Momentary Lapse (2 page)

“Does it make a difference?” He smiled, though his eyes remained cold. Chilling. “I could probably introduce you to him if that's what you're after.”

Madison's mouth pinched shut. Did he really think she'd climb into his bed in return for the privilege of an introduction? That was exactly what she was running
away
from tonight.

“I really don't care who you are, Cole Langford.” She tossed her head, freezing him out with an interest-killing smile. “I'll buy you a drink to replace the one I had, but that's as far as it goes.” She held his gaze a moment longer, holding back the urge to tack on an apology.

Madison expected a barbed taunt in return. Or at least another mocking smile. What she didn't expect was for Cole to throw back his head and laugh. Loudly.

“Oh, you're good. Very good.” His eyes danced with amusement and he caught her off-guard.

Awareness trickled across her skin, followed by a shiver of unease. Something told her it was time to leave.
Now
.
But as Madison readied herself to do just that, Cole snatched up her wallet from the bar. Her eyes popped open as he flicked to her license.

“Madison St. James.” He read her name aloud before offering her wallet back. She grabbed at it, fingers biting into the soft, taupe leather as he leaned closer. “Well, Madison St. James. You may be good but you don't fool me. Now, instead of writing you off as some rich, trumped-up airhead…you, Madison, have piqued my interest. So, I
will
have that drink.” He pinned her to her seat with a determined stare. “With you. And I'll damn well enjoy it.”

Chapter Two

He hadn't wanted to be interested.

Yet as soon as she'd walked in the bar, a shudder had whispered down Cole's spine at the sight of her. He'd known exactly what she represented. Everything he hated. Wealth. Privilege.
Power.
But he'd still had to snap his mouth shut, aware his slack-jawed stare had mirrored every other jackhole's in the bar.

And for the first time in what seemed like forever, Cole's stale libido had roused itself from slumber. He'd taken note of the slashing cheekbones framing soft, brown eyes that oozed with hidden secrets. Sweet, sizzling secrets that would twine themselves around a man's cock and squeeze until you couldn't remember your own name.

How long ago had he sworn off women like Madison? In the not-so-distant past, Cole had hunted rich socialites like prey, eager to exploit them before they used his name as a stepping stone to further themselves. Be their little bit of rough.

It had made him feel good, for a while anyway. That he'd held all the cards—at least in the bedroom. He got to say whether or not they received pleasure. He got to decide when he left. Except lately, even
that
had failed to make Cole feel better. Nothing seemed to soothe the bitter ache left behind from too many nameless encounters.

Then Madison St. James had walked in and his cock had jumped to attention. Still, Cole had firmly decided to go and leave it be. Until his phone had rung.

It'd been Marcus.

“Your timing is impeccable as always,” Cole had bit back a groan as he'd answered.

“Karma's a bitch,” had been his friend's reply. “And you deserve it after stirring things up between me and Abby.”

“Fair call.” Cole couldn't help but chuckle.

Marcus's issues with his pretty taxation consultant made life a lot more interesting. Everyone could see the two of them were on a collision course to greatness. Everyone except Marcus and Abby, that was. In causing trouble, Cole had been doing his friend a favor. Marcus just didn't know it yet.

“I wanted to make sure Abby had options,” Cole had goaded. “Wouldn't want her missing out on a little bit o' Cole if she's that way inclined.”

Which they both knew she wasn't.

But Marcus had still taken the bait. He'd snorted. “Abby has more sense than that.”

“So, did you want anything in particular?” Cole's gaze had kept straying to the bar. And the beautiful woman sitting there. “Or did you just call to ream my ass?”

“What? Am I holding you up?” Marcus's tone had turned sly. He knew his friend too well. “What happened to ‘don't you just get sick of it all'?” He'd mimicked Cole's jaded words from the last conversation they'd had. The one which had come right after Cole's sex-drive slid from fourth gear to reverse.

“You know me.” Cole had thrown out a laugh he'd far from felt.

He'd meant every word. Then.

But if Marcus had been able to see Madison—who at that moment had been contemplating the shot glass of Russian nasty at the bar—he'd have been wondering why the hell Cole was still on the phone.

She'd flicked a quick glance his way, then tipped her drink back like a seasoned pro…and just about spat it over the bar. Amusement had turned to grudging appreciation as she'd held it in, choked it back, her shoulders shaking under the onslaught. His cock had given him an extra little nudge, and left Cole wondering if maybe this woman wasn't exactly what he'd needed tonight.

