Embraced by a Donovan

by A. C. Arthur

  Parker smiled. He liked this woman. “Yes, that is correct.”

  #

  “Still no answer from Savian?” Adriana asked when they walked into Parker’s condo a couple of hours later.

  After leaving Jenise Langley’s office they’d wanted to go to Seawings to get an early dinner. Savian requested to be taken home. On the road home after their meal, Parker had tried to call his brother to find out what was going on with him. He’d called twice, but Savian was obviously not answering.

  “I don’t know what’s up with him,” Parker said closing the door and joining her in the living room. “He’s been acting strange all week. I guess I didn’t really think about it considering all that’s been going on, but now that I’m circling back on it, he hasn’t been himself.”

  “I don’t know that any of us have been ourselves. We’re walking around wearing shades and trying to keep a low profile. The press is parked out front of Excalibur day and night. Even your mother said some reporter called the house yesterday asking for an interview,” Adriana replied after she’d slipped off her shoes and pulled her legs up beneath her bottom on the couch.

  Parker frowned. “I can’t wait until this is over. I’m going to bury whoever did this. It’ll be a legal burying, but nonetheless the bastard won’t be able to come up for air once I finish with him.”

  “Or her,” Adriana added.

  “I thought you didn’t want to think it was Jaydon,” he said, looking over to her.

  “I don’t know. If it is, she must really be still in love with you. Else why risk losing a client the way she is with me. She hasn’t returned any of my calls so I don’t know what’s going on with Thad or the movie or anything else regarding my career,” she said.

  “Don’t worry about that. I talked to Seamus yesterday and he’s going to reach out to Thad to see what’s what. Either he wants you or he doesn’t. We’re not going to grovel and beg, he came to us remember?”

  “I know but—”

  “No buts,” he said, putting his fingers to her lips to stop her words. “You’re still every bit as hot and talented as you were before this nonsense went public. He’d be a fool to let this stop him from hiring you. And if he does, then so be it. You’ll get another movie deal if I have to produce a movie for you myself.”

  “You know that’s not what I was asking,” she said quietly, pushing his hand slowly away.

  He leaned over to give her a loud, wet kiss, just as the doorbell rang. “I know what you want and I’m going to make sure you get it,” he told her before standing up to answer the door.

  Adriana sat on the couch smiling because she had someone who loved and cared about her enough to actually promise to make her dreams come true. She felt giddy inside just thinking of the future she and Parker could have.

  That feeling fizzled and died the moment Parker walked back into the room holding an envelope in one hand, papers in another. The frown on his face told her it was bad, still she had to ask, “What is it now?”

  “That bastard’s suing us!” he yelled.

  “Who is suing whom?” she asked coming to her feet and going to stand beside him.

  He thrust the papers at her before a stream of curses slipped fluently from his lips. When she looked down at the papers Adriana wanted to curse herself. Giovanni was suing Parker personally and Donovan Multimedia Corporation for wrongful discharge and mental distress.

  Chapter 14

  On the last Saturday in June, Adriana slipped into the black velvet strapless Valentino dress with cut-outs on both sides and a split straight up her thigh on the right side. While the dress had seemed simple enough hanging on the closet door in Parker’s bedroom, once she’d put it on and stepped in front of the mirror in the walk-in closet, she’d had to suck in a breath. It was blatantly sexual with all the skin it showed and the elegant black that strategically hid the best parts. Without a word of complaint she pulled out the box with the shoes—five inch gold heeled black pumps decorated with different shaped white jewels. Diamond earrings, a choker and bracelet added the last bit of sparkle to her outfit and she stepped out of the bedroom adjusting the wispy strands of hair that had been left hanging from the neat chignon at the nape of her neck.

  “Gorgeous,” Parker said the moment he saw her.

  “Because you picked out everything from my underwear to the clip in my hair?” she asked continuing to walk to where he was standing near the door.

