by Sienna Snow
“You don’t get a vote. Now if we are done, I have a helicopter ready to take me to the airfield.” My hand trembled as I tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.
I kept my composure when Hamir had held a gun to my head, not showing even an ounce of emotion, and now I was shaking like a leaf.
I could blame it on the pregnancy but I knew that would be a lie. I was accepting my fate. The one I’d created.
“So that’s it?”
“Yes.” I bit my lip as I turned to the door. I had to get out of the room or I’d lose it.
“Tara.”
“What do you want from me, Ashur?”
“I wanted you to love me as much as I love you.”
I gripped the doorknob and said over my shoulder, “I do. It never stopped for me. I know I was stupid to deny it, and I hurt you by keeping who I was a secret, but my only excuse was that I was protecting myself and countless others, including you.”
“Then the money I offered you wasn’t the reason you agreed to marry me?”
I shook my head. What point was there in denying something I’d known all along but refused to acknowledge?
“I used the excuse of money to justify wanting to marry you even with all our history.” I wiped at the wetness streaming down my cheeks. “What does it matter? I fucked up. Now I know it’s too late.
“The only thing I can promise is that the picture controversy will die down soon. I’ve spoken to the board in Geneva. They are going to release a statement through one of their Asian charities claiming the woman in the picture isn’t me and they have no connection with me. The woman who posed as my decoy in past missions will be named as the unknown assassin. She’s retiring and plans to assume a new identity so there won’t be any blowback.”
“So that’s it?”
“What else is there? Our names will be cleared.”
“I mean for us.”
“I can’t live this existence where we barely spend time together outside of fucking. I need more of you than your body even if you think I don’t deserve it.” I took a deep breath and then said, “Goodbye, Ashu.”
I opened the door and walked out.
Casey met me as I came down the hall from the Oval Office. His face was a wash of worry and concern.
“All my things on the copter?”
He nodded, following my brisk steps out of the residence. I had to get away as fast as possible before I completely fell apart.
“Mrs. Kumar, are you positive this is what you want to do? Is there no hope?”
“How would you feel if the woman you loved kept all the secrets I did?”
“You forget he married you under false pretenses too.”
I snorted. “Not the same thing. He concocted his bargain as a way to get the woman he loved back.”
“So did you. He’s been the love of your life from the moment you mentioned your broken heart during your first-round training. The fact you worked for Solon had nothing to do with why you married him.”
“I guess that all depends on how one views things.”
I glanced behind me to the windows that lined the side wall of the Oval Office. Ashur stood there watching me. We held gazes for a few moments before he said something to someone and walked away.
My heart shattered.
And it ends. As of this moment, I’d live the life Ashur’s parents lived. In public as a couple, but in private as strangers. The dream of having what Mummy and Dad had was no longer possible.
At least I’d have my babies. I rubbed the small swell of my belly.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, I waited for security to open the helicopter door so I could board, but instead the propellers slowed.
“What’s going on?” I asked Casey, who looked as confused as I was.
“Let me see. You stay right here with Joel while I figure out what’s going on.” Casey walked toward the security building.
At that moment, two of Ashur’s security approached me.
“Mrs. Kumar. Please come with us.”
“Why?” I folded my arms. “I have a government plane waiting for me and the longer you delay me, the more it will cost the taxpayers.”
The two men looked at each other as if they were scared of me.
“Please, ma’am. This is a direct order from the president.”
An order. What the fuck could we have left to say?
“Is that right?” I glared at the agents who took a step away from me. “Fine, lead the way.”
I stomped behind them until we reached Ashur’s office.
The second the door opened, I stalked toward him, letting anger fill me instead of the sadness and tears floating under the surface of my composure. “What do you want? I’m exhausted and just want to go home.”
“This is your home.”
“No. My home is in Seattle.”
“You sold your house, remember?”
“I’m going to stay in the lake house I had built for my parents. They won’t mind me staying there.”
“I don’t want you to go.” He searched my face. “Stay, Tara.”
“Why? I don’t fit here.” I gestured to the area around us. “I don’t have a purpose here. Give me one good reason why I should stay.”
He grabbed my hand in his as I tried to poke him in the chest.
“Because you love me.”
I tried to pull my hand away but his grip tightened.
“It’s not enough.”
“What about the fact I love you?”
I kept quiet.
“Then stay with me for my money. You see, in the last twenty minutes, my net worth doubled.”
I clenched my jaw, glancing at the papers I’d given him thrown on a side table and bit out, “That is not funny.”
“I’m not laughing, Tara. Do you know what it was like to see the details of that document? You gave me everything back, even the house I gave you as a wedding present.”
“It didn’t belong to me. You may have offered me the bargain as a way to get me back, but I accepted it without question. I got the easier end of the arrangement.”
“Liar. Marrying me meant you tied yourself to me for life. It was far from the easier alternative.” He ran a thumb along the skin of my wrist.
