Best Laid Plans Read online

  But Harlan Blackmore wasn’t the first CEO Jackson had met. She raised an eyebrow at him. “My job is to recommend the best plan of action for your company, not ours. My success record speaks for itself. That’s why I was assigned this account in the first place.”

  The room grew quiet again. Finally, one of the board members leaned forward and picked up the sheet of recommendations Jackson had passed out.

  “This is a really solid plan.” He looked down at Cameron. “But some of this depends on whether you want this role, Mr. Blackmore.”

  Cameron nodded. “After I’ve taken a little time off, I’ll be ready.”

  “I’m in favor, as well,” said another member.

  “Should we take it to a vote?”

  Cameron blinked. Maybe the board wasn’t completely under his father’s command. Maybe showing up at this meeting was enough to get them to listen. And Jackson had just created a way for him to do it. One that didn’t require flying or being in the same room as his father.

  Yep. He was definitely in love with her.

  The vote passed, and they adjourned. He hung back as one of the board members shook Jackson’s hand. He couldn’t stop himself from staring. But the hard clap on his shoulder jolted him back to reality.

  “You flew all the way here for this meeting, son.”

  Cameron flinched at the word son. There was no escaping it. He was Harlan Blackmore’s son, not just Harlan Senior’s grandson. But he had a choice in how he lived that out.

  He cleared his face of emotion and turned to his father. “It was important, so I came.”

  His father scowled. “You’re making a mistake if you let a woman like that make decisions for you.”

  Cameron smiled. “You’re in a room full of people who disagree.”

  His father was quiet.

  “How long will you be in New York?” he finally asked.

  Cameron took a deep breath. “Not sure yet.”

  “Come by the office again,” said his father.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Cameron shook his father’s hand, and his father left. Slowly, the board members trickled out until it was just Jackson and him left. She looked at him carefully.

  “You heading out?” he asked softly.

  She nodded. She gathered her belongings with the delicate hands he had dreamed about last night, and they headed for the elevator.

  The tension between them crackled. Every move she made echoed in his body, as he waited for that first touch. She was all buttoned up in that suit, and her hair was twisted into a tight bun like she was waiting for someone to take it down.

  Please let it be me.

  The elevator doors opened, and she stepped in and pushed the button. She didn’t look at him until the doors closed.

  “I thought you didn’t fly.”

  He crossed his arms. “Until yesterday I didn’t.”

  “And then you suddenly got over your fear?” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Not quite,” he said. “The real story involves a shitty day on my part when you left, enough tranquilizers to subdue a horse and a really big favor by Simon.”

  Her eyes softened. “He came with you? You told me he was never coming back to the US again.”

  “He wasn’t. As I said, it was a really big favor.”

  “Oh.” She looked down at the floor.

  He frowned. It was the second flight Simon had coached him through, and Cameron hoped to God that it was the last time he ever had to ask for a favor like that again. He hoped that the next time he had to force himself onto a plane, Jackson would be sitting next to him instead. He shuddered. Just thinking about climbing into that metal coffin was going to flip the switch back into that awful abyss. And he wasn’t going back there. Not now. Not if he didn’t have to.

  After descending a few more floors, she turned to him again. “Why are you here?”

  He blinked. Did she really not understand?

  “I’m here for you,” he said slowly. “Because your career is at stake while the board just thinks Harlan Blackmore’s stubborn son is acting up again. And if you got fired and I just got a new PR plan, then...”

  She looked up at him, eyes wide. He couldn’t stop himself this time. They were still in the elevator of his father’s building, where they were probably being watched by someone, but he couldn’t wait any longer. He turned to her and ran the backs of his fingers down her cheek.

  “Then none of this could work out right,” he whispered.

  The elevator dinged, and the doors opened into the lobby. Their shoes echoed as they crossed the stone floor, but she didn’t say a word. They walked out into the November wind. Damn, it was cold. Why the hell did anyone live in this climate? Cameron put on his jacket and zipped it up, then he looked down at Jackson. She had some sexy little pair of shoes on, and she was already shivering.

  “Can we find somewhere to talk?” he asked. “Somewhere a little warmer?”

