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“A self-proclaimed workaholic like you isn’t looking forward to work?” he asked as if it was the most unbelievable thing in the world.
I had an honesty moment with myself. I was petrified of seeing Erik tomorrow. He grew to represent everything I attempted to leave behind in California. I was chaotic and unpredictable then, but the image I crafted for myself here was the opposite of that. Here, I exuded competence, but with Erik around, my childish side threatened to come out. My reaction to him tomorrow could go either way.
My worries over Erik and the thought of having Amelia and her team in the office made my stomach churn. I didn’t want to embarrass myself, Capital Media, or anyone on my team. This was the largest and most important project I had ever worked on. The opportunity was ginormous, and failure on my end would be catastrophic.
“It’s a long story,” I sputtered.
His eyes and stance softened. “We have time.”
I swirled my wine and looked up at him through my eyelashes. Unloading all my fears and worries on him seemed like speaking to a void that would likely forget everything I told him or a terrible idea that would haunt me later. But I needed to talk to someone with no stake in the situation.
He listened intently to my rant about Erik. Once I started talking, I couldn’t stop. I told Parker about our history, my thought process for leaving home for my career, and my nervousness about seeing the man. I sprinkled in the discomfort of juggling those feelings with my current situation with Richard.
Since the partnership with Truly You was not publicly announced yet, and I apparently couldn’t control my word vomit, I said very little about the work aspect. I just focused on that there was a project, and I was going to be uncomfortable. I shared with him my deep-seated fear of failure, the looming workload on my lap, and my potential promotion that hung in the balance.
It felt like an hour had passed, and I had been talking at a million words a minute. I didn’t even notice him turn off the stove. But when I was done, I felt a hundred pounds lighter.
“Well, you seem incredibly passionate about your job, so I’m sure everything will work out with whatever is coming up. It seems like you and your ex have been able to work well so far, so there’s no reason why you wouldn’t be able to continue doing that. Plus, that Richard guy you’re seeing probably feels just as awkward.”
“You’re probably…right. I have a bad habit of worrying about nothing. You know, telling you all of this is strangely comforting.”
“Thank you? I think…”
He offered me his hand to get off the island, but I jumped off without grabbing it in a fit of independence, forgetting I was only wearing socks. Given how quickly he reacted, he could have been either a psychic or a cat in a past life. Parker caught me when I lost my balance on the landing.
His arm wrapped around my waist, bringing me back to my feet. My hip was encased in his other hand, similar to when we were on the dance floor. I grasped his arm, feeling his veins protruding under my fingertips.
“Thanks,” I breathed out. His light eyes entranced me, and I couldn’t move a muscle.
“No problem.”
I breathed heavily, partly from almost falling and partly from seeing how his eyes filled with lust. He slowly brought me upright again but kept his hands on me. His eyes were pinned to mine, except for the hesitant flicker at my lips. His fingertips pressed into my side, and his grip stiffened on my hip. Slowly, he moved closer and brought our bodies together, giving me plenty of time to refuse him.
In this split second, I should pull away. I should turn around, thank him for saving me from hitting my head, and eat dinner in the weird silence of what almost happened. But everything I should do went out the window the second his lips hovered over mine.
I was already on my toes when our lips connected. Warm. Soft. His kiss was hesitant, like testing the water before getting in. Then, he took the plunge and finished closing the distance between our bodies. My hands moved to his chest before traveling to his neck, pulling him down closer to me. His thick hair was soft under my hands.
My back hit the cabinet with Parker’s hand as a cushion. The hand on my hip now gripped the side of my face with a mixture of desire and affection. I could have stayed in his arms for hours had it not been for the front door flying open, forcing us apart.
“Honey, I’m home!” Gabby called out. “There’s no way you cooked. Something smells incredible!”
“Whatever it is, I hope you have enough for three,” Nathaniel’s deep voice followed.
Gabby rounded the corner. Her mouth dropped open at the sight of a flustered Parker and nervous me in the kitchen. I smoothed over my hair where Parker’s hand had dug in as her face broke into a wide smirk. Her eyes turned suggestive.
Nathaniel bumped into her.
“Are we interrupting…something?” Gabby asked, knowing that she was.
“No!” I panicked. “Not at all.”
“Y’all want gumbo?” Parker immediately asked, clearing his throat. “I made a whole pot.”
Nathaniel jumped at the offer and set the table for four. Gabby mouthed an apology. I locked eyes with Parker, and we both stifled a laugh.
Dinner was served, and Nathaniel and Parker intensely discussed their favorite baseball teams. Apparently, there was a very good Texas team that Nathaniel hated, and I caught something about trashcans that I didn’t understand. I didn’t know trashcans were part of baseball.
I tuned out most of the conversation, trying to process what happened in the kitchen. Gabby’s comment about Richard dating other people slipped into my mind. I wondered if I was holding back my chances of seeing in color by constantly making myself busy.
