Page 39 of Reckless Encounters

Missy Elliot's raspy voice blasts through the speakers as I wipe the loan tear that escaped from the corner of my eye.

Another chuckle passes through Parker’s lips. Thank God. My broken heart needed to hear that.

“This takes me back to some sweaty college dance floor, lots of grinding and girls thinking they could rap like Missy.” Parker smiles lightly.

“I was totally one of those girls.”

“No doubt in my mind. And I’ve seen you dance, so I know every dude in there was trying to get a minute of your time.”

I giggle at his compliment. “Luckily, if I wasn’t in the mood, I had two guard dogs on standby. Quinn was my girlfriend multiple times, and Sloan would just give them a speech about respect.”

“I can see that. I’m not sure which of them is scarier.”

The girls would appreciate that.

“Now what makes The Parker Cole happy? I promise not to tell your secrets at work.”

Humming, he smiles to himself as he thinks. “Top secret… but ‘Pocket Full of Sunshine’ is my go-to when I’m by myself.”

I stare at him for a second before I bust out laughing again, pissing everyone in first class off. “Oh my gosh, that’s the best thing I’ve heard all year. Are you serious? I can picture it now.”

He laughs with me before confessing, “Fuck no, Av. That’s actually my in-the-shower song.”

I’ve never seen him like this, and all these different sides of Parker are just making it harder not to like him. He’s showing me what’s behind that asshole exterior, and I’m greedy for more.

“You want the truth?” he asks, pinching my arm.

I nod eagerly, and he scrolls through some pictures on his phone before he pulls up his Spotify yearly report from last year.

“Unforgettable” was his number one played song. I swallow thickly at the realization of what he’s showing me.

That’s the song I was dancing to that night at Masqued when he watched me from across the room. The desire in his eyes had me wanting him more than I had ever wanted anything else. I didn’t care who he was or how much of an asshole he had been to me…I wanted him. Plain and simple.

Too bad it's not so plain and simple now.

“What made you accept my invite that night?” I ask the question I’ve been wondering for quite some time. What made him change his mind? I was fully prepared for him not to show considering how easily he dismissed me the first time we met, but I was too turned on by him watching me all night not to try.

Parker finishes off the liquor in his glass. “The same reason you did.”

Undeniable, indescribable chemistry.

When we land at JFK, of course Parker insists on having his driver drop me off. I don’t even fight him at the demand. He is still a bossy asshole, but after that plane ride, he suddenly feels more friend than foe.

Once we are settled into the blacked-out SUV, I turn off my airplane mode, wanting to check in on Quinn.

“Checking to see if Logan is begging for forgiveness?” Parker asks, hard-set jaw back in place.

There he is.

“For your information, I asked him to please stop calling me and to meet me for lunch on Monday to save our working relationship.”

My phone vibrates over and over in my hand, and concern takes over my senses as I block out whatever smart comment Parker retorts with.

To my surprise, it’s not Sloan or Quinn’s names filling up my screen, but my neighbor Ben and my grandmother. Oh shit, is Binx okay?

I immediately listen to the voicemail Ben left me an hour ago.

“Ava, uh, hi sorry. Uh—Yeah, I have some bad news… I’m so sorry, if I hadn’t of stayed out all night, maybe it wouldn’t have been so bad…. They are saying a pipe busted, and not only did it flood my place, but yours too. It’s uh—it's pretty bad. I’m so sorry, beautiful. Binx is okay. He is on the top of his cat house and wouldn’t come out for me. I think you are coming back today, but if not, I’ll try again. Just didn’t want to traumatize him more. I did put his food and water bowl up top.”

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