I quickly threw on the only pair of jeans I’d brought with me, along with a simple T-shirt. I pulled out the tennis shoes I’d packed in a plastic bag so they wouldn’t get my clothes dirty, and after slipping on some socks, I put my feet into them.
I was finally ready to head over to the main house for dinner, but then I hesitated. It hadn’t gone so well last night. I actually had told myself that I wasn’t going to put myself through the same torture again. My shoulders drooped. Maybe it wouldn’t be as bad as last time.
With a great deal of wariness, I walked to the front door. I was a strong, independent woman. I could handle dinner with a handsome asshole.
Chapter 13
Parker
Before I could knock on the door, it swung open as if the person had been listening for the sounds of my footsteps on the porch—or had been watching my progress through the windows. I expected to see Ry standing there with his usual smile, so I faltered a step, nearly tripping, when instead I saw a tall, golden Adonis standing in the open doorway.
“Oh, hey,” I greeted awkwardly.
“Special Agent Parker,” he replied, his deep voice sending shivers racing down my spine and making memories of what I had done in the privacy of my bathroom flash through my mind. All because I had imagined this man and his two friends naked. Well, he and his partner, anyway. The other one didn’t need much imagination.
“Just Parker is fine.” I forced a smile as we stood there eyeing each other. Honestly, I was going to get a cramp in my neck soon if I kept standing there for much longer. The man was tall. Like, really tall. And broad. And so handsome it was ridiculous.
Finally, he inclined his head ever so slightly. “Parker.” He shifted slightly, and I wondered if he was nervous. I couldn’timagine that much could ever make the man nervous, though he was acting like he had something to say and was having trouble finding the words. It was kind of cute. “I wanted to apologize for last night.”
“What?” I blurted out, certain I hadn’t heard him right. No man had ever apologized to me in my entire adulthood for being a dick—a trait I had learned some men seemed to be born with.
As I stared at him with wide eyes, I watched as the tips of his ears turned pink. “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings last night. When you held out your hand,” he reminded me, “I wasn’t refusing to shake, I was wondering if you were okay.”
“You were wondering if I was… okay?”
“You had been drinking, and I knew you were tired. I also was rude when you asked if you were… if Ry thought you were…”
“If you guys thought I was pretty?” I finished for him with a raised eyebrow and crossed my arms over my chest, just then realizing that, yeah, my feelings were still a little bit hurt over that situation. I knew he was gay and probably didn’t find women attractive, but did he have to snort at me as if the very thought was ridiculous?
He sighed. “Yeah, that. Look, I didn’t mean it the way it came out, okay? It was just the way you asked. It was a stupid question.”
I dropped my arms and straightened my shoulders at his words. As pain coursed through me, I did my best to ignore it. It didn’t matter. The man didn’t matter. “Right.” I nodded once and started to push past him. “Noted. Good talk.”
“Wait,” he said, and grabbed my elbow.
Using a move I learned at the academy, I knocked his hand off my arm and shifted until I held his own pinned against his back. As soon as I realized what I’d done, I released him immediately and stepped back. “Sorry,” I said, “reflex.” I ignoredthe appreciative look on his face at my sudden movement. “It’s fine, really, Gage. I get it.”
He stepped into my space, that look still on his face as he looked me up and down. “Oh, yeah? Tell me, Parker, what is it you get?”
I swallowed, stiffening my spine, and refused to back away. “You don’t find me attractive. It’s understandable.”
He tilted his head and lowered his tone so his deep voice came out silky smooth, making me need to clench my thighs together. “What’s understandable? Please, spell it out for me.”
“You-you’re gay.” I hated that my voice had suddenly become shaky, but there was something about his intensity, about the way he was crowding into my space. The way he was looking at me…
“I’m not gay, Parker.” His lips tipped up, and I about melted into a puddle on his wooden floor right there in his beautiful foyer. It was the first time I’d seen him smile. I was glad he’d never done it before and wished he hadn’t done it now. I wasn’t sure how I would ever be able to get that vision out of my head now.
“But you and Ry-”
“Yes, Ry and I,” he nodded. “We are both bisexual.”
“Oh,” I replied lamely, unable to come up with anything intelligent to say.
“And you, Parker?” He lifted a finger and traced so lightly over my cheek that I could only feel a ghost of the touch. “You are a beautiful woman. The question was one of the most stupid ones I’d ever heard because I couldn’t believe you had to even ask it.”
“I-I-” I had nothing. My brain had completely fritzed out.
Gage smirked at my obvious predicament, then took my hand and began leading me through the house. “Come on, beautiful. Let’s go eat before dinner gets cold.” I numbly allowedhim to lead me, my brain lost somewhere between his sexy voice and his smoldering smile. Damn.
