By the time she got back to Congress Avenue, Megan had convinced herself that there was nothing going on between Parker and the woman.

By the time she’d reached the pedestrian gate to The Railyard, she was convinced that they were in a long-term affair and Megan was nothing more than his piece on the side.

By the time she was in her kitchen and the sauce was simmering and the water for spaghetti was sitting on low heat, she didn’t know what to think. All she knew was that she was a mess, and that for the last forty-five minutes, she’d been alternating between crying and scolding herself for jumping to conclusions.

When seven o’clock rolled around, and he hadn’t arrived, she told herself that he’d dumped her, forgotten to tell her, and had run off with the redhead.

Stop it. Just stop it.

Frustrated with herself, she picked up the phone and dialed Griffin, who answered on the first ring.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“I—Nothing.” She scrunched her eyes closed, grimacing. She shouldn’t have called Griff. He was already overly protective of her. And what if it really did turn out to be nothing?

No. Correction. It would turn out to be nothing. And if she went and dumped all of her Parker problems on Griffin, then how were the two of them supposed to end up being friends?

“Christ, Megan. I can practically hear the wheels turning. What’s going on? Or, rather, what’s going on that you don’t want to tell me?”

Why, why, why hadn’t she called Taylor or Mina instead?

“It’s nothing. Really. Just me being insecure.”

Griff exhaled loudly. “Am I going to have to come punch Manning in the face. Because I have to be honest, I’d rather not. I mean, I’ve been working out, but I think he could take me.”

She couldn’t help it; she burst out laughing. “It’s probably me being stupid. I just saw him with someone and it looked like—well, I think he was kissing her.”

“And what did he say when you asked him what was going on?”

“Yeah, about that…”

He sighed. “Okay, listen. All I know about the guy is he swooped you off to New Orleans for what I can only assume were kinky shenanigans.”

“They so were not!”

“But you came back in one piece and, honestly, you looked pretty pleased with yourself. And you’ve only had good things to say about the guy.”

“Because he’s a good guy.”

“So there you go. I was just about to say that he seems like a good guy to me. And you’ve been telling me he’s a good guy. So why are you suddenly robbing the poor man of the benefit of the doubt and wrapping him up in your weird girly shit?”

“Excuse me?”

“Honestly, Kiki does the same thing,” he said, referring to his sister.

“This is not weird girly shit. He was kissing her.”

“And you haven’t asked him why,” he said reasonably. To which she had no response.

“You know what? Forget it. I’m sorry I even called you.”

He laughed. “No, you’re not. You love me. Because even when I’m right, I don’t say I told you so. And I promise not to say it tomorrow when you tell me I was right.”

She rolled her eyes. “Hanging up now,” she said.

“Love you, too,” he called back. And then the line went dead.

“Asshole,” she muttered, but she felt a million times better. So much so that when Parker finally did arrive and she buzzed him through the gate, she was actually smiling.

“Hey, beautiful,” he said, swooping an arm around her and pulling her close so that he could kiss her very thoroughly. “That smells incredible.”

“Spaghetti sauce. My mom’s recipe. It’s the only thing I do well in the kitchen, I warn you now.”

“I think we can muddle through despite that defect in your character.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, the sensation of his fingertips brushing her skin making her shiver. “How much time do we have before dinner’s ready?”

“As much as we want.” Already her pulse was kicking up, from nothing more than proximity to this man. “I haven’t put the pasta in yet.”

“Then maybe I could suggest an appetizer?” He tilted his head so that he was looking up, toward the bedroom on the second floor.

“I—” She swallowed, then took a step back out of his arms. “Oh, crap, Parker. Why were you late?”

He gaped at her, clearly befuddled. “Since when does ten minutes count as late?”

“Since now,” she said. “Dammit, Parker. I must really be falling for you.”

Now he looked even more confused. “Normally, I’d say that was a good thing. Why do I feel like you’re about to rip me a new one?

“Usually, I hold stuff in. But with you—oh, fuck. Who was she, Parker? Who was the skanky bitch you were kissing earlier today?”

His brows rose, and he actually looked like he was going to laugh.

“Stop it, you jerk,” she said, kicking him. Which really wasn’t a good idea since she was in bare feet and the muscles of his calf were rock hard.

“Skanky, huh? Oh, this is priceless.”

“Do not even pretend to not know what I’m talking about. I saw you with her. Red hair. Gorgeous. And you kissed her right in front of your condo. On the sidewalk for the whole damn world to see. Is she the reason you’re late?”

“You were at my condo? Why didn’t you come up?”

It was her turn to gape at him. “Um, hello? Kissing another woman? Not conducive to whole welcoming vibe.”

