When Jackson entered the event space that evening, it had been completely transformed. The usually sterile white area was lit with blood red lights. Ragged black tablecloths covered the many tables. Giant spider webs made of tattered white lace covered the high ceilings, and acrobats in spider costumes spun on thin ropes above the guests’ heads. A live band played dramatic music as dry ice fog flooded the dance floor and women dressed as witches passed out alcoholic concoctions that resembled blood in evil-looking goblets. The guests were dressed in all sorts of expensive costumes from Egyptian pharaohs to werewolves with animatronic jaws. He was highly impressed.
He wandered around the room, looking for his mother and Holly. He assumed Ursula was waiting to make some ridiculous grand entrance, but he thought he would at least see Holly greeting the guests or playing hostess in some other way. He thought he spied Amber dressed as a zombie cheerleader, flirting with a vampire, but he couldn’t be sure. As he kept his eyes open for his assistant-turned-fiancée in the crowd, he decided to acknowledge some of his mother’s friends—a flock of cougars scantily dressed as cats in bikinis following a sexy nurse who was passing out cootie shots.
“Little Jackson! Is that you?” Pricilla, his mother’s oldest friend, planted a kiss on his cheek. “You look so handsome dressed as Batman. I hardly recognized you.”
“Thanks, Pricilla. Holly picked it out,” he said, shifting uncomfortably in his spandex suit.
“She sure has good taste.” Another woman, Kathy, purred in appreciation of the way the tight fabric showed off his muscular form.
“Where is your fiancée?” Pricilla asked. “I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her and I heard she planned this party.”
“She did.” Jackson felt a strange sense of pride in her achievement. “Holly’s very creative, so I knew she would organize something amazing.”
Kathy’s gaze flitted over to the cobweb-rimmed stairs as a spotlight brightened, drawing Jackson’s attention to the balcony above. A figure stepped out of the shadows and he felt as though his heart had stopped. Holly stood at the top of the stairs, her blonde hair curled and wild in a sexy way that made her look freshly bedded. She wore a bright green, strapless leotard that showed off her impeccable figure and a set of pale green thigh-high stockings that ended in a pair of emerald high heels. Ivy leaves wrapped around her long legs and hugged her supple torso and bare arms. A few small red roses with green leaves were artfully arranged in her hair to make an earthy crown. It was obvious she was playing the comic villain Poison Ivy and that’s why she wanted him to be Batman. He smiled at her cleverness as she began to speak.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.” Holly’s voice abruptly ended the music and forced all attention to her. “I am Holly McIntyre and I am so pleased that you’re able to join the Cantrell family tonight in celebrating the birthday of the fabulous Ursula Gaspar-Cantrell. Now, please turn your attention to the far corner of the room and join me in welcoming the queen of the evening!”
Holly waved a hand dramatically to the other side of the room where a spotlight illuminated a figure entering from the darkness. Ursula was perched on a golden swing that slowly lowered her to the ground from the ceiling. Her large powdered wig and colorful voluminous dress reminded Jackson of a strange, exotic bird although he knew she aimed to be Marie Antoinette. He was clapping for his mother’s entrance when he felt a hand on his shoulder.
“Hey, you found your costume.” Holly had snuck down from the stairs as everyone’s attention was focused on Ursula.
“You look amazing, incredible…perfect,” Jackson said, admiring her closely. Her intimate proximity gave him a chance to appreciate the vivid green eye makeup accentuated by small green jewels and brilliant red lipstick that framed her pearly white teeth.
“You don’t think it’s too much?” she asked, biting her lip in an appealing manner.
Jackson shook his head, momentarily amazed that the rapid movement hadn’t made his mask fly off. “Why would I think it’s too much? It’s fantastic. Also, I like how you placed us as mortal enemies. Very smart.”
“I thought it would be funny, and I’ve always had a soft spot for Poison Ivy. She was so misunderstood. Have you had a chance to look around at all?”
“A bit. I think it’s great what you’ve done to this place. You’re really talented, Holly. And I can tell my mother loves it.”
“I hope so. I have specially cocktails and imported candy gift bags as favors. I also decided that, instead of dinner, it would just be desserts to go along with Marie Antoinette’s favorite things. I found some French baker I saw once on the cooking channel to make cake and tiny desserts. There’s also a professional photographer to follow Ursula around, a costume contest to be judged by your mother, and a special surprise at the end of the night.” She grinned mischievously, looking more like her villain character by the moment.
“What’s the surprise?”
