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  Parker stared at Alice for a moment, before he reached for the door handle and left the room.

  By the time he reached the intercom, it had sounded again. He picked up the handset on the intercom, feeling more than a little unhappy that their moment had been interrupted.

  “Hello,” Parker said abruptly into the phone.

  “I’m sorry for disturbing you, Mr. O’Neill,” the doorman said quickly, clearly picking up on the anger in Parker’s voice. “But I have a Jenny Frost here for you. You said you wanted all guests announced.”

  “Thanks, Patrick,” Parker sighed knowing the doorman was only following orders. Parker had insisted that all visitors now be announced as part of his heightened security. “Send her up.”

  Parker hung up the handset and released a long, frustrated breath. He thought about what had happened in Alice’s room. He had wanted to kiss her so badly, and it confused him. He knew he was developing feelings for her, and he had hoped she felt something for him too, but he was worried he was misreading the signs. Either way, he was going to talk to Alice once their friends had left.

  He walked to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of beer, then walked back out to the hallway to open the door. As he did, the elevator pinged, before the doors slowly opened, and Jenny stepped off the elevator.

  “Hey,” she said when she saw Parker standing at the apartment door.

  Parker offered her a smile, but he internally sighed to himself. He knew she was Alice’s best friend, but there was something about this girl that irritated him. He remembered the day he watched her and Alice in the coffee shop. Alice was working so hard, and Jenny was just following her around, demanding that Alice did what she wanted her to do.

  Okay, if she hadn’t have done that, Alice would have not been at the comedy club, and he couldn’t have gone there and made her the offer that had them where they were now. Still, there was something about the way she bossed Alice around that bothered him.

  “I’m sorry I’m early,” Jenny said as she nervously chewed her top lip. “I just… I just thought it was quicker to come here straight from the coffee shop, rather than going all the way home, then coming here. Besides, I kind of need to talk to Alice.”

  “She is down in her room,” Parker said as he stepped back and let Jenny into the apartment. “She is getting changed, so you might want to knock before you go in.”

  “Thanks,” Jenny replied before she hurried down the corridor towards Alice’s room.

  It wasn’t until Jensen and Harrison had arrived almost an hour later that the two girls emerged from the bedroom. Parker was pleased to see that Alice seemed to be a little happier now that her friend was here, and he knew he had made the right call inviting everyone over.

  They settled on pizza, and Parker got everyone a beer, except for Alice, who decided on a glass of wine.

  “So, have you met Robert and Eleanor yet?” Jensen asked Alice as they all sat around the living room.

  “I did,” Alice replied with a smile. “I met them last night. They are lovely, so is Nicole.”

  “Nicole is a sweet kid,” Jensen smiled in agreement. “What about your folks? What do they think of this bozo?”

  “Well, he met Gram today,” Alice replied as she glanced over at Parker and gave him a warm smile. “She was very taken with him. I think she definitely has a soft spot for him.”

  “And what about your folks?” Harrison asked, then added with a laugh. “Does your dad have a big shotgun?”

  “Harrison,” Parker said giving him a look telling him to stop immediately.

  “It’s okay,” Alice assured him, giving him another smile before she turned and looked at Harrison. “My folks were killed in a car accident when I was seven years old. There is just Gram and me.”

  “Alice,” Harrison said, sitting up straight in his chair. “I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

  “It’s cool” Alice assured him. “It was a long time ago, but I don’t really like to talk about it.”

  “I understand,” Harrison said as he gave Alice a sad smile. “It must have been hard.”

  “I guess so,” Alice shrugged. “But I had Gram, and she was pretty awesome, so she made things as easy for me as she possibly could. That’s why I need to take care of her.”

  Her eyes met Parker’s, and she gave him a nervous smile, as an awkward silence fell over the small group.

  “Parker,” Jenny said suddenly sitting forward in her seat. “Do you have any tequila?”

