Chapter 19
“Focus returns. That’s all this is. Probably.” ~ Jeremy
Jeremy
I whistle as I dry my hair after my shower. My body is completely sated. My limbs feel loose and lumber. I’m well rested. I don’t have a headache for the first time in weeks. And I’m starving. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way.
It’s probably why I pushed Parker to agree to continue our affair until I leave for California. Parker understands my boundaries. She won’t try to trick me or trap me. She’s too genuine to play those games.
My stomach rumbles, reminding me of my hunger and I snatch the plate of cookies Parker ran to the kitchen for last night. I settle in front of my computer and get to work.
A hum of excitement buzzes underneath my skin. Welcome, inspiration, my old friend. I’ve missed you.
Lines of code fly from my fingers. The cookies and coffee are forgotten as the Synq app begins to form. No longer is the app a product of my imagination. This productivity and communication app is coming into shape.
My phone buzzes on the table and Abba’s Money, Money, Money begins to play. I hit ignore. Eli can wait.
I barely have a chance to return to my work when the phone rings again. This time, The Imperial March plays to indicate it’s Eli calling again.
Crap. It must be important.
“What?” I bark at the phone.
Eli laughs. “You forgot.”
“Forgot what?”
“We have a board meeting. You were supposed to meet me at my house thirty minutes ago.”
I check my diary and swear when I realize he’s right. “Sorry, I missed it.”
He chuckles. “You didn’t miss it. I gave you the wrong time on purpose. I knew you’d be busy developing the app.”
He doesn’t realize how wrong he is. Until this morning, I could barely remember what coding was, let alone how to do it. But inspiration hit me hard when Parker shimmered her sexy ass out of here this morning.
Parker. I wonder if I can sneak a few kisses from her. She’s downstairs baking now. I can smell chocolate and sugar, and coffee.
My stomach rumbles again. I notice the plate of cookies is untouched. I forgot all about eating when I started working.
All the tension in my body releases. I haven’t lost it. I can still develop software the same way I did in our dorm room a decade ago.
“Okay,” I say to Eli. “What time is the actual board meeting?”
“In an hour. Don’t make me come into town and drag you out of your place.”
“I’m on my way.” I end the call and slam my computer shut. An hour gives me plenty of time to visit Parker.
“Hey, you,” Parker greets when I enter the kitchen. She draws a hand over her forehead, leaving a trail of flour in her wake.
I chuckle. “Hey, yourself.”
I brush the flour off her forehead before pressing a quick kiss to her lips.
“Sorry. I can’t touch you.” She wiggles her hands. They’re covered in dough and flour.
I step closer until she’s crowded against the prep table. “I prefer it when you can’t touch me.”
Her eyes narrow. “And I prefer it when I can touch you.”
I tweak her nose. “Don’t lie. You love it when I’m in charge.”
“Do not.” Her voice is all breathy, and she’s shivering.
“Shall I prove what a liar you are?”
“Not here!” she squeaks.
I scowl. “Afraid people will see us together?”
She snorts. “More like afraid our naked asses will end up in the dough and I’ll have to start over.”
“Dough? Kinky.”
“It’s not…”
I press my lips to hers before she can continue with her denial. She sighs and I swoop my tongue into her mouth. I growl when her flavor hits me. I will never experience coffee and sugar again without thinking of Parker. Of how she melts for me. Of how good it feels to bury myself deep inside her.
My cock twitches. It’s on board with this plan. Who cares about the dough?
“Ahem.” I ignore whoever it is. “AHEM!”
Parker shoves me away and I stumble before righting myself on the oven.
“What is it, Holly?” Parker asks.
“Someone wants to order a Christmas cake. Can you fit them in?”
“I’ll be out there in a second. I just need to wash my hands.”
“Wash your hands,” Holly mutters. “Sure, you do.”
When she’s gone, Parker groans. My stomach dips. Is she embarrassed of being with me? Does she want to keep me a secret? I’m no one’s dirty little secret.
