Capricorn_Mr. Ambition_The 12 Signs of Love

by Tiana Laveen

  “That’s not true. That’s not what I meant!” The woman turned red in the face.

  “That’s exactly what you meant. Ladies and Gents, hear ye, hear ye!” He grinned and placed his hand across his chest. “Yes! I, Chancellor Bahar Hartmann, of sound body and mind and having an embarrassing middle name, am dating Bailey Hawthorn!”

  “Good! Happy for ya!” someone yelled out. More laughter ensued.

  “Thanks!” Chancellor chuckled.

  “I like Bailey. Tell ’er I said hi!” someone else screamed out.

  “Will do! Shame though, poor Winnie here doesn’t approve. I’ll lose countless nights of sleep worrying about her opinion, I tell ya.”

  “I never said—”

  “She’s a bigot, on top of being a pervert, beggar, and a lousy neighbor. Lady,” he said, pointing at her, “and I use that term loosely, leave me, Bailey and everyone else the hell alone and mind your damn business. Worry about your own son who’s been in and out of jail for a multitude of charges, including robbery. Runs in the family, huh? Worry about your husband who probably can’t stomach listening to you for more than five seconds. Sorry again for the scene, everyone, but I’ve just about had it up to here with small-minded people, including sometimes myself. Enough is enough!”

  Waving a casual and dismissive goodbye, he turned his back on her and headed out the door with a big, proud smile on his face.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Flying High, Lying Low, Catch A Memory by Its Toe

  One month later…

  It had been like some sort of dream…

  Bailey stood in the airport with her luggage, waiting for Chancellor to pick her up from Mitchell Airport in Wisconsin. For the past three days, she’d been in California, at the Walt Disney Studio for an in-person interview. Not only had she landed the job, they’d asked her to stay over and take care of a few preliminary recordings for a movie about a talking cat that runs away from home to the big city. She must’ve called Chancellor a million times, holding the phone in one hand while jumping up and down on the hotel bed, acting a complete ecstatic fool.

  She waited outside now, the wind whipping through her hair. It was much cooler here than on the west coast, so she wrapped her long gray woven duster around her body as protection. Soon, he pulled up in his white Tesla. She raced to the car as he parked. Getting out of the car, he wrapped her up so tight in his strong arms.

  “You’re home! You look beautiful,” he said with a big grin before pressing his lips to hers.

  “I missed you!” She smiled hard as she gave him a peck on the nose.

  “I missed you, too.” After helping her inside the car, he put her bag in the trunk. Moments later, they were on their way back home.

  “California is nice, but it feels good to be back.” She stretched her legs, thankful for the heat blowing within the vehicle. “The weather was nice when I left. Looks like the temperatures have dipped again.”

  “Yeah, it’s only supposed to be for a couple days though, then back into the 60s.”

  “Cool.” She opened up a water bottle he had waiting for her in the car.

  “So, how was Bernie?” she asked after drinking some. She was almost afraid to hear his answer.

  “Bernie was great!” She sighed with relief. She loved the dog so much but understood at times he could be handful. “He walked me, licked water out of the toilet as if I’d never placed a bowl down for him, chased a squirrel for about half a mile, and turned over a couple of trashcans.”

  “Oh, no!” Placing her hands over her mouth, she stared at Chancellor in awe. The man kept his eyes on the road, but she didn’t miss the grin on his face. “Bernie? It couldn’t be!”

  “Yeah, it was good ol’ Bernie. He chewed up my favorite slippers, too. Well, actually only one of them, and then pissed in the other. He was upset because I wouldn’t give him another treat after he’d already had three in a row. Vindictive little crapper, isn’t he?”

  “You’re making this up! Bernie has never done my shoes that way! He’s not a puppy. That’s something a puppy would do.”

  “Well then, Bernie must’ve turned back the paws of time, because that’s exactly what happened. The big, fat, juicy cherry on top was him taking a nice steamy poop in Winnie’s front yard, but that was the highlight of my time without you, to be honest. I patted him on the head for that.”

