FIONA TAPPED HER FINGERS soundlessly on the desk while she waited for her latest changes to publish to the test server. A new text message chimed on her phone, and she pulled it up without thought.
When she saw a picture of herself, at the cafe with Parker, her gut flipped. The note with it said, Loved meeting you today. I meant it. We’ll talk soon. It had to be from rose-guy.
“Freaking creepy,” she muttered.
“What’s that?” Nick asked.
She deleted the text and blocked the sender. “Nothing. There are a lot of people out there who are kind of skin-crawly, is all.”
“I get that. We’re up.”
She logged into the sandbox interface and pulled up the appropriate emulator. It worked for the first several searches, but failed when she typed in a Grammie’s location they hadn’t tested yet. “Damn it.”
“Short of pulling my code apart and writing it from scratch, I don’t know what else to try.” Nick’s frustration matched her own.
“So get started.” She couldn’t keep the playful tone in her voice.
“I will. But in the meantime...”
“I know.” She sighed. It was irritating, but not as big a deal as when she first got on the phone. As long as she and Parker stuck to their schedule for the next few weeks, she and Nick would have enough time to fix the app for other locations. “Keep me updated, and I’ll check in as often as I can.”
“Got it. And, Red? You’re having fun, aren’t you?”
The question drew a soft smile. “So much fun.” Not that he would ever know the details or even the basics, but it was sweet that he cared.
They wrapped up the conversation, and she disconnected.
She stared at her screen a few minutes longer, feeling odd just closing up shop, but she’d done all she could, and Nick assured her he had the rest under control. She shut her laptop and set it aside. Silence descended over the room.
Now would be the perfect time to get that shower. The thought was followed closely by the reminder of the eerie text message. Maybe she’d wait until Parker got back.
Would things be stilted between them still? Wyatt didn’t seem to have an issue with casual sex, but that didn’t have anything to do with Parker
Second-guessing wouldn’t help anyone. She turned on the TV and flipped through channels, but every time she heard a noise, she had to mute the sound and strain her ears.
This was stupid. She was getting worked up over nothing.
That didn’t stop her heart from jamming in her throat when she heard the door handle wiggle. Relief flooded her when Parker walked in the room.
“You okay?” he asked.
“Better now. Did you have fun on your date?” The teasing slipped out before she could question the wisdom of it.
He gave her a familiar lazy smile that meant he was relaxed. “Oddly enough. It wasn’t as horrible as I expected. And we have to talk. But first, how did things go with the app?”
She didn’t like the sound of we have to talk, but his delivery was casual. “It was good. Not great, but we got it patched. I’ll dial in and work with Nick on a real fix whenever you’re doing editing.”
“You’re supposed to be on vacation.” A warning tone leaked into his voice.
She pushed aside her aggravation. “I’d like to be, but that’s not an option. You want me to take your work seriously? I need you to return the favor.”
She expected a protest. Instead he settled on the edge of the bed. His knees brushed hers. “That’s fair. But don’t work too hard. I want you to enjoy yourself.”
That wasn’t an issue earlier. The thought rushed into her head from nowhere, gliding hot along her skin.
“Speaking of—okay, we weren’t, but I need a segue to what I wanted to talk to you about,” Parker said.
“Right. That. What’s up?”
“How do you feel about going to Chadds Ford a week early?”
“Why?” She eyed him suspiciously. It would be tricky with the patch she and Nick put in place, but it was a city already on the list, so it shouldn’t be too bad.
“Wyatt offered to show us around, if we meet up with him while he’s there.”
Her pulse hammered in her ears. There was no way Parker said that so casually. “Are you and I all right?” she asked.
“I think so? We are. Aren’t we?”
“Yes. Definitely.” Did the raunchy threesome adjust his attitude that much? If so, she was great with tit. “And you’re okay with him showing us around?”
Parker frowned and searched her face. “Promise me you’re not falling for him?”
She let out a short laugh. “Definitely not.” A guy like Wyatt wasn’t falling-for material.
“Then you’re blushing because...?” Parker let the question hang in the air.
Was she? Stupid pale, easy-to-read complexion. She searched for the right way to phrase her response.
“Well?” Parker asked.
She met his gaze. Looking away would be worse, but this wasn’t easy either. “If I tell you this, it’s because we’re friends, and I trust you. I’m not saying it to make you jealous or incite an overprotective response.” Jeez, she was getting wordy. “I need— Don’t judge me?” Making the request was easier than she thought. Despite the bump in their relationship, she trusted Parker, and she prayed that wasn’t about to disintegrate.
“I can’t make promises about my initial reaction, but I’ll listen, and I swear it’s between us and it won’t make me think any less of you.”
“It sure as hell better not, since you were there, too.” And here it was—the reason this was different than the other day. Besides the stress being gone, there was no guilt associated with what they did. It was fun. It was playful. No one was making a big deal out of it.
“Now I’m really curious.”
“The blush is because... Wyatt’s a really dirty lay. Like filthy-I’m-pretty-sure-he-was-holding-back-God-that-was-so-wrong-but-not.”