  He’d just slipped his cell phone into the front pant pocket of the black tuxedo he wore with its square-jacquard jacket that she thought excellently matched the bling of her shoes. Something else she was sure he’d planned. With his hair cut close, his goatee neatly trimmed and that twinkle he had in those enigmatic eyes, she almost lost her breath. But for the rapid beat of her heart, the feeling she only had when she was close to him, she might have thought this was a dream.

  “This is a big night for both of us so we had to look our best,” he told her, taking her hands and leaning in to kiss her softly on the lips. “I love you, beautiful,” he whispered as he pulled back.

  Adriana sighed, never tiring of hearing him say that to her. “I love you back, handsome. Now let’s get this party over with. I’d much rather curl up in bed and watch television until I fall asleep tonight.”

  “It’ll be fine,” Parker assured her. “We’ve both worked really hard for this moment. Besides, Regan and Lyra would definitely do some harm to us if we didn’t show up for their big extravaganza. Those two have been planning every second of this All Access event.”

  “I know,” she told him waiting while he opened the door so she could step through. “They’ve been telling me things here and there. Asking what I was wearing mostly. I kept telling them you insisted on taking care of my wardrobe for tonight.”

  Parker followed behind her closing the door. “And I told them the same thing. They still wanted to know. But now it’ll be a surprise to everyone.”

  They were just boarding the elevator when she said, “Yeah, like those stupid lawsuit papers that Giovanni sent.”

  Parker only shook his head. “We’re not going to worry about him tonight. Jenise said the filing was frivolous and that she would take care of getting it dismissed based on the affidavit I signed outlining the entire conversation I had with him that day.”

  “I just can’t believe he did it in the first place,” she said with a sigh.

  Parker stepped in front of her then, tracing a finger along the line of her jaw. “We’re not going to think about him or anything else negative tonight, alright? This is our night. It’s all about us and what we’ve accomplished. I want you to smile and dazzle in that sexy ass dress you’re wearing and come home with me to make sweet, slow—”

  She covered his lips with a quick kiss. “Don’t say slow love, Parker. We never go slow.”

  He smiled back at her, ready for another kiss, but the elevator doors opened and he was forced to step away.

  #

  “You look fabulous!” Regan screeched the moment Adriana and Parker walked into their rented space at the Regency Hotel.

  His sister didn’t look too shabby in her apple green backless gown, her hair pulled up high on her head and heels that almost put Adriana’s to shame…almost. “Looking good yourself, sis,” Parker said as he leaned in to give her a hug after she’d finished gawking over Adriana.

  “You clean up nicely yourself, Parker Donovan.” Regan gave his chin a tweak and Gavin shook Parker’s hand.

  “It’s going great so far. All members of the press have been huddled over there talking to all the showrunners, producers, etc. Dad and Uncle Bruce are talking to other industry execs. Lyra’s over there doing her photo shoots and Dion, Sean and Tate are making the rounds talking to everyone, getting an idea for what everyone’s expecting to see tonight,” she said, filling him in.

  Parker nodded while looking around the room. There had to be over two hundred people here tonight. Pink, blue and black lights danced
over the floors and walls, while a DJ played music and servers worked the floor with trays of champagne. For all intent and purposes it did look like the event was going well.

  “What are we going to see?” he asked Regan who had been very tight-lipped about what she’d actually had planned for this evening.

  “I guess I can go ahead and tell you now,” she said smiling conspiratorially at Gavin. “We’ve created a short video with highlights from all the upcoming shows. Camille was able to get some footage from her shows at Fashion Week, with Tia looking fierce as usual in Camille’s original couture gowns. And Gavin, the most amazing boyfriend and chef I know, created a special dessert which he named ‘All Access’ especially for tonight. It has homemade French vanilla ice cream and some sort of rum liquor and it’s just divine! At the end of the video he introduces the dessert while the servers walk around passing one out to everyone to try.”

  “Wow, that sounds wonderful,” Adriana said. “I can’t wait until the end of the night now.”

