“Are you still under there somewhere?” I laugh as I stand at the mirror and shave.
“It’s so good,” Harley moans, the sound sending my blood racing.
I rinse off my razor and lift it back to my jaw, tilting my head so I can see better in the mirror. I look like I haven’t slept. But that’s nothing new. I average just a few hours a night by the time I’ve read over more policies, made more notes, written more speeches, and put the paperwork down for the night.
At least when I make mayor, when, not if—I have to believe I can do this—I will be able to make changes. Make a difference. Feel like I’m doing something.
“I can’t believe the president’s assistant said those things to you today.” Harley blows some bubble foam in the air and watches it float back down.
My shoulders tense at the thought of this morning’s phone call and the request to attend a meeting with the president’s assistant before we left the hotel.
“I believe it. He wasn’t going to say it himself, was he? Too much of a coward to admit when he’s been caught out.” I rinse the razor again and glance at Harley in the mirror.
“It’s good though, right?” Her innocent eyes meet mine. “I mean, she said he was interested in hearing more about your thoughts on stricter sentencing in sexual assault cases, and how to make more cases stronger so they end up making it to trial.”
“Yes.” I smile at her as I towel off my face. She’s right. He may only be doing it to avoid a scandal. To keep my silence. There was already some talk about high class call girls that the First Lady got wind of last year. Her and the president weren’t photographed out together for weeks afterward. I doubt he wants even the slightest whisper of anything that could drag him into the press for the wrong reasons again. In this case, the ends justifies the means. If he’s willing to discuss legislation with me, then I’m more than happy to use it to my advantage.
The water sloshes around inside the bath as Harley steps out and wraps a towel around herself.
“I like your bathroom. Your tub faces the other way to mine.” She gazes around before looking at my shampoo and shower gel bottles inside the walk-in shower.
“It’s your bathroom as well now.” I grab her around the waist and press my nose into the soft skin behind her ear to breathe in her scent. She hesitates in my arms. “We are not having separate rooms anymore,” I growl.
“I didn’t—”
“Harls?” I pull back to look at her. “Did you think we were coming back and carrying on like before?”
Her lips part as she hesitates. “No, I didn’t. I wasn’t sure what would happen. I—”
I silence her with a kiss as I wrap one hand around the back of her neck and tug her towel loose with my other. “Fuck, Angel. Don’t piss Daddy off.”
Her breath hitches and then she gasps quietly as I drop to my knees on the floor in front of her.
“I won’t,” she whispers, her eyes fluttering closed as she grabs the sink to brace herself, just as I seal my mouth over her clit and kiss it all better.
Just like I promised.
Chapter fifteen
Harley
IknockonMariaand Griffin’s door. It’s early, but I know from Griffin’s schedule that he has a breakfast meeting today, so he won’t be home. And I should be in time to catch Maria.
“Hey.” She smiles as she answers the door, her head tilted to the side as she fastens her blue diamond studs in her ears.
“Hey yourself.” I grin as I hold up the garment bag and walk into their apartment. “Thank you so much for the loan of this. It was definitely a head turner.”
“So I’ve heard.” Maria arches a brow at me as she does her other earring and then smoothes down her long, dark hair.
I roll my eyes. “Reed?”
“Him and Griffin were in his office for ages last night talking,” Maria says as she takes the dress from me and drapes it over the back of one of the velvet chairs at the kitchen island.
Maria gives me a knowing smile. After an early dinner with Stuart and Paige last night, we came back to the apartment and Reed said he was going upstairs to see Griffin. He was gone for more than an hour, but I didn’t mind as it gave me, Maria, and Suze plenty of time to have an extended video call about the events of the hotel stay. Reed may have been telling Griffin about the president trying to put his hands on me, but I was talking about how Reeddidput his hands all over me.
The two of them weren’t even a little shocked as I told them Reed and I had shared bed, and what went on in that bed. I didn’t go into full details, but enough for them to both be looking at me with these strange I-told-you-so smiles on their faces. Suze was slightly more pressing about his sexual appetite, but I think my blush said it all. And then she caught my minuscule wince as I sat down on the sofa. You’d think she had won the jackpot by the way her eyes lit up. She took delight in reprimanding me, one finger pointed at me accusingly as she told me that’s what happens when I ‘bounce around on giant dicks’. But it was said in the fondest way, like she actually approves.
Maybe she does. Maybe they both do.