Since they had no bags, it was easy to slide straight from the car and into the lobby. No one paid them any attention, of course, but Megan still felt as if all eyes were on them. After all, they’d arrived at a hotel with no luggage. Which could only mean one thing.

Or, at least, when they’d left Austin she’d assumed it would only mean one thing. Now she wasn’t sure. He’d revealed a part of himself in the car, and she knew that somehow he was leading up to an explanation of what happened. Of why he’d pushed her away when they’d both so clearly wanted each other.

But that didn’t change the fact that her ego was still bruised.

While she stood near the massive flower arrangement that dominated the lobby, Parker went to the front desk to check-in. It only took a minute—he’d gone to a VIP desk that apparently had the perk of supersonic speed—and was back at her side before her ping-ponging nerves had settled.

“I don’t know about you,” he said, “but I’d like a drink.” He nodded to the lobby bar. “Shall we?”

He started that direction, but she pulled him back by the hem of The Fix on Sixth T-shirt that he still wore. “Forget it, Cowboy. I need some answers. First you practically seduce me at the same time that you scold me in your office, and you punctuate that encounter by telling me that you want me. And then when I’m down with that program and about to earn my membership in the Mile High Club, you shut me down fast. And while I get that there’s a reason buried in the life story you were sharing with me, I haven’t really heard it yet.”

She’d started her spiel in a low whisper, but emotion had made her voice rise, and she realized they were attracting a few interested looks.

She stepped closer and lowered her voice again. “Forget the long explanation, okay? I know it’s cheating, but I want to skip straight to the end of the mystery. So just tell me the bottom line, already. Because dammit Parker, I was throwing myself at you, and my ego is now in desperate need of an icepack and some Tylenol.”

He smiled at that, which was her intent, because the conversation had gotten a little too real in the car. She truly did want to understand him—heck, the more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to know how he ticked, this man who’d walked away from one fortune only to build another on his own terms.

But right now, it wasn’t his background she was concerned with. It was his libido. Because despite the fact that he’d pushed the abort button, now that her fury had settled, her own libido was back in gear and ready for launch. “Truth time, Parker. Did you mean what you said? Do you want me or not?”

He took a single step back, then lifted his hand to her hair, running the long strands through his fingers. “Do I want you?” His voice sounded tight, almost pained. “Dear God, yes. I want you desperately. But not like this.”

“Like this?” she repeated, confused. “Like what?”

“Not as a demand. And definitely not as a payment.”

Now she was even more confused. “But that was the deal. That’s what we agreed on, right there in your office. Just a little inappropriate office conduct between consenting adults, right?”

He chuckled. “That’s one way of putting it.” He nodded toward the elevators. “I think we should take this upstairs.”

She followed without question, her mind still whirring. “Okay, then. Tell me another,” she said, when they were alone in the elevator. “Because I’m really confused right now, and have absolutely no idea what you want.”

“Just like I’ve said all along. I want you, Megan. But I don’t want a fast fuck.”

He let her hair fall from his fingers, then gently stroked her cheek, the contact scorching her skin and making her breath shudder.

“I’ve had a lot of women over the years, but not anymore. What I told you about rebuilding my reputation, I meant it. I don’t fuck around anymore. And I’m damn sure not making it a game to see how many women I can get into my bed.”

Her brows rose. “Did you ever?”

“A game, no. Though some of my friends did.” A self-deprecating smile played at his lips. “I was more of a collector. I’d date beautiful women, and there would be an attraction. But I never got close. I never wanted to.”

He met her eyes, then held her gaze as the heat of that moment charged the air between them and awareness curled through her, all the way down to her toes. “I want to get close now, Megan.”

Her head was spinning. “I—”

He cut her off with a gentle finger to her lips. “For years, I was given everything I ever wanted. When I walked away from my family’s money, I learned that the only things I value are the things I’ve worked for. Or the people who also value me.”

“Are you saying that I’m of value to you?” Behind her, the elevator doors slid open.

“Aren’t you?” He took her arm, then steered her out.

“I don’t know.” She understood him wanting sex, but what about her caught the eye of someone like Parker? Not only wealthy, but talented and ambitious. And she was just a makeup artist scrambling to keep her head above water.

They walked in silence for a moment until they reached the room. He opened the door and they stepped into the living area of a stunning suite, with bedrooms on either side.

She stood still, not interested in the room. Only in him. “I really don’t know,” she repeated.

“Then let me answer the question. You are, Megan. You’re of great value to me.”

She tilted her head so that she could see his face better, trying to discern if this was the truth or a line. But all she saw was sincerity. And there was nothing evasive in his voice.

“Why?”

“Maybe because I think you might understand what I’ve accomplished. What I’m still trying to accomplish.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Well, look what you’ve done. You left a job at Sephora at an Oklahoma City mall at twenty-one and went to LA by yourself with nothing but a dream and a little bit of cash.”

“How did you—”

“You worked three jobs while you got your cosmetology license, then you ordered a box of business cards and offered a card to pretty much everyone you met. The business grew slowly, but it grew, and by the time you turned twenty-six, you had a solid career working with portrait photographers before shoots and name brand celebrities before events.”

He flashed an innocent smile. “Don’t forget, I know a few of your clients, and they all like to gossip. And what you built wasn’t shabby.”

“Yeah, well, I don’t have much of it left now.” Immediately, she regretted the words. She hadn’t told him why she’d run from LA, and she hadn’t asked him to not tell Carlton where she was. But now he was probably going to ask why she bolted, and she really didn’t want to talk about it.

But all he said was, “That’s why they call it a fresh start, sweetheart. You’ll build it up again. After all, you already know that you can. And gaining the confidence is the hardest part.”

She peered at him, trying to discern if he knew why she’d wanted that fresh start. She couldn’t tell. But at least he seemed to respect it. Which meant that he probably wasn’t sending telegrams back to Los Angeles announcing where the long lost Megan Carter had got off to.

Even so, she should probably specifically mention that she was keeping a low profile and ask him not to post on social media, too. Just to be sure.

After all, loitering black cars made her twitchy. How much worse would it be if she suspected that Carlton knew where to find her? Assuming he even still cared. Which he probably didn’t. It had been months; surely he’d moved on.

“It’s late, Megan,” he said before she’d gathered her thoughts. “And I’m tired. But here’s the bottom line. I’m not interested in a fast fuck. I don’t do that anymore. But I’m also not proposing marriage. Hell, I’m not even asking you to go steady. All I’m saying is that I want you for more than one night. You fascinate me, Megan. You always have. You light a fire inside me, and unless I’m mistaken, I think I make you burn, too.”

He ran his fingers through his hair, looking both sexy and exhausted. “If I led you on, I’m sorry. But it was worth it to spend the time with you. And I’ll get you back to Austin first thing in the morning.”

He reached out and took her hand, then lifted it and pressed a soft kiss to her palm. “Your bedroom’s over there. Goodnight, Megan. I’m sure I’ll see you in my dreams.”