  Parker smiled at that, loving whenever she talked easily about eating. She’d been looking so much healthier lately. Her skin had a freshness to it when she was without make-up that she hadn’t had before. And she’d gained a couple of pounds. In the beginning, she’d frowned at that realization but he got the impression she was liking her newly found curves a little more, since she looked at herself in the mirror a lot longer than she used to.

  “It’s all going to be fantastic,” Regan was saying. “Come on, let’s go over here and get some pictures. Parker you and Gavin go on over there and wow those female reporters with your smiles and good looks.”

  She was off, pulling Adriana with her before Parker could respond.

  “That’s your sister,” Gavin had said with a chuckle.

  Parker shook his head. “She’s your girlfriend now.”

  The two men continued to laugh as they walked over to where the reporters were sitting.

  They didn’t see him standing in the corner watching. Had no clue that tonight was also going to be a big night for him as well.

  #

  That All Access dessert had been more than divine, Adriana thought when she was coming out of the rest room after freshening up her make-up. She’d eaten all of hers and half of Parker’s and quiet as she planned to keep it, she wanted another one. So with her stomach full and the remnants of a great night—where none of the reporters said a word about those pictures or text messages that were unveiled almost three weeks ago—she was about to go back out and grab Parker to tell him that she was tired and ready to go home.

  Home, she thought whimsically. For the past few weeks that had been at Parker’s place. The only time she’d returned to her apartment was to grab more clothes, and since she’d gained a couple of pounds, she’d actually started shopping for more things to wear instead of looking to her old wardrobe. Parker loved running his hands up and down her body as she lay naked in his bed, or when they took baths together. He said her curves drove him crazy and when she was dressed in clothes he was even more frenzied by the thought of how she looked without them. He could have been lying, but she didn’t think he was. Parker was an honest guy, honest enough that he’d opened his home to her without any reservations or concerns. They were both moving forward in this relationship and that made her very happy.

  So happy she hadn’t been paying attention to what was going on around her, so when he reached out from behind a wall, grabbing her by the waist and pulling her into a hallway with his hand over her mouth, she didn’t have a moment to react.

  #

  “Parker?” Jaydon called his name.

  He hadn’t seen her all night and had wondered if she would finally show up. Jaydon loved to be in the spotlight. She loved posing for pictures and having everyone tell her how good she looked. Tonight was no different as he gazed at the white gown she wore with its plunging neckline and split up the front. Her make-up was flawless, her hair lying in heavy waves over one shoulder. She looked like sex walking and when she talked, the husky smoothness of her voice was one to make any man purr. Any man but Parker, that is.

  “Hello, Jaydon,” he said, leaning back against the bar where he’d told Adriana he would meet her.

  “Can I have a second?” she asked, raising a brow.

  “Sure.”

  She inhaled deeply, her chest rising, cleavage almost spilling from her dress, and then exhaled slowly. It was all for effect he knew, that’s why he didn’t take his eyes off hers.

  “I owe you an apology,” she began. “I was childish in the way that I confronted you about our past and what I hoped for our future. I should have accepted your answer the first time and I should not have let it interfere with my work.”

  “Adriana said you haven’t returned her calls,” he replied.

  He almost thought she was going to roll her eyes, but she was too sophisticated for that. Instead, she gave a curt nod. “Yes. That’s because I’m resigning from DNM. I think it’s time I branched out on my own, spread my wings a little bit, you know. I will always be grateful for the opportunity you gave me to get my career started here, but I think its best that I move on.”

  If she wanted him to argue that statement, she would be sadly disappointed. It was not going to happen.

  “I’m glad you came to that conclusion, Jaydon. It is probably for the best that you move on and do other things. I wish you all the best,” he’d said and was prepared to turn back around.

  “Is that all?” she asked. “You’re just going to turn and walk away like there was never anything between us?”

  “That depends,” he said. “Did you hack into my phone and send those fake pictures and messages?”

