9781631054631ChoiceAffairsSalisbury (22 page)

“Who?”
he coyly replied.

“My mother, that’s
who
. I know Apolo well enough to know when
I see that expression on him it means my mother’s up to something.”

“Do you care to guess,
or do you want me to come right out and tell you wha
t
Jacob just told me?”

“Oh, let me guess. I
want to see you squirm until I get it right.”

“I don’t think that
would be a good idea, ma’am.”

I glanced from one man
to the other, trying to figure what was going on. “She’s alright, isn’t she?”

“Yes, it’s noth
ing that dire.”

“Then, what has she
done?”

“It seems your mother
has posted bail for your brother. He’s now out and roaming the streets,” Apolo
said, grimly.

“How?”
I sat, stunned at such news. “How did
she get ahold of that sort of money? I thought the re
ason
his bail was set so high was a means to keep him behind bars.”

“The same man who’s
been seeing to your mother’s expenses,” Jacob replied.

“Let me guess—Tom is
free, and now she’s feeding to the media how Tom is completely innocent of the
charges. Am I close? Oh, and she’s now turned Apolo into the bad guy.
All to play into this man who’s what, her
lover, or sugar daddy, or a ruthless man wit
h a bone
to pick with Apolo, using my mother to get to him.”

Jacob turned to Apolo,
a grin on his face. “The lady is quite astute when it comes to her mother. No
beating around the bush on this subject.”

“No, I think both of
us have had enough of her mothe
r’s antics to last a
lifetime, Jacob.”

“So, I’m right?”

“Yes, right on the
money,” Apolo retorted, darkly. “The woman never ceases to amaze me. It’s not
about loyalty with her. It’s where she can get the most attention.”

“Don’t forget the
money,” I
quipped.

“Ah
yes, the money.
I imagine she’s anxiously awaiting my reply?” Apolo asked his trusted security
man.

“Yes, but I think the
two of you ought to ignore her and enjoy your time away. She’ll be there when
you get back.”

“Yes, she will, and
I’m sure
she’s called both our cells a million times
by now,” I added, picking up my wine and finishing it off.

“Jacob’s right. I
think the best move is to do nothing. She wants me to make a statement.
Anything to allow her to say something
more.
I’ll not give her
the pleasure.”

“Good,” Jacob beamed.
“Unless something major develops with this situation, I’ll leave the two of
you. Keep off your cell phones, too. Don’t feed into her. Like Apolo said,
that’s what she wants.”

* * * *

Apolo

No matter what I do, I
can
’t seem to get away from that maddening woman.
Caitlyn and I try to go off for a weekend, just the two of us. No phones, no
internet. I promised her.
Just us.
Jokingly, I agreed, handing over my
phone.

We’ve had a marvelous
time. In spite of the breezy, co
ld weather, we’ve
managed to hole up inside and relax.

Unfortunately for us,
Jacob unintentionally ruined the fun with the news that Susan had bailed her
son out of federal lock up. I had left him with instructions that we were not
to be interrupted unless
it was earth-shattering. The
Susan circus starts once again, complete with
her own
sordid cast of characters.

I’ve been such a
shmuck to Caitlyn as well, I hadn’t realized just how draining all the last few
weeks had been. Put me in front of a roaring fir
e
with a glass of wine, and I’ll surely fall asleep on you. Something I never
usually do.
This weekend?
It’s all about the
z’s
.

But all was not lost.
The sight of her soaking in the huge tub in the master bathroom almost did me
in.

My breathtaking,
redhead
ed, green-eyed temptress seemed to be up to no
good.
Laying in that bath, acting
so innocently.
I watched in fascination and hunger as the large sponge
glided from her toes to her knees. I felt myself wanting her.

“Apolo, will you
please wash my back? It’s
hard to reach, and I don’t
seem to have a back brush here.” She lifted the loofa in my direction.

I looked down at her,
and she back up at me, as though we were frozen in time.

Before I knew what was
happening, I was across the room, her hungry gaze for m
e absorbing my senses. Smiling, I leaned down and took the sponge from
her long, slender fingers.

