Page 130 of Forbidden Game

I squeeze her hand. “If I could take over the world, I’d hand it over to you. Because you rule every breath I take, every thought I think.”

“Are you getting sappy on me, Parker Covington?”

“Only when it comes to you, love.”

She chuckles, and with it, my worries bleed away. My body sinks into the plush mattress, and my heart beats in time with hers. The stress that’s been coursing through me dissipates, and exhaustion is left in its place. My lids turn heavy as I finally let myself shut down.

“Thank you, Sydney.”

“Always, Parker.”

TWENTY-FIVE

PARKER

“Stop pushing me.” I elbow Aleks as we descend the stairs of my private jet.

“You stop pushing me.” He elbows back.

“Seriously, you’re holding everyone up.” Jackson shoves between the two of us.

My hand flies out to grip the railing so I don’t totally eat shit. Aleks stumbles down a step, but Sydney’s hand shoots out to grab him.

“Children, please,” she sighs.

I watch her ass she walks in front of us, her tight pencil skirt hugging her curves. I start to follow her, but Deer bounds down the steps, jumping off the last one and miraculously landing on her sky-high heels.

“Come on, move your booty.” Lee uses her knee to nudge mine.

I pound down the remaining steps onto the runway. I not-so-accidentally clip Jackson with my backpack as I stroll to Sydney. He gives me a glare and I grin, throwing my arm around her shoulders.

She looks up at me with a smile. “Hi.”

“Hi.”

I drop a kiss on her cheekbone, and her smile grows before she looks back down at her tablet. She continues to type away, checking in on everything for the championship.

It takes a few minutes for all our luggage to get unloaded—especially Deer’s forty-ton custom pink Louis Vuitton suitcase. The girl is just as bad as me, not that I’d tell anyone.

Four black SUVs roll to a stop. Security files out and opens the doors to the middle two vehicles for us to pile into.

Lee and Deer jump into the first one. Jackson jumps into the passenger seat of the one behind it, and Aleks and I follow suit, getting in the back. I hold my hand out for Sydney.

“Syd, come hang with us!” Lee calls, waving her hand out the door of her car.

Sydney’s stormy eyes bounce between the vehicles.

“It’s fine,” I reassure her, kissing her hand before letting it go. “You can make it up to me tonight.”

“Okay,” she snorts.

I smile as she jogs to her best friend, but my view is cut off by the chest of a leggy brunette pushing into my face, a dove necklace swaying off her neck.

“’Scuse me.”

Stevie shoves her way into the car, her manicured hand digging into my shoulder as she forces herself between Aleks and me. When her bum is firmly on the seat between us, she hooks one of her legs over Aleks. “Thanks.” She grins at me.

I rub my shoulder. “Yeah, no problem.”

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