“Yeah I know…when there's a pretty girl and all that,” Marcus had said wryly. “Perhaps I should fly in and join you. Give whoever is occupying your time some options, in case a measure of
Marcus
is what she's after.”

“Too late.” Cole had briefly diverted his attention back to the phone. The thought of Marcus approaching her had left a hard knot in his chest. “She's already mine,” he'd told his friend. “But I'll share the details tomorrow, when I untangle myself from her sheets.”

“I hope karma comes and takes a chunk from your ass.”

“What is it about my ass you love so much?”

Marcus had given a pained sigh. “I've been covering it long enough.”

“Talking of covering.” Cole had gotten serious for a moment. “I haven't been able to get hold of Jess. Have you seen her?”

A long pause had followed. “You know your sister's not so little anymore, don't you?” Marcus had worded his question carefully.

“Don't start with me. You know she's not like other girls.”

A sigh. Then. “Okay. I'll check on her.”

Cole had released his breath.

“But, Cole.” The warning in his friend's voice had cut-short Cole's relief. “One day soon you're going to have to let her go.”

“That day ain't today.” Cole had said sharply, before the call ended.

With Jess taken care of, he'd drained his beer and waved away the waitress who'd approached him for another order. He'd already decided to go to the bar. Find out this beautiful woman's story.

Karma.
No such thing. Otherwise every fucktard that'd stepped over Cole on their way to the top, wouldn't still be rich and powerful. And while Cole was destined to join them as far as affluence went, he could honestly say he'd never used anyone else to get there.

Which didn't mean he wasn't thinking about going for a little exploitation with Madison right now. Yeah. Cole hadn't intended to be interested when she'd first walked into the bar, but it was funny how fate intervened at just the right moment.

He hoped Madison had been a very bad girl. Because Cole was about to go all karma on her ass.

* * * * *

One drink. That was all she'd promised him.

Yet somehow, Madison was still at the bar twenty minutes later, no closer to wrapping her lips around anything resembling hard liquor. The bartender kept disappearing every time she raised her hand to signal him. She gripped her glass of tepid water, frequent top-ups as welcome as Cole's failed attempts to engage her in conversation.

Cole was charming, Madison had to give him that. And funny. The bigger his smile, the more difficult she found it to keep the pained expression on her face.

“So, where did you say you grew up?” Despite her unfriendly performance, Cole persisted with his line of inane questions.

And the temperature continued to sneak up a few degrees each time his sexy voice rumbled beside her. Madison played with the corner of her napkin, trying to remain focused on the subject at hand and not on the warm sizzle in her belly that was currently moving on a downward trajectory to trouble.

“Minot, North Dakota. And I didn't.”

Her sharp tone had his eyes twinkling like icicles in the sun. Like she amused him. Madison pressed her lips together and gritted her teeth.

“What, you didn't grow up?” Feigning surprise, Cole laughed, the sound low and sensual.

Damn it.

His gaze sauntered down her body in a leisurely perusal. Considering. He shook his head. “Believe me when I say you most definitely did.”

Ignoring her instant purring reaction to his admiration, Madison added
dangerously sexy
to her list of annoying things about Cole. His laugh was a slow seduction, sliding across her senses like whipped butter. She pretended she couldn't hear it. Similarly, she tried to ignore the way his irises darkened into a suggestive, black smudge whenever he looked at her. Like now.

Something soft fluttered into her lap and Madison looked down to find she'd shredded her napkin into a million ragged pieces. She brushed the mess off her skirt and straightened her spine.

“No. I didn't say. Just like you didn't say you grew up at the local trailer park.” She tipped her glass of water at him in mock salute. “It was your impeccable manners that gave you away. What?” she taunted, keeping up the roll of verbal punches as Cole's face grew noticeably darker. In a perverse kind of way, she was having fun being rude. “In case you forgot, I think I mentioned
not
wanting to talk to you.”

“Isn't that why you're here?” Cole dropped all pretense at southern charm. “A rich, solitary woman comes into a hotel bar. Something's happened.” He drilled her with a measured look. “A break up? Cheating lover?” He gave a satisfied grunt as Madison froze in her seat. “Yes. Something bad enough to send you in here searching to boost your confidence.” He tilted his head toward her glass, half-full of water. “Why else would you still be here, flirting with me and not drinking?”

“Flirting!” Madison forgot her earlier rule and spluttered all over the bar. “I'm not flirting. I'm insulting you.”

