Page 37 of The Senator's Secret

“Before you marry her?” my dad adds.

“I intend to marry her,” Jake answers proudly.

“Were you going to ask for my blessing or is that not something a senator does?” Dad asks.

“Dad—” I try to stop my dad from being out and out rude, but Jake answers him in the best way possible.

“I will when the time is right, Mr. Sanders. Being a senator does not make me above what is right and wrong,” he says. “I will ask you when Grace and I are ready to take that next step, but know that with or without your blessing, I will make her mine.”

I open my mouth to apologize to my dad for Jake’s rude answer, but Dad just sits back and smiles. Something I do not understand about this exchange has pleased both my dad and Jake as they sit back and grin at each other. Boys are so weird. The moment causes a warm feeling to swirl through my chest, and I know without a doubt I’m in over my head.

“Dinner’s ready,” my mom shouts from the kitchen as she brings a pan of lasagna to the table. I rush to help her by carrying the salad bowl and a big basket of garlic bread. Jake meets me in the doorway to the kitchen and takes both from my hands, carrying them for me to the table before holding out a chair for me to sit in. Dad looks at me and winks before holding out a chair for my mom.

“How did you stay so calm during Dad’s interrogation?” I ask Jake when I lean into him, whispering in his ear.

“SERE training,” he says before winking at me. The answer is so ridiculous and lighthearted, the idea that torture and evasion training had prepared him to meet my mild mannered dad, that it catches me off guard, and I throw my head back and laugh, leaning into him while I do.

I was so caught up in the moment that I didn’t see Jake’s face soften and the look of complete adoration that passed across his strong features. Nor did I see the look my parents exchanged with each other when they saw how Jake looked at me. I did notice the rest of the evening went by with happy banter, wine, and food, but above all else, family.

“Jeffries’s Inner Circle Cry Foul.”

Chapter 11

Meet the mercenary

“Happy?” Jake asks me as we ride in the car back to the brownstone. Dinner with my parents went so fantastically that I’m having trouble holding onto the reality of the situation.

“Yeah,” I answer softly.

“Good,” he says gently before hauling me into his lap.

I let out a little “eep!” before he settles me into his arms and tucks his face into the crook of my neck.

“W-w-what are you doing?” I ask. It feels like years since the office incident where he left me without orgasm and panties. And honestly, I had put the thought of it out of my head. I’ve had a lot on my mind. But now that he’s holding me tight against his warm body, I can’t help but be reminded.

“I’m holding you,” he replies as he nips and kisses his way up the side of my neck. I tip my head back to give him better access, because I just can’t seem to help myself where Jacob Chancellor is concerned.

“Okay,” I whisper.

“And kissing you.”

“Okay,” I repeat just before he presses his mouth to mine. I open under him and let his tongue lick inside.

“And touching you.”

“Uh huh.” To be honest, he has been touching me in some way the entire time he’s held me in his lap. Jake rubs his palms up my arms and down my sides, barely grazing my breasts. He trails fingertips up my outer thigh and back down while he kisses me over and over again, but the one thing he does not do is touch me where I need him most. I would think that maybe he’s unaffected, but the hungry way he kisses me proves otherwise. As does the hard length that presses against my ass through our clothes.

I’m so desperate for him that I’m about to open my mouth and beg him to take me in this town car, when he pulls back and smiles sweetly at me.

“We’re home.”

“Oh.”

Jake pushes open the door and holds his hand out for me. I take it without question and let him lead me into the dark house. I’m also going to let him lead me upstairs and put us both out of our misery. Maybe after a couple shared orgasms we will be able to put things back into perspective, and I won’t hold out hope for when he will ask my dad for his blessing—something we both know will never happen—even though the more time I spend with Jake, the more I could let myself hope for it to happen. I know what Ashley Jeffries must have felt before she was given her final goodbye.

He keys off the alarm and shuts the door behind us.

“Where were we?” he asks with a sexy smirk playing about his lips when he turns back to me.