Page 27 of Accepted Precedent (Love & Politics #3)

Andrew

I wake before my alarm to my phone vibrating. With a groan, my eyes flutter open, and I reluctantly check it.

Finn Gallagher

Wake up, arsehole. We need to prep.

My phone clock reads four. That can’t be right. I glance at the blinding red digits on the alarm clock—also four.

Prep what?

For your meeting this morning.

I’ve got it handled.

No, you don’t. The so-called investor who contacted you is part of the PAC who funded your opponent from the last election.

Dancing bubbles appear and I squint at my screen, rereading his message while I wait. They disappear and seconds later there’s an incoming call. It’s too fucking early for this bullshit, but I pick up. “Hello?”

“You have ten minutes.”

“Ten minutes for wh?—”

He hangs up, and I’m left wondering if he expects me to be interview-ready or just prepared for his arrival.

I sling my legs off the bed and sit up, careful to not wake Evelyn.

I reach for her, only to find cold sheets.

If she stayed with Mick, wouldn’t she have called or texted?

I check my phone and I don’t have any missed messages from either of them, only one from her sister.

Kristin Proctor

I’ll be at your place around 5 a.m. I have something I need to talk to you about, but it needs to be done in person.

The timestamp is from last night, after I left the wedding.

Sorry, I just saw this. Finn should be here in ten minutes about the meeting.

Great, I’ll leave a little early and should be there in twenty minutes.

I check Evie’s location, and it looks like she’s at Mickey’s. I pad off to the bathroom, stretching my arms and shoulders along the way. Once dressed, I make my way to the kitchen and nearly jump out of my damn skin when I find Finn making coffee.

“Good morning, Mr. Adams,” he snickers, clicking the button to start the brew cycle.

“I really need to change my locks.”

“What time will Ms. Proctor be joining us?”

“Probably in about ten minutes.”

He pulls down two more mugs, adding sugar to one. “Perfect. We have more to discuss than your meeting.”

I fucking hate when he’s ominous like this. Pulling creamer from the fridge, I open my voice-note app. “Reminder: ask Evelyn to order more creamer. ” We should’ve taken Mickey up on his offer to have someone handle shopping and cooking, but she insisted we could handle it.

“You should order it yourself,” Finn grumbles, removing a pastry from a brown bag on the counter. “After all these years, you still haven’t figured out Evelyn is overqualified to be a housewife.”

“You’re right.”

I lean against the counter and open the delivery app, adding creamer to the shopping cart. There’s a knock at the front door that pulls my attention, followed by Kristin’s voice carrying into the house. “Andrew?”

I stuff my phone back in my pocket and call out, “In the kitchen!”

Finn removes his jacket and drapes it on the back of an island stool, then rolls up the sleeves of his dark green button-down shirt. He takes a seat and opens his laptop, muttering to himself, “This is going to be expensive if it gets out.”

“If what gets out?” I ask, though I don’t know if I want the answer.

His narrowed eyes lock on me. “Your relationship with your wife’s sister.”

“Relationship? I?—”

“Good morning, Mr. Gallagher. Andrew.” While she probably didn’t intend for my name to come out sultry, it still makes my heart stop. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Mornin’.” He finally breaks eye contact with me to tell her, “You’re not late, but we have our work cut out for us once we’re done here.”

“Is this regarding yesterday’s incident?”

“Aye, it’s going to be a rough few weeks. Let’s get started, shall we?”

I pour coffee for all of us while she takes a seat next to Finn. They whisper about something I can’t quite hear, but she glances over her shoulder at me twice, eyes wide. I join them, setting their cups on the table. “What are you two gossiping about?”

“My brother,” Finn replies with a huff as I sit next to Kristin.

“He asked me to handle the situation with the Blakes and brief you on what occurred yesterday.” He runs his finger along the rim of the mug and sighs a deep breath.

“Christopher Blake wasn’t supposed to marry Jaclyn Taylor.

Over the past few months, he’s become a pain in my arse.

We decided to no longer back his run for President.

If he married Ms. Taylor, he’d be guaranteed the nomination.

So, we took matters into our own hands.” He sips his coffee and winces.

“Add a coffee grinder and fresh beans to your order. Maybe a Sumatra?” He waits for me to follow his marching orders. “Okay, where was I?”

“Chris being guaranteed the nomination if he married Jaclyn,” Kristin answers.

“Thank you. The wedding was never supposed to happen, but his brother stood in for him.”

“Fuck,” I sigh, combing a hand through my hair. “Evelyn was right.”

“Because she’s smarter than you. Yes, Alex married the Washington darling yesterday.

But now Mick and I have to secure a few more congressional seats to ensure balance.

Maryland loves you, so there are no concerns there.

” Finn takes a dramatic drink and groans.

“Ms. Proctor will be working on another campaign in a few weeks.”

“Whose campaign?” I ask curiously, sipping my coffee. He’s right—I do need an upgrade.

“Taylor, for now.”

My brows pinch, and I nearly spit out my drink. “What could he possibly run for?”

“Not him,” Kristin whispers.

“Who? Jaclyn?” I huff a laugh. “For what?”

“President of the United States,” he states without a hint of irony or sarcasm in his tone.

“I’m sorry, but are you and Mickey out of your minds?”

