Page 43 of The Senator's Secret
“He wouldn’t fucking dare.”
“I was just teasing,” I say, holding my hands up.
“Well, it’s not fucking funny,” he growls, prowling closer and closer to me. “No one touches what’s mine.” And then he kisses me like his life depends on it before turning on his heels and stalking out of the room.
I stand there stunned for a minute before turning back to the mirror to fix my lipstick. And then I slip on my heels and put on my jewelry before heading down the stairs to find my mercurial fake boyfriend but very real lover.
• • •
I WINCE AS STARSdance in front of my eyes from the flashes of cameras as we step out onto the front stoop. There are more and more of them out here every damn day. They seem to be multiplying like rabbits.
Once again, Jake is Superman, swooping in to rescue me so videos of me looking like I have a nervous twitch don’t end up on the internet. He pulls me in close to him like a man proud to have the woman he loves by his side. It all makes me feel so confused and conflicted.
“Good morning, everyone,” he calls out good-naturedly.
“Are wedding bells ringing, Senator?” someone calls out.
“I don’t know.” Jake laughs. “But when I do, you won’t be the first to know!” And everyone laughs.
“Does Ms. Sanders want to marry you?” someone else calls out.
“I don’t know the answer to that either. I guess stay tuned.”
“Rumor has it she will be hitting the campaign trail with you for the Midwest leg,” someone else shouts.
Damn, Rick works fast. I hold in a sigh of frustration before I answer.
“I certainly am,” I say with a bright smile. “I can’t wait to get out there and support a great guy like Jake.”
“Will the senator have your vote?”
“Absolutely.”
“One more question!” someone shouts, but Jake is already moving me toward our waiting vehicle.
“If you’ll all excuse us,” he says, “I need to get my girl to the office.”
He ushers me in, and I slide across the bench seat to make room for him. Jake climbs in behind me and shuts the door. It’s not until we pull away from the curb that I can finally breathe a sigh of relief.
“It’s not so bad, is it?” Jake asks, looking a little concerned. I feel bad he looks so upset on my behalf, and I don’t want him to feel bad. What is happening to me that I don’t want my sexual nemesis to feel bad? Although, truth be told, he wasn’t my arch enemy when he made love to me last night, and he wasn’t my arch enemy when I hit my knees for him this morning either. Maybe Jake isn’t so bad? And little secret part of me whispers that when he’s bad, he is so very good.
“No,” I say softly. “It’s not so bad. It just always surprises me.”
I look over at him and he seems… upset over it, and I don’t know why, but I just can’t stand the thought of Jake upset over my reaction to the paparazzi. I am the reason we’re in this situation to begin with. A part of me whispers that maybe I’m starting to care for Jacob Chancellor in ways I would have if we hadn’t been thrown together. That maybe this is more than just convenience and sex.
“I’m sorry,” Jake says thoughtfully. “I think we just have to stay the course.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t distract me so much,” I reply, making a face to make him laugh, and he does.
“I bet I could distract you even better,” Jake says after a moment. His mouth is pressed to the shell of my ear. His hand is on my thigh, sneaking under the hem of my dress.
“Jake,” I warn. I look at Gus, Jake’s Secret Service agent, and Rob, his driver. Both of them are looking straight ahead as if they haven’t a care in the world.
“Be very quiet and they’ll never know.”
By now, the tip of his middle finger grazes the edge of my panties, and he slides it along the leg seam, back and forth, back and forth. The motion is slow and maddening. I try to press my legs together so he can’t get his hand closer, but it’s no use. I am weak.
He slides a finger under the lace that covers my center and just glides up and down my slit, never penetrating, never touching my clit, just heightening my senses into one brutal point that pulses between my legs.