An Inconvenient Plan (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 10)

by Kylie Gilmore

  She crinkled her nose. “You don’t use emojis like hearts or smiles. There’s never an exclamation point like you’re excited about me.”

  “That’s because I’m not a teenaged girl.”

  She pursed her lips. “‘Sup’ isn’t a love note.”

  Love note, eh? He must be doing something right for her to say the L word. He bit back a smile. “And why not? Sup shows I’m thinking of you.”

  “It’s just not very…”

  “Princely?” Dammit. Do not turn this into a thing.

  “Romantic.”

  He crossed his arms. “Why don’t you spell out exactly what you want?”

  She waved airily. “If I have to tell you, it doesn’t count.”

  “I don’t have a problem telling you what to do.”

  She slowly turned to him, heat in her eyes. “Maybe when you spend your days ordering people around like I do to pull off the perfect wedding, it makes you want a break from always being in charge.”

  All of him focused on her, the blood rushing through his veins. He lowered his voice, a note of steel in it. “Take off your towel and get on all fours. I’m gonna fu—make love to you so hard.” See, romance wasn’t dead.

  She stood and let the towel drop. His heartbeat roared in his ears. He’d never get used to her stunning beauty. And then she pulled off his shirt. He stood and took the rest of his clothes off in record time. But she didn’t follow orders. Instead she pushed him back to sit on the bed and straddled his lap, impaling herself on him. They both groaned.

  “Fuck, Hailey.”

  It was fierce and hot and fast, and it was all her doing. He let her, his hands roaming her soft scented skin, his release threatening. Hold on, hold on…fuck! He lifted her off him, and she whimpered.

  “Condom,” he said gruffly, setting her on the bed. He grabbed one from the nightstand, rolled it on, and joined her, flipping her to her stomach and pulling her up by the hips. He slid home and she clasped him tightly. Hot wet heaven. He thrust deep, reaching around to stroke her at the same time. She was soaked for him. She chanted his name like he was everything. The only thing. She shuddered around him, squeezing him rhythmically, a soft cry escaping as she went off.

  His release roared through him. The room went dark and silent and then flashed back to full color and sound. Whoa. He held her hips tightly for a moment, buried deep inside, lingering for a last moment of connection before pulling out. She collapsed on her stomach.

  He flopped on his side next to her. A few moments later, he looked over and pushed her damp hair out of her face. He pulled the hair band out from where it was barely hanging on and finger combed her hair. He loved her hair, so long and silky soft. He loved her. He could finally admit it. It was twisted and difficult because she was a complicated woman, but there was just no other explanation for his continued attraction to her. Even now, completely sated, he wanted her to stay all day. He knew she had to get to work. It was Tuesday morning. But he couldn’t let her go until he was sure he’d locked this thing down between them.

  Her eyes were closed, her lashes fanning her cheeks.

  “You awake?” he whispered.

  “I’m dead.” She popped her head up and laughed, her pale blue eyes bright, the color high in her cheeks.

  He smiled, warmth spreading through his chest, loving seeing her like this, loving that it was all because of him.

  She turned to her side and propped her head on her hand, completely comfortable lying there naked with him. “I feel so good right now. Before this, I hadn’t had sex in more than six months.”

  He knew that from her story last night, but it was nice she was sharing. “That’s a long time.”

  “No kidding. Why you think I got so pissy when you kept turning me down?”

  “I thought it was because you were desperately horny for me.”

  She laughed. “That too.”

  He took her hand and kissed the palm. “So now that you and I connected, you’re not going to Villroy Island for the wedding, right? You’ll cut things off with the prince.” That last part was not a question. More of a demand.

  She pulled her hand away. “Of course I’m still going. I was invited. I couldn’t possibly turn down a royal wedding.”

  He took a deep calming breath. “Okay, let me ask you this, are you going as a guest of the princess or as the prince’s date?”

  Silence.

  “His date,” he ground out.

