Bedding the Bachelors Box Set (Books 1-3) (64 page)

She knew why he was here. To convince her to go forward with their plan.

And she knew if she let him in, he’d be able to do it.

“It’s kind of late,” she said softly.

“Lucille, open the door. I’m not leaving.”

She unlocked the dead bolt and jerked it open. “Lucille?”

“I thought it would get your attention,” he said, brushing past her.

She shut the door and turned to face him with her arms crossed against her chest. He was wearing jeans and a button down shirt. His hair was slightly disheveled and he had a slight five o’clock shadow, which she’d never seen on him before.

He looked…yummy.

He didn’t even have a bag with him. He’d probably headed out to the airport with just his wallet and keys.

“What are you doing here, Jamie?”

“I flew in to talk some sense in you. You’re not calling off this engagement, Lucy. If you lose that baby, you’ll regret it.”

“What if this causes scandal for your family? Won’t you regret that?”

“No,” Jamie said. “If you think we haven’t had scandal of our own before… Well, let’s just say we’re not strangers to it. I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks. My family doesn’t either. They will love me no matter what… They’ve proven that. You’re my friend, Lucy. This is what friends do for one another.”

“Pretend to be engaged?”

He put his hands on his hips and tried to look tough. It only made him look hotter.

“If need be,” he said. “We can do this, at least for a while.”

Lucy couldn’t help it; she laughed. “You’re crazy,” she said.

“Then you’re engaged to a crazy person,” he said with a smile. “Right?”

“For now,” she said.

“So I still have a date for the rehearsal dinner and my sister’s wedding?”

She took a deep breath to steady her nerves and said, “Yes.”

***

With Melina busy taking care of the twins, Lucy enlisted Grace to help her with shopping for the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. Although Lucy and Grace had completely different taste in clothing, Lucy still thought what Grace wore was pretty, and she knew anything her friend picked out would be both attractive and “socially acceptable.”

Grace was perfect as a shopping partner for this particular endeavor. She encouraged Lucy to pick an outfit she loved. “You have wonderful style, Lucy. You don’t have to change who you are to make other people like you.”

“Clearly, I do,” Lucy had responded. “Now, please, Grace, pick an outfit you would wear so I don’t have to think too much about it.” And without any more protests, Grace did as Lucy asked.

They shopped until they found an outfit that was a happy medium—that is, an outfit Grace assured her was “appropriate” for a high society rehearsal dinner and one that Lucy didn’t hate.

By the time they stopped at their favorite Chinese restaurant to meet Melina for lunch while Rhys watched the twins, Lucy was almost completely outfitted. The only thing she had left to get was the dress for the wedding itself.

“So, how are things going between you and your fiancé?” Melina asked her with a smile.

“Things are good,” Lucy told her. “It’s the best “fake” relationship I’ve ever been in.” It was the best relationship she’d been in period. She’d never forget the way Jamie had shown up at her door, determined that they go forward with their plan and forgot her worries that she’d somehow be hurting him by being associated with him.

They all laughed and then Melina said, “And how about the ‘fake’ sex?”

“Oh that’s going to continue to be very real,” Lucy said. “So real, in fact, that I think Jamie could give Rhys a run for his money when it comes to teaching a woman how to please a man in bed. And go head-to-head with Max in giving a woman the greatest sex of her life.”

Both her friends blushed and they all laughed. Melina and Rhys, after years of secretly crushing on each other, had finally gotten together only after Melina had gotten it into her head she needed sex lessons. Grace had approached Max with something equally scandalous—a request that he give her the orgasm no man had ever been able to give her. When it came to happy endings that began with crazy-ass sexual situations, her friends took the cake.

They ordered their lunch and were simply enjoying each other’s company when Lucy suddenly saw a huge flash in front of her face. She looked up in time to see a man lowering his camera to his side. “Ms. Conrad, I’m Harry Lowenstein with Gateway News and I’d like to ask you a few questions about your alleged engagement to Jamie Whitcomb.”

“Alleged engagement?” Melina echoed in an outraged voice.

Lucy put a hand on her friend’s arm. “Do you mind? I’m having lunch with my friends here. If you have questions, you should have asked to set up an interview.”