“If I told you, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise.”
“Come on, Holly, I won’t tell,” he pleaded, clasping his hands together dramatically.
She shook her head, her curls bouncing. “No way, Batman. But do you want to see her birthday cake?”
“Of course.” He held out his hand, allowing her to lead the way to the back kitchen. As they passed through the swinging doors, Jackson peeled off the Batman mask so he could fully see the cake Holly had ordered.
A huge baked confection stood before them on a florally decorated cart, waiting to be rolled into the event space. It was ten towering layers of white icing and decorated with colorful sugar flowers and birds scattered throughout. Thick, classical candles were spread on the tiers in even intervals. It had been made to resemble one of Marie Antoinette’s famous powdered wigs. Trays of cupcake with equally elaborate icing, yet in darker shades to mimic the décor, surrounded the impressive centerpiece.
“Do you like it?” Holly asked, a shy smile playing on her lips.
Jackson felt so overwhelmed that he took her in his arms. “Everything is perfect. This space, this party, these costumes, this cake, you—they’re all so utterly perfect.”
She blushed, turning her head away from him to hide her reddening cheeks. “It’s not a big deal. I was happy to do it for your mom.”
“Don’t turn away from me, Holly. You need to learn how to take a complement.”
She whipped her head back toward him in defiance. “I can take a complement just fine.”
“I like Poison Ivy, Holly. She’s so full of life, just like you.”
“I’m hardly full of life.”
“You are,” he told her. “You’re so much like her. You’re strong, enchanting, and your kisses are like poison.”
“Actually, only her first kiss is poisonous. The second one acts as an antidote. If you read the comics—”
He leaned down and gave her a light kiss on her blood red lips, silencing her. After a moment, he added, “It looks like I’ll just have to take another.”
They moved toward each other, both caught up in the moment. Their lips were about to touch when the door flung open to reveal Pricilla, grinning a sly smile. “Come on, you lovebirds, Ursula has been looking for you everywhere.”
“You owe me,” Jackson whispered in Holly’s ear as they followed Pricilla into the crowd.
Ursula screeched when they entered her line of sight. “A toast! A toast!” She called, lifting a smoking cocktail in the air, urging the partygoers to be silent. “I want to make a toast to my new fille! To my beautiful future daughter for putting on this soiree and inviting all you lovely people to celebrate. She is the little girl I never had but am thankful to welcome into my family. To Holly!”
“To Holly!” The guests mimicked loudly then continued their celebrations.
Jackson watched as Holly’s face lit up with pride. Although she tried to put on a modest front, she enjoyed getting the recognition her hard work rightly deserved.
He scooped her up, dragging her the dance floor. The band pumped out fast paced songs and soon the both of them were caught up in the crowd, drinking medicinal looking shots from miniature beakers and spinning in each other’s arms. Holly’s primal attire and carefree expression made her shin in a new light that Jackson didn’t know she had. As the night progressed, he found himself deeper, and deeper, under her spell.
When the time came for her special surprise, Holly left Jackson and climbed on stage with the band. She grabbed the microphone and cleared her throat before addressing the crowd. “Good evening, everyone! I hope you all are having a lovely time at Ursula’s birthday?”
The masses roared in the affirmative.
“If everyone would please follow me outside to the terrace, there is something fabulous awaiting.” She replaced the microphone and nimbly jumped off the stage, heading toward the large doors that lead to the outside. Jackson was frozen to the spot watching her sashay from the room. It seemed that she kept surprising him from every angle.
The night was cold and it took Jackson a few moments to find Holly in the throng of people all looking up at the sky over the city. She stood with his mother against the railing, looking out into the darkness with a smile on her face. “Hey, there you are.” He came up behind Holly, hugging her from behind in an attempt to warm her arms.
She leaned back on his chest. “Just keep watching the sky.”
Suddenly there was a loud boom, making the guest jump and shriek. The sky lit up with fireworks in all the colors of the rainbow. Short blue bursts, long red streaks, and brilliant pink flashes brightened the city. Jackson tore his eyes from the display to look down at Holly’s face. Her eyes were bright and her lips were parted in a look of pure delight. She clutched at his arms and laughed. Jackson felt a peculiar tightness in his chest but chose to ignore it, deciding to keep his eyes on the woman before him who’d brought so much happiness into his life.
***
“That was so much fun. And I’m so happy your mom liked everything,” Holly said, picking the wilting leaves out of her hair and throwing them out of the limousine’s open window.
