by Vivian Wood
“It was,” he agreed, nibbling her earlobe once more.
“And you’re hard again.”
She giggled.
“Yeah, you have to take responsibility.”
“It’s not my fault if you have a perverted mind,” she commented.
“I'm not alone here,” he retorted with a smirk. “Who was touching herself?”
She blushed.
“I wasn’t.”
“You were going to. If I hadn't knocked,” he pointed out.When she pouted, he knew he was right.
“Oh, shut up!” she grunted, wrapping her fingers around his cock without warning.
Elijah cursed as he groaned in pleasure with his eyes closed. He was all the more surprised when he saw her licking the tip of his cock when he opened his eyes.
“That’s cheating,” he grunted, gritting his teeth. He leaned back as his head felt overwhelmed with the sensations coming from her lips.
Damn! His dreams were finally turning into reality, and it was a million times better!
“I’m taking what’s mine,” she responded, her tongue traveling along the length of his shaft.
Eli hadn't been expecting that. But he wanted to just enjoy the moment. He was in her room, and he was hers for the taking. He'd let her do anything she wanted with him.
Nobody had to know about what happened tonight.
Tonight, they were no longer strangers to each other.
Tonight, she was his.
And he was hers.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Staring blankly at the ceiling, Meredith was sleeping soundly in Eli's arms. She looked so peaceful like this – and tired after all the wild sex they'd had. He didn't think he'd ever been so content after fucking a woman in his entire life, until now.
He'd been surprised at how insatiable she'd been.
It was her first time, after all.
But she'd been more active and daring during rounds two and three. They'd came together three times in just under five hours.
He sighed, wondering what would happen next. The election prevented him from dating her openly, and his hands were tied.
Would she be able to settle for being friends with benefits for now?
He didn’t have a chance, did he?
Is this what you want? he asked himself, tilting his head to look at Meredith’s beautiful face.
But Eli knew more than anyone that he didn’t want her to just be a fling, or to only be friends with benefits. He wanted more than sex from her.
He wanted her, it was as simple as that.
He wanted her as a person.
As a woman.
His attention was caught by the loud ringing of his phone, making him jump off the bed, not wanting to disturb Meredith’s sleep. Who was calling him at three in the morning?
Frowning, he picked up his phone to check the caller ID. He broke out into a cold sweat when he saw the name on the display.
It was Vincent Johnson, an old friend from his time in the military. They'd been friends since high school though, and enlisted together after 9/11.
They hadn't been in contact for a long time.
And based on Vincent’s attitude, he wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important – or urgent.Eli locked himself in the bathroom and answered the call as quietly as he could. He knew it would be classified information, too.
“Vincent, what made you call?” he asked the moment he answered.
“Damn, Elijah! You should have picked up sooner,” the man hissed over the line.
He grimaced.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, feeling worried. Something told him this wasn't about good news. Vincent never gave him good news.
“Ryan, your brother –“
“What happened to my brother?” he cut him off.
“Nothing happened,” Vincent answered. “Yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“His SEAL unit is due to be deployed on a dangerous mission,” his friend informed.
Feeling like a bucket of cold water had been poured over him, Eli froze. Had he heard him right?
“What mission?” he questioned.
“I’m sorry, bro. It’s classified,” Vince replied apologetically, followed by a heavy sigh.
He closed his eyes, trying to think. Classified meant the expected survival rate for the mission would be less than forty percent, and that was probably generous. His younger brother could not go on that mission.
He couldn’t let that happen – not to his family.
“Can you do something about it?” he asked hopefully.
He knew Vincent would try his best to help. They'd been buddies for a long time. And Eli had saved his life on more than one occasion back when he was still active duty.
“I’ll see what I can do,” Vincent replied hesitantly. “But I’m only doing this because I owe my life to you.”
“Give the mission to another team,” Eli said after a moment of silence.
He knew it was a selfish thing to ask. But he couldn't afford to lose a family member. Everything he was doing now was for his family's sake.
Whatever happened, he would never let his family perish.
“I will,” Vincent responded.
“Thanks, dude. Thank you.”
“No problem. I’ll call you again.”
Turning, he opened the bathroom door, only to find Meredith pressed against it. She was shocked, and it was obvious she'd been eavesdropping. He was certain she'd heard everything.
Anger surged through him.
But it quickly vanished when he got a good look at her. She had nothing but the blanket wrapped around her body. She looked like a child who'd just gotten up from bed.
“Please keep this a secret,” he mumbled while picking up his clothes.
Everything was getting more and more complicated.
Why in the world was this happening to him?She nodded her head, unable to speak a word. She was clearly shaken up by what she had heard. Welcome to the dark side of politics, he thought as he watched her wrap the blanket tighter around herself, reminding him for all the world of a shroud.
Chapter Twenty-Four
True to her word, Meredith kept quiet about the conversation she'd overheard. But the strike went south, and soon it was all over the news.
