Momentary Lapse (9 page)

“Don't be stupid.” Logan's charm disappeared in the blink of an eye. “Of course I can't give you any money.” He drummed his fingers on the desk as Madison's heart plummeted. “You said yourself, your mother bought me. I'm a done deal. Hence, the money is mine.” He smiled again, the full charm of his dimpled smile resurfacing. “But have you considered this might be our chance to start again? A fresh beginning and all that.” He moved to stand behind Madison, resting his hands on her shoulders. She tried not to shudder as the hair on the back of her neck prickled. “I take care of you, don't I?” he murmured, his thumb drawing a shiver-inducing circle. “We have good times. Don't be so quick to throw that away.”

“Stop. Logan.” Madison held up her hand, halting his impromptu massage. She couldn't stand to hear his lies, not when a part of her still wanted Logan to mean it. It would be so much easier if he were capable of seeing past her wallet.

Logan returned to his seat, unashamed at being seen through so effortlessly. “Can you blame me?” Chuckling, he threw himself back in his seat. “Look at you.” He appraised Madison much the same way she would a new handbag—calculating how many other people would love to own it. “Gorgeous. And I fucked up.” He held up his hands. “Sorry to use that word, but I regret hurting you. I do.”

“And I need my money.”

Logan pouted. “Don't we all?”

“Some more than others,” Madison retorted sourly. This conversation was going in around and around, and she doubted there would be any meaningful resolution. “Let me put this plainly for you, Logan. You have my money. I need it.”

Uncomfortable silence filled the room until Logan dropped his stare. He looked at his desk, his phone, his hands—anywhere but her.

“I think you'll find I need it more,” he said quietly.

“What?” Madison's fingers curled in her lap as his expression confirmed his statement. Logan was renowned for living outside of his already considerable means. But… “Surely you're not telling me you've hit the ceiling on my allowance too? Seriously, Logan? How much money can one man spend?”

His furtive glance toward the window gave him away. Madison stood, her gaze taking in the brand new Lexus SUV towering over the other vehicles in the parking lot. Her mind had been on other things when she'd come in, but how could she have missed
that
?

“Oh my God. You have
got
to be kidding me?” She buried her head in her hands, too stunned to speak.

When she could bear to look up, Logan shrugged again. His trademark gesture. She scarcely held back the frustration threatening to erupt from behind her calm expression. Letting loose at Logan would achieve nothing. No matter how good it might feel.

“I bought it when we were still together. The day we…I…” His voice took on a whiny quality as he finally managed to look contrite. Madison glared harder. “I thought we were a done deal,” he added.

Deal.
That word again. “So, what am I supposed to do now? I'm going to be kicked out of my apartment. I have nowhere to go.”

Except back to her mother's.

“And I've just told you. I can't help.” Logan stood and started to herd her toward the door. He was blasé about a lot of things, but when it came to money, Logan always found his ruthless core. “Sorry, Madison. I really am.”

Madison gritted her teeth, admiring the fact he could say that with a straight face.

Then he grinned slyly. “Unless you want to come and live with me…”

“No.” Madison didn't need to think hard about that offer. Everything else in her future might be totally fucked up, but she
was
certain of one thing: Logan wouldn't be a part of it.

“Shame.” Logan's mouth twisted with regret. His fingers splayed against her back as he nudged her out the door. “Well, I don't know how else I'm supposed to help you.”

Ripples of hot anger splashed across Madison, but she held it in. She still needed Logan to stay quiet about their break-up. At least until she found a way to convince her mother that
not
marrying him presented a better story to the outside world. So she swallowed back the bitter retort and counted down from ten as he urged her down the hallway.

“How about you sell that car?” she asked sweetly as he reached past her to push the call button on the elevator. “Or, move into a smaller apartment? If I did the same, it could work…”

The look Logan gave her dried up Madison's words.

“What now?” she snapped, finally out of patience.

“I can't.” Logan rubbed at his head, for the first time showing a sliver of remorse. His voice dropped. “My father would want to know why, and I can't afford any more trouble. I'm on my last chance.
You're
my last chance.”

Madison rolled her eyes. “What! You get a smack on the hand? A dip in your million dollar inheritance?”

Logan shook his head, his eyes wide. “He's threatened to cut me off. Completely.”