  She studied him. “I don’t know. I really appreciate that you came all this way to help me out today, especially considering you never fly. But spending time together is only going to make the goodbye harder.” She blinked up at him, and for a moment, she looked young and vulnerable. This was the same woman who could handle Harlan Blackmore and his board. But the way she was staring up at him, so lost and worried, he wanted to hold her and make her smile again. He was so gone on this woman.

  He gently interlaced her cold fingers in his. “Jackson, let’s get a taxi and go somewhere far from here. Somewhere warm. Then you can spend all the time you want telling me why we shouldn’t do this.”

  She smiled, and some of the lost look faded. Finally, she whispered, “Okay.”

  The taxi ride was quiet, and the car dropped them off in front of an old-fashioned Italian café. He held the door open for her, and the warm air flooded out. The place was nearly empty. Jackson sat down at one of the tiny tables by the window. She crossed her legs and rubbed her hands together. God, she looked cold. She belonged in Sydney with him. But they were a long way from that.

  The waitress came up to take their orders, but Cameron had no idea what the hell he was supposed to order in a place like this. There were all sorts of girly-looking breads and desserts, but he wasn’t hungry. Jackson was the only thing on his mind right now.

  Thankfully, she just ordered a coffee. He did, too, and the waitress disappeared, leaving them in silence.

  “Where’s Simon?” she asked after a while.

  “Miami.”

  Her eyebrows rose. She waited for more, but he wasn’t going to get into that.

  Simon hadn’t said a word about his plans, but Cameron knew what he was doing. If Simon had flown to Miami, he was going to the house of the woman he’d never got over. Who he thought he never deserved in the first place. Who was now married. Even moving halfway around the world hadn’t helped that wound heal. But that was Simon’s shit to tell, not his.

  Besides, he hadn’t come here to talk about Simon. It was time to clear the air. “First, about that email my father showed you. I wrote it the morning before we met.” Cameron added, “Before we met in the office. As soon as I saw who you were, I called that off.”

  She looked at him for a while, and a little of the hurt in her eyes disappeared. But not all of it.

  “You were amazing today, Jackson,” he whispered.

  She gave him a wry smile. “I didn’t get fired today.” Her smile faded. “But the board found out about us. I felt unprofessional. And cheap.”

  “My father’s such an asshole,” Cameron muttered, hanging his head and closing his eyes. “You’re not cheap, Jackson. So, so far from that.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

  “Besides,” he added, “the reason I picked you up that night at the hotel was because I found out the board was sending someone over to get
me in line. So I did the opposite. How’s that for unprofessional?” He looked up at her again. A strand of hair had escaped her bun, and she tucked it behind her ear. Damn, she was beautiful. “Well, maybe that wasn’t the only reason. You also looked sexy as hell.”

  She laughed a little. “Still, it was a stupid thing to do, Cameron. It didn’t sound like Blackmore Inc. was going to pass on all the details to my firm, but either way, I never want to face that board again.”

  Cameron froze. “Will your firm ask questions?”

  “Probably. And I’m not going to lie.”

  The waitress returned with their coffees, and Cameron took a scalding drink. When he looked up, Jackson was staring at him, her eyes filled with disbelief.

  “Sorry,” she mumbled, finding her cup. “It’s just...well, I really didn’t expect you to be here.”

  Cameron sighed. “Me neither, to tell you the truth. After I saw the paper, I spent the day all worked up. I was trying to find a way to manage the situation from Sydney.”

  “What did you come up with?”

  “Nothing good. I had an assistant gather all the press you arranged, and I sent a letter to your firm praising you in detail.”

  Jackson’s eyes widened. “Oh?”

  “Not that kind of detail.” He chuckled.

  She blushed.

  Should he tell her about the other things he’d done? Cameron shifted in his chair. Was she going to appreciate the gesture, or would she think it was excessive and invasive? Heat stole up his neck and onto his cheeks. He was blushing now, too, for God’s sake.

  He cleared his throat. “I...um...well, I also paid your rent for a year.”

  Jackson froze. “What?”

  This wasn’t going well. He had to just get it all out.

  Cameron drew in a breath. “I know it’s a little strange, but I was worried you’d lose your job. Because of me. And I knew I wasn’t going to lose my job even though I had an affair at work, the same as you.” He glanced over at the deep lines in her forehead. “Look, it just didn’t seem right. And you mentioned how expensive your apartment was now that you’d moved out from your ex’s place. And your ten-year plan...” Cameron scrubbed a hand over his face. “This isn’t sounding good, is it?”

