SEAL of Approval

by Lynn Faye

  “Kayla’s plan to reach the Senate,” he wrote as he said it out loud. “Which state do you want to be the Senator in?”

  “It’s not a joke Matthew, it’s what I wanted.”

  “Oh, I’m not joking. Here, I’ll put the basic timeline together and you let me know what you think. First you have that really cool job at the charity, so maybe you could do law school part time for now. Or quit the charity when you get into Georgetown. And Yes, I know that’s the school you want to go to. I’ll assume that I will win my next election, but probably only one full term, people will be sick of me. So we have about seven years to work with. I mean, if you wanted to have a baby, it would be a good time,” Matthew paused as he flashed a smile at me. “But you have your charity work and law school. Let’s say going part time and with all the other time constraints you could be done in three years. Take one year of internship at a big firm and then start as a first year associated. You could work for another three years and my term would be up, then you could run for the Senate.”

  Matthew stopped writing in a dramatic fashion and ripped the piece of paper out of the notebook and handed it to me. He looked so smug as he watched me look at the paper.

  “So this is your seven-year plan for me?”

  “It’s just your rough draft. You change it however you would like. But it seems like a good start.”

  “You know I’m not going to be one of those women who follows you around to events all the time and plays your social butterfly role for you. You aren’t going to dictate my life.”

  “Let me add that to the list,” Matthew said as he took the paper away from me. “Matthew will not dictate my life. I am a strong woman who makes her own decisions and only in the bedroom will Matthew be in charge.”

  “Matthew, I’m serious. People are going to expect things from me that I just can’t do. They are going to put pressure on you to make me come to events and be part of your life. I won’t be able to do it all. It’s too much for me.”

  “No. I will make sure they understand.”

  “Tell me what happened with George Masson? I thought you two hated each other but it turns out you were working together?” I said as I tried to bring the conversation back to what I wanted answers for.

  “Let me kiss you first.”

  I slid onto his lap and straddled Matthew as I started to unbutton his shirt. It was hard to stay mad at him and I didn’t like that feeling at all. I could tease him a little, but I wasn’t giving in until I had some answers.

  “One kiss,” I said as I leaned down and let my lips touch his.

  The electricity between us was always so immense. It didn’t matter if we had just woken up or had been fighting for hours; I hoped it would always be so great between us. We weren’t the typical couple, and that was for sure. I felt a drive to be influential in Washington that only got worse when I met Matthew. Certainly, any woman would be lucky to be in the position I was in. But the only thing I could think of was how I could use my position as First Lady.

  Of course I was going to do well, I would work my ass off with Charity Water and make a name for myself that way. But I wanted more. I wanted the political high that Matthew had and I was willing to work hard to get it. I needed to run my own campaign someday and make my own political decisions based on what I thought was right.

  “Now, what happened with George Masson?” I asked as I pulled my lips away from Matthew.

  “Nothing elicit like I’m sure your wild imagination has going on. I simply didn’t want him coming after me anymore. I knew the best way to get him to back down was to bring him closer to me.”

  “Matthew, did you and George murder the President?”

  Matthew started to laugh as his hands grabbed my shirt and pulled it up over my head exposing my black lace bra. His hands quickly had the bra off of me and he threw it toward the bed as his lips made a straight line for my nipples.

  “No, no, no. The game is that you have to answer my questions.”

  “No, we didn’t kill him,” Matthew said as his lips pulled one of my nipples tightly in his mouth.

  Matthew liked to play by his own rules and I knew for a fact it was going to be hard to get him to answer the questions I wanted to ask him. But I was perfectly comfortable throwing a little make out session into the mix if it would help Matthew answer my questions.

  “Then tell me what happened. Why all the secrecy with the reporter you paid off? Why did you seem to know everything before it happened? Tell me.”

  “My father…” Mathew started to say as he pulled away from sucking on my body for a moment. “He has friends who wanted me to do well in Washington.”

  “Matthew, your father is dead. Who are these friends?”

  “No, no, no. The game is that I get to play with you when I answer questions,” Matthew teased me with his boyish smile.

  His hand moved to the button on my pants and he motioned for me to stand in front of him as he pulled on them. With one swift motion he had everything off of me and on the ground. I stood there naked for him to admire.

  Matthew’s eyes lit up as he searched every inch of my bare skin. I could see his body bulging in his pants and I wanted to pull him out and play with him. I resisted though, I was getting so much good information from Matthew that I didn’t want to give in too quickly.

  “I’ll come back and sit on your lap if you tell me who these friends of your fathers are,” I said sweetly as I looked down at him.

  Matthew unzipped his pants and pressed them down to the ground. His body exploded from them and stood at attention as his gaze begged for me to slide on top of him. But I wasn’t giving in. I wanted to know everything. For me to move forward with our life together I needed to know it all.

  “After my father died, they came to me and said they would help me get elected. I trusted them. That reporter is the son of one of my father’s friends. I do business with him when I need dirt published etc.”

