Cold Hearted: Bad Boy Romance

by Amy Faye

  "Oh, Linda, I didn't know you cared."

  She smiles back at him. It slips an instant later back to a sour expression. "What's this got to do with anything? What do you have up your sleeve?"

  "I have your solution, Lind. I have the way you get out of the accusation that you're sleeping with Adam. He won't admit it, not if you tell him to keep quiet about it. He's a good guy like that."

  "But that doesn't stop rumors from cropping up."

  "No, you're right. It doesn't, especially when the rumors are true."

  "So there's more to your plan than 'ask nicely,' I assume."

  "Damn right there is," he agrees. The redhead sets down a thick ceramic mug filled with brown liquid that smells vaguely like coffee. Tom adds a heaping spoonful of sugar before he even takes a single taste. "Do you want to hear it?"

  "I assume you're going to tell me."

  "Guess."

  "I don't have time for this."

  "Oh, don't be a spoil sport. Give it a guess."

  "I don't know, run our own television network?"

  Tom's smile widens again, showing off his teeth. They've got an unusual sharpness to them, a sort of animal threat that he's unable to quite hide.

  "Now there's an idea. No, try again."

  "Tom, I'm trying to work—"

  "If you were dating someone else, and they assured everyone of their absolute faith in you, then your problems would be solved."

  "But I'm not," Linda answers. Her eyes drop back to the page. What a stupid idea. "And I wasn't."

  "No?"

  Something stirs in the back of her mind, but she can't quite wrap her fingers around it.

  "No, Tom. You think I'd be doing anything at all with anyone at all if I was dating someone? You think I'd have been—where I was? No. Don't be an idiot."

  "You could start dating someone now."

  "What would that matter? Anyone would be able to tell that there was a time lapse, and I could have screwed my way into my position here in that time. Not a solution. I'm working, stop wasting my time. I'm serious, now."

  "They wouldn't know if the person you were dating told them a different date for when you started seeing him."

  "Why would he do that?" She doesn't look up right away, but Tom's lack of response is unusual enough that finally she has to look up. He raises his eyebrows, confidence oozing out of his every pore.

  "I suppose that would depend on what was in it for me."

  Chapter Thirty-One

  It occurred to Adam, first as a minor nagging feeling that only grew as time went on, that he'd be putting Linda through her paces more than she might have initially expected.

  She might have expected for him to do something dangerous, once or twice. Then again, she might have hoped that he would follow her advice when she gave it, and in that regard at least, she was bound to be sorely disappointed.

  It shouldn't have bothered him. He was paying her, and he was paying her quite a comfortable amount. But Adam couldn't deny that it took up more of his attention than it was owed.

  Aside from the outburst yesterday—one that he could have predicted, if he'd given it any thought—she hadn't complained. So perhaps there was nothing to worry about. Perhaps she expected her clients to ignore her a bit. Like a dentist, or a nutritionist, maybe there's an expectation that nobody wants to hear what you have to say, in spite of needing it.

  And yet, he worried.

  The office was still dark, in the early hours, and she hadn't come in yet. That was no criticism—she was the second to arrive most days, behind him, and generally the second-to-last to leave. No, there was no room for criticism there.

  He took a deep breath and pushed himself back from the desk. Too much going on in his head, too many distractions. If he couldn't get his head on straight, then there was no use doing work that would only need to be redone later. Duplication of effort was the biggest drain on time that could be easily avoided. Do it right the first time, and you don't have to re-do it all again later.

  What had him so worried about her? She was a big girl, and perfectly capable of taking care of herself. She'd proven as much several times over. She couldn't have gotten as far as she had the business of politics without a good head on her shoulders.

  He hadn't gotten her into any trouble, had he? No, her name had only been mentioned a handful of times. She hadn't complained about anything. She hadn't been caught up in any scandals, which was the only thing that she really had to worry about.

  Linda had gotten herself into some trouble, but it hadn't come down on her head. And sure, he'd slept with her, but why should that matter? It shouldn't, but it did. He had slept with an employee, but this was hardly the first time.

  He hadn't worried so much any of the other times. Easy and free. It was only sex, and it didn't have to mean anything at all for the sex to be good, for it to be fun and totally worth it.

  It was his first time doing it as a political figure. That could make the difference. But that would only hurt him. It gave no reason that he should be worrying about her.

  And yet, he worried. All the self-assurance in the world made little difference to the fact of the matter, and the fact was that he worried.

  About her.

  He laid his head back. He'd be tempted to believe that he was thinking about her because of a fondness for her. He'd been fond of all his previous wives. But he'd never been worried about them, not even fragile Yana, who seemed to break out into tears whenever anything surprised her. Everything could be managed, everything prepared for, and everything was safe because he was around and he would keep her safe.

  But Linda… with Linda, he worried. He opened his eyes to the dark ceiling, illuminated only faintly by the computer screen behind him. Tom would be the one to talk to about this. Whatever the right move was, the way that he could protect her from the press…

  Linda might be better-suited for the project, but something stopped him going to her. And Tom would know how to turn it in Adam's favor as well. Two birds with one stone, so to speak.

