by Lyra Parish
“Yes?”
“Promise me one thing.”
“Okay.”
“Promise that you’ll have some fun after the business is taken care of.”
I nodded my head and watched him as the elevator doors separated us.
Between my father’s words and the thoughts of Parker scrolling through my mind, I was a confused lady. Sometimes doing things so wrong felt so right. I parked in front of my high-rise and waited by the elevator. Of course when it opened, Hugh was standing there just a grinning, probably from his all-night sexscapades with the redhead standing next to him. Those women had to be prostitutes. They just had to be. I released a breath as they stepped out and walked past me. He turned around and shot me a wink, and I shook my head. No, just no.
I rode the elevator in a daze, then punched in the code to my front door, slipped my notes into my laptop bag, and poured myself a cup of orange juice. It was too early to pull the ice-cold bottle of whiskey from the freezer, but I contemplated it. I reaaaaallllly contemplated. The OJ would have to do.
I sat the bar top and studied my itinerary one last time. I was due at Hobby Airport in a little over an hour, where a small corporate jet awaited Parker and I. Jane had made reservations at the Ritz-Carlton at Battery Park. One side of the hotel overlooked the harbor, while the other gave a perfect view of the city lights. It had been at least a year since I’d visited, and I’d insisted the view of the room be kept a surprise. After my meetings I would do as promised and try to have a good time. With Parker around, I was sure that wouldn’t be hard.
I released a breath and remembered to pack my toothbrush, shampoo, and other little things that couldn’t be packed until the day of. I did one last lookover of my condo, zipped my suitcase, then received the call that the cab was waiting down below. My heart instantly raced at the thought of seeing him. When we were around each other, I learned something new about him. Parker Williams was fascinating, intriguing, and hopefully he wouldn’t be my demise. I really did need to stop this.
A small shiver drifted over me when I stepped outside. The yellow cab stuck out like a sore thumb amongst the nice cars lining the street. A plump driver came around, opened the trunk, then placed my suitcase next to another one, and that’s when my nerves went into overdrive. The driver shut the trunk, and all I saw was a black suit, chocolate colored hair, and broad shoulders. I hesitated as the driver opened the door, then I hurriedly slipped inside. Though he was immersed in his phone, Parker lifted his head and gave me a smile when my arm touched his. I swallowed as want and need filled every cell in my body. Goosebumps covered my arms and warm fuzzies swept through me. It was all becoming too much and if I didn’t stop … I couldn’t think about it.
“Hey, babe,” he said once the car jolted forward. He acted as if nothing had happened last night. I couldn’t turn it off as easily as he did, not when my emotions were going haywire inside of me. I glanced down at his still-swollen knuckles and knew it had all happened.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “Babe?”
“I apologize, Ms. VanBuren.” His voice dropped down an octave, and the way my name fell from his lips did things to my body that shouldn’t be possible with simple words. He was intelligent, paid attention to detail, and knew exactly what he was doing to me—controlling me with a single look and only a few words. I sucked in a deep breath and turned to look out the window while I exhaled.
This week would be interesting. Every single moment spent in New York would be with Parker. It was frightening and exciting all at the same time. I had to stay strong.
Must follow the rules.
The cab zipped into the departure zone at the airport. I pulled a few twenties from my wallet and handed them to the driver as Parker unloaded our bags. Once we made it through security, we went to a section for private flights only. As we walked through the airport, the silence between us filled the space. Every so often his arm would gently touch mine, or he would place his hand in the small of my back when we walked through a crowd. Each time he would touch me, a jolt of anticipation would spread through me. I couldn’t help but fantasize about what had happened last night, or at the office, or at dinner, and afterward. It was becoming too complicated.
“Do you want coffee before we board?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“How do you like it? Like you like your men? Tall, dark, and delicious?”
I shook my head at him and couldn’t hold back the laugh that bubbled inside of me.
“I’d prefer tall, sweet, and scorching hot.”
“I think I’ve got you covered,” he said with a slight grin.
