Lucy shook her head. “Jared, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I can’t—”
“Another big weekend of parties?” he asked, still scanning his cell.
“No.”
He lowered his phone and looked at Lucy.
“I couldn’t tell you in the lobby,” she continued. “Not before I saw Cara, but . . . I can’t do this anymore. When I started online dating, I was looking for a relationship.”
Jared turned toward her. He knew what was coming next. . He’d walked into meetings and felt the deal slipping away. He understood hesitation. He could smell fear of the unknown—what would happen if the person on the other side of the negotiation took the leap and sold their business? Should they hold out for a better offer? He knew the ins and outs of this conversation.
“Lucy, I don’t have much experience, but I’m pretty damn sure this is a relationship,” he said firmly. “We can make this work. After Tico launches this product—”
“There will be another company that needs you, and then another acquisition.” She squeezed his hand. “I know how your business works.”
“It’s my fund, I can step back,” he argued.
“Can you?” She cocked her head as the limo merged onto the four-lane road and headed for the airport. “Could you let someone else handle this product launch?”
“Not this one.” The words came out almost like a reflex. “But I built Tico up. It’s the foundation of the fund—”
“The cornerstone of your success,” she said with a soft smile. “You know sometimes I look at you, and I can’t believe that the kid who came to dinner every night because he had next to nothing at home now buys and sells companies. You wield fortunes. I can’t ask you to walk away from all that. It doesn’t make sense.”
He stared at her. The limo verged right, barreling toward the airport’s private jet section. A surge of panic rose up. He wanted to crush it, beat it back with . . . with . . . logic dammit. But she was right. Strip away the success and who was he?
A man who is falling in love with Lucy Linden.
“I can make this work,” he said, clinging to the only argument he had.
The limo pulled to a stop beside his plane. “Maybe you can. Maybe you and Finn can put your heads together and come up with some elaborate plan—”
“Lucy, this is between us. This has nothing to do with your brother.”
She closed her eyes. “You’re right. But you entered the online dating world on a whim.”
“I did it for you,” he growled.
“Which makes this so much harder,” she cried. “How can I walk away from the super-successful man who’s falling for me? You’re everything I want. But I’ve had the full picture before.”
“Lucy—”
“Or at least I thought I did,” she admitted. “I believed in my future, but the entire time it was slipping away from me.”
“I’m not your ex,” he said quietly. And damn if she couldn’t see that by now, they didn’t have a future. “You can trust me.”
“How?” she asked, looking so goddamn mystified. “Trust needs to be reinforced. I want a relationship that is a part of my life every day. I can’t do coffee dates once a week, or sex on the stairs when you have an hour in town. I’m not waiting on the sidelines while slowly, bit by bit, you forget about me. And then one day, it will become easy to walk away, or maybe find someone else.”
He clenched his jaw. The picture she’d painted made sense. He fucking hated the smooth logic.
But that’s not me. I wouldn’t follow that path. I wouldn’t leave Lucy because . . . because I love her.
“You’re wrong,” he said flatly.
“I can’t wait and see.” She leaned over and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’m sorry, Jared.”
Then she drew back, her sorrowful blue eyes meeting his gaze. He could see past the make-up and the wig. He saw a beautiful, smart, and caring woman.
“I wouldn’t forget about you,” he added. “I love—”
A knock sounded on his window. He glanced over his shoulder and spotted Finn through the dark glass.
“Your chariot is waiting for you.” She gave his hand another squeeze. “You belong on that plane, out their conquering the world. And I—” She let out a soft laugh. “I need to play the princess for a little girl’s birthday right now.”
“Lucy,” he growled.
“Go.” She withdrew her hand and waved to the door. “Go back to your world.”
“You are my world.” His tone was deep, low, and solid. And for a second, he saw a question in her eyes. But then it slipped away, replaced by sorrow.
“My world is fairy tales and magic, remember? Impossible things that don’t exist.”
Yes, they do!
He wanted to shout at her. He’d felt the magic when he was with her. He’d watched her transform a hospital lobby—a place linked to sadness, death, and hell, overdoses—into a room filled with possibility. Her world was magical, and he wanted to be a part of it. He needed a little more time to figure out how.
“I hate to interrupt,” Finn called through the tinted glass. “But your pilot is threatening to take off without us.”
“I’ll call you tonight.” Jared reached for the car door.
“You can’t fix this,” she said firmly. “Go. I should have known better than to trust my heart to fairy tales. I recreate them every day, but they aren’t real.”
He climbed out of the limo. She was wrong. He could find a solution to damn near any problem. That’s how he’d come this far. He’d scraped by, discovering the loopholes that no one else spotted.
But that’s business, he thought. This is love.
Rules, logic—none of it applied. Not when it came to winning his princess. What if this time, she was right?
He glanced at the limo speeding away from the runway. He turned and headed for his plane. Finn walked by his side but didn’t say a word.
“Something you want to talk about?” Finn asked once they were on board the plane and buckled into their seats.
“Yeah.” Jared glowered at him. “Your sister just broke my heart.”
