She had people to count on. Her friendship with Parker and Cara had seen to that.
Shey knew if she asked, Parker would come running to help even though the last person she wanted to deal with was her supposed fiancé. Knowing there was someone who would come when you called, no matter what, was a wonderful feeling. And every now and then it hit Shey and she felt a warm glow.
“No,” she said with a chuckle. “I just wanted to see how nice I have to be. He’s your fiancé, after all.”
“No,” Parker corrected, “he’s an old childhood friend, not a fiancé. And you don’t have to be nice at all.”
“Really?” Shey asked, smiling at Tanner who had the good sense to look a bit nervous. He rose and held out his hand for the phone.
“Really,” Parker answered.
“Great.” Shey ignored Tanner’s hand, still raised and waiting for the phone.
“Just don’t do anything that will land either of us in jail,” Parker added. “I could probably get diplomatic immunity, but you’d be sunk.”
“No problem. Hang on, princy wants to talk to you.”
“Parker, it’s imperative we speak,” Tanner insisted.
He was quiet as he listened to whatever Parker responded.
“Parker,” he said, “your father said—”
Parker must have cut him off because he stopped in midsentence.
“Someone else? Who?” He didn’t wait for her to answer. “That man from tonight?”
Shey almost felt sorry for Tanner. Parker was a dangerous opponent.
She’d remembered what had happened to poor Hoffman—the last man Parker’s father had sent after her. Parker had fixed up Hoffman with Perry Square’s resident manicurist, Josie. Hoffman swore it was a vicious, horrible act of spite. He’d had to spend so much time evading Josie and her pals, that he hadn’t been able to properly tail the runaway princess. Eventually, he’d told Parker’s father he quit, but by then he’d become accustomed to Josie, that they became one of the Square’s newest, happiest couples.
Maybe she should warn Tanner what he was up against.
Shey glanced at the very disgruntled-looking prince, who refused to leave her home, and quickly decided that maybe she shouldn’t.
“You can’t be serious,” Tanner said.
He waited a moment longer, then hung up the phone.
“So?” Shey asked.
“She’s seeing someone else?” he asked.
Shey knew Parker wasn’t, but she was willing to play along for her friend’s sake. “It never occurred to you that someone as amazing as Parker would be dating?”
“No.”
He looked as if the whole concept of a woman preferring someone other than himself was not only distasteful, but was totally incomprehensible.
“Well, princy, you’re not as bright as you think you are. Men are always after Parker. Chasing her, wooing her. I think it shows an awful lot of conceit to think she’d be just sitting here waiting for you.”
The momentary look of confusion disappeared and a regal arrogance took its place. “Speaking of waiting, I’m waiting for you to show me to the guest room. I had a long flight, a long day. I need to get some rest.”
“There is no guest room,” Shey said. Even if there had been she wouldn’t have told the prince. Let him tough it out. Maybe he’d give up and leave.
“Where do your guests normally sleep?” he asked.
“I don’t have guests.”
“Family?”
Shey felt a small stab of regret for what she didn’t have, then reminded herself that she was lucky in what she did have.
“Parker and Cara are my only family,” she said, “and they have their own places, so no sleepovers.”
“But surely this little place has more than one bedroom.”
She sighed and said, “Surely the place does have another bedroom, but I converted it into an office since I don’t have guests.”
“Does your office have a couch?” he asked hopefully.
“No,” Shey said with a smile. “It has a desk, it has bookshelves, it even has some file cabinets, but no couch.”
“Then I guess I’ll be sleeping down here.” He frowned at the leather sofa.
Shey would bet a big wad of cash that princy had never slept on a couch in his entire life.
Heck he’d probably never even slept on a twin bed. It was all king-size mattresses for the prince, she was sure.
“No,” she said patiently. “You’ll be going back to your hotel and sleeping there in your nice, spacious penthouse suite.”
She wasn’t sure if the new hotel had a penthouse suite, but if it did, that’s where the prince would be staying.
“Come on,” she urged. “You’ve had your fun, but this plan isn’t going to work. Parker’s going to stay as far away from me as possible, at least until I shake you. So call one of your henchmen to come pick you up, or if you prefer, I can call you a taxi.”
“If Parker is your family, as you claim, then she won’t be able to stay away for very long. She’ll eventually come to your rescue. And when she does, she’ll find me waiting to talk to her.”
“You’re not spending the night,” Shey said with mounting frustration. She felt a totally out-of-character urge to stomp her foot. She caught herself pre-stomp and settled for crossing her arms over her chest.
“I’m going to undress now,” the prince said with a smile. “Of course, you’re welcome to stay, if you like.”
“Threatening to undress in front a stranger.” She shook her head and tsked. “And you an engaged man, and all.”
He pulled off his jacket and reached for the buttons on his shirt.
“You wouldn’t,” she said.
“Try me.”
She felt a tug of curiosity and realized that if the man unbuttoning his shirt hadn’t been a prince—a prince who thought he was engaged to her best friend—she’d be very tempted to try him.
Instead of staying for the show, she turned and said, “Fine. I’m leaving.”
“Oh, do you have a pillow and blanket I can use?”
Do you have a pillow and blanket, he asked in the condescending princy tone. As if someone who didn’t have a mansion or a guest room wouldn’t be able to come up with even a pillow and blanket for a guest.
An uninvited guest, but a guest nonetheless.
How on earth had she found herself in this situation?
Truth was, she didn’t have a spare blanket or pillow. She didn’t need them. She hadn’t been exaggerating when she’d said she never had guests. But she wouldn’t admit that to princy.
Shey stomped up the stairs to her room and took the bedspread and one of the three pillows off her own bed, then carried them back downstairs.
He had completely unbuttoned his shirt, but still had it on. Shey was grateful for that.
Yes, the feeling that washed through her was