Perfectly Inappropriate

by Stacey Kennedy

  “What’s that?” Noah asked.

  “The choice is hers to make, not yours. So, my darling, all you need to do is ask her if she wants to come to the party. Tell her your parents will be there. If she has a problem with it all, she’ll say no and then you’ll know she won’t fit into your life.” She cupped his cheek and gave him her motherly smile. “That smile I saw on your face, Noah…that’s the good stuff.” She rose and squeezed his hand before letting him go. “Life isn’t always perfect, and you can’t make it perfect, but Noah, no matter what, the good times always outweigh the bad.”

  With that said, she walked away, leaving Noah alone with his thoughts. The park was busy as usual, but the trees were the perfect escape from the busy city. He had known from day one that Olivia was uniquely special. She drew him in and he had broken every rule he had since then all because he craved to stay with her.

  He leaned back against the bench and inhaled the summer air and watched the city he loved. Most things he knew or could anticipate how they would turn out. This, with Olivia, he had no idea. She was light and warmth and his world was often dark and cutthroat.

  No matter what, he kept coming back to the same thoughts. He was not ready to say goodbye to her. What he had with her was different than what he’d had with Colette because he refused to walk away. Maybe the timing was better now, and this would turn out different.

  A hundred questions flickered through his mind. But only one stood out as most important: Could a woman not born into politics fit into his world?

  There was only one way to find out.

  Chapter 12

  “Up for a party tonight?” Noah asked the moment Olivia answered her cellphone during his walk home from work. “Fair warning, my parents will also be there.”

  That telephone call was the reason Olivia now felt like she had walked into another world while wearing a long black open-back dress she wore to last year’s New Year’s Eve party. Sure, she had been to parties before but none like this. The garden behind the gray brick Tudor-style mansion left her breathless as Noah took her hand and led her into the backyard along the cobblestone pathway. Lights were strung up around the impeccably tailored gardens. Waiters carried trays full of champagne and wine, along with fancy hors d’oeuvres. Beneath the larger canopy of lights was a five-man band playing a Frank Sinatra song. But the biggest difference between this party and every other party she had previously been to were the people in attendance. Obviously wealthy, highly educated, and well-connected, they were so out of her league.

  Noah’s low chuckle brought her attention to him, and his eyes were laughing at her. “You look ready to jump out of your skin.” They joined the others on the dance floor, then he pulled her in close. “What’s wrong?”

  “I do not fit in here,” she said, not ashamed to admit that.

  “Of course you don’t.” Awareness flickered in his eyes as if suddenly something made total sense to him. “And that, Olivia, is precisely what makes you stand out.”

  She stared into the strength of his eyes and laughed softly at the sweetness in his expression. “I swear you could charm the pants off anyone.”

  He effortlessly glided her along the dance floor. “Do you like that?”

  “Of course I do,” she admitted. “Especially when they are my pants.”

  “Then I’m glad.” He smiled.

  While he guided her along, she felt the eyes watching them like fingers prickling against her skin. “You’re aware that everyone is watching us?”

  He grinned and nodded. “I did say that you stand out.”

  She glanced at a couple of those sets of eyes watching her before returning her attention back to his amused eyes. “Are you not worried this is making a certain kind of statement?”

  “Not at all.”

  He spun her then brought her back into his arms. “You were so private before, so I don’t really get that.”

  “I don’t want to be private now.”

  His loaded statement lingered in the air between them. A hundred questions rested on her tongue, from “What are we doing here?” to “Is this a mistake?” But none of those questions made their way out. The hardest part in all this was she knew deep down she wasn’t ready for anything serious. Sure, she trusted Noah—a smidgen more than she trusted anyone else—but was that enough? Was it fair?

  The side of his mouth slowly curved. “You should really breathe, Olivia, or you’re going to pass out and then we really will cause a scene.”

  She was blowing out the breath she’d been holding when a soft voice said, “Noah.”

  Olivia turned and found a well-kept woman wearing a gorgeous purple dress and a stunning pearl necklace. But it was her eyes that made what Noah said next unsurprising.

  “Olivia, this is my mother, Audra Grant.” He kept her hand in his.

  Olivia offered her free hand. “Olivia Watts. It’s nice to meet you.”

  “Oh, my dear, we hug in this family.” Audra’s arms were soft and gentle when they wrapped around Olivia. “Are you enjoying the party?”

  “Very much so,” Olivia said, leaning away. “This garden, the home…really, everything here is all so beautiful.”

  “They do know how to throw a party around here,” Audra said with an appreciative sigh. She turned to Noah, her eyes the same color as his and holding love as she straightened his tie. “You look very handsome tonight.”

  Noah grinned. “Ah, but I am a man in a suit compared to the two of you.”

  His mother laughed softly and turned to Olivia, giving a wink. “The Grant charm, it’s something else, isn’t it?”

  Olivia smiled with a nod, but she was more captivated by their interaction. There was a certain sweetness between them. It was easy to see that they had a close relationship.