  She jerked back as if she’d been slapped. “What? Are you serious? You think I did all that?” Taking a step closer to him she flattened a palm over the lapel of his jacket, then lifted it slightly beneath her fingers. “Parker, darling. You’re a fabulous kisser and you can make me come faster than any other man I’ve ever slept with, but even that’s not enough to have me doing some illegal nonsense in an attempt to get you back. No,” she said her voice raising only slightly. “I did not hack into your phone or anyone else’s and I certainly didn’t take the time to fake any pictures of you or your little girlfriend.”

  Parker smoothed down his jacket. “How did you know the pictures were fake?”

  She raised that elegantly arched brow again. “Because I know every inch of your delectable body, Parker Donovan. And those pictures didn’t do it any justice at all. So tell Adriana that she’ll be taken care of by DNM and you, well, you take care of yourself,” she told him before leaning in to place her warm lips on his cheek. “Take real good care of yourself.”

  Parker had watched Jaydon walk away and was about to ask the bartender for another drink as he tried to wrap his mind around what had just happened when he heard the scream.

  #

  “I didn’t think you were going to be such a pain in the ass!” Giovanni yelled in Adriana’s face as he pushed her back against the wall.

  There was a mirror on that wall and her head slammed against it. She bit her lip to keep from screaming out. “I didn’t think you were going to be so stupid,” she snapped back. “So that makes both of us a sorry judge of character.”

  “You really think you’re going to stand here and say what you want to me? After all I’ve gone through to see this thing through!” he continued.

  His forehead was dripping with sweat, the shirt he wore beneath a dark suit unbuttoned until midway down his chest, revealing matted chest hair and more sweat.

  “What the hell are you talking about? And what are you doing here? You don’t even work for the network anymore,” she said, trying to stall for time because surely someone would notice she’d been gone to the bathroom longer than was necessary.

  “No I don’t work for the network anymore and thanks to that one you’re banging I can’t get a job anywhere else!”

  “Is that why
you filed that lawsuit? Because nobody will hire you now? That’s your own fault!”

  “Don’t tell me what’s my fault you stupid little whore!” he yelled, this time charging her, wrapping his hands around her neck.

  He was shaking and sweating so whatever strength he might have had on a regular day, was lost to him now. She suspected he was high on something which would account for the erratic behavior but she wasn’t in the mood to figure it all out or to offer him any counseling for that matter.

  “Get off me!” she yelled, smacking at his hands and trying to get out of the corner he’d backed her into.

  “No I’m not going to get off you! Lying, stupid little slut! I did everything he said to do and he said I’d be richer than I could imagine and I’m not! I can’t even get another job because of you and that fucking Parker Donovan! I hate the two of you! I can see why he wanted to bring you down a notch!”

  “What?” Adriana asked, still pushing at him to get away from her. Every time she’d get one hand off of her, he’d slap at her with another, pressing his body up against her to keep her still. “What are you talking about? Who wanted to bring us down?”

  “You’re so damned stupid, both of you are! He said you wouldn’t guess. Said you would have no idea I was in your apartment messing with your phone. You leave that thing and your purse laying around all the time. It was a piece of cake to get into it!”

  She stopped moving then, stunned at the revelation that he’d been the one to hack into their phones and send out those phony pictures and messages.

  “Why?” she whispered. “Why would you do that?”

  “Because it was a job, you stupid whore! It was a job that paid well! But now the money’s stopped and so have the real job offers and it’s all your fault. So now, you’ve gotta pay for that!” He pulled back and Adriana watched dismally as his fist came toward her face.

  She moved to the side quickly and heard it slam into the mirror behind her. Glass shattered and he howled in pain. She lifted her knee then, jamming it into his groin and when he hissed and stumbled back, she was on him. They both fell to the floor while she pummeled her much smaller fists into the side of his face, his head where they simply slipped over the disgustingly wet hair, and up and down his torso. Working on pure adrenaline and all the pent up rage she’d felt when Carlo had assaulted her, plus the humiliation of those pictures and text messages, even though they were fake, she just kept hitting him and screaming at him.