Page 44 of State of Grace (First Family 2)

A phone call woke Nick in the middle of the night, which meant it woke Sam, too. Nick sat up to take the call from one of his aides. He mumbled a few words of acknowledgment and put the phone down.

“What’s up?” she asked when he settled back into bed. The nightlight they kept in the bedroom for middle-of-the-night crises of state made it so she could see the strain in his expression.

“I asked to be updated on any developments in Des Moines, and we have two more fatalities as well as confirmation that the father of the shooter has been arrested for failing to properly secure his weapons.”

Sam reached for him, and he snuggled into her embrace as she ran her fingers through his hair. He’d probably never go back to sleep after being awakened. His insomnia was an ever-present challenge to his daily life, never more so than since he’d become vice president and then president.

“I can’t stop thinking about all the poor families who’ll never be the same after this,” he said.

“I know. Me either. It’s so awful.”

“Part of me hates that we have to go there and make their grief ours when our own grief is so fresh.”

He was referring to the loss of her father in October.

“The holidays were going to be hard enough on us without this, too,” Sam said. “Saying that out loud makes me feel like an asshole.”

“You’re anything but that. It’s only natural to want to avoid something that’s going to hurt like this does, especially when we’re already raw.”

“That’s it exactly. Thank you for understanding and for letting me say that out loud, even though I feel terrible even thinking that way. Of course we have to go there and show our support.”

“Yes, we do, but we don’t have to like it, and we need to be free to express those feelings to each other in the privacy of our own bedroom.” He raised his head to kiss her cheek. “I could never do this without you by my side.”

“Yes, you could.”

“No, I couldn’t. I’d never survive it if I didn’t have you to come ‘home’ to every night. That’s how I get through the days, thinking about you and this and us and the kids. You give me strength even when you’re not with me.”

“Likewise, my love. I’ll find myself daydreaming about you when I’m supposed to be working.”

“Is that right?” he asked, his hand smoothing down over her back to cup her ass and pull her in even closer to him.

“Uh-huh. It’s like a fever I can’t seem to shake.”

He looked up at her with his heart in his eyes. “Please don’t shake it.”

She kissed him as sweetly as she possibly could. “I never will.”

“Promise?”

Sam nodded as she kissed him again. “Hearing what Eli went through with Candace made me hurt for them both.”

“Me, too. We know all too well what it’s like to be separated from our true love.”

“Yeah, I was thinking that very thing. I hope he hears from her.”

“I know.” He moved so he was on top of her, gazing down with love in his eyes.

“That was a very smooth move, Mr. President.”

“You liked that, huh?”

“I like all your moves.”

“How about this move?” he asked as he nudged at her with his hard cock.

Sam spread her legs and raised her hips to let him know what she thought of that particular move. “That’s one of my favorites.”

“What do you think of this one?” he asked as he filled her.