Finn glanced out the window. “Did you break hers?” he asked quietly. “Because if she’s crying in your limo right now, you need to fix—”
“I can’t,” Jared snapped. “I listened to her, and I think she’s right. It will never work.”
“You’re giving up on her because she told you to?” Finn glared at him.
“Right now, I need to focus on Tico.” Jared pulled his laptop out of his bag. “I know how to save this launch. But Lucy? I don’t have a clue.”
“Figure it out.” Finn leaned back in his seat. “Before we reach New York.”
“That’s your advice?” Jared glanced out the plane window. The limo sped away from the runway. Out the rear window, he saw a single gloved hand waving to him.
There goes my last hope of kissing Lucy again.
In a few hours, he would land in a world where he couldn’t hold Lucy close, or save her from every other man who wanted a piece of the princess.
“I’m not giving you advice. You’re on your own,” Finn said calmly. “I think you know what Lucy wants a helluva lot better than I do. I wish to see her happy, not crying in a limo.” He raised his hand and signaled to the flight attendant. “Could I have a beer?”
“It’s not even noon yet,” Jared said. “We have work to do.”
“You’re the one who needs to make plans. I want to see Lucy happy,” he repeated. “But I can’t make that happen. Only you can do that.”
Finn accepted a bottle of local Florida lager and offered his thanks to the flight attendant. She turned to Jared. “May I get you anything, Mr. Mitchell?”
Jared shook his head and turned his attention to his computer screen. He logged onto the plane’s Wifi and opened his email. The first message caught his attention. The subject line held a single word: resignation. He double-checked the sender’s email ad
dress. He didn’t need to read the rest of the email. The Tico CEO had followed through on his threat to leave the company. The man slated to introduce the new software to the world would not be a part of the company come Wednesday.
I’ll make the presentation, he thought. I’ll launch the product myself.
But the harsh reality felt like a rock pinning him against a wall. How the hell had he come this far only to feel trapped by his own success?
He stared out the window. He knew how he reached this place. One sound choice had led to another. But no matter how many companies he bought or how much he added to The Mitchell Fund’s bottom line, he had never escaped the feeling that the ground might slip out from under him if he didn’t fix every problem that came his way.
Until Lucy.
He wanted to spend forever with her. He wasn’t looking beyond Date One to a full battle plan. He’d already launched the campaign and won the girl. Now he was ready to live in her magical world and love her.
But she’d kicked him out.
I need to go back and fight for her.
“We are next in line for take off,” the captain announced. “Please take your seats.”
No!
His gut clenched as the plane picked up speed. He glanced out the window as they lifted off the ground. For the first time in years, he’d made the wrong choice.
But if he turned the flight around, would she listen?
She will if I deliver magic, fireworks, and happy ever after.
“Put down the beer,” Jared ordered without looking up at his business partner.
“I’m sending you all the information for the launch.”
“I already have most of the materials.” Finn raised his beer to his lips.
“You’ll need everything.” Jared sent the email and looked up at his friend. “You’re going to lead the presentation.”
“What?” Finn bellowed.
“Our CEO resigned,” Jared explained.
“Then you do it,” Finn said. “Tico is your baby.”
“I can’t. I won’t be there. I’m requesting an unplanned stop on the way to New York.”
Finn raised an eyebrow. “You’re going back for her.”
“I don’t have a choice,” Jared said softly. “She’s more important than a new software, a new company, and the fund.”
Finn slowly set aside his bottle. “I won’t mess up this launch.”
“There’s very little chance a sex tape will ruin this product,” Jared said dryly. “Hell, it might draw more attention than our marketing group has managed to set up. They’re still convinced the software team won’t be ready by Wednesday.”
“Will they?” Finn asked.
“It’s now your job to make sure they are.”
Finn nodded. “While you’re . . . ?”
“I’m going to prove to Lucy that love doesn’t make sense. It’s magic, fireworks, and passion. Love . . . ” Jared shrugged. “Love defies logic.”
A smug smile spread across Finn’s face. “You have a plan for your magic show?”
“I do.” Jared turned back to his computer screen. He had the beginnings of a plan. But with his resources, and a little help, he could make it work. “But,” he added to Finn, “It’s none of your business.”
Chapter 26
“If you walk through that door looking like that, you will ruin this little girl’s party. You will guarantee she never believes in happy ever after.” Nicole pressed her fairy wings against the back door. Her arms stretched to her sides, blocking Lucy from walking around her friend.
“You’re being ridiculous,” Lucy protested. “Move.”
“Your eyes are red and blotchy,” Nicole said. “You look like you’ve been crying for days.”
“I spent my morning at the hospital,” Lucy snapped.
Nicole cocked her head but didn’t lower her arms. “You wept after seeing Cara? I thought you said she was doing better than expected.”
“She is,” Lucy admitted. “But I still cried.”
“This has nothing to do with your billionaire boyfriend who flew from New York to have coffee with you?”
He’s not my billionaire, Lucy thought. Not anymore.
The tears threatened again, but she channeled the flood into anger. Red eyes and a river of mascara was a poor look for Cinderella.
“Move or we’ll be late,” Lucy growled. “My eyes are fine now.”
