Next time she’d turn this phone off and let herself relax. She left the glass untouched on he side table and peeked out the window. “He’s not the future president, and we’re not dating.”
“You were on his yacht.”
She played with the blinds as she stared out into the street. No one was here. It was nice to be away from the crowd, and honestly, if Gerard and her were able to date, she’d be happy. “Our families knew each other, though I do hope he wins.”
Angela giggled. “Dating him is that good? You’ve needed a good time in bed since I knew you.”
“It’s more than that. He suffered too much…” Because of my sister. She didn’t finish her sentence. The words didn’t come out.
Angela didn’t seem to notice. “Sex is important in any relationship. Anyone who denies that is lying.”
Angela kept Nicole’s life in perspective. She was awesome. Nicole’s cheeks burned as she imagined sex with Gerard. She shook off the image of his naked chest. “This is about who I am and what I want.”
“What do you want? To pick out the next set of dishes for the White House dinners?”
She almost dropped her glass, and a drop of wine went down her hand. “No. That would be a boring life.”
“Oh yeah. Nicole Wyman gives up the big party life.”
“I never party.”
“I know.”
Angela knew how Nicole spent most nights reading a book or a screenplay. “Hollywood men lack passion.”
“Rich women dig senators for power. It’s how the world works, and you deserve to have what you want. You work harder than everyone else.”
No, not that pep talk. If she dated Gerard, they’d have to seem secure. She’d never hurt his chances. “Maybe you’re right and sex is all I need.”
“Liar.”
“Gotta go. Have fun at the beach,” Nicole said quickly, and hung up after fast goodbyes. If she helped his campaign, then she’d help him win. It was in her heart.
The fire crackle sent a spark through her. She made her final decision. She dialed the hospital. The doctors had to keep the television off for the next few weeks.
Night came into the sky and stars dotted everything.
The nurses agreed easily, but offered to let her speak to Stella.
The moon’s crescent peeked over the trees in the distance as she was finally connected to her sister. Stella asked, “Why did you put me in the hospital?”
Nicole closed her eyes and remembered three years ago, when Stella was a danger to herself. “You need the support. We agreed it was in your best interest.”
“No.”
Of course not. Stella never remembered details she didn’t like. A sigh escaped Nicole. It was one of those nights, apparently. “Are you feeling okay tonight, sis?”
“I was thinking about Sebastian.”
Nicole flinched. “Your drug dealer?”
“He was my only real friend.”
No need to let her blood pressure build. Nicole took in a deep breath and kept her tone light. “What were you thinking?”
“I miss our old life, back in the parents’ house.”
Sebastian would never have befriended her if her father hadn’t been fighting cancer. But Nicole would not try to rewrite the past. “I’m sure you do. Stella, I want you to do everything Doctor Reyes says. How about soon we eat lunch together?”
“I’d like that. Night, Nicole.”
At least tonight was easy. “Good night, Stella.”
She hung up and went to bed.
***
At a frantic pace, Nicole took a fast shower and chose her outfit. Gerard would pick her up in two hours. She picked up a red dress and a blue one. The red clung, but the blue Grecian style was easy to dress up or down. She chose the blue and then a pair of stylish wedges and a chunky bracelet.
She stared in the mirror and nodded. She’d offer officially to help on his campaign in public relations and be his, if he wanted. If he said yes, then she’d get to use her marketing degree.
She raced around her house and unpacked her clothes into various drawers.
Suddenly her phone went off. She glanced at the clock—it was almost time. Then she stared at her screen and smiled. It was a text from Gerard. Good morning. Be there soon, Nicole.
She held her phone on her heart. Then she texted back, Looking forward to breakfast and you.
Me too. I’ll be on time.
Good. A man should be on time for me.
I always keep my promises.
As she dropped her phone in her pocketbook, she giggled. Then her phone rang. She picked it back up, and her heart seemed to fall to her stomach. “Stella.”
“Nicole.”
The bitterness in her sister’s voice was palpable. Last night she’d been so nice. Nicole swallowed. “I’m super busy at the moment, sis…”
“I hate you. You were my sister.”
She closed her eyes and swayed on her feet. “You are not supposed to use negative words like that, Stella.”
“You are dating my boyfriend.”
Someone had let her see something. The nurses needed better records. “Gerard and I have nothing to do with you.”
“He’s mine.”
Her father’s voice replayed in her head, how she had to be the glue for the family and be brave. Her hands clenched. “No, he’s not. I will talk to the doctors about how you are being delusional. You don’t know fact from fiction.”
“I’m better off without a sister. Never come and see me.”
If only it were that easy. A promise was a promise. The phone clicked off. She gulped until her mind stopped its whirlwind. With nothing else to do, she found her tablet and did a quick search for Gerard.
Something had to be there about the two of them. Nicole tapped her cheek with her finger and left the tablet on the chair beside her. Good public relations meant showing the world he was a sweetheart and stable. They were not going to be unstable and break up in a few weeks, if he agreed.
