His Climb to Power Read online

  “No,” she admitted and gasped when I pulled the crotch of her panties aside and plunged my fingers inside of her. “Shit, Jack, wait. We were talking.”

  I didn’t want to talk. I wanted to remind her of what was between us and what she was risking. “Do you fantasize about him at night when you touch yourself, Blythe? Or is it me?”

  “It’s you,” she whimpered as she ground against my erection.

  “Damn right, it’s me. I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing with him, but it’s me who makes you feel like this. It’s me who makes you melt. I could have you coming in less than two minutes flat, right here against this wall, and screaming my name. Is that what you want?”

  “Jack,” she groaned. “God, yes.”

  Whirling her around, I freed my cock from my pants and lifted her. As she wrapped her legs around my waist, I plunged inside of her and growled as the walls of her wet pussy gripped me tight. Scraping my teeth against her neck, I thrust into her, fucking her until she was screaming my name and my legs were shaking beneath me.

  “Mine, Blythe. Mine.” After her second orgasm gripped her, I plunged into her and emptied deep inside of her.

  As soon as I slipped out, I knew I’d made a mistake. The blank look on her face scored my soul, and she weakly pushed me away. “Blythe.” I dropped my forehead against hers. “I don’t know what came over me.”

  “I do.” Sliding down the wall, she ducked under my arms and pulled her skirt down. “Christ, Jack, what the hell are we doing? We can’t even have a conversation now. Is this all that’s left between us? Just some hope that we can make it work while fucking against the wall to avoid talking about our problems?”

  God, this wasn’t happening. “Blythe,” I said hoarsely.

  “You swore that you wouldn’t change. You were wrong. I’m not doing this because of Riley. He represents what I want, but I wanted it from you.”

  “I’m right here, Blythe.”

  She shook her head. “No. You aren’t, and I can’t keep pretending that you are.”

  I couldn’t turn around as I heard her walk away. The elevator doors closed, and she was gone. For a full minute, I just stared at the wall and tried to convince myself that this wasn’t happening. I could call her, and she’d come back, and we’d be just fine.

  Turning around, I caught the glint of light on an object by the side table, and my heart lurched. Reaching over, I picked up the chain and stared at the ring.

  Forever.

  That was probably how long it would take for me to get over her.

  20 Blythe

  Carl showed up at my door the next morning, and I could see the guilt written all over his face. “No,” I said quietly as I grabbed my tote and keys. “I don’t want you following me around anymore or guarding me or spying on me.”

  “I wasn’t spying, Blythe. I know that you didn’t do anything wrong, but I had every right to tell Jack about Riley.” There was a plea in his voice that I ignored. “I know you’re upset, but there’s something about Riley. He’s lived in too many places, and he never stays long.”

  “So, the man has a wandering spirit,” I spat. “How is that a problem?”

  “Blythe…”

  “Carl, please.” I held up my hand and took a deep breath. “Look, I’m a little pissed that you told Jack about Riley, but that’s not why I’m firing you, although I don’t pay you so I guess I can’t really fire you. That’s not the point. This thing between Jack and me isn’t working anymore, and I think we’ve known about it for a long time, but we just didn’t want to admit it. So, we’re done. Really done. Which means that I don’t need you to look after me anymore. I’m not a threat to anyone because I can’t change Jack’s mind. I couldn’t do it as his girlfriend, and I certainly can’t do it now.”

  “You’re giving up on him?”

  A wave of guilt washed through me, and I swallowed hard. “I love him, Carl. I love him with everything I have, and I wanted this to work. It was my idea to hang in there, and maybe I was just deluding myself, but I can’t do this. Jack’s not himself anymore, and I don’t know how to get him back. At some point, I have to let him go.”

  “You might still be in danger.”

  “If someone wanted to kill me, they had plenty of opportunity before now. Having you around just reminds me of Jack, and I need a clean break. I’m sorry, Carl. Go back to Jack and do what you can to keep him safe. Please.”

  He hesitated before nodding. “Be careful around Riley.”