  “Matthew you and I both know that the President was murdered so you could take his spot. Tell me the truth.”

  His smile turned much more mischievous as he looked up at him. There was a recognition in his eyes that I was telling the truth, but I knew he wasn’t going to admit to it.

  “They are very over jealous about wanting me in the white house. I suspected they had a plan a long time ago, but after the accident with the Vice President, I didn’t think they would go through with it.”

  “What accident?”

  “Get on,” Matthew said as he grabbed me by the hips and pulled me onto his lap.

  I slid him inside of me as my body adjusted to his large size, but I did not move my hips. It took ever last bit of self-control I had inside of me not to let my body enjoy the pleasure of moving on top of Matthew.

  “The Vice President, that was an accident. Everything started to happen much quicker than I even knew what was going on. I tried to meet with the reporter friend of mine, you saw him leaving the apartment I believe. But he didn’t know what his father and the others were doing. Everything was out of control.”

  “Matthew the investigation, what are they going to find out? What will come back on us?”

  “Nothing, there is no evidence. I wasn’t there. I didn’t have any control over the events. It wasn’t me, it was my father’s pack that controlled everything.”

  His hands grabbed my hips tightly and started to thrust my body against him as he finished admitting to what had been going on. My mind spun with all the details of the last few months and I struggled to get the timeline straight in my mind. But one thing I knew for sure, Matthew had some really powerful people that wanted him in office.

  “Who are these friends of your fathers?” I said as I tried to catch my breath.

  “Shhh, we can talk later.”

  “Now Matthew, tell me now.”

  “No names, but I’ll tell you that they run some really big money businesses. They have special interests in what goes on in Washington and want some
one in power that they can control.”

  My body was giving in to the pleasure that was going on between the two of us and I could hardly concentrate as I tried to think about who these men might be.

  “Oil?” I said through a moan.

  “Yes.”

  “Cigarettes?”

  “Yes.”

  “Who else?”

  “The securities industry. Now that’s enough. Let me have you now.”

  “You are having me,” I whispered as I wrapped my arms around his neck.

  Matthew stood up and carried me over to the bed where he laid me down and climbed on top of me. I spread my legs and pulled his body next to mine as this thrusts started harder and harder.

  “Is that it? So these guys own you now. You’re their bitch and you’re going to vote however they want you to?”

  I couldn’t help my language. Matthew didn’t seem like the kind of guy who would go along with some bullies who wanted their own way in Washington. He didn’t promise things to other Senators when he was whipping votes, I didn’t understand why he would let these special interest bullies push him around.

  “Oh, I’m still going to do whatever the fuck I want to. It’s going to piss them off like all holy hell.”

  His voice was low and demanding as he spoke while he thrust inside of me. It was all starting to make sense to me. Matthew knew those special interest guys were crazy to get someone into office that they could control. He probably started off going with their plan without thinking they would go through with it, but when things started to happen and people started to die; Matthew was in too deep.

  “So will they kill you when you don’t go along with things?” I said with genuine concern.

  “No, I know how to play my cards darling. Don’t you worry about me or you. I will have them eating out of the palm of my hand in no time. This office is mine now and I can do so much harm to them if I wanted to, but I can also make promises to drag things out. I’ll keep them right where we need them.”

  His pelvis moved firmly into me and I closed my eyes as my body finally gave into him and I released in total orgasm. Oh how my body and his worked so well together. It was a perfect combination of chemistry, lust and love.

  “Matthew, I’m afraid the investigators are going to find something out. This could all be a disaster,” I said as he moved to lay next to me.

  “Kayla, look at me right now,” Matthew said as he leaned up on his elbow and looked me right in the eyes. “I will always keep you safe. You can one hundred percent trust that. We are a team. You know it all now and we are going to make it through this just fine.”

  His lips kissed me gently as I tried to believe what he was saying. It was hard though, there had been so many lies, so many things I hadn’t known. How could I trust him? Would I ever be able to trust him?

  “Matthew I want to trust you, I really do,” I said as I looked away.

  “What will it take?”

  I thought about it for a minute as I tried to think about what it would really take for me to believe everything that Matthew was saying. Then I knew the answer. I knew the one person who I really did trust and I knew that he would tell me the truth no matter what.

  “I want to talk to Raymond,” I said firmly.

  “My driver?” Matthew sounded amused by my request.

  “Yes, I want to talk to him right now. No calling him and warning him what I’m going to ask. I want us to go meet with him right now.”

  “Should we get dressed first? Or just invite him to share the bed,” Matthew teased.

  “We can go to him,” I laughed.

  Matthew grabbed his phone and right in front of me he text Raymond that we would meet him at the bar around the corner. It was the perfect place to meet him because our secret service detail wouldn’t be able to hear our conversation over the noise in the bar.

  We both got up and got dressed quickly as I kept my eye on Matthew to see if he was going to send any secret messages to Raymond. I wanted to talk to him without Matthew prepping him for what I was going to ask.

