She’d changed him.
He needed to tell her he loved her and he was wrong. He was the right man for her. Because she sure as hell was the right woman for him.
The only woman for him.
Chapter 15
Tyson had been to LA a few times before, but only for fights. They’d never stayed longer than necessary to see the sights or visit the beach. He remembered asking his father once if they could go to Disneyland while they were there, but he’d said Disneyland was for kids. He’d been twelve and he’d known immediately his childhood ended in that moment. He couldn’t help but wonder how his father’s visit to Connor at the addiction center had gone. He hoped maybe they were all turning corners for the better.
That was his plan anyway as he sat in the back of the taxi driving down Sunset Boulevard.
When it stopped in front of the Chateau Marmont hotel, he paid the driver, grabbed his bag, and headed inside the magnificent building. Stepping inside the air-conditioned lobby he was surprised by the casual yet elegant atmosphere. Couches and crooked sconces and pictures of nudes decorated the space and everyone from agent-type suits to Hollywood moms catering to their impatient children lingered in the dimly lit area. The woman at the desk greeted him with a smile as he approached. “Hello, welcome to Chateau Marmont. Checking in?”
Her friendly welcome to the guy wearing a T-shirt and ripped jeans surprised him as well. He was sure he wasn’t their usual clientele who could afford five-hundred-dollars-plus a night. “Actually, I’m looking for one of your guests. Parker Hamilton?”
She gave him a blank stare.
“Parker Hamilton,” he repeated.
“I’m sorry, sir, there’s no one staying here by that name.”
He frowned. This was the hotel she said she always stayed in. “Are you sure?”
She glanced away quickly then nodded. “There is no one by that name staying here, sir.”
His eyes narrowed, as he stared at her in confusion. Was this some sort of code or test he needed to figure out?
She waited.
Then it dawned. Didn’t big stars register under other names? He scanned his memory for her character’s name in the movie. It was worth a shot. “How about a Jessica Carlisle?” He couldn’t imagine not being able to use his own name to book a hotel room. Doubt over his being there started to creep into his chest as he surveyed the other people in the castle-shaped hotel. He didn’t belong in a place like this. He pushed the thought away. It didn’t matter.
The girl, whose name tag read Michelle, smiled. “Of course, sir. Let me call her for you.”
“Um, actually, can you just give me her room number?”
The attendant slowly put the phone down. “Unfortunately, I can’t give out that information. But if you want to wait in the restaurant, I can tell her there’s someone here to see her.”
The restaurant—a crowded place—not exactly ideal for what he’d come to tell her. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Great. I’ll call her room. Who may I say is here?”
He hesitated. “Tell her it’s her trainer.”
She nodded, as though that made sense and picked up the phone again. “The restaurant is just down the hall to the right.”
“Thank you.” As he made his way down the hallway, the urge to leave the hotel and go straight back to the airport nearly suffocated him. He hadn’t heard from her in weeks and he’d dialed six digits only to hang up about a million times, so why did he think being here now was a good idea? Showing up instead of calling or texting was . . .
The only way he could show her he was serious. That his feelings for her were stronger than any he’d ever experienced before and he couldn’t go another day without seeing her. Of course, once she was standing in front of him, he’d never be able to actually say any of that.
“Good morning, sir. Would you like a table inside or on the patio?” the hostess asked him as he entered.
He scanned the busy, noisy restaurant. “The patio would be great. I’m waiting for someone.” At least he hoped she would come down to see him.
“Of course. Follow me.” She led the way through the restaurant and as he watched her, he waited. Nothing. No reaction to the tight body and long blonde hair at all. Not even a dick twitch.
Yet, all he had to do was close his eyes and envision Parker, and every part of him responded.
“Here you are. What is the name of your other party?”
“Parker . . . Jessica Carlisle?”
The hostess smiled. “I’ll let Miss Hamilton know where you are,” she said before walking away.
Alone at the table, he took in the surroundings, not really seeing any of it. The palm trees and beautiful landscaping along the pool deck gave the place a tropical, relaxed feel, but he was anything but relaxed. His palms sweat and his mouth was dry. He took a gulp of the water on the table in front of him and spilled the liquid on his white dress shirt.
Great. He dabbed at it with a napkin, not noticing Parker coming toward the table a few moments later.
“Tyson?” The sound of her voice made him jump.
“Hi,” he said, pushing the chair back noisily and standing.
“What are you doing in LA?” Her face was void of any expression. He couldn’t tell if she was happy to see him or pissed off that he was there.
“I don’t know,” he said, feeling as though he was about to choke on his own tongue. He unbuttoned a button on his dress shirt, and pulled the fabric away from his body. Was it uncomfortably humid in LA or was it just him?
“Okay then.” Parker turned to leave.
He rushed forward and grabbed her hand. “Wait . . . that didn’t sound right.” He was no good at this. Confessing his feelings was something he’d never done before. He’d never had any to confess. And she deserved to hear how he felt, deserved an apology for his behavior. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth. Nothing came out.
She folded her arms across her chest and waited.
He cleared his throat. Now or never. Just say something you moron. “I just . . . Well, I wanted to . . . The thing is . . .”
Parker’s hands fell to her sides and she shook her head in disbelief. “Jesus, Tyson, it shouldn’t be this hard.”
He touched her arms. “Yes, it should be. It should be so fucking hard that it takes every ounce of strength to board a plane and fly thousands of miles just to see the one person you can’t shake from your mind, no matter how hard you try, no matter how irritating this feeling in the pit of your stomach is. Even when you know this could end so badly . . .”
“Does this rambling get to a point? I need to be on set soon.”
She wasn’t going to make this easy. Why should she? He’d been a complete idiot. He didn’t deserve a second chance to make things right. He didn’t deserve her. He knew that. Hadn’t that been his reservation about getting involved all along? He stood staring into her dark eyes, looking for a trace of something he could grab hold of, but there was nothing but hurt. Reluctantly, he let his hands fall away from her. “I’m sorry . . . You’re right. I won’t keep you.”
A look of disappointment flashed in her eyes, but her face concealed anything else she might be feeling. “Sorry you came all this way for nothing,” she said, turning to leave.
Everything he never knew he wanted was just within reach and he was once again just going to let her walk away. “Parker . . .” He took a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to her.