Seduced By The Candidate (The Candidate, #1)

by Beth Klein

  Jake grinned at him, “I’ll wait outside the door Bill. Looking after your ass is in my job description...wiping it aint!”

  Although he appreciated the candor, Goulding needed to be alone and he desperately wanted to hold on to the image of Charlotte that had so turned him on. He left Jake trailing in his wake and pushed open the door to the men’s restroom. The big man’s presence was something of a distraction, but the fact that he would stop anyone else entering the bathroom until he had finished was reassuring. As quickly as he could, Goulding hung his jacket on the cubicle door hook, dropped his suit pants and pulled down his boxers. As he lowered himself onto the cold, hard seat, he already had an impressive erection.

  Taking a firm grip of the engorged flesh, he began to rub himself, slowly at first and then picking up speed while his fantasy began to develop and take shape. He pictured himself surprising Charlotte from behind and wrapping his hands around her waist, before running them down across her hips and ass, then further still to her thighs. At first, she had stiffened and seemed reluctant, but by the time Goulding’s hands were kneading her buttocks, he felt her back arch as she pushed herself back against him. Her head lay across his right shoulder and her graceful neck only inches from his mouth. He paused for a minute to inhale the intoxicating fragrance of her skin and perfume and lowered his mouth to kiss the smooth skin. Electricity seemed to crackle between them and his lips tingled with the sensation. He moved his lips up to her earlobe and began to suck and nibble at it gently.

  Charlotte groaned and pushed her hips back into his crotch, feeling his erection press against her and delighting in the fact that baring a few layers of clothing, he would have been pushing himself into her. Goulding gently cupped her chin with one hand and used the other to pull up the hem of her skirt, exposing the stocking tops and making him gasp at the realization. The questing hand ran across the course fabric of the nylon, onto smooth, flawless skin and back again, before moving higher and snagging in the delicate material of her panties. Just a thin string of cotton and lace concealed her modesty and it was a maddening barrier for something so inconsequential.

  By now, Goulding was pumping hard and he was so lost in his imaginations that he no longer cared who might interrupt him. He coughed, hoarse with emotion and imagined himself yanking the panties aside and roughly forcing Charlotte’s legs apart to allow him unobstructed access. He pushed his fingers deep inside her, delighting at the feel of the warm, wetness that greeted him, such a contrast to the cool smoothness of her thighs and buttocks.

  Goulding knew that both the fantasy him and the real life him were getting perilously close to the edge and he had no intention of relinquishing this exquisite daydream without seeing it through. With that in mind, he imagined himself withdrawing his fingers and pushing Charlotte forward until she bent over a convenient desktop. The sight of her white buttocks pointing up at him and the hidden delight that rested between them nearly finished him then and there, but he stilled his hand for a few seconds, gathered his reserves and prepared himself for the climax. In his fantasy, Goulding dropped his trousers and boxers around his ankles and shuffled forward until he held Charlotte’s hip with one hand and his heaving cock with the other.

  “Fuck me Senator. Fuck me now. I want to feel you inside me, I want to feel your balls slapping against my thighs and I want to ache for days because of the rough fucking you’re going to give me.”

  The filthy words coming from the seemingly innocent, angelic young mouth proved to be too much for fantasy Goulding’s restraint and needing no further encouragement, he thrust his hips forward and slipped deep into the waiting wetness.

  Putting everything he had into it, Goulding thrust and pounded Charlotte, making her moan and scream with pleasure. She used the purchase she had on the desk to push herself back to meet his thrusts and the force was enough to create an audible slap of flesh on flesh.

  “I’m cumming Senator,” cried Charlotte. “I’m going to cum all over your cock and balls, leaving you slick and shiny.”

  This was simply too much for both Gouldings and with a final thrust, both men came hard. One roared with animal ferocity, the other tried desperately to stifle his cries and remain as discrete as possible.