I stood with our suitcases as he walked to the coffee shop on the corner. The woman flirted with him and he laughed and smiled then pointed over at me. I narrowed my eyes then waved. How curious.
When he returned, he handed me the coffee. Steam rose from the lid.
“What was that about?” I asked.
“Nothing. Just shared how you like your men. She said I fit the bill. Agreed?” He winked at me then sipped his coffee.
I cocked my head at him and tapped a single finger over my lips as I looked him up and down. Black pressed suit, black tie, crisp white shirt, and messy hair, paired with blue eyes that seemed to see straight through me. The sparkle in his eyes spoke so loudly that I almost knew exactly what he was thinking with a single look. If he were going to go hard with this flirting thing, maybe I would play along.
“Hmmm. Mayyyybe.” I lifted an eyebrow at him then looked him over one last time, basically undressing him with my eyes in the middle of the airport. He bit the corner of his lips the exact way he had done the night I had seen him in Orleans. He didn’t fit the bill for the type of men I was attracted to; he’d basically written it.
“Maybe? Okay. I see how it’s going to be. You’ll admit that I’m your type before this trip is over, guaranteed,” he said.
“Really? Cocky much? We will see about that one. We will see.”
“How about I up the ante. You’ll admit you like me by the end of the trip.”
I scoffed with a smile.
I’ll play your game, Parker. I’ll play it, and I will win.
The clock on the wall ticked 10:00 a.m., and we casually walked toward the waiting area, sipping our hot coffees. We sat in the uncomfortable plastic airport chairs, then after half an hour, we were escorted to the exit that led to the private jet. The sky outside was gray, gloomy, and full of thick clouds. A pilot once told me that cloudy days were the best time to fly. I hoped he was right, because I could barely handle turbulence. Flying scared the shit out of me. All I needed was my face to be on the covers of magazines with a headliner about the terrible plane crash I’d died in. Worst fear ever.
My body tensed as we walked up the steps to the jet.
Parker leaned over and whispered in my ear. “Are you okay?” His warm breath floated across my skin.
I released the balled fist that I had no idea I was holding. His voice temporarily calmed me.
“Everything okay?” he asked again.
I nodded my head, but it was a lie.
The pilot greeted us, and Parker and I sat next to each other. I let him sit by the window because I couldn’t handle it. The flight would be approximately three hours long—dreadful hours.
I opened a bottle of Dramamine and took two, then leaned back in the seat, closed my eyes, and counted to one hundred.
The pilot’s voice came over the intercom to let us know that we were lining up. He gave a quick report about the weather in New York then turned off the intercom. It was in the mid-fifties and the skies looked clear. The lights went off in the plane, and my heart raced as the engines accelerated down the runway.
A strong hand grabbed the bottom of my face, and my eyes bolted open as the plane lifted off.
“Talk to me.” Parker searched my face, then his eyes stopped at my lips. He tilted his head down slightly.
“Flying scares the fuck out of me,” I said. M
y voice was small. I sounded like a frightened little kid, which was absolutely ridiculous. Scared wasn’t me. Well, unless you put me thousands of feet in the air.
Then, unpredictably, he leaned in closer and hovered so close to my lips. Our breaths mingled with each other’s until warm, soft lips pressed against mine, then I instinctively closed my eyes and parted my lips. I couldn’t resist him. I was weak. His tongue swept over mine, mingling, memorizing my mouth. His fingers ran through my hair as he pulled me closer to him. We were greedy, losing ourselves in the taste of each other. A deep groan escaped his mouth as we tried to devour each other, and it ignited something deep inside of me. Emotion overload. I felt like I was floating, soaring—not from the sensation of flying in the plane, but because Parker was reaching a place inside of my heart that had been hidden for years. After minutes of passionate kissing, we released from our embrace and were practically gasping for air. There had been too much behind that kiss, and it scared the shit out of me.
Parker chuckled. “You were saying?”