  At this, Bailey burst out laughing. “Oh shit, I’m so sorry, Chancellor. He likes you… I have no idea why he did those things.”

  “He missed you … and he’s an asshole, just like his step-daddy.” She burst out laughing once again, and it felt so damn good. Folding her hands over her lap, she settled in, enjoying the smooth, contemporary jazz that poured out the radio, as well as the deep baritone sound of her man’s voice. Chancellor discussed what he’d done over the weekend—the menial tasks, but the way he described them to her was akin to watching a movie, scene by scene.

  “You know what? You have a really nice voice, Chancellor. I could see you doing some voice work.”

  “Pshhh!” He waved her off.

  “No, I’m serious. You have the type of voice they like for car commercials, and for action movie previews. You should totally look into it.”

  “I’ll leave that job all up to you.”

  “I don’t have a deep voice,” she teased. “I can’t do it. Seriously though, just think about it. Anyway, I’m glad that, with the exception of Bernie’s antics, you were well.” She yawned. “When we talked while I was away, I dominated the conversation… The excitement was too much for me.” She shook her head and smiled. Reaching over, he patted her hand, then clutched it in a sweet hold.

  “You deserve this, and you should be happy. You earned this opportunity ten-fold. Anything I can do to help you, just let me know. Now, sit back and relax. It’s late. We’ll be home in a bit.”

  She pushed her seat down in his luxury car, loving the smell of the thing. Chancellor’s natural scent mixed in with the leather—so damn good. He exuded masculine energy and everything about him screamed sophistication and ‘man of the hour.’ She closed her eyes and before long, drifted away somewhere soft and cozy, a black world that made her surrender to slumber with the greatest of ease…

  “Baby … baby wake up.”

  She shook her head and blinked several times, surprised to see herself in her own driveway. Chancellor had pulled up and parked his car, and was now looking at her with a kind smile on his face. Had she slept that long? After shaking her gently so she’d fully wake, he popped the trunk, got out of the vehicle, and removed her bag. By then she was on her feet, so ready to slide into some pajamas and hit the hay. Travelling always seemed to be a natural sedative for her; although there was so much she wanted to do and say before she went to sleep.

  Chancellor held her by the arm and led her into her home. Pressing her face against his shoulder, she just concentrated on breathing in and out for a spell. The quiet and peace were gifts she savored in their shared space and time. The silence was short-lived, though, for she soon heard scampering coming her way a mile per minute.

  “Bernie!” She sang the dog’s praises as he threw himself into her arms and jumped against her, whimpering and barking and licking her face with the zeal only he could administer. “I missed you, too!” She ruffled his ears then scratched behind them, giving her furry sweetie the affection he so deserved. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Chancellor hauling her luggage up the steps. Ten minutes later, she was soaking in a tub and peering out of a half-opened bathroom door. Bernie was plopped on her bedroom floor while Chancellor was lying on her bed, his hands behind his head and watching what sounded like a news broadcast.

  She tipped a glass of red wine to her lips then set it onto the tub, enjoying just taking them in, embracing the moment. As she flitted about within her own thoughts, Chancellor came and went. At one point, he let Bernie out to explore the back yard and do his deeds, and another time he brought up some hot tea. When
he appeared the final time, she was drying off. He sat on the side of the bed, his gaze tunneling through the ajar door and settling on her. Exchanging smiles with him, she slid on her robe and joined him on the bed, falling right into his arms.

  A bout of exhaustion mixed with mental excitement swarmed within her, making a strange brew. Tilting her face up, he gave her a hearty kiss, then pulled her closer to him. Her hands explored his chest, and she found herself unable to resist the touch. Trailing her fingers down, she wrapped them around his nature. She sat up and leaned over him; the flick of her tongue against the thick, heavy head of his cock proved delicious. Soon, she was consuming him, his grunts and moans spurring her own. With one hand she rubbed his shaft while with the other surrounded the base of his dick, keeping it steady as she plunged her mouth farther down upon him with each greedy gulp. When he appeared satisfied, she sighed and mounted him, steadying herself with palms pressed into his firm chest. Downy dark hairs covered his skin, adding to his masculinity. They looked into each other’s eyes as she jockeyed his hard cock, his shaft generous and the feel of his perfectly timed pelvic rotations and thrusts addictive. Slicking his thumb against her clit, he massaged her special spot, bringing her to the brink. He rose up to bury his head between her breasts and hold her tight, yet he never stopped pumping within her, taking over, moving steadfast and needy.

