The entrance to the house was impressive but impersonal. Brushed aluminum railings lined the edge of the concrete walkway, which was lined with up-lit palm trees that made the whole place seem more like the entrance to an office building rather than a home.
The front door was all glass framed by a few inches a light colored wood that seemed so much taller then was necessary. I’m sure even the tallest NBA player could easily pass through with a foot or two to spare.
I was just about to knock when my phone rang. I rummaged through my purse to retrieve it. Finally, I pulled it free and glanced at the screen.
“Bryan? I’m right outside. I was just about to knock.”
“Knocking won’t do you much good, I’m afraid. I’m still at the airport.”
“You are?”
“My flight’s been cancelled. I’m trying to get on another one tonight, but it’s not looking good. It will most likely be tomorrow morning before I can get there.”
“Oh.” I walked back toward the driveway to see if the car was still there which, of course, it wasn’t. “I guess I’ll just call the car to take me back to the city.” I sighed in relief. After spending the entire ride looking for a reason to get out of this weekend, Bryan had served up the perfect excuse on a silver platter.
“No, stay. The code is four two three five. Please make yourself at home. The fridge is stocked. There’s wine in the pantry and scotch in the bar. Stay, enjoy yourself, and I will be there in the morning.” Shit!
“Really, Bryan. It’s not a big deal. I can just…”
“Please, Madison. Stay. I wish I could be there to greet you, but please make yourself at home. I will make this up to you tomorrow, I promise.”
I was already uncomfortable with the idea of spending the weekend in his beach house in the first place, and now I was going to be spending the night in his beach house by myself. At least alone was better than alone with him.
I took a deep breath. “Okay,” I said. I was already there. I guess there was no point in heading all the way back into the city.
“Thank you. Enjoy your night, and I will see you in the morning.”
We said our good-byes and hung up. I headed back to the front door and typed the key code into the panel by the door. I breathed a sigh of relief when I heard the lock click and the light turn green.
The inside of the house was obviously designed for a bachelor. The house was an open floor plan with everything from the kitchen cabinets to the throw pillows done in various shades of gray. The floors were poured cement polished smooth and gleaming. The walls were a stark, bare white, leaving the wall of windows facing the ocean as the focal point.
I set my bag down by the couch and slid open the thick glass door that opened on to the large back deck. The wind blew my hair away from my face as I gazed into the clear night sky and listened to the gentle roar of the waves just beyond the sand. I could barely make out the white caps of the waves just before they crashed against the shore. This might not be so bad.
I found myself a cozy guest room upstairs. The bed was huge and covered in fluffy white pillows and blankets. I pulled out a pair of cotton pajama pants and my favorite long sleeved t-shirt. The fabric was soft and worn from years of being washed, and the neck was stretched out so it hung off one shoulder. Once I was dressed and comfortable, I headed back downstairs in search of food and booze.
Bryan wasn’t kidding about the fridge being stocked. I hit the jackpot with some fresh cheese, grapes, and thinly sliced prosciutto. I found a nice bottle of red wine and some crackers in the pantry and carried my haul out to the back deck.
I sipped my wine and stuffed myself on cheese and fruit, allowing the sound of the waves to carry the tension from my body back out to sea with them. I was enjoying myself and very relaxed, so much so I was starting to nod off. I willed myself awake long enough to clean up and make it up the stairs before crash landing into the downy softness of the enormous bed in the guest room. I snuggled deep under the covers and was out in no time.
Chapter 24
Sean
I stopped at this little beach bar a few miles from the house. Access to the beach house on Martha’s Vineyard was the one and only perk of this little arrangement with my father.
The bar was empty except for a few drunk college kids and a fisherman named Bud. I tossed back shot after shot of tequila, washing it down with a corona or two as I shot the shit with Bud for a while.
Bud had an eye patch and was missing two fingers on his left hand. We got along great for a while, but as the night went on the tequila brought out the pirate jokes and Bud was less than amused.
The bartender called me a cab and I slurred some vague directions, which luckily the driver seemed to understand enough to get me to the right place. I tossed a twenty through the window and stumbled out of the car.
I shifted my bag on my shoulder. I may have been too drunk to drive, but I wasn’t too drunk to remember my luggage.
I made my way up the stairs. The house was dark, but the glow from the landscape lighting was just bright enough for me to be able to make out the shape of the key pad.
After a few failed attempts, I managed to punch in the key code and open the door. I let my bag fall heavy to the floor and headed to the kitchen.
Pulling open the fridge, I squinted in the bright light as I searched for something. I wasn’t sure what, but I wanted something. Cheese. Cheese was good.
I reached in for the cheese when a guttural cry pierced the silence. “What the…” I slammed the refrigerator door just as a blurry figure knocked me hard to the floor.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said, trying to fend off my attacker.
“Sean?”
My eyes snapped open at the sound of her voice. Relief spread through me, followed closely by confusion. “Jesus, Madison. You scared the hell out of me.”
“Me?” she asked. “You’re the one lurking around in the dark.”
“In my house,” I pointed out. “What are you even doing here?”