  He made a mental note to discuss it when Tom arrived, and seemingly instantly, his shoulders loosened up. The fog in his mind lifted, and he turned back to his computer. He had code to re-write. Some idiot had been worrying about a girl instead of good coding practices when he'd done it the first time.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Adam Quinn had waited long enough. It felt like it had been all day, but maybe it hadn't. An hour. Maybe two hours. But if you wait too long, you miss the evening news cycle, and two days of nose-diving poll numbers told him everything that needed to be discussed about how things were going.

  Too much controversy, and not enough answers. If he pulled out of the nosedive he was in, then he'd recover. Stronger than before, because people like a winner, and he'd proven once again that he could survive just about anything.

  "I need to talk to you," he said softly, leaning in. Tom nodded without turning his head, and rose to follow behind a moment later. They didn't say anything until they'd gotten clear of the bullpen, stepped out the door and down the hall to the break room.

  Adam flicked the light on, and slowly, with a soft fluorescent hum, they flickered to life. He leaned wordlessly against the counter as Tom let the door swing shut behind him.

  "What's this about?"

  "You know what it's about."

  His lips pinched together. "Your poll numbers?"

  Tom seemed to be incredibly stiff from where Adam was sitting. "Yes."

  "Well, I've been thinking about it."

  "Good, because that's what I pay you for. I need to turn this into a win. I need something that answers the question, and I can't have it coming from me. I don't need to look like I back down under pressure this early in the campaign."

  "No, I suppose not. A gay lover maybe?" Tom's eyes twinkle as he says it, his rocky voice lilting as he teases.

  "Oh, but then they'd have to find out about us, and you know how much I care about the specia
l relationship we have, Tom."

  Tom closes his eyes and a thin smile spreads across his face. "So no gay lover, then. I was so ready. You'd just have to be a regular monk until you got out of the white house, or risk the discovery that you'd let people be led by the nose all that time."

  "I'm sorry. I know you love the salacious stories best."

  "What can I say? It's what I'm good at." Tom opens the fridge and looks through the food. Adam doesn't see a reason to mention, just yet, that nothing in the fridge is his.

  "Preferably something that's not a lie, please, Tommy."

  "No lies? Oh, you're really starting to stretch my playbook here, Adam." He comes back out with a yogurt cup and heads for the silverware drawer. Adam's hand comes up to block his chest. "Are you sure that's yours, Tom?"

  "Are you going to tell Jim that I ate his yogurt?"

  "That depends on what you come up with," Adam says. "I've always allowed you certain latitudes when you're useful, haven't I?"

  "You have," he agrees. "Then give me a spoon, would you?"

  Adam reaches back and pulls the drawer open without looking, removes a spoon and holds it out gently. As Tom's hand reaches for it, he lightly pulls back and holds it away.

  "What have you got for me, then?"

  Tom's eyes light up again. "I've got a good one for you."

  "Oh? What's that?"

  "Have you ever been unfaithful in the past?" He pauses a beat and answers his own question. "No. Not that anyone knows about, anyway. You were a ladies man, sure—but a loyal one, if you actually let anyone tie her string to you. That's your in. You're in a relationship, you're not having flings. Besides that, getting married would be good for your run, so… keep that in mind."

  "I'm not interested in a political marriage, Tom. You know I'm only doing this because—"

  "I do know, and you know I don't care one bit why you're doing it. It doesn't have to be a political marriage. You could marry her 'cause the sex is good. I know you've done it before."

  He had, Adam thought. Well, not only for that reason. And he could think of someone whose sex was plenty good enough for marriage on those grounds. Somehow, Linda was still disqualified, though.

  "So we leak that I'm in a relationship?"

  "Exactly."

  "Do you have a name in mind?"

  "No, should I? I figure we leak that you've been seen out and about, and let the vultures fight over figuring out who with. It answers the question, and again turns it into a 24-hour news cycle thinking about one man: Adam Quinn. And, in this particular case, your johnson. Again, but this time like some kind of cute panda video. You know how the press loves their celebrity romance."

  "A panda video?" He pulls the spoon out of Tom's reach again, shifting it into the other hand. "Tom, that hurts. Even coming from you."

  "I know. But sometimes you have to hear the truth from someone."

  "Make it happen. Talk to your people, get the rumor out there. No names."

  He holds the spoon out and Tom takes it, pulls the plastic off the top of Jim's—now his—yogurt cup, and heads for the door.

  "Tom, listen to me now."

  Tom stops and looks back over his shoulder. "What's up?"

  "Keep Linda's name out of this. Promise me."

  "She's off-limits, Adam. I get it. No problem."

  "Good. Don't forget that."

  He takes a deep breath. Now if only Adam could remember it, as well. Linda's off-limits, and that goes for both of them equally. And he can't wait until there's a chance to see her again.

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  It seemed like everywhere Linda turned, there was another story conspiring to ruin her day. Another plan that she hadn't been informed of, and another plan that she would have turned down if they had come to her with it. Maybe that was why she wasn't being consulted.