  “You don’t have anything to worry about,” I muttered. “Trust me, the last thing I need is another man right now. Riley’s work with me is almost done, and then I won’t be seeing him anymore.”

  I could tell that he wanted to say more, but he ducked his head and turned from the door. Waiting until after he drove away, I managed to drag myself down the stairs and out to my car. I was a wreck. I hadn’t slept the night before. I hadn’t eaten. It hurt to even breathe, but I wasn’t going to take the day off. I needed to work. I needed something to focus on. Humane Miami was my baby, and I wasn’t going to let it down.

  Rachel was already in the office, and she took one look at my face and gasped. I’d barely put my tote on the desk when she had her makeup bag in hand and was pushing me to the bathroom.

  “Not one word,” she said sternly. “We’re going to cover those circles under your eyes and get a little blush on your cheeks, and then you’re going to tell me what the hell happened to you.”

  “And if I start crying after you put makeup on me?” I asked hoarsely.

  “You wouldn’t dare.” Flipping on the bathroom lights, she sat me on the toilet and went to work. Honestly, I couldn’t figure out what she was going to do. I’d already looked in the mirror this morning and decided that it was a hopeless case. Under these harsh lights, I could only imagine how much worse I looked.

  Just because I couldn’t say a word didn’t mean that she wasn’t going to. As she worked, she grew angrier and angrier. “This is Jack’s fault, isn’t it? He’s the only one who can make you cry like this. Did you see him out with that little bitch who’s been hanging all over him? We could kill her, you know. I’ve got a friend who knows some friends who knows a few gang members, and I bet they could get the job done. We’ll bury the body, and nobody would even know.”

  I laughed, but Rachel’s jaw just tightened. She wasn’t done just yet.

  “Or Jack,” She practically growled the name. “We could kill him too. That would make me feel so much better. Of course, missing politicians cause headlines. Dead ones do as well. We’ll have to create a paper trail that links him to some dirty ho and then float the rumors that he ran off with her and is hiding out in Mexico.”

  Unable to help myself, I laughed. “Rachel, I can always count on you to make me feel better.”

  “And look better. All done.” Stepping back, Rachel observed her work and grinned. “Damn, I am good.”

  “Well, you didn’t have much to work with.” Rising, I glanced in the mirror and nodded. “Damn. You are good.” I actually looked normal.

  Before I could slip out of the bathroom, she grabbed my arm. “You can tell me, Blythe. I’m here for you.”

  “I know,” I whispered and felt the lump rising up in my throat. “But I can’t. I just need to work right now. The truth is that I’m still trying to sort out what happened myself. When I figure it out, I’ll tell you everything. I promise.”

  The door at the bottom buzzed and distracted Rachel long enough for me to squeeze out of the small room. “Did someone make an appointment this morning?”

  “No. I don’t know who it is.”

  At least it would keep me busy. I skipped down the steps and opened the door. The man on the other side made my heart sink just a little. “Riley.”

  He smirked. “Well, don’t look too excited to see me. I just wanted to drop off the plan outline I created.”

  And not email them like I’d told him too. Riley was getting wa
y too pushy, but I didn’t have it in me to fight with anyone today. “Thanks. I’ll go ahead and take them. I’d invite you in, but we’ve got our plates full today,” I lied. “I’ll look them over and shoot you an email.”

  “How about we discuss them over dinner?” he invited as his smirk widened into a charming smile. Propping his elbow against the door, he made it impossible for me to close it.

  “Maybe. I’ll have to look at my schedule, but I’ll let you know,” I said vaguely as I stepped back into the landing. “Thanks for this. I appreciate it.”

  “Blythe, wait.”

  For a moment, he looked like he was going to come in uninvited, and I immediately planted my hands on his chest to stop him. “Riley, I just got here, and I’m running late as it is, and I seriously have a whole stack of papers on my desk that I need to look at. When I have time to chat with you, I will let you know.”

  He stared at me for a moment, and his whole body seemed tense, but he simple shrugged and moved out of the way from the door. “Sure. I get it. I look forward to hearing from you.”