  “Shit, you feel so good!” he belted.

  She squeezed him tighter, her orgasm tearing her apart, piece by piece. He followed suit, a guttural moan and broken roar escaping his lips. Panting, their chests rising and falling, they smiled at one another and held each other impossibly tighter. He rocked her against him, then laid her flat on her back before draping his long, muscular leg across hers. With soft caresses of her cheek and collarbone, he regarded her with love and lust dancing in his eyes.

  “I’ve never felt this way about a woman in all of my life. You mean everything to me, Bailey. I am my most ambitious about you…”

  It was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do…

  Chancellor stood at the post office, the letter shaking in his unsteady grasp. All he needed to do was place the tri-folded correspondence into the pre-stamped envelope and send it on its way, but he hesitated. Pride was a hell of a drug…

  Tearing the damn thing up, he tossed it in a trashcan inside the post office and drove home. He burst through the door, grabbed his house phone, then paused. Adrenaline pumping, he simply stood there, chest heaving and the world spinning around him. On a deep breath, he dropped onto his living room couch like a sack of bricks, then dialed the number.

  “Hi Maddie, it’s Chancellor.”

  “Oh, uh, hi. Anthony isn’t here.”

  “Yeah, I know. I spoke to him last night. I am calling to speak to you, actually.” He kicked his feet up on the coffee table and stared aimlessly out of the window. Little buds and flowers were forming on the tree limbs.

  “Oh. Well, is everything okay?” his ex-wife questioned.

  “Yes, it’s fine. It’s great, actually. Look, I’m calling to do something that I find really hard to do, but need to do. I wanna tell you that I’m sorry, Madeline. I’m sorry for not being who you needed me to be, and I’m sorry for trying to make you be someone that you weren’t. I was wrong many times during our marriage. Some moments I knew this, and at other times, I didn’t realize it until later, if at all.”

  “Wow … what spurred this on? Do you have cancer or something?”

  He bit down a snappy response and swallowed it whole.

  “No, but I guess I deserved that sort of suspicion. I’m not ill; my life isn’t falling apart, either. In fact, things are going well for me right now, better than they have in a very long time. I just wanted to apologize to you and regardless of us not being necessarily good for one another, we had a great child together. That alone was worth a ‘thank you.’ Anthony is the best gift anyone could have ever given me.” He drew quiet for a spell, rolling around in his own thoughts as his heart beat that much faster.

  “He’s a gift to both of us. Well, Chancellor, I have no idea what to say. One part of me doesn’t even believe this conversation is happening.” She chuckled lightly. “The other part of me wishes I would have heard it sooner, but better late than never.”

  “Yeah…”

  “We both had our faults,” she said with a sigh. “I loved you though. I still do, actually. I just wish you’d worked as hard on our marriage as you did at your career. That’s all over now … water under the bridge.”

  “Yes, it’s done and over with, but I’m trying to learn from my mistakes. Did Anthony tell you that I’ve been taking an anger management class? It began as mandatory, but now I go of my own free will. It’s helped a lot, gave me some perspective. My last meeting is what actually caused me to want to contact you and do this.”

  “No, he didn’t mention that. He’s not much of a gossip, even if it is about one of us or the other.” She laughed. “Anger Management, huh? Interesting. Hey, whatever works, right?”

  “Yup, and it’s working. So, what have you been up to?”

  “Did Anthony tell you that I’ve been taking a kayaking class? Anger Management and kayaking … they’re pretty much the same.” At this, they both burst out laughing.

