Love in Lust Read online

  “I’m sure he’s going to have some fun down there. We’ll probably hear about him on the news again before the week is out,” Kathryn joked. Dana shook her head as she blew on the bite of omelet she had on her fork.

  “I guess both Blake and Cole took him aside and told him he’s going to have to step up in the company if he wants to stick around. They’re getting tired of him making as many appearances as he does on the news and then not showing up to the important things.” Dana rolled her eyes.

  Kathryn knew that Dana liked all the brothers but didn’t particularly respect Hawk. She felt he could be trying harder with the company, but she stayed out of it, knowing that it was none of her business.

  Kathryn, on the other hand, was uncomfortably interested in what Hawk was doing. They’d had a fling back in the day, one that Kathryn very deliberately chose not to think about at all. It had been hot, hot, hot, and intense enough that the breakup itself had been explosive. In spite of what an ass Hawk had turned out to be, she couldn’t help thinking to herself that Hawk had always been the brother everyone waited to see screw things up. That apparently hadn’t changed.

  “How are things going with your father?” Dana asked.

  Kathryn felt a sting run through her at the mention of her dad, but she was determined not to let it show. It was no secret that the two of them had never gotten along, and everyone who was close to her knew that she hadn’t been speaking to him since the last time they had gotten into a fight. Kathryn was tired of the man prying into her life, and she wasn’t afraid to say so. But if she was honest with herself, she had to admit, things had been going better lately. Though that could change at any time.

  “Oh, I suppose you could say things have been going all right. He’s still the way he is, and I’m still the way I am.”

  “Have you been talking to him?” Dana prompted.

  Kathryn gave a slight nod, but shrugged shortly after. “I guess you could say that. I mean, he’s asked how I’ve been doing and I’ve told him that I’m alive. That’s more conversation than we’ve had in many years.”

  For the second time in five minutes, Dana comfortingly patted Kathryn’s hand. “It’s okay to not get along with your parents, you know. They think they’re doing what’s best, not realizing that there are certain times when what is best is staying out of things altogether.” Dana smiled and Kathryn raised her glass.

  “Amen, sister! Although, to be completely honest,” she paused as she took a sip of her drink before deciding to make a full confession, “not having a man in my life is driving me crazy.”

  “You don’t need the drama. Beautiful as you are, you can get out there and get some action any time you wish. Why don’t you just do that for a while and worry about something more serious later?” Dana was still focused on her omelet, but this time it was Kathryn who reached forward and put her hand over her friend’s, getting her attention.

  “You see, that’s just it. I don’t want to go out and get some of that kind of action. The last thing I want right now is to find someone that my father knows or is connected to in some way, and you have to realize—he knows everyone.” She rolled her eyes as she spoke and Dana nodded. It was true, in the tycoon industries, it wasn’t uncommon for those in positions of power to know everyone else.

  “I can’t go out with anyone without thinking that my father has something to do with it in some way. How can I ever let my guard down?” Kathryn sighed as she put her cheek on her fist, looking over at her friend. She let her elbows rest on the table sighed.

  Dana was silent for a moment, clearly mulling over her words with care. “So you want to go out and have some fun, but you don’t want anything serious. And you certainly don’t want to go out with someone that your father might have gotten his hands on already, right?” she asked as she looked up.

  Kathryn listened and nodded, though she didn’t make eye contact with her friend.

  “Well, why don’t you go down to Vegas for a few days?” Dana suggested. “Hawk’s going to be there, and you know your father has nothing to do with him. Not to mention, he’s the furthest thing from husband material that any woman could imagine. He parties, his favorite place in the entire world is the strip club, and he ends up on the cover of tabloids every other week. If you want to let off some steam while avoiding any kind of commitment, I think he’s your guy.” Dana winked at her friend, and Kathryn frowned, turning the idea over in her head.

