“I’ve got to get ready for work,” I murmured against his mouth.
He made a disappointed sound, but released me. Glancing at the clock, I mumbled an oh shit and hurried into the bathroom for the fastest shower I was capable of. I couldn’t put my hair up without using both hands and lifting my arm up hurt this morning, so I brushed my hair and left it long.
Wrapping a towel around myself, I came out of the bathroom to get some clothes from the other closet and saw Ryker had again fallen fast asleep. Not that I blamed him. Sex on top of being exhausted? Yeah, I’d be out, too.
McClane was lying on the floor in the open doorway, looking at me. I shouldn’t have made eye contact because he began to whine. Crap. He probably had to go outside.
“Fine, let’s go,” I whispered, moving past him into the hallway.
I tucked my towel closer around me when I let him out the back door. The wind was cold and I shivered. Time to get dressed. But before I could make it into the back bedroom, there was a knock at the door.
Not wanting to wake Ryker, I hurried to the door and glanced through the small window. Parker stood on the porch.
I paused in indecision, not wanting to answer the door in just my towel, but then he raised his hand to knock again and I jerked open the door.
“Shh,” I hissed. “Ryker’s asleep.”
Parker slid his sunglasses down an inch, looking at me over the tops. His gaze traveled from my bare shoulders to my painted toes and back up.
“His loss,” he said. “I’m really starting to like the terry cloth look on you.”
My face heated and I stepped back, but instead of retreating to his car like I’d expected, Parker followed me inside. Sliding his sunglasses into the inside pocket of his suit, he gave me a half-smile.
“The stitches look better,” he said.
I glanced down at my arm. The angry red from last night had faded.
“Yeah. It’s better today,” I replied. “Listen, I’m almost ready. I just need to get dressed.”
“Need any help?”
The question was all innocence, but I knew better and flashed him a narrow-eyed look, but he didn’t look evenly remotely abashed.
“I can manage,” I said, pivoting on my heel and trying not to feel Parker’s gaze on me as I left the room.
Although chilly this morning, I knew it would warm up later today, so I found a long-sleeved dress in peacock blue and put it on. Nude heels went just fine with it, and if I was at home I’d have accessorized with a scarf or a statement necklace. But Parker hadn’t packed any of those things, so I felt not quite put together when I emerged from the bedroom. I’d grabbed my makeup bag, figuring I could put my makeup on while riding in the car.
“Okay, I’m ready,” I said, grabbing my purse. “Oh, wait.” I’d almost forgotten McClane. I let him back inside and refilled his food and water bowls, then met Parker at the front door. A few moments later, we were pulling away in his BMW.
I’d ridden more in Parker’s car the past few days than I had the previous years I’d worked for him. The car was immaculate and expensive, and after I unzipped my makeup bag, I hesitated.
“Mind if I put this on in your car?” I asked.
Parker glanced at me, his eyes once again hidden behind a pair of designer sunglasses. “You’re not going to dump it all over the seats, are you?” he asked.
I hid a grin. “That’s not generally how it’s done, no.”
“Then it’s fine with me.”
Flipping down the visor for the mirror, I made quick work of it, forgoing eyeliner since I was in a moving vehicle. The mascara went on, then the lipstick, and I was zipping everything back into the bag.
“I’d forgotten this last night,” Parker said, reaching over to open the glove box, which put his arm in too close a proximity to my bare knee. The fabric of his suit brushed against my skin, which felt way more intimate than it actually was.
I was on edge after yesterday. Something had shifted between us, becoming more comfortable, and it scared me. I didn’t want a closer relationship with Parker, not now. And yet I couldn’t deny that I was glad to see him, that being with him made me happy inside. It wasn’t something I wanted to examine too closely. There was no reason to alter my life just because Parker’d had a supposed change of heart. Who was to say he wouldn’t have another change of heart once he had what he wanted, and where would that leave me?
Exactly.
To my utter embarrassment, he handed me my packet of birth control pills. How thoughtful of him. Really. Dear God …
“Um, thanks,” I mumbled, my face on fire. I stuffed the pack into my purse.
“So I take it you and Ryker resolved your differences?” Parker asked.
I glanced at him, but he was watching the road.
“Yeah. Things are okay.” I frowned. “How’d you know?” Surely it wasn’t that obvious that I’d had sex this morning? Did I have beard burn from Ryker? My hands itched to flip down the visor and look in the mirror, but I didn’t.