Caught by the Chief of Staff (A Presidential Affair Book 2) Read online

  “Thanks, baby,” Rick says softly before taking the bottle from me.

  “Sure.” I try to step back, feeling really unwelcome in this little powwow, when Rick pulls me into his side and holds me tight. Ever since this morning, he’s been finding ways to keep me close to him, to hold me or touch me in some sweet way or another. I don’t even know if he realizes he’s doing it, but all of a sudden, he’s always in contact with me physically if he can be.

  A knock sounds at the door.

  “That would probably be the pizza,” Rick says, letting me go.

  Wes tenses as he watches Rick approach the front door. I see them both hold their bodies loose, like they’re ready to spring into action, but you wouldn’t know it’s coming unless you know what you’re looking for.

  Rick looks casually out the side window just as he did when Wes showed up and decides it’s safe. Pulling open the door, Rick hands the kid a couple twenties and tells him to keep the change before accepting the stack of pizza boxes and shutting the door behind him, throwing the lock closed.

  He carries the pizza boxes into the dining room and sets them on the table. Wes and I follow behind him. When I get there, I realize I forgot plates and napkins, so I scurry back into the kitchen to grab them. Wes’s words about how I could do a better job looking after Rick are still weighing heavy on my brain. He’s right. I haven’t been looking after the man I swore up and down I loved no matter what, when I should have. Instead, I only thought about me and how it made me feel.

  I set a stack of plates and napkins down on the table and take a seat. Wes and Rick waited for me to return to the table before sitting down. He might hate me, or at least he used to, now I’m not so sure. I’m not sure where we stand at all, and I’ve done so much wrong, but he has manners, and that is an interesting combination.

  I pass plates around while the guys lift lids on different pizzas and start passing the boxes around the table. Rick puts three slices of pepperoni and anchovy on my plate. It’s my favorite and he knows it. I didn’t have to ask; he just provided a comfort staple for me. I have to swallow back against the lump in my throat.

  “Thanks,” I say softly.

  “Of course.”

  I pick at my plate. I really am the worst. I need to put forth more of an effort to make sure he’s okay. But overall, I’m miserable. It’s never a fun moment having your worst failings thrown in your face—whether or not you deserve them. When Rick notices that my glass is almost empty, he stands up and heads to the kitchen. Wes shoots me a pointed stare.

  “I know,” I say sadly. “You were right. I’m a monster.”

  “You’re not a monster,” he replies, rolling his eyes. “You can fix it.”

  “But how?” I ask as I pluck a piece of anchovy and pop it in my mouth. “I’ve been so awful.”

  “You know that’s disgusting, right?”

  “Don’t knock it until you try it.” I smile just a little bit. “Rick hates it too, but he still buys it for me.”

  “Because he’s in love with you.”

  “What makes you think so?” I ask, popping another bite into my mouth. I have loved Rick and lived without him for so long, I’ve done so everything the wrong way, and still I hope that after all of it, he can find it in his heart to forgive me and love me the way that I love him. But I’m still terrified that he won’t be able to let it all go.

  “I know the look of a man chasing a woman so desperately he doesn’t know what to do with himself,” he says on a smirk. “And I know the look of a woman running more from what’s in her own damn head than anything else.”

  “She’s a lucky woman,” I say softly.

  “And after a fair amount of time, she knows it now,” he says, and a happy look of a man content with his life washes over him. I’m glad he has that. He’s not a bad guy. I shouldn’t wish him ill.

  Just then, Rick comes back into the room, and I wonder if he was listening at the door like a teenage girl. He sets down a glass of water in front of me and another beer for each of them.

  “So are you done listening in like a little bitch?” Wes asks on a laugh, making Rick scowl.

  “I’m not a little bitch.”

  “But you were listening in?” I ask.

  “Maybe,” he admits, eyeing me speculatively.

  “Care to add anything?” Wes prompts with a twinkle in his eye.

