Part 16 (1/2)
She finally quieted down to the occasional chuckle and hiccup. She smoothed back his hair. He tried to resist the placating gesture but he melted at her touch all the same.
”While you're in town, I'll only be with you,” she promised.
That should have made him feel better, but it didn't. In fact, it only made him feel worse. He didn't want any other man touching Olivia. Ever. Unrealistic but he couldn't help feeling that way.
And he didn't want to a.n.a.lyze why that was.
Her hand, soothing one moment, suddenly gripped a lock of hair and pulled. Hard. ”The same goes for you. I'll run you down with my car if you so much as glance at another woman.”
Michael pulled her on top of him and kissed her. His part of the deal wasn't going to be a problem. Olivia was the only woman who'd turned him on in longer than he cared to admit.
He didn't think she'd be able to keep her part though. He trusted Olivia-it was Lurch he couldn't count on.
Contrary to what Olivia believed, Lurch wasn't going to understand. In his shoes, Michael knew he'd do whatever it took to keep Olivia to himself. Lurch would be no different.
Michael gripped her tighter against him. He wasn't ready to let her go-not yet. Lurch may fight him for her, but he had a surprise coming. Michael intended on being the victor. At least for the short-term.
Chapter Nineteen.
Parker slid into the booth. ”What do you have for me?”
Clancy c.o.c.ked a brow and grinned. ”Good evening to you too. I've been doing great, thanks.”
Controlling the unaccustomed urge to snarl at the man, Parker motioned to the waitress. He needed scotch. Bad.
”Someone sure got your panties in a twist this evening,” Clancy said, sipping his drink.
He had no interest in talking about anyone's panties. He looked around the bar. Where was the d.a.m.n waitress? ”What do you have for me?”
Clancy only grinned harder. ”Want me to wait until you get your drink? You look like you could use it.”
An understatement. He didn't need a drink-he needed the whole bottle. It was Elaine's fault.
”What can I getcha, honey?” the peroxided waitress asked.
”Your best scotch. Neat.”
She nodded and turned an insipid smile to Clancy. ”Getcha anything else, sugar?”
Clancy shook his head. ”I'm fine, Molly, thanks.”
Her sneakered feet squeaked on the sticky floor as she hurried to the bar to get his drink.
He never liked women in tennis shoes. Lily wore them despite his complaints, daring him to run after an energetic little girl in three-inch heels. Elaine always wore sensible shoes, though they were obviously of high quality.
He scowled. What the h.e.l.l did he care what kind of shoes Elaine wore?
Where was his drink?
He looked up and noticed Clancy watching him with amus.e.m.e.nt he didn't bother to veil. ”Your choice of establishment is-colorful.”
”My clients expect to meet me someplace seedy. They're disappointed if we don't. They feel they didn't get the full experience of hiring a private eye. The Lockdown fits.”
”Here ya go, honey.” The waitress set a napkin on the table before placing his drink in front of him.
He picked it up and took a swig. Not as good as he was used to but at the moment he'd be willing to swig hooch from a jug out back.
He realized Clancy was observing him and cursed internally. He was off his stride. d.a.m.n Elaine.
What had come over her? For seven years she'd been a competent, perfectly subservient a.s.sistant and suddenly she was barging into the bathroom making demands on him.
He took another mouthful. He needed to get himself under control and back to the matter at hand. ”What do you have for me?”
”Can I be frank?”
”That's what I'm paying you for.”
”I thought this was going to be a wild goose chase, but I think you're right.”
Parker kept his face impa.s.sive, but he wondered what the h.e.l.l Clancy was talking about. ”Was I?”
Clancy nodded. ”Elaine Adams is definitely up to something.”
He felt the compulsion to snort. He'd been spending entirely too much time with Mae Pembroke. ”What did you discover?” he asked, knowing the PI was barking up the wrong tree. He couldn't say why he was so sure of it but Elaine would sell out her own mother before she'd sell him out.
”She's been spending an inordinate amount of time with Olivia.” Clancy pulled out a small notebook. ”In the past week, she's been at Romantic Notions four times, an hour being the shortest period. And that's not counting the evenings she's gotten to together with Olivia and Olivia's friends.” He pushed the notebook across the table for him to look at.
Parker frowned at it. He didn't know Elaine had been spending so much time with Olivia. When was she finding the time to go to Romantic Notions?
Was that where her selection of lingerie was coming from? He preferred to think so. Thinking she'd been wearing such alluring underwear all these years, without him realizing it, would drive him insane.
”Has she been asking you anything? Anything related to Olivia and your relations.h.i.+p?”
Parker blinked and brought his thoughts back to the present. ”What?”
”I believe Ms. Adams is going to sell Olivia out to the tabloids.”
”Interesting theory.” Part of him wanted to laugh at that absurdity. The other part couldn't discredit the notion so quickly given Elaine's strange behavior. ”What would be her motives? Surely she'd make more money selling the behind the scenes for the movie.”
Clancy shrugged. ”Who knows what's motivating her? Perhaps she's out to seek revenge on you. Denied her any raises in the recent past?”
”Hardly,” he replied wryly. Elaine made more money in a year than most lawyers.