She bit her lip and made a spur-of-the-moment decision. She picked up her phone and called the local news. On the second ring, she told Channel Seven, “Hi. I’m Nicole Wyman. I saw your piece on Gerard Collins. Would you like to come to my house for an interview?”
“We’ll be there in an hour.”
She hit the end button. Gossipmongers rushed like vultures.
She hummed as she went back to the bathroom to freshen her makeup.
The knock at the front door as she applied her last layer of lipstick meant the television channel was fast.
As she glided to the door, she ensured every part of her appeared to glow on camera. She threw open her door and smiled. Light flashed in her face as she took the three steps to her left, which gave her the perfect lighting. As her vision cleared, she saw other news vans with the one she called. She made her way toward the reporters with the microphones and said, “Gerard Collins is both stable and salt of the earth. We’ve known each other most of our lives, and he will be the best senator we’ve had in years. He’s smart, intensely devoted to justice, and not corruptible. He has won my vote.”
The words flew out of her.
Then a reporter asked, “Are you dating Gerard Collins, Ms. Wyman?”
She smiled. “He’s an old family friend. I grew up in this house. Our families went to church together and he was in my sister’s class.”
The female reporter’s eyes narrowed. “So you’re not sharing his bed?”
His Aston Martin parked onto the street, early. Her face heated as he stepped out of his car. Another reporter rushed toward him and asked, “Are you here to pick up your date, Mr. Collins?”
Her face was so hot. She’d probably blushed. She swallowed and stared at him.
His brown eyes held a storm of emotion as he ignored the crowd and came barreling right toward her. He took her hand and she waved at everyone. She looked down.
“Let’s go inside now, Nicole.”
She nodded an
d squeezed his hand as she said, “Gerard Collins is the best choice to send to Washington to represent us. I trust him, and in my world very few people are good, honest people. He’s a rare exception.”
He opened her door and waited for her to follow behind him. The moment she had, he slammed it closed. She took a deep breath as he ran his hands through his hair. “Nicole, aren’t you leaving today for California?”
She shook her head and took both of his hands in hers. Her heartbeat was loud as she said, “I’m staying here.”
His fingers intertwined with hers, and she longed for another kiss. The noise of the reporters outside faded as she stared into his eyes.
Right now they had to talk.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Gerard
“I’ll make us coffee while we wait for everyone to leave, Gerard.” Nicole tugged her hands free. Her skin against his sent his pulse into overdrive.
No words formed in his mouth. He’d fail at being a lawyer against her.
She walked into the kitchen, her hips swaying. He stared at her grace. Being with her in public might sink his chances, but she might bring him happiness. Also, she might ask questions. Her questions would lead to the bigger question, and if he told her about Liam’s investigation, surely she was too far out of the center to be threatened. His collar became tighter.
Then his phone rang. He picked it up without looking. “Hello.”
Barnie squealed. “Your poll numbers nearly doubled overnight.”
How? Celebrities normally hurt campaigns, and he’d been photographed with Nicole everywhere. This made no sense. He stared at the kitchen door. “I told Imogen Ramos no.”
“She told me.” Barnie sucked in his breath. “Nicole Wyman is on the news with you right now. She’s a good reason to say no to Imogen.”
A good reason was because a man should marry for love. “Why?”
“Let me run some numbers on how she affects this campaign long term.” In the background, Gerard heard Barnie’s television, and a newscaster speculating on Nicole and him. He rubbed his chin as Barnie said, “She’s America’s sweetheart these days, and I don’t remember any scandals. She’s doubled your numbers overnight, but let me research the numbers and analyze how this works for November. So far she’s a great choice for a wife.”
“Wait.” His voice grew higher. “I’m winning?”
“Your poll numbers are up.”
Nothing made sense. His mind spun. It was already October. The election loomed, and Nicole brought him hope.
Nicole walked back into the room with two cups of coffee. She smiled and handed him one. “That’s great news, Gerard.”
Had she heard Barnie just now? Gerard swallowed. “Barnie, we’ll talk later.”
“Bye.”
If she heard the numbers, then they had to have a talk. He’d not marry her to win. He’d marry Nicole to find out if they were meant to be. Gerard ended his call, flipped open the blinds, and saw that the reporters still stood on the sidewalk. He closed the curtain. “Do you often live like this?”
She placed her cup on a coaster on the coffee table and stirred her drink. “Like what?”
He walked toward the sofa. “Surrounded.”
“No, not really.” She shrugged and then pointed at the seat next to him. “What do you want to do while we wait?”
As she scooted to give him room, the room shrank. His impulse to claim her hit him hard and fast. He stared at his coffee. “This is black.”
“I didn’t know you like sweet.” She stood and walked to the kitchen. He followed her. He hadn’t meant for her to serve him.
She swung open the door, and he placed his hand on hers. The small brush of her skin sent a current of electricity through him as the smell of vanilla overwhelmed him. “I’ll do it. I want to add a small splash of milk, Nicole, just to change the color, and stop the lectures I get for keeping everything in my life black.”
“Your mother?” Her eyebrows quirked as she took her hand out of his.
She stood next to the door. Her big doe eyes followed him, and every cell in his body was awake. He slammed the refrigerator door closed harder than he expected. “We have to talk.”
