His Rise to Power: Book 1 Page 12

  Damn it. Who was in control here?

  “Did you convince my landlord to let you in?” I asked as I moved against him.

  Some of the light-hearted laughter faded in his eyes as he grunted. “No,” he rasped.

  “Hmm.” Grasping my headboard, I arched up. “Lick my nipples, Jack.”

  Fitting his clever mouth over me, he flicked his tongue over me, and I almost forgot my purpose. With a moan, I moved even faster. Jack reached between my legs and flicked a finger over my clit before I felt him going for his zipper.

  “No.” Jerking back, I slapped his hand away. “You haven’t told me how you got in here.”

  A pained look crossed his face. “You want my cock too,” he reminded me.

  “I do.” With a wicked smile, I wiggled just a little until I leaned back against one arm to give him a view. “But while it might not be as good, I can also please myself right here.” Moving a finger over my pussy, I shivered, and his eyes darkened.

  “Fuck, you’re so goddamn sexy,” he whispered darkly. “Stand up, and I’ll lick you.”

  That was a picture that would keep me up all night. Shuddering at the memory of just what his tongue could do to me, I moved my fingers again. “Tell me how you got inside, Jack, and I’ll unzip you right now, and you can be deep inside of me.”

  With a hiss, he jerked me up against his body. Raking his teeth over my nipple, he unzipped his pants and pulled himself out. “I picked the lock.”

  “You picked the…fuck!” I whimpered as he thrust up inside of me, and suddenly, I didn’t give a damn how he got in. Moaning, I moved helplessly against him, loving the way his cock felt inside of me.

  Jack pressed his forehead against mine as he moaned and circled his fingers around my nipples over and over again. I was completely fucked, and I knew it. The man was ruining me for everyone else.

  Panting, I swiveled my hips and moved harder and faster. Beneath us, my old bed squeaked and groaned under our movements, and I half expected my neighbors to start pounding on the walls and complaining.

  Peeking, I kissed him in an attempt to hide my long and trembling moan as my orgasm washed over me. He continued to bounce me on top of him until, less than a minute later, he was spilling himself inside of me. “Shit, Blythe, shit,” he moaned as he anchored me to his body and jerked.

  It took a few minutes before feeling returned to my body, and even longer before I remember how he came to be in my bed. Weakly, I punched his arm. “You picked my lock? How do you even know how to do that?”

  “I know enough tricks to make sure that a locked door won’t keep me from you,” he muttered as he pressed his mouth to my skin.

  “If I wasn’t naked and on top of you, that would be creepy.”

  “I missed you last night.”

  “You’re here now.”

  “I am. I’m also still dressed. You should do something about that.”

  Shaking my head, I managed to push myself off his chest long enough to stare down at him. Frankly, I didn’t need him to be naked. He was sexy enough just like this, with his six-back glistening from a mix of sweat and the water that had clung to my body.

  His cock stirred inside of me, and I laughed hoarsely. “Nope. I think I’m good having you just like this.”

  “We’re going to kill each other.”

  “Probably, but what a way to go.”

  Twenty

  Jack

  After spending most of my nights with Blythe, I was behind on my work. I’d only plan to go to her apartment to have dinner and then tell her that I might be scarce during the days leading up to my trip, but the sight of her wet and naked body immediately threw me into a tailspin.

  Knowing that it was safer to communicate with her via phone, I sent her a quick text that morning. Just wanted to let you know that I’ll be working some long nights catching up on work.

  Her reply was instant. No worries.

  I hesitated. There was something a little irritating about how accommodating she was. I should be home around ten if you want to crash with me tonight.

  The response was not immediate, and I started to sweat it out like a sixteen-year-old girl. Finally, I got a reply. I’ve got an early morning tomorrow. I’m meeting Susan and Elizabeth at the warehouse, so I’ll probably be getting ready for bed by ten.

  Shit. Okay. Let me know how the meeting goes.