  Her first impulse was to argue, but the more Dana presented her case, the more she had to admit—her friend did have a point. Though all of the Parker brothers had a reputation for being playboys, it was obvious marriage wasn’t beyond any of them – except for Hawk.

  He was blatantly happy about the life he was living, and there was no question in her mind that he would never settle down with any one woman. He was too rebellious—too selfish to consider such a thing. He would rather do what felt good in the moment, then forget about it and move on to the next person or thing without another thought.

  But Dana was right. She didn’t want to get involved with anyone her father could mingle with; she didn’t want to get into anything serious with anyone at this point; and she did want to have a good time. And if there was anyone on the planet that fit what she wanted, it was Hawk. Not to mention that he was incredibly attractive to boot.

  “Earth to Kathryn! Earth to Kathryn!” Kathryn suddenly snapped back into the present and realized Dana was talking to her. Dana laughed. “You were a million miles away for a second—what’re you thinking about?”

  “I was just wondering how soon I could get to Vegas,” Kathryn said with a sly smile.

  Dana laughed and pulled out her cell phone. “With the right connections, you could be there within a couple of days,” she said with a wink. Kathryn sat back in her chair to let her friend work, and she felt the flutter of excitement building inside her. It was nice getting to do what she wanted when she wanted—first a cruise, now a spur-of-the-moment trip to Vegas.

  It didn’t matter what her father said or did, Kathryn was in control of her own life. She would do what she wanted, when she wanted, with whomever she wanted—he could just get over it. And if she had her way, she’d soon be getting under Hawk.

  Chapter Three

  Hawk

  “I just got off the plane. Now where am I supposed to go? I’ve only ever been here at night, except for that one time when I was ten!” Hawk yelled into his phone. He had called Blake as soon as he arrived in Vegas, irritated that there was no cab driver there to greet him.

  “If you had read through the file you would have the address for your apartment!” Blake snapped.

  “I skimmed it, and I didn’t see anywhere where it said anything about where I am supposed to be staying. Most people have drivers waiting when they send a guy to a site he hasn’t been to before!” Hawk shot back.

  “Most people don’t run off the budget that we have, Hawk. Do I need to remind you once again that I really need you to do your part here? We don’t all get the luxury treatment every time we choose to grace a city with our presence.” Blake took a condescending tone as he spoke, and Hawk clenched his fist. He knew his brother couldn’t see him, but it still made him feel better.

  “I forgot, that’s just you,” he remarked.

  Blake ignored the comment. “I found it in the system. I’ll text you the address now. Get yourself a cab and head to the apartment. I doubt anyone is going to be there on a Sunday anyway.” Hawk heard his phone notify him that he had received the text, and he hung up the phone. He didn’t have anything else he wanted to say to his brother, and there certainly weren’t any friendly goodbyes to be exchanged between the two.

  He read the text and swore under his breath. He vaguely remembered the last time he had been in Vegas for a reason besides spending the night—and way too much money—on the Strip. He and Cole had come with their father on a business trip once when Hawk was just a boy. When he had returned to Sin City years later, h
e’d thought it looked remarkably different at night, and hadn’t had a clue of where to go or where anything was.

  He walked over to the luggage and found his, ignoring the dirty looks and comments that were directed toward him from the other passengers.

  Yeah? I don’t want to be standing here anymore than any of you do! I don’t know why we don’t have a company jet anyway. I shouldn’t have to ride with any of your sorry bastards in the first place.

  Hawk shook his head, though he kept his comments to himself. He was a playboy, not a gentleman, but he had enough sense not to let his mouth run in the middle of the airport, especially with all the mothers dragging their kids around.

  The last thing he needed was to make headlines for pissing off some woman with a bratty little kid—and he knew the fastest way he could do that would be to spout what was really on his mind.

  Once outside, Hawk dove into the first cab he found open. He figured it was probably en route to pick up someone else, but he didn’t care. The past few hours he had spent on that commercial airliner had been torture, and he wasn’t going to spend any more time wandering around the terminal than he had to. Whoever it was could call for a new cab as far as he was concerned, and that would be the end of that.