She nodded then turned and returned to the couch. “Yes, we should. I want to help you in the campaign.”
He sat next to her. “I want to date you and find out how deep my feelings can go with you.”
“Me too.”
“I can’t ask you to give up Hollywood and your life.”
Her voice held innocence. “I wasn’t happy with movies anymore, and this is my home. I need to be here and breathe the air. So I am going to help you win your campaign, and I too want to explore the possibility of an ‘us.’”
“This might be a bad idea, Nicole.” He pressed his finger to his chin. “I want to win and help the world. Barnie is running the numbers on us. We’re already being speculated about.”
She tilted her head. “I work in film. My life is always speculated about. I don’t care. Do you?”
The conversation change caused his head to spin. “No. I guess I don’t.”
“You must. It’s an interesting tell.” She reached out and took his hand. “So I’m staying either way, and I can officially or unofficially help. It makes no difference to me.”
Again he had no words. He gulped his coffee. She sipped hers and then took his glass and placed in the sink.
Birds chirped outside. She flipped her hair and stared at him. “The press is gone. Do you want to get that breakfast now?”
“Lunch at this point.” He closed his eyes. His heart hammered in his chest as he opened them. “Are you sure about all this, Nicole?”
She froze. “Yes.”
He leaned closer. “Are you sure you want to date me?”
She turned to her side, and he stared at her profile. “For now, I suppose, but let’s just go now. I want to enjoy the day, outside.”
“Is that all you want to do right now?”
She sighed. He wrapped his hands around her waist and lowered his mouth to claim her lips as his own.
She tasted better than anything he’d ever tasted. Something fundamental inside his heart opened. Nicole Burns was a keeper, and she tasted better than vanilla ice cream.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Nicole
Nicole’s lips tingled, and every cell in her body was alive as Gerard held her.
The world no longer mattered.
The moment their kiss ended, she opened her eyes. She’d never been this breathless. She placed her hand on her heart and stared at his mouth. He didn’t say anything.
Harsh reality infiltrated the air as he handed her a jacket to wear. She couldn’t speak.
His hand trembled like hers as she reached for it. He shouldn’t be nervous. “I definitely want more of that.”
His deep voice sent a vibration through her as he pressed his finger to his chin and nodded. “Later.”
“If you think you can wait it out.” She tried to smile.
“Relationships that burn this fast never work out, and we’re both smart and old enough to know better.” Then he leaned closer to her. “What we have could be love. One never knows.”
“Love has never happened to me before.”
“I wish we could take our time and just be relaxed.” He zipped up his jacket. “However, my brother Daniel took Kate home with him the first night they met. They are married now, with a newborn.”
Her heart soared, but she shook her head. “All I can do is say yes to see what happens.”
“Don’t tell me that.”
Yes was her answer. She blinked. “Why not?”
He crossed his arms. “I need you to promise not to involve yourself too deeply in the politics.”
“Why?” The question came flying out of her mouth. She stepped back and shook her head as he stepped closer. She glanced at his fingers and then said, “I believe in you, Gerard, and I want to help you make a difference.”
“
I am fighting corruption.” He tucked his hand in his pocket. “Let’s get that lunch, Nicole. Our conversation will get complicated.”
“Fair enough. Complicated is better over food. Besides, there are little details—like I don’t know your middle name.”
“Michael.” He nodded. “Yours?”
Her eyes widened. “We share the same first letter. Mine’s Marie.”
She followed him to his car, got in, buckled her seatbelt, and felt a warmth inside her that made her feel alive.
Her eyelids lowered as he joined her. She’d find out what held him back. It was now her mission, as she knew without a doubt that he was the man to help end corruption.
***
Nicole sipped a mimosa on the enclosed heated patio and clinked her glass with Gerard. Drinking champagne and orange juice sitting at a tucked-away corner overlooking the ocean might not be good for her head or her heart. His dark eyes made her body dance with excitement.
She sipped her drink, trying to get a read on him. He was so different to everything she’d thought.
He maneuvered his chair closer to hers. She stared at the ocean and pretended the goosebumps on her body weren’t there. She glanced over her shoulder as he placed his hand on her back. “Nicole, why did you go to California?”
“I was sixteen.” She couldn’t meet his gaze. “High school didn’t help me. I didn’t see the point.”
“School is important.”
She blinked. “My parents had died, and as you know, my older sister, she wasn’t well. I had to do something to ensure she was taken care of, and it’s not like the system would be any help. The winter ended in April that year, and I took off. I finished school later, and then went on to get my college degree.” She swallowed and stared as his perfect, straight jaw line.
His entire body tensed. “I am sorry for what happened. You were so young and shouldn’t get saddled with that.”
“Don’t be. I took care of everything, as I was supposed to.” She wiped her face. “I landed my agent, and my first movie came out when I was eighteen. I was a demon possessed when I searched out roles, and never wanted to stop. The motivation then still scares me. At one point I worried if I stopped moving, I might turn into my sister.” She had never said that out loud before. “I couldn’t let that happen.”
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