Page 7 of The Problem with Playboys

“I have no idea. It’s brand new. And Marcus seems to be one of the first people caught in the crosshairs of whatever it is they’re trying to do.”

“How do I fight back against someone who’s hiding?”

“Little Black Book isn’t what you’re fighting against. You’re fighting the information. The narrative.” She hesitated for a moment. “It gets even more granular than that, though. What you’re really fighting for is control.”

A tiny sizzle of electricity worked its way through Parker’s body. “I see. And how do I get control over an invisible enemy?”

“Like I said, the source isn’t the enemy. The story is. And you change that by hiring someone highly skilled in the art of crisis public relations.”

“Are you seriously vying for a new client right now?”

“Only if you’re seriously considering hiring me.”

Parker couldn’t help but smile at Chloe’s comeback. She was more than smart and sexy—she was quick and had a sense of humor, which was pretty remarkable considering some of the things he’d said about her profession. “I don’t usually hire someone over the phone. I’d rather meet face-to-face.”

“My schedule is packed.”

Of course it was. Parker’s was as well, but he’d been forced to drop everything to figure out how to fix the Marcus situation. “How can I make it worth your while?”

“Well, I have to eat. We could discuss it over dinner.”

“It’s ten o’clock in the morning. Why not lunch? Or a late breakfast for that matter. I don’t want to wait to get started. Marcus doesn’t want to, either.”

“You’re the one who sat on this for forty-eight hours. Also, it sounds like you’ve already decided to hire me.”

Parker couldn’t gain control of his lips—why did everything she say make him smile? She wasverygood at this. “Will it make me more of a priority if I do?”

“Of course.”

“Fine. You’re hired. Now can we meet?”

“There’s paperwork to sign, Parker. A contract. And my retainer to pay.”

“I’m good for it.”

“I’m sure you are. But what kind of businessperson would I be if I simply took your word for it?”

“Chloe, come on. We’re practically family.”

“The wordpracticallyis doing a lot of work in that sentence and you know it.”

She was relentless and Parker couldn’t have been more turned on by it if he’d tried. He really should have taken his dad up on his invitation to meet Chloe months ago, right after their parents had flown to Vegas to get married. Parker didn’t want to think about how much time he’d wasted not knowing Chloe. “Okay. Send over the paperwork. And I’ll instruct my bank to transfer the funds.”

“Perfect. So when would you like to meet?”

“Like I said, as soon as possible.”

“Fine. Dinner tonight?”

Why was his heart racing at the prospect of going out with Chloe? Was it because he wanted to see her? Or was it because he didn’t want to be out in public with an expert in crisis public relations when he had a client embroiled in a PR nightmare? He decided on the latter. The former was absurd. “You know, Chloe, I worry about going to some fancy restaurant and drinking wine and having a meal together. It sounds nice, but is that necessarily the wisest choice right now?”

Chloe laughed—a light and airy titter that made his heart gallop even faster. “Parker. We have work to do. We are not going to a fancy restaurant. We’ll meet at my office, order in and get into it. Seven o’clock?”

Parker swallowed hard.Get into it.He was such an idiot. “Yes. Okay. I’ll see you then.”