by Lane Hart
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Cannon
I drive around in the silent SUV for a while, wishing I had my brother to talk to about what’s happening with Madison.
Since I don’t, I drive to the Savage Kings’ clubhouse for the next best thing.
Only Roman’s truck is in the lot, which is good because I want to keep this conversation between us.
The front door is locked, so I pull out my key to unlock it and head inside.
“Roman? You here?” I call out so he doesn’t shoot me, thinking I’m a robber.
“Yeah, in my office!” he yells back.
I head back and find him in the office with the door open, his laptop in front of him, surrounded by a sea of paperwork.
“You look busy,” I remark.
“Just trying to get the businesses up and running again. Madison gave me a few ideas for the appeals that our attorney agreed to try. The sooner I give them the financial numbers and how much we’ve lost for the bullshit closures, the better it helps our case.”
“Well, I’ll leave you to it,” I tell him as I turn to leave.
“Wait,” he says. “How’s everything going with Conrad? Did he get out this morning? Need any help making his bail?”
“No,” I answer with a shake of my head. “No bail, not at least until the full-blown hearing next week, which is so fucked up.”
“Damn,” Roman mutters. “I’m sorry, man. If there’s anything I can do or the Kings can do, tell me.”
“I wish there was, but there’s not, and now I have to go tell my parents and Hannah the bad news. Fuck!”
“It’s not your fault,” he says softly. “They won’t blame you or Conrad for this mess. It’s all on Bailey.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“What’s up with you? I know you’ve been doing all you can to help your brother and you’re busting your ass trying to help Madison win.”
At the mention of her name, I wince.
“What?” he asks. “Is something going on with Madison?”
I run my palms over my face and my fingers through my hair in frustration. “I messed up. I messed up bad.”
“Oh shit,” he mutters. “Sit down and tell me what you did.” I flop down in a chair, and he curses again. “Don’t tell me you fucked Madison.”
I shake my head. “No, what I did to her was so much worse.”
“Worse than fucking her?”
I nod, unable to say the words just yet.
“Well? What the hell did you do to her?” Roman snaps at me, like he’s getting angry at me for dragging it out, so I decide to just tell him. I do need to talk to someone about it.
“I…I made love to her,” I blurt out.
“You…”
“Three times!” I exclaim, burying my face in my hands.
“You made love to Madison three times?”
I can’t tell if he’s about to give me hell or laugh, so I lower my hands to see his face. “Yes. What the fuck was I thinking?”
“Did you really just use the term made love?”
“Yes! Don’t make me say it again!”
His hand comes up to cover his mouth to hide his smile. “I’m sorry, it’s just, I thought Madison was immune to your…charms.”
“I know, I know. She’s too good for me. I get it, I do,” I tell him. “I wasn’t trying to sleep with her, I swear! I don’t want to get attached to anyone, especially not her.”
“Why especially not her?”
“Because we don’t belong together. She’s all about her career and ruling the world when I barely have the motivation to run the Harley dealership! She’s going to keep living with me, but I can’t sleep with her again, not if she’s got me all twisted like this after one night!”
“Don’t you mean…make love to her again?” Roman asks seriously before he finally gives in and laughs loudly. “Sorry. I’m sorry! It’s just the last thing I expected from you. The step up from fucking to making love is a big deal. You care about her, right?”
“I wish I didn’t,” I mutter.
“You don’t mean that.”
“Yes, I do! It’s going to be my heart on the chopping block in a few days when Madison no longer needs a bodyguard or the MC’s help with Bailey.”
“So, your choices are to keep…making love to her and chance letting those feelings grow until she kicks you to the curb, or not make love to her ever again for your own self-preservation?”
“I wish you would stop calling it that,” I grit out.
“What words should I use since you’re obviously not just fucking her? If you were, you could agree to be fuck buddies for the next few weeks and then go your separate ways.”
“This is karma,” I tell him. “How many women have I carelessly fucked and then turned down when they wanted more? It’s like I’m being paid back for every bad decision I’ve ever made.”
“But it’s not the same really, is it? Does Madison want to keep…sleeping with you?”
“I think so, yeah.”
“So, you’re the one yet again refusing to give her more.”
“Right.”
“It’s your choice, but it’s a pretty stupid one if you turn her down. I don’t think Madison is the type of woman to take rejection very well.”
“I know that. That’s why I don’t know what the fuck to do.”
“Try being honest with her. Don’t forget that she can’t afford to be distracted right now with the election coming up. If she thinks it’s her decision, then maybe things can go back to normal like they were before you…made love.”
“You think it’ll work?”
“God, no,” he says.
“What?”
“I think you’re trying to do the impossible here, Cannon,” Roman explains. “You’re trying to end something before it starts because you think you might get hurt.”
“Think I might get hurt? No, I’m certain that Madison is never going to want to be seen with me in public, at least not as someone she’s dating. So, that leaves, what, sneaking in and out of her place in the morning? That’ll never work.”
