she could spend the weekend with Parker and not have any work bullshit hanging over her head.

  It was so like Phil to throw a wrench into a pleasant TGIF.

  “I hope the wind doesn’t change direction.” Suz bumped her hip into Lynn’s as she leaned in to push the down button.

  “Do I even want you to explain why you’re talking about the weather?” Lynn tapped her foot, arms folded firmly over her chest.

  Her BFF snorted. “I can’t believe you don’t know this one. It’s an old wives’ tale about your face getting stuck…” The up light clicked on with a ding, and they stepped away to allow passengers off. “Never mind. What’s wrong?”

  Suz held the elevator door open as Lynn moved inside. “Stupid idiot,” she muttered. “It’s nothing. I’ll tell you later.”

  “Oops, this sounds important. I’ll ride with you.” Her friend waited until the doors shut before raising one eyebrow commandingly. “Spill. And there better not be trouble in paradise. You two lovebirds are so damn perfect for each other you give me a sugar high.”

  “Oh, it’s not Parker. And shut up with the perfect thing. We are not.”

  “Are too. I expect him to finish your sentences next. Or start writing you poetry and getting skywriters to post it. ‘There was once a woman named Lynn, who made Parker Wilson’s head spin. They had lots of sex, ’til from—’”

  “Stop it.” Lynn gave her a thump on the shoulder. “It’s not Parker. I’ve been summoned to Phil’s office to discuss my project.”

  Suz gasped. “No!”

  “Yes.”

  “What the hell does he have to do with your program?”

  “Nothing. I don’t think. He’s just being a shit.” The elevator pinged to a stop, and Lynn sighed wearily. “I’ve had enough of him.”

  “Of course you have. So tell him that, then meet me for lunch and tell me everything else that happens, okay?”

  Suz blew her a kiss, wiggling her fingers as the elevator doors creaked shut.

  The advertising floor was just as noisy as layout, and Lynn strode quickly through the open hallways to Phil’s office. She was going to be firm this time. More firm. Firmer-than-ever-before firm.

  Work related, fine. She’d get along with everyone, including Phil. But she would not put up with any more of this…stalking. No more.

  Parker had taught her a few things about stating her mind and going after what she wanted. And that new confidence could carry outside the bedroom, no problem.

  Lynn closed in on Phil’s office, put her knuckles to the door, and knocked loudly.

  “Come in.”

  When she walked inside, Phil immediately rose to greet her, his smile broad, hands reaching for her. “Lynn. So good to see—”

  “I’m on a schedule.” She dodged his grasp. “I’m not here for small talk, or for you to make a pass at me. Get to the point.”

  He pulled his hands away. “No offense intended. Please, sit, and I’ll keep it brief.”

  Phil gestured in front of his desk where two chairs were placed side by side. For once his desktop was empty of all “look, I’m so important” paraphernalia, just a copy of their paper open on the surface.

  Lynn twisted her chair away from his before sitting, careful to keep her feet and hands out of his personal space. “You wanted to discuss my digital program? It’s currently with upper management. I gave it to them a while ago, and they’re considering its merits. I really have nothing more to discuss with you, especially about the program, so if you have any concerns, you should speak—”

  “Lynn,” he interrupted, easing back in his chair as he dragged a hand through his perfect dark hair. He shook his head sadly, furrows creasing his brow as he lowered his voice. “I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened. For what I did to make you not trust me. It was never my intention to hurt you, and I hope someday you can forgive me.”

  She maintained as blank an expression as possible. This was unexpected. “You cheated on me, Phil. With more than one woman. I mean, it’s not as if we were having the greatest love affair of the century, but I deserved more than that.”

  “You did. And you do.”
<
br />   Whoa. Lynn lost her nonchalance and blinked in surprise.

  He continued before she could speak. “You deserve the best—a man who respects you, and your work. Who cares for the unique, wonderful creature you are.”

  Double whoa. This was getting creepy.

  “Well, yes. I do. And I’ve found someone who makes me happy. So if we could just get back to the—”

  “Ah, yes. Your new boyfriend. I have to admit I was shocked.”

  The pleasant feelings she’d been having toward Phil faded rapidly. “My relationship with Parker is none of your business.”

