Page 35 of The Publicity Stunt

I should talk to him. Duh, it’s not like I have much of a choice, but where to even start? And was he always that tall?

“I think you missed one.”

I spin around. Parker smiles down at me. “Hi.”

I stand up and his expression softens.

It all happens so fast.

He wraps his arms around my back, holding me—no, lifting me against him. And despite the cyclone of confusing emotions whirring inside my mind, I hug him back.

He’s here. Hayden Parker is here and he’s hugging me. I tighten my grasp, melting into his firm chest. He’s here.

His palms move along my spine, unable to stay still, and he nuzzles his face into the crook of my neck, smiling.

I feel it stretch over my skin.

His hugs were always my favorite place to be.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. “But I needed to do this before you ran off again.”

I’m pretty sure he didn’t mean it as a joke, but I laugh nonetheless. “Hi,” I say.

His hold relaxes. “I’m going to let go now.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t want to.”

Fighting the heaviness unfurling inside my chest, I let go of him instead, and angle my chin up. “What are you—”

“Do you want to—” Parker says at the same time, and a knowing smile spreads across each of our faces. Taking a step back, he makes a light gesture with his hand.You first.

“What are you doing here?” I ask.

His little smirk turns into a full-blown grin. “I should’ve probably gone first.”

I frown. “Why?”

“Because.” He looks me up and down. “Do you want to grab lunch so I can tell you?”

“Lunch?”

“Yeah, lunch.”

I shake my head and step back, my back colliding with the rack of jackets. Shit. “You want to have lunch with me?”

His smile falters. “Is that too much to ask for?”

“No, this is just very unexpected.”

“You think I was expecting to run into you again?”

“I don’t know. Were you?”

“What?” He frowns. “Of course not, Chere.”

There we go with the “Chere” again. “I just don’t have the time to go out for lunch,” I say. “I have a lot of work to do. I need to call journalists, check Tony’s trailer for … and, um.” I point to the costume rack. “And spandex.”