“Hey, Snap, what are you doing out here?” Cameron Parker was in his Alpha Romeo when Tommy pulled up. She pulled up beside him so their driver’s side windows were only inches away.
“Uh, it’s my job,” Tommy said glancing over at the long legs and miniskirt sticking out from his passenger seat. It wasn’t unusual for Parker to roll out of bed and leave his latest conquest to snuggle in the warm covers while he raced to a crime scene. But he’d never brought a plaything along for the ride.
Parker looked confused. “Didn’t they tell you Meg was already out here?”
He leaned back and Meg’s button nose poked forward from the passenger seat.
“Hi, Tommy.”
“Hey.”
Yeah, cute new photographer Meg had just started at the paper two months ago. Her first day, she toured the newsroom with her twin. He was a really good looking kid, Tommy thought. But then when they were introduced, Tommy changed her mind.
The guy looked at her with barely disguised hatred.
Tommy stared back in astonishment. She’d never met the dude in her life and yet he seemed like he hated her. But then he smiled and the feeling was gone. She shook it off. She’d probably imagined it. It was probably all lumped up in her jealousy at the way Parker was eyeing his twin sister.
And now the cute young photog was in Parker’s car. It was not even eight in the morning. Which meant there was a good chance she’d spent the night at the playboy reporter’s house. Which was probably why Parker told her he didn’t need a photographer out at the crime scene. Which meant that she got the crime scene photos, not Tommy. Damn it all to hell.
It was total bullshit.
Tommy knew that Parker could sweet talk a nun into his bed. She’d fallen for his crooked smile and sculptured cheekbones herself a few years ago. Luckily, she was now usually immune to his charisma. However, the steamy history between them and the ever-present crackling chemistry was always there — unspoken tension that flickered between them, no matter how much time had passed.
Tommy looked at Parker for a long beat, both of them staring at one another.
Meg looked back and forth between them. Something in the girl’s eyes showed that she knew exactly what was going down between Parker and Tommy. And it looked like instead of being jealous, she loved it. After all, she was the one who just spent the night at his love nest.
Tommy didn’t like the look in Meg’s eyes. It was catty and smacked of competition. Tommy had zero interest in Parker. She would nonchalantly throw up the white flag in that battle. But as far as her career, well, that was another matter.
Tommy, an award-winning photojournalist, didn’t think Meg could be too much competition for her in that arena. And that was the only area Tommy cared about.
However, with ever-present budget cuts, many veteran journalists were frequently dumped for the cheaper, sometimes hungrier, young photographers and reporters who came on staff. Tommy had almost lost her own job last year.
In the eyes of management, the only leg up that Meg had over Tommy was her cheaper salary.
Unless—Tommy’s eyes narrowed—Meg made Tommy look bad by beating her to crime scenes.
But Tommy was going to make sure that never happened again. If she had to sleep with her police scanner blaring on her nightstand, she would.
The crappy part was that Tommy had been so nice to Meg. When the young woman started in the photo department, Sandoval had ordered St. James to show her around. But Meg seemed less interested in meeting the police sources and more interested in learning how she could meet and photograph celebrities.
“Hey, Meg,” Tommy suddenly said, breaking the silence.
“Yes,” Meg leaned over Parker in a very familiar way, actually draping herself on his jean clad legs so she could meet Tommy’s eyes.
“Sandoval still thinks I should show you around a bit. I forgot there’s someplace else you need to know about and some people I need you to meet. Are you available this afternoon?”
Meg looked confused. This overture of friendship was not exactly what she expected. “Uh, sure. About two?”
“Perfect,” Tommy said, and peeled out.
She was done here.