Table of Contents
Wicked Flirt
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Epilogue
About the Author
Wicked Flirt
Happy Endings Book Club Series, Book 9
© 2018 Kylie Gilmore
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When event planner Lexi Judson finds herself unemployed and desperate for work, she approaches the last man she’d ever want to do business with: smoking hot Marcus Shepard, bar owner and legendary player. But desperate times call for networking with panty-melting man candy.
The good news? He says yes to hiring her for a fantastic event.
The bad news? The job comes with some incredibly uncomfortable strings.
Lexi thinks she can handle it, until Marcus changes the rules and asks for far more than she bargained for. The man is wicked, dangerous, unrelenting. The absolute worst.
He wants to romance her.
Author’s Note
The Happy Endings Book Club was inspired by my own wish for a romance book club. I hope you’ll feel right at home with Hailey, the leader/matchmaker of the club, and all the single women there hoping for a happy ending. Enjoy Marcus and Lexi’s sweet and sexy ride to romance! Read on and join the club!
Hidden Hollywood (Book 1)
Inviting Trouble (Book 2)
So Revealing (Book 3)
Formal Arrangement (Book 4)
Bad Boy Done Wrong (Book 5)
Mess With Me (Book 6)
Resisting Fate (Book 7)
Chance of Romance (Book 8)
Wicked Flirt (Book 9)
An Inconvenient Plan (Book 10)
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Chapter One
Lexi Judson had reached her limit of lovey-dovey couples. The only reason she’d shown up for the Clover Park Valentine’s Day dance was because her friend Sabrina wanted her there for her big proposal to Logan Campbell. It had turned into a double proposal—Sabrina and Logan had surprised each other with rings, proposing at the same time. Yay for romance and all that crap.
She blew out a breath. She couldn’t bail until she was sure she’d introduced herself to everyone she didn’t know and, if it seemed appropriate, share that she was now a freelance event planner. So far no good leads. She’d been happy as a corporate event planner at Victoria’s Events in New York City, and the news that the small company was closing down for good had been a shock. Victoria’s fiancé had gotten an unexpected job opportunity in Paris, and they were leaving in two weeks. Boom. Victoria’s Events was no more. And did Victoria think about what that would mean for the rest of them being suddenly unemployed? No! She just followed her heart, shut down the office, and screw everyone else.
Lexi had immediately started a massive and desperate job search. No one was hiring. Her severance pay and paltry savings were enough to get her through two months at the most, if she was really frugal. She would not be moving back in with her parents or any of her friends. She couldn’t deal with being an interloper in one of her friends’ love nests.
So here I am, networking at a Valentine’s Day dance, as you do.
She scanned the room, quickly skipping over the slow-dancing couples on the dance floor, her eye catching on Marcus Shepard, one of the honorary brothers glued to the Campbell family. The worst one. He was leaning down, smiling and flirting with a young blonde, who looked enthralled. He was a wicked flirt and, if the rumors were true, the lying sort of player who told women he was monogamous when he wasn’t. She despised cheaters. Men like that always let you down. Like her dad and her older brother and her stupid ex.
She turned away, caught the eager gaze of Sabrina’s drunk uncle, a close talker who kept accidentally spitting in her face, and quickly headed toward the bar. Garner’s Sports Bar & Grill had catered the event, and Josh Campbell was behind the bar as usual.
“Hey, Lexi, what can I get you?” He didn’t add his usual charming smile, probably because he’d had a run-in with her friend Hailey earlier, who was his number one frenemy. The pair were frenemies to the death (or bed, whichever came first) and, equally as juicy, their parents, Joe and Brandy, were currently dating. Joe Campbell was Josh’s dad; Brandy Adams was Hailey’s mom. Maybe soon Joe and Brandy would get serious and send Hailey in a tailspin, which would make her ripe for the Josh picking. Muah-ha-ha.
“Just water, thanks.” She’d had her fill of champagne and spiked punch earlier and knew she’d be driving home soon.
He served it up quick.
“Thanks.” She took a sip of water. “Any chance you might need an event planned for St. Patrick’s Day at Garner’s? I’m a freelance event planner now.”
He shook his head. “We do the same thing every year with the green beer and the Irish menu. To be honest, there’s no room in the budget for an event planner. I’ll keep an ear out for you though.”
She tried to keep the disappointment from her voice. “No problem. Thanks.” It had been a long shot. She hadn’t really expected him or any of her friends to need her services.
Josh gestured to the other side of the room. “Try Marcus. The Burrow is doing really well. He gets all the Wall Street big spenders in there, so if you do an event for him, it might even lead to more work for the Wall Street crowd.”
The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She knew his bar, The Burrow, since she’d been there a few times for parties. It was cool. Still, did she want to work for Marcus, the legendary player? She turned and spotted him flirting with another beautiful woman, this time a brunette, who kept giggling. He smiled at the woman, held up a finger, and pulled his phone from his pocket. His head turned toward her, and he lifted a finger like just a moment.
Me? She looked behind her to Josh.
Josh shoved his phone in his pocket. “I texted him. He’s coming over.”
