Page 115 of Incisive

I don’t know what the hell I would ever do without Jordan.

I also hope I never have to find that out, either.

“We good, Mister President?”

I squeeze his hands. “We’re good, Mister Walsh.”

That playful smile of his might one day be my undoing. “Watch out, or I might come to like you calling me that and make you keep it up.”

I pull him into my arms and slant my lips over his, drawing it out until I feel his body relax against me and his hands fist my jacket. “I think I know the way to shut off that mode if you can’t flip out of it on your own.”

He smiles up at me. “Smart-ass.”

“Yoursmart-ass.”

We finally part and he indicates for me to go first, to leave the room ahead of him, becauseprotocols.

But I smirk because I feel his gaze focused on my ass and my smug satisfaction over the way his cock stiffened against me tells the truth, no matter what Jordan might ever say or what role he needs to play for me: he’s as much mine as I am his.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

Fortunately Leo showsup soon after to help Jordan shoulder the burden of dealing with me. Thankfully, the next several hours pass in a blur. I venture downstairs to the ballroom a couple of times to say hi to the crowd, talk to the press, and let people see me and Stella standing next to each other and acting like you’d expect a loving pair of siblings to behave.

Mostly I do that last part so Mom and Dad, who I know are watching at home, think we’re getting along okay.

All right,andbecause I know it’ll piss off Ellis. I’m certain more than a few pundits on the other side of the aisle will gig him about this.

During one such appearance I feel Jordan’s and Leo’s gazes on me as I stand on the stage behind Ciro while he speaks to the crowd. I need Ciro to get as much facetime as he can tonight with the crowds and in front of the TV cameras because I want everyone to see him as my heir-apparent the way Shae made me hers.

We all know that Ciro’s campaign unofficially kicks off tonight even though he hasn’t made an official announcement. Anyone who thinks it doesn’t isn’t paying attention. There aren’t even any potential Democratic contenders stepping up and making noises to primary him because they know that’ll blow any shot they might have to be picked as his VP and short-track their own path to the Oval Office.

Stella stands next to me, our arms around each other’s waists. She leans in and whispers to me with her free hand covering her mouth. “Is your ‘partner’ here tonight?”

I don’t let my smile falter for a second. “They are.” Ironically, that’s literally not a lie.

For once.

“Why isn’t she up here on stage with you, bro? I’d think after dating for a couple of years that you’d want her to become public knowledge.”

Jordan and Casey-Marie have kept their ears to the ground monitoring the rumor mills to make certain no one stumbles over the correct scent trail. Stella has beaten nearly all the bushes completely barren of leaves trying to figure out who my “partner” is.

Mom and Dad flat-out told her to drop it but Stella is Stella.

“Because I don’t want their life flipped completely upside down.” I’m not hiding my mouth but I’m being very careful to speak with my lips parted so I don’t give away what I’m saying.

Unfortunately, I’ve become quite adept at that skill over the years.

“When does your little sister get let in on the secret? Holidays are coming up. Family dinners. Plenty of easy photo ops. You know the press eats that shit up. And boost your poll numbers.”

I go for the jugular. “My poll numbers are great, thanks. Is Ellis already looking to rehabilitate his image? You know, all you have to do is ask for him to get invited to the White House. Since he’s my brother-in-law I’ll only make him grovel a little in private.”

That shuts her up. From the way her body tenses as she drops her hand I know I’ve hit a raw nerve.

I am under no illusions that Stella is looking for a self-serving angle. She likely thinks she can paint a PR picture of a happy sibling relationship, complete with significant others, to keep Ellis engaged in DC’s conservative inner political circles and keep himinDC instead of permanently decamping to Florida.

Because how wouldthatlook, if they were never together and Stella continued working instead of playing the dutiful political wife?

Meaning something’s rotten in Denmark. I wonder if she’s somehow managed to get herself elbowed out of her own circles in The Family if she’s looking to me like this. I mean, why wouldn’t she reach out to those right-wing cultural vampires to help her with Ellis?