Bedmates

by Nichole Chase

  But since I’d announced that I was going to propose a bill, I needed to use some of the political training I’d received.

  “It’s an honor, Your Highness.” She held her hand out to him. “I’ve read a great deal about you and your wife’s charity work. You’ve done a great deal in your country to promote education about animals.”

  “Thank you.” Alex shook her hand. “Please call me Alex.”

  “And you must call me Laura.” She smiled and I wondered if his smile had the same effect on her as it did everyone else. She looked so calm and casual.

  “Laura, I think we have a lot in common. Would you care to talk while we dance?”

  “Only if you promise to not dip me.” She tucked her hand in his arm with a smile. “I’m not as flexible as Maddie.”

  “I’ll take good care of you, ma’am.”

  I caught a pair of narrowed green eyes glaring at me and I touched Alex’s arm before he could get away. “I think Ari would be thrilled to have a dance lesson after Senator Fletcher.”

  “I’ll keep my eyes open.” He winked at me.

  I watched as he led her out to the floor and other women sighed. He really was pleasant to look at and smarter than he was pretty. Turning to look for Ari I saw her making her way out of the room and I hurried after her.

  “Ari, do you have a moment.” She looked over her shoulder but didn’t stop. “Please, Ari?”

  “What?” She turned around so quickly that her hair fanned around her face and I hesitated. I knew Ari was thirteen but this was the first time I’d seen any hint of angst that came with the age.

  “I was going to ask a favor.” I took a step closer and realized that she’d had a growth spurt. I didn’t have to look down very far to meet her eyes.

  “Are you serious? First you get Jake. Now you got the Prince. What else do you want? My allowance?” She leaned forward and it was frightening to hear those words come from her suddenly smiling face. It was as if reality didn’t line up quite right.

  “What are you doing?” I pointed at her face. “You’re smiling while yelling at me.”

  “Mom doesn’t like it when I look angry in public.” Her smile slipped just a little. “I’d rather not spend the rest of my week being lectured about it.”

  “Ah. Yeah, I got that lesson too.” I moved a little closer and was relieved when she didn’t pull away. “I’m sorry about Jake. I didn’t know they were going to stick him with me for community service. Maybe you’d like to come out and help one day? Then you could spend some time with him and you’d see we really don’t talk that much.”

  “I can come out and help?” Her eyes widened.

  “Sure. We need all the hands we can get and I know that Jake has missed you.”

  “How do you know that if you don’t talk?” Her eyes narrowed.

  Damn. “Well, he mentioned during dinner.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “But that’s not the favor I was going to ask. Prince Alex asked me if I would get you so that he can dance with you.” Hope dawned on her sweet face. “See, there are so many people that he has to dance with, he didn’t want to miss out dancing with you.”

  “Really?” Her voice rose a little louder and one of the men near us looked up.

  “Yep. You need to be on the edge of the dance floor, ready.”

  “I can do that.” She started off toward the dancing but I grabbed her arm.

  “You know how these things go, Ari. Everyone is trying to get their picture with the Prince and Duchess. So, help him pick someone nice to dance with after you, okay?”

  “No problem. Belinda is here and I know she is a good dancer.”

  Belinda was on the Supreme Court and just happened to be Ari’s godmother. The woman was a saint, friendly, and would help pass the Prince off to someone else nice.

  “That’s my girl.”

  She started to walk off but stopped.

  “What is it?” I looked around worried. Had someone managed to snag Alex?

  “I’m sorry I yelled at you.” She twisted her dress around her finger.

  “It’s okay, you were right. Alex is dreamy.”

  “No . . . I meant about Jake. He’s different. I’m worried about him and you . . . I see the way he looks at you and how he talks about you. He likes-likes you.” Sadness crept into her gaze and I couldn’t help pulling her into a hug.

  “We’re all looking out for Jake. He’s been through a whole lot.”

  “People always talked about how you two would eventually grow up and get married.” Her lip trembled. “But I’m not ready to lose him again. Not yet, anyway.”

  “Whoa.” I backed up so she could see my crazy expression. “No one is talking about getting married. I haven’t finished college yet. And even if Jake does like me, that doesn’t mean we’ll get married. I mean, that’s a big leap.”

  “It’s fine if you get married. I love you. I’m just not ready yet, okay?”

  “No matter what happens between me and Jake, no one will take him from you. That’s not possible, because he loves you so much.” I squeezed her arm. “Okay?”

  “Yeah.” The music started to reach its peak and she wiped at her eyes. “Oh my god, I have to go.”

  Her tone immediately shifted into an excited squeal and she tore away from me. I watched as she situated herself next to the dancing couple and noticed that Jake was dancing with the duchess. They were both laughing, but as I watched his eyes darted in my direction and my stomach did a little dance.

  “Nice touch with Fletcher.” My father moved next to me and I jumped in surprise.

  “Thanks, Dad.” I couldn’t help but laugh. “He knew exactly what I was doing though.”

  “I’m not surprised. Alex is bright and quick on his feet. He’s going to make a good king one day.” He looked down at me and I immediately felt like a ten-year-old girl, awed by the love in his eyes.