She gulped. Okay, this was not a problem. She was immune to players. Except she had a type, big muscular men, and Marcus was a prime specimen—tall and wide with huge muscles, a real hulk of a man. This was exactly why she’d kept her distance, so she wouldn’t be tempted.
She stepped away from the bar to a nearby quiet corner and girded her loins. Be polite. No, be professional. And pretend you don’t care that he’s hit on every single woman here. They’d met before a few times at parties, where he’d hit on all of her friends. Not her, though, never her. Like she cared. She would’ve shot him down in a hot second. Really! Professional in three, two, one…
Marcus went straight to Josh, who told him something and then gestured over to her.
She lifted a hand with a small smile.
Marcus strode toward her, and she steeled herself for impact.
He stopped in front of her and gave her a half-smile that said I’m sexy and you know it. Too bad he was a cheater because he was incredibly nice to look at. His nose had a slight bump at the bridge like it had been broken, but other than that he was exquisite perfection—thick black hair, dark eyes with a fringe of lashes women would kill for, chiseled cheekbones,
square jaw with a shadow of dark stubble, and a smoking hot body.
“Hey, Lexi, Josh said you wanted to talk to me about something.”
Her mouth went dry. She bobbed her head and took a sip of water. “Yes. Hi. I’m a freelance event planner now and wondered if you might need an event planned for your bar. Maybe for St. Patrick’s Day?”
“Got that locked down with a local pub crawl and live band.”
Her shoulders drooped. She’d been getting shot down all night. Screw it. She hadn’t even wanted to ask him in the first place. He was everything she despised in a man—a lying cheater—and she hadn’t wanted to work for him anyway. Can you really afford to be picky? No job plus no clients plus dwindling bank account equal desperate times.
She looked up at him. Geez, he must be at least six feet four, a good foot taller than her. She worked for her most pleasant professional tone. “Okay, well, keep me in mind if you ever do need an event planned.” She fished her new business card out of her purse and handed it to him.
He slid it into his pocket. “Sure,” he said flatly.
It was clear he didn’t need her services. She squared her shoulders and drained her water. She was done. She’d put in her time, already congratulated the happy couple, and now she could finally bail.
She jumped. Someone just pinched her ass! She turned, face-to-face again with drunk Uncle Spitty. She’d forgotten his real name.
He leered at her. “There you are, girl! Let’s go to my place for a nightcap.” Apparently he’d forgotten her name too.
“Don’t touch me again,” she bit out.
Marcus’s arm dropped over her shoulders. “She’s with me and we’re about to leave.”
She froze, shocked at Marcus’s gentlemanly move saving her from Uncle Spitty.
Uncle Spitty leaned close. “What about us?” Spittle sprinkled her cheek. Gross. She was about to back up a step when Marcus used his grip on her shoulder to turn her away, guiding her toward the exit.
She didn’t appreciate the manhandling, but what the hell. She’d wanted to leave anyway.
“Don’t go!” Uncle Spitty hollered belatedly.
She took a few steps away with Marcus before glancing over her shoulder. Uncle Spitty was making his unsteady way to the bar.
She halted in her tracks, and Marcus stopped too, looking down at her in question. Like he was waiting to follow her lead. Curious. She’d figured him for the large and in charge kind of guy. “Thanks for calling off Uncle Spitty. I got it from here.”
Marcus dropped his big hand from her shoulder. “No problem. Uncle Spitty?”
She nodded. “He’s a close talker. He’s been accidentally spitting on me all night.”
He laughed, a rich deep rumble of a laugh.
She laughed too. This whole night had been ridiculous—networking in a room teeming with love-goggled couples, fleeing Uncle Spitty’s close conversations, pretending she was enjoying the heck out of the romantic night flying solo.
“Hey, Lexi! Hey, Marcus!”
Crap. Her friend Hailey approached, wearing a deep red off-the-shoulder dress with red ballet flats in honor of Valentine’s Day. Little Rose’s white furry head peeked out of Hailey’s pink doggie purse. She really hoped Hailey wasn’t about to do some matchmaking. Lexi had been very firm with Hailey about the matchmaking, but it was no use. Lexi was the last single woman in their formerly all singles Happy Endings Book Club, a romance book club that Hailey had started with the goal of helping every last one of them find their very own happy ending. Lexi had only joined the book club because two of her friends were members. Now she had a big ol’ bull’s-eye on her forehead with a perky strawberry blond hunter closing in. Hailey was also single, but that didn’t count. Hailey was in a relationship with her dog.
Marcus poured on the charm for Hailey, saying in a deep honey voice, “Hey, sweetheart, how’s it going?”
Hailey sped up. “Great!” Her pale blue eyes were huge, taking them both in. Rose’s big dark eyes seemed equally surprised. Rose had a pink bow with red hearts on her white tuft of a ponytail perched right in the center of her head. The bow matched her dog sweater. Give the poor dog some dignity. “I just need to borrow Lexi for a minute.”
Next thing she knew, Hailey had dragged her several feet away. Lexi braced herself for the third degree leading to some serious Marcus matchmaking—nail that guy down—but Hailey surprised her.