  “Son,” a man—obviously Noah’s father—said and sidled up to Audra. “Governor Sweeney would like a word with us.”

  Noah nodded at him before gesturing at Olivia. “Father, this is Olivia Watts. Olivia, this is my father, Thomas Grant.”

  Where Noah’s mother was sweet and soft, his father was rough and all planes and angles. But there were similarities between Noah and his father; even though Noah was a couple of inches taller and broader around the shoulders, the chiseled features were the same.

  Olivia offered her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

  “Likewise.” Thomas returned the handshake but barely even gave her a passing look. “I must insist we don’t keep Sweeney waiting.”

  Two things happened. Noah’s jaw tightened, and obvious disapproval was shining in his eyes when he glanced at Olivia. “I won’t be long. Let me do my rounds here and then we can go.”

  “It’s okay,” she replied, suddenly feeling like the center of his parents’ attention. She snatched up a champagne glass from the tray as the waiter walked by. “I’ll keep myself busy.”

  She thought that might warrant a smile.

  It didn’t.

  Noah simply nodded and strode away toward where his father and another man waited for him. Suddenly, with that single action, the entire situation with Colette made sense. Olivia imagined that standing alone at a party would get old fast.

  “I’m sorry if Thomas seemed abrupt,” Audra said, drawing Olivia’s gaze. She gave a warm smile. “He’s in business mode. Noah can bring you out to the Hamptons sometime. Thomas is much more relaxed there.”

  “It’s okay, really. I’m sure he’s got things on his mind and people to see.”

  Audra nodded and took a wineglass off another waiter’s tray as he passed. “Noah tells me you don’t follow politics.”

  Olivia stopped her mouth from dropping open. Okay, so Noah had talked about her to his mother. She thought that should have made her more uncomfortable considering she was the one who didn’t want a relationship. Shockingly
, the discomfort never came. “Sadly, and I feel kinda silly admitting that here, but politics is not something I’m overly interested in.”

  Audra’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Then she finally said, “Which is probably why Noah has such a fondness for you. His move into politics hasn’t been as easy as it was for his father. Noah likes his privacy and his heart is a little softer than his father’s.” She studied Olivia again and then gave a firm nod. “He likes that you see the world differently than him.”

  “Did Noah tell you that?” Olivia asked, unable to help it.

  “He might have said a thing or two about it.” She stared at Noah across the way, and the love in her eyes radiated out. “But I can see that…”—she looked at Olivia again and smiled—“he’s quite relaxed with you.”

  “I wish I could take all the credit,” Olivia gently countered, moving to one of the circular tables on the edge of the dance floor. “But I’m not doing anything at all.”

  “Oh, please, take credit where it’s due.” She placed the wineglass on the table. “You are turning my son’s world upside down.”

  Olivia glanced out, suddenly wishing her feet would run her the hell out of there. It was so easy to forget the thousand questions she still didn’t have answers to when Noah was with her…touching her. Without him there, coldness seeped into her bones.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve made you uncomfortable,” Audra said with a laugh.

  “Oh, no, it’s fine, really,” Olivia said, albeit awkwardly.

  “I guess what I’m trying to say is that it’s a rare thing in this world that can bring a strong man to his knees.” Audra placed a hand on Olivia’s forearm, but the warmth of her touch couldn’t touch the cold raging alongside the blood in her veins. “The fact that you’ve done that tells me all I need to know about you.” She gestured to Noah standing with a group of men. “Noah was born into politics. The need to serve the public is ingrained in him.” She turned to Olivia and added with a soft smile, “But this type of life is not possible without the love of a woman to keep the light trickling in on those dark days.”

  Olivia froze in front of all the truth his mother laid at Olivia’s feet. How easy it would be to lose herself in all this happiness…in him. In all this perfection that seemed to be right there, ready for her to grab it.

  And yet…when Noah glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled, Olivia cringed at the assault on her heart. She wanted to let go with him, but she had believed in perfection once. And perfection had lied.

  * * *

  —

  When they arrived back at Noah’s penthouse a couple of hours later, he noticed something different about Olivia when she turned to him in the living room. Something softer crossed her expression. Something that he’d also seen after his necessary mingling. “Did you enjoy tonight?” he asked, trying to identify the change in her.

  “How could you not enjoy yourself there?” She smiled, taking a seat on his couch and stretching out her legs. “But I gotta say, I liked seeing you in that element. You’re different there, surrounded by that group of people.”

  He approached and took a seat on his coffee table. “Different how?”

  She gave a little shrug and lifted her foot to rub the arch, obviously sore from being stuffed into her heels. “People listen to you when you talk. It’s an amazing thing. To hold power like that. They respect you.”

  He gently nudged her hand away and took over the massage. “It’s taken years to earn that respect.” But that wasn’t what was causing this sudden softness in her. He felt that truth coming off in her waves. “Did you enjoy your time with my mother?”

