6
“Bro, that goes beyond cruelty. I mean, I understand that medicine needs to be tested somehow, but this is beauty shit—a want, not a need—and what they’re doing is wrong. Flat out. Fucked up.” Royce’s deep voice rumbles into the room through the speakerphone.
It’s now much later in the day, well after my earlier meltdown, and I’m pacing the room talking to my brothers. I’ve read through what feels like endless damning information Wendy sent my way after I had my moment with the garbage can.
“I don’t want to make money off the backs of animals,” Bo interjects. “If I did, I’d be a fuckin’ cowboy and, at the very least, have a horde of cowgirls to ride in between working long days on a ranch. I much prefer straddling my motorcycle over a horse, so that’s out,” he says, his normal brand of humor taking the edge off my anxiety over what we’ve gotten ourselves into.
This is the first time we’ve ever been hired to work a case none of us want to continue. We’ve never not made good on our promise to provide the client what they need. Only this shit they want us to do goes against everything we believe in. It’s not something we can back down from or look the other way on. Still, this client could destroy the business we’ve built, and I’ll do anything to make sure that doesn’t happen.
I rub at my temples. “Guys, these fatheads in the industry . . . Us bailing on them could hurt IG. Big-time. We have to be smart. Prove that the two senators are not going to be swayed and find a way to get out without getting burned. Kendra’s already looking into the best way to spin our termination. Thank Christ she put that clause in there. It’s going to save our asses.”
“Parker, I’m not real comfortable with just walking away from this thing. They’ll find someone else to bully, along with additional ways to burn those two senators. Did they give you what they have on them?” Bo queries.
“Yeah.” I sigh long and deep, letting all the air out of my lungs. “Senator Birchill had an abortion at sixteen. It’s hidden in her records, but they found it. She’s a Republican, and her stance on that particular issue has been pro-life. That makes her a hypocrite and a liar in the party’s eyes. It could easily ruin her.”
“Jeez-us. These guys will release the information too,” Royce adds.
“Yeah.”
“And the other, the Democrat from Illinois?” he queries.
“This one’s a little loose as far as reputation-ruining info. The senator has a sister in drug rehab. Repeated stints. The senator’s platform is to be strict on drug laws. She could spin that this is why she’s so firm, but it goes against the fact that she spoke on her sister’s behalf at her sister’s third-strike hearing in court. The sister had been caught with a bag full of drugs, enough that the DA added intent to sell to the charges. The judge was a friend of Senator Portorino’s and somehow managed to find a way around the three-strikes provision. This allowed the sister to be released into rehabilitation one last time instead of bringing down the hammer, which is what should have happened.”
“Basically, the judge went easy on Portorino’s sister, which is the exact opposite of what she’s proposing for other perpetrators in the same situation,” Bo surmises.
“Bingo,” I agree.
“Politics suck,” Bo grumbles. “It’s all he-said/she-said bullshit, and everyone’s a liar and a hypocrite. You can’t trust anyone to protect the public at large anymore.”
“I feel ya, brother. In the meantime, Roy, you mentioned not liking letting these guys off. What would you suggest we do that will not hurt us?”
Roy sighs, and it sounds heavy and weighted through the line. “I’m thinking you talk to these senators, explain a bit more about what’s going on, and use Kendra’s contacts in Washington to spread the word about PB Resources being a kiss away from Pure Beauty Pharmaceuticals and what that means for the bill in general.”
A light bulb goes off. “Kendra!” I screech out of my door into the open living space. She opens her door, her body encased in workout clothing. “Can you come here, please?”
As she moseys over, her workout clothes show off her toned body and bangin’ booty. Damn, I knew she had some junk in the trunk back when we were in college, but it was never this round and high. Her girlish form turned far womanlier over the years. Even the crop top sports bra thing she’s wearing is showing a few inches of hard abs. Looks like she might even have a bit of a four-pack going on. Royce would be drooling right about now if he were here.
I rip my eyes away from her body when she steps through my door, hands on hips and a tight jaw.
“You bellowed?”
I smirk and shake my head, giving her the moment of humor her comment warrants. “Do you know a bunch of senators personally?”
She nods. “Yeah, I have a handful of pretty good friends in Congress, why?”
I grin. “Well, I discussed with the guys the conversation you and I had. They don’t like the idea of Pure Beauty getting away with terrorizing animals or these two senators for personal things in their lives either, and they agree with taking some well-calculated risks. We need to open up this can of worms and spread this information all over Washington.”