“She loved everything. All of her friends are dying to have you plan all their events now. You’re a very popular woman, Miss McIntyre,” Jackson teased.
“Good. No offence, Mr. Cantrell, but being your personal assistant wasn’t my ultimate career goal.” She giggled, propping her feet up on the limo seats. While her shoes were adorable, hours of dancing, walking, and hopping around had made her long to kick them off.
“I don’t blame you. You’ve been working overtime since we got back from Barbados. I wish we could just relax tomorrow, but I need to go into the office and work on my final campaign dinner.”
Holly frowned. “Do you really? It’s Saturday.”
“I have to go to work and take care of my girls, don’t I? I’ll only be in a few hours then maybe we can get lunch or something.”
“Good. That would be nice. Maybe we could go to the Natural History Museum?” she asked hopefully. “I’ve never been there before and with all this craziness going on, I haven’t had a chance to cross anything else off my New York City bucket list.”
“If that’s what you want, I can meet you there after my meetings.”
“That would be amazing,” she said, gazing out into the night.
For the first time in a while, Holly felt at ease with her life. Jackson had spilled his feelings to her, and they seemed to be a flawless match in goals and desires. Being together was so wonderfully uncomplicated that she couldn’t believe her luck. He made her feel cherished and adored. She hated to be a sappy romantic, but he treated her like an absolute princess.
Once they were back at the apartment, Jackson helped her out of the car and, silently, they made their way up to the penthouse. The earlier promise of a second kiss hung in the air and Holly could almost taste the delicious tension between them. In the private elevator he held her gently at his side, slowly skimming his fingers up and down the tendril of ivy wrapped around her bodice.
“Jackson,” Holly said, but Jackson cut her off with a passionate kiss that she felt from the roots of her hair to the points of her toes.
“Oh, god, Holly. I’ve wanted that all night,” he growled into her lips before his mouth covered hers again.
Holly felt his touch emanating heat through her body and they barely made it into the bedroom before she fully gave into her desires. Her body was alight with feelings; longing, need, dare she even say love? The thought was pushed far from her mind when they landed on the large bed together, grasping each other like lifejackets in the open water. His hands explored her body, slowly unwinding the leafy vines that surrounded her shape. The roses in her hair began to break, scattering petals on the sheets.
Jackson unzipped his costume and allowed it to fall to the floor before fumbling with Holly’s outfit, searching for a zipper or buttons. “How the hell do you get this thing off?”
She rolled her eyes and slipped the strapless leotard off in one easy moment. “Men are so simple,” she joked, her eyes locked on Jackson’s body, which was clad only in a pair of tight boxer briefs that accentuated his slim hips and the bulge beneath. Holly was left in a strapless black bra and matching panties as well as her bright stockings and sky-high heels.
“You’re so gorgeous,” he breathed, taking her in his arms again. “You get more beautiful each time I see you.”
His lips searched her body, making their way from the curve of her neck to the swell of her breasts. Her breath held in her throat as Jackson cupped one heavy mound in his hand and began gently teasing her peak with his thumb, making her moan in pleasure. He glanced up at her, shooting her a dimpled grin. His mouth fell on her body again and teased its way down her stomach. Holly felt goose bumps prickle her skin and she could hardly remember ever being so turned on. When his mouth touched the lace edge of her underwear, she gasped, waiting for something more. But Jackson passed over the strips of silk and resumed his attentions at the top of her stocking.
“You have the most amazing legs, Holly.” He sat up, lifted her shapely calf and gently removed her shoes, tossing them on the floor. Then he began unrolling her thigh-highs in a deliciously slow manner. As each inch of pale skin was revealed, he placed a light kiss on the fresh patch.
“Come back up here,” Holly pleaded, reaching up for him.
He smiled at her, placing his lips against the curve of her foot before beginning on her other leg. “So impatient. I’ve been waiting for this all night and now it’s your turn to wait.”
“That’s not fair! At first you were all like, ‘Wah, we can’t do this. Put your heaving bosoms back into your shirt. I’m your boss! Wah, wah, wah!’ And now you want me to wait?” she asked, a jeweled-accented brow raised. “It’s not like we haven’t already had sex before.”
Jackson laughed. “I can see how that might be seen as unfair,” he said, stripping her other leg of her stocking. “But who said life was fair?”