A SEAL and civilians had died in the attack.
And it sounded so bad.
She felt remiss as a journalist for not writing about this, especially when she had inside knowledge. But she'd made a promise. And she wasn't about to break his trust for an article.
She didn't have the courage or the desire to end whatever it was they had. She couldn't call it a relationship, she knew that. But it was more than just sex to her.
During a press conference, the strike came up almost immediately when they opened the floor to questions. She could tell Elijah was struggling to find the right words to say.
They asked if he would condone these kinds of strikes if elected president.
She tried her best not to cringe.
It was a tricky question.
He answered in the safest possible way, referring to his experience as a SEAL and stating that his actions would depend on the situation and the intel available to him.
When the conference was over, she went to grab a bite to eat with Ava and Miriam. She had work to do, and it would hopefully distract her for a few hours.
Ava and Miriam started chatting about the conference. Both of them had noticed how tense Elijah's body language had been when they'd questioned him about the SEALs. Meredith decided to stay out of the conversation. She opened her laptop and started composing an e-mail to Mitch.
It would be better if she kept silent.
She was afraid her tongue would give her away.
“What about you? What do you think?” Ava asked, nudging her.
“I… don’t really know. I’m not very familiar with the military,” she murmured softly, trying her best not to choke on her words. “I gr
ew up in a civilian family, as you guys know,” she said quietly.
Yep, she didn’t know a thing about the military in general. But she knew something – particularly on the current issue.
“Oh come on. He must have told you something,” Miriam said while rolling her eyes.
“What do you mean?” she asked with a frown.
“I mean, he seems to like you,” Miriam answered while Ava snickered.
Meredith froze. Had they really been that obvious?
Bored with the lack of substance in her replies, Ava and Miriam went on with their business in silence – just like everybody else was doing. She was glad she was able to shrug off their questions.
She hated lying.
But she’d do it – for Elijah.
After lunch, Meredith and the rest of the group went back to the hotel and headed to their own rooms. She was not sure if she could rest since her mind was filled with questions. Why was she keeping his secret? What would happen to her? To him? What would happen to them? Would everything be over in just a night?
Would it be just a night to remember?
Like an answer from heaven, there was a knock on her door. She quickly opened it and saw Elijah standing in front of her. He looked stressed.
“Hi,” she whispered, checking the hallways.
“Hi,” he replied hoarsely.
Without a word, she pulled him inside her room. She then sighed after locking the doors. She had a lot to ask him. But she didn’t know where to start.
“Did you eat?” she ask.
It was stupid.
“Yeah, a bit,” he replied.
“So…”
“I’m keeping your promise, Meredith. Nobody has to know about what you heard the last time,” he spoke in between heavy breaths.
And that was enough for her to understand that he was still hesitant to trust her words. She'd promised him, hadn't she?
“I promised, didn’t I? So get your act together because everybody thinks that your answers regarding the issue are weak,” she retorted, feeling a bit insulted.
“What did you say?” he asked, alarmed.
“Nothing. There was nothing I could comment. Because seriously, I don’t have any idea what to say,” she responded while gritting her teeth.
Elijah sighed in relief. And it made her more annoyed. Was that the only thing he wanted to talk with her? What about her? What about them?
“Thank you,” he mumbled sincerely. “I’m just worried. I’m sorry for doubting you.”
“It’s okay,” she responded, trying to keep her tone neutral.
She was trying her best not to burst out crying. She never should have expected anything from him.
Sex.
It was just sex.
What was she thinking? She was the one who'd surrendered to him. She didn’t have the right to feel bitter about it. He'd just granted her wish.
“I trust you,” he said before planting a kiss on her forehead. “Thank you,” he added before turning on his heels, leaving her frozen in place.
With that very simple gesture, Meredith felt a whole lot better. Maybe she was just overthinking things. She thought she should be more considerate of his situation.
For now, she should be content with whatever they have.
Chapter Twenty-Five
For the last leg of the campaign they were joined by Ellie Scott, Elijah's little sister. He was happy for the company though. It had been ages since they'd had any quality time together.
They were at a huge county fair. He was pleased by the huge crowd that had come out to see him, all of them cheering and waving around miniature flags with his name on them. The sun was scorching hot, but he didn't feel bothered by it.
He was just so happy with the support the people were showing him. Just like at all the other events, he delivered his speech flawlessly.
When his speech ended, people screamed, cheered and whistled and it was more than enough to quench the thirst he was feeling. He'd been to a lot of events, but that was the first time he'd seen a crowd who looked extremely happy to see him.
His eyes landed on Ellie who was watching him proudly, her hair bouncing as she jumped on her feet. She, too, was holding a little flag with his name on it, showing her support for his candidacy.
He couldn’t be happier.
He was with a family member, and…
Looking around, his eyes searched for Meredith who was wildly scribbling on her notepad. She was wearing a sun visor, and her hair was pulled into pigtails. There were beads of sweat on her face. But it didn't diminish the fact that she shone as bright as the sun that day.