  “Thanks.” Relieved that he wasn’t going to press the issue, I shut the door. One of these days I was going to have to make it clear to him that, while I was grateful for everything he’d done for us, I just wasn’t interested in a personal relationship, but honestly, I just didn’t have it in me today.

  Turning around, I headed up the stairs. Riley just reminded me of Jack, and I needed to do my best to forget about him.

  * * *

  Determined to have as little downtime as possible, I showed up at my parents’ house almost fifteen minutes late, which I knew drove them insane. “Sorry I’m late,” I muttered as I kicked off my shoes by the door and walked into the kitchen.

  I was ready for a lecture, but to my surprise, my mom just wrapped me up in a hug. “Oh, darling, don’t even worry about it. You’ve been so busy lately, and I’m just happy that you made time for us. I’ve missed you so much.”

  “We both have,” my father said as he walked in from the den. “You look so pretty.”

  Wow. I must have really looked like crap if they were being so nice to me. Not that my parents weren’t nice. They just usually weren’t oozing like this. “Thanks, Dad. It’s good to see you guys too,” I said cautiously as I headed to the table. “What’s for dinner? I’m starving.”

  Another lie. I wasn’t even sure I could swallow a single bite, but I’d have to try. If I didn’t eat around my mother, she’d fret about it for at least six months.

  “Chicken and tater tots. Your favorite.”

  “Chicken and tater tots?” I laughed. “I don’t think I’ve eaten that since I was ten.”

  “I made it with extra cheese and bacon,” Dawn said invitingly.

  Shaking my head, I felt the tension ease from my shoulders just a little bit. “That sounds great. Just tell me that I can have some wine with it and not milk.”

  “Well, actually, I was thinking beer.” Peter opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle. “Sound good?”

  “Sounds great.”

  It was great. Sitting around the kitchen table with my parents over a casserole that was fit for a college student and beer, I got a little perspective. The last time that I’d had dinner with my parents, it was with Jack, and he’d won over my father even though they were on opposite ends of the political spectrum. I’d looked at him and thought that, one day, he and I might be at the dinner table with our own kids.

  “Blythe,” my mom said softly. “You want to tell us what’s on your mind?”

  I knew I wouldn’t be able to escape without offering an explanation, so I took a deep breath. “You know, from the moment Jack and I got together, we had problems. First, they came from me. Now they’re coming from him. We’ve got love but no stability. I guess I thought love was enough.”

  “Is it over? For good?” Dad asked me quietly.

  “It feels like it’s over, but I guess I won’t know until I’m forced to make a decision. Hold on or move on. I think it’ll take some time before I decide that, but he has to decide too. We keep ignoring our issues because we’re so focused on everything else.”

  “What about the woman he’s been seen with all over the news?” Dad asked stiffly.

  I swallowed hard. “He’s got this public girlfriend, but I didn’t have to worry about her. He’s seen me with another man, but he knows that he doesn’t have to worry about that. We should have talked about our own issues instead of hiding behind things that didn’t matter.”

  My mom picked up her beer and sipped from it. I don’t think I’d ever seen her drinking beer let alone drinking it straight from the bottle. “What are your issues?”

  Let me count the ways.

  I took a long drink, giving myself a moment to think. “We went from strangers to lovers to engaged. We barely dated. We skipped the friends phase altogether and went straight to serious. Nothing felt relaxed or fun, and we never got to really know each other. I couldn’t tell you a single thing about his childhood. I have no idea how he met his best friend. I don’t know about his first kiss or how he lost his virginity.” I started peeling the label off the glass. “And he doesn’t know any of those things about me.”

  “Maybe you should tell him that.”

  “Yeah.” I looked up and smiled at my father. “I didn’t think you’d be his cheerleader.”

  Peter shrugged. “He’s not who I would have picked for you, and I’m not sure how I feel about you being a congressman’s wife, but I know how that boy feels about you, and I can see how you feel about him. Whatever happened between the two of you, I don’t think it’s over.”

