Her Keeper

by Rianna Campbell

  She wore a modest, but expensive sheath dress in a deep purple that flattered her complexion and looked suspiciously like something she’d seen in last month’s issue of Vogue. The nude strappy sandals with a four-inch heel, Amanda was fairly sure were Saint Laurent. She’d been drooling over them just a few weeks ago on Bergdorf’s website. Her makeup looked natural, only better- the telltale sign of quality products and skilled application. She was stunning. And clearly very, very rich.

  Amanda checked her own makeup to give her hands something to do while her brain worked on the problem at hand. She’d thought her makeup was good, but it definitely wasn’t that good. The woman caught her eye and gave her a warm smile.

  “Love your shoes,” Amanda said, trying to hide her embarrassment at being caught staring.

  “Thank you. They were a gift from my husband.” The woman flushed a little and smiled.

  “That was nice of him.”

  Amanda went back to her makeup while the woman washed her hands. When she was done, however, she didn’t leave immediately. She leaned a hip against the counter and turned toward Amanda.

  “Feeling a little overwhelmed?”

  “Just a bit,” Amanda confessed with a wry smile. “It’s more crowded than I expected.”

  “It is particularly busy tonight.” The woman extended a hand and Amanda took it.

  “I’m Kate.”

  “Amanda.”

  “First time?”

  “How can you tell?” Amanda asked, with a smirk.

  “Just a hunch. You’ll get used to it.” She patted Amanda’s hand.

  “Not sure about that,” Amanda muttered.

  “Well, it’s not for everyone. Mind if I ask what brought you here?”

  “A friend invited me.”

  “No.” Kate laughed, shaking her head. “What, not who. Why did you come?”

  “That, I can’t really tell you.” Amanda shrugged. “I’ll try anything once, so I suppose you could say it’s my sense of adventure.”

  “That’s a healthy attitude,” Kate pursed her lips. She looked thoughtful for a moment before she continued. “Can I offer you some advice, woman to woman ?”

  “Why not? Some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten has been from strangers in bathrooms.”

  “You know, I think I like you.” Kate smiled but paused, as if choosing her words carefully. “Find out what you really want, and never settle for less. And never apologize for it.” Kate gave her a wicked grin that told Amanda she’d done just that and hadn’t regretted it for a second.

  A slow smile spread across Amanda’s face as she let the words sink in and steel her spine.

  “Now, that’s my kind of advice.”

  “Oh, I definitely like you,” Kate said with a wide smile. She reached into her purse and produced a business card. She held it out and Amanda took it, reading it over.

  “You’re welcome here any time. And feel free to call me if you have any questions.”

  “Thank you.”

  As Kate picked up her clutch and walked away, Amanda looked at the card. It read simply, “Kate Monroe, Elysium,” with a phone number underneath.

  Perplexed but oddly encouraged by the conversation, Amanda had almost forgotten why she was hiding in the bathroom. Almost.

  She sighed as she retrieved her phone and ordered herself an Uber. She’d text Colin later and make up an excuse once she was sure she’d slipped away unnoticed. Then she wouldn’t have to risk going to find him to say goodbye.

  She waited about ten minutes until her driver let her know she was nearby, then she cracked the door and peered out into the hallway toward the main room. The coast was clear so she slipped out, allowing the door to swing closed behind her.

  She’d barely taken two steps down the hall when she was stopped by a large, rough hand on her arm.

  “Amanda.”

  She closed her eyes and swallowed, immediately recognizing Parker’s rich baritone. She held her head high and plastered a smile on her face as she turned to face the music.

  CHAPTER TWO

  “Well, fancy meeting you here.”

  Shit, shit, shit…

  “A word?” Parker asked. The muscles in his jaw were twitching as if he were grinding his teeth.

  So much for sneaking out without getting caught. Her only option now was to brazen her way through this as quickly as possible. Then she could move to a different country, change her name, and start a new life.

  “Sure.” She shrugged and followed as he walked deeper into the hallway and opened a door marked “Security,” holding it open for her.

  As soon as the door had swung shut, Parker turned to her.

  “What are you doing here?”

  “Gee, Parker, I’m good. Thanks for asking. How are you?”

  “What are you doing here?” He repeated, putting his hands on his hips.

  “Not that it’s any of your business, but I had a date.”

  “With who?” His jaw was clenched so tight, she thought he was going to chip a tooth.

  “I’m sorry, but I missed the part where that was any of your business.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

  It was mostly to hide her confusion. Why the hell was he acting like he gave a damn when he’d made it a point to keep at least six feet of distance between them every single time they’d been in the same room together?

  He had consistently acted like he was insulted to even breath the same air as her, and now he was asking about her date?

  Fuck that, and fuck him.

  Parker scrubbed a hand over his face, clearly frustrated, and for some reason, Amanda got a little thrill out of knowing he was so worked up. It was about damn time he suffered at least a little bit of what she’d been going through for the last six months.

  “Why shouldn’t I be here, Parker?” She asked, tilting her head as if she were the epitome of innocence.

  “Do you know anything about this place?”

