No More Good

by Angela Winters

  “Dr. Chase.” James helped himself to a chair along the wall and pulled it to the desk. “You look great. How you feeling?”

  Leigh just stared at him, not interested in his Hollywood kiss-up act. She knew why he was here.

  “I know you’re angry,” James said in a conciliatory tone. “You have every right to be. That’s why I’m here.”

  “Lyndon sent you?” she asked. She hadn’t returned any of his calls these past two days.

  James nodded with an opposing finger in the air. “But I’m really here for more than Lyndon. Well, for something that is bigger than Lyndon.”

  “I’m not ready to talk to him,” she said.

  “He’s fine, by the way.”

  “I know he is.” Thank God for seat belts and air bags or they could all be dead. Leigh hadn’t left the hospital without finding out that everyone was okay. She hadn’t had time to check herself because she was too busy keeping her mother from having a fit.

  “Everyone is fine,” James said. “The car is pretty totaled, but that’s nothing. Lyndon is very, very sorry. He just gets around those guys and they’re in college all over again.”

  “He could have killed us all.” Leigh shivered at the thought of seeing that truck coming straight for them.

  “But he didn’t,” James said. “That’s why there doesn’t need to be a big . . .you know, thing about it.”

  Leigh knew exactly what James was getting at and it was nauseatingly familiar. “I’m not going to lie to the police for him.”

  “The police aren’t going to come to see you,” James said. “I’ve taken care of that. Well, the studio has.”

  “How nice for your client.”

  “My client is your boyfriend.”

  “I wouldn’t say that,” Leigh said. “You’re thinking about the bottom line, I get that. This could bring bad publicity, but—”

  “There is no but, Dr. Chase.” James’s expression became very serious. “We have the DVD coming out. The new movie will be out at Christmas.”

  Leigh leaned forward, wincing at the pain it caused her. “Do you care about him at all?”

  “Of course I do.” James appeared genuinely offended.

  “Then what are you going to do about it?”

  “I can’t make him pick better friends, Doctor.”

  Leigh wondered if he really believed that was all it was or if he was hiding something. There was no truth to him. “He was on something, James.”

  His eyes widened for a second before he broke out in laughter. “Oh God, no. Doctor, no, he wasn’t on anything. Lyndon doesn’t do drugs and he wasn’t drinking.”

  “Did the police do a Breathalyzer?”

  He nodded. “He wasn’t drunk. He just had a little extra testosterone.”

  Leigh wanted to believe him, but she remembered Lyndon’s eyes. “It’s not impossible to believe considering Jack is always drunk and Nick is on something. I don’t know what, but I think—”

  “Nick is a mess, but Lyndon . . .” James shook his head. “I wish he would get Nick out of his life. The guy is no good, but he won’t desert his friends. That doesn’t mean he condones it and he sure as hell doesn’t take drugs. He knows there is just too much to lose.”

  “I wonder,” Leigh said. “I referred him to some clinics that might be able to help Nick, but he hasn’t done anything.”

  “That was my fault. I told him not to. I appreciate that you want to help him, but he can’t be a part of that. He can’t be in contact of any kind to a rehab that the press could pick up. Saying it’s for a friend is the biggest lie out there.”

  “These places serve the very rich and they are extremely confidential.”

  “Have you read the gossip blogs these days?” James was shaking his head. “Right now it’ll mean that he’s on drugs too. I won’t let him do it. There’s too much to lose. That’s the final word on that.”

  That wasn’t the final word for Leigh, and if Lyndon ever wanted to see her again he would have to convince her he understood that his life, and the life of his friends, meant more than money in his wallet.

  9

  A very took a deep breath before she started for Janet. As she walked through the lounge of the ornate, exclusive country club, one of a few the Chase family belonged to, she had to check herself. She remembered how nice it was to stop by the club after church on Sundays. Carter, who never came to church with her, would be waiting for her. The rest of the family was there, the twins playing in their crisp, clean little church suits. They would have drinks and brunch with impeccable service and Avery never saw anyone lift a finger to pay a bill. It was all going to some fantasy account that Steven probably never even checked for accuracy.

