Alpha Billionaire Series

CHARLES

Every time a district reported in, I got more excited. I was winning, but narrowly. The entire hall was buzzing with activity. Champagne flutes rode around on waiters’ trays, trading empty glasses for full ones. So far, the evening was going exactly how I hoped it would.

Peter looked at ease for the first time in months. His job was now over, and he would shift gears to prepping for next term with whatever candidates hired him. I, however, was on pins and needles waiting for the results. Election night had never been so intense for me. As a voter, I cast my vote and went home to watch shows and work on whatever case was on my docket at the time. Being a candidate was entirely different. I felt more on edge than I had for the entire campaign.

“Relax, you're too nervous.” Nina hooked her arm around mine and leaned in. I could smell the alcohol on her breat! It wasn't champagne either. “You do look amazing when you're this intense though.”

I chuckled nervously, scanning the room for Willow. She had been in and out all night, floating around in her full- length, black satin ball gown. I thought she looked a little pale, maybe tired, but she was exquisite. I wanted her to be the one on my arm when the final results were tallied.

“I'm okay. It's an intense night. All our hard work adding up to this moment.” I smiled at Nina, pulling my arm away from her to snatch a flute of champagne off a passing tray. She frowned, resituating her arm at her side as I stepped away from her. “I appreciate your loyalty and dedication to the campaign. I have a good feeling about this.”

“Me too,” she said, nudging closer to me again.

I looked for Willow again, not seeing any trace of her. Hoping to dislodge the thorn in my side, I walked away from Nina, headed to the hallway to find Willow. Nina, however, followed me like my shadow, and I found myself alone with her near the water fountain. When I turned to reenter the hall, she was there, blocking my path.

“Charles, can I ask you something?” She cradled her stemware seductively, tracing her finger up and down the stem like she was stroking my d**k.

“Sure!” I was uncomfortable to say the least. Nina had made it obvious on more than one occasion that she wanted me, but I thought I'd made it clear to her that nothing would ever happen between us. “What is it?”

“Well, I mean, once Willow leaves with her money, you'll be single.” She looked up at me through her thickly caked lashes, the mascara offering more covering than her skimpy dress.

“That was more of a statement than a question.” I couldn't help but look down at her tits. They were staring at me over the edge of the lacy neckline that scooped so low her nipples almost showed. If Willow weren't around, I'd bang Nina, but there was no shot in hell of a relationship.

“Well, I always wondered what it would be like to—"

“Let me stop you right there. Okay? Willow is my wife, contractual obligation or not. I am about to be made a US senator, and anything that looks inappropriate would destroy my reputation.” I held my hand out to her, and she took it, forcing it against her chest. My thumb brushed over the curve of her skin, and I recoiled.

“Charles, tell me you have never imagined me? Fantasized?”

I struggled to pull my hand away, but the scowl did it. She frowned. “Nina, I'm not sure I've sent the proper signal to you. I wouldn't have sex with you if you were the last woman on Earth. I am in love with Willow. I have been for years That's not changing” I straightened my tie and checked the hallway to make sure no one had seen that. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to find my wife”

Nina scoffed, stomping her foot as I walked away.

I hadn't seen Willow in at least 40 minutes, and I had no clue where she could have disappeared to. I searched the entire hall where I was stopped by one person after another until finally, I just started ignoring people. If I won, I'd have to give the entire party a speech, and I wanted her by my side for that.

Just the thought of my selfish desire made me feel guilty. Yes, I wanted her by my side for that speech, but maybe it would be best if she wasn't. It would give the press in attendance the first hint that we weren't really a happy couple The absence would reveal a separation behind the scenes and give a foundation for Willow to depart quietly and go on her own. That's what she wanted anyway.

Finally, as I ducked back into the hall, now cluttered with newcomers to the party, I noticed Willow leaving the bathroom. She was wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. At the same time I saw her, I saw Peter. He approached her from the opposite direction, and we arrived almost at the same time. Willow leaned over the drinking fountain and took a long drink of water, and Peter scowled.NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

“What are you two doing out here? You should be in there preparing to celebrate. The announcement is in less than half an hour” Peter wore his usual casual suit with no tie, a standout amongst the black ties and ball gowns.

“I'm not feeling well. It must be nerves.” Willow bent and drank more water, then straightened and faced me. “What's going on?" I was irritated, and I knew I shouldn't have been. “I thought you weren't sick anymore.”

“I said it's just nerves. Sometimes this happens when I get nervous, okay?” She brushed a stray brown hair off her exposed shoulder and corrected her posture.

“You both need to get back into that room.” Peter scolded us for a moment. “And why haven't you picked up your phone all day?”

I winced, remembering waking to my phone being submerged in a glass of water next to me. “I dropped my phone in water,” I told him, wincing. “Give us a second.”

Peter retreated back to the hall, and I glanced at the clock and knew he was right. They would read the final decision from ballot offices across the state any minute, then they would call us with the result and our reaction would be recorded.

“Look, I get it. You aren't happy here. It's almost over now, okay? After they read the results, no matter what happens you are free to return to your life as normal.” Her expression wasn’t what I expected. She looked hurt for a moment, genuinely in pain, then her face calmed, and she smiled.

“I think you're going to win, but if you don’t you can always try again in a few years.” Willow hooked her arm around mine and said, “Shall we?”

Shaken, I cleared my throat, unable to respond to her. I hadn't expected to see that hurt expression on her face. I thought of all things to say, what I told her would have been a relief, that she would be happy to return to her norms life and take her money. Now I led her back into the noise and chaos of the celebration a bit uneasy. Had I read her entirely wrong?

“Willow, I need to know something,” I said as we walked into the room.

“Anything, Charles.” Her fake, pasted-on smile was back, playing the “good wife” for the cameras and constituents. “Do you want to stay here? Did something change? Are you in love with me?” Now definitely wasn’t the time or the place to ask a question like that, but if I waited a single second longer, I'd lose my nerve. We dodged a few waiters carrying trays of champagne and weaved toward the stage. I glanced at her a few times, and if I wasn't mistaken, she had tears in her eyes. But what did they mean? “Answer me,” I ordered, stopping the train. I had to know.

As I turned to face her, the crowd closed in around us. I was lost in her eyes that I could see clearly were brimming with tears. She smiled, hooking her arms around my neck and pulling me down for a kiss. But it wasn’t the kiss I wanted. I wanted the kiss that reassured me that I was right—she wanted to stay. What I got was a camera-friendly kiss, the type Peter had forced us to practice over and over. It didn’t entirely reject the notion that she wanted to be here, but it didn't scream “take me I'm yours.”

When I backed away, searching her face, the cameras started flashing and Peter was there, pulling me on stage. Willow followed, a reluctant victim to the chaos. All of our hard work would be decided in the next few minutes, but the decision I wanted would have to wait. When we got home, I was going to pry it out of her one way or another.