The Prize (26 page)

Riley came through the house, grunted, waved, and left us alone.

Was he pissed? How much did he know about me and Parker? Probably more than I cared
to think about.

I intentionally didn’t call my boss yet. I knew the job would be mine if I asked for
it, but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do next. I felt a sense of freedom I’d never
felt, as if I could go anywhere, do anything, be anyone I wanted to be.

And then there was Parker.

I could deny my feelings for him, but I was lying. I could go to him, and say what?

“I’m sorry.”

“I fucked up.”

“Will you take me back?”

Underlying every thought was an equally daunting counter-thought. I had no idea where
he was living. And he was still rich. I couldn’t change that. I would never ask him
to, either.

My parents had grown a spine. Hell, I was twenty-five years old. They had let me run
their lives for fifteen years, even though I hadn’t lived with them for the last seven.
They had coddled me since I was ten.

I loved them for it, but they deserved to move on. My father was fifty-five. He had
worked half his life from behind the scenes at home. He wanted to return to their
previous life, buy nice things, move into a new house, dress in a suit, and go to
the office. I didn’t blame him.

I felt guilty for taking that away from him.

On the flip side, perhaps the change had saved my family. It brought us closer. We’d
spent more time together than we would have. We did normal, middle-class things. My
formative years were probably the best ones of my life without having to deal with
wealth and propriety and fancy dresses and parties and dinners.

Instead, my father had been present. And I thanked him for that.

But I had to let them go. They needed to return to society.

Could I? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t think so. The visual of living in a giant home like
Parker’s with a driver and fulltime staff made me break out in a cold sweat.

But I owed him an apology at the least. I’d dragged him through the coals. He didn’t
deserve what I’d put him through. I needed to pull up my big-girl panties and confront
him. It would hurt if he turned me away and didn’t want to hear my apology, but I
would understand.

I’d been a bitch. I deserved his indifference.

I made a decision as I sat curled in the corner of Cheyenne’s couch, sipping a glass
of wine. The best wine. A chardonnay that probably cost a hundred dollars a bottle.
“I need to speak to Parker. I owe him an apology. And I need to thank him for all
he did for me.” Would they tell me where he was?

Amy glanced at Cheyenne, and the two of them shared a look.

“What?” I asked.

Amy licked her lips. “He’s here. In Atlanta.”

“What for?” I knew he wasn’t in Charlotte, but I was surprised to hear he was in Atlanta.

Cheyenne leaned forward. “I think we should let him explain.”

I narrowed my gaze. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Amy winced. “He’s meeting with Riley and Cade.”

“That’s…uninformative.”

“And again,” Amy stated, “not for us to say. You should talk to him.”

“Is he angry?” If he was in town, they had probably both seen him. They would know.

Amy winced. “You could say that. Or maybe sad and disappointed is more accurate.”

I nodded. “Will you tell me where he’s staying?”

Cheyenne smiled. “Now
that
we can do.”

Chapter Thirty

I chewed on my lower lip while I waited for Parker to open the door to his suite at
the Omni hotel. As I shifted from one foot to the other, I worried he might not be
there or perhaps had looked through the peephole and chosen to ignore me.

As I reached to knock again, the door opened.

I sucked in a sharp breath. He looked amazing. He wore low-riding jeans that fit him
perfectly, a black T-shirt that stretched tight over his chest, and his feet were
bare. I swallowed, unable to keep my gaze from roaming up and down his frame. Even
his tussled hair was sexy.

“You just going to stand there? Or do you want to come in?” He stepped back, holding
the door open, but his expression was unreadable.

When I entered, I immediately felt calmer. No matter how this went, I was doing the
right thing. Hell, even
I
didn’t know what I wanted the outcome to be. I didn’t have an agenda. I just needed
to apologize.

“Would you like to sit down?” he asked over his shoulder as he returned to the chair
he’d obviously occupied before my arrival. He held out a hand, indicating the couch.

I glanced around the room. It was enormous and done in shades of brown. Warm. Inviting.
Luxury at its best. Did I miss that? The far wall was all windows that looked out
on the Atlanta city below. It was after dark, but the lights gave a unique ambiance
that made me feel small in comparison to the universe.

“Sit, Meagan.” His word was terse.

I hadn’t moved. I shrugged out of my coat and settled it over the back of the couch
before I rounded to lower my frame onto the leather surface. I was glad I wore jeans.
My thighs would have stuck to the leather if I’d chosen to dress up. I did have on
a nicer shirt in an attempt to compromise my look, but the jeans had been a good choice.
They were new. Designer. I hadn’t owned a pair like that for longer than I could remember.

