His Climb to Power Page 12

  “I love you, Blythe.” Leaning down, I pressed my lips to hers and hoped that I could bring a smile to her face with just some pleasure, even if it was only for tonight.

  18 Blythe

  My night with Jack made me feel a little better. I trusted him, although I couldn’t promise him that the next time I saw Lila, I wasn’t going to punch her in her smug little mouth. Even better if they caught it on camera because I knew in the end that Jack was mine.

  It didn’t surprise me to see Rachel in the office the next morning. She wasn’t one to abandon her job or run from a fight, but I could tell from her face that I’d done a number on her. Putting my bag on the desk, I walked over and clasped my hands behind my back. “Would it make you feel better if I let you just slap me across the face or would a close-fisted punch be better?”

  Raising her head, she stared at me with a frown. “What are you talking about?”

  “I was a complete asshole to you, Rachel. I’m sorry. I took my own frustrations out on you, and I had no right. So, this is my apology, and feel free to get one slap in, or punch, if it makes you feel better.”

  “Blythe, I don’t want to hit you,” Rachel muttered before she finally sighed and shook her head. “The truth is that you weren’t wrong. I wasn’t listening to you. I just want you to be happy. You do so much good for other people, but you don’t do anything for yourself. You barely take a paycheck home.”

  “But—”

  She held up a hand, cutting me off, her eyes meeting mine as she continued. “You live in a crappy apartment and drive a crappy car, and you work yourself to the bone. I thought that Jack was going to be your happy ending, but I feel like you’ve been in nothing but pain since you’ve been with him. I don’t think Riley will be your forever man, but I thought he could at least help you get over Jack.”

  “Rach, I—”

  The hand came up even higher, and I closed my mouth, letting her have her say. “I watched my mother do the same thing. When my father left, she spent years pining over him. When they’d meet to hand me off for my weekends with Daddy, my mother would dress up and bat her eyes and try whatever manipulations she had planned to win him back. It was heartbreaking to watch, and I know that’s not what you’re doing, but she waited. She’s still waiting, and he’s been remarried for years. I don’t want that for you.”

  This was news to me. I had no idea that Rachel had gone through that as a kid. From the way she talked about men and love, I assumed that her parents had a wonderful relationship. She was the last person I knew who would be bitter about love.

  “I get where you’re coming from,” I said as I sat on her desk and swung around until I was sitting cross-legged. I really wished there was a bottle of wine that we could split between us. I just wished I could tell her the truth. “I’m sorry about your mother, Rachel, I really am. But I’m not doing that. I just don’t want to use another man to get over Jack. Even if he’s okay with it, I’m not. When I move on, I need it to be because I can finally let him go, and I really think that maybe it’s good for me to be alone right now.”

  “Then, the next time Riley asks about you, I’ll tell him to go to the bar down the street and pick up some other chick,” she declared with a grin. “Blythe, I just want you to be happy.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. It turned out that the share-ride driver was right. We were okay, and I was so glad. I had no idea what I would do without my best friend.

  “And I want you to be happy. So, when are you going to ask out Carl!” I winked as I rolled off the desk and stood.

  “Never,” she shrieked as her cheeks reddened. “Seriously, I don’t think that he even likes me. He can barely look me in the eye. Where is he, by the way? Did you leave him out on the street when you came in today?”

  I cringed. “Actually, I told him that I was coming in late today so I could get a few minutes with you alone. He won’t be very happy when he finds out that I didn’t wait for him.”

  “I think that’s an understatement,” Rachel gasped as her eyes widened. “He’s going to be furious!”

  “Yeah. He’ll probably start bunking on my couch as punishment.” An idea formed in my head, and I grinned wickedly. “Maybe we should have some sleepovers.”

  Rachel snorted and shook her head. Just then, the door downstairs buzzed, and I wrinkled my nose. “I’m sure that’s him now. Throw yourself into his arms to save me, will you?”