  “No, of course it’s not. I was just surprised to see he’d gotten involved with a client so soon after using DreamMakers resources to investigate her.”

  A client?

  “I didn’t hire Parker,” she said slowly.

  Phil shook his head. “Of course not. I—” He sighed heavily. “I’ll admit it. I’m not good at sharing my affections. And while it might have looked as if I was acting the Tomcat, those women meant nothing to me. I was frustrated, and it was wrong.”

  Lynn wanted him to get back to the client bit. Was he claiming Parker and DreamMakers had done recon on her?

  Phil leaned forward, determination marking his every move. “I never took our relationship to a physical level because I respected you so much. When it came to showing my real emotions, I found I was lacking. So I hired the best to help me set up a romantic night that would be everything you’d ever dreamed of. Eternity on the Bay restaurant, with dining and…I don’t know what else.”

  Her throat tightened. “You hired DreamMakers.”

  He nodded. “I wanted to make your world shine, but before all the details were in place, Mr. Wilson cancelled. Said he had too much work to do to honor our contract. I believed him, and ever since I’ve been trying my feeble best to win you back. I had no idea he’d taken advantage of the situation. He must have gotten one look at you and decided he had to have you for his own.”

  Oh God. A part of her refused to believe it—Phil was a proven liar, after all—but she couldn’t deny his accusation made sense.

  At least the bits about DreamMakers checking up on her. The stuff about Phil respecting her too much to sleep with her and instead having sex with other women—those comments were still waaaay out there in lala land.

  But the rest…

  She rose to her feet and paced the room as Phil sat silently.

  Parker had never joined her again for yoga since the first time, and as sexy as it had been to watch him, he’d been a newbie, clear as day. And he and Dean coincidentally showing up at the Frog and Crown?

  Nope. Her being their mark made total sense.

  What didn’t make sense was the man currently staring at her with an expression of such sorrowful concern. Lynn narrowed her gaze at Phil. “Why are you telling me this now? Like—it’s not really news that concerns you.”

  He gestured to the newspaper on his desk. “I didn’t realize you were dating him, not until I saw the entertainment piece.”

  Her confusion deepened, but Phil pulled a section of the paper into her hands, pausing for a second as she looked over the article, her face heating at the pictures of her and Parker accompanying the piece. Bodies touching, eyes only for each other. There was nothing terribly scandalous about the shots, but it was obvious they were very comfortable physically with each other.

  “The second I found out, I knew it wasn’t fair to keep you in the dark. I thought it was important for me to be honest. We had many dinner discussions while we were seeing each other, and I remembered honesty was something you felt strongly about. I should have been more honest with you about my weaknesses, and I’m sorry it not only caused our relationship to suffer, but put our friendship in jeopardy.”

  Ouch. That burned. She did believe in honesty, but she also believed in passion. What she and Phil had experienced together was nothing like what she and Parker shared. Passion had to count for something, right?

  The knot of pain in her chest had nothing to do with having been observed without her knowledge.

  She jerked back to face Phil, holding her emotions in with an iron-clenched will. “Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate it.”

  He rose and approached close enough to rest a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Do you need someone to talk to? I’m here. I know this must be a shock, but if there’s anything I can do…”

  She swallowed around her tight throat. “You’ve been, well, you’ve been more open than I expected. If you don’t mind, though, I need to go.”

  “Of course.”

  Lynn was in the elevator before she realized he hadn’t said a word about her program. And that instead of pushing the button for her floor, she’d hit the parking level, and her car keys were already in her hand.

  Forget protocol for an hour. She had an urgently needed meeting with a certain Parker Wilson.

  “Goddamn, we need to start stocking the mini-fridge with bottles of Dom,” Dean declared as he stared at the report Parker had just handed him. “Screw beer—we’re in the big leagues now.”

  Parker grinned, unable to hide his own enthusiasm. Their financial manager had emailed them the unofficial quarterly statement for the past three months, and the men had been stunned to find their profits had doubled.

  “It was the news feature,” Jack said from his perch on the armchair. “Business has boomed since then and it hasn’t stopped booming.”

  “And the Romeo piece in today’s paper will probably help, too,” Dean added.

