He jammed a hand in his hair. “I should get back to work.”
“You’re the boss now.” She stepped close again, her hands roaming his chest, revving him further. “Can’t you give yourself the night off?”
He stilled her hands on his chest and held them. “The timing is bad, nothing personal, okay? I’m into it too, but they need me to cover my shift. Plus I have to get the truck back to my dad. Your mom and my dad are waiting for us.” He left out the fact that crossing this line now while their parents waited was like a big fuck you to his dad after their agreement for Josh to keep his distance. In his defense, he’d always been hardheaded with a mind of his own, and his dad knew that. Still, it would not go over well. This was exactly the drama they were supposed to avoid.
She yanked her hands from his. Then she left without a word, heading up the stairs that led outside.
He blew out a breath, adjusted himself, and caught up with her on the driveway. “You get that it’s just the timing, right?”
Her eyes flashed. “I’m tired of you rejecting me. You-you tease!”
His lips twitched. “I’m not saying no, I’m saying later.”
She glared at him, her mouth forming a snarl that was too damn sexy. “You go back to Garner’s with our parents. I’m staying here.”
He held her by the chin. “Are you really mad at me?”
Her lips parted like she wanted him to kiss her again, and her pale blue eyes went soft. So frigging sexy. “No. I’m just very horny, you beast.”
He smiled and slid his hand to cup her cheek. “Okay, then.”
“Do you really think we could work out? I used to always think we’d kill each other, but then, I don’t know…when you kissed me, it felt different.”
“Maybe the solution is to kiss more.” He stroked her soft cheek with his thumb and gave her a quick kiss. “I’ll have my dad drop off Rose, and I’ll text you later with the plan.”
She slapped a hand over her mouth. “Omigod, I forgot Rose.”
He smirked. He’d kissed her senseless. Nice. He turned and headed for the truck, not willing to risk another kiss. It made him senseless too.
“Maybe I’ll reject you next time,” she called from behind him.
He turned, grinning. “Sure. Unless I go Fierce Longing on you. Turns out it makes you forget everything but me.”
She whirled and went back inside.
Some mysterious force drew him in, retracing her steps and standing on the other side of the door. Maybe he wasn’t quite done with her tonight.
He heard the snick of the lock and a chain deadbolt. Then a distinct bonk. Like she’d kicked the door or smacked it with her head in frustration. Either way, he liked that she wanted him that badly after just one kiss. She must be just as crazy in lust with him as he was with her.
He jogged back up the stairs and over to the truck. This was the second time he’d had to go back to Garner’s without her. The first was on that disaster of a night when he’d tried to give her the paid escort money back. There would be questions from his dad and Brandy. Geez, Hailey was really making him look bad by staying behind. Like he’d failed to make things right between them. He couldn’t tell them how far he’d gone in the other direction.
He smiled to himself. That kiss told him everything he needed to know. This thing between them was real. Drunk on vodka, my ass. Nice try, sweetheart, you’re mine.
And screw everyone else. He was determined to make this work so no one could ever say shit about their relationship. The alternative—all-out war within family lines—was too big a disaster to contemplate.
Chapter Nine
Two days. The cad. He’d kissed her, worked her up something fierce, and then she hadn’t heard from him in two frigging days! She jumped every time she got a text, only to be disappointed. She’d thought after years of fighting that they’d finally moved forward. That kiss had been amazing, like take me now amazing, and now…nothing. She needed a serious guy—a man, not a boy who wanted to play games. She blew out a breath of frustration. Now it was Friday, and for some stupid reason she’d thought she’d spend it in bed after…God, how long had it been since she’d had sex? More than six months. Brutal for a woman of her passionate needs. Fuck Josh, the fucker.