  When we arrived at the bar the two secret service officers quickly found their places so they were close enough to watch us yet far enough that we were sure they couldn’t hear us. Raymond walked it with a look of trepidation on his face as he shook hands with Matthew.

  “Hey guys, what’s going on?” Raymond said.

  “Not much. Kayla and I were just talking about trust issues and she had some questions that she wanted to talk to you about.”

  The look of fear that flashed across Raymond’s face was so obvious that even Matthew had to laugh. Certainly Raymond had been sworn to secrecy over the years and had done a very good job of keeping that promise to Matthew. I doubted I was going to get to hear too many dirty details but I was impressed that Matthew had agreed to let me meet with Raymond.

  “Don’t worry Raymond. I’m confident that Kayla can handle any of the answers you give her,” Matthew said as he stood up. “Be truthful with her. I mean one hundred percent. She’s my new partner and we are about to take over the world together,” Matthew said as he kissed me and then started to walk away.

  “You’re leaving?” I asked.

  “Yes. I want you to feel free to ask him anything.”

  Raymond and I both sat in shock as Matthew walked away and left the two of us there to talk. I knew Raymond was wondering the same thing I was; did Matthew really just leave the two of us together with his permission to talk about things.

  “I’m kind of surprised he left us alone,” I said as I leaned in to talk to Raymond.

  “So what would you like to ask?”

  I had to think about it. I really hadn’t expected to be left alone with Raymond so the questions I had originally wanted to ask were a little sugar coated. For a moment I thought about what was really important to me and what I really wanted to know.

  “Did Matthew have you follow me?” I asked.

  “When?”

  “I don’t know. Anytime.”

  “Yes. Right after he met you he started wanted more information on you. I think you fascinated him when you arrived in Washington.”

  “Did you break into my apartment?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why? Matthew wanted to see where you lived before he came over. He was looking at getting you an apartment of your own almost from the first moment he met you.”

  “Does Matthew have sex with other women?”

  I couldn’t stop my questions from being personal. If Raymond was going to answer everything I asked him, I had so many questions that had haunted me throughout the time that Matthew and I had dated.

  “No.”

  “Never?” I asked in surprise.

  “Not that I know of. It’s my understanding since he and you met in Chicago he hasn’t been with another woman. Nor do I think he wanted to. He’s been enthralled with you Michaela.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He asked me if I thought you were too young for him. If he should steer clear of you,” Raymond said with a serious look on his face.

  “What did you say?”

  “Yes. I didn’t think it was a good idea for him to be with you at first. You were stubborn as hell and way too young for him.”

  Raymond’s words hit me like a punch to the gut. It was weird because Raymond wasn’t saying anything that I didn’t know already, but there was just something different about someone else pointing those things out to you.

  “Ouch.”

  “I changed my mind, if that makes you feel any better. I think you have made him a better person.”

  “Did Matthew murder that intern that worked for him? What happened with her?”

  There was a long pause and I felt Raymond trying to decide how he should answer. This was a big question that I had thought about constantly since I had first heard the rumor. It had always sat in the back of my mind and nagged at me. I didn’t want to think it was possible and maybe the friends of his father�
��s had been involved and not Matthew. All I knew was I wanted to know the truth.

  “The truth is I do think that Matthew being in her life caused her death, but not in the way that you are thinking. She was depressed and Matthew flirted with her. I think he liked all the attention she gave him and didn’t realize the depth of her admiration. If she had never started to work for him I do believe she would still be alive. But no, Matthew didn’t have anything to do with that. She was just a sad lost girl who took her own life.”

  “That’s horrible.”

  “But Matthew learned from it. That is why he worried so much about you at first. He didn’t want to break your heart. It wasn’t until you almost slept with Senator Masson that Matthew realized you were strong enough to be his equal.”

  The words came out of Raymond’s mouth like he knew absolutely everything about my life and what had happened since I had arrived in Washington. The fact that he knew what went on between George Masson and I was a little unsettling to me.

  “What else should I know?” I asked as I searched his eyes for answers.

  “Matthew loves you. No matter what is going on with politics and the chaos of his new position. I’ve known him for years and I know he would do anything for you.”

  “Thanks Raymond,” I said as I hugged him.

  “Matthew will do anything he has to in order to reach his political goals, but he’s loyal to those he loves. You will never have to worry, anything you want that man will make it happen for you.”

  “Thanks again Raymond. I’m sorry for dragging you out here.”

  Matthew stood in the distance and I motioned for him to come back over. I didn’t have anymore questions. Between what Matthew had admitted to and what Raymond had told me I felt like I knew the true Matthew Storm. Sure he wasn’t perfect, but who the hell is. I knew enough that we could move forward with our life together.

  “Well I told her all about that threesome between you, JLo and Madeline Albright; sorry you said I could tell her everything,” Raymond joked as he and Matthew shook hands.

  ***

  “Grab the mail,” I yelled out the front door as Matthew’s vehicle pulled into the drive.