She frowns. “As we discussed before, Parker, we have a strict confidentiality agreement with Pure Beauty Pharmaceuticals. We have to be careful about breaking that, or they can sue International Guy for everything we have.”
“Fuck.” I run my hand through my hair, the curls on top more prevalent than normal.
Kendra taps at her chin. “However, that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about PB Resources. There is nothing in our contract regarding what we found out about them and who their clients are. We just have to be careful with how we share the information. If the person we’re talking to comes to their own conclusions about the connection between PB Resources and Pure Beauty, it’s out of our hands.”
I grin maniacally at Kendra. “You are brilliant.”
“This is true,” she states with zero emotion, though I can see her eyes twinkling with mirth.
“Kendra’s brilliance aside, how are we going to keep this information from Pure Beauty?” Roy interjects.
“Let me handle that part,” Kendra offers. “There’s no reason why I wouldn’t have lunch or dinner with old friends while I’m working a case in DC. Sometimes the best way to hide information is to put it right out there in the open for everyone to see.”
“More brilliance.” I grin.
“Thank you. Now if you’re done, I’m going to head down for my run. I’ll be back in time to meet for dinner. Let’s see if we can nail down Senator Birchill tonight.”
“I’m in. Guys, we’ll be in touch.”
“Stay safe, bro,” Bo says.
“Peace,” Royce clips, and hangs up.
“Have a good run. I’m gonna spend a little time reviewing more of these documents, maybe call Skyler.”
She smiles softly. “You do that. Casual clothes tonight. Senator Birchill is a down-to-earth woman.”
I make a stink face. “I remember her brown, ill-fitting suit. I figured she was probably more of a jeans-and-boots type of woman.”
“You got it. See you soon.” Kendra waves over her shoulder as she heads for the door.
When she leaves, I flip open my phone and dial Skyler’s number, hoping I’m catching her at a good time.
It rings a few times before a male answers the phone.
“Skyler Bear’s phone!” the jovial voice says.
I close my eyes, pinch the bridge of my nose, and let out the breath I was holding while waiting to hear my girl speak. This guy is not the calming, sultry voice I’d hoped to hear. Hell, I never want to hear another man answering my woman’s phone unless it’s Nate and he has a damn good reason to.
“Rick, it’s Parker. Why are you answering my girlfriend’s phone?”
“Duuuuude!” He drags out the greeting so it sounds like the word has twelve u’s in it. “So good to talk to you. I’m running lines with yo’ girl, bro! Isn’t this awesome? We get to work together for, like, ever, man! I’m so super stoked about this. We’re gonna be best buds!”
Best buds. With Rick the Prick. Not likely.
“Yeah, uh, that’s great, Rick. Is she there?”
“Totally,” he says with exuberance but no motivation to put her on.
“May I speak with her?” I roll my eyes and try to keep the irritation out of my tone.
“Oh, naw, man, she’s in the head. Be out in a second, though. Unless she’s dropping a deuce.”
Sweet mother. This guy. How he gets roles must be strictly on his ability to look good on camera with his shirt off, because he’s dumb as a rock. Then again, I’m certain with my woman’s talent and experience, she can make any actor look good.
“That’s . . . I’m not even going to address what that is. Just have her call me when she has a moment.”
“Naw, dude. Want to talk to you, man. Tell you how grateful I am for the tips you gave me. Those were stellar, and the movie was rock solid because of it. Also, it helps when Sky and I have to do some sexy scenes in the future. This A-Lister movie is going to have me all over her body, dude. Gotta know her man is cool with it.”
Cool with it? Am I cool with Rick the Prick having his hands and mouth all over my woman’s body? Absolutely not. Fuck me.
I grind my teeth and breathe through my nose like a pissed-off bull. “I’m going to aspire to be . . . cool with it.”
“Awesome, dude. I’m looking for places here, and Skyler’s pad is the shit! She says maybe she can have the lease changed over to me in the next few months when I move here and filming starts. She said something about finding a bigger place. You two shacking up?” That is the million-dollar question. One that we haven’t broached together.
Why the hell is she planning a bigger place? She’s one person. It makes no sense. Unless, as Rick said, she is planning on the two of us moving in together. I think back to all the new clothes for me hanging in her closet. The desire she has for me to feel at home in her space. Sleeping beside her every night I’m in Boston, whether it’s at her pad or mine.
