Page 16 of The Senator's Secret

He trails off for a moment, and I can tell he is thinking very dirty thoughts about me in his home. I, on the other hand, am wondering how I can make him pay for using my own personal nightmare to maneuver me into this situation. And if he was paying any attention at all instead of getting lost down the rabbit hole of his own personal fantasies, Jake Chancellor would have seen the wicked gleam in my eyes that could only spell trouble. Oh yeah, I am definitely going to make him pay.

“Okay,” I say after he’s paid the tab and our plates have been cleared away.

“Okay?” he repeats like he’s unsure of what I am saying.

Sure, I could fight more, but I’m lulling him into a false sense of security. I smile brightly at him like everything is going to be okay, when nothing is ever going to be all right again.

“Okay, I’ll move in with you,” I say, suddenly sounding confident.

“You will?” he asks in a sudden show of doubt.

“Yes.”

“Tomorrow then,” he tells me as I stand from the booth and reach for my leather jacket.

“Tomorrow?” I gasp. “You can’t be serious. I need time to pack and prepare.”

“As serious as a heart attack” He takes the jacket from my frozen hands and holds it out for me to slip into.

“Fine,” I snap a little. I’ve had enough for one evening. I need to go home and plot his tragic demise while I snuggle on the sofa with my pretty babies.

“I’ll see you tomorrow at ten in the morning.”

“I’ll do my best,” I say after clenching my jaw so tight I’m surprised I didn’t hear my teeth crack.

“Good,” he says before pushing me just a little bit more. “Oh, and one more thing.”

“What’s that?” I ask on another roll of my eyes. My mom always used to tell me that I was going to break something important if I didn’t stop doing that so much. But still, I can’t help myself when it comes to him.

“Just a little practice,” he says cryptically.

“Practice?” I ask, clearly losing my hold on my patience. “What practice?”

“This,” he replies, and then he hauls me into his arms and crushes his mouth to mine. I had told myself I would avoid this, that I wouldn’t let him break down my walls, but there is just something about Jacob Chancellor that makes me a little…wild.

He kisses me like a savage, his mouth plundering mine. And I know without a doubt I never stood a chance where he was concerned.

I melt into his body and my lips part under his. I justlet go.He licks into my mouth and tastes like a sin waiting to happen. I moan into his mouth and take from him more and more.I want it all. Not just his body but everything. I want all of his laughter and secrets. I want to share his worries and fears. I want all of his tomorrows. Yet it’s something I know I absolutely cannot have.

And for a stolen moment, here in a place hidden deep in the city, I think that maybe, just maybe, he might want that too. But that is the lie I would tell myself when I’m home alone late tonight and trying to force myself to believe I didn’t just make the biggest mistake of my life.

That is, until one of his Secret Service agents whispers, “Senator, you have eyes on you.” And it’s like a bucket of cold water thrown over not only me but Jacob, and I curse myself for being all kinds of stupid, because this is exactly what I do not want or need in my life.

He pulls me tightly into him and holds me in his arms with my face tucked safely in the crook of his neck as he rubs his hands up and down my back. I let out a shuddering breath before standing up on my own, and I instantly miss his strength holding my weight up.

“I should go,” I say softly, my voice filled with all kinds of regret. Regret for kissing him, for liking it. Regret for agreeing to live with him when I should have been strong and said no. Regret for not joining a convent the minute he landed back in New York, because one thing is clear. Jacob Chancellor is going to destroy me, and I’m helpless to stop it.

“Me too,” he says, and I can’t help but wish tomorrow comes slower than it will. I guess it’s time to pay the piper, and his name is Jacob. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow,” I repeat with a twinkle in my eye. I have to be strong. I have to make him end this ridiculous charade before I can get too comfortable in his home and his life, before he has a chance to break my heart. He smiles boldly in return, and I have no idea what’s going through his head right now.

I guess I’ll find out soon enough.

“Could Popular New York Attorney Be the One to Stick?”

Chapter 6

Lady of the manor