  “It’s not like that. He’s gotten a bad rep and he just wants me to help improve his rep by being seen with me. In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a classy lady.” She smiled, obviously trying for a light tone.

  He frowned. “So he wants to buy you a mansion, and you’ve agreed to be his date. Anything else I’m missing here?”

  She stroked his arm, probably trying to soothe him. “I’m his date at the princess’s wedding here too. That’s part of improving his rep. And that’s everything there is to know.”

  “He wants you.”

  Her lashes fluttered down and she dropped her hand from him. “I think he just needs my help.”

  He ground his teeth and sat up. “No, he wants you. No man buys a mansion and expects nothing in return.”

  Her eyes flashed and she sat up too. “Well, I’m naked with you not him. Besides, he didn’t buy Ludbury House. I don’t think the terms are reasonable.”

  “Hailey, this is a deal breaker. I won’t share you with him. Tell him no. You won’t be going as his date to these weddings.”

  “What’s the big deal? I went with you to several weddings completely platonically.”

  “That’s because I’m a gentleman. He’s not.” He at least played the part of a gentleman, even when lust was in his way.

  She huffed and turned to go. He grabbed her by the arm, stilling her. “What?” she snapped.

  “Him or me.”

  She yanked away. “Josh, you’re being a ridiculously jealous possessive beast and I don’t like it one bit.” She got out of bed and went to his dresser, where she’d set her clothes in a neat pile. She pulled her thong on, next her bra, then her dress. Any minute she’d get the rest of her stuff and take off.

  He stood firm. “I won’t stand by and watch you be with another man.”

  She slipped a heel on. “I’m not with him!” Another heel.

  He got rid of the condom, got out of bed, and pulled his boxer briefs back on. “Then I’ll go as your date to those weddings.”

  She jammed her hands on her hips. “You weren’t invited. It’s not a big deal!”

  “It is to me. And don’t let him buy you Ludbury House. You should earn it.”

  She tossed her tangled hair over her shoulder. “You can order me around in bed and I may or may not comply, but I won’t be ordered around on how to live my life, especially by a jealous lunatic!”

  He clenched his jaw. “I’m not a jealous lunatic.” Choose me.

  “Ha! Call me when you’ve matured.” She stalked out of the bedroom.

  He followed her. “Call me when you give a crap about someone besides yourself.”

  She gathered Rose and her purse and headed for the door. She stopped suddenly, and in that moment hope speared through him. She’d come to her senses. She was coming back to him.

  He watched as she unzipped her purse, poking around in there, muttering to herself. That was when he remembered her phone. “Your phone’s on the nightstand. I’ll get it.”

  She whirled and held up a handful of cash in one fist. “What is this?”

  “Uh, money.” His neck burned. He’d hoped she’d discover it much later and simply tuck it into her wallet, letting him off the hook for the previous disaster of a night when he’d tried to give her back the shoebox of cash.

  She marched toward him, her gaze murderous. “You’re paying me for sex?”

  “No!”

  She stopped in front of him. “That’s what it feels like, Josh. I sleep with you and then I find a wad of cash in my
purse.”

  He had to defuse the situation or they’d never get past this money thing. He went for a teasing tone. “I don’t pay for companionship, unlike some people I know.” She’d paid him to be her wedding escort, which was how he got the money in the first place.

  Her jaw dropped, and he immediately regretted the words. “Hailey, I was joking because that’s how I got the money.”

  She held up a palm, fury written all over her face. Then she stepped around him, strode to his bedroom for her phone, and returned. She pulled the wad of cash from her purse and tried to hand it to him.

  He put his hands behind his back. “Just take the money. It’s yours. You earned it.”

  Her nostrils flared, her lips in a tight line. She shoved the money in her purse, turned on her heel, and headed for the door.

  “Not like a prostitute,” he added belatedly.

  She yanked open the door, slamming it behind her.

