“Alone. Apparently no one else wants to join us.”
“Don’t look at me like that. I just got out of the shower.” Pia cocked her head to the side. “But do you really want company, anyway?”
“No. Yes. I don’t know.”
“Talk to me.”
My head was a jumbled mess. “He’s incredible.” That wasn’t what I’d expected to blurt out, but there it was. “I could talk to him all night. We sort of both agreed to stay back, and after a few drinks… I dunno. If you guys hadn’t come home that very second, I think he may have kissed me.”
“Is that so bad? You just said he’s incredible. Which, I agree. Parker is one of the nicest guys I know.”
My heart raced. “I know he’s not Makis. But honest to God, I really don’t want to go through what I did with him again. A broken heart is no joke.”
“Let’s think about this. First of all, you haven’t even kissed the guy yet. That’s a far cry from full-on relationship status. Second, you said yourself, Parker is not Makis. I would never encourage you if he was.”
“You think I should go for it?”
“I think you’d be a fool not to. I also know for a fact Parker is more than a little hesitant in the ‘getting serious’ department too, so in a warped way, you guys are perfect for each other. Just have fun, and live in the moment. Don’t worry about the future. You know?”
I nodded. “I do. You’re right.”
Pia laughed. “That’s what they all say.”
We stood up. I hadn’t brought a robe so I’d wrapped a towel around me. Thankfully I had thought to bring flip-flops. Putting those on and grabbing a hair tie, I said, “Ready.”
Pia opened my bedroom door and gave me a final “you got this” look as we headed downstairs.
All three guys were in the kitchen, drinks in hand, and they turned to look at me as I walked toward them, pretending to act casual.
“He’s out there already,” Cole said, his measured voice almost soothing.
“Thanks.” I headed toward one of the sliding glass doors. It was dark now, but a string of white lights across the deck’s roof gave off enough light to see easily. I sucked in my breath as a blast of cold hit me when I opened the door. Scurrying to the hot tub and trying not to notice Parker’s state of undress, I tossed my towel onto a nearby rack and followed up with a less than graceful climb into the hot tub.
I was immersed by the time I noticed Parker watching me. I’d brought my favorite bikini, a bright boho-print that looked better with a tan, but was still cute.
Speaking of cute…
Parker’s arms rested on the edge of the tub on each side of him. As I’d imagined, he was in great shape. Shoulders, chest, biceps… muscles everywhere, but not overdone. His was a naturally toned look, like a guy might get from chopping wood or something.
“Nice suit,” he said, his tone as flirty as it had been in the kitchen earlier.
“Thanks,” I said, glad to be warm again. From here, soft lights from inside glowed, highlighting how truly large the house was. “This place is so incredible.”
“It is,” Parker agreed. “It’s making me think about how much I enjoyed the log cabin projects.”
“You can’t do more of them?”
“If I had my own company, maybe. Even so, they aren’t all that common.”
He trailed off. Trying not to focus on the fact that Parker had no shirt on, and looked damn good without one, I stayed on a topic that seemed safe. “So what’s stopping you from starting your own company? You mentioned it briefly, but there has to be more to it.”
He sighed. “A few things, but mostly that my boss wouldn’t take it well. Cedar Falls is a small town, and I’m not sure it could support another home builder. I could branch out into other projects, but new homes is what I enjoy most. Having someone come to us with an idea, or inkling, of their future home and then watching the whole project come to fruition. Giving them the keys and seeing the look on a new homeowner’s face the first time it all comes together. It’s priceless.”
“Alright,” I said, unable to resist. “They call you ‘the nice one’ which is clearly accurate. You’re funny. Not terrible looking. And now I learn you’re a romantic too? What’s the catch?”
“Not terrible looking, huh?”
“Not my point.”
