My lips pouted out, temper bursting through my veins, the sort that no amount of alcohol could dull. This night wasn’t turning out anything like I expected it to, which pissed me off. I assumed Parker would be gone by now, I thought my blatant use of my naked body and underwear would freak him right out, but nope... he was still here, and not going anywhere anytime soon.

Then, my next port of call was to try and sneak out again. That seemed to anger him much more than the flirting, but he caught me on the way out and insisted on coming along with me. His hawk eyes seemed zoned in on the front door at all times, so I didn’t have any chance. As he called me a cab, and made a snarky remark about my mini skirt being the same length as my towel, I sent a rapid text off to Carson who agreed to meet me in the nightclub.

That was supposed to be my last resort, Carson would definitely hate Parker, he wouldn’t want such a man in my life, he’d send him off in an instant... or so I thought.

“Oh my God, I’m so glad Joe hired you, mate.” I screwed up my nose in utter disgust as my boyfriend patted my enemy hard on the back. “I know this one will probably throw a hissy fit, but I think you’re awesome.” He aimed his thumb towards me, leaving me feeling totally patronized, as if I was an annoying child. “And if she’s getting herself into that much trouble, then maybe I want her watched too.” Where was the jealousy? The possessiveness? There was no way that he couldn’t see Parker as competition.

I could not watch this any longer. I had to get away.

“I’m going to dance,” I murmured to no one in particular. Luckily I wasn’t aiming my words at anyone, because I was being ignored anyway. Carson was so damn involved with Parker, it was like I barely existed.

I sidled onto the dance floor, and began shaking my hips slowly to the music. The beat was flooding through me, trying it’s best to consume me, but for the first time in a very long time I couldn’t get lost. I relied on music and booze to help me forget, but today it wasn’t working. I was acutely aware that the two men who currently featured very prominently in my life were talking intently to one another, and I couldn’t seem to switch off from that however hard I tried. Much as I wanted to throw my hands in the air and lose all control, I kept finding my eyes discretely working their way towards them both... only I wasn’t concerned about what Carson was doing, although I probably should’ve been, I only cared about where Parker’s eyes were aimed.

Oh my God, he was looking right at me! Carson was still witling away to him, but Parker only had eyes for my sashaying body. His intense stare had a deep desire behind it, I could tell he was recalling my nearly naked body, and that caused butterflies to flap violently in my tummy. I found my teeth nibbling down on my lips, and my body moving more seductively. Finally, I was getting into the music.

As I continued to move, and Parker refused to tear his eyes off of me, the whole world shrank down. All I could focus on was him and I, it was as if everything else was gone completely. My feet automatically took a step forward, as if I was going out to reach for him, to claim him for my own. I wasn’t totally sure what I was doing, rationally I knew that there was no way we could touch, but I couldn’t seem to stop myself. It was as if Parker had cast a magic spell on me and I could resist...

Thump, thump... thump, thump... thump, thump...

My heart pounded loudly, drowning out the music, and my emotions totally shut down. I became a total slave to my body, and what it wanted... which was Parker. I couldn’t explain it, I couldn’t seem to stop the deep attraction within me. Parker was a very sexy man, I could not get that incredible body out of my mind. The only part of him that I hadn’t seen lay in his underwear, and my God I wanted to know what was there...

“Oh hey, Hannah, I’ve been looking for you.”

I almost jumped in the air as Carson’s arms wrapped around me. His skin was hot, but his touch felt ice cold. It was almost as if he’s thrown a bucket of freezing water right over my head, shocking me from my utterly insane fantasy.

“Oh... yes, I was looking for you too.” I forced a bright smile on my face, and dragged my eyes away. “Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, I was just thinking about you.” He pressed his lips hard up against mine, but for some reason it didn’t make me feel anything. It must’ve been the booze working too well, shutting absolutely everything off. “I think it might be a good idea to take you away for a few days, have a little break. Just the two of us, what do you think?”

Oh my God, this was an actual offer of a mini break! Carson had never offered to take me away before, he spoiled me lots with fancy dinners and lovely dates, but he could never get enough time off work to actually take time off. This was huge.

“Are you serious?” I gasped, a warm happiness flooding me. “Oh my God, that would be amazing. I would love that. Where are you thinking?”

“I don’t know, how about The Oasis?”

I couldn’t help feeling touched, this was a place I’ve mentioned a while ago now. It was where all the celebrities and super-rich holidayed for privacy, and it looked incredible. “I would love that. You know how long I’ve been wanting to get in that spa.”