  “No, I think you covered all of the basics,” Rick says while rolling his eyes. “Now, let’s figure out who’s so desperate to blackmail the president that they would kidnap my daughter.”

  Finally. Now we’re getting somewhere.

  Wes pulls a notepad and pen out of his jeans pocket, and Rick drops a legal pad on the table. He spins a pen in his hand like a majorette with a marching band. I hold my breath. There has to be something between the two of them that leads us to Rachel.

  “So what do you have?” Wes asks.

  “This morning, Cara received a video message from the kidnappers…” Rick explains to Wes how we broke up nine years ago and why.

  “So why do you think they targeted you two if the goal was always Jake?” Wes asks.

  “I never would have taken those suicide missions and off-books ops if it weren’t for my divorce,” Rick explains, making me cringe. I hate that I changed him so much, but it also changed me, and I can’t lose sight of that. We’re not who we used to be. “Cara kept me grounded, and without her, I was adrift. I didn’t care what the mission was as long as it took me away from home where I would sit and think about why she left me. Removing her from the game made me that mercenary.”

  And Jake would never let you go into a shit situation half-cocked,” Wes adds. “They knew he would go with you.”

  “And when we both couldn’t take it anymore, we got out, and he eventually got talked into running for office.”

  “Who talked him into it?” Wes asks.

  “Mostly, he was worn down by his dad, the senior senator,” Rick says.

  “I bet he’s over the moon that Jake won the presidency,” Wes inserts.

  “Yes and no,” Rick answers. “Jake made it clear that his dad’s shady dealings would not have sway over Jake.”

  “I bet the old man loved that.” Wes whistles.

  “He did not. And Jake won’t let him near Grace either.”

  “So could it be him?” I ask, not censoring my words at all. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have interrupted.”

  “It could be, but I doubt it,” Rick says gently. “It seems a little too obvious.”

  “You’re right,” I reply quietly. Embarrassment burns my cheeks.

  “Hey,” he says softly, drawing my attention. “It’s not wrong to ask.”

  “Okay.”

  “Someone wants this bill to pass badly,” Rick points out. “It’s the only thing I can think of.”

  “What bill?” Wes asks.

  “Specifically, HB 2250,” Rick answers. “It’s the ‘Spread the Wealth’ bill.”

  “The one that would send US money and weapons overseas?” Wes asks.

  “The one and only,” Rick answers, and I think I should start paying more attention to the news. “Not only that, but it places huge limitations on the US government and what we’re allowed to do to protect ourselves and our people. Essentially, it ties the hands of the US military.”

  “But why would anyone want that?” I ask, feeling stupid. Why don’t I know these things? I feel like I should know these things.

  “Power,” Rick answers my question with so much gentleness packed behind his words. I can tell he’s trying to show me it’s okay I don’t understand these things. He’s not judging me for my lack of knowledge of the political machinations of men with too much power.

  “Power? I don’t understand.”

  “The United States is the most powerful nation in the world,” he replies. “If you take that power and money away and you distribute it equally under the guise of ‘leveling the playing field for all nations,’ you weaken
the strongest player but you also leave them ripe for the picking.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “They’re trying to create a one world nation,” Wes adds.

  “Someone else would have control over the US,” Rick finishes.

  “That sounds…”

  “Terrifying?” Wes finishes for me. “Yeah, I agree.”

  “Yeah,” I say. “I think I liked it better when I had no idea what was going on in the world.”

  “So what were you doing before the kidnappers contacted you?” Wes asks me, effectively changing the subject. Rick shoots him a look I don’t quite understand, but I think they could see I was beginning to panic.

  “I was styling Grace for her events this week.”

  “And what events were those?”

  “She has a few community outreach visits and a state dinner,” I answer.

  “So I’m guessing Jake cut her schedule?” Wes asks.

  “No, actually, we decided this afternoon that everything should go as planned, and we’ll see if we can’t ferret out the perpetrators,” Rick says. I guess this is what they hashed out while I was sleeping the day away. I hate that I’ve missed so much.

