A Convenient Marriage [Book 2 of the Friends and Lovers Series] Read online

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  Atlantic Bridge

  www.atlanticbridge.net

  Copyright ©2008 by Nadia Aidan

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  NOTICE: This work is copyrighted. It is licensed only for use by the original purchaser. Making copies of this work or distributing it to any unauthorized person by any means, including without limit email, floppy disk, file transfer, paper print out, or any other method constitutes a violation of International copyright law and subjects the violator to severe fines or imprisonment.

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  CONTENTS

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Epilogue

  About the Author

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  Published by Liquid Silver Books, Imprint of Atlantic Bridge Publishing, 10509 Sedgegrass Dr, Indianapolis, Indiana. Copyright 2008, Nadia Aidan. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the authors.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  Dedication

  To Victor, thank you for making this all possible

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter One

  "You need to get your wife back."

  Adam Dumont glared at his best friend and campaign manager, Richard Ellis, as if he was searching for the second head that had grown out of his neck.

  He shook his head. “That's not an acceptable solution."

  "Listen to me. If you hope to win this seat in Congress you need to get your wife back—” Richard hesitated as if he was reluctant to continue, “—or you need to get another one."

  A look of glee crossed Adam's face at the thought, before it disappeared with Richard's next words. “But I don't think the latter is the best idea.” He frowned at him. “The American public tends to judge candidates that are divorced very harshly, and you definitely can't remain a bachelor. The tendency is to think that you're either a player or gay, which would be fine if you weren't running for office. Let's not forget what happened to Harold Ford, Jr."

  He scowled. “So basically you're telling me that I have little choice but to take Lisa back."

  Richard's eyes were sympathetic as he stared down at him. “I know the situation is less than ideal, but the polls indicate that this is going to be a close race. You can't give Gordon any edge in this and that's exactly what you will do if you ignore my advice."

  He sulked in his leather chair as his mood grew darker with each passing second. Although he didn't want to admit it, he knew Richard was right.

  Adam's gaze snapped to Richard when his friend let out a long sigh and shifted from his perch against his desk. “Look, I've got to go and take care of some things. I'll be back in an hour.” He placed a reassuring hand on Adam's shoulder and squeezed gently. “Just think about what I said.” Adam nodded as he watched Richard grab his coat and slip out of his office.

  As soon as Richard disappeared, he leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and massaged his fingers against his temple trying to stave off the impending headache.

  "I need a drink,” he mumbled to himself, seriously tempted to call it a day and drive home where he could raid his well stocked bar. But he resisted the urge, knowing that getting drunk was not what he needed to do.

  "No, what you need to do is find yourself a wife."

  Unfortunately, Richard's suggestion was the only practical solution to his problem. He needed to keep the trifling, lying one that he already had.

  At the thought of Lisa, the muscles in his jaw clenched tight as anger roared through his body.

  He could barely stomach the thought of her. When they separated three months ago, he'd hoped he would never lay eyes on her ever again. But now it would seem he was going to have to do much more than just see her again. The thought of having to pretend to be her loving husband was so abhorrent that he was tempted to just drop out the race. But he knew he couldn't do that.

  He had sat by patiently waiting for the democratic Congressman to finally retire and he knew if he let another democrat take the Virginia House seat it could be many years before it opened up again. He had already solicited donors and established valuable networks. His chance to run was now. So if it meant taking back his scheming wife then so be it. Lisa had already ruined their marriage; he wasn't going to allow her to ruin his political career as well.

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  As the founder and CEO of one of the most successful modeling agencies on the East Coast, Lisa Davis-Dumont considered herself to be pretty savvy. Davis Modeling Agency, Inc. was one of the few agencies exclusively owned and operated by an African American female, and her reputation for being tenacious when it came to getting her clients the most professional models in the business was legendary. Not bad for thirty-five. A former runway model herself, she knew the ins and outs of the business but her MBA from Howard University also helped. With all the brains and savvy she supposedly possessed, Lisa could not comprehend why she was allowing Richard to talk some nonsense into her head.

  "Richard, I can tell you right now that Adam is not going to agree to this, but I promise you that I will think about what you've said."

  "That's all I want you to do, Lisa. Just think about it, alright?"

  "Sure, Richard,” she muttered before disconnecting the call.

  As soon as she hung up the phone, she dropped her face in her hands and let out a long, ragged breath. Richard may be optimistic, but she sure wasn't. Adam may have just realized that he needed her to win the election, but that didn't mean he would actually agree to Richard's plan. She knew her husband would rather saw off his right arm than take her back.

  She laughed bitterly. The image of Adam doing just that was comical, although she knew it wasn't too far off from the truth. He would rather do himself bodily harm than have to see her, speak to her, touch her ever again.