  “You wish.” She cocked her head. “Actually, you should go get us some breakfast or something, and I can just take off all my clothes and have my way with him while you’re gone. That should put him in a good mood.”

  “I’m pretty sure the guilt of having sex while he’s supposed to be on the job would kill him,” I chuckled as I jogged down the stairs to let Carl in. To my surprise, it wasn’t him at the door. It was Riley.

  “Hi,” I said stupidly as I stared at him. “Did we know that you were coming into the office today?”

  That charming grin spread over his face. “No, but I wanted to see you again.”

  We hadn’t spoken about that night, and he’d been on his best behavior when we were together. In fact, he’d been so professional that I was a little worried that I’d made up the whole thing in my head, but from the way his eyes were raking over me, I knew that wasn’t true.

  “See me again?”

  “Yeah.” He waited a beat before he leaned in a little closer. Automatically, I took a step back, and he winked at me. “I had a great idea that I wanted to share with you.”

  My god, the man was smooth. “Phones work too. Rachel and I have a busy schedule, and we aren’t going to be at the office long.”

  “I won’t take long, I promise.”

  Dammit, I wanted to see less of Riley and not more. Taking a step back, I jerked my head. “Come on in, but make it quick!”

  “Has anyone ever told you that you’re a charmer?” he asked before he slid beside me and languidly walked up the steps. I told myself that I was not going to stare at his ass. Even if it did look good in a pair of jeans, I had my own great-looking ass waiting for me when this was all over with.

  Rachel’s jaw dropped open when she saw Riley, and she shot me a panicked look. “I know,” I interjected quickly. “We’re busy, but Riley said that he has an idea he wants to share with us, and he promised to be quick.”

  “An idea?” She narrowed her eyes, and I knew that she was doubting his intentions. “Great. What’s the idea?”

  “It has to do with Quincy. You said that he might be interested in helping you. I think between him and maybe some local galleries, we could have a fundraiser. Invite a few up and coming musicians. Have a swanky party right at the arts center.” He leaned against the desk, and I tried to ignore how completely at ease he looked in our office.

  “The art center?” I repeated. “The art center that’s currently under construction? I think the women might complain that the hard hats don’t go with their dresses.”

  “We’ll talk to the contractors and make sure that everything is up to code and safe. This isn’t something that will happen tomorrow. It’ll take some time. Maybe even months, but we’ve got some planning that we’ll have to do anyway.”

  Months? I realized what he was trying to do. He was consulting with us pro-bono, and he’d done an excellent job. In fact, I was planning on telling him that his services weren’t needed anymore. My life would be so much less complicated without him around.

  In that moment, I realized that I didn’t mind seeing him go, and I didn’t appreciate him trying to hang around. What I was feeling for him had nothing to do with him and everything to do with Jack. Riley couldn’t even compete with the love I had for my congressman. He was just an idea, an uncomplicated relationship, but even if I were single, it wouldn’t be anything more than a fling.

  The pressure eased off my shoulders, and I exhaled. “That’s a great idea, Riley. We’ll have to talk with Quincy about it.” I stepped back and swept my arm to t
he door. “Now, if you don’t mind, we have some things that we have to do.”

  His smile faded just a little bit as he stared at me. “All right. Walk me out?”

  “Sure.” Now that I’d settled through my feelings with Riley, his presence didn’t affect me anymore. He was handsome. He was smart, and I was thankful for everything that he’d done for me, but if he got too pushy, I didn’t mind kicking him out.

  This time, I led the way down the steps and held the door open for him. “Seriously, next time call. I hate to think that you wasted your trip today when all we could give you was a couple of minutes. Maybe even email me next time.”

  “Have dinner with me, Blythe,” he said suddenly as he stepped right in front of me and lowered his head. “If you’re nervous and it makes you feel better, we’ll take sex off the table.”

