Page 59 of Innocent

I’mgoodat this.

I mean,reallygood at it.

Not just the protocols and social media part of things, but the political part of it, too.

My mask comes in handy—the innocent one. People talk to me and around me.

Aboutlotsof things.

Things I report to Leo, and he passes on to the president and her husband.

Kevin Markos and Lauren Baltazar, the press secretary, both take me under their wings and start educating me whenever they can. When they give me recommended reading, I buy the books immediately from Amazon, on my Kindle whenever possible, and devour them. They even comment they think I have a natural knack for politics, for the backroom sausage-making.

I don’t just learn—Idevour. Mimi, I’m sure, would tell me this is still a way of continuing my education. I get to know House and Senate staffers up on the Hill and spend time with them having drinks or dinners.

Which means I hear more things, learn more things.

Like learning that, while I am a natural when it comes to interpreting polls and spotting voter trends, I also don’t have the cutthroat, stone-cold viciousness necessary to make Washington politics a full-time job despite my natural skill at it.

A skill that comes with my abilities as a natural chameleon. It’s that, more than political acumen, that makes me good at what I do outside of the East Wing.

Doing what I’m doing inside the East Wing? Absolutely, that’s great and totally in my wheelhouse.

Except Elliot and I share more than Leo—we share a distaste for the blood sport aspect of DC. No way in hell do I ever want to run for office. President Samuels definitely has the steely nerves and titanium spine to go with her metaphorical balls to kick ass and take names. Elliot wants to be nothing more than a statesman and a lawmaker.

I’m not sure how Elliot plans to be POTUS if or when he runs for the job himself. He’s too…nice.

I still can’t picture him commanding combat troops and actually shooting and killing people. That’s even after me witnessing him in the middle of vicious, feral play with Leo.

Elliot Woodley is just a damnedniceguy.

Despite my best efforts, Elliot still hasn’t taken Leo up on his offer to make use of me. Even after Leo has me staff Elliot several times a month.

I keep hoping one of these days that Elliot will lock me in his office, put me on my knees or bend me over his desk, and fuck my brains out.

Alas…no.

Leo’s had me accompany him to Elliot’s residence several more times, where sexy fun is had. Again, though, it’s like the night of the inauguration—Leo plays with both of us, but Elliot makes no move to include me despite Leo specifically telling him that he can.

Not going to lie that it stings a little. I get hit on all the time by guys and women. People know I live with Leo, because that’s something we have to disclose on security clearance forms, but no one outside the FBI and Secret Service, or Shae, Chris, Elliot, Kev, and Lauren, know we’reinvolvedwith each other.

Obviously, I’m not a fricking ugly-ass troll, even if I feel like one next to Elliot. I mean, the guy’s a frickinghunk.

I know Leo loves me. And when we go out for dinner, or he attends a club concert with me—because I’m no longer allowed to attend a club concert without him, or without someone armed who he’s paid to go with me if Leo can’t go with me—Leo never hesitates to hold hands with me, or possessively drape an arm around me as we walk. Not scandalously sucking face or drawing attention to ourselves, but nothing any average couple wouldn’t do.

We’retogether.

It’s why I know I can deal with Elliot being an invisible but ever-present ghost in our relationship. For so many years, Leo held himself back and waited because of his love for Elliot. Leo’s not a manwhore who jumps from bed to bed.

He gives his heart and soul to those he loves. He loves Elliot, a man who, admittedly, is difficult to love because he’s bound so tightly by his fears.

Now that I am allowed first-hand access to this secret world, I can also see all the many ways Elliot needs Leo in his life. To balance him, to soothe him, to keep him from self-destructing an otherwise pristine and proud life dedicated to public service.

ElliotneedsLeo.

Even though it’d be easy for anyone else to walk away from the bullshit and secrecy and private pain loving such a man can bring, Leo refuses to give up on Elliot.

Which is one of the many reasons I love Leo so damned much.