  Amanda cocked an eyebrow at him and pursed her lips, furious and on the verge of tears. She hated that when she got really angry she had a tendency to cry. It totally ruined her whole bad bitch vibe and it just led people to believe she was “upset” rather than downright pissed like she was now. She was not, under any circumstances, going to cry.

  Which unfortunately meant she needed a minute before she could reply. She merely shrugged, doing her best to look unconcerned, while she willed her eyes not to blink and the tears to go back where they'd come from. He waited for a beat before he shook his head and scoffed.

  “Do you even know this date? Or do you just follow strangers wherever they want to go without question?”

  She couldn’t trust her voice so she settled for rolling her eyes and then trying to shoot daggers out of them right at his big, stupid, handsome face.

  “Word of advice, don’t accept any invitations for dinner from Hannibal Lecter.”

  “Oh, but I just love Fava beans and a nice Chianti,” she managed to reply, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Are we done here? I have a car waiting.”

  “Does Alexandra know you’re here?” Parker asked, crossing his arms over his chest. She couldn’t help but take a moment to appreciate how nicely his biceps stretched the fine material of his charcoal gray suit.

  He filled out the whole thing absurdly well and it was a nice change from the t-shirt and jeans he usually wore in social settings.

  He looked like he’d been poured into that suit. It was perfectly tailored to accommodate his broad shoulders and narrow hips. She shook away any thoughts of what was under that suit and turned her attention back to their conversation, trying to focus on his insulting assumption that she needed someone to keep track of her every move or give her permission.

  Honestly, how dare he assume she was incapable of making her own decisions without someone else's input?

  “Last time I checked, I was a grown-ass adult, Parker. Alexandra isn’t my keeper. And neither are you.”

/>   “Well, you sure as hell need one,” Parker muttered under his breath. He ran a hand through his shaggy mane, the sandy blond locks catching the light as they shifted and fell through his fingers.

  She wondered if it was as soft and silky as it looked. She could easily imagine running her hands through it, or gripping it by the fistful as he…

  No! Focus! He’s being an asshole. We will not fantasize about him while he’s being an asshole.

  “I’m over twenty-one, and I have a job and my own place,” Amanda said with an acid smile, taking a step toward him. “I go where I like and do what I like. I can tie my own shoes and everything.” She batted her lashes at him and she saw his eyes go wide before he narrowed them, giving her a hard stare.

  “You still didn’t answer my question. Do you have any idea what Elysium is?”

  “I have an idea, but why don’t you tell me?” She arched an eyebrow, practically daring him. He was clearly uncomfortable and it would be very amusing to see him try to explain.

  “And this… date of yours,” he spat, clearly refraining from using more colorful language. “You trust him?”

  “Enough. Which is to say that I took a cab, met him out front, and already ordered an Uber to take me home.”

  He grunted in response, clearly dissatisfied with her answer.

  “Speaking of which. My driver should be out front by now and I don’t want to wait for another one to get here. So, unless there’s anything else you wanted to talk about…”

  She tilted her head and looked up at him expectantly. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, but he said nothing. She smiled.

  “Alright, then. I’ll see myself out.” She turned toward the door, intending to do just that.

  “Wait.” Parker’s hand shot out and gripped her arm.

  His hands were big and rough and no matter how pissed she was with him at the moment, her body hadn’t gotten the memo. A shiver went up her spine at the contact.

  She liked the way the callouses scraped against her skin and she idly wondered what they would feel like in other places.

  She cleared her throat before she could reply.

  “Yes?”

  “I’ll walk you out,” he said, nodding at the door as he reached for the handle.

  His hand fell away and Amanda sighed with disappointment only to gasp slightly when his hand instead went to the small of her back as he escorted her through the main room.

  Exposed as it was, his thumb had found the bare skin of her waist and she suddenly wished the door was somewhere in Queens instead of thirty feet in front of her.

  He guided her silently through the crowd, which had thinned significantly while she’d been gone. They were approaching the front door when Parker stopped.

  “Shit. Cam’s at the door.”

  Amanda glanced toward the entrance and saw a face she recognized. Tall and tan, with dark hair and eyes, he fit right in with the rest of Connor’s other employees. Meaning he could have easily been on the cover of GQ.

  But he was the babyface of the bunch. He was clean-shaven with deep dimples, and he didn’t look old enough to drink.

  She’d met the guy and, though he’d been funny and charming, she got the feeling it wasn’t directed at her personally. He seemed the type who just couldn’t turn it off. He had a daytime running light sort of approach to women. He was always on, just in case. Which was fine with her since she’d only been interested in one man in the room. What an idiot she was.

  “Give me two minutes, then slip out. I’ll be right behind you,” Parker said softly, giving her one small nudge with his hand before letting her go.

  Parker went over to where Cam stood by the front door, mostly doing nothing. The club would only be open for a couple more hours, so aside from a few late arrivals, there didn’t seem to be much to do.

  Parker tapped his shoulder and pulled him aside, standing in front of him and blocking his view. When Parker bent his head forward and spoke to him in a whisper, Amanda took her cue and strolled out the front door. Cam didn’t even glance her way.

