Page 168 of Pandora's Pleasure

“Luckily, I was able to persuade her to see how the project would benefit all of those needy families.”

Her words made me wonder if I’d ever know what Pandora had on Helen King.

“What’s to stop Galante from releasing the names anyway?” Then I realized the truth. “You have something on him?”

“He had an interesting way of relaxing on Fridays.”

Pure disgust showed on my face; she laughed at my reaction.

“Thank you for being here, Damien. It means everything to me that you wanted to say goodbye.”

“Look, Pandora, if you want to leave Washington, I won’t stop you. But I love you. “I’ve never met anyone who’s as annoying as you—”

“Thank you, I think.”

“No, listen. You’re my first love, Bardot. I’ve never come close to feeling this way about anyone else.” I pressed a hand to my chest to show my sincerity. “I love the fact that you’ve surprised everyone, that you showed the world how incredible you are, and proved you’re a remarkable woman.” I paused to take a breath. “Marry me, Pandora. Have my babies. Hell, let’s do it all…let’s aim to live in the White House one day, with you as my First Lady.”

“That’s a lot to take in,” she whispered.

“I get that. Only with you I feel anything is possible. I know that all this time you’ve been imagining your life without me.”

“Maybe at the beginning. When you were a prime asshole.”

“I can accept that.”

I tried to read her expression, afraid that maybe I had come on too strong, been too high-handed and heavy when she was clearly vulnerable. What kind of man insisted his own happiness was more important than someone else’s?

Maybe letting go and giving her the freedom she had asked for was how I could prove my love.

I stepped back. “I’m going to get off the plane, give you the space you need to decide. After all you’ve done for me and my family, you’ve more than earned your ‘get out of jail free card’ from me.”

“Damien.”

“No, listen. Don’t give me an answer now. Just join me back on the runway if you still want me. I’ll wait. If your plane taxis off into the blue horizon, I’ll take the hint. Because if you are happier without me that’s what I want for you. I’ll always love you and Ineedyou to know that.”

Turning to go, I breathed through my sudden panic that this was goodbye. Would I be strong enough to see this through?

Could I be that man?

On the way here, the plan to set her free had felt doable. But now, with her so close, my heart was shattering with the thought that I could be minutes away from losing her.

Placing Pandora’s happiness above mine, I headed back down the aisle toward the exit, fearing what kind of man I’d be without her.

I wondered how Damien must be feeling.

With so much happening, it was enough to have his world spinning out of control.

Today, his family would gather with their friends and strategists and the campaign staff to find out if Senator Gregor Godman was to be the next President of the United States.

Gregor might be a bastard at times, but he had the courage to lead a country into a better future. And with Damien there to remind him of important social issues that were close to his heart, much good could be accomplished by this administration.

I hoped Damien would one day find a way to forgive his family for forcing us together, and then ripping us apart. Forgiveness was a slippery friend. One minute I felt like I’d evolved enough to move on, and then other times I remembered the misjustice and it wrenched my gut.

Time would heal the chasm of hurt. I held on to that thought, at least.

Now when I looked in the mirror, I saw myself differently. Not the young woman who’d once been jostled and nudged toward a certain man who would determine her future, but a woman I respected…the newme.

My father’s scandal wasn’t that much of a surprise, really. He’d had an affair decades ago. Maybe one day I’d talk to my mother about it. According to the notes in Galante’s file, she knew. He’d hoped to use it against my dad to leverage him out of politics. All that devastating evidence was wiped from the BODI. Galante had underestimated the Bardots.