Sophie's Playboy (38 page)

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Authors: Natalie J. Damschroder

BOOK: Sophie's Playboy
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  • * * * *
  • Parker beat Sophie to the station for once. He'd skipped his
  • He was in his cubicle—which never ceased to amuse him—when S
  • He looked up at Sophie, laughing at him, hand out to help hi
  • "Problem, Parker?" The laugh was still in her voice when she
  • He'd never seen Sophie dressed like that before. She'd worn
  • Today she looked like she'd just gotten out of bed. Parker w
  • "Stereotypes?"
  • Parker shook his head but his brain didn't clear. "Huh?"
  • Sophie's smile turned self-satisfied. Ah. Ego. Stereotypes.
  • "Yes, stereotypes. Today's theme." He half sat on the edge o
  • He cleared his throat. "Uh, not sure how stereotypes will wo
  • "Anti-stereotypes. We can have them tell us about people who
  • "I presume you mean you?" He barely restrained himself from
  • "Yeah. I was always the riler." She started flipping through
  • "The riler?"
  • "The troublemaker. Dropping bombshells, spreading gossip, st
  • "Used to?" Parker was barely following the conversation. He
  • He had to snap out of this.
  • Sophie stood and jingled some change in her hand. "Want a so
  • "Uh, no, thanks." But he followed her to the break room.
  • "I've been too busy since R&R started to keep up with things
  • "Allow me." Parker fed a nickel into the machine and felt ab
  • "Thanks. Anyway, anti-stereotypes."
  • And she was off. Parker managed to stuff his tongue back in
  • Melina strode over from the production office and waved a sh
  • Parker and Sophie groaned in unison. "Not more hotel ads, I
  • He reined himself in. He wasn't going to be her lover. He'd
  • But every time he glanced at her today it was all he could t
  • They confiscated the tiny conference room and Melina started
  • Sophie was already shaking her head. "A paid rave? I can't d
  • "Why not?"
  • She sat back and folded her arms. "It interferes with the sp
  • "Our show," Parker broke in, "but it won't, not the way we'l
  • Melina turned on her "soothe the talent" voice. "We'll go to
  • "How is it different from the recorded ads?" Parker asked So
  • Sophie dropped her arms and leaned forward. Thank God.
  • "For one, it's clearly a live discussion and people can tell
  • "Of course."
  • Sophie looked at Melina, who lifted a shoulder and hand. "Wh
  • They both looked at Parker.
  • "The point is," Sophie continued, "that the food sucks. I ha
  • "Maybe things have changed," Parker argued. "Give it a chanc
  • Finally Sophie threw her hands in the air. "All right! I won
  • "Tonight?" Parker asked.
  • Sophie raised an eyebrow. "I think not. Even if we could get
  • "You can get in any time," Melina said. "They'll make sure t
  • "I'm not dressed for it!" Sophie shifted. "We'll do it tomor
  • "No, that's better," Melina said. "Gives you an accurate por
  • "Fine. That's settled. What's next?"
  • Parker hardly heard them talk about the ads for a car dealer
  • The little voice in his head that kept cautioning him agains
  • He wasn't merely in trouble now. He was dead meat.
  • CHAPTER 10
  • Sophie smiled at the technician who ran the board during the
  • "Wow, Ms. Macgregor. Um, I mean, wow." He scratched the side
  • "Thanks, John. See you tomorrow."
  • "Uh, yeah. Yeah, okay." He did a little head-duck and should
  • "What the heck was that all about?" Sophie asked into the mi
  • "The boy has a sudden case of lust, uh, Ms. Macgregor."
  • "For me?" Astounded, Sophie looked over her shoulder. John w
  • "I didn't pay much attention when I got dressed this morning
  • "Someone else noticed, too." Melina nodded in Parker's direc
  • He glanced at her chest when he put his own headphones on. H
  • She fought the impulse to cover herself. Becoming self-consc
  • "Five seconds," Melina warned.
