A.J. Kinsey knew he was never meant to love until he meets the one woman he'll break all the Cheaters Club rules for...even if it leaves him broken.
written by @MarriedtoArod
Updates on Fridays
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I can only imagine the scowl on Ellis Rothschild's face is one my old man would wear if we ever met. Maybe my father was there in the beginning—I just don't remember.
My mother never had a straight story to tell me about him either. Sometimes she told me she didn't know who he was, or he'd taken off when I was just a baby, or sometimes she'd avoid an answer at all. Whatever it was, the message is the same—he didn't want us.
"Madeleine, darling, may I have a word with you?" Mr. Rothschild says, his glare unfaltering. "Alone."
Welp, there's my cue to go.
Maddy's cheeks are red like she's come in from a brisk afternoon walk. Making a scene or being a dick to Ellis is probably the worst thing I could do. But tempting.
"We'll be in contact," I say to Maddy then give a curt nod to her husband. "Mr. Ellis, I'm sure I'll be seeing you around. Mr. Drake is fond of you."
For a second, the scowl on Rothschild's face softens. The man's interest in the Club far exceeds his current distaste for me. "Have a good afternoon, Mr. Kinsey."
Curiosity lines Maddy's face. I give her a quick wink and slip out the door.
Outside, oranges, pinks, and purples streak the sky, the tops of buildings aglow with the setting sun. No other season on the east coast beats autumn—no torrential downpours, freeze-your-ass-off polar snowstorms, and just enough humidity you don't have to sweat your balls off the second you walk out the door.
I stuff my hands in my pocket and stroll down the sidewalk—it's tempting to walk back the entire way to the Club. It's still early—maybe I will. I glance over my shoulder to Inner City Hearts down the block. It's hard to imagine that Maddy has a good reason for locking herself away in a relationship with a man like Ellis Rothschild. There's something too fatherly with the way he treats her.
I haven't found one reason to like the guy. If anything I despise him—he doesn't deserve someone as giving and lovely as Maddy. The least he could do is treat her more like a wife than a daughter. Old bastard.
I don't get another block when I hear my name.
"Wait!" Maddy jogs toward me, weaving in and out of suits on their way home from work and couples out for dinner.
A smile spreads across my lips. I didn't want to walk out the door with so much unresolved. The closer she gets, my grin widens.
"Oh man, I'm out of shape." Maddy rests her palms on her knees, her breath heavy.
"You look pretty damn good to me." And she does with her cheeks bright and her ponytail hanging over her shoulder. She licks her lips, and I curse myself for the reaction she provokes, as if I'm a fourteen-year-old boy looking at a Playboy.
I hope for some snide remark, something to keep the flirtation going, but instead she straightens and does her best to smooth the stray hairs away from her face. "Look, I'm sorry about Ellis. Sometimes he can be—"
