She caught Parker's eye, then laughed. "Well, I promise I wasn't imagining the things that happened in LA. It was--well, there was more of it." She drew in a breath. "It's why I left like that. My sister stayed way too long with an abusive, paranoid, stalking asshole. And that wasn't a mistake I was willing to make."
"I'm glad you left," he said. "Carlton was obsessed. He might have gotten tired and stopped. But he might have hurt you, too."
She frowned. "It sounds like you know what you're talking about."
"I do. He told me. Or some of it."
She gaped at him. "What?"
He rubbed his fingers to his temples, then turned away from her. "One night after the others left, he told me how pissed he was. How you'd humiliated him. How he was going to make you pay. I told him he was being an ass. That he needed to put you in the past and move on, and that you don't stalk ex-girlfriends. I don't remember exactly what he said, but it was clear he'd already started harassing you, and that he was going to make it worse. Was going to start talking smack about you to your clients, that kind of thing."
"Good God." She felt cold, and any doubts she'd had about leaving LA faded. "I never--I don't think he did. I stay in touch with Kasey, and she would have told me."
"I convinced him not to."
"You did? How?"
His eyes were flat, his expression stone. "I beat the shit out of him, honestly. And I told him if he did anything more to you--anything at all--I'd finish the job."
"Parker..."
"Maybe I shouldn't have, but Christ, the things he talked about doing to you. I just--"
She cut him off, taking his hand in hers, then sliding into his arms. "Thank you," she whispered, then captured his mouth with a long, slow kiss.
When she broke away, she met his eyes, her body shimmering with desire. "I don't think we're going to manage dinner at all," she said, taking his hand and leading her back to the bed. "Right now, all I'm hungry for is you."
Chapter Twelve
"Faster," Megan ordered as Parker whipped in and out of traffic. "I don't want to be late for the shoot. And neither do you."
Even though The Fix had rented a van, Megan had texted Eva last night to say that she was going to visit the various locations on her own. If it turned out they'd forgotten anything needed for any of the shoots, she could make a quick run to the store.
And she'd casually mentioned that Parker would ride with her. Just to keep her company, of course.
Uh-huh, Eva had texted back. You do that.
The fact was, Megan's role at the shoot was minimal. Most of the guys wouldn't need makeup, and even blemishes didn't need to be covered--not that these six guys had any--because Eva could take care of it during editing.
Still, Parker had to be there for the whole thing, and so Megan was coming not just as the makeup artist, but also as the general gopher for the shoot.
A shoot they were going to be late for. Because of sex.
She grinned at the thought.
"What?" Parker asked, shooting a glance at her.
"Eyes on the road," she ordered. They were in his Ferrari, her make-up case practically filling the tiny trunk. "And I was just thinking what a wanton woman I've become. Almost late for work because I overslept, exhausted from the lingering effects of too much sex."
"Hmm. Well, I suppose we could cut back..."
"Do not even tease me about that," she said sternly, making him laugh.
They drove for a few more minutes as she mentally ran through the plan for the day. It was going to be a long one. She frowned, then turned to him with a sudden thought. "Hey, your sister doesn't live in town, does she? Houston?"
His laugh held no humor. "No. When she walked away from the family, she moved to Connecticut. She's married now with a husband and daughter and a big old house they always seem to be restoring."
"So I did totally monopolize your time with her. I'm so sorry. And now you don't get to see her today either?" She couldn't believe she'd been so thoughtless.