Power Play - Tiffany Snow Page 0,105

was putting files into his briefcase when I stepped to my desk. In moments, he was standing by my counter.

“Ready?” he asked, not really waiting for an answer as he headed for the elevator. I scrambled to keep up with him.

We were the only two inside the elevator and neither of us spoke. The doors were a burnished bronze material that reflected our images, only slightly distorted.

You wouldn’t have been able to tell he’d been working all day, other than the faint shadow of whiskers on his jaw. I always loved seeing that, but I tried not to stare.

It seemed awkward now, the silence heavy between us, and it made me sad. Could we really be friends, just friends, after everything that had happened between us? It seemed I had no choice but to either give it a shot, or lose him entirely. My decision was a no-brainer.

No food, lack of sleep, and too much stress was giving me a pounding headache and I let out a tired sigh. Closing my eyes, I rubbed my forehead.

“You all right?” Parker asked.

I glanced up at him. “Yeah. I’m fine,” I lied.

His gaze was steady as he studied me, and I gave him a weak smile, which he didn’t return. Okay then.

The elevator dinged and I looked away, preceding him out into the parking garage. It felt less surreal now to slide into the passenger seat of the car with him. I guess once you’ve taken a bath in front of a man, there’s not a lot left to be uncomfortable about.

“You had dinner, right?” Parker asked, pulling out into the street. My eyes caught on his hand as he handled the gearshift.

“Um, no,” I said. “I didn’t really have time.”

He glanced quizzically at me. “Then where did you go?”

It wasn’t like I could tell him I’d met Ryker in the alley to get listening devices the cops wanted me to plant. I rubbed my forehead again, the headache throbbing.

“Had to run an errand,” I mumbled, hoping he’d drop it.

“Then we’ll make this quick with Viktor and get you home.”

Making it quick with Viktor sounded awesome.

More silence. Then, “So I guess you’re…seeing…Ryker now?” A nice way to put it.

That headache was getting worse by the second.

“Um, yeah, maybe, I guess…” Wow. That sounded so bad. If I said I wasn’t seeing him, that pretty much meant I was a one-night-stand kind of girl, right?

Parker didn’t reply for a moment. “I hope it doesn’t end badly for you,” he said at last.

I stiffened. “We just met last week,” I said. “It’s not like we’re engaged.”

He glanced my way and our eyes met. “You just met him last week and yet he’s already gotten you into bed,” he said bluntly.

My eyes narrowed. “Are you slut-shaming me?”

“No, of course not,” he denied, backtracking.

“Because it sounds like you are.”

“I’m not—”

“Talk about the pot and kettle,” I sputtered, indignant and embarrassed. “That’s so politically incorrect, I can’t even—”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” he interrupted, his voice very loud in the car, which shut me up. “I’m surprised,” he continued more quietly, “because I thought you were looking for something…more.”

I frowned. “Okay, first, you’re saying that because I’ve had sex with Ryker, that our relationship is therefore shallow and destined to be short. Second, you’re presuming to know what I want in a relationship, and third, since when have you begun analyzing my love life?” All of which I thought were very valid points. “Also, that does sound pretty damn judgey to me.”

Parker’s lips twitched at my tone, which should have irritated me, but didn’t because I was too relieved to get a response from him other than the cold shoulder he’d dished out all day.

Our conversation was cut short by Parker pulling up to the hotel. A valet hurried to open my door while another scurried around to his. A few moments later, I was following a step behind Parker as we entered the lobby.

I wasn’t surprised to see that Viktor was in one of the best hotels in Chicago, and Parker must’ve known where we were going because he headed straight for the elevator.

As we were walking down the empty hallway of the twenty-first floor, our steps muffled by the thick carpet, Parker spoke.

“Remember,” he said, “keep a low profile. Don’t draw attention to yourself.”

“Okay.” Though Parker seemed to think it mattered, I doubted that it would. Viktor had already threatened Parker with me and knew I was alive and well. It probably wasn’t going to be