Parker stared at me. He set his elbow on the arm of the chair and his chin on his
open palm. He crossed his legs casually as he waited for me to say something.

“I’m done running.”

“I’m happy for you.”

I winced. I deserved that.

“I thought if I took another name and moved away, I could spare everyone I loved the
pain of being afraid.”

He said nothing.

“Thank you for making it possible for me to return. I can never repay you.”

“You’re welcome. I would never ask you to.”

I rubbed my hands together in my lap. “Turns out I was running away from my life.
Perhaps running from myself. If I reinvented myself, I could hide safely forever.”

“Because Michael Swarth is the only bad guy you’ll ever encounter,” he stated sarcastically.

“Right. I didn’t say it was rational. I was stuck in the mind of a ten-year-old girl
who didn’t want to ever feel that fear again.” I sounded like Dr. Frost.

“But it happened anyway.”

I tipped my head lower. “It did.” How did he get to be so smart? Now
he
sounded like Dr. Frost. She would have her work cut out for her when I finally contacted
her.

“Just out of curiosity, what name did you use?”

“Olivia Prize.”

“Prize?” He chuckled.

I tried to force a smile. “I wanted to apologize for the way I behaved and how I treated
you. It wasn’t fair.”

“No. It wasn’t.”

“I should have told you more about myself.”

“Yes, you should have.”

“I just wanted to feel safe. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” I pursed my lips and then
released them and continued. “I felt safe when I was with you. For the first time
in my life. You gave me something money can’t buy. And I threw it away out of fear.”

“Don’t you realize I have more than enough money to keep you safe?”

“Parker,
I
have more than enough money to keep me safe.”

He tipped his head and stared at me quizzically.

I slumped in my seat, staring at the floor. “That’s the entire problem. My parents
have money. Loads of it. That’s why Matt and Michael Swarth chose to rob our house.
I hate money. I loathe it. I don’t want to be around it. I don’t want to own anything.
I don’t want to wear expensive clothes, jewelry, or purses. I’m comfortable living
a quiet existence without things.”

“Because if you don’t own anything worth the envy of someone else, no one will try
to take it from you.”

I sucked in a breath, blinking at the floor.

“Meagan. That’s why you lived in such a small modest apartment. So no one would break
in and rob you.” His voice was gentle. He came to me, kneeled in front of me, and
took my face in his hands. “Jesus. Honey. You’ve spent most of your life running from
something you can’t control. You’re just as likely to get mugged without money as
with it. Don’t you see? In fact, it’s worse. People don’t expect you to have any protection
if they think you’re middle class.

“Hon, you were ten when two men broke into your parents’ home to rob them. It wasn’t
something you could have stopped. But you did. You stopped it.
Ten
. No other ten-year-old in the world could have done what you did. But you did it.
And you lived. And you lived through a similar situation again.

“You’re a fighter. Fight. If you throw away everything you know, including your family
and friends, he wins. He’s dead. You want him to continue controlling you from the
grave?”

“You sound like my therapist.”

“She’s a smart woman.”

I bit my lip. “I don’t know. I’m nervous when I’m around wealth.”

“Understandable. I totally get it. As a child, you associated money with burglars.
And hell, it happens sometimes, but I have enough money to live safely. Hell, apparently
you do too. Use it. Make yourself feel as safe as you need.

“Don’t waste the rest of your life running from what ifs. That’s no life at all.”

Maybe he was right. I fisted my hands in my lap.

He tipped my face farther and leaned down to kiss my lips gently. And then he pulled
back. “I’m not going to force you to stay with me. I’ve already done more than most
men would do. My tail has been tucked between my legs for long enough. I’m about to
lose my man card,” he teased.

I tried to smile, but it didn’t seem to reach my lips.

“Here’s the thing. We have something special. We’ll never find anything like it again.
I know I won’t. I believe you know it too.” He took a deep breath. “I love you, Meagan.
I’m begging you not to throw this away over some dead asshole who tried to rob you.
Don’t give him that power. Don’t you think he’s taken enough?”

I didn’t move. He was right. Wasn’t he?

“I’ll give you all the time you need. I’m not going anywhere. I’m yours. This is the
last time you’ll hear me beg,” he teased with a half grin, “but I’ll never find a
woman I love like I love you. So the power is yours. You can run from me if you want.
You can hide from me—from yourself—for as long as you like. I’ll be here. I wish I
had the strength to force your hand and tell you otherwise, but I’d be lying. You’re
mine. You
are
the prize.” He released me and stood, turning to walk away. When he reached the door
and touched the knob, I panicked. Did he want me to leave?

“Wait.”

He didn’t turn around, but he did freeze.

“You’re right.”

