Page 36 of The Problem with Playboys

“You sure?”

“I don’t understand the question.”

He pulled a knee up onto the bed and peered even more seriously into her eyes. “You aren’t freaking out. I sort of expected you to panic this morning. Jump out of bed and start gathering your clothes in a hurry, telling me you had a lot you had to do today.”

Her normal reaction to most things Parker accused her of was to deny, deny, deny. But he wasn’t wrong about this. She felt no need to race out the door. Waking up in Parker’s bed in New York wasnotlike it had been in Miami. What had made the difference? It was only a week later, and the other obstacles between them had not changed.Last night made the difference.“I’m just going to be totally honest about this, okay?”

“Please.”

“Being with you at the fundraiser last night made me see you in a very different light.”

“Plenty of people with money are involved with charities.”

“It’s more than that, though. You don’t just contribute or raise money. You give with time and effort. Writing a big check takes very little effort. It’s not so easy to show up in a real way. A way that requires commitment.”

He granted her a fragment of a grin, but he also let out a doubtful laugh. “I think you’re giving me too much credit.”

“I’m not. Believe me. In my line of work, I see lots of people do performative charity work. Show up for a photo op or make a big deal about a donation. You don’t do any of those things. If anything, you’re entirely too humble about it.”

“You’re reading too much into it.”

“I don’t think I am. You know, everyone in this city loves to paint you as just another wealthy, arrogant, hopelessly handsome guy. But I’m starting to think that’s all an act.”

“The handsome part is not an act. I come by that naturally.” He bounced both eyebrows at her.

Chloe laughed and the next thing she knew, Parker tackled her, pushing her back on the mattress, then rolling to his back so she was lying on top of him.

“I want you,” he said.

“I have coffee breath.”

“Don’t care.” He kissed her softly, digging his fingers into her hair.

She thought she might pass out, even though she was in a prone position. “Last night was amazing.”

“It was.”

“I can’t believe what we did in the hall.” She dropped her head, still feeling a bit embarrassed.

“You’re not much for public displays of affection?” He threaded his fingers through her hair.

“That was not PDA. I’m pretty sure that was a misdemeanor.”

“It was fun, though. Super fun.” He kissed her again. “I love watching you come.”

She hated that it was her immediate response, but she blushed. She’d never been with a guy who was such an open book when it came to sex, a man who was so at ease with talking about it. Chloe had never been a talker, especially when it came to intimacy. She’d always been wound too tight, too afraid she was going to do the wrong thing or get hurt. Parker was pulling at her strings, slowly loosening the ties that bound her up and kept her life manageable. Under any other circumstances, this might be a terrifying thought. But his laid-back, capable manner took the edge off that fear. If she added in the temptation of being with him, he was pretty damn impossible to resist.

Just then, an unfamiliar sound came from somewhere in the room. A yap. A bark? “What was that?” she asked.

Parker smiled. “Blue, are you jealous?” he asked.

Now Chloe was even more confused. “Blue?”

“That’s my dog. Hold on.” He shifted out from under Chloe and scooted to the edge of the bed, where he leaned over and reached down to the floor. He rolled back over and plopped an adorable dark gray bulldog in front of Chloe. “Meet Blue.”

The dog sat, looking back and forth between Parker and her, quirking its ears and seeming unsure of what to do.

“It’s okay.” He scratched the dog behind its ears. “Chloe won’t bite.”