  “So are you guys going to pretend you’re still at odds?” Wes asks, and I can’t help but think it’s a valid question.

  “Fuck no,” Rick answers, startling me and making Wes smile.

  “Do you think that’s wise?” I ask. I don’t agree or disagree; I just want to know his reasoning. Also, the thought of forcing the hand of the people who have our only child scares the shit out of me.

  “I don’t care,” he says, making me bristle at his callous tone. “Hear me out. They have taken enough from us. I am done pretending I don’t care about you.”

  “Okay,” I reply quietly. He says he cares about me. Before, Wes was sure he still loved me. I can’t help but feel a flush of disappointment flow through me.

  “And I want the perpetrators to show their hand. I want them to lead me to Rachel.”

  “Sounds like someone’s going to a State Dinner.” Wes smirks, looking directly at me.

  “What? No,” I hurry to answer. “I dress people for the fancy dinners. I don’t go to them.”

  “You went to the Inaugural Ball,” Rick adds unhelpfully.

  “And how did that end?” I snap.

  “You angry fucked me in your hotel room.” Rick laughs.

  “And that’s my cue to go,” Wes says. “I head home in a couple of days, so let me know if you need anything.”

  “Don’t be a stranger,” Rick tells him.

  “Thanks, man.” Wes turns to look at me. “Oh and Cara?”

  “Yeah?” I answer.

  “I’ve changed my mind about you.”

  “Thanks,” I say softly. “I’ve changed my mind about me too.”

  “Good,” he replies before seeing himself out.

  “What was that all about?” Rick asks me.

  “What? Oh nothing,” I answer. “Besides, you already heard it all while you were eavesdropping at the door.”

  “That’s true,” he says with a smile, making me laugh and swat his arm at the same time. “Ready for bed?”

  “Yeah.”

  Rick takes my hand in his and leads me upstairs to the master bedroom. He draws his gun from behind his back and places it on the nightstand. He’s so at ease with it that I had honestly forgotten he was carrying it until now. I watch as he strips off his jeans and T-shirt before tossing them in the hamper, and then I turn and head for the bathroom.

  I start pulling open drawers until I find a spare toothbrush. I open the package and brush the pizza off my teeth. I use his man soap to wash my makeup off and use his comb to pull the snarls out of my hair.

  Rick saunters into the bathroom before selecting his own toothbrush from the cup on the counter and brushing his teeth. The close quarters and intimacy of the moment coupled with Wes’s revelations has me on edge, so I quickly leave the room and head back to the bedroom. I turn off the lights, pull back the light gray covers, and climb in.

  I quickly roll to my side and close my eyes, pretending to be asleep when I see the bathroom light click off just before Rick emerges from the bathroom. I am the coward Wes accused me of being.

  I feel the bed dip behind me, and as Rick curls his body into mine, his front presses against my back. He buries his face in my hair and stays there for a long moment. I hold my breath and wonder if he’s planning to sleep in the rabbit warren that is my long, dark hair.

  And then his hand skates up underneath the large T-shirt that covers my body—his T-shirt. Rick’s large palm covers my breast, his calloused thumb making slow, lazy circles around the hard tip. I feel his erection grow and pulse against my backside as he continues to caress me.

  Rick slides his other hand under me on the bed and then around to the front of my body. He pauses, placing an open-mouth kiss to the crook of my neck before trailing his mouth up, up, up to touch the shell of my ear with the tip of his tongue, making me gasp.

  And then his hand at my side dips into the front of my borrowed sweatpants and down farther, underneath my panties. He’s mere seconds away from finding out I am not asleep and that I want him with every fiber of my being. He flicks the tip of his finger back and forth against my clit. Rick growls low in the back of his throat when he feels how wet I am for him.

  He tucks his face in the side of my neck, right next to my ear, as he works my clit over.

  And then he lets me know I’m not fooling anyone, but I’m too far gone in my need for him to care.

