Page 8 of The Problem with Playboys

Three

It had been half a day since her conversation with Parker, and Chloe was already questioning her decision to take him on as a client. She’d let her desire to be right get in the way of what was actually right—not becoming professionally involved with the son of the man who broke her mother’s heart. Why did she do things like this? Why did she let her ego get in the way? Yes, she’d enjoyed getting the slightest bit even with Parker. And yes, it had been pure bliss to hear him say that he needed her help. But she hadn’t really taken the time to think out the true ramifications of her choice.

Parker was set to arrive any minute and Chloe was having an unpleasant moment of clarity as Forrest prepared for the meeting in her office. Her mother was going to be furious with her. Eliza Burnett was not a woman who amicably walked away from a relationship, let alone a marriage. There was no “let’s be friends” in her world. Either a man was in love with her and arranged his entire world accordingly, or the door was shut, the lock was turned and the key was thrown into a fire to melt and harden into a hunk of worthless metal.

“Ms. Burnett, do you need me to stay through your meeting?” Forrest carefully set out copies of Chloe’s proposal on the low coffee table in her office’s more casual seating area, which featured a chic pale gray sofa and two white upholstered side chairs. Chloe wondered if this was the right setting for their dinner strategy session, but it was the end of the day, she was beat and the thought of sitting in a formal meeting room was less than appealing.

“No, it’s fine. I’ve got the plan ready to go. I’m just fine-tuning it with Mr. Sullivan. If I need anything from you, it can wait until tomorrow.”

Forrest went to work setting out napkins for dinner, along with a small ice bucket filled with various beverages. “Can I be honest with you about this Marcus Grant situation?”

“Of course.”

He took in a deep breath like he needed to bolster his confidence. “It might not be the worst thing in the world that the man lost a pile of money in a card game, but the ownership in Miami is ruthless. He’s going to need to jump through some serious hoops to convince them he’s worth the trouble.”

“I forgot that you follow football.”

“Especially Miami. They’re my dad’s favorite team and it’s our one go-to topic of conversation since my mom passed away. It helps us stay connected. He’s the only parent I have left. I want to be close to him.”

Chloe loved Forrest’s generous nature and was dismayed at her own lack of it. Her mom was her only living parent. Her dad had passed away when she was young. Why hadn’t it been Chloe’s first reaction to simply tell Parker no? Why hadn’t she told him to hire another crisis management firm? Of course, she knew the real answer, but it wasn’t something she cared to say out loud. She couldn’t stop proving herself. It was this compulsion that lived deep inside her. Parker had said terrible things about her career. She couldn’t pass up the chance to prove him wrong.

Forrest’s phone beeped with a text. “Looks like Mr. Sullivan just walked through security downstairs.”

Chloe’s stomach flipped, an immediate reaction to what was on the line with her new client. There was so much that could go wrong. She might fail to rescue Marcus’s reputation. Her mom might freak out about her working with Parker. Even worse, she could easily meet both fates. “I’ll meet him in reception.”

“I’ll grab your dinner out of the fridge.”

She patted Forrest on the shoulder, even though he was so tall that she had to reach pretty high. “Thank you for being straight up with me about Marcus. I appreciate your insight.”

He smiled. “It’s no problem.”

“Lots of people wouldn’t have the courage to do that, though. And you continue to prove yourself invaluable. My entire work life would fall apart without you.”

Forrest arched both eyebrows at her, but the blush that fell across his cheeks was unmistakable. “You’re going to give me a big head, Ms. Burnett.”

“I doubt that’s even possible.” Chloe walked out of her office and down the hall to reception. The elevator dinged just as she arrived. Parker stepped off the elevator, and she was surprised to see him in the state he was in. Most of her clients arrived looking bedraggled, beaten down by the crisis they couldn’t escape. But not Parker. His stride was confident, his half smile self-assured, perfectly framed by his dark facial scruff. It was the end of the day and his midnight blue suit looked as though he’d just come from the tailor—not a wrinkle in sight. His white shirt was still crisp, and the contrast between the two fabrics brought out the mystery in his eyes. On the surface, he seemed like a pretty open book—fearless, handsome man with the world by the throat—but there was something unknown behind the storm of blue and gray in his eyes.

“Hey there,” Chloe said, realizing her tone was a bit too soft given the circumstances.

“Hey. Thanks for meeting with me.” He shook her hand, locked eyes on her and, unless she was imagining things, he pulled her closer.

A zip of heat sizzled through her and she stepped back. Why was she feeling like this? If ever a man had been on her personal no-fly list, it was Parker. She needed to get her head on straight. “Let’s go to my office and get started.”

“Please. Lead the way.”

Chloe did exactly that, keenly aware of his presence as they made their way down the wide corridor. She had to wonder how this meeting would have been different if they’d known each other earlier in their parents’ marriage. Would they be comfortable with each other by now? Or would it have made it even more awkward?

The instant she stepped into her office, she questioned her choice of meeting location. The view of the city was spectacular from her office windows, and at this time of night, the glimmer of lights against the dark night sky was beautiful. But it was a little too appealing. Romantic. Sexy, even. “Please. Have a seat.”

“I’m going to get comfortable if that’s okay with you.” Parker didn’t wait for an answer, strolling past her until he stood in front of the sofa. One by one, he rolled his shoulders out of his suit coat. It all seemed to happen in slow motion as he draped it over the back of a chair, unbuttoned the cuffs of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves, revealing a pair of incredible forearms with a careful folding of the fabric. Next went the tie as he tugged at the knot and zipped it down and out from his collar.

Chloe knew what came next—the button on his shirt. Hopefully it wasn’t about to be buttons, plural, but Parker was a wild card, a complete unknown. She averted her eyes and shook her head.Get your act together, Chloe.

Luckily it was over quickly. Unfortunately it was two buttons. He sat and draped one arm along the back of the sofa. “Much better.”

She truly was not used to seeing a client so calm and collected. People came to her when their lives were falling apart. “Great. My admin will be in with dinner any minute. I ordered from M Sushi.”

“Really? It’s my favorite.”