I drank her in, gazing
at her from her face, to her throat, to her breasts, down to the apex of her
thighs. She had one leg bent, tempting me, luring me. I
squeezed the water out of the scrubber, holding it high, so the water
fell back into the tub. I moved behind her and brushed my hand over the nape of
her neck, moving her ginger tresses over her ear. Then, she leaned forward and
bowed her head.

She
lay
her
cheek on her knees and
smiled as I gently washed her back. The water was warm and flowing down her
delicate spine. I rested one hand on the edge of the tub.

It was then that she
leaned forward and kissed my fingers, slowly, erotically, taking each one int
o her mouth and sucking. She was so naughty.

I lifted my hand away,
but just so I could wrap my arms around her from behind. I pulled her back into
my embrace, ignoring how much water went where. Out of the tub, onto my
clothing—it did not matter. I slid m
y hands across
her slick skin to cup her breasts. As I did, she closed her eyelids and moaned.
My fingers caressed her nipples into hot points. I kissed her neck as I did,
wanting to inhale every moment.

I slid one hand down
her body and pressed my fingers
between her legs. She
opened to my touch then lifted her hips so I could stroke her.

I chuckled. “That’s
it, my pet. You’re as wicked as ever.”

“It’s you.”

I swirled my fingers
around her opening, spreading her folds. God, I couldn’t hold back much longer
.

I slowed my movements
as her first climax came, so that it would build again. I did it two, three
times, until she growled her displeasure and frustration.

When she finally did
come, she nearly slid out of the tub. I was soaked. The floor was, too. I did
n’t care. I lifted her slippery body and brought her
closer. I kissed her deeply, feeling her hand at the front of my jeans, where
my cock stood hard.

“Apolo…”

“Soon,
my pet, soon.”
I knew what she wanted. I pressed my mouth to her, my tongue parting her o
pening and delving inside. She rocked back and forth, her
fingers threaded through my hair. I finally nipped at her clit, sending her
over the edge, her incoherent cries of pleasure ringing into the ceiling.

Helping her out of the
tub, I led her to the bed
, pulling off my clothes as
fast as I could. I slid next to her, sitting somewhat upright. I positioned her
on my lap, kissing her, my fingers finding their way between her legs again.

“You’re ready, my
pet.”

She spread herself
wide over me, nodding.

I slo
wly eased myself inside her. “You’re so tight, my pet. Why
is that?” And she was.
Tight and
slippery.
She was mine. “I belong here, Caitlyn.”

I stroked her, and she
rocked on me. “I love you,” she gasped out.

“I love you, too. I’ll
never stop loving you.”

My hands firmly on her
bottom, I furiously began to thrust in and out of her, until we both came in
one glorious burst of white light.

We stayed that way,
our breathing returning to normal. Caitlyn kissed me as I pulled her down. We
were still joined. I wa
s as hard as I had been when
we started.

“We’re good together,”
I told her.
“In every way.”

I glanced at her, her
head resting on my shoulder. She was sated and sound asleep. She was the one
thing in life that made me smile. Politics, family, and the world
be
damned. None of that mattered when we
were together.

Chapter
Thirteen

Apolo and I may not
have been in bed making love the entire weekend, but it wasn’t necessary. When
we did, it was deeply satisfying, for us both.
Laying
in front of a fire had almost the same effect.
Almost.
Nothing can ever replace or compare to
Apolo. The man’s a sexual beast.

He needed to
decompress from all that was going on around him. He was in urgent need of some
rest and relaxation. So, going to t
he house in the
Hamptons was the perfect solution. That is until Jacob had to interrupt us with
the news that my mother had bailed my brother out. Rather, her friend, lover,
whoever he is, did for her.

When we returned to
Washington there were no
fewer
tha
n a half
dozen messages waiting for us at the security desk. My phone was no better, nor
was the landline Apolo had insisted we have.
Trying to share her side of the story.

I knew I’d have to
speak with her eventually, so Monday morning, once Apolo had lef
t for his office, I called. Getting no answer, I left a
brief message and hung up. I had the feeling she was monitoring her calls
because she immediately called me back.

“I know why you’re
calling, Mother, so let’s sift through your bull shit, and why don’
t you tell me—why did you, or rather your cozy bedfellow,
for lack of a better word, bail Tom out. He needs to rot in jail for a long,
long time.”