He slid around the breakfast bar to enter her kitchen, then poured a glass of wine from the open bottle on the counter. He passed it to her, then kept it for himself when she refused it, instead looking at him like he was insane.

He took a sip and leaned back against the counter. “The jealousy’s a little cute, but you might want to cut it back just a bit.”

“Dammit, Parker, you said I wasn’t a one off. But the way you looked at her. Like she was someone you love. It—I mean, I—oh, hell.” Her voice broke and tears filled her eyes. And she turned away, only to turn back when his hands closed on her shoulders and he gently turned her around, then pulled her to him.

“Oh, baby,” he said, holding her close and resting his chin on her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have egged you on like that.”

“Who was she?”

“My sister,” he said gently. “And you saw me kiss her like this.” He drew her close and wrapped her in a loving hug, then pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. “Is that how you want me to kiss you?” he asked, his lips brushing her face as he asked the question, butterfly soft and so very enticing.

She shook her head, almost afraid to speak for fear of spoiling the moment.

“No? Well how about this?” Before she had a chance to respond, his mouth closed over hers, soft at first, and then hard and demanding. She parted her lips, moaning when his tongue slipped inside, tasting and teasing as the power of the kiss built and his fingers snaked through her hair, cupping the back of her head so that he could hold her still under the sensual onslaught.

It felt as though the kiss would last forever. As though it would erase all time, all space. That the world would drop away around them and there would be nothing left but her and Parker and the electricity of their connection.

She was breathing fast when he finally broke away, though his eyes stayed locked on her. She saw his chest rise and fall, and knew that his heart was pounding just as hers was.

Then he brushed her cheek and shook his head just a fraction of an inch. “You have nothing—nothing—to ever be jealous of. Do you understand?”

She nodded, a little frazzled, a little giddy. “I’m sorry. I just—I saw her and I thought—”

He held her. “I know. I know, and I’m sorry to have worried you. But baby, there’s nothing to worry about.” He tilted his head then brushed her lips. How would you feel about skipping dinner?”

Honestly, right then she would have happily agreed to stripping naked and making love on the floor. But all she said was, “I’d feel just fine about that.”

His grin suggested that he knew the full extent of what she’d left unsaid. “I’m taking you upstairs now. You might want to move the sauce to the fridge. Because I intend to keep you occupied for a very long time.”

“That sounds like heaven to me,” she said, then squealed when he actually picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. “You nut! Put me down. If you hurt yourself so you can’t make love to me, I’m going to be so irritated.”

“Not happening,” he said, putting her gently on the bed and going to work on her clothes. “Besides, I’d be more than happy to make love to you even if I was in traction.”

She snorted, then peeled her jeans the rest of the way off and leaned over to start unbuttoning his. “Very romantic.”

“Everything with you is romantic.”

She just sighed, not willing to make a joke out of that, because she felt exactly the same way.

He straddled her, his already hard erection rubbing enticingly over her belly as he bent forward then gently teased each of her breasts with his fingers before lowering his mouth to suck and lick and tease and tickle.

She squirmed beneath him, her heart pounding, her inner thighs already slick with need. “Please, Parker. Don’t wait. I want it fast—we can take our time after. But right now, I just need to feel you inside me.”

He met her eyes, his full of desire. “Baby, I wouldn’t dream of making you wait. Slowly, deliciously slowly, he eased down her body. Then he shifted so that he was on his knees and he lifted her hips, drawing her up so that his cock teased her center and her legs were spread wide. The position felt wicked and a little wild, but the moment he drew her close, his body thrusting forward as he eased inside of her, she knew this was going to be a new route to heaven.

He took her that way at first, thrusting deep inside her. Filling her so deliciously. And then, as she trembled, he shifted so that his body was hard and heavy above her. Faster and deeper he thrust inside her, and she urged him on, her fingers tight around his neck, her nails digging into him as she rose higher and higher, her body spinning out, losing touch, coming close to the sweet explosion.

“Parker. I’m close. Oh, please.”

“Come with me, baby,” he demanded, his hand reaching between their bodies to tease her clit and edge her the final way over, so that they exploded together, wild and hot and sweaty and sated.

When she had her wits back, she breathed in deep, her mind in a muddle, her body so deliciously satisfied. “You’re amazing,” she said, and he murmured he same back to her, then held her

close as she ran a finger lightly over his chest until he finally put his hand over hers and simply pressed it close. “Stop that,” he said, laughing. “It tickles.”

“Punishment for all you did to me. Some of that tickled, too.”

“Oh, did it?” He rolled over, pinning her down. “I think I just might have to tickle you a bit more.”