That did surprise Madison. Logan had always been Mr. Hamilton's favorite, even if he did believe his son needed to grow up.

Still, Madison couldn't find it in herself to feel sorry for Logan. His free-spending ways had landed him in hot water too many times.

The elevator dinged behind her and Madison gave one last throw of the dice.

“I've got nothing left,” she reminded him again. “You've taken it all.”

“I don't know what to tell you, Madison. You made your choice.” Logan lifted his shoulders one last time and walked away.

Leaving Madison staring after him.

“Nice to see you getting what you deserve.”

She knew that voice. Whirling around, gorge rose in her throat as her eyes lit on Cole in the elevator car, arms crossed, a look of icy satisfaction on his face.

Seriously.
Could her day get any worse?

Apparently so. “I think it's called just desserts.” Scorn twisted his lips.

Blood roared in Madison's ears. His words nipped at her conscience, his humiliation a heavy weight in her belly.

It was all too much. Spinning on her heel, Madison raced for the stairs as if the devil himself chased her.

Chapter Nine

Seeing Madison St. James was the perfect icing on today's shitty-ass cake.

It had started when Cole arrived at the university campus to visit Jess this morning. Only to find she'd moved out of the dorms without telling him.

After two worry-filled hours—and on threat of death—he'd finally tracked her down. Which had done nothing to improve Cole's day. He'd driven east of the city, into suburbs with rotting billboards tagged with obscenities, where front yards were overgrown with trash and long discarded fliers.

Then there was the house itself, the place his sister was currently living. He'd rechecked the hastily scribbled address. Maybe he'd read it wrong.

All hope had faded when Jess walked out of the house to stand on the run-down stoop. Even then, Cole had tried his damnedest to have an open mind. He'd gotten out of the car, biting his lip to hold back the lecture.

But by the time he'd set foot inside, Cole knew it wasn't going to happen. Peeling wallpaper, patchy carpet and vinyl flooring that had holes worn clear through—perfect for a girl with a damaged leg to trip on. And then there were Jess's house mates…two guys stinking of stale alcohol, who couldn't even meet Cole's stare.

His breath had hissed out through his teeth, his blood pressure rising to volcanic lava overflow.

“Go and pack your things.”

At least he hadn't shouted.

Jess had started to protest loudly, but she wasn't nearly as apoplectic as Cole would have expected. Which had only increased his bad mood when he realized she hadn't exactly been happy here either. He'd had no time to probe further. He'd already been running late for a meeting with his engineer.

“I'll be back for you in two hours.” He'd warned as he left. “Start packing. Now!”

Cole still hadn't made his meeting. Two hours had passed and here he was, once again waiting on Madison St. James. She'd taken off like a scalded cat into the stairwell and he'd taken the elevator down to the bottom floor.

She should be emerging right…about…now…

Cole's breath caught as the emergency exit opened and Madison stepped out. His body tightened.

Anger.

Betrayal.

Lust.

God, she was gorgeous. Cole bit back a sigh. He was a sucker for a sad story on pretty legs and from the look on Madison's face right before she'd bolted…his instincts were screaming something was wrong. Just like when she'd come back to the hotel after lunch with her mother. He'd known something wasn't right then too.

Cole had tried hard to forget that morning, but she'd been in his thoughts more than once since. The enigma she presented was eating away at him. The prickly feeling he might have gotten it wrong.

Which was the only reason Cole stepped out to confront her now.

“Madison. Stop.”

Madison froze in place. He could almost hear her pulse racing like river rapids through her veins. She stared at him with those large, chocolate eyes, her expression haunted. And haunting.

Cole knew then that he couldn't let her go.

“Do you have a car?” He kept his gaze firmly on her, scared that if he closed his eyes, she'd disappear.

“What? N-No.”

“Then I'll take you home.”

Madison recovered enough to shake her head vigorously. “No, you won't.”

“Yes, I will.” Cole wasn't giving her another free pass. “You owe me an explanation.” He hadn't intended to say that, but as soon as the words were out, he realized he meant it. She did owe him, goddammit.

“Y-you didn't want to listen.” Madison started to inch away.

“I've changed my mind.” Cole followed, linking his arm through hers, cutting off her escape. He flashed a humorless grin. “Call me mercurial.”

