31. Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-One
Parker
A week after I pretended I was okay with Madison’s proposal to basically fuck while she was here and then part ways, I put my plan to win her over into motion.
Step one was terrifying but necessary. Even more so on a personal level. I was about to leave my villa and go check up on how the wedding currently happening in the gardens of The Gem was going. It was about time that I stopped hiding like a coward in my bedroom while happiness happened for everyone else outside my door.
I still loved Franny and I would probably always love her, but my feelings for Madison made me realize that I could keep a small part of my heart solely for Franny and give the rest to someone else. And that didn’t make me a villain. It made me human.
A human ready to move on .
Strangely, the moving on part involved Madison.
Falling in love with her kind of snuck up on me. Once I realized it was happening, it was already too late to prevent it, but admitting it? Claiming her while knowing she wanted us to have an expiration date? She wasn’t ready for a love declaration. I had to be patient and make her fall in love with me at her own pace.
So I shaved, showered and put on a suit. Then headed out to the gardens to show her that I wasn’t a shadow of a man anymore.
With my heart in my throat, I stopped by one of the rose bushes and looked up at the sky. “I will never forget you, Fran, okay? I know you would want me to, if that meant I had a shot at a happy ending, but I can do both. You’ll see.”
As much as I talked to my deceased wife, I never looked for answers from her in the form of signs. I knew Franny better than I knew myself. I didn’t need signs. I could hear her voice in my head. She wouldn’t want me to grow old alone and lonely. She would root for me and Madison.
So I picked a rose from the bush and glanced once again at the sky. “Thank you.”
Looking ahead, I started towards the lights and music coming from the wedding reception. The closer I got, the better look I had at what Madison had done. It looked like a picture plucked out of a fairytale book.
Twinkling lights, casting a warm glow over the carefully curated floral arrangements. White linen-covered tables adorned with centerpieces and fragrant candles. A live band playing a romantic tune as couples swayed on the dance floor.
The only problem was I couldn’t see Madison.
One of the waiters walked past me and I stopped him. “Have you seen Miss Hartley? ”
His gaze dropped down to the single rose I was clutching, then he cleared his throat. “I saw her and Mr. Montgomery entering The Pearl, sir.”
I blinked and a second later unprovoked jealousy twisted my stomach. Nodding at the waiter, I strolled over to The Pearl.
As I was about to enter the villa, Madison swung the door open and almost bumped into me on her way out. She wore a black sleeveless jumpsuit that clung tightly, almost like it was a part of her skin. Her legs looked even longer in that outfit and they ended as always in a sexy pair of stiletto heels.
When she recognized me, she froze to the spot, her mouth agape. Normally I would think that my presence caused her to freeze like that, but my jealousy made me irrationally angry.
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Madison reared back a little at the harshness of my tone. “What are you doing here?”
“Don’t play games. Just answer the question.”
She shook her head. “I’m working, I don’t have time for this. Go interrogate your best friend.”
Then she rounded me and disappeared into the garden, leaving me with the fucking rose still in my hand.
I entered the villa and found Ryan sitting at the table next to someone very drunk. His reaction to my presence was similar to Madison’s.
“What?” I snapped.
“Nothing,” Ryan pointed at the empty seat across from him. “I’m just surprised that you’re here. When there’s a wedding out there.”
I sat down and tilted my head towards the man sitting next to Ryan. “Who’s that? ”
“That’s Tim. He got drunk, caused a scene and our pretty wedding planner put me on babysitting duty. I’m waiting for my next instructions.”
A smile played on his lips. It was obvious to me that he knew something happened between me and Madison, but he wasn’t going to pressure me for information. I threw the rose on the table and took one of the water bottles that were no doubt there to help our guest sober up.
“Is that for Madison?” Ryan pointed at the rose.
“Yes.”
“Are you two dating?”
“Depends on who you’re asking.”
“You’re the only one here.”
“She wants it casual,” I avoided answering.
“You’re not the type for a casual relationship.” When I kept silent, he continued. “Mom and I want you to be happy, Parker. We don’t want you suffering for the rest of your life. Now why don’t you go find her and finish what you came out for? This,” he pointed at the man again, “could take a while.”
I nodded and took the rose from the table. “I want to tell Jess myself, if you don’t mind.”
“Of course, man.”
Five minutes later I was safely plastered to a palm tree trunk, looking at the people having fun, when I felt her presence behind me.
“Why are you here?”
Turning to face her, I lied. “I got bored.”
The single arched brow showed that she didn't believe me, but before she could say something that would ruin the moment, I lifted the rose up between us, offering it to her.
“Is this from the flower arrangements?” She asked, her tone flat .
“I'm not in the mood for getting chopped up into little pieces tonight. It's from the bushes in the garden.”
She took the rose, her eyes clinging to mine. “What mood are you in then?”
“Hopeful.”
She dropped her gaze to her feet but before I could ask what she was thinking, she said. “I have to go. They’ll cut the cake soon.”
Her tone sounded apologetic and gentle. She worried it would be hard on me being here alone. I leaned in and kissed her nose. “Go. I’ll wait.”