  “I missed you.” I wrapped my arms around his waist and sniffed at the familiar smell of his aftershave.

  “Missed you too, Maddie.” His arms pulled me tighter against him and I let myself have a moment where he was just my father and I was just his daughter. “Are you still mad at me for sticking you with Jake?”

  “It’s my own fault.” I shrugged and pulled away, surprised by the mischievous glint in his eyes.

  “Little Ari doesn’t seem to think either of you mind working together. In fact it sounded like she said you were getting married.” He draped an arm around my shoulders so I couldn’t run away. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

  “Dad.” I frowned at him.

  “Not that I can blame the poor boy. You’re gorgeous, of course, brilliant, and completely unaware of it.” He leaned down and kissed my head.

  “That’s not true. You tell me those things all the time.” I couldn’t help but smile at him.

  “Still, I suppose it was only a matter of time. I should have made you guys do something harder so you wouldn’t have any energy left.” His eyes danced and I knew my cheeks were on fire.

  “Dad! Could you please keep your voice down?” I glanced around to see who was listening and wasn’t surprised to see everyone near us watching. “Jake and I are friends. That’s it.”

  I bit my lip. I didn’t lie to my father. Not ever. But friends was the only thing I could say for sure.

  “Really? That’s it?” His eyes danced and I fought to not roll my eyes. “If you say that’s it, then that’s it. Apparently, Little Ari misunderstood the longing looks and little touches at dinner. The floating hearts above your heads were from someone else. I get it.”

  I stood on my tiptoes and kissed his cheek before whispering. “President or not, I swear I will gut you if you don’t stop.”

  “You could try,” he mused. “Or you could pay me off with a dance. What do you say, sweetheart? Dance with your old man?”

  “I demand two dances and won’t take one less.”

  “I thought you understood bartering
better than that.” He threw his head back and laughed as he steered me toward the dance floor. “Very well. Two dances and not one less.”

  I knew how to barter better than he thought.

  I’d just scored two dances with the most important man in the room.

  My father.

  Chapter 10

  Jake

  The crowd was starting to thin out but there were still enough people to make for a loud room. A very loud and drunken room, which was wreaking havoc with my anxiety. The President and first lady were entertaining a few congressmen and their wives with small talk, but my attention was focused on the group sitting at a table in the back.

  Maddie was leaning close to the Duchess whispering between giggles while the Prince talked with one of the older senators and a Supreme Court justice. She looked so happy and carefree, it was a look I’d come to covet. I was envious that she was sharing it with other people. She haunted my thoughts all the time now. I hadn’t been able to concentrate on anything for weeks.

  The band was playing the music meant to send the remaining people away and the clock was not far from crying midnight. I looked to where my littlest sister slumped against my shoulder and smiled. She might be growing up, but she was still playing the part of Cinderella. I started to heft her into my arms to take her to one of the cars but she woke up before I could stand.

  “What are you doing?” She rubbed a hand across her eyes and smeared some of the makeup she was wearing.

  My heart gave a sad thump as I looked down at the mix of little girl growing into a woman. I’d missed so much while being in the Marines. Our middle sister was pre-med and away at college now. I hadn’t been old enough to appreciate having a little sister when I’d been home, but now I could see what all I’d missed.

  “I was going to take you home.”

  She pushed away from me and looked around the room. “I normally ride back with Mom.”

  “She’s gone to her office. There’s no telling when she’ll be done.”

  “I’ll be fine. I can crash with Bran or sleep on one of the couches.” She shrugged.

  “Aren’t you a little old to have a sleepover with a boy?” I frowned and looked around for Bran. At thirteen his hormones would be more than active and I wasn’t sure how I felt about him being around my baby sister. Especially alone at night.

  “Ew.” She scrunched up her nose. “That’s gross, Jake. It’s Bran. It’s not like he’s a real boy.”

  I bit my tongue and just shrugged. Bran was a real boy in all the ways I could think of, but I didn’t see how arguing was going to change anything.

  “I don’t want you to have to sleep on a couch. I can take you back home.”

  “Are you going to stay over?” She cocked her head to the side.

  “No. I’ll go back to my place in town. I’ve got to take care of Puz.” Having an excuse to get out of things had been an unforeseen benefit of having a dog.

  “That’s a waste of gas then.” She stood up and stretched. “I’ll get a ride with Beryl.”

  “Beryl?” My sister had a whole life I knew nothing about and I was starting to resent that I hadn’t been there to see her form it.

  “My agent. She’s cool.” Ari flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I’ll text Mom and let her know.”

  “Are you sure?” I frowned and stood up. I should be taking care of her, someone should be taking care of her. She had a family after all. “Is Caro still away at school?”

  “The last I heard she was at the farm. Not sure if Mom knew that though. She’d have insisted she come to the event.” Ari shrugged.

  The farm. That was our quaint term for a sprawling estate in West Virginia where our family raised horses.

  “Well, let’s not rat her out.” Caro hated everything about D.C. but had a hard time standing up to our mother; an even harder time than Ari and I did.

  “I wouldn’t do that.” Ari sighed and it sounded so much older than it should.

