Page 92 of Crossing the Line
Wheeling and Dealing
Hercules Lord
The only reason I haven’t shouted, cursing Achilles for being an asshole, is because I don’t want to alarm Paisley. As soon as Tabatha, my personal assistant, filed the paperwork for the marriage license, Achilles was somehow alerted. He threatened to change the date on the marriage contract between Lauren and me. I didn’t want to do it, but he forced my hand.
After viewing the video of Orion and Lauren, he asked, “Do you really want to destroy our family this way?”
He’s waiting for my answer. I stretch my tense neck from side to side. My plan has hit a snag. I wanted to marry Paisley first, just in case her family didn’t want to deal. Then they wouldn’t be able to take her away from me. She’d be mine. My plan gives us all a happy ending. But Achilles’s meddling is screwing it all up.
“I have a plan,” I say.
“Hercules, stop fucking around,” he roars.
I rub my throbbing temple and remain silent. He needs to calm down. And I know it’s going to take him a few beats. I’m certain he’s figured out that his best bet is to let me guide the ship.
Achilles hasn’t said anything yet, and I take that as a good sign.
“I’m certainly not fucking around here, Achilles. If you file those marriage papers, then I’m sending the video to the trust.”
“You’ll do that to our family for the fucking Grove girl?”
Anger soars through me. “Paisley. Her name is Paisley.”
“What do you want?”
I like his conciliatory tone. “I want to marry Paisley today. Then we need to get Xander and Leo Grove in a room as soon as possible. I have a proposal for them that will solve our problems with the trust from here on out, and it will benefit them too.”
Achilles laughs with an edge. “You want to sneak off and marry Xander’s daughter before you try to make a deal with him? I thought you were the smart one.”
I squeeze my eyes closed, processing what he just said. Perhaps he’s right. Eloping with Xander’s daughter is not the best way to ensure trust between our families.
“What is it?” Achilles barks like he’s still holding all the cards. Well, he isn’t—I am.
“What is what?” I ask curtly.
“What are you proposing?”
I lift my chest and proudly say, “Rules 12.453 and 65.321, together.”
Achilles is as silent as a church mouse. I won’t speak first, though. I’m certain he knows those rules well. They’ve always seemed like impossible standards to meet. And granted, our efforts to qualify will be like throwing a Hail Mary pass. But if we succeed, then our family will not only be free from the existing rules of the Lord Trust, but we’ll be able to make new rules.
Achilles clears his throat. “Paisley said she’ll marry you?”
“Yes.” Saying that makes me feel really good. I can hardly believe PG agreed to be my bride. I’m going to love her like no man ever has or ever will.
“Okay,” he mutters.
I jerk my head back. “Okay?”
“Yes. Just don’t run off to Las Vegas and marry the Grove daughter, you fool. You don’t shotgun marry a Grove. Come back to New York. I’ll try to set up a meeting today. Stay close to your phone, and I’ll let you know when I get it done.”
On that note, Achilles and I hang up. As soon as I’m off the line, my cock remembers what it’s supposed to be doing right at this exact moment. My chest is knocking. I’m hard, but still, I go to the cockpit and ask Neal and Ross, the pilot and copilot, to see about turning us around and landing at Teterboro instead. The future missus and I won’t be going to Las Vegas after all.
* * *
My cock throbs,and the crotch of my pants can hardly contain the size and scale of it when I make it back to the cabin. But Paisley’s soft snores rise through the room.
“Shit,” I mutter. That took too long. I sensed she’d been tired all morning.