She looked at me for a moment, then down at the rose in her hands. “Can you keep that for me for a while?”
“Sure.” I took it from her, leaned back on the tree trunk and watched the people have fun. I could avert my gaze and ignore everything that happened afterwards, but I owed it to myself to try to watch at least. Much to my dismay, looking at the happy couple feeding each other overpriced cake didn’t make me feel like dying on the inside. It made me want to have what they had. A new beginning.
That thought occupied my head until Madison returned and offered me a piece of cake.
“Is that your piece?”
“One of the perks of being a wedding planner. But I don’t eat carbs, remember?”
“I do. I also remember you eating pasta at my villa. And a shit ton of candy at SeaWorld.”
She grinned. “Fine. I don’t eat carbs often.”
I tried the cake and moaned. “You’re missing out.”
“How was it?” She looked at me with her penetrating gaze. “Being here tonight?”
“Good. How was it for you? Did I make you uncomfortable? ”
She snorted. “You’ll have to work really hard to make me uncomfortable, Wilson.”
That was true. Madison could handle everything. Maybe I was treading too cautiously around her. Maybe we both needed that final push to make this thing between us real.
“Okay. Challenge accepted.” She sent me a curious look and I continued. “I’m taking you out to dinner.”
***
“Remind me again why I agreed to this?” Madison shouted from the bathroom.
“Because I asked nicely and you can’t resist my charm,” I teased.
Her head appeared a moment later. “You didn’t ask nicely. In fact, you didn’t ask at all.”
“That doesn’t sound like me,” I said with a straight face. Madison crossed her arms over her chest and gave me a stern look. I sighed. “Come on. It’s not like we had never left together. Remember that almost Christmas dinner at your mother’s? Melany saw us leave and come back together.”
She retreated back to the bathroom and when she emerged again, draped in the plush white hotel robe, her hair was swept up in an intricate knot, exposing the graceful curve of her neck.
I stood up and approached her. She turned to face me and I crowded her against the armoire, but kept my hands in the pockets if my slacks.
“You shouldn’t be scared, love. It’s just dinner,” I smirked.
“I know what you’re doing.”
“What am I doing? ”
“You’re trying to rile me up by telling me I’m scared.”
“Is it working?”
“No. I refuse to lose, remember?”
“So do I.” I took a step back to let her get dressed.
There was something domestic about it all and yet I was very much aware that she wore a robe with the hotel logo and that we were basically at our workplace. Suddenly I realized exactly how easily she could leave. Nothing kept her in California. Maybe if she had her own place to live that had nothing to do with her employment and me, she would actually think about staying.
“Have you ever thought about leaving The Pink Diamond?”
“Of course I have.” Madison put on a beige sleeveless dress that almost touched her knees and zipped it up on her own. “I still have my apartment in New York and my contract of employment says five weddings, remember? I believe you have a copy.”
I rolled my eyes and sat at the foot of her bed, facing her. “I mean leave The Gem but stay within the state limits. Your family’s here.”
I am here , I wanted to add but didn’t.
Madison stared at me like she was trying to dissect me with the sharpness of her gaze. “What about your family?” She asked. “You never talk about them.”
“You never asked,” I answered honestly. “They live in Phoenix.”
“And what’s the drama there?”
“No drama. We’re just a regular family.” She looked at me with suspicion and I curled my index finger beckoning her. Madison came and stood between my legs. Her hands trusted in my hair and I buried my face in her chest. When I finally looked up to meet her eyes, I asked. “What’s bothering you?”
“Everything,” she said and I got the feeling that she wasn’t being overdramatic at all .
The fact that she was completely honest and open with me in that moment, made me clash my mouth down on hers with the intensity of a desperate man. Our bodies tangled together, the tension between us mounting with each passing second. Her hands caressed my back, pulling me closer still, as I deepened the kiss. She didn't resist, she needed this as much as I did. As our passion grew, I could feel her weakness against me, and my grip on her waist tightened. The hotel room spun around us, and the only thing that mattered was the heat between our bodies.
We finally pulled away from each other and looked deep into each other's eyes.
“That helped,” Madison said. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
A few minutes later we were out the door and into the gardens of The Gem. I could see the lobby through the floor to ceiling windows. Melany was behind the reception desk. One of the bartenders was talking to one of the housekeepers, who was pretending to dust the countertop while actually flirting with him.
The moment was perfect.
A few steps before we entered the lobby, I took Madison’s hand in mine, expecting a violent reaction, but it didn’t come. She didn’t pull away, nor did she try to go back to The Pink Diamond. She just looked down at our hands, then up at me and offered me a knowing smile.
“Ripping the bandaid off, are we?”
“Thought it might be best.”
We stepped into the lobby and all eyes fell on us, then our joined hands.
“Good evening, Mr. Wilson,” Melany said politely. “Miss Hartley.”
I nodded while Madison looked straight ahead and ignored them all .
We had a great night out and when we entered The Pink Diamond three hours later, I kicked the door shut behind us, lifted Madison up, to which she replied with a squeal, and I carried her to the bedroom.