by Parker, Ali
“I will. Go. Scoot. I’ll be right here waiting when you get back.”
I was lucky she was an easygoing woman and didn’t mind spending another night in. Most women would be irritated by the boring evenings in. Not her. She embraced it. It was just another reason I was convinced she was the woman for me.
After my shower, I headed back to the living room and found the buffet of Chinese spread out along with plates, napkins, and cutlery. She’d even found a large bowl, filled it with ice, and stuck several beers in it.
She grinned when I walked in, standing up to greet me with a kiss. “I brought it all in here. Now you can sit here and not move for the rest of the night. I found the sequel to Hangover. Now sit, and let me hold your legs in my lap. I can rub you knee if that helps?”
I smiled and shook my head. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for this.”
“Thank you. Now, sit down and let’s dig in.”
It was another relaxing evening, eating in front of the TV until we were both sated. I was the one who dozed off. She woke me with a tender kiss. I sat up, finding the coffee table had been cleared. She took my hand and led me to my room. I anxiously climbed into bed, happy to hold her in my arms again.
I’d never been happier before in my entire life. She gave me such peace and comfort. I hated that it all ended tomorrow. She would go home, and I would be back to spending my nights alone. I pushed the thought to the side, choosing to live in the moment instead of worrying about the future.
I had right then, and that was where I was going to focus my energy.
Chapter 29
Sade
Trent gave me a boost up into the helicopter. Secretly, I was sure the extra boost was just an excuse for him to get his hands on my ass. He had a very cute, very flattering obsession with my ass. He took every opportunity to touch it, whether it was brushing his hand over it when he passed or giving it a hard squeeze for no rhyme or reason.
I took my seat and waited for him to climb in beside me. He leaned forward and said something to the pilot before settling in beside me and pulling me against him like he always did whenever we were close. The seats were plenty roomy, but he practically pulled me onto his lap. The man was handsy. I liked it.
The helicopter began to rise into the air. I stared at the ground below, already missing the little nest we had created in his house over the weekend. Maybe not such a little nest. A big, comfy, luxurious nest with everything we needed.
If only his nest were closer to mine.
I stared out the window, trying to reconcile my life right then to my life a month ago. I could have never imagined it would involve riding in helicopters and spending a luxurious weekend in a mansion with the most handsome man in the world. It was surreal. But it was my life, and I was going to embrace every minute of it.
One never knew when it would end.
I wanted him, but I just couldn’t see him making the journey back and forth on a regular basis. I didn’t want to believe it would end, but I was a realist. It was part of being a scientist. The reality was Trent was a wealthy, gorgeous man that would be exposed to hundreds of women throwing themselves at him. They would be prettier, skinnier, and richer than me. I couldn’t blame him for wanting one of them.
“Good?” he said, leaning close to my ear.
I nodded. “I’m good.”
He smiled and turned back to look out the window. Although I felt like we were hundreds of miles apart, the trip was too short. It seemed like we had just taken off and now we were already landing. I kissed him, putting my heart and soul into it.
When I pulled back, he looked into my eyes. His eyes, that beautiful cobalt blue, stared into mine. “I’m going to miss you,” he whispered.
I smiled, fighting back the urge to cry. “I’ll miss you too.”
“I’m going to see you soon. It’s only five days. I’ll be here on Friday night, unless something holds me up and I can’t get here until Saturday morning.”
“Okay.” I smiled. “It’s going to be a long five days.”
“We’ll talk every night,” he promised.
“Damn straight we will.”
The helicopter rocked as it touched down on the tarmac. I sighed, waiting for him to climb out. He reached up, helped me out, and walked me to the waiting car he’d called ahead and ordered for me. We kissed and hugged again before he climbed back into the helicopter. I watched him take off. He stared down at me, putting up his hand. I waved back before climbing into the back of the car.
“And back to your regularly scheduled life,” I whispered under my breath.
“Home, ma’am?” the driver asked.
“Yes, please.”
I leaned into the leather seat. A girl could get used to being spoiled by her man. I had to remind myself I was only visiting his world of wealth. It wasn’t mine. I was still a poor, working stiff with no car. I was definitely going to remedy that very soon.
I had just stepped out of the car, waving the driver off, when my phone started ringing. I smiled, hoping it was Trent to tell me how much he missed me already. I reached for my purse and fished out my phone, nearly dropping it in the process.
“Hello?” I answered excitedly.
“Sade, it’s your father.”
I loved how he always introduced himself—as if I wouldn’t recognize his voice. “Hi, Dad!”
“I’m calling to let you know I’ll be out there this weekend,” he announced. “I’m assuming you don’t have any plans and will be in town.”
I stopped walking, my hand going to my forehead. “Like Friday?” I asked.
“Yes. You don’t sound too pleased about that.”
I quickly changed my voice to sound more excited. “I am pleased. I can’t wait to see you. Mom too?”
“No, just me. Your mother has obligations.”
“What brings you out to California?” I asked, trying to sound upbeat.
