Chapter Twelve
Cole
Seeing Madison St. James was the perfect icing on today’s shitty-ass cake.
It had started when I’d arrived at the university campus to visit Jess this morning. Only to find she’d moved out of the dorms without telling me.
After two worry-filled hours—and on threat of death—I’d finally tracked her down. Which had done nothing to improve my day. I’d driven east of the city, into suburbs with rotting billboards tagged with obscenities, where front yards were overgrown with trash and long discarded fliers.
Then there was the house itself, the place my sister was currently living. I’d rechecked the hastily scribbled address. Maybe I’d read it wrong.
All hope had faded when Jess had answer the door. Even then, I had tried my damnedest to have an open mind, holding back the lecture. But the moment I’d set foot inside, I knew it wasn’t going to happen. Peeling wallpaper, patchy carpet and vinyl flooring that had holes worn clear through—perfect for a girl with a damaged leg to trip on. And then there were Jess’s house mates…two guys stinking of stale alcohol, who couldn’t even meet my stare.
I’d hissed a breath out through my teeth, my blood pressure rising to volcanic lava overflow.
“Go and pack your things.”
At least I hadn’t shouted.
Jess had started to protest loudly, but she wasn’t nearly as argumentative as I would have expected. Which had only increased my bad mood when I realized she hadn’t exactly been happy here either. I’d had no time to probe further. I’d already been running late for a rescheduled meeting with my engineer.
“I’ll be back for you in two hours.” I’d warned Jess as I left. “Start packing. Now!”
I still hadn’t made my meeting. Two hours had passed and here I was, once again waiting on Madison St. James. She’d taken off like a scalded cat into the stairwell and I’d taken the elevator down to the bottom floor.
She should be emerging right…about…now…
My breath caught as the emergency exit opened and Madison stepped out. Muscles tightened.
Anger.
Betrayal.
Lust.
God, she was gorgeous. I bit back a sigh. I was a sucker for a sad story on pretty legs and from the look on Madison’s face right before she’d bolted, my instincts screamed something was wrong. Just like when she’d come back to the hotel after lunch with her mother. I’d known something wasn’t right then too.
I had tried hard to forget that afternoon, but Madison had been hard to eradicate from my thoughts. She was the perfect enigma, and I couldn’t get rid of the prickly feeling I might have gotten it wrong.
“Madison. Stop.” I stepped out to confront her.
She froze in place and I could almost hear her pulse racing like river rapids through her veins. She stared at me with those large, chocolate eyes, her expression haunted.
I knew then I couldn’t let her go.
“Do you have a car?” I kept my gaze firmly on her, scared that if I closed my eyes, she’d disappear.
“What? N-No.”
“Then I’ll take you home.”
Madison recovered enough to shake her head vigorously. “No, you won’t.”
“Yes, I will.” I wasn’t giving her another free pass. “You owe me an explanation.” I hadn’t intended to say that, but as soon as the words were out, I realized I meant it. She did owe me, goddammit.
“Y-you didn’t want to listen.” Madison started to inch away.
“I’ve changed my mind.” I followed, linking my arm through hers, cutting off her escape. I flashed a humorless grin. “Call me mercurial.”
She was so tense, I could feel the vibration thrum through her body. For a moment, I thought she might yank free and run. Then the pressure in her arm released and her shoulders fell forward.
“Fine,” she said. “I guess you may as well have a piece of me too.”
The defeat in her voice made my stomach churn and my grip tighten.
“Come on. I’ll take you home.”
Apart from a few sparse directions, Madison was silent on the trip. I let her be, but the question burned in my mind.
What the fuck was going on?
I glanced over at her for the umpteenth time. She was checking her reflection in a small, compact mirror. Again. My jaw tightened.
By the time I pulled up to her Latimer Square complex, Madison appeared to have her composure back.
“Thank you very much for the ride home.” She slipped from the car before taking the stairs up to her second story apartment. I followed her inside, leaning against the door to close it behind me.
She turned and a smile transformed her face. “Can I get you anything to drink?”
I blinked, caught again by how beautiful she looked. Confident. Charming. The consummate host. My gaze narrowed. And if her eyes weren’t darting around the apartment like a frightened rabbit I might’ve believed all that was true.
“Cut the crap, Madison. Tell me what’s going on.”
For a moment, fire flashed in her eyes, then she sank onto the couch, like all the air had gone out of her. I glanced at her hands. The ring was gone.
Madison’s mouth twisted as she guessed at the focus of my attention. “I’m not engaged,” she said. “In fact, it seems I’m not much of anything.”
I shoved my hands in my pockets, refusing to let myself feel pity for her.
“How so? Come on, Madison.” Impatience edged my words when she remained silent. “You’ve got to give me something.”
