“I’m sure they will.”
“They might show that video.”
“Yeah, it’s likely that they will.”
“But that’s bad, right?” Before I could respond, she went on, “What happens when we get back home? People are going to know that it was me on the video.”
“We knew that was a possibility. That’s why Billy had you wear a wig and use the filter.” I sat down next to her and slipped my arm around her waist. “And even if they do happen to show the video on the news, no one in Tennessee is going to care about a random chick who testified in a trial for some dude in California. Besides, you work in a strip club, babe. It’s dark with plenty of fucking distractions. No one is going to connect you to the girl on the news.”
“What about Marlowe and the other girls at the club?”
“You don’t have to worry about them, Parker. I told you, when it comes to the MC, we look out for one another—including the girls who work at the club.” I leaned over and kissed her softly, then said, “You don’t have anything to be concerned about, Parker.”
“I don’t know, Jared. I just am.”
“Okay, let’s say someone does happen to recognize you—which I find highly doubtful, and they happen to ask you about it. What are you gonna say?”
“I have no idea!”
“Well, think of something. Maybe you could agree with them and say you noticed the resemblance yourself. Just figure out what feels right and stick to it.”
“You really think that will work?”
“Yeah, as long as you believe it will.” I chuckled as I told her, “It’s been my experience that when you’re confident in what you say, people will buy it, even when it’s total bullshit.”
“Oh, that’s been your experience, huh?” Her eyebrow arched as she pushed, “Do tell.”
“Nothing to tell.” When Parker’s lips curled into a smile, I knew I’d done my job of easing her mind and putting her worries to rest. I lowered her back onto the bed, then hovered over her and teasingly added, “At least not without divulging sworn secrets.”
“Mm-hmm.” She giggled. “We can’t have that.”
“No, we cannot.”
I lowered my mouth to hers, and the simple touch of her lips set me on fire. I’d never felt such a hunger for a woman like I did with Parker, and from the way she kissed me back, there was no doubt she felt the same. I’d waited a lifetime for her, and now that I’d finally found her, I knew I’d never be able to let her go. She felt too good, too right. The scent of her skin, the warmth of her mouth, the feel of her body so close to mine made me want her even more. My hands made their way past the small of her back down to her perfect ass, where I pulled her even closer. A soft whimper escaped her lips as they parted, allowing me to kiss her deeper. Her arms wound around my neck, and we were both on the verge of losing every bit of restraint until we heard the sounds of pots and pans crashing in the kitchen. Parker quickly broke our embrace and looked to the door. “I should be helping Kiersten with dinner.”
“She said she had it covered.”
I dropped my mouth to her shoulder and began trailing kisses along her collarbone but stopped when she gave me a nudge. “Jared, we can’t be fooling around when she’s out there cooking for us.”
“Okay, okay.” I eased off her and grumbled, “You win.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you later tonight.”
When she got up from the bed and started adjusting her clothes, I asked, “So, what do you think of Kiersten?”
“She seems sweet, but there’s something about her.” Parker shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“Doesn’t sound like nothing.”
“Well, she is Billy’s daughter after all.”
“You’ve got a point there.”
She leaned down and gave me a quick kiss. “I better go give her a hand.”
“Okay, I’ll be out in a minute.” We both looked down at my throbbing erection, then I said, “Maybe two.”
“I guess I’ll have to make it up to the two of you then.”
“I’m gonna hold you to that.”
“I certainly hope so.”
Parker was smiling from ear to ear as she walked out of the bedroom and closed the door. Seeing her happy did something to me—made me feel things I’d never thought I would. I never thought I’d be one of those guys who fell in deep over a woman. Parker had me thinking I might’ve been wrong.
Parker
“Investigators have been working diligently to determine the identity of the remains from Thursday night’s car accident, and with the help of Michael Lowery, a California district attorney, and medical records, authorities have been able to determine that they belong to a young woman by the name of Parker Weston.” I was watching the news with bated breath, anxiously waiting to see which photo they would show during the report of the accident. Relief washed over me when an old picture from my high school yearbook appeared on the screen. Back then, I was a brunette with acne and braces, so it was unlikely that I would be recognized—especially since I was so far away from California. Jared came over and sat down on the sofa next to me, listening quietly as the reporter continued, “Ms. Weston was a key witness in the Lorenzo Rossi trial, which involved the murder of both her parents and her sister. Mr. Rossi’s appeal will begin in a few weeks, and Lowery is pushing for Weston’s previous testimony to be used in court, but it will be up to the judge to decide whether or not the testimony will be permissible.”
“Do you think the judge will allow it?”
“I can’t imagine why not,” Jared answered, sounding unsure. “He’d be a fool not to.”
“I was thinking the same.” I thought back to the reporter’s comments about the remains and became curious about what she was referring to. “What remains?”
“What?”
“The reporter mentioned remains and how they used medical records to determine it was me. How is that possible?”
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answers to, Parker.” He gave me a stern look and continued, “And trust me, you don’t want the answer to that. Just know that you’re one step closer to getting your life back.”
I wanted to push for a real response, but I could tell from Jared’s tone that I would just be wasting my breath. Besides, what was done was done. I could do nothing to change any of it, so I swept the questions to the back of my mind and tried to focus on the positive. “So, does this mean we can go home?”
“Home? Already?” Kiersten asked from behind us. “I didn’t realize you guys would be heading back so soon.”
“We’ve stayed longer than either of us planned.” Jared stood as he said, “And I’m sure Billy’s ready to get us out of his hair.”
“Actually, I think he’s enjoyed having you both here.”
“I don’t know about that,” I replied as I stood and walked over to her. “But I do know he’s enjoyed having you home for a few days.”