“I was invited,” she said, lowering the vase I hadn’t even noticed she was holding. Shit, that thing looked like it would’ve hurt. Then her words finally sunk in. She was here for him. She was invited here to spend the weekend with my father.
I sat up, moving her off of me, and got to my feet. “Perfect,” I said. “Just fucking wonderful.”
She got to her feet, putting some distance between us. She bit her lip and refused to meet my eyes. So this was it, I guess. She’d chosen him.
I pressed a hand to my chest, trying to ward off the pain spreading through my body.
“I’m going to tell him,” she whispered.
I laughed. “Make sure you tell him the part where I told you I loved you and you took off. He’ll love that.”
I pushed past her and headed straight for the bar.
“That’s not fair,” she said, her voice low.
I laughed, pouring myself several fingers of scotch. “You want to talk about what’s not fair? How about being ordered to a charity event, only to see my father making out with my girl.”
She sighed. “We weren’t making out.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. What did they call it back in your day? Necking?”
Madison flinched, and I immediately regretted my words. It was a low blow. The age difference was a huge thing for her, and I just played right into her biggest insecurity.
I closed my eyes and ground my teeth. I hated the sadness in her voice, and I really hated the fact that I was the one who put it there. My asshole filter was on the fritz and flooded with tequila for the moment. I couldn’t control it. There I was, standing in my father’s beach house, the same father who’d basically blackmailed me into playing the happy family for his clients. I was in no mood to have a mature conversation. I was alternating between pure mind fucking rage and the desperate need to touch her, to feel her skin against mine just one more time.
“You’re acting like I was trying to hurt you,” she sai
d, her voice trembling and thick with tears.
“Maybe you weren’t, but I wouldn’t put it past him.” I drained my glass and set it down on the wet bar.
“You don’t really think that, do you?”
I shrugged. “Wouldn’t be the first time he’s fucked me over.”
“Sean,” she said as she reached for my arm.
My skin lit from her touch. Warmth spread up my arm. It was too much. I wanted to kiss her, and scream at her, and fuck her until she begged to me to stop, but instead I wrenched my arm away and backed up.
“So, tell me, beautiful. Which do you prefer, the new model,” I said, gesturing down my body like a game show model. “Or the classic?
Her eyes narrowed as angry tears rolled down her cheeks. Her beautiful face twisted into a scowl. She took two steps toward me, closing the distance between us, and slapped me hard across the face. My head snapped to the side on impact, a hot sting spreading like fiery fingers across my cheek.
I turned to face her. Her eyes were bright and full of fire, her breath coming hard and fast as she watched me.
I didn’t think, I just acted. Reaching for her, I pulled her tight against my chest and kissed her hard. I pushed my tongue roughly past her lips and dug my fingers into her hips. I put everything into that kiss—the anger, the frustration, the agony I’ve felt every day since that god damn ball. I wanted her to feel what I felt. I needed her to feel it.
She kissed me back at first, melting into me like she always did as I nipped and tasted her lips. I could feel the moment she started to think. Her body tensed, and she pushed against my shoulders, trying to break free, but I couldn’t let go. She fought me, and I held tight. If this was the last time I would ever feel her lips against mine, I needed to make it count.
With both hands pressed firmly into my chest, she shoved me away, finally succeeding in breaking the kiss. She backed up and held her hands up between us to warn me off. Both of us were breathing heavy, staring at each other, the anger and tension like a thick wall between us.
“You’re drunk,” she said. I just stared, anger and hurt coming off me in waves. “Get some sleep,” she demanded. “We can discuss this in the morning, like adults.”
Slowly she took two steps backward and turned, racing up the stairs. I watched as she disappeared and flinched as the sound of a door slamming echoed through the empty house.
Everything that had happened between us slammed hard into my chest. I backed up and slid down the cold wall behind me. I dropped my head into my hands and ran my fingers through my hair. The loss of her made it hard to breathe. I didn’t know what to do, how to move forward without her. Nothing felt right any more.
***
At some point, I managed to drag myself upstairs and into bed. I woke up, the sun blinding me as it shone bright through the windows. I rose up on my elbow and rubbed my eyes, cursing myself for not closing the curtains last night.
I got up and headed to the bathroom, using the last of my strength to brush the taste of stale booze from my mouth and take a couple of aspirin.
I made my way down stairs, the scent of fresh coffee leading me like a bloodhound toward the kitchen. I poured myself a cup and leaned against the counter, taking a sip of the rich, nutty flavor laced with much needed caffeine.
The sliding glass doors that led out to the deck were open. The cool, salty breeze spread through the house and brushed against my face. I looked out the open door to where Madison sat in a deck chair, staring out at the waves.
I watched her as I sipped my coffee. I’d fucked up last night, more so than ever before. I acted like a complete dick. A small part of me had wanted her to feel what I was feeling, the hurt, and the betrayal. Regret sat on heavy on my chest.
Madison unfolded her long perfect legs and stood up, turning to head inside. She froze when she saw me leaning against the counter, and my jaw tightened.
Suddenly the contents of my coffee cup were intensely fascinating as I dropped my eyes to the murky blackness.
“Good morning.” She headed to the sink to rinse out her cup.