  “Where to?” the cab driver asked. Hawk yanked out his phone and read the address in a rather flat tone, and the cab took off. His phone chimed and he saw his oldest brother had texted him once again, but he merely rolled his eyes and put it back in his pocket.

  You don’t help me when I need you to, then after I get it figured out, you decide to come to my rescue? Sounds about right, he thought. He turned his attention out the window and shook his head. Vegas was a completely different city during the daytime, and he felt rather lost. He would rather have been in New York, but this would do—especially since he was virtually alone. Sure, he had to check in and give his brothers updates about the project, but that would be easy.

  “And we’re here!” the cab driver suddenly announced, and Hawk looked out the window. He had assumed they would put him a little further away from downtown, but it would do.

  “Thanks,” he said, handing the cab driver a wad of cash. The man looked surprised, glancing back up at him to make sure he was certain he wanted to pay him so well, but Hawk was already on his way out the door. He didn’t want to sit and discuss the tip with the driver; he had things to do.

  “Hawk Parker, from Parker Industries. I’ve got a place for a few days.” Hawk found the woman behind the counter attractive, but for once he had more to do than flirt with her. She looked on her computer for a moment, though it was evident she, too, found him attractive.

  “Oh, yes, here we are—you’re upstairs in the penthouse.” She handed him a key, and Hawk headed toward the elevator, happy that his brother had managed to do one thing right. He hit the button for the top floor and crossed his arms over his chest as the elevator moved.

  “Not bad. Looks like Blake can do something right after all,” Hawk muttered as he walked into his penthouse. As much as he hated to, he did have to admit that it was better than his real penthouse. Everything was even more updated than his appliances at home, and the TV was several inches bigger.

  The place was top of the line and luxury, with the bonus of a fully stocked fridge and bar, Hawk discovered with pleasure. He was about to pour himself a drink and settle in when a knock at the door caught his attention.

  “Who the hell?” he muttered as he walked over to the door and threw it open, ready to tear the head off whatever maid was standing outside. To his surprise, there were two men outside his door.

  “Hawk Parker! Gordon Jones—CEO of Steele Construction. This here is my foreman, Jack Perry. How do you like it this place” Jones was tall, bald, and stout, with arms that looked beefier than they did muscular, as though he spent more time behind a desk than on a construction site.

  While Jones strolled right into the penthouse and made himself comfortable, as though he lived there himself, his wirier, leaner, associate, Perry, hovered with Hawk by the door. If Jones looked like a bulldog, Perry had the appearance of a moody terrier, Hawk reflected, stepping back and allowing the other man in. Might as well. Jones didn’t look like he was going anywhere anytime soon.

  Perry looked like he might literally start sniffing around the place. Hawk grimaced and finally got his head together.

  “Gentleman, it’s good to meet you. I like it a lot, though actually, I just got here.” Hawk spoke in a rather cold tone, hoping to indicate that they should leave. Gordon didn’t seem at all discouraged and poured himself a whiskey.

  “Excellent. We were thrilled when we heard you were going to be down here overseeing some of the work. Do you have a lot of experience in the construction industry?” He turned and looked over his shoulder at Hawk, who was watching Jack continue to wander about the place.

  “Uh, no. I don’t do a lot of field work, to be honest, but lately I’ve been taking over more for my brothers. Cole was supposed to be down here, but we changed plans last second.” Hawk didn’t like the two men, and really wanted them to go, but knowing that he had to handle this professionally, he figured it would be best to answer their questions and wait it out.

  “Yes, I know. Cole called me last night and let me know that you were going to be here rather than him. The great Hawk Parker.” He put a lot of emphasis on Hawk’s name, and Hawk gave him a sidelong look. Gordon didn’t give him the chance to reply, however, before he once again spoke up.