I leaned my head back in the seat and closed my tired eyes while a stupid grin covered my face. I couldn’t hold it back. I tried, but I was filled with contentment and happiness; so much so, that I couldn’t remember what I’d been saying. Parker had erased all of my thoughts and words and had replaced them with himself. At that moment, it was exactly what I needed to take away the anxiety of flying … until the turbulence hit.
Of course we couldn’t fly without some sort of turmoil. I wasn’t that lucky. My heart sped up and my adrenaline crashed inside of me. Parker grabbed my hand and rubbed his thumb over mine. Moments later, he wrapped his arm around me and rubbed his hand over the outside of my arm as he pulled me close to his chest. Man and soap mingled with that signature Parker sweetness, and it whooshed me away to somewhere else. I closed my eyes until we’d flown through it, but he didn’t release his hold on me, and I didn’t pull away.
At some point, I fell asleep in his arms. I woke up when his lips pressed against my forehead. He pushed my hair out of my face and smiled.
“Will you admit it now?”
I gave him a small grin and shook my head.
I wasn’t that easy to crack.
We picked up our bags and headed for the front of the airport where a man was holding a neatly written sign that said VanBuren Investments. My father had insisted on this limo service, but I thought it was ridiculous. The city didn’t need to know or even care that we were here. I liked to stay humble in my success.
The driver grabbed our bags and carried them to the car, but I tightened my grip on my laptop case. We slipped inside the limo and sped toward the hotel. I felt like a little girl in a candy store staring at all the buildings. New York was the mecca of the financial district. The buildings in Houston were large, but it was nothing like this. I couldn’t wait to move here.
Parker looped his pinky with mine, and I turned and forced a smile. I would be moving to New York and Parker had no idea. I couldn’t tell him just yet. We were taking us one day at a time.
The Ritz Carlton Hotel at Battery Park looked exactly the same as it had when I was younger. We checked in and I learned that Jane had reserved me a penthouse suite with a city view. That’s my girl. Parker was in a suite a few floors below me, so I handed him the extra key to the penthouse in case he needed it. This would be interesting.
He looked down at the key then back at me.
“Just in case I lock myself out. I tend to do that.”
“Right. I’m going for a run later if you want to join me,” Parker said before he stepped off the elevator.
“How do you know I run?” I asked.
“Your calves.” He looked at me from my toes to my head then smiled. “See ya, Rox. Two p.m. if you’re coming. That’s one hour.”
The doors slid closed, and I rode to the top of the building by myself. Exhaustion from the flight covered me as I stood in the elevator and the quiet was almost piercing. I only ran on the treadmill, not much on the street. It was harder on the road, but I’d think about it.
The elevator stopped, then I got out and walked to the end of the hall. I flashed my key over the scanner and the door clicked open. I instantly dropped my suitcase when I stepped inside. When I got back to Houston, I would be kissing Jane for the view of the city from the balcony. I could see everything around me, even the sun. I made my way through the living room, full kitchen, bedroom, and bathroom with a Jacuzzi bathtub. Maybe I’d just move into the Ritz when I came to New York.
I took off my shoes and leaned against the railing of the balcony. Everything seemed calm in such a chaotic world. Nothing at all mattered at that moment. I sat in a patio chair, rested my feet on the railing, and just relaxed. It was absolutely divine.
Time must have moved at hyper-speed because it seemed only moments later and there was a knock on my door. I peeled myself from the city view and answered the door. Parker was in tennis shoes, a dry-fit t-shirt, and jogging pants that hung entirely too low on his waist. I lifted my eyebrows at him.
“Are you not coming?” he asked.
“I wish I were coming.” I smiled, and he lifted his eyebrows back at me. The innuendo hadn’t been lost on him.
“I think I’m going to pass, Parker. I’m exhausted from yesterday’s drama, crap sleep, and the flight.” I opened the door. He stepped in and took his own personal tour of the penthouse.
“Nice place.”
We stood in the bathroom, and I almost drooled over the depth of the bathtub and the thought of those jets massaging my tense muscles. I looked over at him. “This is what I’m doing tonight.”
