The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,15

plan.”

“Tonight we act like a couple in love, then tomorrow, I’ll start acting like an ass.”

“You’re doing a pretty good job right now,” she said, eyebrows raised. “You take this bossy, condescending show on the road, and you’re golden.”

He heaved out a breath. “Do you want me to help you or not? If you’d prefer, I’ll call a taxi and have them come pick me up now. Then you can explain everything yourself.”

Her shoulders tensed. “You wouldn’t.”

He grinned. “Try me.”

“You’re an ass.”

“You already said that,” he laughed. “Oh, wait. No, you said you liked my ass.”

“Not likely,” she said in a snide tone, but she couldn’t be sure if she was telling the truth. Megan couldn’t remember saying any such thing, but her gram was right. He had a nice one. Alcohol had a tendency to make her spew out all kinds of truths, embarrassing or not.

Focus, Megan.

She began to pace. If she were smart, she’d march downstairs and tell her family everything, but that had never been her style. Yes, avoidance had been Megan Vandemeer’s philosophy long before this man had come into her life. The fact that she’d immediately broken it off with Jay after finding out he was screwing his secretary—and had been for months—was a huge step for her.

She stopped and turned to face the man in her room. Could he really be the answer to her problem?

“Did my parents really buy the whole thing about me calling you Jay even though your name is Josh?”

“Never questioned it.”

A knock on the door and Megan’s mother’s voice stopped her. “Megan? Is everything okay in there?”

The blood rushed from Megan’s head. How much had her mother heard?

Josh reached forward and opened the door, then stepped back next to Megan.

Her mother stood in the threshold looking suspicious. “What are you two up to? Megan, did you say you’d had an argument?” Her disapproving tone made it clear who she blamed for said argument.

Josh snaked his arm around Megan’s waist and pulled her close. “Sorry we disappeared like that, Mrs. Vandemeer. We had a small disagreement before, but we worked everything out. I’ve been ignoring my little lovebug lately.” He tapped Megan’s nose with his index finger, giving her a smug smile that dared her to contradict him. Then he turned to face her mother. “I’ve been really busy at work for the past few weeks, trying to clear my plate so I could get away for the wedding and honeymoon, so . . .”

Megan’s mother frowned. “But Megan said you were too busy to get away for a honeymoon. I thought you were flying straight back to Seattle after this weekend so you could head to work on Monday morning.”

Josh’s mouth dropped open. “What?” He turned to look at Megan with a wide smile. “What kind of husband would I be if I didn’t take my bride on a honeymoon?” He gave her mother a sheepish grin. “I wanted it to be a surprise.” Then he turned back to Megan. “Surprise, honey!”

Megan’s mother placed her hand on her chest, beaming. “I told Megan she needed to go on a honeymoon, but she swore you couldn’t get away and she didn’t want one. Where are you taking her?”

“Well . . . uh . . .”

“Yes, honey,” Megan said, lifting an eyebrow. “Where are we going?”

“Uh . . .” He truly looked stymied for a moment, but then he said, “The Caribbean,” acting as if it were a revelation.

“That’s wonderful!” her mother gushed. “Which island?”

“Excuse me?” he asked, clearly uncomfortable.

“Which island?”

Megan decided to take pity on him. She still didn’t trust him, and she was certain there was more to his motives than he was letting on, but he’d saved her twice. She owed him something. “I bet it’s the Virgin Islands, isn’t it? Ever since we met, I’ve been telling Josh how much I wanted to go there.”

“That’s it!” Josh exclaimed. “But now I’ve ruined the surprise.”

“Oh, sweetheart,” Megan drawled, patting his cheek harder than necessary. “You’re just one surprise after another.”

He reached up and grabbed her hand, pulling it down to his chest, where he held it over his heart. Laying it on a bit thick?

“You still didn’t explain what you’re doing up here,” her mother said.

Megan was irritated. She was twenty-nine years old and her mother was still trying to control her.

Josh intervened. “Like I said, I’ve been working a lot . . . which means I haven’t spent a lot of time with Megan lately.” He dropped