Page 156 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

“Nothing hurts, but I do have this particular ache. Why don’t you see if you can find it?”

Laughing, he said, “I’ll see what I can do, but you don’t mind if I take my time, do you? After all, I have…” He stopped moving to check his watch. “Seventy-eight minutes left.”

“I don’t mind if you take your time.” She was thrilled to be on vacation from work, to have this stolen time with him in the middle of the day, to share this life and this love with him. If he wanted to take his time, she was going to let him, because for once, she had all the time in the world to give him.

Nick held her close to him as their bodies cooled and calmed after slow and sultry resulted in epic orgasms for both of them. He couldn’t recall being this relaxed since he took the oath of office. His days were frantic and busy and stressful with decisions that impacted the lives of so many people coming at him one after another, but he had put all that aside to enjoy this stolen interlude with his beloved in the middle of a workday.

He needed the connection after she’d been injured yet again on the job. She rolled with each disaster, but every one of them shaved years off his life as he pondered what could’ve happened.

“I’ve got a secret,” he said after a long period of contented silence.

“Do tell.”

“How bad do you want to know?”

“Bad.”

His Samantha was impatient, impertinent, nosy, mouthy and perfectly imperfect. He wouldn’t have her any other way. “Harry asked if we’d mind if he proposes to Lilia at some point on Christmas Eve.”

“Oh my God! That’s huge! I can’t believe you waited this long to tell me!”

“You conked out early last night.”

“You should’ve woken me up for this.”

“Not when you needed the rest.”

“We need to get her people here and surprise her with them after the engagement. I’ll coordinate it with Harry.”

“That’s a good idea.”

“Everyone wants the Lincoln Bedroom.”

“I know. How are we going to decide who gets it?”

“I’ve got a plan.”

“I can’t wait to hear all about it.

The next morning, they departed from the White House on Marine One, which transported them to Joint Base Andrews, where Air Force One waited on the tarmac for their arrival. Nick had requested minimal press coverage of their trip to Des Moines and had only five reporters and one cameraman making the trip, along with Terry, Derek and Harry, who, as Nick’s personal physician, went anywhere he did.

Also along for the ride was Gretchen Henderson, who was taking her first trip as the vice presidential nominee.

She was already on board when Sam and Nick arrived, and Nick once again introduced the two women.

“It’s lovely to see you again,” Gretchen said to Sam, who shook her hand.

Sam was determined to give her a chance, even if she had the same inexplicably negative reaction to her that she’d had the first time they met. Why? She couldn’t say, but she’d be keeping an eye on the woman going forward. “Likewise. Congratulations on your nomination. I’m sorry I was unable to be there the other night.”

“No problem at all. I understand you were detained at work.”

Was detained another word for shot? “Yes, I was.”

“I so admire what you’re doing as a first lady with a job outside of the White House. It sets such a lovely example for women and girls everywhere.”

“Thank you, but I’m not trying to be any kind of example. I’m just doing what I do.”

“It means a lot to women.”