  “I may have some in the bar,” Parker said with a grin, happy that Jenny was trying to lift the mood. Maybe she wasn’t as selfish as he had originally believed.

  “Well you go get some,” she said as she stood up. “And I will go check the kitchen for limes and salt.”

  Parker headed to the bar and found a bottle of Tequila and some shot glasses. He brought it back to the table just as Jenny arrived back with some lime wedges and a salt shaker.

  “Okay,” Jenny said as she handed out the lime wedges, then passed the salt to Parker first, before giving him a smile. “It’s time to get the party really started.”

  They spent the rest of the evening drinking and laughing. Parker loved seeing Alice so happy. She was a lot of fun, with an amazing laugh that made him smile every time he heard it.

  He found he couldn’t help but watch her all night. It was like, even though their friends were there, he could see nobody else but her.

  When it was time for their friends to leave, Parker was happy that his plan to cheer Alice up had worked. As they both walked their friends to the door, her eyes met his for a moment, and instantly he thought about what had happened earlier in her room, and he wondered if she hoped it might happen again.

  Parker watched as Alice hugged his two friends, and he knew that both Jensen and Harrison liked Alice too. He was glad that they did. He had been worried that Harrison would always be horrible about the whole situation, but even he seemed to have warmed to Alice. Then Alice hugged Jenny, and made Jensen and Parker promise to make sure she got home safely.

  When their friends were gone, Alice stepped back into the hallway and smiled at Parker as he closed the door.

  “You must be tired,” he said as he turned and held her eyes with his.

  “I guess I am,” Alice said as she met his gaze and smiled. “But I want to clean up before I call it a night.”

  “You don’t have to,” Parker said wishing he knew what she thought about when she looked at him like she did.

  “I know,” she smiled once more before she headed towards the living room. “But I want to.”

  “Then I’ll help,” Parker said as he followed her to the living room.

  They both began to clear away the glasses and bottles from the living room, bringing them through to the kitchen. As they loaded the dishwasher, Parker watched Alice closely.

  He passed the glasses to her, and she placed them into the dishwasher. As they worked side by side, Parker could feel the charged air between them, but the whole time, Alice never let her eyes meet his.

  As she finally closed the dishwasher, she looked up at Parker and met his gaze.

  “All done,” she said with a smile as she straightened up and stared at him.

  “I think that is probably the first time I have ever loaded a dishwasher,” Parker replied without thinking, then blushed with embarrassment at his admission. “I guess you think I am nothing but a spoiled, privileged brat.”

  “Spoiled? Maybe,” Alice replied with a warm smile. “Privileged? Yes. But I think you are not as much of a brat as you believe you are.”

  “Oh?” Parker replied surprised by her honesty. “And if I am not a brat, then what am I?”

  He stepped closer to her and looked down into her eyes.

  “I think you like people to think you are this immature ass, that has no feelings,” Alice replied, looking a little unsure of herself. “But I think deep down inside; you’re a good, kind man that is afraid to let someone close because yo
u are afraid they will hurt you.”

  “Is that what you think?” He asked, surprised that she could read him so easily.

  “Yes,” she replied as she swallowed hard.

  “Alice,” Parker said as he inched closer to her. “About earlier.”

  The moment he said the words, Alice’s face flushed with embarrassment, and she suddenly looked unsure of herself. Taking a step back from Parker, she no longer let her eyes meet his.

  “I’m sorry about that,” she replied, surprising Parker with her response.

  “You’re sorry?” Parker asked, confused why she would say that.

  “Look, I know that this thing between us is complicated,” Alice sighed, as she finally met his gaze once more. “I know that to you, this is business, and that’s fine. I feel the same way. I know that I don’t want to complicate things, so from now on, we will just be friends. I think it’s best.”

  “I…I see,” Parker replied, feeling totally crushed by her words. He was sure that she had feelings for him, and not just because of his money. He was sure of it, but maybe he had been wrong.