“My reasons don’t matter. Please let me go.” I tried to tug my arm free again but this time he laid it flat against his shirt. The heat of the skin underneath the fabric warmed through to my fingertips. “I can’t do this, Ashur.”
“Let me say this, and if you still feel like you have to leave then I’ll let you go.”
My shoulders slumped, and I resigned myself for whatever he had to tell me. If it would make it quicker for me to leave, then I’d do it.
“The press is right about me. You are my Achilles heel. You make me softer, kinder. You get me to be more flexible on issues I tend to view as black and white. I’m not the ridged asshole when you’re around.”
“Whatever. I don’t have that kind of power over you.”
“You have no idea. Half the Republicans think I’ve been brainwashed by my wife’s feminine wiles. I’m no longer the conservative in Independent clothing that they voted for. I’ve sided with the Democrats on key issues and that is essentially telling them to fuck off. And the fact I don’t give two shits about their opinion makes me an asshole.”
“You’re not an asshole. You just like people to think that so they’re scared of you.”
“No, baby.” He cupped my face and it took all my will not to turn into the warmth of his palm. “You’re the only one who thinks this. I can be an ass. Hell, I was an ass to you. Why do you think I was so angry with you? You held my heart in your hands and you crushed it. I tried to show you that you meant more to me than our agreement and you kept mentioning our contract. And then when I learned about Solon, I was more hurt that you kept a piece of yourself from me than the fact you were an agent for a secret organization.”
“I never meant to hurt you.”
“I
know this now. Seeing the revised contract gutted me. You detailed all the duties you’d perform as a first lady as if it was a job description. It was so cold, and I’d thought our original contract was cold. You went so far as to state you’d agree to an annulment if you didn’t meet the requirements of the agreement.”
“I just wanted you to know I wouldn’t shrug off my duties as your wife, even if we weren’t really together.”
“We are together. God, I’d give anything to get back what we had during our honeymoon.” He dropped his forehead against mine. “I’m fucking this up. I’m not good with emotions. Maybe it was my upbringing or all the years I spent in the military, but I tend to be too serious.”
“What are you saying?” My heart was beating so fast, it felt like it would explode out of my chest.
“That I don’t want to do this without you. I love you, Tara. I need you.”
I wanted to tell him that I needed him too, but held it back.
When I remained quiet, he tilted my chin up so he could stare into my tear-filled eyes.
“Say something, baby.”
“I want to think this can work, but how will you deal with what I do? I am part of an organization whose sole purpose is to circumvent the law to achieve its goals.”
“You make it sound like you’re selling arms instead of trying to free people caught in the net of human trafficking.”
“I’m serious. You have strict beliefs about what’s right and wrong. Can you live with the fact I will constantly be looking for loopholes in US and international law for our efforts, while you are trying to uphold those laws? Being with me, could cost you your political career.”
“Baby, I’m not sure if you realized this, but I’m not the squeaky-clean guy you think I am. I worked with your pal Xander under the radar and used my private funds to enter an illegal auction in a country that doesn’t have the best relationship with the US. If anyone found out about that, what you did would be considered child’s play.
“As for my political career,” he continued, “I’d give it up without a thought if it meant I had you. Besides, it isn’t as if I don’t have another career waiting in the wings. Trust me, Tara. You wanted me to fight for you when we were younger and didn’t. You have to know what I said the other night was bullshit. We do have something to fight for. I’m fighting for you now.”
I stared at him, trying to process all that he’d said.
Tears spilled down my face.
He’d put his reputation on the line not for the sole purpose of saving Ameera, but for me. He loved me so much that he’d set his strict rules to the side. I’d wanted him to fight for me and he’d done it in a way that I could never have expected.
He’d tried over and over to tell me how he felt about me and I pushed it away, fearing what the future would bring, but I had no future without him. He was it for me. Always had been. Always would be.
“Say something.”
His amber gaze pleaded with me, breaking the last of my resistance. I wiped the dampness from my cheeks and then touched his face.
He released an apprehensive breath and asked, “Are you in?”
I nodded, lifting my lips to his. “I’m in.”
“Thank God.” He fisted my hair and returned my kiss.
My body immediately responded with the need and desire I’d tried to push away. I wrapped my arms around his shoulders as he cupped my ass, lifting me against him.
“I love you,” I murmured against his mouth. “You’re the only man I have ever love and will love.”
He broke our kiss and smiled. “You have no idea how long I’ve waited for you to say it.”
“I promise to tell you every day for the rest of our lives, Mr. President.”
“I look forward to it, First Lady.”
* * *
THE END
Celebrity
Read the book that started it all:
Order here → KOBO.COM
I’m Samina Kumar.
Celebrity attorney, disinherited daughter of a technology billionaire, and the former dirty secret of a federal judge with conservative ties.
