Addicted to Mr Parks (The Parks Series #2)(39)

“You can’t keep me in.” Did he think I was going to be a good little girl and do as I was told? Hell no.

“Hell if I can’t,” he scoffed. Evidently it really was his way or no way, and I was slowly learning just that. Learning it or not, that didn’t mean I would be following it.

“You want me to stay home just so you know where I am? Don’t you trust me?”

Ignoring me, he sauntered his firm, delicious backside into his wardrobe. I heard the clank of aftershave bottles, then he came out smelling divine and sexy.

Obvious deterrent.

“I just want to be with you whenever you leave this apartment, Evelyn.”

I breathed in his scent when he reached me, the scent that discharged my senses, scattering them all over the place like they were on Red Bull. “But—”

He bent down to kiss my pouting lips. “No buts, Evelyn. You are in recovery, you’re suspended from your job, and you have a drug dealer after you. You’re not stepping foot outside this apartment without me. I’m doing this to help you. Understand?”

“What if I had to work today?” I snapped.

“You would be in a secure building, travelling to and from work with me.”

I decided arguing with Parks was never a means to an end, so I fluttered my eyelashes and played the devoted woman. “Okay.”

His surprise was obvious when I relented, even if he did try to hide it. “Good girl,” he whispered against my lips, then licked the curve of my mouth and slipped his tongue in, circling around mine until I was breathless. “I’ll see you later, Princess.”

I touched my lips when he turned, tracing where his tongue had been. “Can’t wait.”

I stayed in bed until I knew he was gone, then ran to my wardrobe, threw on yoga pants, a grey jumper, and trainers and got a swimming bag together. The hell I was going to behave.

Using my intuition, I didn’t go out the front way. I slipped through an exit door that vacated at the back of the apartment, hoping the doorman at the front desk wouldn’t call Parks.

After getting into Central London, I made my way through the Underground and headed towards Starbucks first. I needed a coffee, and seeing as it was almost ten o’clock, I knew the shop wasn’t going to be that busy.


“Evey.” Keira, one of the Starbucks girls, called to me when I walked in. I waved and made my way over to the counter. “Where have you been?” She reached over it to give me an unexpected hug, ignoring my grimace.

“I’ve had some time off work. Could I have my usual, please—staying in, though?”

“Sure. Go sit down. I’ll bring it over.”

I made my way to an empty table but then changed course as I spotted Mindy mindlessly cleaning a clean table. She was in a world of her own and looked depressed.

“Is it that bad?” I teased her. Mindy was always loud, bubbly, and could talk my ear off. Today she was anything but herself. She stopped cleaning and glanced up at me with tears in her eyes.

“It’s as bad as a man wearing socks and Crocs.”

“Oh God.” I tried to suppress my smirk. But the last thing I ever wanted to do was talk to girls about problems. I’d hardly ever done it with Steph, so I sure as hell didn’t want to do it with Mindy.

I slipped into a seat at an empty table and placed my swimming bag underneath. Keira brought my coffee over, then glanced at Mindy, who was still in her own world.

“Oh, she’s still moping, is she?” She walked away on an eye roll.

“Shouldn’t you be working?” I called over to Mindy before taking a sip of my coffee.

“I got too much on my mind to make coffees.” She flapped her hand. “Anyway, how are you, Evey? I haven’t seen you for weeks.”

“A week,” I corrected her before taking another sip. “I’ve had some time off. That’s all.”

“So my love life sucks. Tell me about yours.” Mindy always asked if I had a boyfriend, and normally I would give her a back off look, but instead I smiled and looked into my coffee cup. Not like me at all. Of course she picked up on it, almost throwing herself across the table to grab hold of my hand. “You have a boyfriend? Evey has a boyfriend,” she yelled over to Keira, making me cringe.

“You do?” Both Mindy and I looked up to see Tabby walking towards us with a tray full of dirty china cups ready to be washed. “Who’s the lucky guy?”

Weirdly, it always took me a moment to gather myself when Tabby was around. Her features and hair resembled an innocent porcelain doll’s. She was a beauty in a unique way.

“It’s nobody.” I brushed them both off and chugged the remainder of my coffee, hoping to leave sooner rather than later.

“You can’t say you have boyfriend and not tell me his name,” Mindy moaned. I rolled my eyes at her pushiness, but Tabby encouraged it.

“Yeah, come on. Tell us.”

I told them as quickly as I could. “His name’s Wade Parks, and that’s all you’re getting.” I pushed my chair back to stand up, but Mindy pulled me back down, saying what I was dreading.

“Wait. I’ve heard of him. He’s American, yes?”

“Yeah,” I agreed, trying to dismiss her before she thought about it too much. But I was doomed.