She glanced down. Drew a breath. Then released the dam of information I had been waiting for. Madison spilled everything. Her intended marriage, Logan’s infidelity, the hotel and her mother’s financial coercion.
With every twist of her story, the churning in my gut intensified. I was angry. Not at Madison. But for Madison. I’d known the rich were a shitty bunch…but this was her mother. It still stuck in my craw that Madison hadn’t been up front with me the night we’d first met, but at least her account went someway to explaining why she hadn’t told me about the engagement.
“Where’s the ring?” I nodded toward her bare fingers.
“I gave it back to Logan.”
I scraped my fingers through my hair. “You mean to tell me that…jerk…not only has your money, but you gave him back the ring as well?” I groaned. “What the hell were you thinking?”
Her eyes widened. “Do you think I would keep it? After everything I just told you?”
“Damn straight.” I couldn’t believe her stupidity. “You could’ve sold it.”
“I’d rather go back to my mother than use a cent of it,” she hissed. I grudgingly admired her grit. I gathered moving back to her mother’s was not an option. One I seconded.
I pushed off the wall, taking a good look around her living space, poking my head around the corner to survey the short hallway. I’d guarantee there were a few items worth a little something amongst all of the understated elegance.
“So, what are you going to do?” I asked, checking out the rest of the apartment.
Two bedrooms. Elegant furnishings. Simple. I glanced into Madison’s bedroom with its plush, plum-colored coverlet and clean, cream painted walls. Nice.
Unlike my imagination, which played out images of Madison, her blonde hair tussled across the bed, her fingers grasping at the white rungs of her headboard, hips thrusting upward while I slammed into her, taking my fill. Feasting on her…
I tore my gaze from the bed, my cock growing uncomfortably tight as the two worlds of Madison collided in my head. Shit. I had enough to think about already. There was Jess, for one. And the fact she was living in a rat-infested hole.
I accepted my refusal to let her move out of the dorm might have played a part in her bad choices. If I had my way, this was the kind of place Jess would get to live in.
My thumb tapped out a tempo on the door jamb and I turned back to Madison.
“I have an idea.” I pointed down the hall toward the bedrooms. “How about you take in a roommate?”
Madison followed the direction of my finger. “I don’t think so.” Color rushed to her cheeks. “I-I’m not—”
“Not that,” I cut in, tamping down a flare of desire at what she thought I was suggesting. I shook my head. “I want my sister to move in with you. I need you to babysit her.”
“What?” Madison’s mouth dropped open. “You have a sister?”
“Yes, I have a sister.” I was impatient now to get on with it, conscious of Jess waiting for me. “She’s around your age. Except she hasn’t had the kind of life you have.”
Making Madison’s eyes narrow. “And you want me to babysit her? A grown woman?”
“Yes.”
Her brows gathered in a storm of thought. “What’s wrong with her?”
“Nothing,” I snapped. “She’s perfectly normal, apart from an injury to her leg and a penchant for trouble. All you have to do is try and be her friend. Oh, and make sure she exercises every day,” I added. Then, “And if you think she’s straying down a dangerous path, let me know. Immediately.” I accompanied my final words with a stern look. “No keeping anything from me. Not when it comes to Jess.”
Madison’s surprised look deepened. “So, I’d be spying on her?”
Spying? I liked the sound of that. A lot. “Exactly,” I agreed.
“And what do I get in return?”
I smiled humorlessly. This is what it always came down to in the end. What’s in it for me?
“I pay your rent and utilities. I’m trying to wrap up my business in Buffalo, so it’s only until I find a place in Wellsford of my own,” I warned, as for the first time today, Madison’s look of hopelessness lifted.
I didn’t want her to get too comfortable. I was doing this for Jess.
Madison’s teeth sank into her bottom lip. My breath caught and for a moment I thought she might turn down my offer. But she wouldn’t get a better deal. And hell, I could use her help while Jess went through her rebellious patch. I believed my sister was making up for the teenage years she’d missed while she was laid up in hospital. Living with Madison would provide Jess with a safe environment to explore her independence.
Okay. Sure. There was the added benefit of visiting Madison again. I might not like what she stood for, but there was something about her that rubbed at me.
“Yes.”
Heat chased down my spine. I hadn’t realized how much I wanted her to agree.
I glanced at my watch, calculating the time. “I’ll be back with Jess in an hour. Oh, and one more thing.” I pinned Madison with a hard stare. “You’re not to tell Jess anything about our arrangement.” I spelled out my last caveat. “As far as she’s concerned, you’re just sharing the apartment. Got it?”
“Got it.”
I rubbed at my hair, not sure whether I believed her or not. I didn’t trust Madison, but I’d have to take her at her word. Hopefully she’d stand by it long enough for me to come up with a better plan.
But God help her if she fucked with Jess.
I would show no mercy.