  I wanted to push the issue and tell her that I’d leave a key for my condo at the front desk, but I was still a little worried that if I pushed Blythe too hard, she’d run. Besides, I wasn’t used to chasing after women. They usually chased after me. I didn’t know what to make of her coolness.

  David walked in with a couple of my other staff members, and I pushed my worries aside. For the next three hours, we went over improvements that could be made to the Clean Water Act that would affect the streams and creeks that fed into Florida’s swamps and the coastal shores. In an additional hour, we ran some ideas about how best to improve Florida’s fishing grounds.

  When we finally took a break for lunch, I had a pounding headache. Not wanting to leave the office, I ordered sandwiches from the deli down the street from the office and relaxed in my chair.

  “Oh, I know that look. You’ve got a headache, don’t you?”

  The familiar voice froze my blood, and I quickly jolted up and whirled around in my chair. Sure enough, my ex was standing there in the doorway. Sherry wore a tight black dress that showed off her long shapely curves and thin waist, and her blonde hair was swept artfully to the side. Those painted red lips smiled almost ruthlessly at me, and her dark eyes glittered in amusement.

  For a second, all I could think about was how different she was from Blythe. Tall. Slender. Put-together. Comfortable around money and power. Sex and wealth all wrapped up in one. She used her breathy southern accent like a weapon, and I waited for my body to respond.

  There was none. Despite that hot exterior, she was cold underneath, and I remembered that all too well. There was no emotion with her. No love. Just sex behind closed doors and pretty smiles at the camera. I hadn’t missed her for a single second, and I didn’t need or want her now.

  “Sherry,” I said slowly. “What are you doing here?”

  “Come now, Jack,” she pouted as she walked in and dropped her purse in the chair, “is that any way to greet an old lover?”

  To my shock, she rounded the desk and leaned over me with parted lips. I realized that she was going for a kiss and clasped my hands around her arms to stop her. “Sherry, I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I’m not in the habit of kissing women in my office.”

  Temper lashed in her eyes, but she straightened and shrugged. “I’m sorry. I forget that you’re a congressman now. Appearances mean everything, don’t they? Forgive me, darling.” Straightening, she walked back around the desk and trailed her painted fingernails along the surface.

  “I got your text, but I’ve been so busy that I haven’t been able to respond. I’m getting ready to go to Jacksonville this weekend, and I’m trying to prepare. I don’t mean to be rude, but I don’t have time to socialize.”

  “Busy man,” she chuckled as she perched on the arm of the chair. “I can respect that. Despite what my text might have led you to believe, I’m not back in Miami to visit. I’m actually back permanently, so maybe we can get together when you return from your trip. It’s been two years, Jack.” Her voice grew more seductive, husky. “I’m sure that we have a lot to catch up on.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her no because I was seeing someone, but was I? Blythe and I might be setting the sheets on fire, but she’d made it clear that she didn’t consider us a relationship. I had no plans on fucking Sherry, but I certainly wasn’t going to tell her that I was casually sleeping with another woman. Admitting that to someone like Sherry would be disastrous.

  “Maybe lunch. I’ll text you,” I said vaguely. “I’m sorry you wasted the trip here, Sherry, but I’ve only got a few minu
tes left of my lunch, and then I need to get back to work.”

  “All right. Don’t work too hard. You’ll get early crease lines on that handsome face of yours,” she murmured as she stood. “I’ll be in touch, lover.”

  There was that word again. It really didn’t sit well with me.

  It was late when I left work, but I couldn’t go home. Sherry’s visit shook me, and the coolness of Blythe’s text wrenched my heart. Before I knew it, I was knocking softly on her door. Wearing a black robe that belted in the front and barely skimmed her thighs, she opened the door and blinked up at me. “Jack? Did something happen?”

  “I just needed to see you.” Please don’t send me away. “I need you, Blythe.”