“Don’t take that
attitude with me, Caitlyn. Your brother did nothing wrong. All he and Don
Turner were doing
was trying some experiments to make
sure Choice Enterprises systems were secure.”

“Oh please. Is that
what he told you? Then, explain why he and Don and Tony saw it necessary to
take over five hundred thousand dollars out of the account they penetrated?”

“
You’ve always looked down on your brother, Caitlyn. And now
that you’re married to Apolo Choice, you think you’re better than anyone.”

“Better
than that thief?
Damn right, I am. If you had bothered to find out the truth, Mother, you’d know
that the reason
I stay away from Tom is because of
the road he’s chosen to take.”

“He’s done nothing
wrong, Caitlyn. Alfred’s attorney assured us there is no evidence to convict
any of them.”

“Alfred, is it? Well,
I’ve got news for you, Mother, your lover, or whatever he
is, has a shyster for a lawyer. If Tom even stands a chance
in hell of beating these charges, he’d better find better council.
If he doesn’t skip bail.”
Tom skipping bail was a real
possibility. Given his skill sets and how he’d chosen to use them now, he’
d never look back if he had the chance. Something I needed
to speak with Apolo about.

“You need to come down
off that high horse of yours, young lady. That man you’re married to has picked
the wrong people to clash with.”

“Mother, I’m not going
to sit here
and argue with you. The only thing Apolo
was doing was protecting his company and what is rightfully his. As for what
you’re doing, tread lightly. Oh, a word of advice, since you’re so sure Tom is
innocent, why don’t you fuss over him? I want no further c
ontact with you until this matter is resolved. If you call
or come near either of us, I will have Apolo’s attorney’s get a restraining
order. Do I make myself clear?”

I slammed down the
phone, more out of frustration than anger. She’d pushed me to the brea
king point. It was obvious she was over her head with this
man. I looked down at my hand. It was shaking. Sitting down, I drew in a deep
breath. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I made a mental note of what time it
would be in Dublin. They were five hour
s
ahead,
Pop should be home from work. First
though, I needed to gather my thoughts.

What a wonderful way
to start off the week with the bitch from Hell. I needed to call my father and
see what if anything he knew about Tom’s little run-in with the law. If
he didn’t, he needed to know. There was always the slim
chance Tom might call him for money.

I dialed his number
and waited.
Both parents in one
day.
Interesting.
He answered on the third ring,
obviously surprised to hear from me.

“Pop, I’m just going
to
get to the point. Have you heard about Tom?
If so, has he contacted you?”

“No, he hasn’t
contacted me, Caitlyn. Exactly what has he done? According to your mother,
Apolo set Tom up?”

“She had the nerve to
call you?” I hissed.

“Oh yes, she thought
she’d try
and get to me before you or Apolo did. She
forgets I still have friends there, too.”

“Yes, I just hung up
on her. I really don’t know what’s going on with her,
Pop
. It scares me.
For
her.
I’m afraid she’s gotten in with some not-so-nice people.”

“Has she
told you that she’s filed for divorce?”

I was stunned, and now
felt a knot in the back of my throat. I wanted to throw up. “No, she didn’t
Pop
. When did this happen?”

“Last week. She’s
claiming I abandoned her. She has a brutal attorney, according to my ow
n. She wants damn near everything. I don’t know how I’m
going to be able to fight her.”

“Surely, you’ve got a
good man there. Or do you need one here, as well?”

“I could, but she’s
gotten my assets frozen. The only thing she hasn’t been able to touch is my
pay.
At least,
not yet.”

“That bitch!” I caught
myself before going further. “Sorry, Pop. She’s out of control. That’s the only
way to explain it.”

“She is that. As to
Tom, I haven’t seen or heard from him. I doubt I will. I also don’t look for
him to
hang around Washington for things to come to a
head.”

I looked up to see
Apolo standing before me, Jacob in the background. “Look, Pop, I need to go. I
have an appointment. Let me talk with Apolo, see if we can’t help get some, if
not all, of your funds un
frozen. If you hear from
Tom, beware. He’s not to be trusted. Neither is Mother, I’m afraid.”

“Don’t worry yourself
about me. I’ll be fine. If I hear from Tom, however, I’ll call you or Apolo
direct. Take care, sweetheart. Know that I love you.”