She squealed, but the sound was cut off by his kiss—and then by the way his stomach growled.

He looked at her, his expression sheepish. “I guess it might be time for that spaghetti.”

“I guess so,” she said, laughing as she got out of bed, then pulled on the yoga pants and tank top that were hanging over the back of the recliner by the window.

She peeked out once she was dressed, then frowned. “It’s there again.”

“What is?” he asked, coming to her side once he’d pulled his jeans on.

“I keep seeing this black car.” She grimaced. “It’s making me paranoid. When I left LA—never mind.”

He rested his hand on her shoulder. “Tell me.”

“There was a car in LA,” she admitted. “And other stuff, too.” She felt the tightness in her chest as she began to talk, telling him about Carlton. About the stuff that happened before she started seeing the car. The stuff that pushed her to break up with Carlton. Like how he used to drive by her apartment at night, then would call to ask where she was if her car wasn’t in her parking spot. “He’d interrogate me. Ask me what I’d been doing and who I was with. And about the same time, he’d started sending me specific clothes—saying I needed to wear one specific thing or another to a party or on a date, and then getting irritated if I said I’d planned something else.”

She lifted a shoulder. “There was other weird stuff, but that started the ball rolling, and I broke up with him.”

“I remember when you did. I suspected the reason was something like that, although he never seemed your type.”

She cocked her head, studying him. “I didn’t realize you were paying attention.”

He stepped away from her and pulled on his shirt. “Did you forget I asked you out? It always irked me that Carlton had what I wanted.” His head emerged, and he smiled at her. “But now I win,” he teased, making her laugh as he came back to her side.

“Seriously, there was a group of us who went out for drinks about once a week. Carlton talked the most about who he was dating and what was going on. He didn’t talk much while you were together, but once you broke up … well, let’s just say his ego was sorely bruised.”

“Jerk,” she said. “He started stalking my house. I’d see the car, and then it would disappear. And calls from blocked numbers. And flowers sent without any card that would just say creepy things. One said You look beautiful in your pale blue nightie. But I’d never worn that for him. I bought it as a break-up present to myself. Which meant he had to have been looking through my window.”

She shivered, and he wrapped his arms around her, keeping her warm. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “Do you think that car has something to do with Carlton?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know.” She closed her hands over his at the waist. “It’s just a black car. I see them pretty much everywhere. I think it’s just a trigger, you know. Something that calls it all back and makes me fear I’m not done with Carlton.”

“You are,” he said fiercely. “You know if that bastard came back, I’d protect you.”

She smiled up at him. “My hero.”

He kissed the top of her head. “I look after what’s mine.”

She turned in his arms. “Am I?”

“What?”

“Am I yours?”

“Oh, baby, yes.” He started to kiss her again, then paused, his attention drawn to the window. “Look,” he said, as a spry elderly woman with a cane approached the car. The driver emerged, opened the back door for her, and when the woman was settled, he got back in and the car took off.

She caught Parker’s eye, then laughed. “Well, I promise I wasn’t imagining the things that happened in LA. It was—well, there was more of it.” She drew in a breath. “It’s why I left like that. My sister stayed way too long with an abusive, paranoid, stalking asshole. And that wasn’t a mistake I was willing to make.”

“I’m glad you left,” he said. “Carlton was obsessed. He might have gotten tired and stopped. But he might have hurt you, too.”

She frowned. “It sounds like you know what you’re talking about.”

“I do. He told me. Or some of it.”

She gaped at him. “What?”

He rubbed his fingers to his temples, then turned away from her. “One night after the others left, he told me how pissed he was. How you’d humiliated him. How he was going to make you pay. I told him he was being an ass. That he needed to put you in the past and move on, and that you don’t stalk ex-girlfriends. I don’t remember exactly what he said, but it was clear he’d already started harassing you, and that he was going to make it worse. Was going to start talking smack about you to your clients, that kind of thing.”

“Good God.” She felt cold, and any doubts she’d had about leaving LA faded. “I never—I don’t think he did. I stay in touch with Kasey, and she would have told me.”

“I convinced him not to.”

“You did? How?”

His eyes were flat, his expression stone. “I beat the shit out of him, honestly. And I told him if he did anything more to you—anything at all—I’d finish the job.”

“Parker…”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have, but Christ, the things he talked about doing to you. I just—”

She cut him off, taking his hand in hers, then sliding into his arms. “Thank you,” she whispered, then captured his mouth with a long, slow kiss.

When she broke away, she met his eyes, her body shimmering with desire. “I don’t think we’re going to manage dinner at all,” she said, taking his hand and leading her back to the bed. “Right now, all I’m hungry for is you.”