The Perfect Candidate (18 page)

“
You
picked out Miss Kendall,
”
Norm reminded Michael. 
“
And might I also point out that you aren
’
t having a
‘
relationship
’
with any of the other women on the team?
”
he added prudishly.

Michael knew, deep down, that what Norman was saying was perfectly true.  He couldn
’
t flaunt his relationship with Ashley.  He
especially
couldn
’
t risk giving the impression that their relationship was sexual.  He sighed heavily and admitted defeat.

“Okay, Norm, you win,” Michael grunted.  “You want me to go and tell Ashley what her new duties her?” he asked, eyeing the paper that Norm was holding suspiciously.

“Well no, I think I can probably manage-” muttered the older man, backing out of the office before Michael could impose his will.

Michael couldn
’
t help scowling.  If Norm were twenty years younger then he would seriously consider him a rival for Ashley
’
s affections!  Not that he was interested in her
affections
so to speak
…
he just resented any other man hovering around her like Norm tending to do.

Michael was in a foul mood as he turned his attention back to the schedule, and so when the telephone rang half an hour later he almost bit the head off the person calling.

“Is this a bad time?” Ashley asked.

Michael cursed mentally. 
“
No, of course not, Ash.  What can I do for you?
”
he asked, already knowing the answer that he wanted to hear.

“I’
ve just been speaking to Norman-
”
Michael glanced at his watch and frowned again, she had been talking to Norman
all
this time?
“
-and I wanted to know what
you
think of me taking on a more active role in your campaign?
”
she asked, she sounded nervous.  Michael wished that he could see her face.

“I think you’
ll do an excellent job,
”
he said honestly. 
“
I can
’
t imagine trusting anyone else to do it.
”

“Well, except perhaps your
real
girlfriend,
”
Ashley pointed out dryly.

“If I had one you mean?” Michael chuckled.

“Well yes, there is that,” Ashley agreed.  He could hear a small smile in her voice now.  “Norm also mentioned that this means I’
m off the campaign trip,
”
she added quietly.

“Yeah, well-” Michael cleared his throat.  “You can understand why it’
s necessary?
”
he asked, not willing to admit that Norm had dropped that bombshell on him too.  Frankly, Norm
’
s
‘
orders
’
were starting to piss Michael off. 
“
But I
’
ll call you?  And I could email?
”
he suggested, rather liking that idea.

“You will?” Ashley asked, sounding doubtful.

“Sure I will,” Michael grinned.  “I’
ll be fun.
”

13

It
was
fun
…
although Ashley hardly dared admit that to herself, but it was becoming impossible to deny that she was checking her emails with increasing frequency as the days of Michael
’
s trip went by.  She had almost been surprised to see the first email from him sitting in her inbox.  Yes, he had said that he would write to her, but somehow she hadn
’
t really believed him.  She found it hard to picture Michael sitting down at a computer tapping away.  She always thought that he ought to be
doing
something more active.

However, despite this mental picture of him that Ashley had concocted, Michael had proven himself to be a very faithful correspondent.  His emails had started off politely and properly enough.  He talked about his day, what he had done, what he had achieved, what was scheduled for the next day.  He asked her tell her what was happening in her life too
…
but it didn
’
t take Michael more than a day or two to wander down different routes entirely!

Instead of asking her what she was doing, he asked her what she was wearing- followed by a detailed description of what he was he
wasn
’
t
wearing.

Ashley knew that she should delete Michael
’
s emails, (and she certainly shouldn
’
t answer them!) not just for her own benefit (and sanity,) but in case anyone ever found them
…
they would be so dangerous in the wrong hands!  She couldn
’
t bring herself to do it though.  She reread them, over and over again, getting herself hot and bothered, yearning for a time when Michael would be able to enact some of the scintillating scenarios that he had created and planted in her mind.

She dreamed about him every night, and rushed to her computer each morning to see if he had written to her. Today was no different.  Ashley told herself that she wasn
’
t going to go straight to her laptop this morning, but she just couldn
’
t help herself!  Michael was a drug, and she was a willing addict!

Ashley tried to ignore the way that her heart picked up speed when she sat down in front of the buzzing screen, checked her mail and found an email from Michael waiting for her.  She felt like a whole swarm of butterflies were fluttering around inside her stomach when she clicked to open the email and started to read.

14

“You saucy little-”

“Room service!”

Michael was quick to grab his robe off the bed.  He pulled it on over his naked body and snapped shut the screen of his laptop, before calling to the maid that she could enter.

“Morning, Mr. Reese,” said the cheerful young brunette.  She laid out his breakfast and a selection of newspapers on the table, asked if there were anything else he needed, and then went on her way when she was answered with a negative.

What he needed was Ashley! He glanced at his watch and saw that it was almost time for her appearance on Good Morning America. 

He flicked on the TV.  

Blanking his mind, Michael took a sip of fruit juice and turned his attention to the television, but the box didn
’
t fully capture his attention until Ashley appeared on screen.

She was wearing a skirt. She looked perfectly gorgeous.  Perhaps
too
perfect. Was that possible?  He wanted to pull the pins from her hair and smudge her make up.  He wanted her like she had been in D.C. - a sexual, sensual woman that was utterly at his mercy. 

He had to confess that he wasn
’
t playing all that much notice to what was being
said
on the show.  Michael let Ashley
’
s voice wash over him like a soothing melody, until something she squeaked knocked him out of his fantasy.

“Children?” she asked, looking her interview, and seeming faintly flustered for the first time in the show.

A hundred miles away from where Michael was, sitting on an uncomfortable couch in the middle of a studio set, Ashley was still reeling from the shock of being asked if she and Mr. Reese were playing on having children any time soon.  She struggled to recover, and finally managed to answer with a shaky laugh.

“He hasn’
t even given me a ring yet!
”

However, Ashley
’
s interviewer was dogged. 
“
But you wouldn
’
t say no, Miss Kendall?
”
she pressed.

“To the ring or the children?” Ashley joked weakly.  She was hyper aware that Michael was watching this and hearing every word that she said, but then surely he would appreciate that she didn’
t have any control over the questions that she was asked on these shows?

“To neither I would have imagined!” said her interviewer cheerfully.

And so Ashley was forced to give the only answer that she could, given the circumstances.  She plastered a smile on her face, and reply shyly,
“
No, I wouldn
’
t say no.
”
  She was extremely disconcerted when she realized that she might actually be telling the truth!

The remained of the interview passed by unexceptionally enough. In fact, Ashley hardly remembered it; her mind was still stuck on that question about children and marriage.

She couldn
’
t understand why it had thrown her so badly. There shouldn
’
t be any doubts in her mind when it came to Michael and babies- their relationship was
pretend! 
It was just one of those broody womanly moments, she decided, trying to rationalize the sudden undeniable appeal of a little babe with Michael
’
s velvet brown eyes and thick glossy hair.

Ashley
’
s cell rang, and provided a welcome distraction from her unsettling thoughts, until she saw
who
it was that was phoning.

“Hello, Michael?” she said faintly, hating her heart for skipping a beat when his deep, rich voice drifted down the line.