“Holly is going to spread the word of how she saw us kissing to the entire island.”
“Why do you care?”
“I don’t care if people know we’ve done dirty things together, but I hate being the center of gossip.”
I step closer to her. “You sure you’re not embarrassed of me?”
“Are you joking? You’re the one who should be embarrassed of me.”
“Why would I be embarrassed of you?”
“Duh.” She motions to me. “You’re a sexy billionaire.
I smirk. “You think I’m sexy.”
She rolls her eyes. “And I’m a chubby baker.”
“You’re not chubby. You’re curvy. And those curves make my cock hard.”
Her breath hitches. “They do?”
“To be continued. I have a meeting. I’ll be back later.” I waggle my eyebrows to make it clear what I plan to do ‘later’.
“Later.”
I kiss her cheek before strolling out of the kitchen. I dig out my phone to order a taxi before I realize I left the rental car here last night. Maybe I should keep the rental car for the rest of the time I’m on the island. It could come in handy for dates with Parker.
I drive to Eli’s house. It’s a good thing I know the way because the GPS tries to send me down a dirt path. Again. I’m tempted to remove the device and fiddle with the programming, but Eli is already standing on his porch waiting for me.
He smiles as I approach. “Someone has their groove back.”
Paisley rushes to us. “I knew it! I knew Parker was perfect for you.”
I glare at her. “Parker and I aren’t together.”
She snorts. “And you weren’t seen canoodling this morning.”
I groan. Now I understand why Parker was annoyed when Holly saw us. Holly obviously rushed to tell everyone on the island the gossip.
“I don’t canoodle.”
Eli crosses his arms over his chest. “You also don’t get involved with women when it can get complicated and nothing spells complicated more than having sex with the woman who works downstairs from the loft you’re renting. And who owns the loft.”
“Who said anything about sex?”
Paisley points at my face. “The blush on your face when Eli said sex.” She pumps her fist. “Yes! This is awesome. I’m the best matchmaker on the island. My friends can shove it.”
“Paisley,” I grumble. I wait until she meets my gaze before continuing, “I’m not on the island to stay. You shouldn’t be playing with people’s lives this way.”
“We’ll see,” she sings as she skips away.
“Paisley!” I holler and start after her.
Eli blocks me. “Watch it.”
“Your wife is trying to matchmake me.”
“Not his wife yet,” Paisley calls from somewhere in the mansion.
“I don’t do relationships. You know why.”
Eli frowns. “I don’t agree with your reasons. Not every woman is a money-grubbing manipulator out to catch a billionaire.”
“Easy for you to say. Paisley loved you before you earned your first million.”
“Getting Paisley to stop hating me for a mistake I made in high school was anything but easy.”
“At least you knew she didn’t want you for your money.”
“You should speak to Parker. Ask her what she thinks of your money.”
I roll my eyes. “What she thinks of my money? I know what people think of my money. They want it.”
He shakes his head. “Parker’s different. Ask her.”
“What do you know about it?” I grumble.
He holds up his hand. “There’s no reason to go caveman on me. Parker and I have never been romantically involved. But we did go to high school together and have been friends for years.”
“And?”
He shrugs. “And there are things you don’t know about her that might change your perspective.”
I shake my head. “Nothing will change my perspective.”
“You want to die alone?”
“Everyone dies alone.”
He sighs. “I don’t have time to deal with this. We have a board meeting.”
“What’s this board meeting about anyway?” I ask as I follow him through his house to his office.
“Developments with the Sync app. Which we no longer have to worry about, do we?” He raises his eyebrow.
“Nope. We’re good.”
Because a certain woman inspired me and now the development is racing forward. My heart pounds in my chest. A woman I barely know shouldn’t be able to inspire me. Especially when our relationship is temporary.
What if it doesn’t stay temporary?
I shake my head. Of course, it will stay temporary. I don’t have anything else to offer. I’ve been burned before. I don’t need another lesson in heartbreak.