“The pool too... I remember you saying that it was water you wanted to swim in.” Carson grinned brightly as all my feelings came rushing back to me. This was why I fell in love with Carson, just because he’s been slightly inattentive recently, didn’t make him a bad person. He was just busy, and this was his way of making me feel better.

And it didn’t matter that he hadn’t helped me with Parker either, that was my issue. I would get rid of him in my own time.

“So, shall I book it? How about for next weekend?”

The night had done a total one-eighty, quickly becoming one of the happiest nights I could remember in recent times. “Thank you so much, I’ll start packing on Monday.”

“Well not too much, I don’t want the bell boy to struggle... ah, what am I saying? Screw it, bring your whole damn wardrobe if you want to. This weekend will all be about you. Now what can I get you to drink? How about some champagne? I think this is worth celebrating, right?”

As Carson took off for the bar, I touched my cheeks to feel that the oversized grin was still there. Nothing else mattered in my life, I could get through all the trials and tribulations thrown at me if I had my loving boyfriend by my side. He came into my life at the exact right moment, and now he was doing it again... swooping in and saving the day...

Shit.

Without me even realizing it, my eyes had fallen right back to where Parker was standing, seemingly searching for that connection once more. I just needed to know what it was, that was all, I knew who I loved, I knew it didn’t mean anything, it was just a physical thing, but as I found him again with a stunningly beautiful brunette draped all over him, a tight knot of jealousy twisted up in my stomach. I couldn’t seem to stop staring, however hard I tried.

Stop it, I tried desperately to warn myself. Who gives a shit about Parker? Carson is the one to worry about. But I couldn’t do it. All I could think about was that intense bond I felt as Parker watched me dancing, all I could feel was the way he lit my body on fire, all I could recall was the way he drove me wild when he took his shirt off that very first day in my kitchen.

I needed to get out. I needed fresh air.

I spun on my heels and raced towards the exit, needing to cool down. This was absolutely insane, why was I acting like a mad person...

Before I reached the door, a hand clamped down on my shoulder, forcing me to stop. The fingers felt warm on my skin, they shot sparks down to my core, I already knew who it was without even looking.

How the hell was I supposed to get over these feelings for Parker if he never left me alone?

“I’m going,” I yelled glumly, unable to look. “You stay here.”

“I can’t.” He spun me around, and as soon as our eyes met again I tumbled into the abyss. Everything about him was gorgeous, his deep, hazelnut eyes, the dimples that popped up when he smiled, the scar that ran down from behind his ear to his neck... he couldn’t have been more opposite to the guys I was used to; they were always very clean cut, ready for business, with smooth skin from never doing anything. Parker was rough around the edges, a little dangerous, with a raw sexuality, and I wasn’t sure how much longer I could continue to ignore what he did to me. I could’ve been kissing him in an instant, if I wanted to... “I have to look after you, it’s my job, remember?”

Of course, there it was again. The reason nothing could ever happen. He was my guardian.

“I don’t mind.” I waved my hand dismissively. “You’re obviously having fun in there. If you want to please my dad, you can see me into a cab then go back inside.”

“Fun? Are you kidding me? That crazed woman would not take no for an answer, I was starting to fear for my life.”

A relieved chuckle burst from my throat, without me intending it to. “Oh, I thought that you liked her.”

“No way, she’s... not the one for me.”

Something about those words felt very heavy, as if they were loaded with meaning. I was on the verge of trying to push him a little, just to see how far he was willing to go with his feelings, when Carson’s face popped out the door.

“Oh hey guys, I wondered where you’d gone.”

My face heated up, guilt flooded me despite the fact that I hadn’t even done anything, and I automatically took a step back from Parker, trying to create a bit of distance. “I just feel a bit woozy,” I half lied, Parker did have me a bit dizzy. “I think I’m gonna go home.”

“Oh right.” Carson looked longingly backward, telling me everything that I needed to know. My illness wasn’t enough for him to cut his night short. “Well, are you okay with Parker? Only I’ve just seen one of my golfing buddies...,”

“Of course, you go back in there. Parker’s being paid to watch me after all.”

As Carson raced off, Parker shot me a meaningful look, but I forced my eyes away and fixed them on the sidewalk instead. There was no way I was about to discuss my relationship with a man I didn’t even know, he was in no position to judge. Carson was taking me away anyway, I didn’t need him tonight. This was just fine.