“Fuck,” Parker muttered as his mobile rang again. Arthur had been calling him all morning. God only knew what had rattled the old man now.
Adding to the craziness and stress of his new role was Emmaline. Monday night had ended up abruptly when he’d told her to mind her own business about his family. Not his finest moment, admittedly. It’s rude but, more importantly, it also showed that she affected him. He’d been trying not to acknowledge that fact, but rocking up to a woman’s house with wine in his hand and his head in the clouds wasn’t normal. It was a little too easy to get hooked on the way she made him feel. With her, he wasn’t Parker the CEO. Or Parker the evil brother. Or Parker the heir to the Wentworth fortune.
He was simply himself, a guy who loved running, food, and making his girl feel good.
His girl.
It was a quiet fantasy, one that came to him in whispers and the barest of flashes. What if Emmaline could be his girl?
He’d sworn off relationships because he didn’t trust—couldn’t trust. On the few occasions he’d tried, it’d always blown up in his face. He was too bossy, too distant, too emotionally unavailable. Work had always come first, because that was the area of his life where control was a good thing. Where he could fulfill those urges without being called a prick.
But Emmaline’s immediate and strong reaction to his comment about Mark had chipped away at his resolve. She’d made it clear he was the only man in her life, even though they hadn’t laid down any ground rules.
Maybe he could trust her.
“Parker?” Mercy’s voice came through the intercom. “I know you said to clear your afternoon but—”
“I’m not seeing anyone, Mercy. I’ve got too much to do.” He felt bad for snapping, but his nerves were more frayed than normal.
That’s what you get for letting emotions interfere where they don’t belong.
“Your father is here,” Mercy replied. Her tone told him that not only was Arthur in the office, but he was standing right in front of her. “Can I send him through?”
Mercy had been Arthur’s assistant for a year after getting promoted to the position when her previous boss resigned. That meant she knew what kind of a man Arthur Wentworth was. If she didn’t grant him access, he’d storm in anyway.
So, her request was more of a warning.
“Fine.” Parker took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
A moment later Arthur Wentworth walked in, dressed as though he was still active CEO and not a retiree. Parker had wondered on occasion if Arthur had come out of the womb wearing a three-piece suit.
“Son.” Arthur extended his hand. “Good to see you.”
Parker forced himself to accept the handshake and didn’t hold back on tightening his grip. “What’s so important that it couldn’t wait?”
“You’ve got a good handshake. Solid. Dependable.” Arthur nodded, completely ignoring the question. He headed toward the cabinet that contained a pitcher of water and two glasses. “I taught you well.”
“Please, help yourself,” Parker said drily as his father poured himself a drink. “But make it quick. I have a company to run.”
“And pockets to fill.” Arthur smiled. “I appreciate you taking the time to see me.”
Like he had a choice. “Why are you here?”
“I wanted to have a quick discussion about the dinner invitation.”
Parker raked a hand through his hair. “And that’s worth interrupting my valuable work time?”
“It’s about Irene and Beau.”
His throat tightened at the name of Arthur’s former mistress and son. “What about them?”
“I understand that you feel strongly about what happened when I left your mother.”
For a moment, Parker felt like he’d had the wind knocked out of him. Other than a screaming match right after it’d happened, they hadn’t spoken about it. Instead he’d shipped off to Boston and had done his best to freeze the old man with a cold shoulder from all the way across the globe.
But now Arthur was forcing his hand.
“I have strong feelings about what happened before that.” There was no controlling his emotion now. Not about this.
Arthur sipped his water slowly. He wasn’t a man afraid of silence. In fact, he often used it to his advantage by challenging himself to see if he could get his opponent to break. He’d taught Parker that in the seventh grade.
Don’t be afraid of silence, son, he’d said. It can be your biggest strategy, because other people will fill the void. They’ll tell you things they had no intention of saying.
Parker held his tongue and let the silence stretch on and on.
“I know I did the wrong thing,” Arthur said eventually, rolling the glass between his hands. They were more worn now, the skin weathered with age. “But I’d rather you take your anger out on me. It’s not their fault.”
“Because your mistress didn’t know you were married while she was screwing you?” Anger bubbled up anew, the pain sharp and raw as if he’d cut open an old wound. “There are pictures of you and Mum here at parties, on charity days, at the annual ball. Don’t try and tell me she had no idea you were a married man.”
“She did, and she was the one who tried to put a stop to it. But it was me. I pursued her relentlessly.”
His lip curled. “Very reassuring. But it doesn’t make a difference to the outcome.”
Arthur hung his head. “I was the one who hurt you all, and I want to take full responsibility for that.”
“I don’t understand how telling me this changes anything.”
Arthur sighed, his shoulders—which had once seemed so huge that they might be able to carry the whole world—sagged. “I know I’m not good at talking about these kinds of things, but I want you to come to the dinner next week. If not for me, do it for Syd and Ian and Beau.”
Parker turned and looked out of the huge window that faced the water. The day was running out, early evening light sparkling like gold flecks on the river’s surface. So picturesque. He’d missed Australia while he lived in Boston—missed the quirky little cafés, the strong coffee, the broad accent, and the weather. But he hadn’t missed facing his demons.
