Sitting down, I reached for my phone.
Nothing.
I tried one more time.
Me: I know you’re asleep, but please call me when you get up. I don’t care what time it is.
As I went to put my phone down, it went off.
Waylynn: What’s wrong? The brunette didn’t do it for you?
I stared at her response for a good minute. What in the fuck was she talking about?
Me: What’s that supposed to mean?
Waylynn: Please do us both a favor and go back to treating me like the woman you work for and not the woman you want to fuck.
Me: You mean more than that to me, and what the fuck did you mean about a brunette?
Waylynn: You honestly think I’m going to believe you were all good little boys and went back to your rooms alone?
Anger pulsed through me.
Me: Not all of us, but I did. I’ve been trying to get a hold of you all night, Waylynn. You think I’ve been fucking a girl while texting and calling you?
Waylynn: I don’t know. You have proven you can multitask.
I hit her number. It rang about six times before she answered. “I’m not in the mood for this.”
“Then why in the hell did you answer?”
She sighed. “I don’t know. What do you want?”
“I want you, Waylynn Parker, and I’m not going to give up on us.”
“Us? What us? We fucked one time, Jonathon! That doesn’t make us anything.”
“Cord asked me to find out who you’re hung up on.”
The line fell silent for the longest time.
“Hello? Waylynn, are you still there?”
I heard a shaky breath before she asked, “Did you agree to?”
“No! Of course I didn’t. I told him I respected you too much to spy on you and that it wasn’t any of his business.”
“That little fuck! I’m going to twist his balls and hang them up to dry in the middle of the pasture for the crows to peck at!”
Moving my balls to the side, I said, “Jesus, woman. That visual hurts me.”
“It’s the truth. I’m going to kill him. Thank you for not saying anything.”
“He seems to think you’re hung up on this mystery man. Are you?”
She remained silent. “Who was the girl hanging all over you in the picture Cord sent?”
My brows pulled together. “What? When did he send a picture?”
“When y’all first got there. You asshats had women hanging on you.”
It hit me then who she was talking about. “Oh, Christ. Are you talking about the ones who attacked us the moment we set foot in the casino? Yeah, we had to get security to come get them. That brunette you’re talking about was so drunk she could hardly stand.”
Waylynn took a few seconds before she responded. “Cord isn’t with one, is he?”
I laughed. “No. He’s smarter than that.”
“If he was smart, his ass wouldn’t be with any girl. Ugh. Men are so…so…so. Ugh!”
“Tell me how you really feel, babe.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“Why?”
“Because it pisses me off.”
“What doesn’t piss you off, Waylynn?”
“I’m hanging up on you, asshat!”
I laughed. Damn, this woman drove me insane. “Waylynn, before you hang up, will you let me say something?”
“You have twenty seconds starting now.”
Taking in a breath, I closed my eyes and said, “I didn’t mean what I said when I walked out of your office earlier.”
“Which part?”
“All of it. I’m not interested in being with anyone but you.”
Waylynn’s breath caught. If I was standing in the same room as her right now I would be able to see the wheels spinning in her head.
“Call me when you get back. We’ll talk.”
My heart leaped. “I’m catching a flight first thing tomorrow morning.”
Laughing, she replied, “Stay and have fun. Besides, I need someone to watch over my brother. I have a feeling that boy is trying to sow his wild oats. Something in the water in Oak Springs is making all my brothers fall in love.”
It wasn’t just the Parker brothers falling in love.
“I promise,” I said. “I’ll keep an eye on him.”
“It’s late, I better go.”
For the first time in weeks I felt like Waylynn was giving this—giving us—a chance. She’d only agreed to talk to me, but I knew that was all I needed to make her see we deserved a try.
“Sleep good, Waylynn.”
Her voice dropped to a slight whisper. “You too, Jonathon. Night.”
I closed my eyes and softly said, “Night.”
When the line went dead I blew out a breath and sat on the edge of the bed. Thank fuck. Lacing my fingers through my hair, I tossed my phone and headed toward the bathroom, pulling my shirt off in the process. An idea hit me, and I backtracked to the bed.
Reaching for my phone, I took a selfie and pulled up Waylynn’s name.
Me: You know, we could always have a bit of phone sex. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.
After attaching the photo, I hit send.