  Her heart squeezed in her chest and her throat choked with a sob at the thought of her husband. So many nights she'd cried herself to sleep over the mistakes she'd made with him. She'd loved him, still did, so much that her heart ached every time she thought of how she'd betrayed him.

  He just didn't understand that she had loved him with such a blinding passion that she'd thought if they just got married she could make him understand her position and come around to her way of thinking. But when the truth had finally come out, he didn't see things quite that way. Naturally, he'd felt betrayed and saw her actions as manipulative, and she couldn't blame him. She knew now that it had been a mistake to marry him in the first place. They were just too stubborn and strong willed to bend long enough to find a compromise.

  "But here you are thinking of going back to him,” she chuckled dryly as she mulled over Richard's words. She knew if she went back to Adam it could all erupt into a disaster. But she also knew if she didn't, she would always regret not taking the one and only chance she would ever have to convince Adam that she still loved him, and that deep down he still loved her too.<
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  Lisa rolled her eyes at her best friend's antics and lifted her teacup to her lips in order to hide her widening grin.

  "Lacy Savoy, you're crazy."

  "Seriously. I say you shank him in the middle of the night like that Lorena woman..."

  "Yes. Because castrating the Mayor of Alexandria and a former District Attorney would be the wisest thing I've done in all my life."

  "No, but it would be wiser than marrying the prick in the first place."

  Lisa rolled her eyes again. Not this again. Lacy could not stop harping on the fact that she'd cautioned Lisa about marrying Adam from the very beginning.

  "Gee thanks, Lacy. You used to like him."

  "Yeah and I used to be a virgin too, but that doesn't mean I try to pretend that I still am. Besides I still do like him. I just think he has some issues that he needs to work out."

  Lisa released a long breath and turned her head to stare out the window of the Starbucks where she had agreed to meet Lacy for a quick coffee break.

  "I know, Lacy. We both have a lot of issues. I just wish we had dealt with them before we got married. Truthfully, I never thought I would ever see him again and now that I may have to, I guess I'm just realizing that maybe we are being given a second chance. And if we are, then I don't want to blow it twice, you know."

  Reaching across the table, Lacy offered her hand and squeezed it tightly. The look that flashed in Lacy's eyes was clear. She was worried about her going back to Adam, but she would support her decision because she was her friend.

  Lacy lifted her lips in a reassuring smile. “I can't tell you if this is meant to be or not, but I do know that you two have a lot of unresolved issues and maybe it's time that you worked on some of them so that you can finally move forward,” she said quietly.

  Lisa squeezed Lacy's hand as she returned her warm smile. Lacy was right. She would help Adam if only to help herself. They needed to finally work through some of their problems if they were to move forward. Now whether they moved forward together was another story.

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Two

  Two days after his conversation with Richard, his best friend had somehow managed to get Lisa to agree to a meeting. So now he sat there, his chilly gaze fixed on the woman he'd been married to for just under a year.

  He knew this meeting was necessary, but he should have just insisted that Richard handle everything. That way he wouldn't have had to deal with her at all. With the upcoming election consuming most of his attention, he hadn't given much thought to how he would react to seeing Lisa again after their three-month separation. He now wished he had.

  He would be lying if he said he was over his anger, and he didn't still despise her for what she'd done. Yet at the same time he would also be lying if he didn't admit that seeing her looking so vulnerable and sad didn't tug at his heart just a little.

  She'd lost weight—a lot of it, and at five-nine it was very noticeable. She also looked tired as if she'd been pushing herself too hard and wasn't getting enough sleep. The dark circles under her eyes didn't help either.

  Yet, despite the changes in her, it was still hard to diminish the innate beauty that she possessed. She'd oftentimes been described as the next Naomi Campbell, with her warm chocolate complexion, almond shaped brown eyes, and thick mane of lustrous jet-black hair. Now dressed in a classic white suit, her skin glowed against the stark color of the fabric, accentuating her exotic beauty.

  Adam cleared his throat and averted his gaze, forcing himself not to get caught up in her spell. He'd fallen for the Siren's Trap once before and he refused to do it again. For all the pretty packaging, he knew underneath the façade was a very selfish and manipulative woman.

  "I first want to thank you, Lisa, for coming. Adam and I are both grateful to you for agreeing to this meeting,” Richard began.

  When Lisa nodded, but didn't move to say more, Richard launched into a brief discussion of both their duties and responsibilities throughout the campaign. She nodded her head at several points, listening intently, until Richard brought his speech to a close.

  "Do you have any questions, Lisa?"

  She tilted her head to the side and her gaze drifted to the table as she tugged on her bottom lip with her teeth. Adam narrowed his eyes. She was nervous.