When Holly’s legs were bare, he lowered himself onto the bed beside her. He traced her lips with the tip of his finger before dropping his hand behind her, unhooking her bra. Her breasts fell free and he cupped them eagerly in his hands, caressing the smooth skin and making her sigh in pleasure. Jackson pulled her body under his, positioning herself between her legs. She felt his hard member grinding against her, making heat pool at the juncture of her thighs. Holly clasped his shoulders and lifted her hips toward him, willing him to take her.
“Please, Jackson, I need you,” she whispered in his ear, making him groan.
“God, Holly, you’ll make come right now.” Jackson pushed himself up on his elbows and smoothed her panties off, leaving her delectably bare for his appreciation. He slowly eased his hand down, toward her slit, forcing her to endure a delicious wait. Gradually, he palmed her, teasing her gently as a soft whimper escaped her lips. When he slipped a finger inside her, she let out a sharp cry of desire. “You’re so wet,” Jackson said in her ear, taking off his boxers.
Holly felt her heart begin to race as she waited for him to enter her. The torture of wanting him so badly was driving her insane and she longed to join herself with him. Between his work and her party planning, they hadn’t had a moment alone since Barbados. When he pulled his boxers down, she grasped his hips, waiting for the moment that he fully entered her. “Please,” she whispered, softly pulling him toward her.
His eyes met hers and in a single movement he filled her completely, making them both shudder. Jackson slowly began pumping in and out of her tight body, groaning with each inch. Holly’s nails lightly scraped his back and her mews of contentment turned into sexy moans as he picked up the pace. When she felt Jackson empty himself into her, she allowed herself to fall into orgasmic bliss, crying his name into the darkness.
***
The next morning, Holly awoke enclosed in a pair of strong, male arms. Jackson pulled her into his hard body and his even breath against the nape of her neck told her he was still asleep. She smiled and ran her hand along his, curled in sleep against her breast. She lifted each perfectly formed finger and inspected it.
“Everything up to your liking?” Jackson murmured suddenly, making Holly jump.
She blushed and dropped his hand. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“It’s okay.” He placed a kiss on her bare shoulder, his morning stubble scratching her skin. “I need to get up early, anyway.”
“Stay here instead.”
Jackson groaned and untangled himself from the sheets. “I need to go to work.”
“No you don’t,” she countered, grabbing his arm and attempting to pull him back in the bed.
He leaned down and gave her a swift kiss on the forehead. “I’ll make a deal with you. Ill get out of the office by noon and I’ll meet you back here. You just stay in bed and continue being gorgeous.”
Holly watched him retreat into the bathroom to begin getting ready, and she leaned back against the pillows. Her mouth slid into a smile of total satisfaction at the thought of the previous night’s events. The sexy man now bathing himself in the next room had just been in bed with her, promising another night of pure bliss. Her lips tingled with the remembrance of his teeth grazing her skin.
Unwilling to lie in bed any longer, she decided to make Jackson breakfast before he left for the office. She clipped her thick hair up and away from her face, then donned her favorite leopard print bathrobe. The house was quiet and she was happy to see that Mrs. Klein wasn’t bustling around in the kitchen. Holly cheerfully began making scrambled eggs and pulling slabs of bacon out of the refrigerator.
For a moment, she paused and wondered if this is what her life would be like now. If there would be long, passionate nights with Jackson and breakfasts together in the morning. If he would run home after his meetings to see her every day. If she would grow to be used to this lifestyle. There were a lot of uncertainties, but they were all positive and gave Holly something to smile about as she cooked his breakfast.
As she finished buttering the toast and filling plates with food for herself and Jackson, he wandered in with a broad smile on his face. He pinched a piece of bacon from a plate. “This is great, Holly. You’re quite the little cook.”
“Thanks. I thought you might want something to eat before work.”
He took the plates and led the way into the dining room. “Well, I did work up quite an appetite last night.”
Holly reddened and followed him, holding two cups of coffee. “Jackson, hush! Your mother is here.”
“Yes, I am,” a voice said from behind her. “Lovely party last night, Holly.”
She turned and came face to face with Ursula, who wore a feather-lined silk robe and artful makeup. “Ursula, I didn’t expect you to be awake. Would you like something to eat?”
“No, no, no, darling. I will die if I eat anything before bed.”
“You didn’t sleep yet?” Holly asked as they sat at the table.
The older woman shook her head. “Of course not. I never sleep on my birthday. There is too much to do.”
“I’m glad you had fun last night, Mother,” Jackson said between bites.
“Ooh, yes,” Ursula purred. “It was perfect. I cannot wait until your wedding! It will be fantastic. Everyone who is anyone will be there to see my new daughter.”
