Jarod and Parker dutifully trailed behind Pauly, up two flights of marble stairs with walls adorned with family photos and through a door to the left that creaked when Pauly opened it.
The hallway that lay before them was like a wing from a haunted house movie, with flickering lights overhead, dust covering the walls and deteriorating wallpaper.
Parker leaned over to Jarod and lowly whispered, "This must be where they put the poor relations....or the people they're gonna whack." Her recriminations clear.
Jarod gave Parker one of his boyish smiles and whispered back, "Trust me, Parker. No one's gonna get "whacked"."
"This coming from the man who almost had a bullet hole in his head! Or was that part of your "pretend"?" her voice dripping with ridicule.
"Well, things don't always go as planned, Miss Parker," Jarod easily admitted. "But you should understand that." He met her eyes, "After all, how long have you been trying to catch me?"
Stepping into Jarod's path, Parker confidently purred, "But today I caught you, Jarod. I bet you didn't "plan" on going back to the Centre, did you."
Jarod's look hardened, "I'm not going back to the Centre, not for you, not for anyone."
Parker smiled without warmth, "You act like you have a choice."
Leaning closer, Jarod whispered, "I do ... and so do you." He let that sink in before he pulled on his carefree attitude. "Besides, you're not exactly in control here. I think Chase will claim first dibs on me," he said, leaving 'and on you' unspoken. But, nevertheless, the terrifying thought echoed through his brain, and an overwhelming helplessness ripped through him.
Suddenly Pauly bellowed from his position down the hallway, "Come on you two, I'm not your bellhop! Get you butts down here or I'll let ya sleep in the hallway."
"Don't dilly-dally Miss Parker," Jarod sing songed as he stepped around her and ambled down the hallway.
"Dilly Dally," Parker grumbled, "Who say's dilly dally?" even as she turned on her heel and headed for the impatience mobster.
Once his "guests" were again at his heels, Pauly continued down the hallway hung a right at the T and abruptly stopped. Pointing to the door to the left he stated, "That's the lady's room," then he pointed to the door across the hallway, "and that's your room, stud."
Jarod was about to readily accept the accommodations, when he saw Pauly's eyes skim down Parker like she was a Vegas showgirl he could buy at the end of the performance. "Oh, we'll only need one room," Jarod drawled, wrapping his arms seductively around Parker. To Parker he tainted sweetly, "You wouldn't want me to slip through your fingers again, now would you, sweetheart?"
'Damn him,' surged through Parker's brain but she knew he had a point. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. 'Yeah, the trouble is knowing which Jarod is from moment to moment, friend or foe,' she silently grumbled.
Accepting her role, Parker played it to the hilt. Delicately, she brushed the back of her hand along Jarod's cheek and she couldn't help but get a sense of satisfaction at his startled flinch. "Don't worry, Jarod, you won't get away this time," she purred but her eyes were hard and determined.
Pauly was unmoved by the scene before him, "Fine, pick either room. Dinner's in half an hour." Menacingly he invited, "Be there." And then he was leaving the two "guests" as hurriedly as he could.
Once Pauly turned the corner, Parker immediately took two steps back from Jarod.
Ignoring her quick retreat, Jarod walked over to the door that Pauly had indicated was Parker's room. "I'm hoping they would have given you the best room in the wing," and he walked in the room and whistled. Parker tentatively stuck her head in, expecting the worst.
"It's gorgeous," she breathed at the lushly decorated room, with it's slay bed, silk covers, and cherry wood furniture.
"Yes, this must be the best kept secret in the villa," Jarod guessed as he touched the curtains.
"Villa?" Parker bit out, "More like a high security prison, or did you miss the armed guards at the gate? You really know how to pick your friends."
Swinging around to face Parker, he was about to deny her accusation when he heard foot falls in the hallway. Then Pauly was at the doorway, Parker's suitcase in hand, "Here's you bag," and he unceremoniously dropped it to the ground before he disappeared again.