“Why did you come home?”
Parker sucked in a breath and let it out slowly, counting the beats of his heart until he could suppress the emotion rising up the back of his throat. “I want our name to mean something good again. I want people to see us and think of how successful our company is, rather than associating us with scandal.”
“I don’t give a damn what people think.” Arthur spoke quietly but his voice was white hot. “I care about my wife and my children.”
Parker stopped himself from asking which wife, because he already knew the answer, and hearing it aloud would further drive a wedge between them.
“I know you hate me for what I did, and I don’t blame you,” Arthur said. “If I could go back and do things properly, I would. Believe me.”
“You wouldn’t have left us?”
“Firstly, I left my marriage, but I never left you or Syd or Ian. I love Irene, and I have for a long time. But I wish I’d done the respectable thing and ended my marriage before being with her.”
Parker didn’t know how to feel about that. Honesty was something he valued, but here it was a thorn in his side. Like picking at a scab that hadn’t properly healed. “Right.”
“And I wish I’d never put you kids through all that pain.”
“Seems I’m the only one who was adversely affected by it.” Parker swallowed against the bitter taste in his mouth.
“You think Sydney didn’t give me hell? It took her years to forgive me.”
“That’s not how it sounds when she talks to me,” Parker said.
“Well, she refused to come to the new house at first. Refused to have anything to do with Beau. But she came around, eventually. Ian, well…” The old man sighed. “He worries about his own problems. But they made their opinions heard, don’t worry ab
out that.”
He wasn’t sure he believed it. “Two out of three isn’t bad odds. I’d put money on that.”
“Edw—Parker.” Only his father could make his name sound like a knife to the heart. “Tell me what I need to do to make things right.”
“There’s nothing you can do. Just because you offer an apology doesn’t mean I have to accept it.” He walked over to the door and held it open. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have work to do.”
Arthur paused in front of him, his hazel eyes flanked by more lines than Parker remembered. “Hanging on to all that anger doesn’t make you a strong person.”
“No, but hanging on to my morals does.”
“I understand,” he said. “I won’t bother you again.”
As Arthur walked out of the office, Parker held himself totally still. Emmaline’s words swirled in his head. The olive branch will go away eventually. As much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He wasn’t ready to forgive and forget the past, but maybe he could still save his relationship with Sydney and Ian.
Chapter Fifteen
Emmaline had avoided Parker since Wednesday, unsure of how to broach the topic of Mark’s assignment and the fact that she’d withdrawn her ASTAR application. But her procrastination had a deadline. Six p.m. Friday, which was ten minutes from now. She had an hour to talk about the employee engagement campaign and how she planned to help Parker turn staff perception around. The meeting reminder dinged on her computer, sending her pulse racing. Why did it feel like she was coming to a crossroad?
Or maybe it was more that she’d dug a hole and now she found herself in too deep. With no rope or ladder or rescue squad to haul her out.
You’re worrying about nothing. This is real life, not a daytime drama. He’s not secretly trying to manipulate you.
She gathered up her things and made her way through the office. Everyone else appeared to be in a rush to leave while she felt like she was marching toward the end. The tenth floor was still reasonably full. Six p.m. was probably lunchtime for the executives.
Emmaline found Mercy sitting at her desk, a smile ready as she approached.
“Here for the six o’clock?” Mercy’s eyes darted toward Emmaline with an uncontained curiosity.
“Yep. We’re meeting about the employee engagement campaign,” Emmaline said, hoping that her cheerfulness didn’t sound as false out loud as it did in her head. “Parker said he wanted to run through the first round of staff messages that we’re planning to send out next week.”
“He’s giving you more time than anyone else in the company,” Mercy replied with a slight raise of her brow. “I’m sure the CTO would love to know your secret.”
Wouldn’t everyone? Luckily for Parker, Emmaline wasn’t the kiss-and-tell type. Well, except where she got caught out, unfortunately.
Mental note: work on your poker face.
“I’m glad that Mr. Wentworth has taken such an interest in the work we’re doing in Human Resources. It’s not always the most exciting topic for execs because we’re often seen as a money pit, but our people really are the heart and soul of the company.”
“Yes, good point.” Mercy had turned back to her computer halfway through Emmaline’s rah-rah HR spiel, exactly as she’d hoped. “Employees are definitely important.”
A few minutes later Mercy gave her the nod, and Emmaline smoothed her free hand down the front of the shell-pink dress she’d chosen especially for this meeting. The shade enhanced the tan she’d acquired from her morning runs, and while the hemline was modest, the bottom portion of the skirt was made of thick mesh that showed the outline of her thighs if you were close enough to see through it. Which Parker would be.
She hesitated at the edge of his office—a memory flickering across her mind. Many times during her marriage she’d been in this position, timidly hovering in the doorway. Waiting to see if her husband would take his bad mood out on her for not cooking what he wanted for dinner, for not having his favorite shirt pressed when he needed it. For any other mundane thing she did that wasn’t good enough.
