Page 130 of Innocent

Elliot points me to the small table. After I give him a subtle cue, we both sit, me waiting until he sits to take my seat. One of the things we’re working on together is developing more nonverbal cues for activities like standing and eating, all of that. Public protocol dictates I wait for him to sit, but our personal protocol dictates he waits for my signal.

“She’s heavily involved with lobbyists, Mom,” he continues. “I can’t have her staying overnight with me, much less living with me. It’s a scandal waiting to happen. Plus, I don’t want to kill her. We barely survived childhood in the same house. I damn sure won’t live with her as an adult.”

“She says she offered to let you stay with her when you were still a congressman.” From the way she glances at Elliot, I can tell she’s gauging the waters.

Elliot makes a disgusted sound. “No, she didn’t, Mom. She invited me over a few times, trying to guilt-trip me into staying weekends with her to meet ‘friends’ of hers.Notfalling for that one, either. She thinks she can pimp me out—”

“Watch your language, Elliot.”

“Well, she does, Mom. Including not caring that some of her little schemes are illegal, if I play along, because they violate either campaign finance laws, or ethics rules I’m required to follow. I took an oath to uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States. There’s areasonwhy I haven’t been caught up in stupid ethics issues, and that’s because I’m careful not to violate any of them, or give the appearance of violating them.”

Technically that’s true, except for his relationships with me and Leo. But even that’s not the same as trying to get a kickback for helping award a government contract or something.

“Then there’s the added expense of her living there,” I add.

“Exactly.” Elliot turns to his mom. “I’mnotspending my money to renovate and heat those rooms. I have to pay expenses for living there. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t give it to me for free. I’mnotrich, Mom. Jordan pays his fair share of rent, but he can’t afford to keep an apartment in DC on his government salary, and I can’t afford for him to be stuck with a three-hour one-way commute to a neighborhood hecanafford. Stella has a place of her own in DC and can easily afford it. She’s got a place in Indianapolis, too. She doesn’t need to mooch off me.”

From the way his mother slowly nods, I can tell she agrees with all of that but maybe still feels a little motherly obligation to bring it up. “All right, then. You kids are adults. I’ll let you two hash it out.”

“There’s nothing to hash out, Mom. She’snotstaying with me. Period. I’m not even having her over to the house to visit, unless it’s a family dinner where you and Dad are there, too. Otherwise, I’ll meet her somewhere public, with Jordan and other staffers as witnesses.”

She turns, frowning. “Is that really necessary? She’s your little sister.”

Damn right it is.

No, I don’t say that out loud.

“Mom, youknowhow pushy she is. You give her an inch and she’ll move in, talk her way onto the deed, and then try to sell it out from under you.”

My eyebrows go up at that, but Norah laughs and shakes her head. “She is strong-willed. I suppose you’re right. Still not handling it for you.”

“Not asking you to. I can handle her. I have no trouble telling her no about this.”

Even I hear the caveat. He is right—he can stand by the law and ethics rules without any trouble.

Standing up to Stella for personal things, however, is a different matter entirely.

“What happened to that man who helped you out sometimes?” she asks. “That other friend of yours? Stella really hates him. I remember her ranting about him a few months back, when she was trying to get you on the phone. She called me asking to call you for her, and I told her no.”

My stomach tightens as I realize who she means, although I’m not sure what incident she’s referring to. From the way Elliot’s gaze widens as it locks on mine for a brief moment, I know it’s a story I’ll need to hear.

“Leo Cruz,” he says. “He’s a good friend of mine, and he’s President Samuels’ body man. And Stella was fricking rude to him. She deserved to get her ass handed to her.”

“Body man? What is that?”

“Personal assistant. What Jordan is to me. Until President Samuels is out of office, I can’t ask Leo to work for me full-time because she needs him. When Leo’s schedule is open, he can help me out sometimes, but I need my own dedicated body man.” His gaze drops, then returns to mine, holding steady on the last half of that sentence.

I wrinkle my nose at him, earning me a playful smile that hardens my cock.

Norah Woodley smiles. “Have I told you how proud I am of you?”

He blushes. “Thanks, Mom.”

“Your father’s proud, too. He might not say it in so many words, but he is.”

This is one of the things Leo clued me in about. Elliot’s spent his entire life chasing his father’s approval and respect. Maybe Elliot’s finally close to receiving it?

If Elliot receives that approval before he tells them he’s running, maybe he can retire from public life at the end of this term, and Leo can finally have his dream come true.