Now that it’s almost over, it seems almost foolish to think those things. My goals grew and grew and grew over the years until I didn’t recognize them anymore. I’m not even sure why I went into politics in the first place.
I take out my phone and glance at the screen, mildly disappointed that Stella hasn’t texted me yet. I take a deep breath and slip my phone back in my jacket pocket.
The phone call from my lawyer, Theresa, comes at 3pm.
“You’d better come down to the courthouse, Mr. Mayor. I have a few documents for you to sign.”
“Is everything agreed as we discussed?”
“Charges dropped, nothing on your record. As long as you resign from office immediately, you’re free to go and live your life.”
I blow the air out of my lungs and grunt. “The DA was that afraid to lose this case?”
“The holes that Stella found in that contract spooked him. He didn’t want to risk it. You’re a lucky man.”
“I’ll be there in fifteen.” I hang up the phone and call Cheryl into my office. “It’s time. Call the media, I’m going to the courthouse.”
She stands in the doorway, her eyes misting up. I stand up and slide my jacket on, straightening my tie and smoothing down my hair. Cheryl dips her chin down and extends her hand.
“It’s been an honor, Adrian.”
My heart squeezes. Cheryl cared. She bought the dream I sold her, and she was here with me every step of the way. I told her I’d take her to the White House with me, and now it’s all over—for both of us.
The look in her eyes reminds me of Stella when I told her I’d rather fight the case than protect my team. Deep, undeniable sadness stares back at me. I clear my throat.
“Thank you for everything, Cheryl.”
She opens her mouth to say something. Her cheeks flush and she looks away.
I clear my throat. “Alright. Make the phone calls, I’ll meet you at the car.”
“Yes, boss.”
I walk down the hallways with my head held high. News travels like wildfire, and I know that most of City Hall knows what’s about to happen. By the time I get to the courthouse, there are throngs of reporters outside. They clamor for my attention, jostling to get their microphones in my face as I walk through the crowd. Cameras flash and people yell.
When I make it inside the courthouse, Theresa is there to greet me. She shakes my hand and nods.
“This way.”
It doesn’t take long. The judge agrees to drop the case, I sign some papers, and within an hour it’s all over. Theresa puts a hand on my shoulder.
“You ready?”
I nod.
When I step back outside, the reporters are still there. I walk halfway down the steps to where a podium has been placed on the landing. I raise my hands to quiet the crowd.
“Good afternoon,” I start. The reporters yell and I raise my hands. “As most of you already know, the charges against me have been dropped. I do—and will always—maintain my innocence in this case. I thank the people who have stood by me through the turmoil.”
I glance at Cheryl, whose eyes are filled with tears, and then turn back to the cameras.
“It is with great sadness that I’m announcing my resignation as the mayor of our great city. I have served in this post for fourteen months, and they have been the finest months of my life. We’ve managed to introduce important education programs, start fixing the roads in the city’s west, and invested in our city’s future.”
My voice falters. This is more difficult than I expected. Doubt floods my heart and I wonder if I’ve made the right decision. What if I had fought this? What if I could continue serving as mayor? I could have won.
I take a deep breath.
“In light of the turmoil this ordeal has caused, I do not think I will be able to lead effectively. I am hereby stepping down as mayor. Thank you.”
The questions start flying towards me, but I step away from the podium. I glance at Theresa, who stands next to me. She nods and squeezes my arm. From the corner of my eye, I see movement near the courthouse doors. Stella is standing there. She smiles at me and puts a hand to her heart.
The doubt in my heart evaporates. Her eyes are bright, and for the first time, she looks at me not with hatred, or contempt, or dislike, but actual admiration. A smile lifts her lips and makes her eyes sparkle, and my heart soars.
It was the right decision. With that one look, Stella shows me that I’ve done the right thing. I needed to resign to make things right. I nod, ignoring the reporters’ questions and stepping away from the podium. Courthouse security helps to clear a way through the reporters, and I get into the back seat of a waiting car. Cheryl climbs into the front seat after me and glances back.
Her face looks different—not sad, exactly, but almost angry. She looks crushed. She tries to smile at me and nods her head.
“You spoke beautifully.”
“Thanks, Cheryl.” She looks like she’s expecting me to say something else, but I just turn to look out the window. I try to catch another glimpse of Stella, but all I can see are reporters crushing against the car. I sigh and lean my head against the headrest as we drive away.
23
Stella
Watching Adrian speak gives me chills. I can’t help but respect the man. A few days ago, he was convinced that he would fight the charges and come out on top. Now, he’s standing tall, facing the horde of reporters with grace and dignity.
He surprises me more and more every day. I thought he was an asshole—still do, sometimes—but I hadn’t considered that there might be redeeming qualities behind the political ambitions.
Adrian glances back at me after his speech, as if he could sense me looking at him. With a hundred other people around us, reporters hurling questions at him, cameras, microphones… for a moment, it feels like we’re alone. His eyes meet mine, and my whole body thrums.