She was so tense. He could feel the vibration thrum through her body. For a moment, he thought she might yank free and run. Then the pressure in her arm released and her shoulders fell forward.

“Fine,” she said. “I guess you may as well have a piece of me too.”

The defeat in her voice made his stomach churn and his grip tighten.

“Come on. I'll take you home.”

Apart from a few sparse directions, she was silent on the trip. Cole had let her be, but the question burned in his mind.

What the fuck was going on?

He glanced over at her for the umpteenth time. She was checking her reflection in a small, compact mirror. Again. His jaw tightened.

By the time he pulled up to her Latimer Square complex, Madison appeared to have her composure back.

“Thank you very much for the ride home.” She slipped from the car before taking the stairs up to her second story apartment. Cole followed her inside, leaning against the door to close it behind him.

She turned and a smile transformed her face. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

Cole blinked, caught again by how beautiful she looked. Confident. Charming. The consummate host. His gaze narrowed. And if her eyes weren't darting around the apartment like a frightened rabbit he might've believed all that were true.

“Cut the crap, Madison. Tell me what's going on.”

For a moment, fire flashed in her eyes. Then she sank onto the couch, like all the air had gone out of her. Her fingers knotted together in her lap. He glanced at her hands a second time. The ring was gone.

Madison's mouth twisted as she guessed at the focus of his attention. “I'm not engaged,” she said. “In fact, it seems I'm not much of anything.”

Cole straightened. He shoved his hands in his pockets, refusing to let himself feel pity for her.

“How so?” he said coolly. “Come on, Madison.” Impatience edged his words when she remained silent. “You've got to give me something.”

She glanced down. Drew a breath. Then released the dam of information Cole had been waiting for. Madison spilled everything. Her intended marriage, Logan's infidelity, the hotel and her mother's financial coercion.

With every twist of her story, the embers of Cole's anger heated. He'd known the rich were a shitty bunch…but this was her family. He was still disappointed Madison hadn't been up front with him the night they'd first met, but at least her account went someway to explaining why she hadn't told Cole she was engaged. He was still wary. Still sitting on the fence. Cole wasn't about to be made a fool of again.

“Where's the ring?” He nodded toward her bare fingers.

“I gave it back to Logan.”

Cole closed his eyes. “You mean to tell me that…
jerk
…not only has your money, but you gave him back the ring as well?” He scraped his fingers through his hair. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“What? Do you think I would keep it?” Her eyes widened. “After everything I just told you?”

“Damn straight.” Cole couldn't believe her stupidity. “He's got all your money. You could've sold it.”

“I'd rather go back to my mother than use a cent of it.” Grit hung off her every word.

“You
want
to move home to your mother?” Cole blew out a breath. As much as he disliked everything Madison stood for, that idea didn't sit well.

“No!” Her reply was quick and vehement. “Well, not if I can help it, anyway.”

“So, what are you going to do?” Her answer made Cole feel a little better. Madison wasn't beaten. Not yet.

He pushed off the wall to take a good look around her living space, poking his head around the corner to survey the short hallway. He'd guarantee there were a few items worth a little something amongst all of the understated elegance.

Two bedrooms. Elegant furnishings. Simple. Cole glanced into Madison's bedroom with its plush, plum-colored coverlet and clean, cream painted walls. Nice.

Unlike his imagination, which played images of Madison, her blonde hair tussled across the bed, her fingers grasping at the white rungs of her headboard, hips thrusting upward while he slammed into her, taking his fill. Feasting on her…

Cole tore his gaze from the bed, his cock growing uncomfortably tight as the two worlds of Madison collided in his head.
Shit.
He had enough to think about already. There was Jess, for one. And the fact she was forced to live in a rat-infested hole.

While Madison still had all of this.

Thickness clogged his throat. Cole accepted his refusal to let her move out of the dorm might have played a part in driving Jess to make bad choices. If he had his way,
this
was the kind of place his sister would get to live in.

His thumb tapped out a tempo on the door jamb. He turned back to Madison.

“I have an idea.” Cole pointed down the hall toward the bedrooms. “How about you take in a roommate?”

Madison followed the direction of his finger. “I don't think so.” Color rushed to her cheeks. “I-I'm not—”

“Not that,” Cole cut in, although he had to tamp down a flare of desire. He shook his head, getting his thoughts back on track. “I want my sister to move in with you. I want you to babysit her.”

