Total pages in book: 21
Estimated words: 19103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 96(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 64(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 19103 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 96(@200wpm)___ 76(@250wpm)___ 64(@300wpm)
“Well, um…” Her long medium brown hair is up in a high ponytail, and I want to wrap my hands around her and drag her to me, demanding she tell me why she disturbed my peace.
“Look…I don’t know what you want, but I’m not in the mood to be guessing.” God, she’s beautiful.
“My name is Taylor Phillips.” I slam my eyes shut. She’s heard about her father.
“I see. You’re here to try to seduce me and buy your father’s way out of jail time.”
“Oh no. God, no. I’m about to be nineteen, Sir.” I blanched instantly. Fuck me. She’s only eighteen years old. Ten years younger than me, but I still was tempted to take the fucking offer if she threw it up there. Maybe part of me was more of a politician than I thought. The more I thought about it, the more I shook the idea from my head. Ms. Phillips was younger than my sister.
“Well, that’s good because I wouldn’t bite, anyway. So, what do you want?” I questioned, hoping to change the subject and calm down my growing erection tenting the bedsheets.
“Well, I just wanted to apologize on his behalf. See, we just laid my momma to rest. Two weeks ago.” I closed my eyes again because we did the same, along with my mom and dad.
“Please go on,” I say, choking on my own grief.
“I know it doesn’t excuse anything, but it’s been a rough road for us. See, she wasn’t even supposed to be on that cruise. She’d just gotten a new job. We thought she was at work that day, but she and her boss had taken a romantic cruise together, along with another couple.” My parents, I think to myself.
I reached out and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Please don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry, Ms. Phillips.” Tears fill her tiger-shaped eyes. “Come have a seat over here.” I point to the chair next to my bed. She nods and moves to sit down, and I watch her every step, putting it down to memory. Fuck, she’s perfect but too damn young.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t come here to make you feel bad. Honestly, I just felt terrible about your situation. My father lost his mind a bit when he found out she’d been with another man.” I would, too. “He drank himself into a stupor.”
“So, we know what I was doing before our lives were uprooted, but Ms. Phillips, what were you doing?”
“I was in my first year of college working on my political science and business administration degrees.”
“Oh really? That’s interesting. Were you planning to run for office?”
“Hardly, but I have been working with the community affairs department in town, so I wanted to continue doing things like that.”
“You might have heard that I’ve been given the opportunity to run for office in Sweet Temptation.” She’s a sweet temptation, so why am I trying to know her better? This girl, of all women, should be off limits.
“So, this has knocked you completely off kilter?”
“You have no idea.”
“So, what did you want to say about your father's situation?” I might not be able to pursue her, but I am damn well going to protect her from this shitty life and hopefully help her get the career she wants.
She’s about to answer, but before she does, my lawyer arrives, walking in without knocking like he owns the fucking hospital.
“Admiral, I don’t recommend you have any conversations with Ms. Phillips here.”
“And why is that?”
“Because she’s the daughter of the defendant.”
“I’m aware of that. Did Ms. Phillips hit me with her car?”
“No.”
“Well then, that is none of your concern. Besides, I’m considering the suggested campaign run, and it will be good for my image if I play nice, won’t it?”
“That doesn’t seem wise, given her father’s predicament.”
“I’m actually recommending that his sentence be fulfilled in a mental institution or a rehab facility. He was not in his right mind at the time of the incident. His mental state was altered by the death of his wife.”
My lawyer purses his lips.
“But you lost your career,” he says.
“I’m on my way to a new one that may keep me close to my little sister and in my hometown. It’s not what I wanted, but I have to make the best out of a terrible situation. I lost my parents in that same damn accident as her mother, so I know the heartache they both feel. As angry as I am with Mr. Phillips, I don’t hold it against his daughter and sympathize with him.”
“Very well. I will inform the judge of your wishes.”
“Thank you.”
He steps out, turns around, and then comes back in. “Oh, and there’s a woman here who says she’s your campaign manager.”
“Yes, please send Ms. Granger in.”
“It was nice to meet you, Ms. Phillips. I hope you can return to your studies and heal from the loss,” I say, gently squeezing her hand.