Everything else blurs. Air whooshes out of my lungs and the whole world falls away in that moment. He says a thousand things in that gaze without uttering a word. Then, the crush of media becomes more intense and he’s led out towards a car.
My eyes sweep the crowd until I meet a particularly hostile face. I vaguely recognize her, but I can’t place it. She’s got shoulder-length, stick-straight brown hair and big brown doe eyes. Her round cheeks are dappled red, but it’s her eyes that shock me.
Venom. Pure, poisonous venom emanates from her gaze until she turns away and disappears into the crowd. I lean against the column beside me to catch my breath, my head spinning from the two stares I’ve just experienced. When I glance back towards the street, the car carrying the mayor is gone, and reporters are still talking excitedly.
It’s exhausting. I know Theresa saw this as a career case for me, but I’m not sure I’m cut out for it. The media just makes me feel tired. It’s like a giant hamster wheel that goes around and around and around, looking for the next story and crushing unsuspecting victims every day.
It’s not for me. Adrian handles it gallantly, and I admire that in him, but I’d rather be behind the scenes and win my cases without much fanfare.
In a way, that makes me glad that I took the job with Martin and Nicole. I’ve worked with Nicole before—she was a paralegal at our firm before she and Martin started their own practice. Martin is a shark, and I’ll definitely be able to learn from him.
It’s a lateral career move, but it feels good.
Theresa materializes beside me. She arches an eyebrow at me.
“Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“Had some motions to file.”
“That’s good timing.” She glances to the podium and the mass of reporters that is slowly starting to dissipate.
I grin and shrug a shoulder. Theresa nods down the street, and we start walking together. Our office is only three blocks away from here. She takes a deep breath and then glances at me.
“I’m disappointed you’re leaving us.”
I nod. “Me
too. It’s been great working with you. I’ll start handing things over to Michael and he’ll be up to speed by the time I leave.”
“There’s still time to reconsider. I’ll rip up your letter of resignation and we’ll never speak of it again.”
I smile at her and shake my head. “It’s time for a change.”
Her intelligent eyes bore into mine, and she nods. “Maybe it is.”
Her tone switches to business, and we discuss a couple cases that have slid across my desk. By the time we get back to the office, she’s her usual, hard-ass self. As much as I’m glad to be leaving, I will miss Theresa and her mentorship.
Around 7pm, I pack up my things to leave the office. I glance towards Theresa’s office and see her light still on. I pause.
Theresa never got married, never had kids, never did anything but work. She’s now at the top of her game, making incredible money as one of the top lawyers in the state—maybe even the country. I admire her guts, her intelligence, and her doggedness.
But when I look at the quiet office, empty except for her… I’m not so sure it’s what I want with my life. Nicole and Martin have carved out careers for themselves and they still have a life and a family.
For a long time, I’d convinced myself that it isn’t possible to have it both ways. I had to choose either career or family. Sacrifice one for the other.
I chose to be like Theresa.
But now… I’m not so sure. My heels click on the shiny tile floors as I make my way to the elevators and I take a deep breath. I lean against the wall as the elevator goes down, closing my eyes for the minute ride down to the lobby. Is this really how I want to feel at the end of the day, every day, for the next three decades? When I’m sixty-five, is this where I want to be?
When the doors open onto the lobby, I step out and see movement from one of the chairs in the corner. Adrian stands up with a shy smile on his face.
I alter my trajectory and start walking towards him, shaking my head.
“You ever heard of a phone call? I’m not sure I’m a fan of this whole showing up at my house and my work thing. Some would call it creepy.”
“I had to turn my phone off,” he says. “It was going off like crazy after I made that announcement.”
I stop a foot away from him. My whole body wants to take another step forward. I want to lean into his chest and feel his arms wrapped around me. I want to inhale his scent and kiss him, right here in the lobby of my office, in full view of the floor-to-ceiling windows beside us.
His lips curve up slightly, and he tilts his head to the side. “There are dozens of reporters outside the mayor’s residence. I can’t do anything in there without being photographed. I was hoping, maybe…”
I arch an eyebrow, and he gives me his best puppy-dog eyes. I laugh and he rewards me with a smile that shows off his dimple.
My insides dissolve as heat flows from my chest downwards. It stops between my thighs and the space between them ignites. I nod.
“I like it when you beg.”
“You’ll regret saying that.”
“I doubt it.”
He grins as his eyes flash. He extends his hand and I slip mine into his, and then we head out towards the parking lot where I left my car. We drive mostly in silence, but he slides his hand over my thigh. The heat between them burns hotter, and I blink to focus on the road.
His fingers drift up and my heart explodes against my chest. I bite my lip, glancing at him. His dimple smiles back, and I can’t believe that I used to hate it.
I can’t believe I used to hate him.
We crash through the door like elephants. We don’t make it to the bedroom, because there’s a staircase in the way. He kicks the door closed behind him as his lips find mine. His hands claw at my skirt, my shirt, my bra. I do the same and our clothing litters the floor like the leaves off a tree.