  Parker rolled his eyes when both his partners turned to smirk at him. They’d been needling him mercilessly since the second he’d shown up at the office, taking turns quoting the entertainment article, but he had to admit, the ragging didn’t bother him. He didn’t care if the whole state—hell, even the whole country—knew he had it bad for Lynn Davidson.

  After all, it was the truth.

  “But seriously,” Jack said. “What are we going to do with all this extra cash?”

  Parker leaned against the edge of the desk and ran a hand over the stubble on his cheek. “First and foremost, Didi deserves a raise. That woman works her ass off for us.”

  “And maybe we can hire a few extra guys,” Jack suggested. “We could definitely use help, and I know some soldiers who just wrapped up their tours who would be interested in a gig like this.”

  Parker nodded. “Something to consider.”

  A sharp knock sounded on the door, making him frown. It wasn’t Didi’s trademark tap-tap-tap, and besides, he’d sent their receptionist to the Starbucks across the street to grab them some coffee.

  Wary, Parker headed for the door and was startled to find Lynn standing behind it.

  “Hey, what are you doing here?” He wrinkled his brow. “Shouldn’t you be at work?”

  “Yeah. I should.”

  The cool note in her voice had him on edge, and when he peered into her eyes, there was no mistaking the flicker of unhappiness there.

  “What’s wrong?” he said immediately.

  She gazed past his shoulders at his two partners, then turned back to him. “Can we talk alone?”

  His confusion was only heightened as he quickly ushered Dean and Jack out of the office. Both men stopped to greet Lynn, who murmured a brief hello. No smile, no warmth. Nothing.

  Something was wrong. Parker could tell from her body language, the serious expression on her pretty face, but he didn’t know what.

  “What’s going on?” he asked quietly. “Why are you upset?”

  Lynn set her purse on the couch and crossed her arms. “I need to ask you something.”

  He took a step toward her but stopped when he saw her cautious expression. “All right.”

  “Did Phil hire DreamMakers to plan a date for me and him?”

  All the air left Parker’s lungs in one swift swoosh. Shit.

  For a beat he considered denying it, but lying to Lynn was something he’d promised himself neve
r to do. He’d met her under false pretenses, but aside from that one omission, he’d been nothing but honest with her since they’d started seeing each other.

  “He tried to hire us, yes,” Parker admitted.

  Those beautiful blue eyes filled with disappointment. “So Phil wasn’t lying.”

  “No. Phil wasn’t lying.” He swallowed. “I was going to tell you. I promise, I had every intention of telling you about it, but once we started dating, I got…distracted.”

  “You said he tried to hire you—does that mean you didn’t get to the recon stage, or did you follow me around before we met?” Her posture had stiffened, shoulders squared in a tense line, matching the hard set of her jaw.

  Parker let out a breath. “We did some recon. Not a lot, though. I signed up for the yoga class because I knew you’d be there—that’s when you told me your favorite flower. And Dean was with you at the grocery store so we could figure out what you like to eat…” Another puff blew out. “The night at the bar wasn’t a coincidence either, but we decided to terminate our agreement with Phil the moment you announced you weren’t together anymore.”

  Lynn fell silent, and her expressionless eyes made his heart ache.

  “I should have told you, I know that, and I’m so sorry.” Desperation clung to his throat when she still didn’t say a word. “After the bar, I never saw you again without your permission, and—”

  “That’s not what I care about!” she cut in. Hurt and anger flared in her eyes. “I don’t care about the recon. That’s not why I’m mad. I was there when you followed Immi Duncan, and I saw for myself you guys don’t do anything awful or illegal to gather information.” Her breathing grew labored. “I’m mad because you weren’t honest with me.”

  “I know.” He stared at her in sheer misery. “I really was planning on telling you. I just wanted you to get to know me first. I liked you from the moment I met you, and I knew you were special. I knew we could have something special. I wanted the chance to show you that before I confessed I’d been watching you before we met.”

  “You’ve had plenty of time to tell me, Parker. And you’re not allowed to use ‘I got distracted’ as an excuse. We haven’t been having sex twenty-four seven.” Her mouth tightened. “We’ve talked for hours. Hours. And you couldn’t find a single second to slip in the truth?”