“We haven’t even really planned anything yet,” Holly mumbled, taking a bite of toast, not feeling very hungry all of a sudden.
“Well, there needs to be an engagement party. Everyone needs to meet you first,” Ursula said. “I was telling my dear friend Pricilla how much needs to be planned and she was very worried that I would tire myself out, but I must tell you, I feel much younger.”
“That’s good. You need to rest more,” Jackson said.
Ursula waved him off and took Holly’s hand in hers. “Ma chère, these last few weeks of getting to know you has been the best since my poor husband passed. I want to thank you for what you’ve done for myself and my little boy.”
“Oh, no need to thank me.” Holly bit her lip, unsure of what to say.
“I’ve always wanted a little girl of my own. You have become the daughter I always wanted.” Ursula stood and planted a light kiss on Holly’s forehead. “You are perfect, ma chère, and I am so pleased you are joining our family.”
Jackson and Holly watched as she sauntered down the hall toward her bedroom. They exchanged guilty looks and Holly pushed her plate away. Being spoken to so nicely by Ursula and knowing she thought of her like a daughter created a sick feeling of guilt in the pit of her stomach.
“Jackson, can we go into the bedroom? We need to talk.”
He stood and looked at her grimly. “The most dreaded words in the human vernacular.”
“I can’t do this anymore,” Holly hissed at Jackson once they were safely behind the closed door of his bedroom. “Your mother trusts me!”
Jackson sat on the edge of the bed, running his hands through his hair. “I know. I feel terrible, but that was basically the whole point of this.”
“We need to tell her. We can’t keep lying to her.”
“No.”
“Jackson,” Holly whispered, sitting next to him on the bed, “this is getting out of hand. We’ll just tell her and keep it a secret with the three of us until after your election. We’re going to stay together, anyway, so I don’t see the harm.”
“I can’t. We’re in too deeply now. We need to see this through.” She placed a hand on his knee and squeezed the firm muscles beneath his slacks as Jackson continued. “Holly, I don’t want to lie to my mother, but I can’t back out of this now.”
“I can’t do this anymore. I can’t lie to your mom for another minute. I really respect her and I don’t want to hurt her anymore.” Holly bit her lip nervously. She didn’t think she would have some a moral issue with lying to Ursula, but as time went on, she’d begun to see her as a mother figure. “She’ll understand why we lied. I’m going to tell her today.”
Jackson shot up and turned on her, his icy eyes boring into her. “No,” he said through gritted teeth. “You won’t say a word to her. If you tell her the truth, she’ll never forgive me. She hates being lied to.”
Holly cowered slightly. “But I can’t lie to her anymore. She says she thinks of me as a daughter.”
“Well, you’re my assistant and I’m paying you to pretend to be my fiancée, so just keep on pretending,” he retorted sharply, sucking the air from Holly’s lungs. “Just remember this is your job, and don’t screw it up by breaking your non-disclosure agreement.”
She stared at him, her eyes wide and her mouth parted in shock. “Jackson—”
“Just keep your mouth shut.” He picked up his briefcase and left the room, closing the door harshly behind him.
***
He’d been too hard on her; he knew that. He hadn’t meant to be so cruel. It had been an act in the beginning, but she’d opened up a new part of him he wasn’t aware existed. They took walks in the park together, went on trips, attended events as the perfect couple everyone else envied. But he’d let his selfishness and his lies jeopardize his budding relationship with her.
Now, as he sat in his stark office, he found it almost impossible to pay attention to his paperwork or participate fully in his meetings. All he could think about was Holly’s willingness to keep everyone around her happy and the wretched look in her eyes as he slammed the door behind him. It was in stark contrast to the sensual woman with the lively features who’d writhed below him the night before.
“Jessica!” Jackson barked, collecting the papers from his desk and shoving them into his briefcase.
“Yes, sir?” Jackson’s new assistant, a short redhead, stepped into the room. He hadn’t planned on hiring anyone new, but when it seemed like Holly might end up playing the part of his lover forever, he needed to fill the gap in the payroll. She had been working for him for several weeks and proved to be a very good assistant—when she wasn’t spending too much time on Facebook.
“Cancel everything for the rest of the day. I need to get home at once.”
“But…sir, these meetings took weeks to put together. I don’t know if I’ll be able to reschedule them.” Jessica paled.
“No matter. There’s something of great importance I need to take care of. Make something up. Either way, I’m going home.”