Shit. Are we already living together without actually calling it what it is? Damn.
My mind is swirling with images of us making a place our home. Hers and mine. Together. I’ve never lived with a woman before and never wanted to.
Until this moment, right now.
I need to talk to Sky about it, see where her head is at, as well as her heart. More and more I’m faced with the fact that this woman is the only one for me. Long-term. Picket fences. Animal sharing. The whole nine.
Pushing those thoughts to the side, I focus on the call. “I’m glad I could help, Rick. Please have Sky call me back . . .”
“Ah, here she is. Guess it was just number one. Sa-weetness. Skyler Bear, your dude is on the phone. We were catching up—you know, bro business.”
I cringe and shake my head. That guy really needs to install a filter between his brain and his mouth.
A bustle of noises can be heard, and then nothing but my sweet, sexy woman’s sultry voice is in my ear, instantly bringing me to my happy place. “Hey, honey . . .”
“Peaches,” I rumble into the phone, noticing my own voice is thick with need and desire at just hearing her speak through the line.
“I miss you already, and you’ve barely been gone. Wondering if this is a new downside to living in Boston?”
“There’s a downside?” I chuckle.
She laughs lightly, and it’s music to my ears.
“I imagine you might miss the hubbub of New York. Having been settled there for the last few years, your friends . . .”
Skyler’s laugh fills my ears. “Honey, the only friend I have in New York is Tracey. Sure, when I tell her I’m planning on relocating here long-term, she’s going to have a bit of a shit fit, but that’s how best friends are. Ultimately, she’ll be happy for me.”
Long-term.
There’s that phrase again.
“So, you’re planning on longer than the A-Lister series . . . ,” I hedge, anxiety rippling up my spine and wedging somewhere in the spot where my insecurities lie.
“Are you not . . . um . . . planning to have me around for the long run?” Her voice shakes a little, but I can tell that she’s trying to be tough and act like it doesn’t bother her one way or the other whether I want her in Boston forever or not.
“Hmm, well, I guess that depends on where I’ll be. If it’s lying in a bed next to you, and that bed happens to be in Boston, or the surrounding area, then I’ll likely be the happiest man in the world. What are your thoughts on cats or dogs?”
“As it pertains to what?” Her tone sounds confused.
“Having one. As a pet. There was this cool cat named Spartacus in Montreal that I took a liking to. I’d always considered myself a dog person, until I met that cat. Now I’m open to either . . . or both. Especially if you’ll be around for the next few years. It would limit the amount of times we need to have a pet sitter or board our animals if there are two of us managing them.”
“Our animals?” Her voice rises with the question.
I grin thinking about my sweet girl with a fat ginger cat on her lap and a dog at her feet when I come home from work.
Fucking bliss.
“Are we getting pets together, pretty boy?” she teases.
“I don’t know. What do you think? I’ve been considering a pet since Montreal, and I can’t get the image of you hanging out with a furry friend out of my head.”
“Mm-hmm, and would this vision include us living together in the same house, you know, for the sake of the animals?”
I bite down on my lip, wondering if we should be having this conversation face-to-face or not. It’s a big step. Huge. Still, she’s ripe for the discussion, and I can’t find a reason not to just put it out there. “Maybe. Is that something you want?”
“Parker, are you suggesting we move in together and get a dog and a cat?” She laughs lightly.
Am I?
Yeah, I am.
Shit.
Hell.
Bomb dropped.
“What would you say if I were?” I hedge, worrying maybe I’m suggesting something way out of left field and she really hasn’t been thinking about shacking up. Maybe I’ve taken her moving here and buying me a wardrobe all wrong. It could be she was just being thoughtful instead of making a statement about my position in her life.
“I’d say: sign me up, honey! I’m dying to start house shopping here in Boston, but I wasn’t sure if you wanted to take that next step. Parker, I want to make a life here. Settle down. Buy a home. A real one with a front yard and a porch like you talked about having with your grandparents. Is that something you’re ready for?”
I lick the front of my teeth and mull it over for a few moments. “It’s not something I’d ever wanted before with another woman, but I find that, with you, I want it all.” I swallow down the fear and anxiety creeping along my throat. Sweat beads at my forehead as the thought of something so final hits me. Skyler and I sharing a home. Buying one, together. It’s a huge commitment, only one step away from marriage. And for the first time, the thought of marriage to a woman after Kayla doesn’t make me want to bolt.
“Really?” Her voice is filled with so much excitement and joy, it washes away the fear pressing against my chest.