  * * *

  Goulding cleaned himself up and waited for his erection to wilt before he could pull up his boxer shorts. He marveled at the effect that this plain, demure young woman was having on him. He knew that he had always been turned on by the ‘sexy secretary’ look and women that were subservient to him, but this was ridiculous. He had barely known Charlotte for a week and yet she had entranced him completely. He hadn’t had an orgasm that powerful since...his thought trailed out. Since when?

  Since Madeline that’s when. Alarm bells were ringing in his head and he hastily dressed and arranged himself.

  “Shit! This is an all too familiar fucking path I’m treading,” thought Goulding. “I don’t want to get caught up in this shit again. Once was enough and I doubt I’d be that lucky a second time. Best to leave the Turner girl alone and keep things strictly professional.” He washed his hands and tried desperately to believe in the decision that he had arrived at, but a deeply hidden part of him knew it was probably already too late.

  * * *

  The rest of the day passed by in much the same way that so many others had. People cheered. Organized officials groveled and fawned. He smiled and charmed and all the while, the political bandwagon had trundled endlessly forward. Goulding had initially been too embarrassed to meet Charlotte’s eye, let alone talk to her as memories of their fantasy impropriety remained fresh in his mind, but that hadn’t lasted long. Since Jake had joined the team, Goulding had become painfully aware that he was surrounded by sycophantic lackeys that saw him as a career enhancing, business proposition and nothing more. He was their cash cow to facilitate better things and their friendship and allegiances were as fragile and fleeting as his popularity and position.

  Other than Jake, Goulding had no real friends and that thought had depressed him. His mood had further darkened when he realized that Jake was now an employee and that until recently he hadn’t seen him for nearly a decade. Just how strong could a friendship be under those kinds of circumstances? For far too long, Goulding had shouldered his fears and responsibilities all by himself and now he realized that he needed an ally if he was to manage everything that was being thrown at him.

  Obviously, the natural choice was Jake, but the big man was simply too busy to give Goulding the attention he needed. It wasn’t that he didn’t care, he was just too focused and professional to let his guard down for a second. He took the security detail very seriously and would not be distracted from his duties, even by his friend and employer.

  Solace had come in the form of a much more unexpected person, but very welcome nonetheless. Charlotte had emerged as something of a bastion of calm retreat amongst the madness of the daily grind. Whenever Goulding had tired of the endless shit storm that John Lyndsey had orchestrated for him, Charlotte had availed herself to him.

  She had proven to be the voice of reason whenever he found himself lacking purpose or conviction. She had been the reassuring influence he needed to re-group and re-focus on the task at hand. She even offered a humorous, light distraction from the serious nature of political posturing.

  Charlotte had been more than a little surprised that her boss had sought her out and, at first, she had been a little reserved due to her position and natural inclination towards restraint and retreat. Her inexperience meant that her trepidation had remained. Although, as time passed and the frequency of Goulding’s interactions increased, she became more and more at ease with the situation.

  Without consciously realizing it, the boundary between professional courtesy and friendly companionship had begun to blur and she found that she was actually beginning to enjoy the one-on-one conversations. More than that, she was actually yearning expectantly for the next time that he would seek her out.

 
; What had she secretly hoped for? She had kid herself that her increased attention to her personal appearance had been purely down to the road trip and the presence of an expectant public. In reality, she knew that it had been intended solely to get a response from Goulding.

  She found herself desperate for his attention and acceptance. As naive as she was at reading men, she couldn’t help but notice the way his eyes constantly flicked away from her face to explore the rest of her body whenever they were face-to-face. Whenever they were alone, she felt flushed with desire and expectation that he might decide to push for a relationship that was far from being strictly professional and whenever they were apart, she prickled with the anticipation of their next meeting.