I scoffed. “Is it?” Damn asshole filter was still on the fritz.
She braced her hands on the counter and sighed. “Is this how things are going to be from now on?”
I set my cup down hard on the marble counter top and faced her. All the hurt and anger from last night bubbled to the surface, my body tense and hot as I stared into her cool blue eyes. “That all depends on you, sweetheart.”
She sighed and stood up straight, folding her arms across her chest. “What do you want from me, Sean?”
My eyebrows narrowed and the muscles in my shoulders tensed. “Are you serious?” She didn’t respond, just shifted her jaw and looked away from me, fighting back tears.
I slammed my fist down hard on the counter. “God dammit,” I roared. Madison jumped at my outburst and swallowed hard, blinking away the tears in her eyes. “I want you. I thought I made myself pretty fucking clear.”
“I told you,” she whispered. “That’s not what this was. I was honest with you from the start. It was about sex, Sean. That’s…”
“Bullshit!” I said. “You convinced yourself that’s all this was, but you know it as well as I do this was never just about the sex, Madison. What we have is real. At least…it is for me.”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
I scoffed. “Yeah. You’re so sorry, you decided to spend a romantic weekend with my father.” Sarcasm dripped from my lips as I spoke.
“That’s not what this is.”
I pushed off the counter and fixed her with a hard glare. “Then what the fuck is it, Madison?”
Her eyes dropped as she picked at her fingers. “It’s a work thing. My boss and his wife will be here later today.”
I laughed. “So, it’s a couple’s weekend with your boss,” I said, my voice hard. “How sweet.”
She shook her head and looked up at me. Her eyes were sad and empty. I hated it. I hated myself.
“I don’t want to fight with you,” she said, rubbing her eyes.
“Well, you sure as shit don’t want to fight for me either.”
The high pitch beep of the keypad rang through the house, and we both froze. The door opened, and footsteps sounded down the hallway. My jaw clenched. I leaned forward, gripping the counter as he approached.
My father turned the corner. He smiled when he saw her. Then his eyes landed on me, and his face fell.
“Sean,” he said. “What are you doing here, son?”
His eyes darted between Madison and I as he waited for an answer. “Am I interrupting something?” he asked.
I looked up at Madison. Her eyes were wide and full of panic. I laughed and tapped a fist on the counter. “Not at all,” I said. I turned to face her. “We’re done.”
I turned and shouldered past him and headed back up the stairs to my room, slamming the door behind me and my fist into the wall.
Chapter 25
Madison
Bryan watched Sean disappear up the stairs before he turned back to face me. I wiped a tear from my eye and forced a smile to my face. “How was your flight?” I asked.
“Fine,” he said. He studied my face as I did my best to try to keep myself from falling apart.
Bryan narrowed his eyes. “Did he say something to you?” I shook my head, and he sighed. “I’m sorry, Madison. I didn’t know he would be here. My relationship with my son has been strained, at best. I’m sorry if he said or did anything to upset you.”
“No,” I said. “It’s fine.”
“It’s not.”
Bryan stepped toward me and ran a hand down my arm. I did my best to remain still even though my instincts were screaming at me to move away from his touch. “I’ll talk to him. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable. This weekend was meant to be fun.”
I looked up at him, a sweet smile spread across his lips. He looked so much like Sean, but at the same time he wasn’t. My heart sank and
tears pricked behind my eyes, threatening to fall at any minute.
The sound of footsteps stampeded down the stairs and Sean rounded the corner, his eyes landing on Bryan’s hand, which was still resting on my arm. He was dressed, his jacket clutched in his hand, his knuckles red and irritated. He glared at us, his fingers turning white as his grip tightened on the jacket. He turned quickly on his heel and headed down the hall. I flinched as the sound of the door slamming echoed down the hallway.
Bryan sighed and looked back at me, his hand moving up my arm once again.
I looked around and finally stepped out of his reach. “Can we sit?” I asked. “There’s something we need to discuss.”
Bryan’s brows pulled together as he nodded.
We made our way to the living room, and Bryan took a seat on the couch as I settled into a chair across from him, trying to put as much space between us as possible.
Bryan frowned and stayed quiet as he waited for me to begin.
“Sean and I…” I started, then paused to clear my throat and steel my nerves before I continued. “We’ve met before.”
Bryan nodded.
“We’ve been seeing each other for a few weeks.”
Bryan’s expression never changed. He stayed still, lips tight and muscles stiff as I told him everything, about how we met, how things ended just before the ball, then how I found out that he was Sean’s father. Through it all, he never said a word.
When I was done, he nodded. “So this morning…” he said, letting the question hang in the air between us, not really wanting to hear the answer.
“I’m so sorry. After I found out, I panicked. I’ve worked so hard on this project and I didn’t know what to do or say, but you had to know the truth.”
“Do you have feelings for him?” he asked. I didn’t answer. “My son. Are you in love with him?”
“I…” I stammered. I’ve been asked this question before. Margot, Liam, they both asked me point blank and I said no, but for some reason, as I sat there with Bryan staring at me, waiting patiently for an answer, I couldn’t say it.
Choosing Happy (Madison Square #2) Page 25