The Perfect Candidate (33 page)

“Michael,” Ashley sighed.  “Don’
t jinx it!
”
she begged, cursing her Irish roots.  Michael just laughed at her.

“The little guy has a right to know what he’
s getting mixed up in, don
’
t you, buddy?
”
he joked.

26

The next few weeks seemed to slip into some kind of weird, hyper-accelerated, state of time.  The days flew by rapidly.  Everyone involved in the campaign was rushed off their feet- no one less than Michael of course, but Ashley felt that she came a very close second.  She didn
’
t only have her own job to hold down, but she also seemed to be the main coordinator of the wedding. 

Ashley thought that Norm would have liked to handle that responsibility for her, but as Michael had pointed out, it would look a little strange to people if his campaign manager was dealing with it all. 

In all honesty, Ashley would not have minded handed over the reigns to someone else, so that she no longer had to worry about venues and flower arrangements and bridesmaids dresses
…
  It was all so
painful
…
planning a wedding that she knew she was never going to get to enjoy. 

Ashley
’
s parents were thrilled, if confused, by the whole thing.  She hated lying to them, but she didn
’
t know what else to do.  They kept begging her to bring Michael to meet them.  So far she had been able to put them off, Michael
’
s schedule was frantic to say the least, but it was going to look odd to people if they had never met before the wedding day
…
the wedding day that wasn
’
t going to happen
, Ashley reminded herself glumly.

Lolly seemed to pick up on Ashley
’
s depressed mood that evening when she went around to Michael
’
s house.  She and Michael had been going to go over a few speeches that she had written for him to use at the upcoming convention (depending on how things went), but he had been delayed in a meeting, and was over two hours late getting home. 

Michael
’
s housekeeper had let Ashley in, but she had long since gone home herself.  So Ashley and Lolly were curled up together in the living room, waiting for Michael to get back so that they could eat!  Ashley had looked over a few of the polls that Michael had left lying out on his coffee table.  They were close, but Michael did appear to have a slight lead over the opposition- not they he could become complacent!

He wasn
’
t being complacent
, Ashley admitted to herself.  A proud little smile tugged at her lips.  She didn
’
t think that she had
ever
seen Michael work as hard as he had been working over the last few weeks.  It reminded her of what an incredible man he was, and why she had originally wanted to join his team.

“Remus?  Here boy!”  Michael’
s tired voice boomed through the house all of a sudden.  His puppy looked up, interested in the noise, but he didn
’
t answer to his name. 
“
Ash?  Are you here?
”

“We’
re in here, Michael,
”
Ashley called back.  She uncurled her legs from under herself, and then she eased herself up off the sofa. 
“
I didn
’
t hear the car,
”
she said apologetically, as Michael entered the room.  At the sight of his master, Lolly almost burst with excitement.  He leapt off the sofa and starting barking and running around frantically.

“He’
s going to knock someone over if he does that when he
’
s fully grown!
”
Michael laughed. 

“Aww, you just need to train him a little,” Ashley said, popping a kiss on Michael’
s cheek.  He raised an eyebrow at her.

“In all of my copious free time, right?” he teased.

Ashley flushed a little guiltily. 
“
Well it
will
be harder to train Lolly once he
’
s all grown up,
”
she pointed out quietly, but then changed the subject before Michael could start insisting that his dog was called Remus. 
“
Did you want to order takeout for dinner?
”

“Sure,” Michael nodded.  “Is Chinese okay with you? I don’
t think I can eat another pizza,
”
he joked. 

Ashley pouted at him, but then rummaged around for a telephone number.  Michael watched her as she moved aside some bridal magazines as she searched.  His mouth became rather dry, and he suddenly felt the need to clear his throat.  He ran a finger over the cover of one magazine in what he hoped was a causal manner.

“When
is
the big day?
”
he murmured, although he knew the answer perfectly well. 
“
It must be getting pretty close now.
”

Ashley blinked at him uncertainly, and then looked down at where his attention lay and colored slightly. 
“
Oh.  It
’
s the first Saturday in September,
”
she murmured. 
“
I forget the exact date,
”
she added quietly.  Michael
’
s eyes narrowed.  He wondered if she was lying? 
He
knew the exact date
…
but before he could question Ashley any further she dialed their Chinese restaurant and started giving their usual order.

It was only three weeks away.  Michael sat down in a leather armchair and loosened his tie, while
Remus
ran and fetched him a toy to throw.  Three weeks really wasn
’
t a very long time.  It was only twenty-one days
…
that meant there were only twenty-one more nights of having his Ashley- less than that probably, in practical terms.  He dragged a hand over his face, unwilling, but unable to deny the misery that accompanied that thought.

“There we are, all ordered,” Ashley said with a smile.  “They apologized, there’
s a bit of a wait tonight apparently.
”

Michael nodded, and threw Remus squeaky toy again.  The puppy didn
’
t bring it back this time; he was content to throw it around the room himself.  Ashley moved over to where Michael was sitting, and perched on the arm of his chair.

“Michael, about the wedding,” she said softly.  “What- what’
s going to happen exactly?
”
she asked nervously.

Michael frowned slightly, and didn
’
t feel much like answering that question.  The fact he didn
’
t
know
the answer didn
’
t help matters, but he really didn
’
t even want to think about
after
the wedding.  So, being the expert politician that he was- he avoided the question completely by occupying Ashley
’
s mouth.

He wasn
’
t sure how he was going to be able to give this up the luscious feel of Ashley in his arms- of a woman in his arms who saw him as a
man
- just a man, not a public figure, or the sum of the office he held.  He could be himself with Ashley.  He didn
’
t have that luxury with anyone else.  He was going to be so unbearable lonely without her
.

Michael tugged Ashley down onto his lap, relieved when she melted into his embrace and didn
’
t try to resist him- didn
’
t try to talk.  His lips moved reverently over her soft, smooth skin, trying to tell her without words exactly what it was that she meant to him. 
Everything
… bubbled to the forefront of his mind, but Michael wasn’
t quite ready to admit
that
yet.

He racked his fingers reverently over Ashley
’
s body. 
It was all going to be so much worse when she was gone
… the bitter little thought pierced Michael’
s heart.  He would know exactly what he was missing. He would have only memories to keep himself warm.  He entered her with a low, feral growl, wishing that he could stay here, wrapped in her arms forever
.

Michael ran his fingers lightly through her hair, lovingly curling the silky tresses around his digits.  To hell with it all! 
Would it be completely and utterly insane to suggest that they got married for real? 
Michael jolted at the thought.  He wasn
’
t sure what had given birth to that idea, but once it had been given form he found it impossible to dismiss.

Would it really be so crazy?  Marriages were built on less than what he and Ashley shared all the time!  Didn
’
t Michael
’
s own second marriage prove that was true?  What he felt for Ashley was a hundred times more intense, more genuine than anything he had ever felt for his second wife.

Michael toyed with the idea, wondering what Ashley would say if he made the suggestion aloud?  Would she laugh at him, or worse, refuse him point blank?  He  couldn
’
t seem to judge.  Michael knew- or thought that he knew- that he meant
something
to Ashley.  He just wasn
’
t sure what that something was, or if it was as much as she meant to him
.

He wasn
’
t a coward though!  Michael had never shirked away from any challenge in his life.  He was just on the cusp of asking Ashley if she would marry him- for real- when Remus began to bark excitedly and rushed towards the window.