  What was happening to her? She had never felt like this before about a man, especially one as arrogant and offensive as Goulding, but she burned with a desire to be kissed, to be touched and even to be, dare she think it? Taken. She was terrified by the prospect. While the rational part of her mind told her that it was stupid, the frivolous, wild side of her desired nothing more than to give it to him completely and to be used in whatever base way he saw fit.

  Charlotte had seen him looking at her out of the corner of her eye while she dealt with the countless questions and demands from the people at Memphian Industries, but she had discounted her sudden excitement as the imaginings of a silly young girl. Although her rational consciousness had buried the feelings deep within her, she hadn’t forgotten them and when they had moved on to visit the local community center and she had seen him watching her again, they had been fanned back into life by a fluttering heart and a racing pulse.

  Twice he had escaped his obligations and sought out five minutes quiet refuge with her and each time it had been wonderfully informal and unexpected. Now she could see him working his way towards her again. He was tlushed with success and at the same time, clouded by the weight of expectation.

  “Senator...Bill,” she sputtered. “Is everything going okay?”

  “Not really Charlotte. What John doesn’t realize is that there is only one of me and when everyone wants a piece, it doesn’t leave me with a great deal left over!”

  “I’m sorry, Bill. It must be hard being forced to run such a transparent campaign and give yourself fully to the public.” She fidgeted with her pen nervously. What was wrong with her? Why did she find herself craving any bit of attention Bill Goulding gave her?

  “It can be, Charlotte. As much as I want to be the people’s President, I still want to retain a private part of myself.”

  “That’s all anyone can ask. No one should be forced to reveal their private parts to anyone that really has no business seeing them.”

  Instantly she colored, the saucy implications of her innocuous words registering. “Oh my God! What have I said? I-I...I didn’t mean that...I...I didn’t mean...I...” She shut her mouth before she made things worse.

  “That’s okay Charlotte,” said Goulding, his eyes gleaming and his face lit up with an amused smile. “I have very nice private parts, but I would rather that they were only seen by someone who would really appreciate them!”

  Charlotte flushed deeply, burning with the embarrassment of her faux pas and scarcely able to look Goulding in the eye. Part of her wished that the floor would open up and swallow her immediately. Another part recalled the look in Goulding’s eyes as she had turned away. It had been full of fun, but also something else, perhaps a look of wanton yearning. Surely not, but she couldn’t be sure. It could have meant anything.

  * * *

  Having wrapped up the visit to the community center, the party moved on to its final destination for the day; a visit with the local Evangelist movement and an evening meal in his honor. Goulding was tired and his perfectly cultivated demeanor was becoming more and more tested with the constant demands of his expectant audience. Still, this was the real reason for this whole visit and he had no intention of going through the enforced hardships of the Memphian Industries office complex and the Elvis Presley community center to fall at the final hurdle.

  As any Republican knows, win the Evangelists and you’ve won ninety percent of the battle. It was unprecedented for an organization so hugely averse to sex before marriage to nail its colors to the flag of a young, unmarried Presidential candidate and yet they had. His sincere approach, strong values and charismatic appeal had won them over.

  This was very much John Lyndsey’s finest achievement. Everyone else had told him that it couldn’t be done. John had merely said that it would be hard, but nothing was impossible. They had spent many long hours discussing the situation and strategizing about how it could be turned to their advantage and all of their diligent planning had eventually paid off.

  Baring an outrageous stroke of bad luck, or revelations that no one, no matter how good they were could swing in his favor, they were his and tonight’s speech would merely serve to cement the deal. Bill Goulding would be the first single President of modern times and he had no intention of achieving it quietly, with a closely fought out and tentative campaign. He intended to do it with no small amount of panache and acclaim.

  He would wow and amaze his adoring followers and leave them with absolutely no doubt that he was not only the right person to represent them, but that he was the right man to lead the most powerful nation in the world. Bill Goulding was good for America and after tonight, even the swing nations would have no doubt of that fact.

