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“What do you want, baby?” He blew onto my aching core. “And be specific.”

“Devin James Camden, if you don’t fuck me with your mouth this second, I’m never going to have sex with you again.”

“Now, we can’t have that.”

His lips captured my clit and without preamble, my body detonated.

I lowered one hand to grip his fabric-covered head and arched up to meet the rhythm of his tongue. My body prickled with goosebumps and my mind clouded with the cascade of emotions my orgasm brought forth.

“Damn, baby. You were ready for me. Let’s see you do it again.”

“No.” I shook my head. “I need you to make love to…” I stopped my request as a knock sounded on the door and it opened.

“Dev, Sam, I think…” Ashur came to an abrupt stop. “Oh, for the love of God. I can never unsee this. Dammit, Devin. That’s my sister.”

Chapter Twenty-One

Close to nine a.m.the next morning, I stared at myself in the mirror of the quaint bathroom in Dev’s cabin.

Today was the day I’d enter a new phase of my life. Something I’d never dreamed of doing when I was a child. A pang of hurt hit my heart, reminding me of the fight with Papa the night before.

I had to accept I’d never be the daughter he wanted, and he’d never be the father I’d wished to have. At least I had the rest of my family: Mommy, Ashur, Veer, and all the Camdens.

What surprised me most was Richard’s change of heart. He’d sat down with me and Jacinta to apologize for his behavior. He seemed genuinely affected by Papa’s words and actions. He told us the whole evening had put a mirror in front of his face and shown him how he was heading down the same road as Papa. The last thing he wanted to do was isolate himself from his children. Then, he’d offered to assist me with the drafting of my statement for this morning. And this was before Devin and I’d told anyone about the pregnancy.

After learning he was going to be a grandfather, he’d smiled and said the kid was exactly like his father, since Devin was conceived during the beginning of Richard’s first bid for Senate.

His effort to connect with me was a start to mending the hurt he’d caused, and I was going to take it. At least I had one father who wanted a relationship with me.

“Are you ready?” Jacinta peeked around the door of my bathroom.

“Almost. Let me put on some lipstick.”

“That dress looks better on you than it ever did on me.”

“I am a good three inches shorter than you. I’m just happy I can walk in it without tripping.”

“Whatever, you know you look gorgeous. It’s too short on me, but on you, it looks classy, polished, with a hint of high fashion and sexiness.” Jacinta leaned against the doorframe and grinned. “Did you read the polls? I’m ahead.”

“Yes, I did, Ms. Frontrunner.”

According to the polls released twenty minutes ago, Jacinta was favored over Decker for her party’s spot on the ballot. And Veer had a cult following of his own. As a war hero and a staunch supporter of veterans and the military, he had endeared himself to a segment of Texas politics who would rarely, if ever, vote for him. Now he had a twenty-point lead over the incumbent.

I was almost positive he was going to become the new Texas governor in four months.

As I set the makeup on the counter and turned to face my beautiful best friend, I noticed her wringing her hands together.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. No, really. I only wanted to say…” She paused and took a deep breath. “Thank you.”

“For what? I’m the one who should be thanking you.”

“For standing up to the Deckers and Sanderses of the world. I wish I had the courage to face the political fallout from revealing what happened to me. You make me think it’s possible.”

“It is,” I assured her.

“No, Sam. My party is changing, but they aren’t ready for what would happen if I came forward, and I’ll never get any future presidential nomination as I’m poised to do now.”