  • Sophie focused on the pages of notes in front of her and tri
  • "Good afternoon, and welcome to Rant and Rave! The talk show
  • She paused for two seconds to transition. "Take Parker, here
  • Parker rose to the scripted challenge. "I'm not a cliché, So
  • "No, you're right. You drive the new symbol of your great we
  • "They're safer in the snow."
  • "Worthless on the ice."
  • "Better than my Porsche."
  • Sophie couldn't help it. She snorted a laugh. "Okay, enough,
  • "Seth is on line one."
  • "Hi, Seth! What do you have to say about stereotypes?"
  • "If rich guys drive sports cars and big luxury SUVs, it's be
  • Sophie quirked an eyebrow at Parker and checked that off her
  • Seth continued. "The faster the sports car, the bigger the S
  • "But, Seth, don't you think what's inside the car is more im
  • Now he sounded sheepish. "Well, you know, all guys want from
  • "Ah-ha!" Sophie raised her pen in the air. "Another stereoty
  • That sparked a flurry of calls from men defending themselves
  • Which didn't help Sophie one bit. She'd started the show thi
  • Sheesh. She was becoming a stereotype.
  • Sophie was relieved when they broke at the end of the Rant p
  • She stood to go refill her water bottle and felt Parker's ga
  • Sophie removed her satisfied smile when she sashayed back in
  • "I guess." He looked glum. "At the moment I can't think of a
  • Sophie sighed in pretend annoyance. "I'll start, then. Again
  • "Yeah, that'll work."
  • Sophie paused and looked at Parker over the console. "Is som
  • "No."
  • "Then snap out of it!"
  • Melina gave the one-minute warning. Sophie decided to go for
  • His head snapped up. "Come over?"
  • Melina signaled thirty seconds.
  • "I've got leftover pizza."
  • A longing look came over Parker's face before he schooled hi
  • "Great." She nodded at Melina, sat, and went to work.
  • * * * *
  • The only problem, Sophie thought two hours later, was what h
  • Parker followed her home and into the condo. They were spare
  • "He slobbers over everyone like that," Sophie complained, wa
  • Parker smiled but didn't say anything.
  • "Come on. I'll get you something to drink." Sophie left the
  • "Interesting." He examined the label while she let the dog o
  • "Why?" Sophie went back to the fridge and removed the contai
  • Parker twisted the top off his bottle and took a swallow. "Y
  • "No, thanks." Sophie tried to bustle about preparing the piz
  • "Careful, it's hot." She placed the plate on the table and c
  • She scolded herself for feeling so nervous. It wasn't like s
  • "Not too bad. Still in preschool."
  • "That's good. Diane holding up okay?"
  • "Still strong." He frowned and swallowed. "She's going to fa
  • Sophie's throat swelled against the words, but she said them
  • Parker tilted his head at her questioningly. "I can be a fri
  • "Oh." She pulled a red pepper off her pizza slice and droppe
  • "What do you mean?"
  • "Well, it wouldn't exactly be fun, would it? It would be dem
  • Parker felt the familiar fear tickling his spine. He wiped h
  • "Sure." Sophie gave that snort she was so good at, and even
  • "I don't. I date women who appeal to me and see where it tak
  • "Somehow, it seems to take them down the aisle with someone
  • "Manage what?"
  • "Your matchmaking record is impeccable."
  • More fear. Sophie knew him too well. He was in a danger zone
  • So he tried to be casual. "I guess they just happen to meet
  • Sophie cut the last piece of pizza down the middle and hande
  • "I have no idea."
  • "I bet."
  • "Tell me about your family."
  • Sophie laughed. "Okay, I'll let you off the hook." They fini
  • He shook his head. Sophie dumped the plates in the sink and
  • He settled near the center of the sofa and watched Sophie di
  • "Die Hard?"