“What’re you doing with Marcus?” Hailey whispered. “Are you guys together? Rumor has it, he’s a player.”
Lexi glanced over at Marcus, standing a distance away, waiting for her. Maybe to shield her from Uncle Spitty? She turned back to Hailey. “We’re not together. He just helped me avoid a drunk guy.”
Hailey squeezed Lexi’s arm, looking relieved. “Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good guy, he’s just not someone you want to get involved with.”
Obviously Hailey meant well. She was a good friend. It was just that she’d stepped one too many times into aggressive territory with the matchmaking. “Thanks for having my back, girl.” She gave her a fist bump, which Hailey returned. “Have a good night.”
“You too.” Hailey smiled, waved goodbye to Marcus, and headed back to the dance.
Lexi headed for the door, and Marcus kept pace with her. “I was on my way out too,” he said, reaching for the door handle and holding it open for her.
“Thanks,” she mumbled, walking out to the small foyer.
She pulled her black wool coat off the rack and stuck her arm in the sleeve. Marcus shifted behind her and helped her put it on.
“Uh, thanks,” she said softly, feeling a little weird in a good way. No guy had ever helped her on with her coat before. What did it say about her that her expectations with men were so low that she delighted in such a simple gesture? It shouldn’t be such a big deal that he had good manners. Probably Mr. Campbell had drilled them into his head just like all the Campbell guys and their honorary brothers.
He snagged his black wool coat and shrugged his bulky shoulders into it. They matched in black coats. They were also alone in the small space, which suddenly felt filled with large man.
~ ~ ~
Marcus buttoned his coat, glad to be done with tonight. He’d put on his game face, smiling and flirting like usual, but his heart wasn’t in it. All he had to do was look at the dance floor, where all of his friends were stupid-happy with their women, even tough hard-ass Ethan had found someone who adored him and only him, and his mood plummeted. He felt like a lone lion hungry for a satisfying meal. The women he flirted with tonight were too young or too dopey or too into partying.
He glanced at Lexi. She was also a hard no, a prickly man-hater from what he’d seen, more likely to bite his head off than flirt back, which was why he’d never bothered flirting with her before. Up close her brown almond-shaped eyes gleamed with intelligence. Her sleek dark brown hair was up in a twist, her light tan skin smooth, her smile, when it appeared, was slightly devious. That was who she reminded him of—the love of his life, Bitty. Sleek and soft with sharp claws. He still missed that cat.
Lexi’s skintight dark blue dress—low cut, ending mid-thigh—had caught his eye earlier. Any man would appreciate a beautiful woman showing a lot of skin. Didn’t mean he wanted a relationship with her. He was looking for a woman who adored him. He figured if Ethan could manage it, then Marcus could too. A prickly man-hater did not fit the bill. She was the last single woman among her friends for a reason. And it didn’t count that he was practically the last of the bachelors among his friends. He had relationship intentions. He’d just been too busy to do anything about it between work and his mom’s illness.
He stiffened, pulling his phone from his pocket. He’d set it to vibrate. It was a text from his mom asking him to please bring the groceries tonight. It was Friday, and usually he did the grocery shopping for her on Sunday. He exhaled sharply, her current condition weighing heavily on his shoulders. Ever since she’d lost her job just before Christ
mas, she hadn’t left the house. Not even to go to dinner with him at their favorite diner. Agoraphobia, it was called. He’d felt better when he’d discovered it had a name, which meant other people had been through similar stuff and had come out the other side. So far he hadn’t had any luck getting her to talk to a professional about it.
He texted back. I’m at a Valentine’s Day dance. I’ll stop by with the groceries after.
Three dots blinked on the phone screen as she typed. He waited, brows furrowed with concern.
“Everything okay?” Lexi asked gently.
His head jerked up, surprised she actually sounded like she cared. He must look as worried as he felt. “My mom’s not well.” He glanced down at his phone.
Mom: Thank you. I hope you meet a nice girl there. It makes me so sad to see you alone.
Sure, he was alone on Valentine’s Day surrounded by his whipped lovesick friends, but that didn’t mean…He swallowed hard. There was a quiet dignity in being alone. He’d read that somewhere. His mom had been on him for years to settle down. He was thirty-three, not old, and he’d already been settled down once, but lately she’d been saying she needed to know he had someone because she wouldn’t always be around. She wasn’t suicidal, she just felt old at fifty-one, which he didn’t think was very old at all. She had plenty of good years ahead of her if only he could get her past her fear of leaving the house.
He slowly lifted his gaze to Lexi, also looking very alone, and had a crazy thought. What if he brought Lexi with him to his mom’s house? He’d do anything to make his mom happy. It killed him to see her reduced to a shadow of her former self.
“Sorry to hear about your mom,” Lexi said. “What kind of illness does she have?”
His throat tightened unexpectedly at her concern. He’d been the man of the house since he was seven years old. It had always been him and his mom against the world. But he was blowing it. Her condition was getting worse, and he was worried enough that he found himself blurting the truth. “It’s not a physical illness, more mental. She was laid off right before Christmas and hasn’t left her house since. Almost two months.”
Wicked Flirt Page 1