Parker coughed and stared at her in surprise. “I don’t have an argument for that.”
“Good.” She was more relieved to hear it than she expected. “This trip is about exploring, right? Stepping outside of boundaries? There’s a lot of potential there with all three of us”
Parker grabbed her hand and pulled her to sit next to him. The contact sparked, but it didn’t set her on edge. It felt natural. Friendly. No expectations. The way he and she were supposed to be. “Then it’s settled. I’ll change our travel plans, and tomorrow, after we’re done with our Grammie’s deliveries, we’ll head for Pittsburgh.”
Nervous flutters churned inside. This was a good idea, wasn’t it? Rearranging their trip, to meet up with a guy, pretty much exclusively for hot sex with a little tourism thrown in? Sure. Sounded brilliant.
Chapter Seventeen
Parker expected tension the next morning, but aside from a few shy glances and a couple of fumbles, when they ran into each other, things with Fiona were pretty good. And definitely nothing like they were twenty-four hours earlier.
He filled her in more on the details of Wyatt’s suggestion of to visit those spots typically only locals knew about, and his offer of expertise in that area, in lieu of Parker’s limited schedule to explore.
When he emerged from the shower, ready to dive into one more round of filming before they flew out, he saw Fiona staring at a screen of comments.
“You shouldn’t read those,” he said.
“I know.” Her voice held a tremor he didn’t expect. “But I figured I’m a big girl; I can take a few cruel comments.” She turned to face him, a frown etched on her face. “I didn’t expect creepy.”
“You’re attractive and intelligent. Some guys are intimidated by that.”
She shook her head. “That’s not what I mean—though, yeah, some of this stuff is gross, now that you mention it. But there’s this guy, lumb3rjck76...”
“Okay?” Parker had seen a few of his comments. Quick to defend Fiona and thr
eaten anyone who said anything rude about her. He didn’t blame the guy.
“I got a text last night, signed with that name.”
His blood turned to ice in his veins. “What text?”
“It was a picture of you and me, and said he was happy to meet me. It came in while you were out with Wyatt.”
“Why didn’t you mention it sooner?”
Her frown deepened. “I deleted it because it squicked me out, and then forgot about it with everything else going on.”
Parker didn’t know that a text meant any more than a comment, except that someone had Fiona’s number. And knew where she’d been. And even if it was the creepy flash-mob guy, it didn’t make the situation any less nauseating. “You have to promise to be more careful.”
“How am I supposed to be more careful?” Irritation snaked into her question. “We broadcast our travel schedule.”
“Well, how did he get your number?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t give it to him, and I think that’s a key point to keep in mind.” Her voice grew in volume.
He didn’t want to worry her more. “We’re leaving this afternoon. Whoever this guy from yesterday is, he’ll be here, and we’ll be two states away. And if someone else took that picture, the same applies to them. Just be careful.”
“Sure. I’ll try.” She spoke through gritted teeth.
During their deliveries, Fiona stayed off camera and said few words. Parker didn’t like seeing her this way. The sooner they put some distance between them and the guy freaking her out, the better.
After they boarded the plane and the doors were closed, she wasn’t sitting as rigidly, and the hint of stress that lined her forehead most of the day, faded away.
She settled in her seat as they taxied down the runway.
Parker wanted to draw Fiona out and help erase any lingering tension. “Are you still looking forward to Philly?” he asked. When they set up their schedule, she’d made him promise they’d spend time there.
“Are you kidding? So much history—the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Franklin Institute... We’re still planning to do the sightseeing, aren’t we?”
The question and the downturn in her tone caught him off-guard. “Why wouldn’t we be?”
She shrugged and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “You said the point of meeting up with Wyatt was to film the local places. Go off the beaten path, where tourists don’t tread. It occurred to me I shouldn’t assume we’d have time for more. I did, though. Assume, that is.”
“I know you’ve been looking forward to this.” Parker nudged her arm. “I told him he had a maximum of two afternoons to show us the best he could find. Day Three is for you, and we’ll stay for four if you want. It’s your pick, including whether he comes with us or not, after he’s done playing tour guide.”
“I guess whether or not he’s invited along after depends on what he’s got to show us.”
“Ouch,” Parker said playfully.
“I didn’t mean it like that.” She laughed. “Well, I did, but what I was thinking was there’s no reason to draw it out longer if things don’t go well.”
He swore her smile made the green in her eyes brighter. He was willing to agree to a lot, to keep her doing that. He was lucky she wasn’t demanding, but she deserved so much more.
The string of realizations hit him hard, clenching around his chest and sinking into his thoughts. He’d do anything to keep her happy, and he’d been an idiot to do otherwise before now.
MOST OF THE CONCERN Fiona’d had about if her relationship with Parker would stay strained, evaporated on the flight to Philadelphia. They spent the time talking about everything.
Well, almost everything. This arrangement with Wyatt, casual sex—was it only there for all three of them, or was there a chance she and Parker...?
Every time she traveled down that thought path, she had to stop herself. It brought too many uncertainties. Asking him might destroy this tentative peace. It reminded her of how not-smoothly their first time together was. There were still parts of their relationship that were undefined, that she didn’t have an answer for what that definition should be.