“Maybe not,” Roman agrees. “Whatever you do, you can’t hurt her and let her lose focus on winning this election or we’re all fucked.”
“I know that.”
“If you’re so sure that you don’t want to go down the love road with her, then use the prospects.”
“I’m sorry. Use the prospects?”
“Use them as buffers. They’re always around you and Madison, right?”
I nodded. “Apparently I started going down on her in the kitchen the other night when I was drunk while Jake was still there.”
“Jesus, Cannon!” Roman exclaims.
“Thankfully, Madison ran him off before it went too far.”
Roman shakes his head in disapproval. “Don’t get drunk again and keep the prospects around all the time. Then, nothing will happen between you and Madison.”
“Yeah, I guess that could work. But I still hate it.”
“I think it’s the best option you got until you tell Madison how you feel about her and ask her if she could see a future with you.”
“Nope. Not going to happen,” I say as I get to my feet. “Thanks for the talk, Roman.”
“Good luck, Cannon,” he says as I leave him to his work.
It sucks, but I can’t put it off any longer. It’s time for me to go break my parents’ and Hannah’s hearts.
Chapter Thirty
Madison
I kept waiting and waiting for my mother or father to call to talk about the campaign, but as usual, they’ve let me down.
And since my mind needs a break from reminiscing about last night with Cannon, I decide to suck it up and call my dad around two, which should be his lunch break, although he probably didn’t stop to eat today.
As soon as the firm’s receptionist answers, I say, “Hi, this is Madison Monroe calling to speak to my father Benjamin Monroe.”
“Just
a moment,” she replies before putting me on hold.
I think Cannon and I had to wait less time in court than I do now, until the woman’s pleasant voice comes back to say, “He’s finishing up an important call, and then he’ll be right with you, Madison.”
“Thanks,” I tell her, and then I’m listening to more elevator music.
Finally, my father’s deep, no-nonsense voice comes on. “Madison, it’s great to hear from you, but I’m swamped at the moment. Can this wait until tonight?”
“No,” I tell him.
“No?” he repeats in confusion since he’s not used to hearing that word from me. If a bunch of strangers can host a fundraiser for me in less than two weeks’ time, then the least my parents can do is help me plan something with their firms.
“I don’t have much time to raise money for the campaign if I’m going to be able to get some airtime on local television stations and radio stations. I need you and mom to host an event for me, soon, by the end of the week.”
“Now, kitten, you know how busy we are.”
“I know, Dad. But you also have plenty of assistants and secretaries who could plan it and email everyone in your contact list. Just say the word, and it’ll be done without you having to raise a finger, other than being there that night.”
He’s silent for so long that I say, “Dad, are you still there?” I wouldn’t put it past him to hang up on me just to get rid of me.
“I’m here. I’m typing this all up to my assistant, Marsha. I’ll have her contact you with questions.”
“Really?” I ask in surprise.
“I have to go now, Madison. We’ll talk soon,” he says before he does hang up on me.
I take a deep breath and let it out. I did it. I actually stood up to my father and didn’t take no for an answer. All my life I’ve let my parents push me aside, but not this time. I need their help and their connections to their rich friends, so I’m glad I finally sucked up my pride and reached out.
And dammit, I wish Cannon was here for me to tell him about my accomplishment. Where the heck is he?
The rest of the afternoon is pretty hectic. Just when things are slowing down and I’m about ready to call it a day, Harlen comes into my office with his cell phone in his hand.
“Guess what?” he says.
“What?” I ask.
“Coastal Carolina’s political science department conducted a poll of registered voters for the mayoral election.”
“Oh god,” I say as my heart drops to my stomach. “How bad is it?” I ask, but then I notice that he looks pretty smug when he sits down in the chair across from my desk. “Just tell me already, Harlen!” Okay, so I’m a little tense since Cannon still isn’t back and I’m nearly ready to go home for the night. Or at least to his home.
“Okay, okay,” he says. “It’s good news. You’re only down by ten points.”
“Only ten points,” I mutter.
“Hey, you were down by thirty-six right after you announced you were running. You got one hell of a boost just from the second press conference where you called Bailey out.”
“Wow. It really was that bad?”
“Yeah, it was. This is a significant improvement, Madison. And,” he draws the word out, “Lily’s on the phone out front right now arguing over the details for a debate with Bailey’s people.”
“He’s really going to debate me in public?”
“On the local news.”
“Wow. That’s one more thing to add to my six-foot-long to-do list – prepare for a debate with the evil bastard.”
“Jeez, you really don’t like him, do you?”
“No. He sent men to attack me and just had Conrad arrested at his parents’ house last night.”
“Conrad?” Harlen asks.
“Cannon’s twin.”
“What about Cannon?” his masculine voice asks before he appears in the doorway behind Harlen.
