Addicted to Mr Parks (The Parks Series #2)(40)

“Hot, sexy? Dark hair? He’s major. OMG,” she squealed, clapping her hands like a seal. “I’ve seen him in Forbes loads of times.” Then she quickly figured something out. “Wait, your Chanel watch. It was from him. Lucky cow.”

It was hard not to catch Mindy’s excitement. Especially when small pride burst open my chest from hearing such nice things about a man I was dating.

“Yep. That’s him. How the hell you know everything about everything is beyond me.” I laughed, but it was drowned out but the smashing off china cups Tabby had accidentally dropped from her tray.

“Shit.” She bent down quickly to pick it all up, gaining looks from customers. Mindy ignored Tabby as I got up to help her.

“I read tons of mags, honey,” Mindy teased.

“Yeah, you read but don’t do any work,” Keira called over. Mindy made a “yikes” expression and got up to help Tabby. “I’ll get the brush. But I need to hear all about Wade.” She said his name all giggly.

“Shut up and get to work.” I chuckled, bending down to pick up stray pieces of china. “You okay?” I asked Tabby, as she looked a little shaken up.

“It just slipped out of my hands.” She seemed extremely apologetic, almost like she was going to cry because of the incident.

“Shit happens.” I tried to lighten her mood.

“It’s my birthday today.” She came out with it randomly.

“Oh. Happy Birthday.” I smiled, getting to my feet. She picked up the tray and pushed her hair behind her ear with her free hand.

“You should come out tonight. I’d love for you to celebrate with me.”


Where the hell did that come from? “Oh, I don’t drink.” I threw my swimming bag over my shoulder and got ready to leave.

“Then just come for the laugh?”

Weird. “Um. Tabby…not to sound like a bitch, but I don’t even know you.”

Her cheeks flushed red. “I know, but I’m trying to make new friends because I don’t have many here in London. Please say yes. I don’t want to spend it on my own.”

Shit. She was guilt-tripping me. “Um. Where are you going? A quiet restaurant?”

“I was thinking more like Project. Just off Oxford Street. I have a membership.”

A nightclub? Shit. Maybe I could go for a little while. It would prove I could be around alcohol and not drink, but I would have to hide that I was going to a place like a nightclub from Parks. I trusted myself, but I wasn’t entirely sure he trusted me, and I had an image of his Hulkness coming out and him tying me to the bed until I agreed to stay in.

Hmm. That’s a thought. “Okay. I suppose I could come for an hour.”

Tabby almost dropped the tray again as she jumped in excitement. “Awesome.”

“Are the rest of the girls going?” I nudged my head towards Mindy and Keira.

“Oh sure.” She smiled, then insisted on taking my number, and we parted ways.

“I’ll see you tonight.” She beamed.



***



I breezed through the lobby at WParks Hotel and headed towards the pool area. That was until I was stopped in my tracks by murderous eyes glaring at me. Shit. Putting the hood up on my jumper, I tried to hide my face, put my head down, and picked up my pace. My walk turned into a jog as I headed in the direction of the pool, but I didn’t get very far until Parks pulled me back by my arm.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Going for a swim,” I told him sweetly.

“Don’t f*ck with me, Evelyn. I told you to stay home. Besides, there is a pool at my apartment.”

“But I like this pool.” He ignored my sass, took hold of my hand, and marched me towards the lift. “What are you doing?” I hissed.

“Taking you to my hotel suite.”

What! “Why?”

“Bad behaviour requires discipline, Evelyn. You’d think you would have learned by now.”

Meaning business, I yanked my arm from his grip and clenched my jaw. “I am not a child.”

“No, you’re an errant woman who doesn’t listen to a word I say. Do you not have any concern for your safety?”

I gritted my teeth at the impossible man that seemed to be my solace one minute and a f*cking migraine the next. “I’m fine.” Well, at least I was fine until the Incredible Hulk decided I needed a spanking. A spanking was always high on my to-do list but never when I hadn’t done anything wrong.

“I’ll be the judge of that.”

“Oh you will, will you?” I spun around on my trainer and headed back through the lobby.

Parks tried to take hold of my waist discreetly, but I swiped his hand away and pointed in his face. “I am going for a swim. And you are going to let me, or so help me God, I will scream this whole building down.”

Not giving up, he took hold of my hips and pulled me into him. “And I will spank you right here, right now if you do not obey my wishes.”

My nostrils flared, anger spewing from my expression, but although that should have riled him even more, he relented on a deep sigh. “I’m just trying to keep you safe.”

“But you can’t keep me captive in order to do that.” My own anger had suddenly started to disperse.