  Alice leaned up and kissed him on the cheek softly.

  “Good night, Parker,” Alice whispered before she stepped around him and disappeared out of the kitchen.

  Parker stood there in silence, long after she had gone. Releasing a deep, frustrated breath, he reached up and touched his face where she had kissed him.

  His head told him that she was right. To make things more complicated would have been a mistake. His heart told him differently.

  He knew there was something special between them. He would just have to wait till she saw it too.

  Chapter 18

  Alice

  Alice stood in the walk-in wardrobe and stared at her reflection. She was wearing one of the dresses Parker had bought for her, and now, standing looking at her reflection, she hardly recognised herself.

  They were going to dinner at Parker’s parents’ house, so Alice thought that she should dress for the occasion. She selected a black, knee length, chiffon wrapped dress, with a plunging neckline and three-quarter length sleeves.

  She decided to wear her hair up and chose a simple pair of pearl earrings that once belong to her mother.

  As she stood there and stared at herself in the mirror, she thought about her mother and father.

  Alice’s memories of them were hazy at best. They were more like a snapshot of events in her mind, rather than full memories. But she could still picture them both clearly, and as she gazed at her reflection, she was struck by how like her mother she was.

  Maybe it was the dress and the hair, or maybe it was just that she was getting close to the age her mother was when she died. Her mom was only twenty-nine when she died, just one year older than Alice was now.

  She wondered what her parents would say if they knew about her arrangement with Parker. Alice doubted that they would be happy about it, but she also believed that they would understand that she was doing it all for Gram.

  “Alice,” Parker’s voice came through the door, followed by a soft tap. “The car is waiting downstairs if you’re ready to go.”

  “Coming,” she called back as she turned and walked back out into the bedroom, stopping to pick up her clutch and wrap from her bed, before she headed to the door.

  The minute she opened the door and Parker saw her, the biggest smile filled Parker’s face, and it made Alice smile too.

  “Wow!” He exclaimed as he stepped back to take in every inch of Alice. “You are stunning.”

  “Why thank you, kind Sir,” Alice replied as her face flushed with embarrassment. “I love this dress. Thank you for buying it for me.”

  “It was honestly my pleasure,” Parker said as he offered her his arm. “Especially as I’m the one that gets to take you out and show you off to the world, wearing it. You are truly breath-taking.”

  “I bet you say that to all the girls,” Alice laughed, but Parker stopped in his tracks, stopping Alice too. She turned to look at him and was surprised by the expression on his face. “I was kidding, Parker. Honestly.”

  “There are no other girls, Alice,” Parker said, looking into her eyes. “I gave you my word, and I meant it.”

  “I know,” Alice assured him, surprised by how her words had upset him. “It was just a joke, and clearly a bad one. I’m sorry.”

  “I just want you to know,” Parker continued. “I’m a man of my word. I need to know that you trust me.”

  “Of course, I trust you,” Alice replied honestly.

  Parker didn’t reply for a moment. Instead, he just stared at Alice, and she had no idea what the hell was going through his mind.

  “Good,” he said finally before he began to walk again. When they reached the door, he opened it and allowed Alice to step outside first, the whole time watching her closely. As he stepped out into the hallway too, he took hold of Alice’s hand and led her towards the elevator.

  As they waited for the doors to open, there was an atmosphere between them; a spark that was almost touchable.

  It wasn’t until they were both standing in the elevator that Parker spoke again, but this time his voice seemed gentler, and Alice thought he almost sounded nervous.

  “I’m sorry,” he said as he glanced towards Alice. “I just don’t want you to think that anything I say or do is some kind of game, Alice. This whole thing is very new for me, and I don’t ever want you to think I am toying with you. The last thing I would ever want to do is to hurt you.”

  “Okay,” Alice nodded and smiled, but inside she felt confused. She had no idea what to think of his remarks, but she decided she wasn’t going to dwell on them. Tonight, she was going to try to relax and have some fun. She liked Parker’s family, and she was looking forward to spending the evening with them.