“Hey,” I say in greeting, happier to see him than I should be. It’s impossible to look at his face, those stunning blue eyes and the rest of his more than six-foot frame and not remember everything we did together last night.
“I was just telling Harlen about the awful things Bailey has done to your brother.”
“Yeah, he’s a piece of shit,” Cannon agrees and then stares down Harlen with his jaw clenched so tight I can see it tick from my desk.
“I’ll, ah, go see if they need help out front,” Harlen says as he gets up from the chair and slips out the door past Cannon.
“You didn’t have to run him off,” I tell him.
“I didn’t say anything, did I?”
“No, but it was the way you looked at him like you wanted to wring his neck.”
He shrugs and then takes the seat Harlen just vacated. “So, what’s new?”
“Recent polls are looking good for us,” I tell him. “And Bailey may actually agree to debate me.”
“You’ll make him look like a blubbering fool,” Cannon says, his face softening.
“Well, it’s either look like a fool going against me, or be called a coward for refusing.”
“True.”
“So, where have you been all day?” I can’t help but ask.
“Here and there.”
“That’s it? Here and there?”
“I went to talk to Roman and then to tell my parents and Hannah the bad news. My mom…she doesn’t need the stress, so I stayed and hung out with her awhile to keep her company while my dad ran some errands.”
“That was nice of you.”
He shrugs as if it wasn’t.
“I’m about ready to head out. Do you want to give me a ride home?”
“Yeah. Sure.”
“Don’t sound so excited,” I joke as I get up and toss my phone in my purse and throw it over my shoulder.
“It’s been a long day,” he says when he meets me at the door. “I just want to go home and pass out.”
“What about dinner? We could grab something on the way…”
“You can get whatever you want. I ate at my parents’ house.” His voice sounds tired and empty in a way I’ve never noticed before.
I reach up to touch his shoulder to ask if he’s okay when he steps back to avoid that small physical contact.
“What’s that all about?” I ask, beginning to get angry. I gave him some slack this morning because of everything that’s going on with Conrad. But now he’s just being hateful.
“Nothing,” he answers, and tries to leave before I step in front of him, blocking the only exit. He takes another step backward to make sure the front of our bodies don’t brush.
“Cannon, please talk to me,” I say when I reach behind me to close my office door to give us a little privacy, then lean my back against it with my arms crossed over my chest.
“Nothing,” he says again, and I glare at him. “Fine.” He sighs heavily. “I think it would be best if we kept some space between us from now on.”
“Space? You are seriously telling me you want space less than twenty-four hours after we slept together?” I search his face to try and figure out if he really means that or not.
“Look, if I touch you, we both know it’ll probably end with both of us naked and sweaty.”
“So? What’s wrong with that?” I ask jokingly, and he scrubs his hands down his face as if he can’t bear to look at me, even jabbing his fingers in his eyes.
“What’s wrong is that one time will lead to two and then a third time, because I’m not sure if I could ever get enough of you.”
That’s the most confusing thing anyone has ever said to me. Is he trying to tell me that he wants me too much?
“I still don’t see the problem, Cannon.”
He sighs again, then finally lowers his hands to look at me, his blue eyes tired and sad. “I can’t afford to let myself start needing you, and I know that you don’t want me, not really.”
“You completely lost me,” I say. “I think I made it perfectly clear that I wanted
you last night.”
“Could you ever see me as more than a hookup?” he finally asks, sounding almost angry about it. “No, you can’t, Madison, because you don’t want all of me. I’m not your type. I know I’m not and so do you. We’re all wrong for each other, so why waste time getting closer before it all falls apart?”
Cannon actually sounds…scared. Scared of falling for me. And I get it, I do. I don’t want him to break my heart either.
“Fine. You’re right,” I admit to him, and his blue eyes look surprised but still sad. “My career has to come first. I only get one public image; and if it goes wrong, then I’ll be done in politics for good.”
“Yeah,” Cannon said. “That’s what I figured. Can we go now?”
“Sure,” I agree, reaching behind me to turn the doorknob and open it so we can put more distance between us. At the moment, I may have caved and agreed with him, but I’m so angry that he couldn’t let us enjoy last night a little longer that I plan to give him plenty of space from now on.
Chapter Thirty-One
Cannon
Bailey, the bastard, did agree to have a debate with Madison, but only if it was held on that Thursday night. That’s right, he gave her just three days to prepare, thinking it would throw her off. But he’s still underestimating her, because she’s spent day and night going over questions with Lily and Harlen whenever she wasn’t doing photo and commercial shoots.
I’m there in the background most days for several hours, watching her and unable to touch her. Bailey wasn’t the only one to underestimate her. It was my idea to not sleep together again, so why was I surprised when Madison refused to come within six feet of me after we agreed to give each other space. The only time she’s close enough to touch is in the SUV in the afternoons, because she usually rides with Jake and Lucas to the office in the morning, leaving me behind at the house before I even wake up.