  Snorting, I put a hand on his chest and pushed him away. “First of all, sex was never on the table for us. I’m sorry, Riley. Maybe I sent some mixed signals, but you have to realize that I’m still dealing with a breakup. I might be flippant about it, but Jack meant something to me. When I see you, I sort of see him. I don’t say that to hurt you. I just wish I had an easy relationship with him like I could have had with you. Now that I know that, I know things aren’t going to work out between us, so I’d like to keep things professional.”

  His jaw hardened, and he pressed his lips in a thin line. A breeze swept in, and car horns honked, and it seemed to remind him that we were standing in an open doorway and weren’t alone. Slowly, he exhaled. “I appreciate your honesty. You’re a rare woman, Blythe.”

  “Does that mean that I can count on you to help me out professionally? Because if not…” I wasn’t exactly sure how to finish.

  “I believe in what you do here,” he interjected. “And I’m going to keep helping as long as I’m useful. Professionally.”

  We’d cleared the air, and things were good. “Thanks.” I stuck out my hand, and he shook it while giving me a wry grin. As he strolled out and down the sidewalk, I took a few moments to look after him and smile. I hadn’t felt this good in weeks.

  In seconds, that feeling shattered as a woman hurried up to the door with panic in her eyes. “Donna.” She was dressed in a pair of jeans, a sweatshirt, and a baseball cap. I almost didn’t recognize her. “What are you doing here? What if someone sees you?”

  “I have to talk to you. It’s important,” she whispered. “Please. I don’t know what else to do.”

  “Okay.” Taking her hand, I led her inside. “My assistant is here, but I’ll send her out for breakfast so we can be alone. Just tell me, is Jack okay?”

  “Yes, but I don’t know for how long.” Tears pricked her eyes. “I think we’re losing him.”

  19 Jack

  Carl sat quietly on the couch as he studied the floor. I’d been shocked when the guards had called to say that he was waiting for me, and now I was so unsteady on my feet that I had to sink into the chair. “You don’t break confidences like this,” I muttered. “Why would you tell me?”

  “I don’t trust him,” he said quietly. “I’ve tried to talk with her about it, but she’s not listening to me. I’m not saying that he’s part of the conspiracy that you’re trying to bring down, but I think you should know. If I wasn’t concerned, I would never tell you this.”

  “She told me about him,” I said as I closed my eyes and tried to ignore the jealousy rising inside of me. “She also said that it wasn’t anything. He was interested in her, and she was annoyed because she couldn’t tell him that she was single. Now you’re telling me that he kissed her?”

  “Almost kissed her,” Carl said quickly. “Let’s be clear about this, boss. She’s not cheating on you. She loves you. It’s written all over her face, but he’s a practiced manipulator. God knows what he’s whispering in her ear when I’m not around.”

  I clenched my fists at the thought of him being close enough to whisper anything in her ear. Since hearing Blythe’s confession, I’d tried to trust her. Blythe could handle herself, so I didn’t run a background check on him. I didn’t run any check on him. I trusted her.

  Now, that seemed like a mistake. I still trusted her, but I didn’t trust him anymore. “So, he moves around a lot. He’s a freelance consultant. That doesn’t mean anything.”

  “No, he doesn’t, and I can’t dig up anything dirty on him, but I’m telling you that there’s something not right. I’m not saying that I want you to get involved, but Blythe has been getting harder and harder to guard, and since I’m supposed to be sneaky about it, I can’t force her to stay with me. You should consider hiring someone else to watch her. Someone who’s more discreet. Maybe talk to Rachel and make sure that she never leaves Blythe alone.”

  “All right. I’ll see what I can do.” I swallowed hard. “And it was just an almost kiss? Did it look like Blythe was going to push him away?”

  “She loves you,” was all Carl said as he stood. “I know what you’re doing is important, but you need to look at the collateral. Even if no harm comes to her, she still might not be there when you’re done. Can you live with that?”

  I was quiet for a minute. I’d been wrestling what to do about the information that Donna had given me. Someone would approach me soon, and I’d been ready to turn them down. I didn’t have a plan B. I didn’t have a way to fix it like I did with Handan, but if this could speed things up, if I could close this by the end of the month, it would be worth it for Blythe. As long as too much time didn’t pass, I could right the wrongs I’d made.

