“Of course, Mr. Parker.” She nodded.

I climbed into the back seat of the Bentley and told my driver, Phillip, about Emerson.

“If you’re not driving me around and Miss James needs to go somewhere, please see to it she gets to her destination safely. If she asks you to take her somewhere absurdly far, consult me first.”

“Not a problem, Alex. I must say that I’m really surprised you’re letting her stay with you. That isn’t like you to have house guests.”

I sighed. “I’m doing a favor for a friend. Trust me. I won’t be doing this again.”

He smiled and drove me to my office. I was feeling unsure about this situation and I forgot to ask Adam how old his sister was and he never mentioned it. But he warned me about her being mouthy and defiant, so I guessed she was around eighteen. Just what I needed: a kid hanging around the house. I’d have to set some rules and she would follow them or else. The weird thing about Adam was that he never spoke of his family. I’d known him for three years and this was the first I heard about a sister. He was a good guy and did me a huge favor a year ago. When he called me and asked me if Emerson could stay with me, I couldn’t exactly turn him down.

Chapter 2

Emerson

As soon as I stepped off the plane and my feet hit the ground in California, my breathing became restricted. I needed to find a bathroom and get myself under control. The memories here were bad and I had left for a reason. Damn Adam for bringing me back. I had the tiniest bit of hope that being away for eight years would have made things easier. But I was wrong. Dead wrong.

Walking to baggage claim, I grabbed my two large suitcases and got into a cab. Showing the driver my phone, I asked him to take me to the address Adam sent me. I was surprised that the address was in Malibu. Who was this Alex Parker? Time to google him and find out. My eyes literally popped out of my head when I searched him. He was the Alex Parker. A well-known, world-famous real estate developer. He owned just about everything. Hotels, mortgage companies, apartment buildings, condos, restaurants, and a couple resorts around the world. Fuck! He was a billionaire and he was only thirty years old. Was that even possible? Damn, he was sexy. Holy shit. How the hell did Adam expect me to stay in the same house with that fine-looking man? But he did say I would have nothing to worry about with Alex, so I bet he was an asshole. An uptight, rich playboy who thought he owned the world type of asshole. As long as he stayed out of my way, I’d stay out of his, and judging by the number of different women he was photographed with, I bet he was a commitment phobe. If he was, at least we had that in common.

Pulling up the long winding driveway, we were stopped by a black wrought-iron gate. The driver pushed the button and the gates opened, allowing him to pull up to the house. He got out and fetched my suitcases from the trunk. I paid him his fare and, when he left, I stood there and stared at the mammoth home, which was situated on a hill. The front door opened and a woman stepped outside. She looked to be in her early thirties, petite, and she wore her black hair in a bun.

“Hello, you must be Miss James. I’m Jenna, Mr. Parker’s housekeeper.” She gave a warm smile.

I held out my hand. “I’m Emerson. It’s nice to meet you.”

She took one of my bags and led me inside. Stopping dead in my tracks in the foyer, I looked around at the beautifully decorated home of Mr. Parker. Jenna led me to a bedroom on the first floor towards the back of the house.

“Umm, Jenna. How big is this house?” I asked.

“It’s seven thousand square feet.”

“Jesus. Who needs a house that big?”

She laughed. “This is your room. You’ll have more privacy here and it’s the biggest guest room in the house. Plus, it has the best view.”

As she opened the door, I gasped. The room was bigger than my apartment back in Texas. Hell, it was bigger than anything I’d ever stayed in. The vaulted ceilings, taupe walls, and white crown molding gave the room a look of pure elegance. A king-sized sleigh bed sat on one wall with a fireplace and a built-in TV sat above it on the opposite wall. There were French doors that opened and led to a patio that was furnished with a couple of chairs and a table. The curtains were made of silk and hung elegantly to the floor. But it was the view that caught my attention and caught it fast. It overlooked the Pacific Ocean.

“Over here is your closet,” Jenna spoke as she opened the double doors.

I lost my breath as I stepped inside the double walk-in closet that housed a beautiful, large, white vanity. Shit, even the closet was bigger than my apartment. It was truly its own living space.

“This is amazing.”

Jenna smiled. “Wait until you see the bathroom.”

Stepping out of the closet, we walked down a small hallway that led to the bathroom. I’m not kidding when I say I think I had an orgasm. It contained a large, sunken jet tub that was big enough for at least four people, a large glass-encased walk-in shower, and a huge counter with double sinks. The entire bathroom was done in a beige marble and decorated to perfection.

“He didn’t decorate this house, did he?” I asked.

“No. Mr. Parker hired an interior decorator to decorate as he built the home.”

“How long has he lived here?” I asked out of curiosity.

“About five years. Come with me and I’ll show you the rest of the home.”

As we walked through the house, Jenna led me to the kitchen and orgasm number two happened. This kitchen was a chef’s dream. Holy shit. With the double ovens, the double stove, the large granite island that sat in the center, and the biggest stainless steel refrigerator I’d ever seen, I could see many elegant meals being prepared here. The dark cherry wood cabinets and moldings graced the entire kitchen, framing a large bay window with a cushioned window seat that overlooked the ocean.

After the tour, we stepped outside into the back yard. I had to tighten my legs from orgasm number three. The view, the tree-lined area, infinity pool, hot tub, and many furnishings—all were unbelievable.

“If you go down those steps right there,” Jenna pointed to the side, “they will lead you down to the beach.”

“This is beautiful. Truly beautiful.”

“I know. It’s an honor to work here.” She smiled.

I looked up to the second story and noticed the wraparound balcony. “What’s up there?”

“That floor is where Mr. Parker’s bedroom and home office is.”

I arched a brow at her. “His bedroom and office is the entire floor?”

“Yes. That floor is off limits. Nobody is allowed up there unless you have permission from Mr. Parker.”

“And you?”

“I have to clean up there, so I’m pretty much the only one allowed.”

“I see. I have a question. Is Mr. Parker uptight?”

She let out a light laugh. “Yes. Just a bit.”

“Great. Well, at least he’s never home. So I won’t see him much, right?”

“Correct. He does pop in during the day every once in a while. As for night, I really don’t know. I leave every day at five. He is a very social man who spends a lot of his time at charities and events, so he’s really not home much.”

“What a waste to have a house like this and never be able to enjoy it.”

She softly nodded her head. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to work. Mr. Parker said to make yourself comfortable. There’s plenty of food and beverages in the refrigerator if you’re hungry.”

“Thank you, Jenna.”

“You’re welcome, Miss James.”

“No formality. I hate formalities. Call me Emerson.”

“All right, Emerson. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”

****

Alex

I arrived home at seven o’clock to meet my houseguest, take a shower and to change for a dinner date I had. When I walked through the door, the most incredible aroma filled the air. I set my briefcase down and walked into the kitchen, where I found a woman wearing extremely short jeans shorts standing over my stove.