Take a Chance on Me(72)

The glass rattled as she placed the fresh lemonade in front of them and stared at the empty seat. She glanced at Mitch, smoothing her shorts. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Mitch shook his head. “Sit.”

She backed away. “Really, I’m a mess and I don’t want to intrude.”

Mitch scowled at the chair.

Maddie slid a glance at Mitch’s mother.

“Please,” Charlotte said, gesturing gracefully at the chair.

With a sigh, Maddie grabbed her glass and sat.

Mitch’s shoulders relaxed and he turned his attention to his mother. “So, you’re staying?”

“Is that all right?” she asked politely, as though they were strangers instead of family.

“Are you asking?” Mitch’s long fingers encircled the glass.

An expression of longing flittered over Charlotte’s expression before it smoothed over into a bland mask. “Yes, I’m asking. I need some peace as I work things out and didn’t know where else to go.”

“It’s your house,” Mitch said, his eyes filled with a coldness that was hard to reconcile with the man who’d practically incinerated her with heat not thirty minutes ago.

“Not anymore. You bought it from me fair and square, even though I insisted on giving it to you.” She raised her glass and took a delicate sip.

Mitch rested his elbows on the table and gave his mom a hard-eyed stare.

Appalled, Maddie nudged his knee under the table, but he said nothing to put the older woman at ease. Maddie scowled at him, but when it was clear he wasn’t going to speak, she turned a bright smile on Charlotte. “I’m sure Mitch would be happy for you to stay.”

A deep sadness filled Charlotte’s eyes. “Mitchell, I’m sorry.”

Under the table, his leg slid next to Maddie’s, pressing close as though seeking her comfort and warmth. “It’s over. Forget it.”

“I was wrong.” The older woman’s long, tapered fingers clasped tightly in front of her.

“Doesn’t matter,” Mitch said, his tone indicating that it certainly did.

Whatever had happened was a private and painful matter, and as curious as Maddie was, she could no longer sit here and listen. Maddie shifted in her chair. “I, um, should go—”

Mitch’s hand shot out and gripped her wrist. To the casual observer, his tanned fingers entwined over her pale skin looked loose, light—a gentle hold between lovers. Except it was like a vice, making it impossible to get away without struggling out of his grasp.


She risked a glance at his mom. Charlotte stared at her son’s hand, then raised her gaze to meet Maddie’s. The questions were clear under the Junior League mask of banality.

Maddie took a deep breath. Okay, they didn’t want her to go. Maddie settled in the chair, prepared to wait out the uncomfortable conversation. Mitch loosened his hold but didn’t release her.

Mitch’s chin jutted out. “How long will you be staying?”

“I don’t know.” Charlotte’s eyes slid away. “I don’t want your father to know where I am.”

Mitch laughed, a harsh bitter sound. “God knows he’ll never look for you here.”

Charlotte pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips, and Maddie thought she detected the barest tremble.

“So, did he do it?” Mitch asked.

“I don’t know.” Charlotte looked over her son’s shoulder and out the window. “He says it was some crazy setup.”

“For what?” Mitch’s fingers stroked Maddie’s inner wrist.

“For money, what else?” The older woman pressed a hand to her chest. “He wants me to pay her.”

Mitch shook his head. “That’s crazy. The pictures are already out there, how much more damage can she do?”

“Those pictures are only the tip of the iceberg.”

“Start from the beginning, and don’t leave anything out.” The voice he used was one Maddie had never heard before, and in that moment, she had no trouble picturing him as a shark of a lawyer: ruthless and powerful.

Nothing like the man who’d made love to her like she was his salvation.

“She said the media must have been tipped because she wasn’t going to release anything until she’d made her demands. An unfortunate coincidence, if you will. If we pay her, she’ll go on record and say the picture was a misunderstanding. Yes, his reputation will be tarnished, but not unrecoverable. If we don’t pay, she has other pictures that are much, much worse.”

“Have you seen them?” Mitch let go of Maddie. He sat forward, resting his elbows on the table.

She nodded, the dipping corners of her mouth the only evidence of her distress. “They’re very damaging.”

“How’d he explain those?”

“He can’t. He says she called because she had insider information on a senator opposing one of his bills. He invited her to his room to discuss the matter. They had a drink and it was the last thing he remembers until the next morning.”

Mitch’s eyes narrowed. “Convenient. What did the pictures look like?”

“You can’t see his eyes, he’s mostly in profile. It’s hard to tell if he’s awake or not.” She shook her head. “Not that the papers will care about those details.”