  She wasn’t wrong to miss that life, but she had to get over it. She was determined to get over it for the sake of her marriage and her baby. This was the only reason she had agreed to meet Janet at the club this morning. Janet had left a message for her at the hotel saying that Carter was acting erratic and she was afraid that he would try to hurt himself again.

  Again? Avery panicked when she heard that word. Had Carter tried to hurt himself? That didn’t sound at all like him. She knew she probably shouldn’t have, but she called Janet to find out what she meant. That was when Janet told her of the “Mercedes wrapped around the tree” story. While everyone insisted it was a reckless accident, Janet feared it was more than that. She didn’t want to go back to those days and asked Avery what to do.

  “Help him get over any idea that we’ll be together again,” was Avery’s answer. After a moment of silence and a long sigh, Janet agreed and asked Avery to meet with her to figure out how to convince Carter of what was good for him.

  After they greeted each other with a hug, Avery sat down across from her. She ordered a glass of lemonade from the waiter and settled into the comfortable chairs overlooking the outdoor deck.

  “You look lovely, dear.” Janet leaned back comfortably, smoothing out the fabric of her charcoal-gray D&G slacks. “You’ve been able to maintain grace in the way you carry yourself. Some women wobble all over or stomp around like buffalo.”

  “I’ve got a few months left.”

  “Do you plan to have the baby here or in Miami?” Janet asked. “That’s where you live now, right?”

  This family wasn’t afraid to let you know they knew all your business. “I would like to have it in Miami, but after another month, I won’t be able to fly.”

  “Maybe it’s for the best,” Janet said. “You’ll want your mother around when the baby comes and I doubt she’ll be able to leave L.A. any time soon.”

  “You’re right.”

  “I guess that was why I found it so odd that you left.” Janet smiled politely as the waiter brought the lemonade. “You and Nikki were so close. I couldn’t imagine you would leave.”

  “I didn’t feel I had a choice,” Avery replied. “Which is why we’re having this talk.”

  Janet’s smile faded. “I’m not proud of the way my son has behaved. Not from the beginning. When I found out what he’d done with that awful Lisette, I couldn’t believe it. Not Carter.”

  Join the club, Avery thought but wouldn’t dare say.

  “I told him to just be patient and wait for you to come back.” Janet sighed. “But I had to go away. The kids were telling Steven what Carter was up to, but he kept it from me during that time. When we came back, I tried, but I couldn’t get through to him. When I heard about that accident, Avery, I almost fainted.”

  Avery felt her chest tightening just at the mention of it. No matter what was lost between her and Carter, she didn’t want him hurt. “I appreciate your trying.”

  “I take it you’ve seen Kimberly.” Janet purposefully kept a blank expression.

  Avery nodded. “I don’t want to get into it with either of you.”

  “That’s fine.” Janet took a sip of her tonic water. “It’s not your job. You’re not a part of this family anymore, regrettably.”

&nbs
p; “And that’s not going to change, Janet. I need you to convince Carter of that.”

  “I thought once Carter accepted that you are married and having a family with someone else, he would stop behaving so recklessly, but he hasn’t. Things are very strained between him and Steven again.”

  “After everything they’ve done to try and be close.” Avery regretted her part in coming between Steven and Carter. “I should have quit working at Chase Beauty when Steven asked me to.”

  “They’ve had a million fights since that. The funny thing is they grew closer after we’d returned from South Africa.” Janet smiled proudly. “They were doing it for me. But Carter’s obsession with you and all the trouble it was causing with the police department ruined that.”

  “Is Carter in trouble?” Avery asked.

  “Not any trouble we can’t get him out of so far,” Janet said. “He’s a lawyer, so he knows what he’s doing. If your father and brother hadn’t been cops, he might have gone too far, but they’ve kept him within the law. Well, mostly.”

  “You know Carter better than anyone, Janet. How can you get him focused on other things?”