  When they reached Parker’s parent’s home, Alice was blown away by the sheer size of the house. She knew Parker was rich; she knew that from the interest the tabloids had in him, but this was more. This was like another world. Suddenly she felt very out of place.

  “Are you okay?” Parker asked as the car came to a stop outside the front door.

  “Yep,” she said as she forced a smile on her face. She pulled her eyes from the car window and turned to look at Parker. “I’m fine.”

  “No you’re not,” Parker said as he leaned closer to her and looked into her eyes. “You look like your beyond terrified.”

  “It’s just…” she sighed as she turned from him and looked back towards the house. “I don’t know that this is a world I belong in.”

  “Why wouldn’t you belong here?” Parker asked, surprised by her comment.

  “Because I’m just a waitress,” Alice replied as she turned back to Parker. “I grew up in a small apartment in Queens with my grandmother. I just don’t belong somewhere like this.”

  “Why?” Parker laughed. “Because my parents are rich? I think if anyone should know money doesn’t make you a good person, it should be you. Look how I behaved when I met you. I treated you like you were nothing because I thought having money made me somehow more important. But you showed me that you were a better person than me from the start. You called my arrogant ass out, and you were right. So, believe me, you have nothing to worry about.”

  “This is different,” Alice replied and blushed as she recalled how mad she got the night she met him at the Comedy Club. She had been so angry with him, and she hadn’t pulled any punches.

  “No, it’s not,” Parker insisted with a smile. “But it doesn’t matter because I will be with you, and I am proud to walk in there with you by my side, and I am even prouder to call you my wife.”

  Alice stared at him for a moment, surprised by his words. He confused her with how he spoke sometimes. She knew he was most likely just saying what he thought she needed to hear, to get her into the house. Still, she liked that he cared enough to try. Being with him made her feel confident enough to face anything.

  Parker held out his
hand to her and gave her a warm smile.

  “Are you ready to do this?” He asked as his smile widened.

  “I guess so,” Alice replied and couldn’t help but smile too. She took hold of his hand, and to her surprise, Parker brought her hand to his lips and softly kissed it.

  As he did, his eyes looked up and met hers, and something inside Alice exploded. She long to hold him. To have him take her in his arms and make slow, tender love to her. She knew there was no point in denying her feelings. She was in love with Parker; she had been from the first time he walked into the coffee shop. But now it was more; it was stronger and undeniable.

  She swallowed hard as he stared up into her eyes, and she could feel something change between them.

  Suddenly the car door behind Parker opened and the moment they had shared, was over. Parker released her hand, then turned and slipped out of the car before he turned back to Alice and offered her his hand once more.

  Alice slipped her hand into Parker’s and climbed out of the car. When she did, Parker made no attempt to move back out of her way. As Alice straightened up, she was barely inches from Parker. He looked down into her eyes, and something in his eyes told Alice that right at that moment, he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

  “There you are,” Nicole said from the doorway, disrupting the moment Parker and Alice were sharing. “I told Mom I heard a car pulling up.”

  She jumped down from the three steps of the front door and hurried up to Parker and Alice. Then, much to Alice’s surprise, she threw her arms around her and hugged her tight.

  “Hi,” Alice said with a nervous laugh as she glanced over at Parker, and she couldn’t help but smile at the huge grin on his face.

  “I still can’t believe I finally have a sister,” Nicole exclaimed excitedly as she released Alice and looked up at her. “I have told all my friends about you.”

  “Well, I am glad to have a sister too,” Alice said trying her best to match the girl’s excitement but behind her smile, a wave of guilt washed over her. She hated that she was deceiving her. Nicole was sweet and friendly. Alice liked her and would have loved nothing more than to consider the girl her sister, but Alice knew that when she and Parker parted ways, she most likely would never see Nicole again.