Playing Dirty (Risky Business, #2)(27)

The green monster of jealousy set up shop right next to me, cracking its knuckles and digging its claws into my gut. I was stupid for believing Parker last night. He wanted what he couldn’t have, and even that had been fleeting. He seemed perfectly happy playing suck-face with French Barbie.

“Wow. Is that—”

“Yeah,” I answered Megan’s unfinished question. She’d sidled up next to me, both of us staring through the glass. Parker and Monique were talking now, their faces close together. His hand was still on her leg … correction, now it was her thigh. I ground my teeth together.

“She’s really pretty.”

I shot Megan a glare at her unabashed praise and her cheeks flushed. “I’m just saying,” she muttered.

“Well, she’s a total bitch,” I retorted. “She wanted Parker to fire me because I was ‘too pretty.’ ” I used quote-y fingers and a bad French accent.

“Oh my God, he told you that?” she asked, eyes wide. I nodded. “You know what that means, don’t you?” she asked.

“What does it mean?” I asked, distracted by Monique putting her arms around Parker’s neck. She was going to wrinkle his jacket and get her nasty-ass perfume all over him.

“Sage,” Megan said.

“Hmm?” By God, if she even got a hint of lipstick on his collar, I was going to strangle her with her own nylons …

“Sage!”

“What?” I said, reluctantly turning away from the show.

“He’s trying to make you jealous,” Megan said.

“Pffft. Please,” I said, waving her off and turning back toward the office.

“Listen to me,” she said urgently. “He tells you that his girlfriend doesn’t like you because you’re too pretty? Then lets her come waltzing in here to put on a PDA just feet from your desk? That’s not the Parker I know, but it sounds very much like he’s trying to get your attention.”

I turned back again to look at her. “Really?” I thought about it. “No, he wouldn’t—”

“Oh yes he would,” she said emphatically. “Have you ever seen Parker do anything remotely like this before?” She nodded toward his office.

“Well …”

“Of course you haven’t,” she said. “It’s because he sees you’re with Ryker and has finally wised up to what’s between the two of you.”

“But it’s too late,” I said. “I’m with Ryker. I love him, not Parker. Right?” Sudden self-doubt assailed me. I did love Ryker. I wouldn’t have wanted him to meet my parents, wouldn’t have let him sleep in my bed or make love to me on my (now spotless and disinfected) kitchen counter, if I didn’t.

“You’re the only one who can say if it’s too late,” Megan replied. “But I’m telling you, he’s not into her. He’s using her to get to you.”

I glanced back into Parker’s office. “I dunno, he looks pretty darn into her,” I said. “Does she have her tongue in his ear?”

Megan shrugged and walked away. My computer dinged and when I looked at the screen, I smiled.

Toggling the intercom button, I said in a sweeter-than-saccharine voice, “Parker, five minutes until your four o’clock with Lowry in conference room two-twelve.”

“Thank you, Sage.”

I watched from the corner of my eye as Parker disentangled himself from Monique’s claws. Though he’d supposedly been glad to see her, I could read the irritation on his face and in his body language as he gathered his things for the meeting. Monique was pouting and it looked as though she was arguing with him, but no way was I going to listen in. I had some pride.

Oh, who the hell was I kidding?

I toggled the button again, turning the volume low so I had to strain to hear.

“… can’t cancel my meeting, Monique,” Parker was saying.

“You have a secretary. Make her go for you.”

“That’s not what she does.”

“Oh, really? Then what exactly eez it zat she does for you?” No escaping the petulant aggression in those words.

“Knock it off, Monique,” Parker warned, straightening his tie. “I’m not in this to be nagged to death about Sage. We agreed to have a little fun together. That’s it. This is twice you’ve shown up at my work. I’ve been patient, but that’s about to end.”

Monique was immediately contrite. “I am sorry, Parrrker,” she said. “I just miss you so. Maybe tonight we go out, drink and dance, no? To that place we like. What eez it called?”

His smile was thin and his answer perfunctory. “The Underground. Look, I’ll give you a call.” Politely giving her his arm, he helped her off the desk just as he glanced my way.

Quickly averting my gaze, I toggled off the intercom and pretended I was working on the computer as they came out of the office.

“I’ll be back in about an hour,” Parker said to me, his grip around Monique’s elbow as he propelled her down the hallway. I watched them disappear into the elevator.

So they’d been drinking and dancing together, eh? I wasn’t sure I believed Megan’s premise about Parker trying to make me jealous. Why should he? He’d already turned me down.