  Without a word, she stepped aside and let me in. I couldn’t breathe again until the door locked. I wanted to talk. I wanted to tell her about Sherry. I wanted to demand that Blythe give me more than these stolen nights together. I wanted to take her out to dinner and treat her like a queen. The words were on the tip of my tongue.

  Then she reached for the belt of her robe, untied it, and let the cheap fabric slip from her shoulders. “Is this what you needed?” she whispered.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

  I needed more than that, but I wasn’t about to turn her down. Succumbing to her, I picked her up and carried her to her dark bedroom. There, I tried to tell her everything I couldn’t with my body. Desperate. Quiet. Rough. She moaned quietly beneath me and kept pace, and when I spent myself, I knew she had more questions than answers.

  I couldn’t give them to her tonight.

  Twenty-One

  Blythe

  The room was tense as I stepped into my skirt and zipped it. On the other side of the bed, Jack was facing the wall and buttoning up his shirt. The morning sun was just starting to filter through the blinds, and the slowly dissipating darkness only added to the awkward silence. We’d slept tangled up in each other, but when the alarm clock went off, we were forced to disengage and face the day.

  Something had been off about him last night. Not that I didn’t enjoy the sex, but there was something almost desperate about it. Something was weighing on his mind.

  “Jack,” I said finally as I reached for my shirt. “Is everything okay at work?”

  “Everything is fine.” Sleep still thickened his voice, and he turned to me and forced a smile. “Why do you ask?”

  “Last night, I—”

  He held up a hand. “I’m sorry for just barging in on you. I knew that you had an early morning and wanted to get a good night’s sleep. I interrupted that.”

  That wasn’t what I was going to say, but we both knew that. Sliding my arms into the blue blouse, I wrapped the gauzy fabric around my torso and tied a knot on the side. Walking over to him, I pulled his hands down and finished buttoning his shirt for him.

  “Blythe,” he whispered. “Have dinner with me tonight.”

  “Sure.” Smoothing my hand over his shirt, I tried to tug out the wrinkles. “You may have to stop by your place before you go to work. I think people are going to notice that you wore this shirt yesterday.”

  “In public.” Cuffing my wrists, he pulled them up to his mouth and kissed my fingers. “A date, Blythe. Let me take you on a date. Not a business meeting. Wear a pretty dress. I’ll bring you flowers. We can fool around in the limo. I can stare at you over candlelight. We’ll get a little wine-drunk. Have slow sex tonight.”

  My heart skipped a beat. All of that sounded amazing, but it also sounded dangerous. Sleeping with Jack was one thing, but dating Jack was something completely different. In public, he wasn’t just Jack. He was Congressman Drayson. People cared who Congressman Drayson was dating.

  “I thought you said that you were going to have late nights before you left for Jacksonville,” I murmured as I tried to pull my hands back, but he wouldn’t let me go.

  “I can make time for you, Blythe. I have every intention of making time for you.”

  Closing my eyes, I let his promise drift over me. It was what he said now, but how long would that be the truth? “All right,” I sighed softly.

  God help me, but I wasn’t ready to give him up just yet.

  After a quick kiss, we went our separate ways. I was a few minutes early at the warehouse meeting, so I reviewed the paperwork and my talking points. It was a little strange. With Hirsh, I’d prepared all this information while I was trying to get the sports complex off the ground, but he hadn’t been all that interested. He was more than happy to give me the money. Looking back, I wondered if that spoke more of any other intentions he had in mind.

  Susan and Elizabeth were different. I wasn’t just trying to get their money. I wanted the support of their agencies. They had access to health facilities that I’d only dreamed of before. Getting a kid to talk to a counselor was difficult, but finding a way to weave it into the studies, teaching tutors and coaches how to serve as both, would be a huge victory for the kids. The agencies that Susan and Elizabeth represented would be able to do that.

  An agent from the current warehouse owner arrived first, followed closely by Rachel, Susan, and Elizabeth. The agent unlocked the door and let us wander.