  “Jack,” Carl said in a warning voice. “What are you thinking about?”

  “Just thinking about how I’m going to fix this.” I nodded my head to him. “Go see to Blythe, and thanks, Carl. I mean it. I’m glad you’re looking out for her.”

  He left, and I spent the day obsessing about it. I ran a check on Riley and found the same things that Carl had found. Riley bounded around from city to city and never stayed longer than a couple of years at a time. He’d only been in Miami for six months, but he did good work. Every business he worked for saw a turnaround either in their profits or their reputation.

  Blythe and I would need to have a conversation about him. She wouldn’t like it, but I couldn’t let this go. After texting her and asking her if she could come by tonight, I closed my eyes and waited, but her answer was immediate.

  She’d be there.

  There was no slinky dress when she arrived. She hadn’t taken the time to do her makeup or her hair. She was still in that same skirt she wore when she thought she had to meet with donors and a dress blouse. From the look on her face, I could tell that she knew this wasn’t going to be one of those nights where we rolled around in the bed and got a little messy.

  “Hi,” she said softly as she walked over to me and stopped short. After a moment of hesitation, she wrapped her hands around me and leaned up to kiss me on the lips. “It’s good to see you.”

  My heart pounded in my chest as I curved a finger over her jaw and tipped her chin up so I could get a good look at her face. “You’re unhappy.” I didn’t have to guess. It was right there in her eyes. Maybe Carl had told her what he’d told me, and she was here to tell me that she was falling for Riley and was leaving me.

  “Your mother came to visit me,” she whispered as tears pricked her eyes. “Jack, what are you doing? You can’t abandon your campaign. This is what you wanted. It’s what you were passionate about. It’s not worth it.”

  Fury whipped inside of me, and I stepped back before I squeezed her arms and left bruises. She wasn’t the one that I was angry at. “She had no right to do that,” I hissed. “No fucking right!”

  “She had every right, Jack! She’s worried about you, and you promised me that you would always tell the truth! You said that you wouldn’t hide anything from me!”

  “You want to talk about hiding things?” I barked. “Carl told me about your kiss with Riley. Funny how you left that out!”

  Her eyes wide
ned as her face paled. Holding out her hand, she shook her head and stepped back into the wall. “I never kissed him, Jack. I wouldn’t do that to you.”

  Placing my hands against the wall around her, I trapped her and lowered my head. “So, you were going to stop him?”

  “By the time I realized what he was doing, it was too late, but he didn’t kiss me, and if he had, I would have pushed him away.”

  “I think about you all the time, Blythe. I fucking think about you in everything that you do. You wanted to be by my side. You wanted to make this work.” Reaching up, I tugged the chain holding my ring out from under her shirt and showed it to her. “Do you even still want this?”

  “Damn it, Jack, stop! You think you’re scaring me? You don’t. I know that you’re angry, but I know that you would never hurt me.” She framed my face with her hands. “I love you, and I’m worried about you. We were talking about your campaign…”

  “I was talking about Riley.” I dropped the ring and brushed my lips against hers. “Tell me the truth, Blythe.”

  Her lips parted, and she let me in with a small moan. “We don’t have to talk about Riley because there’s nothing to talk about. There’s only you, Jack.”

  I believed her. I knew that Blythe would never lie to my face, and yet with my hands on her, I still feared that I was going to lose her. I was going to lose her to someone like Riley, who could offer her the things I couldn’t. Things like simplicity.

  “Does Riley make you want this?” I demanded as I hoisted up her skirt and pressed my fingers to her panties.

  “I haven’t touched Riley,” she growled as she pushed my hands away. “He hasn’t touched me.”

  Turning her around roughly, I slapped her hands against the wall and pushed up behind her, then began kissing her neck until she was pushing back against my cock. “That’s not the point, Blythe. You want someone like him? Someone uncomplicated, right? Tell me, does he make you wet?”