  Jackson rubbed her temples. And then she started to laugh. Just a little at first, but her smile grew. She shook her head slowly. “What the hell am I supposed to say to that?”

  “Thank you?”

  Jackson rolled her eyes. “You are an arrogant man, Cameron Blackmore.”

  He chuckled. “I’ve got a lot worse faults than that.”

  Cameron leaned forward and slipped his hand under the table, resting it on her leg. She didn’t move away.

  “Anyway, I did a couple of other things that we can talk about later, but nothing I was doing felt right.” He slowly rubbed her thigh with his thumb. “Jackson, I didn’t just come to the board meeting because I wanted to help you out. I came because I wanted to be there for you. Do you see the difference?”

  She tilted her head a bit, regarding him warily. No. He was going to mess this up if he didn’t hurry. He just had to say it.

  Cameron leaned closer. “I’m falling in love, Jackson. With you. That’s what got me on that plane. So I could be with you.”

  She drew in a quick breath. Then, she reached over and rested her hand on his cheek. Leaning forward, she pressed her mouth to his. Dear God, that felt good. Her lips were so soft and warm, and she tasted like coffee and mint and something so right. He tilted his head for a better angle, but she was already a step ahead of him. Jackson opened her lips and tasted. And just like that, the kiss spiraled out of control. A hot, aching release of all the tension from the last few days. Her hands were in his hair and he was searching higher on her thighs.

  The waitress loudly cleared her throat.

  Right. They were in a public place. He released Jackson, letting his fingers linger on the soft skin of her neck, and she sighed.

  “I’ve wanted to do that since you walked into the conference room today,” she said with a small smile. She shook herself a little, and the smile disappeared. “But I still don’t understand how this could ever work between us.”

  He had gotten through the last twenty-four hours without a heart attack, and that included a plane ride from hell. If he could make it through that, he could tell her this last bit.

  “Well, I also took some time off,” he said carefully.

  “Right.” She feigned shock. “So, Cameron Blackmore took a vacation from work?”

  “Yep. And I left Derek in charge.”

  Jackson paused. “For how long?”

  “A couple months,” he said softly. “I was hoping I could spend it with you.”

  “In that apartment you just paid for?” Her eyes danced with laughter.

  “If you want. Or we could go somewhere you’ve always wanted to go.” He pointed to her purse. “You have that little red book with you?”

  She nodded and pulled it out. He took it out of her hand and opened to the first page, filled with school-age script. “Why not Paris?”

  She frowned. “But on a plane?”

  “I have a whole bottle of pills for that,” he said. “You’re also welcome to try more traditional relaxation techniques with me. First class has a little private space.” He raised his eyebrows at her, and she smiled a little.

  Cameron took a deep breath. “Seriously, it’ll be tough, and I may need a break before I board a plane again. But if we’re going to have a shot at being together, I have to deal with my shit. It might take a while, but I’ll find a way.”

  Jackson found his hand and laced her fingers with his. “So you’re moving in?”

  “If you want me,” he whispered.

  The corners of her mouth turned up. “You already know I do.” She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she smiled. “You’re still here, right in front of me. I can’t get over it.”

  “Does this mean you’re open to revising your ten-year plan?”

  Her eyes met his directly. “Yes, but I’m starting to suspect the old adage is true—the best laid plans often go awry.”

  “Maybe,” he said, squeezing her hand. “But this is the best version of awry that I can think of.”

  * * * * *

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  Make Me Crave

  by Katee Robert

  CHAPTER ONE

  “I SHOULD CANCEL.” Allie Landers threw another massive load of white towels into the washer and bumped the door closed with her hip. “Honestly, I shouldn’t have let you talk me into this in the first place.”

  “It’s cute that you think you let me do anything.” Her best friend, Becka Baudin, laughed. She pulled another set of shoes out of the metal bin and paired them up with the appropriate-sized cubby. “And, besides, I already checked us in for our flight. It’s too late to turn back now. Our classes are covered. Claudia is handling all the administrative work for the week—for both the gym and the shelter. If you stay, you’ll just stand around and stress out because things are operating just fine without you.” She slid another set of spin shoes back into their cubby. “When’s the last time you took a day off, Allie?”