  It had been, what, three days since she had slept with Adam last? Less than a week. Caught by Tom De-fucking-laney, and now she was suddenly on the out?

  It was a laugh. If the press found out, they'd be questioning whether or not she was getting special advantages because of her sex. When now she was wondering if she wasn't losing ground because of it.

  Things don't always work the way you expect them to, but they work that way least of all when you are counting on it. That's the old Murphy's law, isn't it? Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. If it can't, well, get ready because something else can.

  It was the first time that she'd done it in days, but she grabbed the remote and shut the TV off.

  "This is your doing, isn't it, Tom?"

  "I don't know what you're talking about," he said. But for all that he denied his role in the announcement, his eyes didn't lie. He was a good liar when he wanted to be. He didn't care if she knew.

  "So what's going to happen when the press starts asking questions about who the 'lucky lady' is? Did you have a plan for that?"

  "Are they not doing that already?"

  "Are they doing that already—god, Christ, Tom. You're really something else, aren't you?"

  Linda's chest heaved in frustration. What was his problem, anyways? He should've been just as worried as she was. The fact that he wasn't was just another confirmation that there were things that he knew and she didn't.

  "Here's the plan: We let them stew a bit, and then when they're simmering down, we come up with a new plan."

  That was a lie, too, she thought. She couldn't see it in his face this time, but there was no world where Tom Delaney didn't have a next step. No world in which he was ignoring the future and making last-minute decisions.

  Which meant he was lying to her, keeping secrets from her, just like Adam was.

  "What is this, Tom? What are you doing?"

  "I don't understand the question, to be honest."

  "You've got something up your sleeve, and I don't like it."

  Tom smiles. He clears his throat and smiles and for a moment he almost tells her what's going on. She can see it in his eyes. And then, as suddenly as he likes, he stops himself.

  "No, nothing going on."

  She swallows hard, and suddenly she knows exactly what this is about. It's not anything to do with Adam. Adam's doing his best, but he's in over his head. Anyone would be, alone. He's a genius in his field, and his skills are transferring over surprisingly well to the political spectrum as well.

  But he's always going to have to have help from someone. Hell, even in tech, he's gotten by with plenty of help from other people, from advisers who went on to prove themselves very capable in their own right. Adam's businesses are team affairs from top to bottom, so politics would be no different for him.

  If someone is doing something to mess with her, then it's not going to be because they want revenge on her for sleeping with them. That made no sense in any world.

  People are complicated, and they make decisions for reasons that aren't altogether rational. People think with their heads, but their heads mostly make decisions based on feelings, on instincts, on gut reactions.

  You fucking someone? You have emotions about it. Of course you do—everyone does. The emotions will be a lot of things, but they won't be negative.

  If you get turned down, though… you're going to have emotions about that, too. Tom's eyes shift back to the television.

  "Are we done for today, or are you going to turn that back on?"

  "What would be the point? I'm not being kept in the loop. I'm not going to be strung along."

  She picks up her purse, picks up her laptop and slips it into the shoulder-bag that she uses as a tote. If she hurries, Linda thinks, she can get back to her apartment in an hour, and she can be doing work that might actually make a difference before dinnertime. At least in that case, she might be able to get something done that Tom Delaney won't be working to undo.

  Her gut tells her that she should be working to stop him, but her gut's wrong. There's nothing that she can do to stop him. He's a slippery guy, and if he wants to do something, th
ere's no "stopping" him. That's a false goal.

  If Linda wants to get her way around him, then the answer isn't to play the same game, on the same field, that he's playing it. She's got to have another answer, and she's got one. It's easy, it's convenient, and it's right in her face.

  Figure out what she should be doing separately, and make herself independently useful. She had understood her job to be working with Delaney, but if that wasn't going to be a two-way street, she wasn't going to put herself in his line of fire.

  Linda takes a deep breath and heads over to Adam's workstation. He looks up as she approaches, and his eyes immediately flicker down to her bag.

  "Something wrong, Miss Owens?"

  "I'll be doing my work from home. I'll have an email sent off with my results by tonight."

  "Do you want to set up a meeting to discuss them?"

  He sounds hopeful. It almost hurts to tell him no, but neither of them can afford to be caught up in a scandal right now, especially with Tom doing whatever he's doing.

  "Not particularly, unless—"

  She cuts herself off. He gets the idea, and she's got nothing more to add. And then she walks out of the room. She's not going to stand here while they build her gallows.

  She's got work to do, and she's not going to watch the sabotage while she does it. Not if she can help it.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  There's not a lot for her to do at this point, so Linda Owens is waiting and watching. If she's done her job, if she's prepared Adam well, then a rally is the first step to blowing over the dating rumors.

  Just ignore it, and move on. Don't give the media more attention than they deserve, or they'll bite you in the ass. They're fickle creatures, and you can't keep the bull by the horns forever, no matter what you think. No matter who you are, not even if you're Adam Quinn.

  So the simple answer is to let them have their fun, and then give them what they need, which is a strong dose of Adam Quinn, the Politician, rather than Adam Quinn, the billionaire playboy. They've had their fun, and now it's time to put that fun behind them and move on to the real campaign.