Seething Parker stalked to the door and called to his retreating back, "You'll get your 'tip' later," her threat unveiled. But Pauly had no reaction as he disappeared from sight. Slamming the door, Parker turned around to see Jarod had put her suitcase on the bed and he was now rummaging through it like some hobo. "Do you really think they'd let my phone or my spare gun in there, Jarod," she tiredly said.
Jarod held up a leather mini shirt that had a slit up the leg. Parker snatched it from his grasp as she passed him, "It's not your size." And she sank into the leather couch. "So what exactly are you looking for?"
Having gone through the whole bag, Jarod faced Parker in frustration. "I was looking for some decent clothes for you. You know, one's that leave something to the imagination," his censure loud and clear.
Snapping her eyes up to Jarod, Parker challenged, "What are you now, mother Teresa?"
"No, I'm the guy who has to keep the wolves away from your door...or the guy the wolves'll devour to get to you."
Parker leaned back in the couch and crossed her long unhidden legs, "I like wolves."
Crossing over to stand before her, Jarod growled, "These "wolves" won't back off if you break their thumbs like your reverend friend did back in school. These men get what they want, no matter the cost."
But Parker was unmoved by his words, she had contended with too many pack wolves at the Centre to back down at a little leering and growling. "Hey, you're the one that said, 'She's my girl'", she snidely mimicked. "I felt like I should have had my hair in a pony tail, and been snapping gum and wearing your letterman's jacket."
Jarod couldn't help but chuckle, "That's a charming picture."
"What you should have said, was that I was your sister," Parker insisted.
For a moment Jarod said nothing. Instead he looked at the gorgeous women that was Parker and smirked. 'Think of her as my sister, yeah right' But aloud he replied, "I think I'll take my chances being your lover."
Parker's eyebrows shot up at the word 'lover'.
"Let's go down for dinner," Jarod suggested and he held the door open for her. She stood up, still watching Jarod, unable to return with a barb...yet. Then she purposely walked by him and out the door. A smile pulled on Jarod's face as he followed her.
TBC
The hallway that lay before them was like a wing from a haunted house movie, with flickering lights overhead, dust covering the walls and deteriorating wallpaper.
Parker leaned over to Jarod and lowly whispered, "This must be where they put the poor relations....or the people they're gonna whack." Her recriminations clear.
Jarod gave Parker one of his boyish smiles and whispered back, "Trust me, Parker. No one's gonna get "whacked"."
"This coming from the man who almost had a bullet hole in his head! Or was that part of your "pretend"?" her voice dripping with ridicule.
"Well, things don't always go as planned, Miss Parker," Jarod easily admitted. "But you should understand that." He met her eyes, "After all, how long have you been trying to catch me?"
Stepping into Jarod's path, Parker confidently purred, "But today I caught you, Jarod. I bet you didn't "plan" on going back to the Centre, did you."
Jarod's look hardened, "I'm not going back to the Centre, not for you, not for anyone."
Parker smiled without warmth, "You act like you have a choice."
Leaning closer, Jarod whispered, "I do ... and so do you." He let that sink in before he pulled on his carefree attitude. "Besides, you're not exactly in control here. I think Chase will claim first dibs on me," he said, leaving 'and on you' unspoken. But, nevertheless, the terrifying thought echoed through his brain, and an overwhelming helplessness ripped through him.
Suddenly Pauly bellowed from his position down the hallway, "Come on you two, I'm not your bellhop! Get you butts down here or I'll let ya sleep in the hallway."
"Don't dilly-dally Miss Parker," Jarod sing songed as he stepped around her and ambled down the hallway.
"Dilly Dally," Parker grumbled, "Who say's dilly dally?" even as she turned on her heel and headed for the impatience mobster.
Once his "guests" were again at his heels, Pauly continued down the hallway hung a right at the T and abruptly stopped. Pointing to the door to the left he stated, "That's the lady's room," then he pointed to the door across the hallway, "and that's your room, stud."
