Page 179 of Innocent

“But youlikeme stalking you.”

Ireallydo…“Notwhen I need fricking space. The longer it takes you to back the hell off, the longer it’ll take me to talk to Elliot and work shit out in my head, meaning my talk with you won’t happen sooner. That includes texting me all the fricking time on my personal cell for anything that’s not work-related.”

I hold up a third finger. “Reprogram the fucking alarm system and turn the door chime back on before you leave.” I wonder if he’s been here all night, or if he left and returned this morning.

There’s one easy way to find out—I’ll look at the alarm logs.

Later. Not right now. Then again, the danishes weren’t here, so he probably left and came back. He looks like he’s freshly shaven, so that’s the likely option.

I bet he didn’t sleep much overnight.

Serves him right.

I hold up a fourth finger. “We talk whenIsay we talk, and it willnotbe before Monday. Keep pushing my fucking buttons and pissing me off, and it’ll take that much longer.” I’m struggling to maintain my composure and I wonder if he can see that.

But this isn’t healthy, and the stakes are sky-high, man. I can’t half-ass this. I can’t let us rush into something the way we did the first time between us. Leo can easily wrap me around his fingers and I feel helpless to resist. Ilovedthat before, and itworkedfor us then, but I can’t let him do it now.

Therehaveto be boundaries. I’m older and wiser and sooo much more experienced when it comes to the swampy jungle that is DC. Elliothasto come first. Elliot needs me, and I’m no good to him if I’m letting Leo talk me into talking Elliot out of the campaign when it’s something Elliot feels he needs to do.

I hold up my thumb. “Elliot ismine. You fuck with me, or fuck with him, and you won’t like what happens.”

His left eyebrow arches a little and I can tell he’s taking that last comment as a challenge and is trying to hold himself back. “Why can’t we talk right now?”

“Because now I’m behind schedule, thanks to you. I have to wake him up and start his day. You seem to think the conversation will consist of nothing more than you apologizing and me accepting and us moving on, but it’s not that simple. If youreallyare sorry, actuallylistento the words coming out of my mouth anddowhat I’m asking.”

I head for the stairs.

“Can I say good morning to him?”

“No. He’s on a schedule, and you know damn well he will freak the fuck out if he thinks you’ve been here all night. You can say good morning to him at the White House.”

What I’m really afraid of is if Elliot’s present when Leo and I talk, he’ll turn those gorgeous blue puppy-dog eyes of his on me, and he’ll beg me to forgive and forget. Then, la-la-la-la-laaaaa, next thing I know, my ankles will be around my ears and Leo’s cock will be buried in my ass, we’ll be running late to work, and it still won’tsettleanything.

I pause at the top of the stairs. “Be gone before we get out of the shower, and reprogram the fucking alarm, or Iwillorder Elliot to talk to the detail and lock you out.”

Leo looks handsomely amused and lifts his mug to me in a salute as I head downstairs.

I close and lock the bedroom door behind me before I wake Elliot and we start our day.

Elliot groans and laughs as he sits up. “Oooh, the sadist paid me a visit last night.” It’s good to hear him laugh like that. It doesn’t happen frequently enough. He smiles and kisses me. “I had this great dream last night, Sir.”

“That Leo woke you up before you blew me?”

He scowls. “Yeah. How’d you guess?”

“You remember blowing me last night?”

His bashful smile stirs my cock. “I wanted to make sure you didn’t feel left out, Sir.”

“I didn’t, don’t worry.” I motion for him to stand. “We need to get moving.” I wonder if Leo’s lurking outside our bedroom door and eavesdropping. I know he wouldn’t dare bug the damn room, or place a hidden camera, because Secret Service regularly sweeps for those. That would get Leo into serious-shit trouble, and he knows it.

Elliot stands and I carry his coffee for him while he uses the walker to move into the bathroom. I get the shower started and meet him in there.

“We talked last night, Sir.” He’s watching me while I suds up the scrubby so I can get him bathed.

“I would hope you did.”

“He told me he followed you to the restaurant and what happened.”