“You coming with, or do you want to see if you can live on the plane?” Parker nudged her, teasing in his voice.
The rest of the passengers had finished disembarking while she was lost in her thoughts.
She smiled and stood. Parker grabbed both of their carry-ons from the overhead bin, and she hauled her laptop bag onto her shoulder.
It was almost eleven at night when they stepped outside.
Parker steered them toward a waiting cab. “I was thinking—we get the driver to stop on the way to the hotel, wherever he recommends, and we grab some dinner.”
“Cheesesteaks and soft pretzels?” It was probably what everyone wanted when they got into town, but she wasn’t going to skip it because of that.
He tossed their luggage in the trunk, held open the back door for her, and slid in next to her. Parker leaned forward, to give the cabbie their hotel address. “But we need to make a stop first. Greasiest, most Philly food we can get.”
“You got it.” The guy pulled into traffic and navigated them to the main roads.
As they drove, jet lag and a long day sank into Fiona’s bones, and a yawn slipped out before she could stop it.
“Not fair. Those are contagious,” Parker said.
“Too bad.” She leaned her head on his shoulder. “I’m sleepy, and you’re comfy.”
He rested his head against hers. “Just don’t pass out before we get dinner.” The gesture was comfortable, with no expectation. It was right.
She replied with a loud, exaggerated snore, followed by a drowsy-sounding, “What? Huh?”
He chuckled and relaxed, supporting her weight. Heat spilled through her at the contact and threatened to actually lull her to sleep.
“You’re that couple from the internet, aren’t you?” The driver’s question drew Fiona back to the conversation.
“That’s us.” The pride in Parker’s voice was distinct.
The driver glanced at them in the rear view mirror. “My kid is watching that competition. That twelve months, twelve contestants, a million dollars thing? He’s bouncing between the channels, but the little bastard got me hooked on you.” His tone was affectionate. “Best third-person view I’ve ever seen of places I’ve never been.”
“Thanks.” Parker’s smile was contagious.
Fiona swore she could feel the glee radiating from him.
“You filming here next?” The driver wove easily through traffic.
“As a matter of fact...” Parker furrowed his brow. “Hey, you wanna be on camera? Say hi to your kid, get some exposure in for your ride—that kind of thing?”
“Are you serious?” The cabbie asked.
“Dead serious. Give me your card. I’ll call you tomorrow for a pick-up, and email release forms to you and your boss. We’ll need a yellow chariot in the afternoon.”
“I’m in.” The driver parked next to the curb, in front of a spot that was barely more than a shack with a window and a few benches out front. He twisted in his seat and handed Parker a business card. “And this is the place you want to get your food. Best cheesesteaks in the city, and they’d probably let you film too.”
“Thanks. Give us five.” Parker climbed from the car and offered Fiona a hand. She liked seeing him this way—confident, having fun meeting new people, doing what he loved.
She thought she understood before, but now it was clear. She’d blamed him for running away for so long, but he’d been building a career for himself. This was who he was.
They picked up dinner, and Parker chatted with the driver on the ride to the hotel.
When they got inside, half the lights were out in the lobby. Fiona wasn’t surprised, since it was after midnight. The scents of grease and meat drifted from the paper bag she held, and her stomach growled. Exhaustion crawled through every inch of her, but the p
leasant hum of she’d be up long enough to enjoy dinner and more of Parker’s company.
As he checked them in, she let her gaze wander around the lobby. A movement near the dark gift shop caught her attention, and she squinted at the shadows to make out the shape.
It was the guy from the flash mob. Rose-guy. Her gut twisted in on itself, and the scent of the food turned nauseating.
It couldn’t be, though. She stepped toward the man. Needed a better look.
“Hang on. Where are you going?” Parker wrapped an arm around her waist, startling her.
She looked back at the gift shop. There was nothing there. “I thought I saw... Never mind.”
“Saw what?”
“The guy with the rose.” But she hadn’t. Sleep deprivation and a lingering sense of today is going too well were playing tricks on her mind.
“You’re tired and not seeing straight.” That Parker’s words echoed her thoughts wasn’t reassuring. “He’s two states away, and no one but the three of us knew we were headed here.”
Doubt and confusion churned inside. “I guess.”
“Even if he did want to follow, he wouldn’t have known where to go.”
“I guess.” She’d seen something, but Parker made too much sense.
“Come on.” He guided her toward the elevator and a waiting car. “Room. Food. Sleep.”
“All right.” She turned to face the door, and let him push the right button for their floor. As the elevator slid shut, someone stepped into view in the lobby. Him. Creepy rose-guy met her gaze and smiled.
A chill raced over her, as the lift rose.
Chapter Eighteen
Wyatt leaned against the wrought-iron fence outside the church, enjoying the warmth of the afternoon sun on his face. A taxi pulled up to the curb, and he smiled when Fiona stepped out. He shouldn’t be happy to see the pair—this was a work venture, a means to an end—but he couldn’t help himself.
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