  He punched the air. Fucking A. The woman was impossible. All he’d wanted to do was make amends and she wouldn’t let him.

  At least she’d kept the money. Problem solved. Sort of.

  Of course, there was still the problem of the playboy prince trailing around after her while she did nothing to discourage him. Josh had told her what needed to happen—goodbye, prince.

  Fuck it. If he couldn’t get through to Hailey, then he’d have to get through to the prince.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Hailey fumed the entire walk to her office. It was bad enough Josh was acting like a jealous lunatic, but then he had to make it worse by stashing a wad of cash in her purse after she’d slept with him. Maybe he hadn’t meant it in a whorish way, but it didn’t exactly feel good to be paid after sex.

  By the time she finished checking her email back at work, she was calm enough to have a civilized conversation with Josh. If he apologized profusely, she would make every effort to put his stupid guy move behind her. She was, above all else, a classy lady. She pulled out her phone and called.

  “Morning,” he said, sounding slightly out of breath.

  “Are you working out?”

  “I’m running, but I can talk at the same time. Sorry about this morning. I didn’t like the way things ended between us.”

  She smoothed her hair, slightly mollified by the sincere apology. It wasn’t overly elaborate, but then neither was Josh. “What part are you sorry for?”

  “The truth is, I didn’t think you’d take the money if I just handed it to you. I was trying to make amends. Really you should be thanking me for taking the high road.”

  She seethed. His apology tanked when he put it all on her. “It’s so great that you’re up on that high road while I’m down here getting spit on.”

  “I didn’t spit on you. Geez, you’re twisting this into something evil. For the last time just take the money. It’s yours anyway. I was just temporarily holding it.”

  “And what about the jealous lunatic part?”

  “What about you kick the prince to the curb?”

  So she got a half-ass apology and another jealous lunatic jab. Was this how their relationship was going to go? Because this wasn’t sitting well with her at all and he was too hardheaded to meet her halfway. Maybe this had been a mistake. She’d been worried all along about them making it work after their long history of fighting. Maybe they should cut their losses before someone really got hurt. Every time their family got together, it would reopen that wound. She broke out in a cold sweat.

  “Hailey?”

  “Yes,” she said softly.

  “All you have to do is say goodbye to the prince and things will go much better between us.” She’d had a friendly text exchange with Phillip this morning. It wasn’t like they were sexting.

  “Why can’t you get that he’s important to my business? And he respects what I do. He wants to help me, and the least I can do is help him by showing up at a couple of weddings. If you trusted me…” She trailed off as it hit her that he didn’t trust her, another consequence of their long contentious relationship. Her trust level in him was pretty low too. What in the world were they thinking trying to be a couple?

  Josh spoke gruffly. “I want to trust you, but it’s kinda hard when you plan on being another guy’s date.”

  “It’s not like that! How many times do I have to say it?”

  “How many times do I have to explain myself? It’s like you only hear what you want to hear.”

  Grrr. She wasn’t hearing a single thing she wanted to hear out of his mouth. She hung up.

  Her phone rang a moment later. Josh. She sighed and picked up. “What?”

  “Don’t hang up on me. It’s a coward move, and the thing I like most about you is your warrior spirit, so duke it out with me, but don’t wimp out.”

  She flushed and then she found herself smiling. No one had ever called her a warrior before. That implied great strength and a badass attitude she always wished she could pull off. Most people only saw her as a perky wedding planner with excellent taste in clothes. Josh saw a warrior?

  She threw her shoulders back. Yes, she could feel it now, the warrior spirit filling her chest. She stepped away from her desk and stood, legs braced apart, head held high, imagining taking on a foe and winning. She kicked at the air. Warrior Hailey kicking ass and taking names with a battle cry. Roar!

  “Still there?” he asked.

  She promptly sat down, embarrassed to be caught mid-warrior role-play, even though he couldn’t see her. “I like that warrior thing.”