  “Nah,” he said, rubbing on his knee. “He didn’t mention it. “You always loved the water … boating, things like that. I’m not surprised.”

  “Yeah, it’s fun. Are you still running? Anthony said you won your last marathon, came in first place.”

  “Yeah, still running. It helps me stay fit and blow off some steam. Haven’t picked up the cigarettes again, either. Just, uh … just trying to embrace things differently, taking it day by day.”

  “I’m not sure what sparked this, but I’m happy for you, Chancellor. We didn’t talk much over the holidays, and it is way late now, but Happy Belated New Year.”

  “Happy New Year to you too, Maddie. And thanks for the time we shared together. It wasn’t all bad. I learned a lot about myself, through you. And I appreciate you for it.”

  “Thanks… It’s funny you should call me today, actually.”

  “Why’s that?” He got a bit more comfortable, now that he understood the conversation didn’t turn out as traumatic as he’d imagined it would be.

  “I was talking to Suzanne, and she told me she’d run into Lily…”

  “Oh, wow … well, that’s interesting.” He swallowed.

  “Chancellor, we don’t have to dance around the elephant in the room anymore. We both know, though you’ve never said it to me directly, that you wanted her and not me. It doesn’t matter anymore. What’s done is done. At the time I resented the whole damn situation. You were mine, well, physically, but your heart belonged to her and I just couldn’t take it. Admit it to me, Chancellor. I’m not angry about it anymore, I just want to finally hear the truth. You always told me the truth, but you wouldn’t touch the subject of Lily with a ten-foot pole and would become incensed when I’d bring her up. You were in love with her even after we got married, weren’t you?”

  “Yes. For years. It faded away eventually but by then, we realized we weren’t good for each other and we’d both changed as people.”

  “Thank you for finally addressing this. I just needed to hear it for some reason, not really sure why after all of these years I still needed that, but it helps me. It took you a long time to get over her and I resented her and you for it. I was younger then, unable to put things in the same perspective that I am now. Anyway, there’s another reason I brought this up.”

  “Oh? What’s that?”

  “I thought you’d want to know that she’d gotten married, now divorced. Has two teenage sons, too. She still looks beautiful, according to Suzanne. Do you uh … do you want her number, Chancellor? I’m sure I could get it for you since Suzanne said they exchanged contact information. Who knows? Maybe now that she and you are free agents again, you can rekindle what you once had.”

&nb
sp; Chancellor grinned and then burst out laughing.

  “What’s so funny?” He could hear the smile in his ex-wife’s voice.

  “No, that’s okay, Maddie. I don’t need Lily’s number, address or anything like that. We can’t go back in time, you know? Things happened the way they did for a reason I believe. I’m just happy to hear that she’s doing well. That’s great. That’s really awesome, actually.”

  “Well, okay. Not quite the response I thought I’d hear but I’ll let it go.”

  “I don’t want her information because she and I were a beautiful chapter that is now over. Secondly, I am in love with someone, we’re in a relationship and I have no need to look behind me when what is in front of me is so damn beautiful.” They were quiet for a moment, and he imagined Maddie was smiling.

  “You’ve changed, you know that? Now you’ve got me curious. Do you mind telling me what led up to you going to Anger Management, Chancellor? I’m glad you did and I am curious about the story behind it.”

  “Nope, I don’t mind telling you at all. It all began on my birthday, and things went quickly downhill…”

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Mom’s Ambition as a Do or Die Rider

  Bailey’s face hurt, she’d been laughing so hard. She sat beside her mother on the plush couch, looking at the lovely woman from various angles. It had been far too long since they’d laid eyes on one another. Mom looked magnificent in her jade green shawl, emerald earrings, and black velvet pants. A pair of thin-framed honey-tinted glasses seesawed on the end of her nose. She and her elegance had paid Bailey a visit at a moment’s notice, taking her by surprise.

  “Mom.” She shrugged. “I just had to wrap my head around it first, you know? It was … devastating. I’m glad you’re not too angry with me for keeping it to myself for a while.”