Did he think she was at his beck and call? No, sir. Not her. She clicked over to her email. Oh, she had an email from Prince Phillip. A small tingle of excitement ran through her, but then she remembered he hadn’t shown much interest in her. He was probably just following up on some details on his sister’s behalf. He was taking the lead on the stateside wedding mostly because he wanted his sister to focus on her final exams. Yup. He’d sent the final guest list and made a few requests she could easily handle. She downloaded the guest list, which included a good number of the Rourke family. She was a little surprised so many family members would travel for the stateside wedding when the official royal wedding in Villroy Island would happen only a couple of months later.
She hit reply on the email, assuring Phillip everything would be taken care of. Her phone dinged with a text a few minutes later.
Phillip: Thanks, Hailey, you’ve made this wedding planning thing so easy. I just got back to my hotel and had to deal with my sister’s annoying requests after an exhausting day of business meetings. You understand what that’s like, I’m sure. I don’t know how you do it, dealing with clients all the time.
His tone felt less formal than usual, like he needed someone to talk to. She quickly texted back: No problem. I enjoy working with clients, but I know what you mean. Sometimes you need downtime. : ) I was surprised how many Rourke family members are making the trip to Connecticut. You must have a very close-knit family to attend both weddings.
Phillip: Bah. Those are the riffraff with diluted bloodlines, my Brooklyn cousins. They’re not invited to the Villroy wedding because their dad married a commoner against the wishes of the family and abdicated the throne. Silvia’s such a bleeding heart she invited them. Apparently, she’s spent a lot of time with them since starting Yale. She likes gruff and grumbly men, says they’re charming.
Can I call you? I’m too tired to visit with you, but I sure would like a friendly ear.
Eep! She typed back a cheery Of course! Her phone rang a moment later. “Hello,” she said warmly.
“Ah, that sweet voice just made my day. I’ve had nothing but rejections all day from stuffy suits.”
“What kind of business are you working on, if you don’t mind my asking?”
He blew out a breath she heard loud and clear through the phone. “I’m not supposed to talk about it, but if you swear to keep it in confidence…”
“Absolutely. I’m the queen of discretion.”
He laughed. “Queen Hailey of Discretion, I love it. So I’ve been in talks with the top brass of hotel chains because we’re considering building a resort back on Villroy. We’re losing the young people, who’re heading off for more exciting jobs in England and France. The hope is that we’ll bring in tourism money and keep some of our young workforce. We can’t be an island made up of just the older generation. That’s the beginning of the end. Of course Gabriel, the heir, doesn’t agree. That’s my older brother stick-in-the-mud. He thinks we should keep on as we have been, the traditional way with fishing, but I had to put some feelers out. Someone has to think modern around here. I want to put together a resort proposal with hard numbers and convince him.”
She thought for a moment about a resort and what people might do there. “You could have a resort that included taking tourists on fishing expeditions. It would be a unique experience and allow you to keep your traditional way of life.”
“Thank you! This is what I’ve been saying to Gabriel.”
“Though if I was on vacation to a nice resort on an island kingdom, not that I’ve ever travelled that far, but if I did, I would most like to tour the royal castle. Ooh! You could have destination weddings at the castle. Give brides the total fairy-tale experience.”
“Just an idea,” she quickly added.
“No, I see the appeal. It’s just that it’s a private residence. Quite a few of us live there still. It’s so big we don’t get in each other’s way.”
“Completely understand the need for privacy.”
“Tell me more about your business. I’m curious how you’ve built it up so quickly in such a short time. Silvia tells me your feature article in Bride Special puts you in an elite league of wedding planners.”
She smiled so big her cheeks hurt. Pride warmed her through and through. She’d worked so hard for everything she had, and she rarely got any compliments on her hard work. Most clients took her for granted, as she stayed in the background making sure everything with their wedding went smoothly. Clients expected the wedding to be perfect—that was what they paid a wedding planner for—but it took a lot of work to take it to that level. “Thank you, Phillip. That means a lot to me. You really want to know the nitty-gritty of my wedding planning career?”
“I really do. Maybe it’ll help me think up some good business ideas for back home. Maybe a resort isn’t the answer.”
“It’s not a bad idea at all,” she assured him.
