“How’s it going, ladies?” Tyree asked as he stepped into his office. Megan and Eva Anderson had commandeered his desk to look at various images from around Austin.

“Not bad,” Eva said, leaning back against him as he slid his arms around her. A big bear of a man, his hug engulfed Eva, but it was clear she didn’t mind. The photographer recently moved from Seattle to Austin after reconnecting with Tyree, the father of her grown daughter, Elena.

Secure in his arms, she tilted her head back and smiled broadly at him. “Take a peek,” she said. “Tell us what you think.”

He bent to kiss her forehead, then released her so that he could do as she suggested, joining them around the table to look at the stock Austin images that Eva was considering as backdrops for the calendar images for each contest winner.

“We’ll go to the actual locations with all you winners, of course,” Megan said. “And we’re shooting the first six winners tomorrow. Right now, we’re planning to shoot from the Loop 360 bridge with the river in the background, the Capitol grounds, Mount Bonnell, the stone cows at the Arboretum, Lake Travis, and someplace on campus. We’re not sure where, though.”

“All sounds good. And why don’t you shoot from the South Mall? Put a guy on the steps and get the Tower in the background.”

The women exchanged glances and nodded. “Perfect,” Eva said.

“Which man’s getting which location? Personally, I want the Capitol.”

“All for all,” Megan said. “That way we have more choices for the calendar.”

Tyree chuckled. “Fair enough. And we’re doing this all tomorrow? It’s going to be a crazy day.”

Megan didn’t disagree, but she did tell him that Taylor had managed to borrow a van. “So at least we’ll all be together and no one will get lost in traffic.”

“We’re doing each of the men inside The Fix, too,” Eva told him. “And outside on the street with the facade behind them.”

“I think you two have this well in hand.” He smiled, his attention on Eva, who rose up on her toes and kissed him.

“Off you go, man,” she said. “You’re distracting me. But I’ll see you at home tonight. You’re working late?”

“Not tonight. Reece is closing. I’ll be home by eight. And,” he added, “Eli’s staying over at a friend’s.”

Eva shot Megan a grin before turning back to her fiancé. “That, Mr. Johnson, is some very interesting information.”

He chuckled, then said goodbye to both of them, pausing beside Megan before heading out. He pressed a paternal hand to her shoulder. “I’m sorry about what happened with Parker. But looks like it all turned out okay, yeah?”

“Hmm? Oh. Yeah.” She nodded. “Things are totally squared away.”

“Glad to hear it,” Tyree said, then headed out of the office with one final kiss toward Eva.

She returned it, then cocked her head. “Squared away? Girl, I think that might be an understatement.”

Megan stood up straighter. “I haven’t the slightest idea what you’re talking about,” she said, but she couldn’t maintain it. And within a minute, both she and Eva were laughing and comparing notes about the men in their lives.

An hour later, Megan was walking home, and since she was still thinking about the way she’d described Parker to Eva—funny, charming, and so sexy it should be a crime—she decided to go the long way to The Railyard so that she could pop in and surprise Parker at his condo. He’d told her he was going to spend Friday working from home, then would head over to her place for dinner.

Unless he’d left early to run an errand, she should be able to catch him and they could walk over to The Railyard together.

She was just turning south onto Congress Avenue when her cell phone rang. She snatched it out of her purse, assuming it would be Parker, then squealed with delight when she saw that it was Kasey.

“Finally! I text you to tell you I’m actually going out with Parker Manning, and it takes you this long to get back to me?”

“You wouldn’t believe how busy I’ve been. I swear, I’ve stressed off at least five pounds. This new job is the best weight loss program ever.”

Megan rolled her eyes but didn’t ask. By the next time they talked, Kasey would have moved on to another best job ever.

“I can’t believe you actually went out with Parker. How was it? Did you sleep with him? Is he amazing?”

Megan tried to get a word in, but luck wasn’t with her. It rarely was where Kasey’s chatter was concerned.

“But do me a fave, okay? Be. Careful.”

“Careful?” Megan blurted the word, determined to squeeze the question in. “What are you talking about?”

“After you left, there were all these rumors about him.”

She frowned. “What kind of rumors?”

“Nasty stuff. That he’d stalked this guy—or maybe it was a girl. I’m not sure. And that he was actually arrested. For assault!”

“No way.”

Her body felt cold, her skin as prickly as if she’d jumped into a frozen pond. “That’s ridiculous. Parker Manning? It would have made the papers. You would have seen something official. And I would have heard about it on social media.”

“Dunno. Maybe. I mean, remember what town we’re talking about. This is LA. Coverup city, right?”

“I don’t believe it,” she said stubbornly. But even as she spoke the words, she remembered what Parker himself had said about all the shit his brother pulled—and how all it had taken was Daddy’s checkbook to keep it out of the papers and the courts.

“No,” she said again, but this time more weakly.

“You’re probably right. I mean, you know the rumor mill out here. Oh! That reminds me. I have not told anyone where you are. You know that, right? I mean, you trust me?”

“Of course. Why?”

“It’s just that I can’t believe Carlton would go there. I mean, it’s been months. Why would he?”

“Yeah,” Megan said, her voice full of trepidation. “Why would he? And why would you even think it’s a possibility?”

“It’s just that there’s this picture floating around now. You and Parker.”

“What?” How had she missed that? “From where?” She closed her eyes, hoping it wasn’t from New Orleans. That it wasn’t an intimate kiss on the banks of the Mississippi.

“That bar in Austin that you’re working at. He’s shirtless—and holy freak, does he look good. And you’re standing right beside him.”

“Oh.” She exhaled, trying to process the implications.

“It’s just that the name of the bar is clear, and if Carlton wanted to find it, that really wouldn’t be hard.”

“No,” Megan said, frowning. “It wouldn’t.” She shook off the funk. “But you know what? You’re right. Why would he? By now, I’m old news to Carlton.”

“That’s what I figure.”

“Listen, I need to go.” She’d reached the corner and had been loitering just so they could finish the call. “Talk to you again soon?”

“Hell, yeah. I miss you.”

“Me, too,” she assured her friend, then hung up. She drew in a breath and tried to gather her thoughts, reassuring herself that Carlton wasn’t coming and that Parker hadn’t beat anyone up. Or if he had, then it was for a damn good reason.

She turned right on Third Street and continued on a few blocks, thinking that she’d just ask him about it. Surely he’d tell her.

His building was one of the modern high rise condos that had sprung up like chrome and glass weeds all over downtown throughout the past decade. Now, she stood across Third Street from the glass entrance, waiting for the one-way traffic to clear so she could jaywalk over to his building and see if he was home.

A moment later, though, she saw that he was when he emerged onto the sidewalk with a lovely redhead at his side. Even from across the street, Megan could see the intense affection in her eyes. That was enough to have her mouth going dry. But then her stomach dropped all the way to her knees when he pulled her into an embrace and kissed her.

Granted, the woman had turned before the kiss so that her back was to Megan, but even though she couldn’t tell if it was a full-on mouth kiss complete with tongue, she could definitely tell that it was exuberant.

Whoever she was, she was no stranger to Parker. Not only that, but he seemed to adore her.

All of which made her stomach twist. Especially since this revelation of a cuddly bitch in his life was laid out next to Kasey’s news about assault.

Could it be true, after all? And who was the woman?

And had she been an idiot for trusting her feelings and falling hard for Parker Fucking Manning?