Inside, all I could think about was Trent. I wouldn’t be seeing Trent. I’d have to wait two full weeks. That was not going to be easy. Ugh. Telling Trent I couldn’t see him was going to be even worse.
“I can’t fly out to see my daughter?” he asked.
“Yes, Dad, of course you can,” I replied.
“I want to check out the city.”
I laughed. “You want to check the safety of my condo.”
“That too.” He laughed. “I want to make sure you’re safe.”
“Thanks, Dad. I do appreciate it. I promise it’s in a pretty good neighborhood.”
“We’ll go out to dinner, and you can tell me all about that new job of yours,” he said.
“Great, I can’t wait to see you,” I said. “I’ll make up the spare room for you.”
“Sounds good, kid.”
“Bye, Dad,” I said and ended the call.
I let out a long sigh. I loved my dad. I absolutely adored him, but I had become very used to not seeing him for long periods of time. I had just seen him about a month ago when I graduated.
I assumed he was probably bored. Retirement was hard on him. The break might be something my mother encouraged. I knew they were going through their own adjustment period as they learned how to live day in and day out with each other.
I carried my suitcase inside and left it by the door to unpack later. I would wait to call Trent until I knew he would be home. I expected he would be going to the hotel to check on things. I felt very special that he avoided work the entire weekend, devoting all of his time to me. That was impressive.
I looked around the small area and figured I better start unpacking. My father would not be impressed with the boxes.
We had PCS’d so many times while he was in the military, he’d developed a system. It had carried over into my own move. Every box had a color-coded piece of duct tape on it, indicating which room it belonged in. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that same eager attitude he did to get everything unpacked within days of moving in. He hated clutter and disarray.
; Looking around my condo, I knew it would make him crazy. I had better get busy.
I grabbed the first box and got to work. I really was excited to see my dad. It was also going to be the perfect opportunity to tell him about Trent. The mere thought of it made me cringe. My dad was picky about who I dated. Picky wasn’t the right word. He was an expert interrogator, which could have lent to me holding onto my virginity for so long.
I finished unpacking the entire living room and felt pretty damn proud of myself. I broke down the boxes and carried them out to the recycling bin. When I went back inside, I paused to look around. It looked a lot better. I checked the time and figured I’d make myself something to eat and then break the news to Trent.
“Hey,” I said when he answered the phone.
“Hey, babe,” he answered, a smile in his voice. “I was just thinking about you.”
“What were you thinking about?”
He chuckled. “How gorgeous you are.”
“You’re so sweet.”
“You have to know how beautiful you are,” he said.
“Thanks,” I answered, working up the courage to tell him my news. “Um, so, my dad is coming into town for the weekend.”
“This weekend?”
“Yes.”
“Oh.”
“I know.”
He let out a sigh. “Okay.”
“I know,” I said, completely commiserating with him. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m glad you get to see him,” he offered.
I laughed. “Me too,” I said. “Is it terrible that I was a little bummed he said he was coming?”
“Not at all.”
“I am excited to see him, but I’m going to miss you.”
“I’ll check my schedule and figure out a day I can get over there during the week. I know it isn’t ideal, but I would rather see you for a few hours than wait two weeks.”
I pouted, my lower lip popping out. “You’re right.”
“We’ll make it work,” he promised.
“Thank you for being so understanding,” I told him.
“Hey, this is going to work,” he said. “It might take some effort, but you are absolutely worth it.”
“Oh god, I wish I was there with you. I want to snuggle up against you.”
“Me too.”
“How’s Leia?” I asked.
“She’s good. I think she misses you.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I miss her too. Give her big snuggles from me.”
“Did you get any more unpacking done?” he asked.
“I did,” I said with a grin. “It’s less of a hazard to walk through the living room. I’ll do more tomorrow when I get home. How about the hotel situation?”
He groaned. “It’s not settled. I’m going to try and get a meeting with him this week.”
“What about your hotel?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Busted.”
“I am so glad you stayed with me all weekend,” I told him. “Really. I didn’t expect you to devote the entire weekend to me.”
“You don’t have to thank me. I wanted to.”
“I know you’re a busy man.”
“I am, but you were my priority this weekend,” he stated.
He had a way of making me feel so wanted. I got the warm and fuzzies all over. “I should probably shower and get ready for bed.”
“I’ll call you in the morning. I miss you like crazy.”
“I don’t want to sleep without you,” I said with a long sigh.
“Baby, I don’t either. I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye, and thank you for a great weekend.”
We hung up, and I felt the emptiness right away. It was hard to accept how into him I was. I had never felt so strongly for anyone, not like I did for him. I wanted to spend every moment with him. He was the first thing I thought of when I woke up and the last thing I thought of when I went to bed at night. Hell, he never left my thoughts, not even when I was sleeping.
“You’re falling hard, Sade,” I lectured aloud.
I headed for the bathroom to get showered and ready for bed. My schedule was pretty consistent. I went to work and generally got off on time, but Trent’s schedule was crazy. I knew it was going to be difficult for him to try and make it over for a quick trip. But he would. I knew that about him.