  “Correction, dear. Michael knows him better than anyone. But I do know that both he and Steven are trying to get Carter more involved at Chase Beauty now that he’s on the board. It will be a useful distraction.”

  Avery smiled, warmed at the idea that Carter was on the board. He’d wanted that for a long time.

  “I’ve asked for his help with some of my charities, but he’s been very wishy-washy of late. It’s so unlike him. The disappearing acts. The women. Carter has always . . . done what he wanted, but never lost sight of everything else that mattered.”

  “Janet.” Avery set her glass down. “I don’t want to hear about the women.”

  “Well, I do.”

  Avery turned in disbelief at seeing Carter leaning against the wall only a few feet from them with a smug, cocky grin on his face.

  “What do you know about all the women, Mother?” Carter asked in a nonchalant tone.

  Avery swung around to Janet, ready to curse her for the setup. But she could tell from the look on Janet’s face that she hadn’t expected to see Carter either.

  “Do you find yourself charming?” Janet asked, her eyes narrowing.

  “I must be.” Carter approached the women. “Like you said . . . all those women.”

  “What are you doing here?” Just seeing him made Avery think of the last kiss they had shared. Damn him!

  “My ears were burning.” He frowned at Avery. Who did she think she was? He didn’t appreciate this shit one bit.

  “You’re stalking me now?” Janet asked. “Your own mother. That’s a new low.”

  “You need to sharpen your skills of deception, Mother.” He leaned against her chair. “You told Dad you were meeting Avery here. All I had to do was ask.”

  Janet rolled her eyes, looking away. “I’m sorry, Avery. I didn’t know . . . If I thought Steven would tell him, I wouldn’t have said anything.”

  “Dad is only trying to help.” Carter’s tone emphasized his disappointment. “I thought you were too. Until now.”

  “I am,” Janet said.

  “I’m leaving.” Avery stood up awkwardly. “This was a waste of time. Carter doesn’t care about what’s good for him. He just cares about what he wants.”

  “At least I don’t pretend I don’t want what I clearly do like some people.” Carter waved away the approaching waiter, never taking his eyes off Avery.

  “I know what I want,” Avery asserted. “That’s why I’m here.”

  “To plot against me behind my back?”

  “Carter, that isn’t—”

  “No, Janet.” Avery stepped forward, always finding strength when met with his maddening audacity. “He came here for the truth, so don’t hide it from him. Yes, we were figuring out how to get you off my back. Are you glad you asked?”

  “I didn’t ask,” Carter corrected. “In putting this plot together, did you mention our kiss to my dear, concerned mother?”

  Avery gritted her teeth in anger. She couldn’t look at Janet, only imagining her response to that. “That’s it. I’m out of here.”

  She turned to leave, walking as fast as she could with an extra twenty pounds on her belly. She could hear his footsteps behind her and he finally caught up just as they reached the lobby. Grabbing her by the arm, he turned her around to face her with that forceful anger that always excited her.

  “Let me go.” She tried to pull away, but his grip was too strong.

  “Come with me.” He didn’t wait for a response, leading her to a secluded hallway near the bathrooms.

  “This has to stop, Carter.” She freed herself, but he blocked her way when she tried to leave.

  “You are so full of shit,” Carter said. “You forget how well I know you.”

  “You forget that it doesn’t matter what you know anymore.”

  “Fine.” Carter pressed his lips together with a tempered frown. “What I know doesn’t matter? Then let’s talk about what you know. Does that matter?”

  “Not to you apparently. If it did, you’d leave me alone.”

  “You know that you still want me.” He spoke just above a whisper. “You know that you married that man based on some antiquated idea of morality. You don’t love him as much as you love me and you never will.”

  Her hands clenched into fists as she resisted the urge to hit him. “You are the most arrogant asshole on the face of this planet. Do you actually believe you’re that incredible that you can’t be gotten over? That no woman can love again after having loved you?”