“Same thing in my book, darlin'.”

Madison's mouth fell open. Her eyes widened. “For your information, I wasn't taking notice of anyone. Least of all you.”

“Now, we know that's not true.” Cole laughed that damned sexy laugh again, melting away a healthy dose of Madison's moral outrage. He nudged the side of her seat so she swung out to face the bar. “Take a look, sweetheart. It's an all-male revue tonight. And everyone has sure noticed you.”

Madison didn't need to look to know most of the men were still glancing her way. It had been like that for as long as she remembered. Men lining up to lavish her with admiration. Usually, she liked their attention and turned every entrance into a show, knowing the interest of hot-blooded males automatically defaulted to her. Even her gay friends appreciated how nicely she was put together. Madison liked to be noticed. She needed the attention because it made her feel good. Made her feel like
someone
. Special.

She dropped her eyes. Except that wasn't the reason she'd turned up tonight.

Was it?
She'd come looking for answers. About Logan.

Hadn't she?

A voice inside her head mocked her denial. Had she really travelled two hours to Baltimore, to the hotel where her ex-fiancé had cheated on her, not to do anything? She could just as easily have stayed at her mother's. Madison shuddered at the thought.

And why shouldn't she get something for all of the heartbreak? No one else gave a damn. Not her mother. Not her stepfather. And certainly not Logan—the man her mother would no doubt force her to reconcile with tomorrow.

She'd just been asking when it was going to be her turn, and like magic, Cole had appeared. There was no point denying Madison's attraction to him. Drawn because he was exactly the type of man her mother had always forbidden her to associate with. He might have the name, but he had no stock, no style and no status. He was worth nothing to her.

Yet tonight, for some inexplicable reason, Cole had become an intriguing enigma.

Madison lowered her gaze from pale blue eyes that saw too much.

“I need a drink,” she said flatly.

This time, Cole gestured for the bartender. No surprises when a shot glass appeared in front of her shortly after. She wrinkled her nose, closed her eyes and tipped back the liquid. No hesitation. Then waited for the kick of alcohol to hit. But there was no comforting burn, no gasping for air, no feeling that every swallow slid down her throat like razors. She just felt…numb. Swiveling her glass in her hand, Madison caught a glimpse of her fractured reflection.

Broken.

And tomorrow life would rock back into its inevitable rut.
With Logan.

She blinked back a sudden, inexplicable urge to cry. Surely then, tonight had to be about doing something different. Being
someone
different.

She glanced sideways for the umpteenth time and a stir of heat pricked at her senses as she contemplated Cole a second longer. Even as she denied it, the voice inside whispered temptation into her ear—
she'd always been good…done the right thing…why shouldn't she take what she wanted?

Yes. Why shouldn't she? At least if she was bad, this one night, she might actually deserve the crap life kept dishing up on her fine-bone china plate with its gold rim and fancy
fucking
pattern.

The swear word felt good this time. Justified.

Her shot glass went back on the bar with an audible bang. “So, how do we do this?” she asked without flinching. His jaw dropped and for a horrible moment, Madison thought she might have made a hideous mistake—maybe he
had
just been toying with her. “I'm not…it's just that…” Her resolve faltered, cheeks bursting into a blaze of heat.

Cole's surprise was quickly masked by a fierce smile that carved at his lips. Something dark and wild flared, then he swung her barstool around until she came to an abrupt stop, facing him. His eyes glinted almost silver in the light.

“I'm going to hate myself for saying this,” he said, his voice rough. He shook his head. “But maybe you should go back to your room. On your own.” Cole rubbed at the back of his head, not looking at her. “Something tells me this isn't really you. And, believe me…” He snorted. A short, regretful sound. “You'll like yourself a whole lot better in the morning.”

Was he blowing her off?

Madison laughed out loud, drawing the attention of other men sitting in the bar. But for once, she didn't care what anyone else thought. Right now, the only opinion that mattered was Cole's. And the fact he believed she shouldn't go through with anything. Determination stung like acid in her stomach and she waited for him to look back at her.

“Who says I like myself now?” She lifted one delicate brow.

Cole's shoulders stiffened and he drew back, his gaze turning speculative as it traced over every inch of her face. Probing for weakness. Tingles of excitement trickled through the numbness, shots of awareness dancing along her spine. Something Madison hadn't felt in a long time.

If ever.

This was her night, damn it.
She deserved it.