***
“Holly?” Jackson called as he entered the apartment. He dropped his coat and briefcase on the floor and adjusted the giant bushel of roses in his hands. Making his way toward the bedroom, he noted the apartment was eerily silent. He’d grown so accustomed to hearing something that reminded him of her as soon as he came through the front door—music blasting in the living room, or the sound of her cooking and laughing with Mrs. Klein in the kitchen.
He knocked gently on the bedroom door. “Holly?” When he didn’t receive an answer, he slowly let himself into a spotless, empty room.
Jackson frowned and dropped the flowers on the dresser before checking the bathroom. The countertops where Holly’s makeup and perfumes had been meticulously lined up were bare. The shower only held his personal items. Her robe was missing from the hook behind the door. Feeling his blood run cold, he ran to the closet and threw open the doors. His suits were lined up on the racks but the rest of the closet was empty. No dainty heels or billowy dresses lined the vacant walls and even the drawers were completely unfilled.
All she seemed to leave behind was her engagement ring, which sat alone on an end table, glittering forlornly in the afternoon sunlight. Jackson picked it up with a shaking hand, his mind spinning. He couldn’t believe she left—wouldn’t believe it.
He dashed to the old guest room, where Holly had spent her first night, hoping she’d just moved her things back there to punish him for his ridiculous outburst. But the guest room was also empty. “Damn it, Holly,” Jackson growled, sitting on the bed and placing his head in his hands. “What the hell have I done?”
“Yes, my son.” His mother’s voice purred from the open doorway. “What have you done?”
Jackson looked up to see her leaning against the doorframe, a lit cigarette in her hand and an unhappy look on her face. “Do you know where she is?” he asked.
“No. I came home from an appointment to see her moving her things out. Another girl was helping her. Holly was obviously upset and wouldn’t say a single thing to me. She did say she was sorry.” She narrowed her eyes and held out her hand, showing him the diamond ring he’d given Holly. “She also gave me this. Now tell me what you have done.”
“I said something nasty to her that I’m afraid I can’t take back. It was totally inexcusable.”
“What was it?” Her eyes narrowed. “Tell me what you did.”
He’d bought out companies, fired hundreds of people, given speeches to thousands, yet he could barely form the words he needed to say. “It’s about Holly.”
“Obviously.”
“She’s not really my fiancée.”
“What do you mean?”
“She used to work as my assistant. When the election came closer, my manager and I thought…”
“Go on.” Ursula’s voice was cold and her eyes said she knew what her son was about to say.
“I hired Holly to pretend. I needed to look like a family man to the voters and—I know it’s stupid—but I wanted you to see that I was serious about politics and that I wasn’t just some guy banging pop stars on yachts.”
“You are joking, no? You did not ask her to pretend anything. Tell me you have not done this terrible thing.”
Jackson squared his jaw. “I did. I’ve been paying her this whole time.”
She slowly placed the butt of her cigarette in an ashtray. Then she brought her hand up and slapped Jackson on the back of the head. “You idiot! You have ruined everything!”
“But I did this for you. For the company and the Cantrell name!”
“No. You go to boring lunches for me. You stand outside the dressing room and hold my purse for me. You pretend to like my friends for me. You did not do this thing for me. What you have done is cruel to me, that girl, and especially yourself. Why would you do such a stupid thing?”
“I wanted to give you something to look forward to and something to be proud of.” He dropped onto the couch next to her and put his head in his hands. “Dad build this company, I only helped it grow. Politics was going to be my legacy.”
Ursula magically produced another cigarette and lighter from the sleeve of her Japanese-inspired robe. “I’ve been on board with your political aspirations for weeks now.”
He looked up at her, confusion obvious on his face. “You have? But you spent years telling me how pointless it was.”
“Yes, but Holly convinced me otherwise.”
“She did?”
“We have grown quite close.” She took a drag, exhaling the smoke delicately before continuing. “She cares for you. And I’m not sure exactly what went on with you two, but it is obvious you have hurt her greatly.”
Jackson cringed. “I know. And I think I really screwed it up.”
“Well, aren’t we the clever one?”
“I’m not in the mood for your sarcasm, Mother. I really ruined everything and now I don’t know what to do to fix this.”
“You be a man. You were taught that having money and fame and things were what makes you a man. You thought that once your father died and you got the company, then you would finally be a man. But no, you are a man when you find a woman who exposes you for what you really are and helps you be the man you were meant to be. Now, stop being a silly child and go find her.”