He remained in the same spot, facing the door.

I swallowed. “I’m a mess. I’ve got crazy, mixed-up ideas that belong to a ten-year-old.
It will take me a while to work through my idiosyncrasies about money. But…”

He dropped his hand without turning to face me.

I gathered my strength. This man was mine. I’d be a fool to walk away from him. “I
love you too,” I whispered, barely able to keep my tears at bay. “I’d be lying to
continue to insist otherwise. I’ve never been happier than when I’ve been with you,
especially when I submit to you and let you take control.”

I raced on, my words falling out faster. “When you dominate me, my troubles disappear.
I sink into your warmth and lose myself. It’s like heaven. There’s no greater feeling.”

He turned to face me finally, his brows drawn. “Anyone can dominate you, Meagan. You
don’t need me to chase away your fears.”

I shook my head. “No. They can’t. I don’t believe that. I would never trust another
man the way I trust you. It’s you. It’s the way you are with me. I know you think
I’m a prize. But you’re wrong. You’re the prize. I won the lottery when I met you.

“If you’ll still have me, broken and mending, I want to try to make you happy. Please.”

“You make me happy just by being in the same room, hon. You don’t have to try.”

I fought the tears, losing as they welled up and ran over to stream down my cheeks.
“I love you,” I mumbled again, threading my fingers together and twisting them.

He stepped forward slowly, and then took long strides to close the distance and haul
me off the couch, pulling me into his embrace. He buried his face in my shoulder.
“Meagan Hollister, please be my prize.”

“Only if you’ll be mine too,” I said into his neck, my lips grazing his ear. I pulled
back enough to kiss his temple and trail a line down to his lips as he turned to face
me.

Our mouths collided. We tipped our heads in opposite directions and devoured one another
for long moments.

His hands gripped my biceps as if he feared I would disappear if he didn’t hold me
tight.

He was wrong.

I would never disappear.

I was his. Forever.

Epilogue

One Month Later…

“Do you like this one?” Parker leaned against the doorframe that led into the largest
great room I’d ever seen, a smirk on his face.

I spun around in circles several times. “I do.”

He exhaled with deliberate exaggeration.

The realtor clapped her hands together. “Shall I start the paperwork?”

Parker lifted a brow in question, and I smiled. “Yes,” I stated without glancing at
the woman who scampered out of the room and left us alone. I stalked toward him. “You
didn’t look at anything about this place closely, did you?”

“Nope.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

He smiled as he reached out a hand to lure me closer.

When I stepped into his space, he pulled me against his chest. “I don’t give two fucks
where we live. As long as you like it and you feel safe, that’s all that matters.”
He held my biceps and leaned me back a few inches to kiss my forehead.

“It’s awfully expensive. Out of our initial range.”

“Don’t care.”

“But—”

He rolled his eyes. “Hon, it was just a number. You assigned it. I didn’t agree.”

I twisted my head around to face the wall of windows. Ever since I’d stood in front
of the windows on the top floor of the Omni in downtown Atlanta that first time, I’d
known I wanted to live someplace like that.

I could see so far. The world was huge out there. “The view is better than downtown
Atlanta.”

“Yes, it is.” He indulged me. He always would. It was his style. “And the security
is top notch. No one comes into this building without getting by the doorman. Day
or night. And no one can take the elevator to this floor without having the key card.
Even if they accomplished that, they wouldn’t be able to open the door after they
arrived on the top floor. It doesn’t get any safer.”

He was right.

“And Ruth has been gracious enough to move with us. What’s lacking?” He grabbed my
chin to turn my head back to face him once again, tearing me from the view. He lifted
both brows. “We’ve looked at twenty places in the Miami area. Is this the one?”

“Yes.”

“Excellent.”

“It’s so fast. You sure you want to take me on like this? We’ve only known each other—”

“Stop it.” He held out a hand. “We’re not rehashing that again. We’ve known each other
long enough to know we love each other. I know I want to spend my life with you. So,
unless you’re having doubts…”

I shook my head. “Of course not.”

“Then let’s do it.”

“We’re moving to Miami,” I stated.

“Yep.”

“You sure you can find the right place to open up your new company? Maybe we should
hold off on buying a home until you find the perfect location.”

“Nope. We’ve been through this too. Cade and Riley and I have had our eye on opening
a technology branch here in Miami for two years. The timing is perfect. It will all
fall into place.”

“And who’s going to run Edgewater Inc. in Charlotte now?”

“We’ve been interviewing several people. We’ll find someone.”

“You think they need any accountants here in Miami?” I joked.

“I’m sure anyone would hire you if you want to work. Besides, Heller would give you
a glowing recommendation.”