  Carter leaned back, folding his arms over his chest. Hell yeah, was what he wanted to say. “That kiss we shared is the answer to that question.”

  “That kiss was you taking advantage of me in a very emotional situation.”

  Carter threw his arms in the air. “Oh, here we go with the victim’s defense. You have got to be the most taken-advantage-of person on the face of this planet, Avery. You’re so helpless against everyone, especially that damn insolent, overbearing Carter. It’s always easy to blame me, right? That way you never have to admit you did exactly what you wanted and what you would have done no matter what emotional state you were in.”

  “If I did exactly what I wanted, I would slap you across the face right now.”

  “Do it,” he taunted, stepping so close to her they were only inches apart. He felt his temperature already hiking up. “You know what’s gonna happen next and you can always blame it on me . . . again.”

  Avery felt him press against her belly, and the match it lit inside her made her step back. “I wouldn’t give you the satisfaction.”

  “You wouldn’t give yourself the satisfaction,” he corrected. “Because you’re all about suffering, aren’t you? You feel superior to everyone because you deny yourself what you want. And every now and then you give in, but it’s never your fault, so you still stay clean and pious.”

  Avery hated the fact that he was making sense. He did know her so well. “Maybe I should be more like you, indulging in everything I want no matter what the consequence or who it hurts. As long as I get what I want, what else matters?”

  “I will not apologize for who I am,” Carter assured her. “I’m done apologizing for doing what I have to do to get what I want. I’m just gonna get it. And what I want is you, Avery.”

  “I don’t want you!” Avery turned to leave, but he took her by the arm and turned her back to him.

  When she looked into his eyes, the passion mixed with anger she saw ignited her entire body. She was lit up in a second and nothing would stop what was coming next. When it came to passion, Carter’s nature was not slow and tender. His lips took hers in a demanding, hungry gesture that jolted her heart and made her pulse pound out of control.

  The attraction between them was so potent that just a taste of his mouth sent waves of ecstasy through Avery’s veins. She kissed him back, m
elting into him while she felt a dizzying current around her. His tongue explored, teased, and demanded a response that she was all too eager to give.

  Carter could feel Avery giving herself to the passion of his kiss. That hot ache, with both fury and lust, that only she could bring was growing, building inside him. As her hands slipped up his arms, bringing him closer, he was conscious of every spot where her flesh touched his. Her soft lips, the sweet taste of her mouth, and that silky, tender skin ushered a slow descent into madness. He needed, wanted her closer than her belly would allow.

  Avery let out an impassioned sigh as she felt him swing her body around. When he brought her back to him, she could feel his heart thudding wildly behind her own and his hardness pressing against her. Her senses were spinning out of control as his mouth touched her neck, each kiss imploring more and more. His hand came to her breast, caressing her until her entire body was trembling.

  She moaned, leaning her head back against him while raising her hands to hold him. There was nothing that pleased Carter more than seducing Avery. The pull of coaxing her toward giving in to desire and laying all her vulnerability out there was overwhelming for him.

  Instinctively, as if they had never parted, Avery’s body molded to his. She arched her butt and moved her hips from left to right, feeling him get harder and harder. The sounds of desire were getting louder and threatened to make her crazy. Then his hand lowered, touching her stomach, and that last wisp of sanity brought Avery back to reality.

  What was she doing? How could she do this to Anthony, to herself?

  “Please, Carter.” With an aching she couldn’t bear, Avery was left only to beg for mercy. “Please.”

  “I know, baby.” Carter’s lips went to her ear and bit her tenderly. He would take her now if he could get away with it. “Let’s go home. I can—”

  She took his hands and moved them away from her. Taking a step forward, she said, “I’m not your baby and that place is not my home anymore. God, Carter, I’m pleading with you.”

  Recovering from the initial shock of her rejection, the symbolism of her back still turned to him made Carter unable to hide his anger. “You want mercy I can’t give you. I’m not like you, baby. I can’t sacrifice what I need to breathe, to drink because it doesn’t fit nicely with everything else. I’m not going to.”