  • He choked before his brain really registered what she said a
  • "I've got The Mummy on DVD. You into supernatural incarnatio
  • It was on the tip of his tongue to say he was into whatever
  • He was right. He'd never have figured Sophie Macgregor for a
  • Parker hadn't seen the movie before and he couldn't seem to
  • Unfortunately, Sophie wasn't a clinging female type. Parker
  • By the time the movie was over, Parker felt like he'd played
  • Most of him was, anyway. Sophie jumped off the couch, and hi
  • "Watdja think?"
  • Parker stood slowly and Sophie's eyes widened. Her face soft
  • "I think I'm wondering what I'm doing here."
  • "I'd say watching a movie," Sophie replied, her voice turnin
  • Parker's hand lifted and skimmed Sophie's shoulder. She shiv
  • Without opening his eyes he lowered his head. If his lips me
  • He felt hot breath and knew that wasn't what was going to ha
  • "Sophie."
  • "What?"
  • "If I kiss you, everything changes."
  • Her arm dislodged his hand from her shoulder as she lifted i
  • "I know it does, Parker."
  • She still didn't move, and he didn't know if she wanted it t
  • He was getting a crick in his neck.
  • He let his eyes open a slit. Sophie's hair was tousled and c
  • Parker groaned. He'd lost.
  • * * * *
  • Wow.
  • Sophie couldn't get a more coherent thought than that. She'd
  • And his tongue! When it joined in, Sophie's ankles signaled
  • Parker had just lowered her to the sofa, his hand doing its
  • "Noooo," she murmured against his shoulder. She'd managed to
  • The phone rang again and Parker started to pull away.
  • "No!" Sophie grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled him ba
  • "Oh, Parker," she started. The click and whirr of the answer
  • "Sophie, it's Brie."
  • Sophie tried to ignore the machine, but it just wasn't in he
  • "I just wanted you to know I got to L.A. fine and I'm off on
  • The ensuing beeeeeeeep seemed to reverberate in the room. So
  • "What did she mean by that?"
  • "By what?" Sophie tugged at him but he refused to bend to he
  • "Are you who I thought you were, Sophie?" he asked quietly.
  • "No!" She pushed him up and stood. "I don't want to get my '
  • "You don't like playboys. But that's what I am, isn't it?" H
  • How had this happened? A moment ago they were so deep into e
  • "My sister is lonely," she tried to explain. "Our other sist
  • "It sounds like she doesn't need a guy for that."
  • Sophie sighed and looked up at him. "She doesn't. But she th
  • Parker rested one hand on Sophie's and used the other to lif
  • Sophie smiled tentatively and was heartened by the smile he
  • "I think I'd better go." He released her and turned away, al
  • "Parker?"
  • He turned at the top of the step and Sophie half hid behind
  • "What happens next?"
  • His grin this time was full-blown.
  • "We go to bed."
  • CHAPTER 11
  • Sophie spent that night and all the next day wondering if hi
  • In the end she compromised. After the show they were going t
  • To her immense frustration, Parker didn't seem to notice.
  • "Melina and Stevie are coming with us," he told her when the
  • "Protection, Parker? Are you afraid of me?"
  • "Yes, Sophie, I am."
  • She hadn't expected his honesty, but Parker reached in front
  • "Keep the cost low, now," Stevie cautioned on their way to t
  • "What, no hors d'oeurves?" she teased their frugal program m
  • "It's pushing it for four of us to go on the station's dime,
  • Parker slung his arm over the shorter man's shoulders. "Rela
  • "Why isn't it comp, Stevie? They should be giving this to us
  • "The sales person forgot to discuss that aspect of the arran
  • Sophie exchanged an amused glance with Parker. Both of them
  • She suddenly felt like she was on more stable ground. Except
  • Parker spoke to the maitre d', who seated them immediately,
  • "We were only expecting Mademoiselle Macgregor and Monsieur
  • Sophie rolled her eyes at the man's fake French accent. "I t
  • Parker nudged her with his elbow. "Lighten up. We need to ra
  • Sophie tried hard to lighten up, but for some reason grumpin

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