I stopped next to the kitchen counter. In my mind, I could still see Parker standing there, pretty as a sunrise, her eyes alight as she watched me get ready to cook. I’d been falling for her from the first. She gave me hope, made me want to reach further, raise my head a little higher.

I didn’t know shit about organizing a fundraiser, but I was fairly certain she did. I met my brother’s eyes and smiled. “We need Parker.”

I needed her. That was the truth. I needed her in more ways than one.

I grabbed my phone and called her, filled with satisfaction that I could do that. Shit, I missed her already. I wanted her. I wanted her so bad, I felt like I was missing something when she was gone.

She answered with a breathless voice. “Hey, you.”

A goofy smile pulled at my mouth as my head went hazy with lust. “Hey, Tink. What are you up to?”

“Thinking about you.”

Jesus. I was so gone on this girl.

“Good answer.” I grinned, then told myself to focus. “Can you come over? I need you.”

“It’s like that, is it?” She sounded cheeky, and sexy as hell.

I laughed. “It’s always like that where you’re concerned, babe.”

At my back, Dean gagged. And I shot him a look before focusing on Parker. “Ahem. I need that too. But Dean’s here right now.”

“You told him, didn’t you?” Pride filled her voice. Pride for me.

“Yeah. And we got to talking about the fight. I have a plan. Want to help me with it?”

She didn’t hesitate. “I’ll be right over.”

Because she was my girl. My right-now girl. And, right now, it was enough for me.

Nineteen

Parker

Zoe was a terrible liar.

I watched her warily as we walked up the front steps of Rhys’s gym. Her dark, intelligent gaze took in the building, her frown deepening as we walked through the doors.

Under the guise that she wanted to be in on the meeting between Rhys and the event manager, Fiona, for Zoe’s charity Street Warriors, she was tagging along to Lights Out.

Considering Zoe let Fiona have free rein as event manager, we both knew Zoe was really using this as an excuse to meet Rhys. However, since Ren and the guys had already met my boyfriend (yes, I was calling him that in my head now), I wasn’t going to quibble with my best friend over this.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t nervous as heck to see what she’d think of Rhys, and I didn’t want him feeling any pressure either. He already had enough stress in his life.