“You cried after your date, didn’t you?” Nicole said. Her arms lowered an inch and Lucy darted forward. But the fairy was faster. Nicole blocked her grab for the door handle.
“Yes,” Lucy admitted. “You’re right. I cried the entire ride from the airport.”
She’d had a pity party for one in the back of Jared Mitchell’s stretch limo. He’d wanted to try to make their relationship work. And she’d shot him down.
I did the right thing, she told herself. I know what I want from a relationship, and this isn’t it.
“Now will you let me through the door?” Lucy asked. “I can fix my makeup before show time. But we need to get to the party site—”
The front doorbell cut her off. Lucy glanced over her shoulder. The tap, tap, tap of high-heeled shoes on hardwood filled the entryway and drifted into the kitchen.
“Lucy,” Emma bellowed from the front hall. “There’s a gentleman at the door.”
Jared came back.
Lucy gathered her gown in her hands and then hesitated. Delaney needed her. She couldn’t waste time listening to Jared’s reassurances that he would make their relationship work. Not now.
I’ll tell him to get back on his plane, she thought. Then she spun on her glass slippers. She raced down the hall. The sound of flapping fairy wings told her that Nicole was on her heels. Lucy stopped abruptly by the stairs.
That’s not Jared.
Emma held the door open for a tall, slim man in a black suit and hat. She recognized the gentleman from her ill-fated coffee date. Jared hadn’t cast aside his work, his company, and the foundation of his life—for her.
Of course not, she thought bitterly. Why would he?
Love. Well, that was one reason. But clearly heart-felt emotions remained a footnote in Jared’s life. She’d been right to end their relationship.
“Did you forget something?” Lucy asked Jared’s driver.
“Mr. Mitchell requests the pleasure of your company.” The driver scanned her ball gown and then executed a half bow.
“Now?” Lucy sputtered. Jared had sent for her now, knowing she was on her way to Delaney’s party? She frowned at the driver.
Nicole moved to her side and took her hand. “We’re running late. Mr. Mitchell can wait. Forever.”
“He sent a message.” The driver stepped forward and held out a small slip of paper. “The receptionist from The Mitchell Fund’s office asks that you please excuse the handwriting.”
Lucy unfolded the paper.
Dear Scared to Fall in Love,
You’re afraid I’ll forget you. But I won’t. Not for a day or even an hour. Please give me a chance to make your dreams come true. Follow the map. X marks the spot where our magic begins, but it won’t end there.
I’m not leaving you. Not ever again.
Your Prince,
Jared
Below the note, Jared—or rather Jared’s receptionist—had drawn a map. She recognized Cinderella’s castle at the top of the carefully drawn street labeled Main Street USA. An X marked the spot at the base of the iconic structure, near the performance stage.
“That’s a long drive,” she murmured.
“Yes, miss,” the man said. “We need to leave now if we’re going to make it in time.”
“But Jared’s on his way to New York,” she protested. “I saw him get on the plane.”
I sound like Ms. Scared to Fall in Love, she thought.
“The pilot assured me that Mr. Mitchell would be there with plenty of time.” The driver glanced back at his limo. “We won’t be so lucky if
we don’t leave soon.”
Emma turned to Lucy, and her eyes narrowed. “What exactly happened on your coffee date, Lucy? What did you say that made Jared abandon his trip to New York?”
“I told him it was over,” Lucy said flatly.
“That would do it,” Nicole murmured.
Emma nodded and then turned to face the driver. “She’s not going anywhere with you. Lucy is not at Jared Mitchell’s beck and call. She’s going to work.” Her friend began closing the door.
“Wait!” Lucy cried.
Emma froze. She looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. “Lucy, you can’t miss Delaney’s party because Jared happens to have a few hours free and a whim to see you again. I won’t let him toy with you like this.”
She met Princess Belle’s stare. “Jared addressed his note to Scared to Fall in Love. Do you think I’m hiding behind fear, Em?”
Her friend’s regal look turned to a pure Emma expression—pity. “You have every right to be afraid. Your ex was horrible to you. And now Jared is expecting you to drop everything because he sent a limo?”
Lucy nodded. “Yes, but this time’s different. Jared is staying. See for yourself.” She held out the note.
Emma propped the door open with her foot and snatched the paper. “Hmm,” she murmured, scanning the paper.
“On the ride to the airport,” Lucy said softly. “When I explained what I need from a relationship, he told me that I was his world.”
“Then he got on a plane and flew away. Back to New York and whatever waits for him there,” Nicole said.
“I told him to leave,” Lucy said. “I didn’t give him another option. What if he’s making a choice now? What if this is my fairy tale?”
“You don’t honestly believe that do you?” Nicole said.
“I believe in Jared,” Lucy announced. “He’s right. I’ve viewed our relationship through a lens of fear from the start. I compared him to Barrett every step of the way. And that’s not fair to either of us.”
“Because Jared lied to you,” Nicole pointed out.
“I’ll give Jared the benefit of the doubt.” Emma tapped her golden shoe as she glanced out at the stretch limo.
The Cinderella Fantasy (Playing the Princess Book 1) Page 17
