Page 15 of Parker

“Gladly.” The pretty brunette smiled wide.

He held Sydnee’s ocean-blue gaze a moment longer. She was sweet, smart, put him in his place when no one else would, and gorgeous as hell. On top of all that, Syd didn’t give two shits about the available balance in his checking account.

On paper, she was his perfect match in every way. Except one…

She isn’t Jinx.

The uninvited thought tore his focus away. Unwilling to let himself go down the insanity of that rabbit hole—he didn’t even really know the woman, for fuck’s sake—Parker picked up the bill their server had discretely placed on the table beside him earlier.

“I’m guessing it probably won’t do any good, but I can cover my half.”

“You’re right.” He slid a credit card out of his wallet and laid it on the silver tray with the thin strip showing what he owed. “It won’t do you any good.”

Minutes later, the bill was paid, and Parker and Sydnee were saying their goodbyes.

“Promise you won’t do anything crazy looking for this girl, Park.” Her big eyes pleaded with his as they stood by her valeted car. “If anything happened to you…”

“You kiddin’?” He pulled her in for a tight hug before separating them enough to see her face. “I’m invincible, baby.” A quick wink. “Like Superman.”

“Even Superman could be taken down by Kryptonite, Park. I’d hate for this Jinx woman to be yours.”

With another hug and a promise not to do anything reckless, Parker watched as Sydnee left for her new home. A home she shared with the man she loved.

I want that, too.

It was the second pause-inducing thought he’d had in less than twenty minutes. It was also the truth.

Parker did want what Syd and Ash had. And the other men on Charlie Team, for that matter. Trace, Kellan, Greyson, Rhys… if those guys could find their happily ever after, why the hell couldn’t he?

You can. You just have to know where to look.

And wasn’t that the crux of his whole fucking problem?

Grinding his back teeth together, Parker waited as the valet pulled up in his 2005 Bugatti Veyron. A kid who barely looked sixteen climbed out from behind the wheel, his eyes widening with excitement as he handed Parker the keys.

“Here are your keys, Mr. Collins. And…” He glanced around and lowered his voice as if to keep from being overheard. “I know we’re not supposed to act like we know the customers, or even talk to them, really…but I have to tell you…I am ahugefan of your work. I have every game you’ve ever designed, and I’ve beat all the levels multiple times.”

In a seamless transition, Parker donned the image his public expected to see. “That’s cool, man.” Parker shook the kid’s trembling hand. “Thanks.”

“Oh, no. Thankyou.” The kid made no move to let go of his hand. “Seriously. I know it sounds stupid, but your games got me through high school. I wasn’t very popular.” He chuckled nervously. “Sports were never really my thing. I’m clearly not the biggest guy out there, so…yeah. I got picked on a lot.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Hey, what’s your name?”

“Trent.” The kid shook his hand again. “Trent Shipman.”

“Good to meet you, Trent. And hey…you’re not the only one who got picked on as a kid.”

Trent’s brown eyes grew even wider. “You? Really?”

“True story.” It really was.

“Oh, shit…sorry.” Trentfinallylet go of his hand. “But wait, I thought I read where you’d gone to some fancy private school somewhere.”

“I did.” Parker nodded. “Money doesn’t make people nice, Trent. In fact, it usually has the opposite effect.”

“So the kids at your school were assholes, too, huh?” Trent smirked.

Parker matched it with one of his own. “Massive assholes.”

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