  “Good. Cuz you are and so am I. That’s why we belong together.”

  “But maybe that’s bad. We fight so much. Maybe you should be with someone who needs a warrior’s protection. I don’t.”

  “I need my equal.”

  She stopped breathing. All this time she’d thought he was secretly laughing at her when he actually thought she was his equal? Suddenly his complete cluelessness didn’t scrape so rough. This was really good stuff he was saying. “That’s really good to hear.”

  He grunted.

  She supposed she could put up with some grunts and grumbles if he occasionally shared gems like “warrior spirit.” Now she should reciprocate with something equally good. “If anyone gets in your way, let me know and I’ll kick ass and take names. I’m very well connected in this town.”

  “I’ve got goose bumps.”

  “Really?”

  “Sure.”

  “You’re teasing again. I thought you were finally taking me seriously.”

  “So much frigging work,” he grumbled.

  “No one is forcing you to put work into me. Do what you want.”

  “I wish I could.” He sounded morose, like she was a noose around his neck! Forget that!

  She wanted to hang up on him so badly, but her warrior spirit wouldn’t let her take the coward’s way out. The chime rang, signaling someone was at the front door of Ludbury House. Maybe Josh had run to her. Maybe he’d be standing on the front porch with a bouquet of fresh-picked wildflowers, ready with the romantic words to make her forget how irritating he was. “I have to go. Someone’s at the door.”

  “Later.” He hung up.

  She shut her office door, locking Rose in so she wouldn’t distract her from Josh’s romantic gesture. She took her time walking to the front door, making sure she was completely composed. One peek at the front porch through the glass panel by the door brought a shock. Prince Phillip!

  She answered the door to Phillip and his two security guards. Phillip was dressed casually in a short-sleeved white cotton shirt and black athletic shorts. His guards were equally casual in black T-shirts with black pants. “Hello!” she exclaimed. “I wasn’t expecting you today. Come in, come in.”

  The guard went first. Phillip smiled at her, his blue-green eyes sparkling. “I finally got free of meetings. I hoped you could give me a tour of Ludbury House and the town. I’m seriously considering investing in Ludbury House after our talk.”

  She
stepped back from the doorway, reeling from this unexpected visit. She’d never gotten back to him with any kind of counteroffer and hadn’t taken it too seriously.

  Phillip walked past her, and then the second guard followed him in. Gosh, she didn’t know what to do with him. She had work to do.

  She clasped her hands together. “I, um, need to get some work done. Can you give me an hour?”

  “Of course! I should’ve called. I was being spontaneous.” He lowered his voice. “I’m impulsive that way.” He glanced around. “I’ll hang out in your parlor over here. I’ve got a book to read on my phone. Take your time.”

  She smiled, liking that he was a reader. She didn’t know a lot of men who were. “What’re you reading?”

  “Political thriller.”

  “Cool. I won’t be long.” She dashed back to her office, not quite believing she was keeping a prince waiting, but work called and she had to answer.

  An hour later, she emerged from her office with Rose tucked in her dog purse.

  Phillip’s smile flashed white against his tanned skin and dark stubble. “I found a place for lunch and booked us a private room. It’s in Greenport, not far from here. We’ll still have time for a tour. Lunch is at twelve.”

  What could she say? “That would be lovely. So, you’ve seen the parlor; this is my office.” She gestured to her office and he poked his head in.

  “Nice,” he said.

  She shut the door and locked it since they were going out. “This way to the dining room.” She showed him the downstairs—the long dining room, the large working kitchen, and the ballroom—before returning to the grand staircase in the front foyer. She led him up the stairs. “It’s mostly empty rooms up here that I use as dressing areas for the bridal party.” If Josh were here, he’d have a conniption that she was going upstairs with a man. But Phillip was merely interested in the mansion for business purposes and, as she showed him around, he admired the historic touches like the crown molding and ceiling frescoes, as well as some of the antique furniture original to the home.