  “Yeah, she’s really nice.” She moaned as he dug his fingers into the sore spots and leaned her head against the back of the couch. She stared at him deeply, obviously reconciling something on her mind. “Are we going to talk about us and what we’re doing here?” she finally asked.

  His fingers halted on her foot. “Are you ready to talk about us?” While he had taken her tonight to see if she could fit in his world, he did not want to rush her.

  “I think it’s getting to the point where we need to talk, don’t you?”

  “All right.” He released her foot and took up the other. He waited for her moan while he rubbed the arch before he added, “Then let’s talk.”

  She heaved a long sigh, those pretty eyes attentive on him. “I don’t really know when this happened. This wasn’t supposed to be a serious thing at all between us, and now I’m feeling like I’m having a serious conversation.”

  “We don’t need to have a serious conversation.” He rubbed her toes. “What we’re doing feels good. There’s no need to change anything or make this more than it needs to be right now.” He paused as she frowned, and that brought out his next question. “Does this no longer feel good to you?”

  “It feels amazing,” she said. “I feel happier than I’ve felt in a really long time, if I’m being honest.”

  “Then what exactly is the problem?”

  She pulled her foot away and sat up. The look in her expression was distant when she answered him. “Is what we have real?”

  He leaned forward and placed his hands on her thighs. “What makes you think it’s not real?”

  “Because these past few days have been amazing. Truly everything I think I thought I wanted and so much more. But in the real world, can we really work? Is that something we want? Will this thing between us end when we said it would? Or are we going to start dating?”

  The fact that she didn’t hesitate in any of her questions told him this had been on her mind. His brows drew together, fighting against thinking about everything she asked. Because he was well aware of the obstacles between them. The same obstacles he’d had with Colette. Olivia would want things from him he couldn’t offer. A boyfriend that always picked her over his career.

  And this was where the problem lay. She could fit perfectly into his world under certain conditions. Conditions that Colette had also wanted. Noah could not change those things. But staring into her eyes, he saw a difference between her and Colette. He had been able to let Colette go. He did not want to do that with Olivia.

  Instead of answering, fearing that he did not have the words to explain how he felt, he leaned in and sealed his mouth across hers. He did not want this to end between them. Maybe it was all a fantasy, but he liked the fantasy. He wanted this between them to last for as long as it could.

  When she moaned and melted into his kiss, he told her the truth. His truth. “I’m here, Olivia, it’s real.” He refused to think about all the little interstices of being with her. Because he liked how this all felt now. Being with Olivia was easy. “Does this feel real?” he asked, trailing his fingers through her hair and marking the beginning of their playtime.

  She shivered against his mouth. “Yes, sir.”

  He leaned away and cupped her chin, intending to get her mind off her thoughts. “Go into the bedroom. Take off this gorgeous dress and make your naked skin available to me.”

  The heat rose in her cheeks then to her eyes before she moved toward his bedroom. Noah’s gaze followed her, conflict running through him. Part of that was the dominance awakening. The adrenaline-fueled side that wanted to keep Olivia all for himself. Somewhere deep inside him, he knew that he was avoiding any talk of a relationship with her in hopes that she would stay happy in the here and now.

  Because this worked.

  As long as she didn’t want more. They could stay together, especially considering tonight had gone well. But he would only know if they worked in time. Through his travels. Through his, at times, hectic workload. Through the parties and events and meetings…and the entire state wanting his attention.

  When she vanished into the bedroom, he glanced down at his fisted hands. He also knew he was avoiding the conversation because, with her raw heart, she needed security.
She needed him to promise certain things he was not sure he could promise at all because he’d changed the rules. Again.

  He waited another five minutes, giving her time to undress before he entered the bedroom. He froze in the doorway, spotting her kneeling on the rug.

  He lowered his voice to the soft, rumbly tone she sensually reacted to. “Look at me, Olivia.”

  She slowly lifted her heated eyes to his. Soaking in her beauty, he removed his jacket, then his tie and his shirt followed. He kept undressing, never taking his eyes off the way her expression burned, until he was stark naked. He grabbed his throbbing cock and stroked himself, liking both how turned on that made her and how he felt jerking off at the sight of her.

  His gaze traveled along her smooth skin and over her puckered nipples. “Spread your legs. Let me see you.”

  Her mouth parted as she widened her legs.

  “Yes, angel.” Desperate to show her that everything between them was real, he released his cock and moved to his dresser. There, he pulled out his leather case and the bag of clothespins he’d left there for this moment between them. The moment he gave her a taste of exactly how far he could take her. A taste he hoped she would want again and again.

  When he returned to her, he placed his case on the bed but dropped the bag of clothespins in front of her. He noted her examining them with a nibble of her lip before she returned her attention to him. “Lace your hands behind your head.”

  She did as she was told.

  He opened the case, taking the condom out and making it available for when needed, then he went down to one knee in front of her. “Tell me how many clothespins you believe you can handle on your body at one time.”

  She studied the bag then glanced into his eyes again. “Ten.”

  He grinned. “We’ll do twenty then.”

  “Oh my,” she breathed.