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inside.
    Rushing into the building before
it closed, she managed to trip on a rolled up rug. “Damn.” Her palms slammed
against the concrete floor.
    Parker came over. “Are you all
right?” He smelled sexy—a combination of manly perspiration and expensive
cologne.
    She allowed him to help her
stand. “I’m fine.” The truth was her knee felt bruised, her hands raw, and her
pride hurt.
    The rest of the male crew called
out that they were leaving. “Do you need a ride, Parker?” someone asked.
    He looked at Beth. “No, I’ve got
a ride. Right?”
    She blew cool air onto her
hands. “Sure.” Dusting off her jeans, she tried to regain her composure. When
she took a step, her calf muscle protested. “Ow!” She leaned down to rub her
lower leg.
    “Did you pull a muscle?”
    “You tell me. As I recall, you
were pre-med for a while.” She smiled flirtatiously. What the hell was she
doing? Parker was no longer an option. Even if his marriage weren’t rocky,
she’d made her choice. She’d moved in with Drew. It was too soon for them to be
pulling apart, even though she sometimes feared that they were.
    “Unfortunately, anatomy class
was a killer. Sit down.”
    She hopped toward a wooden chair
splattered with dried paint. Once she sat, he gently squeezed her calf. There
was a time she would’ve relished his touch but she reminded herself that those
days were long past.
    “When you get back to the
hotel,” he said, “elevate it and put ice on it.”
    She nodded. “I guess I won’t be
dancing much tonight. Not that I would’ve anyway.”
    “Your boyfriend couldn’t make
it, huh?”
    She shook her head. “We have
this old house and something always needs fixing.”
    “Maybe I would’ve asked you to
dance.”
    Her heart skipped a beat. Why
was he teasing her like this? He made her feel eighteen years old again. “I’m
sure I can walk to the car now.” She pointed toward the wicker chair across the
room. “Would you grab my hat?” After he placed the hat on her head a moment
later, she eased herself up and limped toward the parking lot.
    “Let me help you.” He put his
arm around her lower back. Every cell in her body tingled with excitement. She
reached around him, as seemed only natural, and couldn’t help noticing his firm
torso. He was muscular, far more so than Drew ever could be. And boy, did
Parker’s body chemistry smell good! Just like in the old days, her heartbeat
sped up. Obviously, logic had taken a vacation.
    All too soon, he eased her into
the driver’s side of her Chevy. “Can you drive?”
    “Fortunately the leg that
operates the gas and brake are fine.”
    He walked around the vehicle and
buckled in beside her. “Are you ready for tonight’s speech?”
    She turned the ignition key and
winced when she grabbed the wheel. Her palms were tender. Not wanting to draw
any more attention to herself, she loosened her grip and pulled out of the
parking lot. “You’re the one who should be speaking. After all, you founded the
club and a successful business.
Aren’t you going to say something?”
    “They asked me to do the
keynote, but I suggested that each of the original members should share the
spotlight, too.”
    “Oh, so I have you to thank for
that.” She gave him a playful scowl.
    “I didn’t want it to be all
about me. I’ll say a few words, though.” He swallowed. “Not that they’ll
listen. I know I didn’t listen to anyone when I was their age. If I would’ve,
Ivy and I wouldn’t be together. God, how my life would’ve been different.”
    She could’ve told him not to
marry Ivy, but he was enraptured by her. He thrived on her roller coaster of
emotion. He didn’t want someone serious and stable like Beth. Like most men, he
wanted a Victoria’s Secret model in his bed. “Hindsight is 20/20 they say.”
    “Definitely. I wasn’t going to
come this weekend since things are so strained between Ivy and me. But then I
thought maybe returning here to where we