The Billionaire's Temporary Bride (Scandal, Inc #3)(83)

"Greg, do you want to know the unvarnished truth?" Jack said.

"I'd love to," Greg said.

"First off, you're not in the big leagues. You're barely in the minors right now. You're a state senator. I'm a congressman. I have more money and power at my disposal than you'd believe. And, as you know, I have a bit of a temper when people come after my family. Any of those things should be ample reason to avoid pissing me off, but that's not the truth I want to tell you. What I think you need to understand is that you're an idiot, a buffoon stuffed into a cheap suit. I could call the police right now and have you arrested for blackmail. Do you understand that? You have committed a felony."

Greg looked at Jack for a moment and then burst into laughter. "Let's just imagine I agree with what you say. That would be true if there were any chance you'd let this go public. What would happen if that pretty little wife of yours found out?"

Charlotte stepped into the room. "What makes you think I don't already know?"

Big Greg frowned.

"Jack, I need you for a minute," Charlotte said. "I think it's time you showed our guest to the door."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Jack said. "Now, Greg, get the hell out of my house."

Greg marched out, his heavy footsteps his only response.

"You forgot your folder," Jack called after him.

"Don't worry," Greg said. "I have copies ready to go to every major news outlet in the state."

The door clicked closed behind him.

"I swear if another thing goes wrong today, I'm going to lose it," Jack said. He crossed the room and threw his arms around Charlotte. "If it weren't for you, I'd probably have gone after him right then and there. Maybe that's what he wanted. I'm sorry. I shouldn't let him get to me like that. With the end of the campaign getting so stressful, the last thing I need is for someone to make my family life weigh on me any more than it already has. You were saying something, though, before that clown showed up. What was it?"

"Nothing," Charlotte said. "It can wait. You need to focus on winning this primary."

It wouldn't be too much longer to wait until this leg of the campaign was over. She would tell him the morning after the primary, she decided. It was getting to the point where Charlotte wasn't sure how much longer she could hide the truth, even if she wanted to. This time, there would be no backing out.

"I just can't wait until this is all over and we can go back to some semblance of normalcy, just you and me," Jack said. He kissed Charlotte on the forehead and rested his chin in her hair.

Charlotte felt the deep pit of guilt in her stomach as she nodded in agreement. Whatever happened, she was sure things were never going to go back to normal.





Chapter 32

Jack looked out from the wings of the stage at the podium where he would shortly give his speech. Red, white and blue balloons floated overhead in the ballroom that was already filling with volunteers and supporters. Polls had closed an hour earlier, and the only thing left to do was wait for the race to be called.

Jack's campaign manager Lauren was almost skipping as she walked across the stage to Jack. "Hey, you're about to win your primary and become a lock to win the general election in the fall, cheer up. Congratulatory calls are already pouring in from all over. There are rumors flying around that you're on the radar for VP in a few years."

"Is that so?" Jack asked. "Sorry, I'm just worried about Charlotte. She's not feeling well, and I think it might be serious."

"She'll be fine. I hope she knows how lucky she is to have you," Lauren said. "She'll be here in a few minutes. I'll have her head straight to your suite upstairs."

"Thanks, Lauren," Jack said. "Go get everyone ready. I'm going to take fifteen minutes."

"Of course, Senator."

"Don't say that yet," Jack said. "We still have the general election to get through this fall."

Jack was worried. He knew all the promises he and Charlotte had made to each other. He knew how she brought out a side of him he had never known, but he didn't know what would happen after he officially won the candidacy.

Charlotte had been acting so strangely. Every chance they got to be alone, she found some excuse to leave or invited other people to join them. She kept mentioning the number of days until the primary as if it would save her from something. Something was going on, but he couldn't be sure what it was.

Charlotte had been ducking out of events, saying she didn't feel well, blowing off interviews. He was beginning to worry that she was starting to doubt her feelings toward him, that she had decided she couldn't trust him after all. Was she anticipating the end of their contract already? Maybe she was just trying her best to get through the primary before breaking his heart. Maybe she had decided way back in North Carolina that it would be better for the both of them if she played the part of the doting wife just long enough for him to seal his nomination.


He'd been losing sleep over it. As if the demands of a senatorial campaign weren't enough, he spent his nights running through everything he could have done wrong with Charlotte and everything he could possibly do to make things right.

Charlotte had even insisted on going separately to the final rally. She told him she was feeling under the weather, but he was concerned she really meant she didn't want to be there. She had been under the weather increasingly often. Was she just using it as an excuse to avoid Jack, or was she actually so unhappy with the campaign and with their relationship that her body couldn't handle the stress?