This is right. Skyler and me.
“Yeah, baby. Really. Sky, I want to be with you as much as possible. When I’m home, it’s your body that I want to lie next to. It’s your lips I want to kiss good night. It’s your face I want to see every morning when I wake up. And of course, if you add in a cat or a dog or both, whatever you want, I’d be down for that too.”
“Honey . . .” She sounds choked up.
“Yeah?”
Her tone starts out as a whisper and grows in volume. “I want all of that too. And I want a big, fat cat and a giant dog. If we get them as a puppy and kitten they’ll be new together and love one another. It would be perfect!”
And it would. Be perfect.
“Then it’s settled,” I add with finality.
“What is?”
“We’re getting a cat and a dog. And a home. Together.”
“Oh my goodness!” She squeals. “Just to be safe, let me get this straight. When you get back from DC, we’re going to go house shopping. Together. Me and you. Because we’re making it official and shacking up.”
“Shit . . .” I rub the back of my neck. “Yeah, Peaches, we’re moving in together.”
“Oh. My. God. I’m so excited!”
I envision her jumping around the penthouse.
“Parker! I can’t wait to start looking for houses! I’m going to call Wendy and Mick. See if anything is available in their area. They’re twenty minutes out from the IG offices; it’s secure, and it’s just perfect! I’ll bet we could even find something that had a pool house or something similar that we can have Rachel and Nate move into if they want. Otherwise, they can stay in the apartment above the IG offices. Honey . . .” Her voice seems to shake instead of the warm and sultry tone or previous excitement.
“Sky, what’s wrong? I thought you’d be happy.” I frown and start to pace again. Dammit, I knew we should have had this conversation when I could hold her, touch her in some way. Give her the reassurance we both need right now.
She clears her throat. “I am happy. So happy. I don’t even know how to be this happy. I’m going to buy a home with my boyfriend. I’m moving to Boston for good. And . . .” She sniffles. “And we’re gonna get pets! I’ve never had a pet because of my work and the amount I traveled, and I can’t wait to pick them out with you. This . . . th-this is the best day ever.” Her voice stops on a small whimper.
“God, I wish I were there with you. Peaches, don’t overdo it. We have plenty of time. How’s about you start looking for places, and get some ideas. Just keep in mind, I’m not riding on your coattails. We need to find something that we both can manage financially.”
“Um, well, I kind of already looked at the house prices in Mick and Wendy’s area when we went over there the first time, and honey, it’s pretty pricey. Definitely not out of my price range by a long shot, and of course, I’ll be selling the penthouse in New York too. I have to make sure that whatever we get is in an area that is the most secure. That’s not something you should have to worry about, and of course, I need to make sure Rachel and Nate have a place, and . . .”
An uncomfortable tightening of my balls makes me lose my ability to speak. On the one hand, there’s a voice in my head speaking loudly, needing to be the provider, pay for our home, and bang on my chest like the caveman I am. Another much smaller voice is reminding me that my girlfriend, the woman who I’m settling down with, has some serious security needs that must be met in order to ensure her safety. These safety measures are something we cannot scrimp on in order to save a buck, as much as I’d like to provide everything for my mate. I have to let her find what she needs and contribute in whatever way is most appropriate.
“Why don’t you look at places for now. Get some ideas in mind, and we’ll discuss. I’m not going to push you to downgrade your comfort or luxury for me, but I want to make a hefty contribution and feel as though I have done so. Understand?”
“Yeah, honey, I understand perfectly!” The joy is back in her tone. “And I love you. I love that we’re moving toward the future and going to start looking at buying a home together. This is more than I could have ever dreamed of. You’re giving me everything I could have ever wanted out of life. Love, a home . . . a family again.” The sniffles are back, but I can tell she’s trying to rein it in.
“Sky, it’s the same for me. I want a home we can settle into for a long while, if not forever, with our pets, and one day maybe even our future children.”
She gasps. “Children. Oh my . . .”
“You want that with me one day, right?” My heart starts pounding. I can’t believe we’re talking about a home and children. Skyler has changed me beyond anything I could have ever anticipated. Before her, it was nothing but my playboy ways and an endless sea of women available for the taking. Not that I partook that much, but still. The options were open. That door is now closed, and there is nothing more I want out of life than to set up house with her.
“Totally want that. More than anything.” Her words are thick with emotion and a bit of awe.
“All right. One step at a time. Yeah?”
