Free Parker (Rich & Single #2) by Lexy Timms Page A

not going to let you get in my pants.” Her head tipped slightly to the side. “Admit it, Parker, if I crooked a finger at you right now you’d roll into bed with me so fast your head would spin.”
    “Who said I wanted to fuck you?”
    She snorted. “Please. It’s written all over your big, dumb face.”
    The teasing about staring was one thing, but he wasn’t going to sit there and say nothing while she insulted him. He shook his head, jaw tightening. “That’s enough. Whatever it is you’re here to try to do, I’m really over it. Get up.”
    “It’s a public place.” The grin she hadn’t dropped widened. “I’m not doing anything that you can really report me for.”
    “Fine. You stay. I’ll go.” Parker tucked his phone into his pocket and stood up.
    “Oh, come on. I don’t really think you’re stupid, Parker, or I wouldn’t have picked you to run the challenge against.” She rolled her eyes. “And I didn’t come in here to chase you away from your table. Sit down. Eat your fucking lunch. Sheesh.”
    No way was he going to sit back down at the table like she’d just called him to heel. Leaving meant she’d pushed him out, but at least he wasn’t her lapdog. Parker picked up the rest of the food, closing the box it was in on it, and started for the door. He heard her chair scrape again against the floor behind him, and then her footsteps following, because of course it wasn’t going to be that easy to get away from her. Jackson was probably right. If he ever had sex with her she really would murder him in his sleep.
    “Parker,” she said as they stepped out onto the sidewalk and he turned to head back toward the gym. And then, louder, “Parker.”
    He turned into an alley that cut between the buildings on this street and the next and made for a faster route back to work, and she followed. For a moment, he thought he was going to outpace her. Then a hand brushed against his arm.
    Parker abruptly stopped walking and turned, spinning around to face her and taking a step in her direction. Jennifer took a step back, and then another. He followed, and her back hit the wall of one of the buildings that framed the little graveled space. She looked up at him with wide eyes, and an expression that wasn’t entirely displeased.
    “I mean it, Jennifer,” he said, pressing one palm to the wall, though his other hand was busy with the takeout box. “Why are you following me around?”
    She tipped her head back a little to meet his gaze from under her eyelashes, and he felt a palm stroke up the outside of his thigh. “Maybe I just like to get you hot and bothered.”
    Parker caught her wrist in the hand that had been pressed up against the brickwork and pulled it away from his body with just enough force to make a point, careful not to hurt her. Jennifer laughed, and pushed against the pressure until he just let go and stepped back.
    “You don’t want to go to bed with me. You’ve made that pretty fucking clear.”
    “Did I say that?”
    He leaned in a little closer, catching himself before his body touched hers, and wondered what the hell he was thinking. She was probably just looking for one more reason to mock him. 
    “Anyone ever tell you that you’re…”
    “Kind of a bitch?” She smiled at him. “All the time.”
    Before he could answer, she spun on her heel and slipped past him, hip sliding deliberately against his on the way. He watched her saunter down the alley, her hair catching the sunlight as she moved out onto the main street again, turning the corner and disappearing without looking back.
    Fucking tease. Jackson hadn’t only been right about her. He’d been right about the competition, too. With her in it, it was going to be harder than he’d thought, in more ways than one. Shaking his head, Parker turned toward the gym and started walking.
     
    ***
     
    Sitting in the car, Parker glanced down at the clock on his phone. 8:23. Jackson was late. He was never late to business