“What?” Madison's mouth dropped open. “You have a sister?”

“Yes, I have a sister.” Cole was impatient now to get on with it, conscious of Jess waiting for him. “She's around your age. Except she hasn't had the kind of life you have.”

Making Madison's eyes narrow. “And you want me to babysit her? A grown woman?”

“Yes.”

Her brows gathered in a storm of thought. “What's wrong with her?”

“Nothing,” Cole snapped. “She's perfectly normal, apart from an injury to her leg and a penchant for trouble. All you
have to do is try and be her friend. Oh, and make sure she exercises every day,” he added. Then, “And if you think she's straying down a dangerous path, let me know. Immediately.” Cole accompanied his final words with a stern look, more serious than he'd ever been. “No keeping anything from me. Not when it comes to Jess.”

Madison's surprised look deepened. “So, I'd be spying on her?”

Spying?
Cole liked the sound of that. A lot. “Exactly,” he agreed.

“And what do I get in return?”

Cole smiled humorlessly. This is what it always came down to in the end.
What's in it for me?

“I pay your rent and utilities. I'm trying to wrap up my business in Buffalo, so it's only until I find a place in Wellsford of my own,” he warned, as for the first time today, Madison's look of hopelessness lifted.

He didn't want her to get too comfortable. He was doing this for Jess.

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip. Cole's breath caught and for a moment he thought she might turn down his offer. But she wouldn't get a better deal. And hell, he could use her help while Jess went through her rebellious patch. He believed his sister was making up for the teenage years she'd missed while she was laid up in hospital. Living with Madison would provide Jess with a safe environment to explore her independence.

This way, Cole could keep tabs on her. And if nothing else, Jess would get to experience how the other half lived. How fake it was. It wouldn't take long for her to see right through it, just like he did. She might even begin to appreciate what he was trying to do for her.

Okay. Sure.
There
was
the added benefit of visiting Madison again as well. Cole might not like what she stood for, but there was something about her that kept her in his thoughts. Perhaps it was an opportunity for Cole to solve the puzzle of who the real Madison St. James was.

He realized how much he wanted her to say yes.

“Yes.”

Suppressing the sudden thrill of excitement, Cole looked at his watch, calculating the time. “I'll be back with Jess in an hour. Oh, and one more thing.” He pinned Madison with a hard stare. “You are not to tell Jess anything about our arrangement.” He spelled out the last caveat of their agreement. “As far as she's concerned, you're just sharing the apartment. Got it?”

“Got it.”

Cole scraped his hand through his hair, not sure whether he could believe her or not. He didn't trust Madison, but he'd have to take her at her word. Hopefully she'd stand by it long enough for him to come up with a better plan.

But God help her if she fucked with Jess.

Cole would show no mercy.

* * * * *

He was probably stringing her along. Madison's speculation about Cole's intentions wavered back and forth as she waited for him to return. It could be his idea of a cruel joke.

Why else would he make the offer? He didn't even like her.

Yes, interest still sizzled between them—how could it not, after the night they'd spent together? The moment Madison had seen Cole at Crovens, it wasn't fear that had prompted her to run. Or set her heart pounding.

Madison had wanted to leap at Cole and mount him like a monkey. Wrap her legs around him. Rub her most intimate part against the hardness of his cock.

She shuddered, dampness seeping into her panties at her wicked thoughts. Thoughts she shouldn't be having after Cole had made his feelings pretty damn clear.

So, why was he helping her?

Two hours later, when Cole turned up with his thunder-faced sister limping behind him, Madison had her answer.

He was doing this for Jess. And she looked anything but happy about it.

After a short, less than congenial introduction, Cole dumped Jess's bags in the spare room. Jess glared daggers at him before stomping into her new bedroom and slamming the door. Cole thumped out of the apartment muttering something about getting food.

Leaving Madison standing in the middle of her lounge, wondering what the hell she'd just gotten herself into.

She was expected to babysit
that?
On the pageant stage, Jess would have taken out the title for Little Miss Moody. The words
hideous
and
mistake
flashed through Madison's mind as she glanced toward Jess's room. Perhaps moving back to her mother's wasn't such a bad idea…