  “I’ll need to add some soundproofing for the music rooms,” I explained as I walked to the far west rooms. “I’m thinking three private rooms for one-on-one tutoring and one larger room for group practices. The local garage bands can practice here too without having to piss off their neighbors,” I joked.

  Susan grinned. “I’ll have to tell my neighbor’s kids about this.”

  Everything was going well. I breathed a sigh of relief.

  “Another great thing about the building is that there are already large windows along the second floor where the offices used to be, so we can use those rooms as art studios. It’s got a great view of the city, so plenty of inspiration. The rest of the rooms will be divvied up as needed. Writers. Students who want a quiet place to study or read. General crafting areas. That kind of thing. Just like the sports complex, we’ll have tutors here for kids struggling in school, and a kitchen to make sure the kids are getting fed.”

  Susan nodded and exchanged a look with Elizabeth. There was something about that look that told me that they had spoken to each other in private. My heart lurched. Was my idea not good enough? Had they decided to pull out?

  Elizabeth must have read the look on my face and chuckled. “Miss Hemsey, don’t look so alarmed. We’re very impressed with the work you’ve done here, and we’re fully prepared to help. Susan and I looked over your project notes, and we can’t help but wonder about some of the phrasing we saw. It sounds like each of these projects are just steps to a greater goal. You allude to body, soul, and mind.”

  Relief swept through me. “Yes. The sport’s complex feeds the body with exercise. The art center will feed the soul.”

  “So, there is a third step?” Susan asked.

  “A career center,” Rachel burst out before I could explain. “How cool is that?”

  Rachel’s enthusiasm was contagious, and we all laughed. “It’s true,” I said. “A lot of these kids still won’t have access to four-year universities. Sometimes it’s money, sometimes it’s past circumstances or poor grades. A career center will be our third and biggest project. It won’t be about money or buying a building and equipment. It will require the businesses of Miami to be intricately involved.”

  Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  “I want to pair high-school students with companies that will invest in them early on and hire them when they graduate. We’re talking about internships and apprentices. If I’ve got a girl who wants to work with animals, I can pair them with a vet who will take them on and provide vet-tech experience and help pay for any schooling that they may need. When they graduate, they’ll have a job. If I’ve got a guy who wants to be an electrician, he can start work part-time in high school to learn, and then complete the necessary school and work hours with a company to make sure that he h
as a secure future.”

  Susan gazed out the window. “That sounds like an excellent idea. Why didn’t you start with that?”

  “I tried,” I admitted in frustration. “Securing the future of these kids should be first and foremost. For the first year of Humane Miami, I approached businesses looking for their partnerships, but because I was such a new charity and had nothing to show, I got turned down. Time and time again. So, I came up with a three-step project. Humane Miami Sports Complex and Humane Miami Arts Center give me credentials in the eyes of the city. Once they’re successful, I can go back to my career center idea. Hopefully, businesses will be tripping over themselves to link their name with mine.”

  “It’s a shame that you have to do all of that just to get help, but the kids are reaping the benefits. Get us a write-up of the whole plan for us to bring back to our bosses, but I have a feeling that we’ll be able to provide grants, training, and scholarships for you.” Elizabeth smiled and held out her hand. “Congratulations, Blythe. You’re not going to be small-time anymore.”

  A lump formed in my throat, and my hands shook as I clasped hers. “I’m going to say ‘thank you,’ but that’s not nearly enough to express my gratitude.”

  “You say that now, but you’ve opened yourself up to government scrutiny,” Susan warned. “Before now, you’ve had complete freedom.”

  “Complete freedom hasn’t gotten me very far,” I admitted. “All I want to do is help, and with government assistance, I can do that. I’ll email the reports to you by next weekend.”

  “Excellent.”

  Rachel and I waited until after Susan and Elizabeth left. Just to be certain, we waited for them to actually drive out of the parking lot before we started jumping up and down, doing a victory dance.

  “Oh, god. I don’t even know what to do with myself right now,” I cried as I put a hand to my stomach. “I want to weep and leap in the air all at the same time.”