“We are in New York City, the city that never sleeps. Come out with me.”
“I can’t. I have to review my files and make sure I’m completely prepared for tomorrow. I hope you understand.”
“Then I’ll grab dinner and wine and bring it back.”
I just looked at him and didn’t even have to say anything.
“I can take a hint. I’ll see you in the morning, Rox.” He leaned in and kissed me on my cheek.
I smiled but couldn’t help feel guilty.
When I had huge meetings, I liked to be alone. Parker understood that. I wasn’t trying to be selfish, but I needed to make sure that my mind was right, that I was ready, and that I was representing the firm in a professional manner. I couldn’t be exhausted or go out drinking the night before. Not only was this my career, but it was also the family business. Those were two reasons I had to get this right.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered.
“No, babe. Don’t you dare be sorry. I understand. I love a woman who is prepared.”
I would do exactly as I’d said and take the night to think about tomorrow. The Jacuzzi was my first stop, though.
I woke refreshed and with purpose. Last night, I’d wondered what Parker was doing when I should have been relaxing. I’d wanted to text him, but I’d held back.
We met in the lobby of the Ritz, and he handed me a coffee as we walked out the door.
“Thanks.” I took a sip.
“How was your night?” he asked.
“Perfect. Yours?”
“You have no idea.” And that’s when curiosity covered me, but I wouldn’t pry. That wasn’t who I was.
We rode to the McCaul Tower in silence as I thought about what Parker could have done last night. He knew the city probably as well as he knew himself. One thing was for certain … he wasn’t fucking anyone. If he could deny me a million times, he could surely deny a one-night stand.
We stepped inside a lobby with high ceilings and a marble floor. Parker stood next to me with a smirk on his face as we rode to the top of McCaul Tower in a glass elevator. I imagined Jason Jr. was the wizard, which I supposed made me Dorothy. I leaned against the elevator, and the thought brought a smile to my face. Parker missed nothing.
“What?” he asked.
“If I were Dorothy, who would that make you?”
He thou
ght about it for a second then answered, “The Tin Man, I suppose.”
“Really?”
“I’ve got more than enough courage and brains.”
“And you’re not a tab bit timid, either.” I gave him a smile. “But you do have a heart.”
“I do?”
The door slid open, and we stepped into an extravagant foyer with crystal chandeliers and a waterfall that had to be walked around because it took up most of the space in the middle of the room. There was golden metal art bolted to the walls in a manly construction-type fashion with brackets. Parker and I exchanged looks as we walked down the wide hallway. I knew we were both thinking the same thing, that this was too much. I definitely felt like I was meeting the wizard.
But honestly, I never understood why people with money flaunted it in unnecessary ways. It was all a bit too braggy for my taste, or maybe my father had taught me true values. The extravagant lifestyle, while I could afford it, wasn’t for me. The money that the McCauls wasted on this floor alone could have funded an after-school program, or even fed the hungry for a year.
A petite blond with entirely too much makeup and liposuction greeted us. Well, she greeted Parker while I stood there like I was wearing an invisibility cloak. Apparently, I didn’t exist in her eyes. Women not existing was a common theme at McCaul Tower, or maybe I’d start calling it Jason’s Dungeon. It did have a ring to it.
“How can I help you?” She looked at Parker like he was delectable chocolate that she wanted to taste. She positioned herself where her already low-cut blouse allowed even more cleavage to topple out.
Parker looked at her like he was bored. I think he even yawned. Then he leaned his back against the counter and turned to me. He treated her the same way she had treated me, but worse.
“Ms. VanBuren, why are we here again?” Parker gave me a little wink, one that was meant just for me. I loved this. We were already tag teaming them.
The woman openly smacked her gum and waited for my response, not that she cared for it. That’s when I realized McCaul Jr. had hired the kind of bimbo that he liked to fuck to be his secretary—a Barbie doll want-to-be that had no respect or etiquette.