Page 242 of Innocent

Grace Martin shoots me a sneering smile. “Tell him I’m ever so grateful for his fleeting attention.”

I think Stella wants to flip me a bird as she follows Grace, but somehow restrains herself. Smiling, I lift my glass of iced tea in salute as they storm off.

That went well.

Of course the president was in on it and happy to help.

I finish my meal and order dessert to go. Thirty minutes later, a driver has dropped me at the residence, and I’m letting myself in with my key. “Honey, I’m home,” I call out as I reset the alarm.

“Better have my damn dessert,” Elliot calls back from the den.

“Oh, I do.” I head straight for the den, where the empty take-out carton and his cutlery sit on the coffee table. I hand him the bag holding our bread puddings. “I’ll go get us some spoons.”

“Hey.”

I turn back. “What?”

He tips his jaw up and points to his lips. Laughing, I lean in and kiss him hello.

“That’s better.” He opens the bag as I head for the kitchen while I loosen my tie. Little moments like this give me hope maybe he’ll leave his closet sooner rather than later. He’s not nearly as tightly wound as he was before.

We enjoy our desserts and head to bed after I corral all our phones to put on their chargers. That’s when I find a text from Leo on the burner.

Well?

Smiling, I reply.

Mission accomplished. Please tell her it was greatly appreciated.

He sends me a smiley face in reply.

Elliot and I go to bed and make love. Long after Elliot’s asleep in my arms, I lie awake with my mind spinning as I replay the evening’s conversation. I can handle the Grace-Stella duo, that’s not my worry.

The deepening interest of Stella’s “friends” in Elliot is concerning. But there’s still another vital decision to make, and that’s selecting Elliot’s running mate. Someone who isn’t beholden to the same people Grace and Stella want to enlist to back Elliot.

We won’t announce our choice until the convention in July, but we need to have our top three choices narrowed down long before then so we can do thorough oppo research on them and properly vet them.

Kev, Chris, and Shae will be vital helping me and Leo narrow the choices.

Because, make no mistake, it’ll beourfinal decision—me and Leo. We want someone who will work with us as much as they’ll work with Elliot. I’m sure the DNC chair thinks he’s going to push Elliot into picking who they want, but Kev told me not to worry about it. That Shae has them in hand.

Grace’s dogged efforts obviously concern me beyond the obvious. I’m reasonably certain who her donor “friends” are.

Rather, what they have in common.

Leo and I don’t want any of those assholes from The Family slipping a VP candidate under our radar, someone who will end up working against Elliot in ways we can’t predict. We need an Elliot for Elliot.

Preferably someone without the attached closet.

I wonder if that’s what Grace Martin thinks she’s going to accomplish in her ham-handed attempts to get close to Elliot. Getting herself named to the ticket in exchange for delivering big donors, maybe?

God, I hate Stella and her friends more with each passing day, and with every stray bit of oppo research that Leo curates about them. He still hasn’t told me everything he has on them, but the hints he’s given me don’t bode well.

The next day, I stall Grace Martin by calling her from my personal phone and lying to her, telling her Elliot’s going to take it under advisement and think about it for a couple of weeks before getting back to her with an answer, as long as Stella backs off. Otherwise, it’ll be a hard no. Which, considering Elliot’s campaign schedule, the delay is believable.

But it’s not an outright no, meaning hopefully Stella and Grace both will chill the hell out.

Hey, a guy can dream, right?