Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 108483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108483 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 542(@200wpm)___ 434(@250wpm)___ 362(@300wpm)
“You love those sports bras,” I say, walking her into the dining room. “We can’t keep that racerback in stock, and I think you buy half of them.”
She punches my arm harmlessly, painlessly. “You were supposed to bring me the new one, you big oaf.”
“I’ll have some shipped.” I chuckle and glance at the formally dressed dining room table. “Wow. You really broke out the heavy artillery for this one.”
“It’s important we start with a show of strength,” Mill says, her sweet mouth firming. “They’re all riding the Cade train to the White House. They should see what it means to be one of us.”
Funny. I couldn’t run from my name fast enough, and Mill couldn’t wait to marry into it. She’s completely a Cade. The perfect political wife. Anything about herself and her life before Owen that didn’t fit, she cast off without a second thought.
Owen and Mill don’t have an arranged marriage. I believe they love each other, but it’s a power match without a doubt. Her father, a former governor, has been grooming his pretty daughter for the White House for as long as our father has been grooming Owen. It doesn’t hurt that she’s probably smart enough to run the country herself in a pinch.
“So back to this woman, Lennix,” Millicent says. “Maybe having her around will calm you down some.”
If there is one thing that I’m not around Lennix, it’s calm. At least I wasn’t before. Who knows now? We haven’t been in the same room in ten years, and the last time we were together, I fucked her on a table.
“That’s doubtful,” I reply.
“What’s doubtful?” Owen asks from the dining room door.
“That Max’s new girlfriend will calm him down.”
“Girlfriend?” Owen frowns. “Who?”
“She’s talking about Lennix,” I say, tugging a strand loose from the disciplined pleat of Millicent’s hair.
“Maxim!” She shrieks and jogs over to the framed mirror taking up half a wall. “Now I have to fix it.”
“You know we talked about this, Max,” Owen says, his “big brother” face in full effect. He practically wags his finger at me. “You know Lennix’s conditions.”
“Conditions?” Millicent asks, turning from the mirror. “Which ones? What are they?”
Owen doesn’t want to know where he and Lennix can shove their conditions. It’s very dark there.
“She doesn’t want to work directly with Maxim because of their torrid past,” he says, pulling her into his side. “You look beautiful, Mill.”
“Why, thank you, O.” She beams up at him, all silky blond hair and limpid blue eyes. They’re basically POTUS Ken and Barbie. “But tell me more about these conditions and their torrid affair. I had no idea.”
“It wasn’t torrid. How many are we expecting?” I ask, deliberately sidestepping the irksome subject of Lennix’s conditions and our past.
“Well, it’s just the nucleus team,” Millicent answers, winking at me and mouthing, We’ll talk later. “And we wanted it to feel personal, so we said they could invite a significant other.”
“That’s nice,” I say, only half listening and a quarter interested while I check stock numbers on my watch.
“Most of them aren’t bringing anyone,” Owen says, hesitating for a moment before continuing. “But Lennix is.”
My head jerks up and I stare at my brother for an elongated moment while I make a conscious effort not to bare my teeth at him. I finally ask the question pounding at my temples. “Who?”
CHAPTER 39
LENNIX
“Are you sure about this?” Wallace asks, the question in his voice reflected in his expression.
“I told you a dozen times that tie is fine,” I say, reaching up to adjust the knot. “But good Lord, when I gave it to you, I never thought you’d mangle it. Where’d you learn to tie these? The Boy Scouts? This tie is Armani, and you made it look like I picked it up at the five-and-dime.”
“Not the damn tie, Lenny.” Wallace grabs my hand and pulls it away from his neck. “Me coming with you to this campaign thing.”
“Of course.” I slide my glance to the perfectly manicured bushes flanking the front porch of Owen Cade’s townhouse. “They said we could bring someone.”
“Someone? Like a random friend?”
“Random?” I overstretch my eyes and mouth with outrage. “You’re not random. You are the most on-purpose friend I have. Joe’s bringing Erin.”
“They’re married.”
“Howard’s bringing Bill.”
“They’re married.” He points to himself. “I’m not your husband.”
“Not for lack of trying on your part.” I grin up at him. “Come on, Wall. I neeeeeed you.”
“I’m your beard, aren’t I?” he asks, suspicion and realization lighting his eyes. “You’re betting Maxim Cade will leave you alone if he thinks you’re taken.”
“Exactly.” My smile comes and goes, and then I shake my head. “No! I mean, no. Not at all.”
He dips his head and looks at me knowingly.
“Okay. Maybe a little.” I put my hands over my ears. “Stop looking at me so loud.”