“You haven’t done anything yet.”
“I don’t think it’s going to work.”
“It’s worth a try.”
“Is it really?”
I spoke out loud as I typed. Was this really a good idea? It sounded fun and like some cute rom-com movie I’d watch on TV, but did life ever go like rom-com movies? Not really. I didn’t know anyone who was in a relationship after going through some crazy-ass schemes. I mean, even Mila’s relationship wasn’t exactly the same. She’d known Ryker was interested in her from the beginning of their fake relationship, even if just for sex. She’d at least known he desired her and wanted her. Parker didn’t even look at me as if he wanted me. He didn’t care about me, period.
“Lara, shall I call you?”
“No,”I said and then typed.“I’ll call you later.”
I put my phone back in my pocket and then leaned back into the couch and looked around the living room. Parker had no photos anywhere, which was a little surprising to me. He had four big posters on his wall depicting four different movies:The Godfather,Taxi Driver,Rocky, andFight Club. Everything about the room reminded me that he was a bachelor. Which should have made me happy, I suppose, the fact that he was still single. But I wasn’t sure it made me feel any better. He was single and still not interested. It might have been easier for me if he were in a relationship. If he were seeing someone, I would just automatically back off. I’d be able to move on from the crush, and my feelings. Or at least that was what I told myself.
“So any news?” Parker suddenly appeared in the doorway, in just a towel, with his hair and body still wet.
“No.” I shook my head and swallowed hard. “Mila says they might not be able to make it after all.”
“Oh, okay.” He rolled his eyes. “Sounds like Mila.”
“Yeah.” I laughed, unsure what to say next.
“You sure you’re not hungry? Wanna go and grab some breakfast?” He tilted his head to the side and looked at me. “I was thinking of going for pancakes.”
“I could always go for pancakes.” I smiled, things starting to look up. “Especially if they have blueberries and chocolate chips.”
“Gross.” He laughed.
“That’s not gross.” I shook my head, just staring at his chest and a drop of water that was rolling from his pecs down to his stomach.
“Yeah, it is.” He grinned and stretched and my eyes widened as his towel slipped slightly. Shit, what if his towel fell off? Whoa, that would be amazing. Awkward, but amazing. “You okay?” he said, and he stepped closer to me.
“Yeah, why?” I asked softly as he stopped right in front of me.
“You have a funny look on your face,” he said as he looked down at me, his eyes glittering.
“What do you mean ‘funny’?” I asked and wondered if he knew I was staring at his magnificent body and drooling.Ohmy God, please don’t let him know I’m staring at his chest and towel, hoping to see what’s beneath the towel.
Chapter 6
Parker
I stoodin front of Lara, her mouth slightly open, and I had the wickedest thoughts. I stared at her soft pink lips and all I wanted was to tell her that if she leaned forward, she could put her lips to work. I wanted to groan out loud as I stood there. I wasn’t even sure why I’d come over to the couch. Maybe it was the way she looked at me when I walked into the room. She’d been shocked I’d come straight from the shower. I had to admit I wanted to see her reaction, and then when I stretched and my towel slipped, her eyes had widened and I’d almost laughed. She had definitely thought the towel was going to drop and she was going to get a view. I wonder what she would have done? I shook my head slightly. I shouldn’t be thinking these thoughts. It was improper. She was Mila’s best friend and I’d known her for years. She wasn’t like other girls. I couldn’t just expect her to get on her knees and pleasure me and be okay with that.
“Hello, Earth to Parker?” She jumped up and tapped me on the shoulder. “You okay?” Her big brown eyes glanced into mine.
“Yeah, why?” I could feel heat where she’d touched my skin, her fingers warm and smooth on my skin.
“I asked you a question and you just spaced out.” She blinked at me. “So I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
“I was just thinking about your horrible taste in breakfast foods.” I winked at her and she laughed. I grinned then and reached over and brushed a piece of hair away from her eyes, unable to stop myself. “Sorry, you had hair in your eyes,” I said to her as she stared at my hands in a confused way. “I didn’t want you to get blinded.”
“Thanks for thinking of me,” she said with a small smile, and she took a step back. I thought about really trying to shock her, but then decided not to. Why play with fire? If there was only one woman in the world who was off-limits, that wasn’t so bad. I knew Mila would kill me if I messed around with Lara and then moved on. That would just be awkward for all of us. Plus, I knew Lara’d had a crush on me when we were younger. I wasn’t sure if she did anymore, but I knew I wasn’t looking for anything serious. There would be nothing worse than us hooking up and then her expecting something I wasn’t willing to give.
“Anytime.” I nodded and stepped back. “Okay, I’m going to go and change.”
“Okay,” she said and sat back on the couch. I stared down at her for a few seconds, her eyes meeting mine innocently as she sat there. I studied her face for a few seconds and it suddenly hit me that she really was quite beautiful. My heart stopped for a second and I felt confused. What did I care if she was beautiful? There were many beautiful women in the world. Many beautiful women who it would be a lot less complicated to mess around with.