  “How long are you going to be here? Surely there is more to Vegas to attract you than some hotel. Gambling? Drinks? Women? Any combination of the three?” He laughed then motioned to Jack. “We’ve decided we’re going to give you the proper Las Vegas welcome. Grab your jacket and let’s get going!”

  Gordon drained his glass of whiskey and headed for the door with Jack close at his heels. Hawk instinctively reached for his jacket, but in an instant, Lisa’s face flashed before his eyes and he remembered his promise. It was only six in the evening. If he were to go out now, odds were he wouldn’t be back until the early hours of the morning—and there would be no way he would then drag himself to the job site to oversee anything.

  Not to mention that being out in Vegas with these two men could land him on the cover of another tabloid. They seemed professional enough, but it was difficult for him to know who to fully trust, considering the delicate situation of the company. If he said or did the wrong thing, he would certainly be the center of another scandal—the last thing the company needed.

  “You know what? I think I’m going to stay in tonight,” he said, and both men exchanged a look.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me! Hawk Parker of Parker Industries doesn’t want to go out and have some fun? It’s Las Vegas, man! What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!” Jack laughed as he jabbed his friend in the ribs, and Gordon agreed. Hawk, on the other hand, remained resolute.

  “I know, and if I was here for any other reason, I would be happy to go out and have a few drinks. But this is business, and I’m going to stick to that.” He gave both men the straightest face he could muster, and once again they exchanged a glance. He wished he could read what they were thinking, but at the same time, he didn’t care. If they left, he would be happy.

  “We won’t tell,” Gordon said with a mischievous smile. Hawk cringed. He knew it was public knowledge that Blake was the de facto head of the company, but he didn’t like the thought that he could get in trouble if his brother found out about anything he did. Hawk was on the verge of caving in when once again he thought of Lisa standing in front of him in her slate pencil skirt.

  Lisa was on his very short list of people whose opinions he cared about. For her sake, rather than his brothers’, he didn’t want to bring more embarrassment on the company. And he knew that if he went out, that would be exactly what he would risk doing. Hawk shook his head and tossed his jacket into the closet.

  “Another time, guys,” he said.

 
; “All right, but you really don’t know what you’re missing out on,” Gordon said with a wink. Hawk knew they expected him to grab his jacket and chase after them, but he didn’t. The door closed, and he could hear their conversation fading as they walked back up the hall toward the elevator. Hawk sat on the couch for a minute and stared at the ceiling, surprised with himself for turning down such an opportunity.

  After a few minutes he rose and walked over to the bar. After giving Gordon’s glass a quick rinse in the sink, he poured himself a glass of dark whiskey and dropped a couple of ice cubes inside. Then he wandered back to the couch and sat down with a sigh, once again looking up at the ceiling.

  “It’s just a few more months, and I’ll be done with this shit,” he muttered to himself. If his brothers could stick it out for a year, he could, too. He wouldn’t be happy about it, but he’d do it.

  He was a Parker, after all.

  Chapter Four

  Kathryn

  “Hello? Dad! What are you calling me for? No! I thought you were someone else. It doesn’t matter who, I was expecting a phone call from someone else, so I really should get off the line—no, I said it doesn’t matter who! What if it is a guy? Then what? Are you going to send me to my room?” Kathryn couldn’t believe she had immediately been drawn into another fight with her father, and she was about to hang up the phone when he did his best to calm things down with her.

  “Honey, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude like that, I just didn’t expect you to have to go so quickly, and I was a little offended. Give your old man another chance?”

  Kathryn rolled her eyes. She and her father had been close when she was a little girl, and there were still times when her heart felt soft toward him in spite of their differences. She sighed.

  “What do you want? I really am busy.” Kathryn didn’t want to hear what he had to say, but she couldn’t bring herself to hang up on him—at least, not while he was making an effort to be friendly. There was still a part of her that missed having a relationship with him, though she was tired of the way he was always treating her like someone he could control, rather than his daughter.