I sighed. “Yeah. I have a project I’m struggling with.”
“I think you need a break,” he said.
I smiled. “I can’t. I have to finish this up. I’m presenting on Monday.”
“It’s Saturday.”
“Technically, it’s Sunday,” I pointed out.
“Technically, I’m right in front of your door.”
“I’m not at home,” I said.
“I’m at your office door,” Parker said.
I blinked. “What?”
A knocking sounded at the door, and I stood and walked to the reception area. And there he was, at the other side of the glass door, leaning his bulk against it.
When I unlocked it for him, he grinned at me. He was almost blurry around the edges in the way he moved when he leaned in to kiss me. And when his lips brushed against mine he tasted like alcohol.
“I’ve been out drinking,” he said with a lopsided smile. “Do you mind?”
I shook my head. “How did you know I was here?”
“I didn’t; I was a block away when I called, and you said that.”
I smiled at him, and his eyes rested on my face. They were half-lidded, but it didn’t make Parker any less handsome. He looked incredible, as always. He’d always made me weak at the knees.
Now, he was dressed in chinos and a button-up shirt, with a long black coat over it that looked and felt expensive. Everything about him looked and felt expensive. But authentic too. Parker didn’t act like the other socialites I’d brushed shoulders with in the short time I’d worked with them through Essence Interiors. He was genuine. He didn’t act like someone with a lot of money, flaunting his wealth and his status in my face. He was just ... himself.
I gestured toward my office for him to follow me. He walked closely behind me, and the scent of his cologne, mixed with the faint hint of alcohol, was intoxicating.
In my office, Parker looked around.
“This is where the magic happens?” he asked.
I blushed, embarrassed.
“It’s not much,” I said. “It’s really bland and boring, and a total failure for a design office. I know that. But it’s all I can afford right now. And I don’t usually bring clients here.” My cheeks burned hot when I remembered Parker wasn’t just someone I wanted to share my personal life with; he was a client too. “One day, that will change. As soon as the business expands, and I can afford a better space I’ll decorate, and it will be like a portfolio piece in itself. It’s just ... it doesn’t mean I can’t do what I do best.”
Parker shook his head and stepped closer. He stood right up against me, so close that a sigh would push us together, and he brushed my hair out of my face. His eyes were deep and dark, and he stared into my soul with dilated pupils.
“I think you’re perfect.”
My cheeks burned hotter, but this time, I blushed at his compliment. He kissed me, and I melted against him. The touch of his lips was enough to let me forget about everything I’d been working on and be set alight.
After a moment, Parker broke the kiss. I was out of breath, getting hot and bothered by his closeness. He was so damnhot, and after we’d been together twice now, I wanted more of him.
I wanted all of him.
“What are you working on?” Parker asked.
I blinked at him. Right, he wanted to know about my work. I tried to shake off the lust that blossomed in my chest and cleared my throat. I turned to the desk and reached for the tablet.
“It’s a living room, formal, and then a family room with the same idea but like a cozy lounge instead. So, it’s a bit of a double-project, but also not really.” I flipped through the sketches and concepts I’d come up with, the tablet on the desk in front of me so that Parker could see too.
He stood behind me and looked over my shoulder. His hand rested lightly on my waist, and I was aware of how close he was. His warmth seeped through his clothes, his muscular form looming over me, making me feel small and delicate under his large capable hands.