  After the warmth and noise of Elysium’s main room, the cool and quiet of the early morning air was welcome and refreshing. She took a quick look around but didn’t see her ride, so she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and enjoying the breeze.

  “Amanda.”

  “Jesus,” Amanda gasped, jumping nearly a foot. “I thought you were a Marine, not a damn ninja.”

  Parker let out a huff of what might have been laughter before he seemed to remember that he was upset with her. He scowled, appearing lost in thought for a moment. Before he could seem to pull together whatever it was he wanted to say, a blue sedan pulled up and rolled down the passenger side window.

  “Amanda?” A young woman asked, confirming the information on her phone.

  “That’s me.” Amanda turned to Parker and gave him a smile. “See you around.”

  To her surprise, Parker walked with her to the car, opening the back door for her. Once she was seated he leaned in and her heart sped up. His face was so close to hers that she could see the flecks of green and gold in his hazel eyes, even in the dim light of the car’s interior. Her eyes wandered to his mouth and she had a strong impulse to kiss him and see what happened.

  “Amanda?”

  “Yes?” It was barely more than a whisper. Parker swallowed, giving her a hard look.

  “Don’t come back.”

  The breath left her lungs in a rush, her face warm with embarrassment and disappointment.

  With that parting shot, Parker shut the door and tapped the hood twice before turning to stride back into Elysium without a backward glance.

  ✽✽✽

  Parker slammed the door to his apartment and immediately felt stupid for letting his frustration get the better of him. He’d been going back and forth between kicking himself for how he’d handled things and seething that Amanda had even been there in the first place.

  Fuck!

  He took a deep breath and tried to calm down. It was four-thirty in the morning and Jackson was probably sleeping. Feeling guilty, Parker walked down the hallway and bent toward Jackson’s door, listening.

  When he was sure he hadn’t woken his roommate and the only real friend he had, Parker retreated to his own room, closing the door softly behind him.

  Things had been a little strained between him and Jackson lately, but he didn’t want to make things any worse. Sure, Jackson had tried to knock Parker on his ass a few weeks back over a little misunderstanding, but Parker wasn’t about to hold a grudge over something like that.

  They’d been friends for almost half their lives and spent eight years in the Marines together. They were brothers in every sense that mattered, and it would take a lot more than a little brawl to make Parker cut him loose.

  Besides, Parker had brought it on himself. He’d been in a shit mood, thanks to working the night before at Elysium, and he’d screwed up. He’d asked a relatively innocent question, but his poor choice of words had implied something different. Jackson misunderstood and went ballistic, thinking Parker was being disrespectful to the woman he was absolutely ga-ga over.

  Hijinks ensued.

  Jackson had apologized and Parker had accepted. The end. Except shortly thereafter Jackson had screwed things up with the woman in question and was now walking around like a ticking time bomb.

  Parker didn’t want to risk Jackson taking another shot at him, miserable bastard that he was these days, so he was keeping his head down and staying out of the way until Jackson got his head out of his ass and got things squared away with his woman.

  There was no doubt that he would. He was crazy about Janie and he was absolutely heartbroken without her. There was no way he was going to let her go without a fight, but his hands were currently tied. She was halfway across the country caring for her sick father and Jackson had nothing to do but wallow and wait.

  Jackson was good at a lot of things, but those weren’t at the top of th
e list. Jackson was a doer. He saw a problem and he went out and found a way to fix it. That was exactly how they’d become friends in the first place.

  Parker had always been a walking, talking problem, and Jackson had been trying to fix him for fifteen years now.

  Speaking of problems…

  Parker had no idea what he was going to do about Amanda. He’d just have to hope that his warning would be enough to keep her away from Elysium, but he had his doubts. She hadn’t seemed concerned in the least when he’d approached her. If anything, she’d been insulted that he’d been worried about her.

  Just his luck, she was more stubborn than he’d thought. Even from what little time he’d spent with Amanda, he’d gotten the impression she was the type who might do something just because you told her not to. Contrary by nature, which was exactly what made her his type, goddamn it.

  Her sister was reasonable and level-headed, almost to a fault. She could compartmentalize and prioritize and strategize circles around anyone he’d ever met. Amanda was almost her opposite. From the stories he’d heard, she was impulsive, hot-headed, outspoken, and a little reckless.

  Parker could relate. He’d been the same way for a large part of his life. If it hadn’t been for Jackson, and by extension Jackson’s family, Parker would most likely be in jail or dead by now.

  At sixteen, he’d been angry and self-destructive and hadn’t much cared who was on the receiving end of his temper. He’d been an asshole. Most sixteen-year-old boys were assholes, but if there had been some kind of award, he’d have won it for sure.

  He’d thought he was James Fucking Dean. Rebel without a cause. Rebel without a brain was more like it.

  Luckily, Jackson had seen past his piss poor attitude and dragged him kicking and screaming into his family. They had treated him like he belonged; like he was capable of doing better. It hadn’t been an instant transformation, but he’d eventually learned a little discipline and self-control.

  Maybe Amanda could use a little of the same. With that thought, the image of Amanda, spread out like a feast in front of him, played itself out in his mind as it had at least twenty times since he’d seen her at the club.