  “I know, monster.” I pulled her against me in a hug and leaned down to kiss the top of her head. “I know.”

  “You should talk to her soon, you know. I heard Mom talking to someone on the phone the other day. I think she’s going to try and get her to enlist.” Ari’s green eyes narrowed and my fingers tightened on her shoulders. “I don’t even know if Caro knows what Mom is planning for her.”

  “It’s not going to happen so don’t worry about it.” I hugged her again.

  “There’s Beryl, I’ll go ask her to get me a ride home.”

  “Text me when you get there.” I looked at her sternly.

  “Geez, overprotective much?” She rolled her eyes, but there was a small smile pulling at her cheeks.

  “Go get some sleep.” I pushed her toward a woman in a black suit. The female agent had short hair and was short enough that she wouldn’t stand out among a bunch of young females—as long as you ignored the gun under her jacket and the way her eyes scanned every person near Ari.

  “She misses you.” Maddie’s voice was soft.

  “I know.” I watched as she moved to stand next to me. “Are you done conspiring with your new friends?”

  “I told them I had to make good on a promise.” A soft smile curved her lips and I fought the urge to pull her against me and bury my face in her hair.

  “And what’s that?” Unable to help myself I reached out and touched some of the hair lying on her shoulder.

  “Well, I think the band is going to call it quits soon, but I think we have time for one dance.” She looked up at me with those bright hazel eyes that had been haunting my dreams and my heart jerked in my chest.

  “Wouldn’t miss it.” I held my arm out to her and led her to the dance floor.

  I nodded at the orchestra and they switched gears. The song was smooth, not too fast, and not too slow. There was commotion behind us and I realized that the Prince and his lovely wife were making their goodbyes.

  Which meant most of the people were not watching us as we moved across the dance floor. I lifted our joined hands and settled my other hand on her waist. I wasn’t as smooth a dancer as I’d been before the accident, but I was still confident. The doctors swore that I would eventually be able to do everything I’d done before without any snags.

  I stared down into Maddie’s bright eyes, watching as the golden flecks caught the light and sparkled, and the rest of the world melted away. As our bodies moved with the music and the sounds reached our souls it felt as though we were the only people left in the room. It should be impossible, but I was dancing with Maddie for the first time. Really dancing with her.

  I was all too aware of how small her hand felt in mine and the way she bit her lip and looked away as if she was nervous. I’d never forget how my hand felt holding her waist or the fact that I didn’t have to crane down to look in her eyes.

  There were no flashy dance moves between us; no twirls or dips. Instead we floated together as the music seemed to bind us, bringing our bodies into sync. I’d used to take great joy in spinning the women around the floor, but I wasn’t quite ready to test my leg and at the moment I wanted nothing more than to keep Maddie close to me.

  There would be no spinning this woman away. She fit against me too well.

  “You’re quiet tonight.” Her bright eyes peered up at me. “Tired?”

  “Not really.” I was tired but holding her was quickly giving me renewed energy.

  “All talked out?” Her hand on my arm tightened a little and I wondered what she was thinking.

  “About politics I am,” I sighed. “So much posturing.”

  “Then talk to me about something else.” She smiled and my heart beat a little faster.

  “I’d rather just look at you.” I reached up and touched her cheek. Despite growing up in D.C. there was so much innocence in her doe-like eyes. I’d thought of her as a fairy queen at the fund-raiser and now I felt entranced by her eyes. Her presence was like a magical balm for my mind and heart.

 
“You’re going to make me blush, Simmon.” And she did. Her cheeks pinked and I couldn’t help but chuckle.

  “What do you want me to talk about then?” I cleared my throat. I’d talk about whatever she wanted if it would keep her near me. I felt raw after a night at the White House being my mother’s show horse, and Maddie eased the burn.

  “Well, I don’t know. What was the last movie you watched?” Her cheeks were still pink and I felt my chest puff out a little knowing that it was because of me.

  “I haven’t gotten to any movies lately. I’ve been catching up on some television shows.” I looked as I heard the distinctive click of a camera. The royal couple had made their exit which meant the reporters were free to look for other stories. “I added Buffy the Vampire Slayer to the list, you know.”

  “You won’t be disappointed,” she said, and laughed. “So, other than television what have you been doing now that you’re back in the city and not gallivanting around on your mom’s behalf?”

  “Well, I have physical therapy and doctors’ appointments.” I frowned, not wanting to explain that I had to go to mandatory psych appointments. “Video games. I go to the gym a lot. I’ve also taken up swimming.”

  “Swimming?” Her brows furrowed and I fought the urge to rub the little lines away. We’d already caused enough trouble dancing alone with the reporters now free to watch.

  “Swimming.” I chuckled and let my thumb rub her lower back. “It’s good exercise.”

  “Do you need a special, er, attachment?” The red in her cheeks darkened. “That’s probably a stupid question.”

  “I’ve gotten a lot worse questions.” I pulled her a little closer. “I don’t need a prosthetic to swim, but I do have one if I’m going for something extra strenuous.”

  “And do you do a lot of marathon swimming?”

  “Not yet. I just started.”

  “I didn’t realize you were such a gym groupie.”