The Wedding Pact Box Set - Denise Grover Swank Page 0,65

Most women wouldn’t find fault in that—in fact, they’d revel in it—but Josh was supposed to be paving the way to their breakup. And after Josh’s behavior over the last couple of hours, the only person at the family dinner expecting that outcome was Megan.

Josh had spent most of the day dreading tonight’s dinner, but it was exactly the opposite of what he’d expected. Josh genuinely enjoyed hanging out with Bart Vandemeer’s huge family. They were down to earth and fun, the complete opposite of Nicole Vandemeer and her friends. It made Josh wonder why Bart had chosen to marry her.

The first hour was so fun he’d completely forgotten he was supposed to be laying the groundwork for the breakup he planned to initiate. But even after realizing his mistake, he was in too good of a mood to play the part, even just enough to appease Megan, which had been his original plan.

He was having a conversation with her Uncle Jeremy about the best fishing places at Table Rock Lake when Megan wrapped her hand around his lower forearm, her nails digging into his flesh.

“Can I talk to you?” She tried to keep her tone sweet, but he heard the annoyed hitch in her voice.

“Uncle Jeremy was inviting me to come fishing with him this fall,” he said with a smile, ignoring the pain in his arm.

“Yeah, I heard, but I need help with the . . . thing.”

“What thing?” her uncle asked.

Her eyes widened in panic; she obviously hadn’t expected her ploy to be questioned.

A slow smile spread across Josh’s face. “I’ve been summoned.” He gave her uncle a wink. “Never tell a beautiful woman no when she wants to get you alone. Am I right?”

Her uncle chuckled. “Smart man you’ve got there, Megan.”

“I’m beginning to wonder,” she grumbled as he stood and took her hand in his.

He leaned close to her ear and whispered loud enough for her uncle to hear, “Just where did you have in mind?”

She jerked on his hand. He stumbled slightly but contained his amusement. God, was she cute when she was pissed. But he kept his thoughts to himself and followed her through the kitchen and down the stairs to the basement.

Why hadn’t he thought to check the basement rather than his botched attempt to find her father’s home office? After all, what better place to stow things best left forgotten?

But he didn’t have time to look around once they reached the bottom of the stairs. “Your bedroom probably has a better atmosphere for a romantic rendezvous than your parents’ musty basement.”

“I did not bring you down here to make out!”

“From the look on your face, you brought me down here to murder me. But I caution you to think it through. It would be difficult to hide my body, and I think Libby’s too busy with Noah to help.”

“Why is your brother flirting with my best friend?”

“She’s a beautiful woman, Megan.” He put his hands on her hips and pulled her closer. “But not nearly as beautiful as you.”

“Cut the bullshit, Josh.”

“I really do think you’re beautiful—” his voice lost its teasing tone, “—and I don’t know why Noah is so taken with Libby, but she seems like a smart girl. She can handle herself.”

She jerked up her head to look him in the eye. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means my brother is not a one-woman kind of guy, but when Libby made it obvious she was interested in him, I mentioned that fact to her. She told me not to worry. She knew what he was.”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “When did you talk to Libby about your brother?”

“After I came home this evening and went upstairs to find you. Libby was in your room. You were in the bathroom.”

“Hmm.”

He was still holding her close, resisting the urge to kiss her. Although he suspected it would distract her from the next topic she was sure to bring up, he didn’t want to play her that way.

“What are you doing, Josh?”

“I’m standing in your basement, waiting to see if you’re going to murder me or not.” He made a show of spinning his head to take it in. “I’m surprised it’s unfinished. And that your mother didn’t ask your father to set up his man cave down here rather than upstairs.”

“You can’t change the subject. Why aren’t you trying to break up with me like we discussed?”

“You haven’t given me much opportunity.”

She pulled out of his grasp. “We’ve been out