  "W-well, yes. I understand what would happen to this arrangement if Adam didn't win the election. We would once again go our separate ways. But what if he does win? How long are we supposed to carry out this charade?"

  Adam snapped his gaze to Richard. Good question. He wanted to know the same thing too.

  Richard shrugged and leaned back in his chair. “That depends. We would have to make sure his approval ratings were relatively high before we could just drop this type of news on his constituents."

  "We're talking how long?” Adam gritted out impatiently.

  "At least nine months."

  Adam's stomach dropped at the same time he heard Lisa exclaim, “Nine months!"

  She shook her head vehemently. “Richard, if I agree to this then that means Adam and I would be expected to remain married for more than a full year. That's insane, I mean, according to what you just said, we will have to be the epitome of the perfect couple.” A bitter chuckle escaped her lips. “I don't think we'll be able to manage that, Richard. Not even when we were supposed to be married for real did we come close to being the perfect couple."

  Adam pinched his lips into a frown as he shot her a hard look. He didn't know why, but he took offense to her words. No, their marriage had never been perfect but it didn't fall apart until just a little over three months ago, and he would like to think that most of it was due to her. He had tried to be a good husband to her.

  "Lisa, I understand your concerns but many couples have managed to exist comfortably in a political marriage. I am sure you and Adam will be able to do the same. You will also be well compensated for your contribution."

  Her posture grew rigid and Adam could tell Richard had offended her. “You and Adam can keep your money, or better yet, I insist you give it to charity.” She swung her gaze toward him, pinning him with a hard glare. “If I agree to this arrangement then it is because I have chosen to help my husband. I don't need compensation to do that."

  Adam leaned forward, holding her gaze, his expression suspicious. “Why else would you agree to this then, if not for the money?"

  She let out an inelegant snort and rolled her eyes. “For starters to show you that I'm not the selfish bitch you think I am.” Her eyes softened then and she glanced out the office window as if her mind had drifted somewhere else. “But also because I'm still your wife and this is important to you, which means it's important to me too."

  He studied her as he contemplated her words. What she said had him really puzzled. This was the Lisa he'd married, or so he'd thought, not the woman she'd revealed herself to be three months ago. Things just didn't add up.

  "Richard, can you give us a moment alone?"

  Richard glanced warily between the two of them as if he was unsure he should leave Adam alone with Lisa, but he finally stood up from his chair and stepped outside, closing the door behind him.

  As soon as the door closed, he launched out of his seat, and closed the distance between him and Lisa in two easy strides, to drag her by her arm out of her chair. She stared up at him with wide eyes, her mouth agape.

  "I don't know what you're up to, but let me make this clear. If you sabotage this campaign in any way, I will destroy you. Your agency, your assets, everything. I will not stop until you have nothing left, do you understand?"

  She nodded her head as she gulped deeply.

  When he was satisfied that she understood the seriousness of his threat he released her. Spinning around, he walked back toward his seat, but froze in mid-stride at her next words.

  "I-I'm not here because I want to sabotage your campaign or embarrass you. I-I'm here because I love you,” she said softly
. “And I think that if we can just talk everything out we—"

  He spun around to face her, his expression hard. “What? You think if we talk about what happened we can just push it aside and reconcile?” He shook his head. “If that's what you think then you're wrong. This is a marriage of political convenience, nothing more, so don't waste your time trying to repair something that's better left broken."

  She moved to take a step toward him but stopped, apparently glimpsing the chilly look in his eyes.

  "According to Richard, we have to be above reproach. No dating other people, no mistresses, just you and me together—celibate,” she said dryly. “A year is a long time to go living in the same house with someone you once loved and not wind up feeling something."

  He was incredulous. “You're a piece of work, Lisa, you know that. If you think you can use our physical chemistry to draw me back to you then you're delusional. It's really hard to be attracted to a woman who shows herself to be a selfish, self-centered liar,” he said bitterly, forcing the words past the lump that gathered in his throat when he thought of what she'd done.

  Pain flashed across her face, but he was not moved. She deserved to feel some of the pain that he'd carried inside of him for the past three months.

  "I know you hate me for what I did, but I also know that as long as there is love inside your heart for me that we can get past this."

  "What makes you think I still love you?"

  She stared up at him, her gaze unflinching, and he knew he wasn't going to like her next words by the conviction he read on her face. “Because you can't bring yourself to file for a divorce, any more than you can bring yourself to take off your ring."

  [Back to Table of Contents]

  Chapter Three

  Adam slammed the door to his home, and stalked through the sitting room area straight to the bar. Pouring himself a shot of whisky, he downed it in a single gulp, wincing as the searing amber liquid burned a path down his throat all the way to his belly.