“Fine. Can we set up an interview?”

“No, but thanks for asking,” she said. “Now, get the hell out of here.”

When he was gone, Grace said, “You know he’s probably going to quote what you just said.”

“What does it matter? It’s obvious he, and probably other people, suspect the engagement isn’t real. Of course they’re suspicious. A guy like Jamie with someone like me? Right.”

“Will you stop,” Melina ordered. “You and Jamie are perfectly compatible.”

“Until people consider his background.”

“Yet don’t you come from a similar background?” Grace asked quietly.

“You know what I mean. But he wouldn’t listen to me when I told him we should call this whole thing off.”

“What? When did you do that?” Melina asked.

“Last night.”

“And what did he have to say about that?”

“A lot. He flew up from Coronado and told me I was being ridiculous.”

“He flew up from…” Melina pressed her lips together and shook her head. But she couldn’t quite suppress the smile on her face. “Good. I’m glad he talked some sense into you.”

“He persuaded me to continue, but now I’m not sure again. I hate being phony, you both know that. I hate lying and pretending and faking it.”

“I know it has to be frustrating,” Grace told her. “But you have to think about the baby. This is all for her.”

“Just be patient,” Melina said. “Before you know it, this will all be over. You won’t have to pretend anymore.”

Lucy took a deep breath. All for Milly. Just be patient. This will all be over soon.

That last thought should have filled her with relief. But instead of calming her down, she felt a pain in her chest. She’d gotten used to Jamie being around, sharing meals with her and having mind-blowing sex. She missed him whenever they were apart. When they got together for his sister’s wedding, she knew she’d start to get attached again.

And that was only going to make things all the more painful for her when things between them ended for good.

Two days later, Lucy and Jamie had checked into their suite at the Hotel Del Coronado with just enough time to change before his sister’s rehearsal dinner. The day before, Lucy had her hair colored back to its original mahogany. Now, with her nose piercing removed and wearing a silly little cocktail dress that looked like something Reese Witherspoon wore in
Legally Blonde
, Lucy hesitated outside the restaurant. God, she was a nervous wreck. And not even because she felt out of place or because she was preparing to be sneered at—but because this was Jamie’s family, and she wanted them to like her, damn it.

Jamie put a hand on her shoulder, leaned down, and murmured in her ear. “You look beautiful, Luce, and I’m proud to be walking into that restaurant with you wearing my ring. My family will love you.”

She took a deep breath, tilted her chin up, and gamely said, “Of course they will. What’s not to like?”

He grinned and squeezed her shoulder. “There’s my girl.”

There’s his girl?
The feminist in Lucy should have gone bonkers at that. Instead, she couldn’t deny his words made her feel all warm and syrupy inside.

Jamie took her by the hand and led her inside to a private dining area.

As they approached the long table with about twenty people around it, an older version of Jamie, his thick brown hair sprinkled with grey at the temples, stood up. He smiled brightly, making his face look even ten years younger.

“This has to be the lovely Lucy. I’m so pleased you were able to come. I’m Jamison Whitcomb, Jamie’s father.”

Jamison? She looked at Jamie with a cocked brow. “Are you Jamison Whitcomb the Third?”

“The Fourth,” he said with a sigh.

“I like it.
Jamison
.” Lucy turned and shook his father’s hand. “I’m so pleased your family included me in such an important event. Thank you for having me.”

“Thank you for coming. This is my wife, Jamie’s mother, Kathleen.” Jamie’s mother smiled and gave her a hug. She had platinum blond hair with subtle highlights, cut short but framing her small face stylishly. She had dark blue eyes that sparkled and were a perfect complement to her elegant blue and gray dress.

“Hello, Lucy. I’m so happy to meet you.” She shot a glance at Jamie. “I wish we’d gotten to meet you sooner, but according to Jamie, your romance was a bit of a whirlwind. But I knew when he fell in love with the one, it would happen that way. You’ve found yourself a wonderful man, if I do say so myself.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lucy said. “Believe me, I know what a rare catch your son is. Thank you for having me.”

“It’s our pleasure, and how lovely you look. I love your earrings, dear.”