“So how does it work? You own that mansion? Do you live there too?”
It seemed like he really did want to know how things worked, and it pleased her to talk shop. She talked and talked and talked. Phillip kept up a steady stream of questions and was such a good listener that it was easy to do.
“You’re incredible,” Phillip said when she’d finished.
She flushed and sat a little straighter in her seat. “Thank you.”
“I know this might sound completely out there, but I’d like to make you an offer.”
“What do you mean?”
“You said you rent Ludbury House from the town. For the stability of your future business, you should own it. I’d like to buy it for you.”
She gasped. She’d looked into buying it last year, and the cost was way out of her league—two million plus hefty property taxes. Even figuring out a scenario where she lived upstairs to save on rent and rented the mansion back to the town for community events didn’t bring it close to her budget. What a princely offer! “It’s much too expensive. I could never ask that of you.”
“In return you could consult with me on the resort or any other ideas you conjure to help Villroy. I’m truly impressed with all you’ve accomplished single-handedly.”
She was speechless.
He went on. “Would a ten-year loan with two percent interest work for you?”
She blinked as it occurred to her he was negotiating a business investment and not making a princely gesture toward her. “I’m afraid it’s still out of my budget.” She’d already done the math, and even a thirty-year loan would be tough.
“Work up some numbers and we’ll see if we can work something out.”
“It would have to be a much longer loan to bring it within range.”
“Email me the details when you get a chance. Now there’s something I’d like to ask you.”
“Anything,” she replied immediately. The man was trying to help her make her dreams come true.
He chuckled. “Ah, Hailey, a woman after my own capitalistic nature. I like that we see eye to eye. Just between you and me, I’ve been in a rut. Literally. I broke up with someone after five years, and then I rutted my way through Europe. That’s the other reason I’m here; besides babysitting my sister and putting out some business feelers, I’m supposed to be lying low. Then I met you, accomplished, beautiful Hailey. All of that to say, would you be my date for my sister’s wedding? You’re the kind of classy woman who could restore my reputation.”
She was a classy lady and didn’t mind helping him out. “Sure. You mean Silvia’s wedding here, right?” Silvia had already invited her as a courtesy, but this would be a little different, going as his date. She’d need to get Ally to help cover some of the background details on the wedding day so Hailey could focus on helping Phillip restore his image in front of his closest family and friends.
“Here and back home,” he replied. “All expenses paid, of course.”
Ahh! The prince wants to bring me as his date to the royal wedding on Villroy Island!
“They wouldn’t mind that I’m a commoner?” she blurted. He’d said before his Brooklyn cousins weren’t invited to the Villroy wedding because their dad abdicated the throne by marrying a commoner.
“My cousins are only excluded because their dad was the heir. I’m the spare and get more leeway. You will be treated royally, I promise.”
“That would be lovely,” she replied in what she hoped was a calm composed voice. She’d always wanted to travel, but never had the money. She’d never even flown in a plane before. The furthest she’d been was an eighth-grade field trip to Washington, DC, by bus.
“Wonderful,” Phillip said. “I’ll send you the details. There will be quite a bit of press back home, and this will really help me out. Thanks again.”
“Thank you! I’m really looking forward to it.”
“Talk soon.”
“Any time.”
He hung up. She disconnected and just sat there for a long moment in shock. Was she really going to Villroy Island as the guest of a freaking prince in a royal wedding? What did this mean? Was she just a prop to restore his reputation, or was he interested in her? He was very appealing—handsome, surprisingly down-to-earth, and an actual prince. She shouldn’t get hung up on the prince thing, but it was hard not to. It was like every fairy-tale movie she’d ever seen. The royal thing was impossible to resist.
She needed to talk to Mad, her best friend and the only woman she knew who spoke “guy” fluently on account of her slew of big brothers. She texted her first: Desperately need to talk. Is this a good time to call?
