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I bend my mouth to hers to steal a kiss. “I’ll take care of this and then we’ll leave. I’ll drop you at your place on the way to work.” She told me she’s going to spend today packing her belongings to move in with me. That was after we had a discussion over me taking the day off work to stay with her. Another conversation in which she refused to back down.This isn’t the first time my father has hurt me, she’d said.I’ll be okay.
She places a hand to my abs, her touch flaring my desire to lock us both away from the world for the rest of our lives. “No, you just go to work. I’ll find my own way.”
I pull my phone from my pocket. It’s been vibrating for the last few minutes. “I’m taking you.”
As I glance down at my phone, she grips my shirt and says, “You are maddeningly bossy at times.”
I find her eyes again, enjoying the shot of heat I see in them. “Bossy gets things done the way I want them done.”
I stride away from her, sensing her attention every step of the way. I fucking like it and will do anything to ensure she can’t ever take her eyes off me.
When I reach Alan, he launches straight into the reason he looks like he could kill an entire army singlehandedly. “Hale isn’t impressed with your marriage.”
He doesn’t need to spell out what that could mean for my senate bid. Governor Wakefield might have the responsibility of filling the seat should it become available, but we both know that senior New York Senator Hale has his ear.
“We will ensure he has a change of heart.”
“Says the guy who is happy to decline an invitation to his party.” Alan’s expression is savage when he adds, “You need to go to that party. A fucking high school reunion is a waste of your time.”
My response is just as vehement. “I’m attending Kristen’s reunion. You will find other ways for me to win over Hale.”
Alan clenches his jaw. “I can find you numerous ways to win him over, but not attending his party will be all he hears. If you want me to do my fucking job, let me.”
“I don’t pay you to argue over my decisions, Alan. I pay you to get creative and figure out how to achieve my goals in spite of them.”
His phone rings and with a shake of his head, he stalks away from me to take the call.
Alan and I have often gone head-to-head over my choices, but he hasn’t ever taken a stand against me quite like he is now. He will learn that where my wife is concerned, he has no say. That is between me and her only.
* * *
After droppingKristen at her apartment, I spend the day in meetings and going over budget issues. Alan is on the phone to me throughout the day with new headaches to be solved. I knew my marriage would hit the headlines but not to the extent it is. I have my suspicions that someone is pulling strings in the background to ensure this becomes a full-blown scandal and when I meet with Cecelia just after lunch, those suspicions only grow.
She refused to take my call yesterday and communicated through her attorney that she will not speak with me without him present. When Hayden and I arrive at her office, she greets me with a chill that could freeze the entire city. “Greet” is an exaggeration of the reception I receive, but that was to be expected. Especially since our relationship was already strained, and especially since she had big goals that relied on our union.
We don’t exchange a word for the better part of the meeting. Our lawyers negotiate the terms of our NDA while Cecelia glares at me from across the table. She lets the proceedings carry on until we’ve almost come to an agreement, at which point she looks at me with smug satisfaction and says, “This isn’t going to work for me. I’m not signing anything.”
The room turns silent until Hayden says, “What doesn’t work for you, Cecelia? Everything is negotiable.” His tone is impersonal, purely business, like he expects to simply carry on with the negotiations. I know better though, based on the glint in her eye and the conversation I had with Kristen this morning.
“Everything is not negotiable.” She’s speaking to Hayden but her attention is firmly on me. “You should have used your brain when you went to Vegas, Bradford, not your dick.”
If only she knew the organ I’d really used. But then, if she did, she’d know I’d do anything, pay anything, to fix this for Kristen. Because while everyone in this room thinks I’m here for my own interests, I’m really here to do whatever it takes to stop this scandal from hurting the woman I love more than it already has. My ambition can wait. It’ll survive this, one way or the other. I’m more concerned about how this marriage is affecting Kristen.
“What would you like—” Hayden starts but I place my hand to his arm to stop him.
When he eyes me, I say, “She’s not signing it.” I stand and button my suit jacket. “We’re wasting our time here.”
Cecelia pushes her chair back and rises, her hard expression consuming the room. “If anyone wasted their time, it was me. I gave up almost an entire year for you.” She releases a furious breath. “That will not be forgotten. Not ever. And by the time I’m finished with you, you will wish you never wasted even a second of my life.” She looks at her attorney. “Please ensure they leave immediately.” With that, she exits the boardroom without a backward glance, leaving me without a shadow of a doubt that she intends on doing her best to destroy me.
I have to agree that I would feel the same if I were in her shoes. But still, I’m frustrated that we couldn’t come to an agreement. I’m also angry at myself for ever getting involved with her.
“If only your previous fiancée was as willing to negotiate as your current wife is,” Hayden mutters as we step into the elevator. “Fuck knows where this will end up now.”
“It will end up with her doing her best to fuck with me. We both know that.”
We go our separate ways when the elevator reaches the lobby and fifteen minutes later, I’m back in my office and looking at the back of my father who is standing at the floor-to-ceiling window that fills one entire wall and looks out over the city.
“I wasn’t aware we were meeting today,” I say as I move to where he stands.
