Page 22 of An Inconvenient Plan
He chuckled to himself. Nope, she was no dog. He headed through the parking lot and stopped at the truck, opening the passenger-side door for her.
She looked up at him, fire in her pale blue eyes. “Let me guess, you’re doing that devious little laugh because you’re thinking I’m a bitch, like Rose is a female dog.”
“So suspicious.”
She cocked her head. “Were you baking today? You smell like cookies.”
Heat crept up his neck. “Nope. Get in.”
She went up on tiptoe to sniff him, and he remained very still, really hoping she didn’t notice any lingering butter scent on him. “Actually, you smell like Rose. I thought I smelled cookies.”
He bit back a smile. She eyed him for a moment and finally climbed in the truck. He shut the door behind her and headed over to the other side. The bookcase was tied down with crisscrossing bungee cords in the truck’s flatbed. Five shelves, a little over three feet wide. His dad easily could’ve handled it.
He climbed into the driver’s seat and pulled out of the lot. “So how’s your prince?”
“He’s not my prince.”
“What did you guys do after coffee?” Mad had told him nothing big had happened. Just coffee. He had to check with Hailey, though, because Mad could’ve been holding out on him through some twisted girl code that prevented her from revealing Hailey’s private info. It had happened before. Mad knew about the impotence rumor Hailey started long before Josh got wind of it and had claimed girl code prevented her from sharing with him. Mad was an unreliable informant, but she was all he had.
“Nothing. Just coffee.”
He couldn’t tell if she was disappointed or if it didn’t bother her. Her tone was subdued. “You into him?”
She laughed.
“Are you?” he pressed.
“He’s not interested in me like that. He’s a client.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
She smoothed nonexistent wrinkles out of her dress. “Why do you care?”
“Looking out for you, princess.”
“Don’t,” she snapped.
Dammit, he was screwing up this golden opportunity to make amends. It was the first time he’d been alone with her since that disastrous night at his place.
“Sorry about calling you princess,” he said. “I meant Hailey. Our parents want us to make amends, and I want that too.”
She sniffed. “Old habits die hard, I guess.” She turned to him. “Wait, did our parents say something?”
“My dad told me to end the war between us for the sake of our families. So what would it take?” He left out the part where he was warned not to cross the line with her. What was the point? He’d do the right thing, and it was unlikely she’d attempt to seduce him again after his rejection. Besides, she had the playboy prince turning her head. Her fantasy man.
She took a deep breath, looking thoughtful. “It would help a lot if you were nice to me.”
“Nice,” he bit out. “And what am I now?”
“Confrontational.”
Pot calling kettle, please pick up the phone.“Maybe it would help if you were nice to me.”
“I’m always nice!”
He shut his mouth before they started fighting again. But guess what? She wasn’t always nice and helikedthat about her. He liked her fighting spirit, liked that she had sharp teeth and claws. She matched him like no woman ever had before. Hell.
A few minutes later, he pulled up in front of the old colonial where she lived. He’d never been invited in before. He’d always met her at Ludbury House for their wedding-escort dates.