  Television cameras would convey his message not only to the country, but thanks to modern broadcasting it would reach every corner of the globe. By tomorrow morning he would grace the front page of every major newspaper on the planet. The thought sent shivers down his spine and for the first time that day he smiled, completely unprompted by camera crews.

  Jake Armstrong never took his eyes off Goulding as they filed into the big hall and the formal handshakes and grateful acknowledgements began in earnest. He was also tired and his head throbbed from the hours spent in unbroken focus and concentration, but he knew that this would be his biggest test. A huge, open hall with several exits, even more windows, and hundreds of people milling around, desperate to get close enough to shake Goulding’s hand.

  Or plunge a knife into his chest.

  Or pull out a gun and open fire.

  He shook the weariness from his head. The possibilities for a covert attack were seemingly endless and he only had himself to rely on if things turned nasty. This was an unacceptable risk in his opinion and he would never have allowed such a rash choice of venue had he been in charge of the detail at the time it was organized.

  One thing was for sure, he would never permit Goulding to be placed in such un-protected surrounds again. If he could just get through tonight, he could breathe easy once again. Focus, commitment and proximity were all he could fall back on tonight and he would make sure that he was never more than a few meters away from Goulding while he was here, in case he needed to… What was the best word? Intervene.

  Jake thought for a minute. Would he really take a bullet for this man? Bill Goulding was a good man, a great soldier and a loyal friend, but that had been a long time ago and now he was merely his employer. No, that wasn’t fair. Bill was his boss. The position did come with a remit to use ultimate force and protection, but no man would die for something unless he truly believed in it.

  They hadn’t spoken for nearly ten years, but he had seen in Bill’s eyes that the pain and desire to make amends had never left him. He had also offered Jake a lifeline when even his country had turned its back on him and Jake would never forget that. Bill the Senator wasn’t worth dying for. However, Bill the man and Bill the friend, they certainly were and he would stand by that assertion no matter what.

  When they finally reached the head table, Goulding settled himself into the seat. Jake stood three paces behind him maintaining a respectful distance. Though he was close enough to see and overhear everything that transpired. To all intents and purposes, he appeared to be standing at ease, with h
is massive arms crossed behind his back and his feet the regulation shoulder width apart. What no one could see was that his right hand rested on the butt of the semi-automatic Glock pistol secured at the small of his back. He had another in a shoulder holster that was hidden from sight beneath his formal dress jacket as well as an eight-inch hunting knife in a sheath strapped to his calf and although he might have appeared to be better prepared that John Rambo, he still considered himself to be under-protected and exposed.

  Standing perfectly still apart from his constantly darting eyes, Jake watched as his boss ate, laughed, joked and listened intently to his excited host. Jake silently praised the police presence that remained vigilant at the various entrances, wondering if he might not find the supporting members of his team amongst their ranks. After all, a cop’s salary was pretty fucking modest and if they would show as much dedication and professionalism when being paid peanuts, imagine what they might do for double or triple that amount. He made a mental note to get their names and contact details when he returned to the office. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the waiting staff remove the empty dessert plates.

  “Not long to go now,” he thought to himself. “The meals over and it’s just the speech to go.”

  Goulding drained another glass of wine and instantly, the waiter poured him a refill. Jake tried to recall how much his boss consumed during the meal and thought it might have been three or four glasses. In itself that wasn’t extreme by anyone’s standards, but Jake considered that it to be strange for Goulding. When he had been in the army, Goulding had regularly drink three and four times that amount and they had spent many evenings drunkenly weaving back to base, desperately trying to avoid bumping into any overzealous MP’s that would have been only too happy to bang them up on a case of drunk and disorderly conduct. All of that had changed, however, ever since Goulding had recovered from his injury and cleaned himself up, Jake knew that he had been practically a teetotaler. Still, he didn’t look like it was affecting him too much. He was a little flushed and if you really concentrated on what he was saying you could detect the slightest slurring of some of his words, but in the main he appeared to be fine.