“Yeah. One step, honey. A house and pets.”
“That’s right, Peaches. A house and pets.”
“It’s the most perfect start ever, Parker.” The awe is still in her voice, and I wish I could taste it on my tongue, kiss the living daylights out of her. Seal this deal the right way.
I smile wide knowing that I’ve gotten to her. “Since we have that settled, why in the world was Rick answering your phone?”
She groans. “Ugh! The guy has boundary issues. He thinks of me as a sister. Says we’re going to be the best of friends, and you and he are going to have a bromance when he moves here. He’s even talking about bringing his girlfriend along.”
Girlfriend is the magic fucking word of the day, outside of long-term.
“Girlfriend?”
Sky chuckles. “I knew you’d pick up on that. Yes, he has a girlfriend. Apparently, a sweet girl he’s been dating for the past year, but totally under the public radar. Only his closest friends know about her. They’ve been close-lipped about it, but I think he’s going to marry her.”
“Really?” That has me smiling huge. Rick the Prick with a ball and chain . . . now that’s an idea I can work my head around.
“Yeah. She’s religious, though. They haven’t had sex,” she whispers, the words sounding muffled as if she covered the bottom of the phone with her hand.
I frown. “Uh, say what?”
“Mm-hmm. He says it’s giving him the worst case of blue balls in the world, but he’s in love with her and respects her decision to wait until marriage.”
“Hence the push for the nuptials, I’d imagine.”
“That’s my guess. I think it’s cute, though, that he’s willing to wait. Would you wait for me?”
Not sinking balls deep in Skyler Paige for months on end? “Hell no! I waited long enough.”
“You waited like two days. That’s nothing.”
“More like an eternity. When a man has the likes of you in the wings, every minute of waiting to be with you intimately is like waiting a freakin’ year.”
“You’re a pig,” she teases.
“Oink, oink.” I laugh out loud, the sound ricocheting off the walls, making me feel less alone. God, I miss her.
She chuckles along with me. “I’m just kidding, honey. You know I wanted to be with you the night we met. I looked at your tall, built form, those clear blue eyes, that thick hair, and I was a goner from the very first night. All I wanted to do was put my mouth on yours and go wild.”
“We got there in the end, didn’t we?”
“Yeah,” she whispers shyly. “And now we’re going to shack up and get fur babies. Any special requests on animal breeds?”
“I think I’d like a ginger cat,” I suggest, thinking back to Spartacus, the cool lap kitty.
“You got a thing for redheads I should know about?” she taunts.
I grin. “Only furry ones, baby.”
“And dogs?”
“What would you like?”
“I’m thinking a golden retriever.” She says this with a whimsy I can tell means she’s been thinking about this longer than just this conversation.
“You got a thing for blonds?” I toss back at her.
She continues poking me back. “Maybe . . .”
“Well, then it’s settled. We’ll get a ginger cat and a golden retriever.”
“Eeek! I’m going to start looking at animal shelters right away!”
Of course my woman is planning to save an animal. It’s who she is.
“Works for me. I’m absolutely down with saving an animal.” Which reminds me of the case we’re on and the concerns we have regarding Pure Beauty. “You start your search, and no practicing any of the kissing or sex scenes with Rick the Prick while I’m gone.”
“Honey, we don’t usually practice those. We save that kind of thing for live rehearsals on set. No need to be putting my mouth anywhere near his when I don’t have to.” She makes a gagging sound that has me smiling like a crazy person.
“That mouth is all mine.”
“Yeah.”
“Don’t forget it,” I remind her.
“I won’t.”
“I gotta go. The sooner I can get done with this case, the better. I’m not happy about it.”
“You want to talk about it later?”
“Nah, we’ll talk about it when I get home. Nothing you need to worry about.”
“Okay, honey. I’ll send you pics of anything I find.”
“I’d love that. And, Peaches . . .”
“Yeah,” she says in a breathy timbre that goes straight to my dick.
“Can’t wait to move in with you.”
“I can’t either. Have a good rest of your night.”
“You too.”
“Love you!” she says, and then a kissing sound pierces my ear.
I chuckle. “Don’t ever stop!”
“Not possible!” she says, and hangs up. I stare at my cell, roll my shoulders and neck, and imagine my girl bouncing around her penthouse at the news that we’re shacking up. I’ll have to get with the guys soon, toss back a few beers, and give them the good news.
Somehow, though, I don’t think they’ll be surprised.