He would.
Chapter 30
Trent
I wanted to throw something. Or shoot something. I was having a shit week, and it was only Tuesday. It was hard to reconcile how great I had been feeling on Saturday to what I was feeling just then. I was pissy and grumpy and really wanted to shoot something. I wished I could go for a run, but I couldn’t do that. I was stuck in my damn office.
As much as I wanted to walk out and head down to the beach, I couldn’t. I had too many responsibilities. Sometimes, I had to question whether it was worth it. I already had enough money to keep me happy for the rest of my life. Why was I working so hard?
If I didn’t have to worry about the hotels, I could pick up and move to be closer to Sade. As if the week wasn’t shitty enough, I wasn’t going to see Sade for the weekend. With the way things were going, I wasn’t going to see her all week. I couldn’t leave Richie to deal with the mess. I hadn’t told her yet, and I wasn’t looking forward to doing so.
I knew she was going to be disappointed. At least, I was hoping she was as bummed as I was.
There was a knock on my office door. “Come in,” I said.
Richie popped his head in. There was a grimace on his face. “Busy?”
“No.”
He closed the door behind him and sat down in one of the chairs. I could tell by the look on his face he didn’t have good news.
“What now?”
“I did some digging,” he started. His tone said it wasn’t anything I wanted to hear.
“And?”
“Gabe Parker is in town.”
I groaned. “Shit.”
“The story goes that his mom took off with him and never looked back,” he started. “Gabe knew his dad had the hotel but didn’t give two shits about it until he found out his dad sold it. Now, he suddenly thinks he’s entitled to it.”
“But I bought it,” I protested.
“You did.”
“Now what?”
He shrugged. “Gabe has a bachelor’s degree in hospitality. Apparently, he had some grand plans of one day running the hotel.”
“And old man Parker didn’t know?”
“Apparently not.”
“So, what do I have to do to get this thing to go away?” I asked. “I’m leaning towards a ride out to the desert.”
He smirked. “I’m thinking we hire him.”
My mouth fell open. “Are you out of your fucking mind?”
He shook his head, holding up a hand. “Hear me out.”
“No. Fuck that.”
“Listen, this could solve our problems,” he reasoned. “He wants a job. He went to school and got a degree. Let him work for us.”
I couldn’t stop shaking my head. “No way. Dumb. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
He laughed. “It’s a good idea. It satisfies him, and we get to keep moving forward with the renovation plans. He could really make things difficult for us. If he tries to take this thing to court, we’re not going to make a spring opening. It’s the lesser of two evils.”
“Richie, I don’t know. He could sabotage us from the inside. I don’t know this kid.”
He sighed. “I’m not saying we make him a manager. I’m saying we bring him in, satisfy him. He might quit after a week. It gets him out of our hair.”
“It could backfire. He could fuck things up.”
“Look, we make him interim manager of the hotel. I’ll oversee him, with you overseeing me. He isn’t going to have his hands on the money.”
I mulled over my options. It was either spend a lot of money on lawyers while the hotel sat and I lost money, or give in. Fuck
, I hated giving in to anything. I had to change my way of thinking. I wasn’t giving in. I was making a smart business decision.
“Fucking do it,” I snapped.
He grinned. “Great. He’s in the lobby.”
“What?”
He shrugged. “It’s the smartest thing to do.”
I stared at him, having the sudden realization he was very capable of running the business. It was a fact I was going to file away to revisit another day. It was a way out. A way for me to spend more time with Sade.
“Bring him in. I want to see this kid face to face.”
He winked. “Give me a minute. Get that shitty look off your face. I don’t want this to start on a bad note right away.”
I rolled my eyes. “Whatever, just bring the little prick in.”
He walked out of the office, leaving me alone for a few minutes. I headed into the private bathroom and quickly checked my hair, tucked in the shirt a little tighter, and went back into my office. I chose to sit down, not wanting the kid to think he had the upper hand in the situation.
I was the boss. Period.
Richie returned a few minutes later with the Parker kid in tow. Richie gave me a look. I glared back.
“Trent Gilroy, meet Gabe Parker,” Richie said. “Gabe, this is Trent.”
“Nice to meet you,” Gabe said, extending a hand.
I stood up, gave the kid a firm handshake, and sat down. I sized him up. He was a kid. Probably twenty-two, twenty-four tops. I stopped my train of thought, realizing he was the same age as Sade. She was far more mature, I decided.
“Have a seat,” Richie offered.
I watched Gabe sit down. He eyeballed me as I stared at him. I imagined we probably looked like rabid dogs circling each other.
“You want to work for me?” I asked bluntly.
He shrugged. “I need a job. My birthright is the hotel.”
I held up a hand and shook my head. “Let’s make this very clear. You don’t have a right to the hotel. That business is between you and your father. I bought and paid for that hotel. Your father has the money.”
He shrugged. “It wasn’t his to sell.”