She knew Mad had a busy schedule between working shifts at Garner’s as bartender and waitress and finishing up college with her bachelor’s degree. Plus she lived with her fiancé and half the time they were going at it.
Mad texted back: Come over. Park’s grilling burgers. We’ll throw one on for you.
Hailey: On my way!
She quickly closed up shop, took care of Rose, and got them both into her car. Mad lived in an apartment in Eastman, the town next to Clover Park. She was so relieved Mad was available. This kind of news couldn’t be delayed.
When she got to Mad and Parker’s first-floor apartment, Mad answered the door in her usual worn T-shirt, cargo shorts, and black work boots. She was petite and fit, her body swimming in her “comfortable” clothes. Her hair was up in a high ponytail, which gave it a very interesting look since she was growing out the dyed fire-engine red. Now just the ponytail was red and the rest dark brown.
“Your hair almost looks normal,” Hailey said, flicking the ponytail.
“Right? I’m starting to remember what I used to look like.” She scooped Rose out of Hailey’s purse and cuddled her close. “Hello, puppy.”
Hailey stepped inside to a comfortable space with a black leather sectional, ottoman, and glass coffee table. A big-screen TV hung on the wall across from the sofa.
“Stick around after dinner,” Mad said. “We’re watching this cool car show where they restore classic cars.” Parker worked at a classic-car restoration shop. It wasn’t Hailey’s speed, but she appreciated the way Mad always included her.
“Maybe. Depends on how tired I am. It’s been quite a week!”
“I hear that. Beer?” She set Rose on the floor, who followed Mad to the kitchen, sniffing for crumbs.
“I’ll just get some water.” Hailey went to the kitchen too and got herself some water. She knew where everything was.
Mad took two bottles of beer from the refrigerator, popped the tops, and took one to the small concrete patio, where Parker was grilling. He was tall with an athletic grace, his short dark brown hair emphasizing sharp cheekbones and an angular jaw. Hailey waved to him through th
e glass patio door. He lifted a hand in greeting with a smile. Parker was such a good match for Mad, both of them athletic, strong, and tough. He was reserved whereas Mad was outgoing, but they balanced each other out.
Mad returned with a tennis ball that she bounced over to Rose in the kitchen. Rose couldn’t get her mouth around it, so she just kept chasing it as it rolled all over the kitchen.
“All right,” Mad said, taking a seat on the sofa. “Spill. For someone who’s desperate to talk, you sure take your time.”
Hailey joined her, setting her water on the coffee table. “It’s called being polite.”
“Ha! It’s called stalling.” She took a pull on her beer. “What did Josh do this time?” She knew their rocky history. She’d witnessed most of it.
“It’s not him. Okay, remember Prince Phillip?”
“Ah, yeah. Hard to forget the guy you wouldn’t shut up about. What happened? He ask you out?”
She squirmed a bit in her seat and then crossed her legs, folding her hands on top in a composed pose. “Even better, I think, I’m not sure. I can’t figure out where I stand. First off, he offered to buy Ludbury House for me.”
“What?” Mad screeched. She set her beer on the coffee table and leaned forward. “No fucking way!”
Hailey nodded, pleased Mad saw the enormity of this event. “I know it sounds outrageous, right? But it might be just an investment for him. He offered me a loan with low interest.”
“Did he ask for a percentage of your business?”
“No.”
Mad sliced a hand through the air. “He’s trying to buy your love. He probably doesn’t have the cash for an outright gift, so he’s offering what he can. Total prince move. He’s into you.”
Hailey smoothed her hair with a shaky hand. This was beyond exciting. Mad was usually spot-on with guy speak, except when she teased Hailey that Josh was into her. Josh might have kissed her recently after she took the initiative, practically begging him to go Fierce Longing on her, but there was a long stretch of time where she knew he hated her. Maybe not hate, more strong dislike. Whatever. Why was she thinking about Josh now? He’d completely blown her off. Games. She didn’t have time for that shit.
An Inconvenient Plan (Happy Endings Book Club, Book 10) Page 9