Page 6 of Steamy Dunk
"When you moved in?"
Parker had to think a bit. Days sometimes run into each other when you're on the road for games all the time. "Two weeks ago maybe."
"Sure, we'll do that."
"OK, but I was on the road this week."
Violet scrunched her face up in frustration. "Everyone there knows that too, right?" Parker nodded. "No biggie. People start new relationships all the time and there are plenty of ways to stay in touch even if you're on the road."
A sly smile spread across Parker's face. "True."
"No dick pics though!" she quickly added. "We haven't been dating that long and you are a gentleman."
Parker couldn't help but continue to smile at her and she let a bit of her cool exterior shine back at him. This would work and it wouldn't be that bad.
The car finally pulled up to The Cheshire Cat with the front of the restaurant decorated with some banners with the name of the children's hospital and some balloons or something. He wasn't really paying attention as he slid out of the seat and then turned back to help Violet out of the car.
Her red high heels were bright in the dark night and that green dress shimmered as she stepped out. He never would've thought the woman in the pajama pants and messy bun this morning could end up looking like this.
There's no way this could go bad when he had someone like Violet with him tonight.
Chapter Three
Was it wrong that Violet was having a good time with Parker? And was it wrong if she wanted to think of it as a date?
She noticed the way he looked at her when he saw her in the lobby earlier that night and it definitely wasn't the look a guy would give her if he just needed a date to something.
She noticed the way he helped her out of the car, his eyes lingering on her red high heels before traveling up her bare leg. Yeah, this green dress had a high slit in it and she liked it that way, especially when she got a look like that.
And when they walked through the crowd, she saw how he kept an eye on her or put his hand on her back to steer in a certain direction.
Of course, she also couldn't help but keep an eye on him too. It wasn't that hard when he was a basketball player and one of the tallest people in the room.
There was a point when they were standing at the bar waiting for their drinks when his eyes narrowed a bit as he took in the unique mirror behind the bar that refracted the light at different angles instead of being a typical flat mirror.
"You didn't do that mirror, did you?"
She looked up at him -- way up at him. "Sort of. I had the idea, but it was made by a local glass company."
She watched the smile spread across his face as he continued to stare at it. "I think it's my second favorite thing here."
"Only second? What's your first?"
Violet was expecting him to say the purple velvet wallpaper or the huge chandelier she had picked out that makes for a dramatic entrance when you walk in.
Instead, he looked down and gave her a huge smile with a look in his eyes that made them almost sparkle in the light.
Oh. Oh, wow. Was she his favorite thing there?
Before she could ask him though, the bartender interrupted them with their drinks and the moment was gone.
But it nagged at her throughout the night. She wondered if he really meant that she was his favorite thing there or perhaps it was just his way of flirting with her. Even just flirting with her was enough though for tonight.
Really, all of this was enough for tonight. She never expected any of it when she went downstairs to get her packages this morning and yet here she was. It was a bit much and a bit totally perfect.
Parker introduced her to his friends and they didn't seem to pry or ask too many questions, which was fine because it helped with their cover. After all, she definitely didn't know what they were even for tonight and didn't want to answer anything beyond that.
And then there was the way he introduced her to some friends of his. Tyler was another player on his team, which was pretty obvious when Violet noticed how tall he was. His wife, Shalee, seemed kind and welcoming until Parker explained who Violet was.
