Miss Parker kissed the tip of Jarod's nose. "Did you think we'd ever get together?" She asked as she curled up next to him.

"Eventually. Maybe. Not sure." He twirled strands of her hair around his finger. "Parker, listen to me."

"What?" Her favorite telephone salutation was in a softer tone.

Jarod kissed her, then got out of bed. He put his shirt on and picked her discarded top off of the floor. "Here, put it on. We really do need to talk. And you're distracting me right now."

She pulled him back into bed and pulled off his shirt. "That's the purpose."

"What a sex pistol you are," Jarod growled as he attempted to lie on her.

Parker's telephone rang. It was not a welcomed interruption.

"It's "The Centre". Let it ring." She waved her hand in the air.

Jarod rolled off of her. "I really think you should answer it. They're probably looking for you. What exactly are you going to tell them?"

"What?" She yelled into the mouthpiece. She listened and sighed loudly. Suddenly, her temper exploded. "No! Look the game's over, Lyle! I'm tired and you know what? I really don't give a shit what you do!"

"A change of heart?" The voice on the other end shot out. "Where the hell are you anyway? Even Sydney and Broots are worried."

"Huh! Like you worry about me. And tell Sydney and Broots I can take care of myself."

Jarod leaned against the wall and listened to her one-sided conversation.

Lyle laughed cynically. "Wait a minute! Wait a minute! The guy who leaves you breathless is there with you, isn't he? Way to go, sis! Sleep with the enemy, pull him into your web and reel him into "The Centre" Oh, does he make your heart stop? Frisking the night away?"

"Fuck you, Lyle."

"No, no, sis, but I'll bet he sure did! Don't let your emotions get in the way. Don't lose focus."

Miss Parker immediately disconnected her call as she slammed her phone onto the dresser. Suddenly, she panicked. "He knows, he knows."

Jarod stood still. "About us."

She screamed at him. "Yes! Yes! About us! Jarod, he knows about us! He figured it out! He knows!"

The pretender was calm. "That's what I needed to talk to you about."

Miss Parker ignored him and rattled off. "We've got to move fast, Jarod!

"Parker."

"Or they'll get caught up with us!"

"Parker."

"We...we need to leave now! I can't have them get to you!"

"Parker! I'm not Thomas. So, stop protecting me!"

"Aren't you listening to me? I said Lyle's on to us! He'll tell "daddy", the sweepers and.."

Jarod held on to her tightly. "They're after me, not you." He hated his next words. "You'd only be in my way," he told her painfully. "You might get hurt in their process of capturing me, torturing me. You do understand, don't you? I don't want you with me. It's for your own good."

"You're regretting us?" She held back her tears.

He was silent. He threw her black laced panty to her. Jarod watched as she slipped one leg at a time into it.

"You don't mean that." Her eyes teared.

"Game's over, Parker. Time for you to go back to "The Centre". He turned away to shield from the tears that formed in his eyes.

"Was it just sex, Jarod? Or love? Which is it?" Her voice was sightly above a whisper.

He didn't answer, knowingly Parker would refuse to leave if he admitted their unity was out of love.

"Was I just easy sex to you, Jar?" She screamed. "Say something!"

Still, he said nothing.

"My heart was not opened to everybody! I've always had a closed heart! I opened my heart to you! You made me love you!" Miss Parker laid her hands on Jarod's chest, then shoved him.

"You know what not loving had done to you? It made you safe! Parker, you're not safe anymore. As long as you're with me, you won't be safe."

"You're saying I shouldn't be here with you? Things we did, meant nothing to you? I was just some promiscuous woman you wanted to bed down? That's all? Now, you're done with me, like I'm some sort of trash ready to be dumped!"

"I'm sorry, Parker. I never meant to hurt you."

"I wished you never laid a hand on me! And I hope I never set my eyes on you again! Ever! Fine! I'll leave if that's what you want!"

He didn't look at her. "I'll get your car." As he walked out the door, she called out.

"Jarod! I wanted you forever. You were worth the risk. I thought you wanted the same. I was wrong."

"You think I don't love you? I do!"

"Then, what about us, Jarod?" She pleaded one last time.

"I run, you chase, Miss Parker. That choice was made for us a long time ago. Maybe this thing between us, is the Parker curse."

TBC - Chapter 8