  “It felt over at the time,” I whispered. I was still hurting.

  “It always does, darling, but when you really need someone, you’ll see if he’s there or not,” Peter said resolutely. “And that’s how you’ll know if there’s anything left to rebuild.”

  Rebuild. That meant starting over, and I just didn’t think that Jack would be up for that.

  21 Jack

  “I don’t know what to tell you, Robert. Congressman Jackson Drayson is all over the place these days. You have to wonder about his personal life. His father withdraws his support, he and his girlfriend break up, and now he’s treating his office like a joke! Supporting the wrong people. Meeting with lobbyists that support the big travel agencies. He’s just been reelected, and it makes you wonder if he’s on a downward spiral. It doesn’t bode well for the next two years.”

  Annoyed, I shut off the television. The news reports had been hyper-focused on me over the last few days, and I was tired of listening to it. I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs that I wasn’t this man, that I had a good reason for doing what I was doing.

  “Jack,” Lila said softly as she drew the blinds on my office windows and locked the door. “I know you don’t like seeing these reports, but Clarke is worried. You keep making decisions without talking to him. Big decisions. We’re lagging behind, and we should be controlling things.”

  I knew they were frustrated. Every time we were together, Lila was growing more and more concerned, but after the stunt she’d pulled with Blythe, I kept her at arm’s length. She’d apologized and said she was just playing the role, and I believed her, but every time I looked at her, I saw Blythe’s pain.

  “Maybe hiring Clarke was a mistake,” I muttered. “I just don’t think I’m ready for PR.”

  “Not ready?” she scoffed. “Jack, you’re drowning in problems. At the rate you’re going, no one will be able to pull you out of the mud. Are you taking something? Are you being blackmailed? I mean, Jesus Christ, Jack, we never would have taken you on if we thought you were going to blatantly ignore every tip that we give you. Honestly, you’re bad for our reputation.”

  Tired of listening to her complain, which was all she’d been doing for the past week, I pinched the bridge of my nose. “Then consider yourself fired.”

  “You’re an idiot, Jack,” Lila hissed. “Fired?
Seriously? You wouldn’t last the rest of the month without us working for you!”

  Leaning over the table, she gave me an excellent view of her cleavage as she closed her eyes and pressed her lips together. Still simmering with anger, I wanted to look my fill since I was never going to see her again after I kicked her out of my office, but Blythe’s face still swam in my head, and I averted my gaze.

  “Look,” she said finally as she pushed away from the desk and sashayed over to me. “I can tell that something is bothering you. I can also tell that you know that you’re making a colossal mistake. Why don’t you stop looking at me as someone who works for Clarke?”

  “Excuse me?” I growled.

  Slowly, she eased my chair back and sat in my lap. “I see the look on your face anytime anyone brings up Blythe. You haven’t been with anyone since her. You’re carrying that tension and frustration around in your body. How about tonight, we find someplace private, crack open a bottle of wine, enjoy a nice dinner, and see if we can’t help you unwind.”

  “Offering to fuck me for the sake of your job is still whoring yourself out,” I said through gritted teeth. I wanted her jumping up in outrage and stomping out of my office, but she just smirked at me.

  “Sweetheart, I can read you like an open book. The truth is that I like you. I certainly don’t have any designs on keeping you for any length of time, but I wouldn’t mind a few nights wrapped around that hard body of yours. And you are so full of anger, although I have no idea why. You want things a little rough?” Shifting provocatively on my lap, she leaned over and pressed her lips to my ear. “I can take whatever you want to throw at me, baby.”

  Staring at her, I pushed her easily and gently off my lap. “Never going to happen.”

  “You’re a fool, Jack. You need to clear your mind and think about your damn priorities, or you’re going to burn your career and your private life to the ground. If you don’t want to use me, then that’s fine, but you need to find some outlet, and I suggest you do it fast.” She didn’t look all that hurt as she gathered her purse and stared at me in pity. “And if you want to fire Clarke, then that’s a conversation that you need to have in person, sugar.”