“It won’t happen right away. But Ms. Proctor will help with her campaign, and assist whoever will be her running mate,” he explains, then tells Kristin, “You’ll work directly with my brother moving forward.”

“Of course, Mr. Gallagher.”

I love and hate that Kristin won’t be working for me. Her work ethic is unmatched, but maybe without her in the office every day, I won’t be constantly disgusted with myself for imagining her sitting on my desk with my face between her thighs. It’s for the best.

“Now that that’s settled, the investor who contacted you yesterday—keep the meeting. I want both of you to attend. I did a little digging, and they’ve been linked to a PAC that funds protests nationwide. It’s important to Mickey and me that we gather intel.”

Kristin takes out her notebook and begins writing. “What sorts of protests?”

“Privacy laws. They have been quietly funneling money that supports legislation to end HIPAA protections. I want as much information as possible about it without raising suspicion.”

“Women’s healthcare,” Kristin mumbles under her breath, then clears her throat.

“It has nothing to do with HIPAA. They want to criminalize women who have miscarriages and abortions. If they’re funding anti-choice protests, why would they want to support Andrew? Evie lobbied against people like this.”

“Could be a number of reasons, which is why I need you both there. Also, I have some bad news…”

Finn goes over recent market research data I requested, and I’ll likely lose my next election if I divorce Evelyn.

While he’s correct that Maryland loves me, they love her more.

Even if the numbers favored me, there’s no chance she could be with Mickey—at least for several years.

I love both of them so damn much and hate that they’re miserable because of me.

If I’d known we would be married this long, I never would’ve let her agree to it.

Kristin excuses herself to use the restroom, and Finn pins me with a murderous glare.

“You’re going to keep your cock to yourself where Ms. Proctor is concerned,” he seethes.

I’m about to protest when he continues. “I don’t fuckin’ care if my brother’s balls-deep in your wife right now.

If they got caught, the media would paint her as a slut, but your political reputation would survive.

If anything, you’d secure more votes. Mick knows the risks—they both do.

But if you get caught with Ms. Proctor, it’ll be the end of your career and hers. ”

“Nothing happened,” I insist, but it seems to do little to assure him. “I promise if either of us cross that line, you’ll be the first to know.”

“No, I won’t, because you’re not going to fuckin’ cross it. Understood?”

“It’s not like?—”

Finn snaps, “Understood, Mr. Adams?” I nod. “Good. I need to clean up the mess with the Blake twins. Let me know what you find out from the meeting.” He stands and rolls down his sleeves, fastening his cuff links, then drapes his jacket over his arm,

As places his coffee cup in the sink, Kristin enters, and he gives her a curt nod before putting on his blazer. After he leaves, she returns to the table and sits next to me. “Can we talk for a minute?”

“Sure, but you know that phrase usually means someone’s breaking up with you,” I tease, but I’m not loving where this is going.

“Yeah.” She draws her lips in to stifle a laugh.

“What’s on your mind?”

“I need you to know why I asked to work with Mickey.” Her gaze drops to her folded hands in her lap, taking a deep breath before her eyes meet mine.

“As much as I’ve loved working on your campaign and managing your staff, I’ve had…

” She takes another deep breath. “I have unprofessional, inappropriate feelings for you. But my career is too important to me to risk acting on them, and you’re married to my sister—even if it’s just for show—so I asked Finn if I could work with another politician or with Mickey.

I’m so sorry, Andrew. I promise I don’t expect anything from you, but I owe you the truth after all these years. ”

My heart swells at her admission. I place my hand over hers and sigh, “It isn’t just you.” She turns her hand over and interlaces her fingers with mine. “If things were different, maybe?—”

“No.” Kristin quickly withdraws her hand.

“I’d end up just like Evelyn, Jaclyn, or Ileah.

It broke my sister; Ileah is miserable, and Jaclyn is now stuck married to one of the biggest assholes in Washington.

There’s no way I could still work as a political strategist and be married to a career politician. ”

“Lucky for you, I don’t want to get married,” I chuckle and bite my lip to mask my smirk.

If she wants me, is there a chance we could be more?

Hope blooms in my chest at the prospect.

“I’m only married to Evie because it was the only way to win my first term, and now we’re stuck.

Mickey and Evelyn want the fairytale ending, running off into the sunset to live happily ever after.

I don’t see that for me. I’ve never felt one person could ever satisfy me emotionally and physically. ”

She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I don’t think I’ll ever get married, I’m basically married to my job, and I’d never want to sacrifice that.”

My gaze drops to her lips, wondering exactly how they taste. Would there be a hint of coffee lingering on her tongue? Maybe a little mint from brushing her teeth this morning? Ignoring Finn’s warning, I lean in, unable to resist finding out for myself.

Kristin closes her eyes, and with only an inch between us, I let her close the distance if she wants this as much as I do.

She doesn’t.

“Anyway…” Clearing her throat, she opens her eyes and pulls farther away from me. “I need to prepare for the meeting. Can I use your office?”

I stuff down my disappointment, and reply, “Sure. Let me know if you need anything.”

Nodding once, she stands and leaves to work in my home office. My mind is reeling. For years, I’ve hidden my feelings for her, and I hate that one more person has suffered because of me. If I walk away from it all, would I get to keep her for myself?