  “Baby,” he whispers, his voice harsh against my ears with his own need for me. “I need you.”

  “Yes,” I moan.

  “I need you to let me love you,” he says as he rolls me to my back. “I need you to let me into your light.”

  “Yes,” I pant as moisture pools between my legs.

  “Let me make love to you,” he pleads, and I reach for him. I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted to, which I do not.

  “Please, Rick,” I whisper into the dark. “I need you.”

  And then he slides the sweatpants and my panties down my legs, leaving his thick socks on my feet. He reaches over and slides open the drawer to the nightstand, and I think he’s reaching for a condom, but he doesn’t. The room is dark, so I don’t see what he grabbed, and I don’t have time to worry about it. He shuts the drawer and rolls onto me, covering my body with his.

  I feel the blunt tip of him against my center, and I tip my hips up, taking no more than the very tip of him inside me, making Rick groan.

  “I need you,” he whispers as he slides in deep.

  “I need you too.”

  He was right earlier this evening when he said that life was about grabbing onto the little moments when you can. The darkness would consume us if we don’t. I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, but tonight, I have Rick, and he has me.

  I wrap my arms and legs around him as he begins to really move. But it’s not a rough fuck like usual; it’s exactly what he asked for. Rick makes love to me, worshiping my body as he slides in and out. I gasp, the breath sawing in and out of my lungs through this push and pull between us.

  I won’t last long like this, but then I think, Neither will Rick.

  He gently unwraps my arms from around his shoulders and holds each of my hands in his on either side of my head as he rocks his body into mine. And I watch the tendons in his neck ripple as I gasp, my climax rolling over me gently but completely, and he pushes in deep one last time and follows me over the edge.

  Rick lets me take a decent amount of his weight, and I want it. I’ll gladly take it and cherish this moment. I will love him for as long as we have, but we’re in the middle of a crazy plot of outside sources, so who knows what the next day will bring. So if this is all we’ll have, I’ll be happy, but tonight, I decided I will always try for more.

  Rick finally lets go of my hands as he sits back on his knees. And
all the breath in my lungs seizes when I notice my diamond band on his pinky finger. He slides it off his finger then lifts my left hand and slides it onto mine, and for the second time tonight, he rocks me to my very soul.

  “You’re mine, Cara,” he says quietly. “And I think tonight you finally realized you always will be. There were times I wanted to throw them in the river, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. These meant something to me, and in my heart, I knew they meant something to you, and you left them behind for a reason—so I kept them close to me. And every night since you came back into my life, I’ve hoped there would be a time I could give them back to you.”

  “Rick,” I whisper as hot tears trail down my face.

  “So here’s the first one,” he continues after he places a kiss to his ring back on my finger again. “You’re mine, and everyone should know it. I’ll give you the second one back when you’re ready, when our daughter is under our roof. I’m going to give you the world. I’m going to give you both the family you should have had all along. And if we have more children, that’s great, but if we don’t, then that’s fine with me too, because we will have Rachel. I’m going to give it all to you, if you’ll let me. Will you let me, Cara?”

  “Yes,” I answer softly, and it’s the only answer I could give him.

  “Thank you.”

  Rick lies back down on the bed, pulling me into his arms. I rest my head on his shoulder and just let him hold me while I cry, but this time it’s not heartbreaking sobs but tears of hope and joy. I finally have Rick back, and he is just as determined as I am to find our daughter. And if I just believe in him, maybe we can have it all.

  He soothes me quietly for hours and then finally, when I can’t cry anymore, Rick holds me tight while I drift off to sleep and dream beautiful dreams of what could be.

  And in the days to come, I would find out I was wrong to hope, because hope is a bitch, and she always gets her pound of flesh.

  “Does the President Have a Dirty Little Secret? Rumors of Jeffries Liaison Spiral While First Lady Glows with Pregnancy”

  Chapter 19

  What a bitch

  Three days later…