Sucking in a breath, she walked in and closed the door behind her.
Instead of staying at his desk, Parker came over, his fluid strides full of power and confidence. Something about him seemed different today. There was a hint of stubble along his jaw, a shadow that gave him a subtle edginess. He’d stripped off his tie and popped the button at the collar of his shirt, as well as rolled his sleeves back to reveal a heavy silver watch and strong forearms.
Even his hair wasn’t its usual perfectly styled self. There was an extra kink to it, a mussed quality that made it look as though he’d run his fingers through it repeatedly.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Fine.” His eyes were blank as an empty canvas, revealing nothing.
But the lack of information told her something—he was stressed. No doubt his family issues would be weighing on him…but there was something else going on. She could feel it in her bones. Perhaps he was still angry at her for pushing the issue on Monday night.
Curiosity gnawed at her. “You sure?”
“Yeah,” he said in a way that did nothing to dissuade her concerns.
She found herself wanting to comfort him. Wanting to let him know everything would be okay, although such a promise would have about as much substance as marshmallow, since she had no idea what was going on.
Unable to stop herself, she went to him. Her hands found the contours of his chest, in that glorious way that was starting to feel comfortable and familiar.
Her fists curled into his shirt, rumpling the crisp fabric. The sight satisfied her down to her core. She loved seeing Parker’s polished image being peeled back, if nothing more than to prove that he was as human as her.
“Really?” The deep, smoothness of his voice made her heart skip. “That’s how you’re going to play this?”
“Thought it might be more effective than asking questions.”
He smirked. “I thought we were supposed to be talking about work.”
“I want to make sure that everything is okay. You uh…left in a hurry the other night.”
Parker’s expression softened, and he brushed the hair back from her face. “I did. Things got a little…real.”
Real. Like she needed the reminder that she was screwing up casual sex. “Sorry about that, I—”
“Stop.” His hands smoothed up and down her back, holding her to him. “You were honest with me, and I acted like a dick because I didn’t want to talk about it.”
She shook her head. “It wasn’t any of my business.”
“Maybe so. But I shouldn’t have left like that.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed, tension pulling at the edges of his mouth. Even stressed and tired, he was hotter than sin. His rich hazel eyes bore into her with a depth that took hold of her heart and held it tight. When Parker looked at her like that she felt more alive than she ever had before, more present…more desired.
“I’ve decided to go to the dinner,” he said with a nod, as though confirming it with himself.
Emmaline made a soft hmm noise. “Why’d you change your mind?”
“I thought you might have had a point.”
“Might have?” She raised a brow.
“I’m not ready to forgive Arthur yet, but I’m also not willing to close the door permanently. Maybe he was in…maybe he did care for her.” His face bunched up as though he’d sucked on something sour.
“You can say the L word, Parker. It won’t give you germs.”
“How do you know? Those words are highly contagious. I’m surprised there’s not a vaccine.”
“How do you feel about going to the dinner?” she probed. His pause was filled with the quiet hum of the office—the whir of air conditioning, the soft click of heels walking past his door. Little signs the world was still revolving despite it feeling like they were in their own private bubble.
“Apprehensive,” he replied after a mome
nt. “There’s a lot of water under the bridge, and I know Sydney and Ian don’t understand why I’m still angry.”
“It must be hard feeling like they don’t care as much you do.”
“I want them to accept that I feel differently.”
“Have you thought about how they feel?” She rested her head on his shoulder. “I used to get stuck between my sister and our mother all the time growing up. Gracie was a free spirit even though she tried to play by the rules, and they fought all the time. I was always smoothing things over and trying to keep the peace.”
“You sound like Sydney.” His soft laugh blew warm air over the top of her ear.
Why did this all have to be so complicated? It’d started out simple—attraction. Sex. Exploration.
But now she was attached. She’d come here with the intention of having a meeting and finding out if he’d sent Mark away for the wrong reasons, but she’d wound up in his arms again. Only this time it wasn’t about sex—they weren’t making out or leading up to going home together. They were…talking. Comforting one another.
All things that didn’t belong in this arrangement, or whatever the hell it was.
There were still too many questions. But the second she opened those floodgates it might all be over. Was she ready to end things with Parker? For good?
You’ve already lost your chance at the ASTAR program—why not enjoy yourself for another night? You can find out the truth tomorrow.
But she couldn’t wait. Even without being truly sure which way she wanted things to fall, she had to know. If Parker had tried to manipulate her, then she’d have to break things off and be left with nothing—no job kudos and no bed partner. Right back at square one. The more frightening prospect was, however, the possibility that Parker was exactly as he appeared to be. Confident. Sexy. Perfect.
Except for the fact that he was staunchly against relationships. What was she supposed to do, hope that she held his attention until that changed? Or wait until he grew tired of her like Conrad had?
“What’s going on up here?” His thumb brushed her temple.
“We need to talk,” she said, stepping out of his grasp. “And I hope that you have enough respect for me not to lie.”
Taken by the CEO (The Scandalous Wentworths) Page 14
