“Wow, that’s awful.” And while I feel sorry for their parents, I can’t help but wonder how much stress that must put on Conrad and Cannon.
“I’m sure they’ve got enough savings to handle things for a while, but if we don’t get our businesses back up and running soon…”
“Then they’ll be in trouble,” I finish for him.
“Yes.”
“I can’t believe Bailey would do something so awful to you all,” I say. “But on the other hand, he nearly had me assaulted and killed, so maybe I can.”
“You have to beat him,” Roman says. “Whatever it takes.”
“That’s my plan,” I agree.
“Good. Well, I’ll get out of here and let you get back to work.” He gets to his feet, and I close and hand his folder back to him. “My wife Charlotte was serious about having you and Cannon over for dinner one night.”
“That sounds nice,” I agree. “Even though it makes it sound like we’re a couple.”
“You’re stuck together for the next few weeks. May as well make the most of it,” Roman says with a smile. “See ya, Madison.”
“See ya,” I say as he walks out.
I glance at the time on my phone and decide we should probably call it a day since I need to get home and changed.
No, get to Cannon’s place and change. Not home. What the hell is wrong with me?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Cannon
I hear the front door unlock and then voices from where I’m sitting in the living room, watching whatever was on the first channel I came to. Getting up, I go around the sofa to meet them, knowing Madison is probably heading straight for the Keurig machine.
“Hey,” I say when I see her and Lucas coming in right behind her.
“Hey.” She gives me a nervous smile that’s so unlike her. Her eyes go to the television and then me. “Where were you today? I thought you would come by the office when you woke up.”
“Oh, sorry. I woke up late and wasn’t sure how long you would be there.”
“Bet you had one hell of a hangover too,” Lucas mutters. He comes to stand next to Madison with a smirk on his face.
“What the fuck does that mean?” I snap at him.
“Calm down,” Madison starts. “Lucas and Jake had to help me carry you from the kitchen floor to your bed after you passed out.”
“I passed out?”
“Don’t you remember?” she asks, staring at me intensely like it’s important I remember.
“Well, I mean, I remember certain things happening.” I let my gaze wander down her body and to the place between her legs. “Then nothing until I woke up.”
“You didn’t miss much then,” she says with a hint of anger.
“Are you mad at me for passing out?” I ask.
“It made me wonder if you were too drunk to be…doing what you were trying to do.”
“What I did,” I correct her. “And trust me, I remember every fucking second.”
“Well, good,” she says as she looks away as if embarrassed and then starts toward the stairs. “I’m going to get changed.” With her hand on the banister, she turns back to me and asks, “What should I wear to your parents?”
“Whatever you want to wear.”
Her dark eyes narrow. “That’s very helpful.”
“Fine. Casual. Everyone will be in jeans or even sweats.”
“Okay.”
She’s halfway up the stairs when I ask, “Do you even own a pair of jeans?”
“I do, but I’m not sure if I have any with me,” Madison responds. “Leggings and a sweater okay?”
Madison’s fine ass with tight cotton hugging it. “Fuck yes. I mean, yeah, leggings are fine.”
She disappears, and then I’m left with Lucas watching me like a hawk.
“What?” I ask him.
“Nothing. Just wondering if you two are fucking or not.”
“That’s none of your goddamn business, is it?” I ask him.
“No. But it would explain why you nearly ripped my head off about the beads and why Jake came down to the car last night blushing before Madison asked us to drag you to bed.”
“Jake was in here last night when…oh shit!” I exclaim because I had forgotten all about him when I went to my knees in front of Madison. She must have sent him out.
“So, something did happen? Damn. Why didn’t he tell me?” Lucas asks.
“Maybe because he’s trying to be a gentleman. How about you go outside and try to learn a thing or two from him,” I say. I’ve already made the decision that the prospects aren’t coming with us to my parents. They can stay here, eat, shower or whatever, but I need them to not be near me.
“Yes, sir,” he says, shoulders slumping and sounding dejected before he leaves.
I’m not really angry at him. I’m angry at myself for doing shit with Madison that I shouldn’t have because now I want to do even more. I need to get a grip before I sleep with her and then have to give her up.
Madison
From the outside, I thought the Eriksons’ house looked similar to Cannon and Conrad’s. But as soon as I step inside, I realize it is nearly identical, as if the twins loved their family home so much that they wanted something similar for themselves.
Cannon doesn’t bother ringing the doorbell or knocking. He just turns the doorknob and walks on inside with me right behind him.
“Mom? Dad? We’re here.”
Their father comes out of the kitchen with an apron on as if he’s been doing the cooking, and his mom walks slowly from the hallway, which if the layout is the same as his place, she was in the master bedroom on the main floor. Cannon hurries over to grab her arm to help her, and it makes my heart melt a little to see him so worried about her, reminding me of what Roman said to me earlier.
“Madison,