“Love you
too,
Pop
.” I hung up and waited for Apolo to
speak.

“He knows about Tom?”

“Yes. And that bitch
of a mother of mine has filed for divorce.”

“We were expecting
that, Caitlyn.”

“What no one was
expecting was the fact that my mother’s slime bag boyfriend, or w
hatever he is, has gotten her legal counsel. If that
weren’t enough, they’ve managed to freeze all of Pop’s assets. Everything
except his paycheck, and I’m sure that’s just a matter of time.”

Apolo shook his head.
His eyes were dark. He was not amused. “Do
es she have
no shame?”

“Apparently
not.
Oh, and I did speak to the witch. I told her she was not to contact me, that if
she did, I would have your attorney’s slap her with a restraining order.”

His eyes grew wide,
and I thought I saw a smile. “Did you?”

“I
’m sick of her playing her games.
Playing people against each other to get what she wants.
And now that I know what she’s trying
to do with Pop…it makes me want to go find her and throttle her.” I stared at
him curiously then glanced up at the clock. He
ha
dn’t been gone but barely
three hours. “Don’t take this the wrong
way, but what are you doing home?”

“The three
musketeers—or rather, make that four—Bo is now with them. They’ve disappeared.”

“What?
When?”

“Sometime
over the weekend.
It seems the missing m
oney also
went along.
Had to.
From what’s been dug up on Tom, Tony,
and Don, none of them had any liquid cash flow.
Nothing that isn’t frozen by the feds, now.”

“What about Bo?”

“They’re checking into
him, but he’s with them.”

“I don’t understand,”
I final
ly replied. “What’s going on? It all seems to
swirl around my mother and that man she’s keeping company with. Everything
leads right back to him.”

“Ah, but it gets even
better. Jacob here has uncovered what this man’s place in all of this is.”

“Jacob?”

He
walked forward. He’d been with Apolo for years now, the one
person outside of me the senator would trust with his life.
Neither man had shared much with me, and
I never thought it my place to intrude
into their friendship. “The good Senator Beecham is Don
Turner’s uncle.”

“What?” I glanced at
Apolo, who was standing there with that arrogant smirk on his face I’d come to
love. “How did no one know this?”

“Not hard to overlook.
Don’s never been much on sharing his family history to begin with. I knew his
pare
nts divorced when he was pretty young. His mother
came from money. I simply followed the money trail.”

“Okay, now it makes
sense. His mother moved back to be around family.
Different last name.
The one thing that I still don’t get is
Delpheine. What does s
he have to do with all this?
Besides thinking she’s going to steal my husband away from me.”

“She’s working on the
senator’s staff. I haven’t been able to pinpoint an exact title, or what she
does, but she’s on his payroll.”

“That certainly does
explain a
lot. Now, I’m going to take a wild guess—my
mother and the senator are more than friends?”

“It’s hard to say, but
the guy I’ve had on him did catch the two in more than just a friendly,
goodnight embrace, and the senator’s been seen leaving the hotel at od
d hours.”

I sat there for a
moment. She thinks she’s so clever, my mother. Still, I can’t let her leave Pop
in financial ruin. It won’t happen. “So, you came home just to tell me all
this?”

“Hmmm,
yes.
Glad I did, too. Now, I can have my attorney help find your father a bulldog
solicitor who can bite your mother’s men in the arse, as the Scots would say.”

I grinned. “You’re
just full of yourself today, Senator Choice. No laws to pass?”

“This afternoon,
and now
that
we’ve shared news, I do have an
appointment to keep. Oh, and by the way, Renee gave me some names for you to
contact about our foundation.” He pulled a slip of paper out of his suit coat
and handed it to me.

Taking it from him, I
scanned them.
None I recognized. I noted Renee had
made some notations as to what each of these people did. “I guess I better get
to work myself.
Dinner?
Any requests?”

“Food,” he smugly
replied.

* * * *

Holding the paper he’d
given me, along with a mug of warm coffe
e, I walked
into my office and fired up my laptop. As I waited, I grabbed a nearby legal
pad and pen and began making some notes. I knew the basics. I must now surround
myself with the people more knowledgeable than I.