Chapter 24

“No,” Parker yanked his hand away when John began to lower himself through the water. “Don’t get up. Keep floating. I won’t touch. It’s just…I mean…You look very attractive when you finally let yourself relax, John.”

“Thank you,” John said drily. “But looking attractive is not an invitation to be touched.”

“You could give me one.”

John ignored the advice to stay floating and stood. “Give you one what?”

“An invitation.”

“Sure,” John smiled, his smirk growing when Parker looked up with a startled, pleased expression. “You are hereby invited to tell me something beneficial to the project that you brought me down here to work on.”

He expected an eye roll. Perhaps, even, another smug conversation—had even, in fact, started to turn away. So, when Parker played the card that John had dealt, John was shocked into silence.

“I was four the first time I saw myself on television.”