A current of desire rips through my body as his hands cover me. He pulls me close, pressing his bare chest against mine. I want him to feel my nipples hardening. I want him to feel the desire soaking through my panties. I want him to feel the pounding of my heart and the shortness of my breath.
I try to take him up the stairs but he stops me on the third step. I sit down and he tears my underwear off, groaning in delight.
“Beautiful pussy,” he says, his eyes glued between my legs.
Then, right there on the staircase, he kneels down and puts his mouth on me. His tongue slides through my slit and he groans again as he tastes me. I lean back, the steps digging into my spine as I roll my hips towards him. I barely feel them. All I feel is his mouth, his tongue, his hands. He sucks my clit until I gasp, and then slips two fingers inside me.
When he curls them and finds my most sensitive spot, I moan his name. He grunts in response, never taking his mouth off my bud.
Tangling my fingers into his hair, I grind his face between my legs. It’s messy, dirty, sloppy, and so completely perfect. An orgasm crashes into me without warning, making my back arch as a scream slips through my lips.
He keeps his fingers inside me and then crushes his lips against mine. He drives his tongue into my mouth, bites my lower lip, making sure I can taste myself on him. I squeeze his hand between my thighs and gasp.
Adrian grins again, his face still pressed up against mine.
“That was hot.”
I can only grunt in response. My blood is still pumping, my chest heaving as I wrap my arms around his neck. I kiss him again, tangling my fingers into his hair.
We stumble up the stairs and stumble through my bedroom door. I didn’t make my bed this morning, and there are dirty clothes thrown over the chair in the corner.
Adrian doesn’t see any of it. He hoists me up and keeps his lips locked on mine as we go to the bed. Desire snakes through my body, circling around my center as I feel him press up against me.
I love feeling his hardness. I love feeling how much he wants me, and how turned on he is. His eyes are hooded, dark and dangerous as he lowers himself on top of me.
It’s slower than the first time we were together, but it’s more intense. Every thrust pierces me, fills me up, completes me.
We’re in ecstasy together. He tears down the walls I built around my heart in an instant, and I’m powerless. I can’t even try to hate him now.
When it’s over, I lay my head on his chest and sigh. His hand strokes my head and he presses his lips to my forehead.
“Are you going to kick me out again?”
“You can stay tonight. You earned it.”
“Wasn’t easy,” he chuckles. He holds me close and inhales, groaning in contentment.
24
Adrian
Something shifts between Stella and me. From that night onwards, she’s less guarded and I’m less… well, I guess I’m less of an asshole.
I cringe when I think of that day outside her office, when I told her I would go to trial even if it meant hurting her sister. These days, I can’t imagine doing that to her.
The thought of hurting Stella makes my stomach turn. I envy her relationship with her sister, and I remember when Liam and I were close. We were kids, but there was a time when we didn’t despise each other.
It’s easy with Stella. Her smile is warm, and her quips make me laugh. She’s more bark than bite. And she was right about one thing—after my announcement, it doesn’t take long for the city to forget about me. Another scandal takes over the headlines, and I disappear. I move out of the mayor’s residence and back to my own house, and reporters no longer hang around outside my door.
I’m both humbled and relieved. I thought I’d make more of an impact, but I guess people just don’t really care about politics that much.
Stella finishes up her last four weeks at her firm before moving to her new job, and I focus on tying up everything with the court case. After our first night together, we spend every single night at each other’s side.
On her last day at her old firm, I go to her place with a bott
le of wine and a box of chocolates. She opens the door with a smile.
“You’ve changed.”
“Have I?”
“Well, first of all, you called me before showing up. And you brought me gifts!”
“Those seem like good changes.”
“They are,” she smiles, wrapping her arms around me and kissing me. The way she’s looking at me is different though.
“What’s wrong?”
“Well…” She bites her lip, hesitating. “I made plans with my sister and your brother to help me paint the last bedroom this weekend, and they’re going to be here early, and…”
“And you don’t want me here?”
Her face twists. She shakes her head. “I want you here. I just don’t think they would.”
I sigh. We walk over to the couch and snuggle up beside each other. I kick my feet up on the coffee table and put my arm around her shoulders. “I get it.”
“I tried talking to my sister about you last week, but she just shut me down. We’ve been seeing each other for over a month now, and it just feels like this big secret that I’m keeping from her.” She chews her lip. “I hate it.”
“I know.”
I pull her into my arms and kiss her. Stroking her face, I rest my forehead to hers and nudge my nose to touch her. “I think we should tell them.”
She nods. “Yeah.”
“You don’t want to?”
“She was so mad before, it broke my heart. I want to, I’m just scared. She’s been through so much and I don’t want to hurt her more.”
“She’s married now. She’s happy. You can’t live your life in fear of how your sister will react.”
Stella’s eyes sparkle as she looks at me. She nods, chewing her lip. I kiss her again and my heart swells. It feels like it’s pressing up against my ribcage, trying to break free. She deepens the kiss. I start unbuttoning her blouse, kissing her collarbone, her neck, the soft skin between her breasts. I lose myself in her.
Ruined: An Enemies to Lovers Romance Page 11