Lucy smiled and felt her heart expand. The earrings were the only part of the outfit that were truly her own. They were long dangling threads of silver with little opals in them. They were sexy and quirky, and the minute Lucy had seen them in a little boutique in Napa, she’d immediately loved them. “Thank you.”

“Brianne, come here and meet Lucy,” Jamie said.

Jamie’s sister’s hair was dark like Jamie’s; it fell across her shoulders in long, soft curls and she had the same big dark eyes as he did. She was dressed in a funky dress that Lucy loved. She came over immediately and gave her a warm hug.

“You and I will have to spend some time talking about my brother,” Brianne said. “I’m sure he’s told you all about what a gigantic nerd he was as a kid. Did he tell you he started his high school’s first-ever annual recycling drive?”

Lucy laughed. “No, but I’d love to hear all about it sometime.”

Jamie ignored his sister and moved on, introducing her to the groom, Eric, his best man, Gabe, and the other groomsmen, Ryan, Cole, and Luke. Lucy blushed furiously when she remembered they’d seen her partially strip on that stage in Vegas. Granted, she’d been wearing a mask and wig, but given how Jamie had carried her off stage, they had to know who she was. Stiffly, she waited for one or all of them to shoot her a leering grin or make some inappropriate comment.

It didn’t happen. They were friendly and polite and seemed genuinely happy to meet her.

So were the rest of the people at the table.

During dinner, Jamie’s mother made a point of asking Lucy about her job and how she liked living in northern California. His father included her in as many conversations as he could. Both were gracious, charming, and made her laugh.

At one point, Jamie excused himself to greet a friend. That’s when Jamie’s cousin Gretchen arrived late.

She and her husband David sat down across from Lucy. After Jamie’s parents introduced them, Gretchen smiled at her, but when David spoke, introducing himself as the head honcho of some computer company, he sounded like he had a giant stick shoved up his ass.

“Lucy Conrad,” she said. “College professor.”

He frowned, tapped his finger against the table, then pointed it at her. “Are you related to Gail Conrad Lancaster?”

The warm glow Lucy had been feeling immediately vanished. “Yes, I am.”

“My condolences on the loss of your sister and brother-in-law.”

“Thank you,” Lucy said. “How did you know them?”

“I was a business colleague of Mason and his family. Poor Mason. He loved Gail to pieces. Always said she was a true class act.” He scanned her, his gaze flitting up and down, as if taking her measure. His gaze rested on her dangling earrings, and for a brief moment, a sardonic grin crossed his face.

“Well, that she was,” she said. “Gail was perfect.” She looked down at her meal and tried to focus on putting one bite of food into her mouth at a time. When she heard a snicker, she looked up and saw David whispering to Gretchen. They were both looking right at her.

She could tell immediately by the unease that flickered across Gretchen’s face that David was saying some less than complimentary things.

She forced herself to smile and stood. “Excuse me.” She walked toward Jamie, who looked at her and frowned, as if he could tell immediately she was upset. His gaze honed in on her empty seat and then on the couple who sat across from her. As she tried to slip by him, he put his hand on her arm. “Are you okay?”

“Yes,” she said brightly.

“Lucy…” he said, but she could tell he didn’t want to get into it when others might overhear them.

She stood on tiptoe and gave him a light kiss. “I’m okay. Honest. I just need to go to the restroom.”

He cupped her cheek. “I’ll miss you. Hurry back.”

The warm feeling that had disappeared with David’s arrival was suddenly back big time.

“I will,” she said.

In the restroom, Lucy got herself together. So David was an ass. Big deal. There were assholes in all walks of life. She had to be fair and not judge Jamie and his family and friends just because one guy was a jerk.

When she returned to the table, dinner was coming to an end, and Brianne was flitting around the room, making jokes that made almost everyone laugh. David’s face got all disapproving at times, but this only served to egg Brianne on; it was obvious Lucy wasn’t the only one who found David to be a royal prick.

Brianne and Eric didn’t seem to spend much time together, which Lucy thought was odd, given it was the night before their wedding. Eric looked distracted, and at one point he was furiously texting on his phone. Brianne went over and said something to him. He looked angry and said something back. Instead of losing her cool, Brianne turned back to her guests, smiling and joking again, but this time with a decided edge of desperation.