Jarod was about to readily accept the accommodations, when he saw Pauly's eyes skim down Parker like she was a Vegas showgirl he could buy at the end of the performance. "Oh, we'll only need one room," Jarod drawled, wrapping his arms seductively around Parker. To Parker he tainted sweetly, "You wouldn't want me to slip through your fingers again, now would you, sweetheart?"
'Damn him,' surged through Parker's brain but she knew he had a point. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. 'Yeah, the trouble is knowing which Jarod is from moment to moment, friend or foe,' she silently grumbled.
Accepting her role, Parker played it to the hilt. Delicately, she brushed the back of her hand along Jarod's cheek and she couldn't help but get a sense of satisfaction at his startled flinch. "Don't worry, Jarod, you won't get away this time," she purred but her eyes were hard and determined.
Pauly was unmoved by the scene before him, "Fine, pick either room. Dinner's in half an hour." Menacingly he invited, "Be there." And then he was leaving the two "guests" as hurriedly as he could.
Once Pauly turned the corner, Parker immediately took two steps back from Jarod.
Ignoring her quick retreat, Jarod walked over to the door that Pauly had indicated was Parker's room. "I'm hoping they would have given you the best room in the wing," and he walked in the room and whistled. Parker tentatively stuck her head in, expecting the worst.
"It's gorgeous," she breathed at the lushly decorated room, with it's slay bed, silk covers, and cherry wood furniture.
"Yes, this must be the best kept secret in the villa," Jarod guessed as he touched the curtains.
"Villa?" Parker bit out, "More like a high security prison, or did you miss the armed guards at the gate? You really know how to pick your friends."
Swinging around to face Parker, he was about to deny her accusation when he heard foot falls in the hallway. Then Pauly was at the doorway, Parker's suitcase in hand, "Here's you bag," and he unceremoniously dropped it to the ground before he disappeared again.
Seething Parker stalked to the door and called to his retreating back, "You'll get your 'tip' later," her threat unveiled. But Pauly had no reaction as he disappeared from sight. Slamming the door, Parker turned around to see Jarod had put her suitcase on the bed and he was now rummaging through it like some hobo. "Do you really think they'd let my phone or my spare gun in there, Jarod," she tiredly said.
Jarod held up a leather mini shirt that had a slit up the leg. Parker snatched it from his grasp as she passed him, "It's not your size." And she sank into the leather couch. "So what exactly are you looking for?"
Having gone through the whole bag, Jarod faced Parker in frustration. "I was looking for some decent clothes for you. You know, one's that leave something to the imagination," his censure loud and clear.
Snapping her eyes up to Jarod, Parker challenged, "What are you now, mother Teresa?"
"No, I'm the guy who has to keep the wolves away from your door...or the guy the wolves'll devour to get to you."
Parker leaned back in the couch and crossed her long unhidden legs, "I like wolves."
Crossing over to stand before her, Jarod growled, "These "wolves" won't back off if you break their thumbs like your reverend friend did back in school. These men get what they want, no matter the cost."
But Parker was unmoved by his words, she had contended with too many pack wolves at the Centre to back down at a little leering and growling. "Hey, you're the one that said, 'She's my girl'", she snidely mimicked. "I felt like I should have had my hair in a pony tail, and been snapping gum and wearing your letterman's jacket."
Jarod couldn't help but chuckle, "That's a charming picture."
"What you should have said, was that I was your sister," Parker insisted.
For a moment Jarod said nothing. Instead he looked at the gorgeous women that was Parker and smirked. 'Think of her as my sister, yeah right' But aloud he replied, "I think I'll take my chances being your lover."
Parker's eyebrows shot up at the word 'lover'.
"Let's go down for dinner," Jarod suggested and he held the door open for her. She stood up, still watching Jarod, unable to return with a barb...yet. Then she purposely walked by him and out the door. A smile pulled on Jarod's face as he followed her.
TBC