I never wanted to be famous. I prefer life out of the spotlight. Now, thanks to my new client, I am surrounded by the media, and my face is on the cover of every magazine.
To top it off, the man who kept me hidden and shattered my heart is determined to get me back, and nothing will stop him.
What does a girl do when she’s had enough of others dictating her life?
She takes back control
I have a new plan for the future, one that will use my newfound fame to lead me to Washington D.C. and the halls of Congress.
I am Samina Kumar. Candidate for Senate and CELEBRITY.
* * *
Turn the page to read the first chapter.
Celebrity - Chapter 1
“Counselor. Please approach the bench.”
I held in an internal groan as I stood and moved around the defendant’s table. The judge was determined to make my life hell in the courtroom.
My day had started off with a mix of determination and excitement. I’d deal with the standard back-and-forth of my current case and then planned to spend the evening decompressing.
However, everything had changed when I’d arrived at the courthouse. A new judge had been assigned to my case because of a family emergency, and now I was stuck dealing with the backlash of a judge that didn’t particularly care for me. It was as if my mere presence annoyed the crap out of Judge McGregor, and for the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why.
Our only interaction had been at a social event where she’d arrived as my ex-lover’s date. If anyone should have been annoyed, it was me.
I shook the thought from my head and focused on Judge McGregor. I couldn’t wait until this afternoon. In less than one hour, I’d no longer be lead on this case, and I could start planning the next phase of my career.
“I don’t have all day, Counselor. You may enjoy the sensationalism of this case, but I don’t.”
“Yes, Your Honor,” I responded and approached the judge.
If she only knew the truth of how I felt about my newfound celebrity. I liked life behind the scenes and in the background, or at least I had until Clint Bassett became my client four months ago.
I glanced at him to give him an unsaid order to behave. He responded with a wink and air kisses, and then followed it up by popping open the collar of his shirt.
I clenched my jaw and took a deep breath.
His bright green eyes danced with mischief, and the groupies behind him fawned over every one of his movements.
Clint used his public platform to project an asshole persona. People either loved him or hated him.
He enjoyed the media attention. Both good and bad. Hell, his attitude was the reason half of the world thought he deserved the grief he was getting. Clint was a shock jock and proud of it. Ruffling feathers was his job. He had a knack for getting politicians and celebrities irritated and spilling their secrets, many times without meaning to.
No matter what his public image, he didn’t deserve this lawsuit. Judge McGregor knew it, the media knew it, and even the person who was suing him knew it.
This case had dragged on for over four months, and I was tired. I’d sacrificed my personal life and my privacy for Clint, leaving anyone close to me a target for scrutiny.
No matter where I went, I was followed, and finding out who I was dating was a mission Clint’s fans were determined to learn. Something that had caused me more pain than I wished to think about.
Even though this case had become the bane of my existence, I planned to use it to my benefit.
“Ms. Kumar, these disruptions will no longer be tolerated. We haven’t officially started today’s session, and we’ve had three outbursts because of your client. I’m tempted to clear the room.”
Judge McGregor said my name with disgust, as if the words left a foul taste in her mouth. What was her problem?
The basis of the whole lawsuit was due to hurt feelings and vengeance, not fact. However, if one had an unending bank account and limitless time, the top attorneys in the country would happily take your case. And my client’s ex-wife, Kimberly Bassett, had both in ample supply.
Yes, I was a celebrity attorney, and I’d had my fair share of media coverage, but usually my clients wanted their names kept out of the press. They rarely catered to it.
“With all due respect, Your Honor. Mr. Travis, Ms. Bassett’s counsel, is the one who requested this hearing be open to the public. It isn’t my client’s fault so many have come out in support of him, even on a non-court day.”
At that moment, a bunch of shouts and cheers erupted.
Then someone said, “You tell her, Hot Stuff. Don’t let this new judge give you shit. She probably hasn’t had her oil changed in years with that sour face of hers.”
I cringed, closing my eyes for a brief second. Insulting the judge was not going to help me, and neither was calling me sexist names.
Clint had given me the nickname on his radio show, and since that day, all his millions of fans referred to me as “Hot Stuff.”
He’d thrown me into the media spotlight, not only for my skills but my looks. This was not how I’d planned to make a name for myself when I’d graduated law school at the top of my class.
I had never wanted this case in the first place, but my law partner, Tara Zain, was handling a high-profile murder trial that had left me as the only viable option.
The things my client said disgusted me on most days. His only redeeming factor was that he kept a distinct line between his personal and public lives. He wasn’t a jerk in real life. He was a nice guy who loved his kids and, until recently, his ex-wife.
“I’m up here, Counselor.” Judge McGregor glared down at me.
One day I was going to find out why this woman hated me.
I missed Judge Trammel. She loved to hand me my ass, but she was fair and took no one’s bullshit. It wasn’t her fault that her husband had a heart attack and she’d had to leave the case.