Page 32 of Parker

As if suddenly realizing she’d fallen asleep, she shot straight up in her seat and swung her head wildly in both directions.

Parker opened his mouth with the intention of assuring her it was okay. That she was safe. But in that very same moment, the most beautiful, blue-green eyes he’d ever seen found his from behind the glass.

And just like that, everything else around him ceased to exist.

There was no longer a store full of food and patrons behind him. No other cars in the lot. Hunt and King had also vanished, along with every other living soul for as far as the eyes could see.

Everything around him was gone. Everything except…

Her.

A blanket of goosebumps fell around him, and this time it had nothing to do with the temperature. The unexplainable, exhilarating sensation filling his veins—filling his every fuckingcell—was something else altogether.

Their gazes remained locked; the shared moment more powerful than any he’d ever experienced. So powerful, Parker felt as if he’d just been struck by a giant bolt of lightning.

What the hell was that?

Never, not once in his thirty years, had Parker been knocked on his ass by the mere glance from a beautiful woman. Until now.

And then it hit him.

This is it. That moment Sydnee told you about after she and Ash first met.

Before he could even begin to think about what that meant, Jinx blinked and parted her lips, the subtle movements breaking the entrancing spell Parker had been under.

Say something, dumbass. You’re scaring her.

Realizing she was probably spooked by some strange man standing outside her car door, he threw both hands palms-up, praying she could see he meant her no harm.

“Jinx?” Parker purposely raised his voice so she could hear through the glass and metal barrier separating them. “It’s me. ByteMe69.”

A snorting sound came from his right, where Hunt and King were standing guard, but he ignored it.

In fact, he ignoredeverythingexcept the woman still staring up at him. The look on her face said she couldn’t believe what she was seeing.

Tell me about it, sweetheart.

When Jinx made no move to exit her vehicle, he tried a second time to convince her she was safe.

“You’re safe now, Jinx.” Parker pointed to the other two men standing nearby. “I don’t know if you can see them, but these are my friends, Christian and Brody. They’re both former military, and they work for a nationally known private security firm. When you’re ready, they’re going to take us both to a safe house here in the city.”

He waited patiently while Jinx tilted her head and leaned in closer, twisting her upper body in an effort to catch a glimpse of the two Delta men. When her trepidatious gaze returned to his, Parker felt the need to explain in greater detail.

“It’ll just be the two of us inside the house,” he promised. “But these guys will keep watch from the outside overnight. That way, you can relax and get a good night’s sleep without worrying about…whatever it is you’re worried about. We can worry about the rest in the morning. How does that sound?”

Jinx continued staring, those breathtaking eyes never leaving his. But still, she made no attempt to move.

A strong gust of wind flew past, and Parker instinctively began rubbing the exposed parts of his arms to stay warm. The apprehensive woman frowned, her light brown brows bunching together with obvious guilt.

Take your time, sweetheart. I’ll wait.

And he would have, too. For as long as it took. But as luck would have it, Jinx finally began to move.

Reaching for the control panel built into the door’s armrest, she pressed a button he couldn’t see and disengaged the locks. Pushing her door open, she used slow, cautious movements when getting out of the car.

Jinx shut the door behind her and straightened her spine. The tip of her tongue peeked out; a nervous swipe of her lips that damn near made him groan.

For the next several seconds, the two of them stood just like that, each silently taking the other in for the very first time. Parker didn’t dare look away for fear she’d disappear, and…

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