Yes, he felt complete.
Because Meredith was there, too.
The fair was literally an amusement park. And he thought it would be a great chance to let everybody have a little bit of fun. Ellie especially looked like she was itching to get on all the free rides.
Eli instructed Sosie to tell the rest of the team to enjoy their time at the fair. He followed Ellie around as she stopped at every single booth like it was her first time at a county fair.
Shaking his head, he watched as Ellie repeatedly won the top prize at a booth set up to resemble a shooting range. The booth owner looked puzzled at first, then scowled when Ellie kept winning.
“Ellie, that’s enough,” he whispered to her, although he had to admit it was a little funny.
He was proud that his sister’s skills hadn't gone rusty.
After leaving the military, Elijah brought Ellie on shooting ranges once or twice a month. He thought she needed to know how to use a gun just in case. His siblings were sharpshooters, thanks to him.
He was their mentor, after all.
Pouting, Ellie gave the toy gun back to its owner and gathered the pile of stuffed toys she had won. She gave up almost everything, handing the toys to children passing by, but kept the largest teddy bear for herself.
“Are you sure you’re keeping that?” he asked, wincing. It was too big to carry around comfortably.
“Yep,” she murmured, eyeing him.
“What?”
“You carry it,” she stated, immediately turning on her heels, skipping to the next booth that caught her eye.
People looked at him as he walked around with the giant teddy bear, but their stares didn't bother him. Ellie forcing him to carry it bothered him. But he could never say no to his baby sister.
“Let’s get on the Ferris wheel!” Ellie suggested, looking up at the ride.
“Seriously?”
“I’m getting cotton candy. You want some?’ she asked instead.
“Nah, I’m fine. Go on,” he answered while rolling his eyes as he waited for her to get the tickets and treats.
Ellie had just turned twenty six, and she was one of the main reasons why he'd gone into politics. He wanted to give his sister a better life.
It didn't take long before she was back in front of him. And she literally had to drag him to the Ferris wheel.
“Come on, Eli!” she pleaded, looking at him with puppy dog eyes.
He grimaced.
“You’re not a kid anymore.”
“I’m a kid at heart,” she said, sticking her tongue out at him playfully.
“Whatever,” he grumbled as they got on the ride.
He settled the teddy bear next him carefully.
As the Ferris wheel moved, they talked about her plans after graduating high school.
“What about you? What's up with you?” she asked, pinching off small pieces of cotton candy and delicately eating them.
He frowned, not sure he understood the question.
“I'm running for president,” he said, stating the obvious.
Ellie rolled her eyes.
“That not what I meant. I mean what’s up with you and the cute blonde,” she asked.
Elijah almost cringed when Ellie looked at him with sparkling eyes, obviously interested in what he had to say. She wasn't usually the curious type. And this was
the first time she'd ever asked him about his love life.
He made a face. He didn't want to talk about it, and especially not with his little sister.
“What do you mean? There's nothing between me and Meredith,” he said, hoping she'd believe him and just drop it.
It was becoming increasingly harder to lie.
Really, you fucked her and took her virginity. Nothing between you two? Seriously? asked a voice in his mind sarcastically.
Eli knew that deep down, he wanted more than just sex with Meredith. In fact, it was getting tougher to maintain this facade each day that passed. He wished he could be with her more often.
“Meredith... Even her name is cute,” Ellie commented while looking out over the fair. “You know I just want for you to be happy, right?” she said.
Elijah blinked at the seriousness and sincerity in his sister’s voice. For a moment there, he thought she was really acting like an adult. But it all vanished when he flashed her a mischievous grin.
Who was he kidding? Elli would always be a kid – a playful one.
“I’ll talk to her when we get down,” she said, then focused her attention on her dwindling cotton candy.
Elijah didn't bother trying to talk her out of it. His little sister was the most stubborn person he'd ever met. What Ellie wanted, Ellie would get.
When the Ferris wheel stopped, Ellie hopped off it excitedly, skipping toward the booth where she'd last spotted Meredith. He shook his head when his sister hooked arms with Meredith, surprising the latter.
He wanted to get a better look at the two, but he started sneezing.
Damn this stuffed animal, he cursed, walking away to find their rental car.
Elijah was sweaty and tired when he got to the car, throwing Ellie’s teddy bear into the rear. He never should have taken it with them.
He frowned when his phone started ringing even before he could rest his eyes.
It was Sosie.
“Where are you?” she questioned.
“I’m in the car.”
“Ellie has been going around with Meredith. You better take care of this before rumors start circulating. Either get your ass back out here or call your sister,” she said hissing.
Up until now, Sosie had been civil with him. After the incident of her drunkenly throwing herself at him, she'd started to grow more irritable. He thought she was probably feeling embarrassed after getting rejected.