The Gentlewoman

by Lisa Durkin

  “I just don’t want to make you uncomfortable or anything.” He rubbed her cheek with his thumb.

  “Don’t worry about me, I’m quite enjoying myself. But you may want to watch it, I’m starting to worry about your ticker. You’re not as young as you used to be, you know.” She smiled wickedly.

  “Oh you little shit.” He grabbed her middle and tickled her hard. She giggled and squirmed, pushing against his hard chest, but he held her trapped. “I’m not an old man yet, Rory Morgan, and my ticker is just fine. Keep it up and I’m going to spank your ass red.”

  “Ohhhh, I’d like to see you try!” She fought his tickling hands. “I think I can run faster than you. I don’t think you’d be able to catch me.”

  “Let’s see.” He reared back and flipped her over. She screamed in surprise as he gave her three firm slaps on her rear.

  “Ouch, that stings!” she said, playfully affronted.

  “Keep it up and I’ll whack your ass all morning. Look, I’m already hard again.”

  “Ah, I may like this then,” she said sensually raising her ass off the bed to tease him.

  He smoothed his hand over her round bottom and squeezed. “Be careful, I’m an ass man, remember?”

  She rubbed against him. “I do remember. I was thinking you might show me what you like about that.” She was curious and naughty and he loved it.

  “Oh baby.” He couldn’t remember ever being this turned on. The suggestion that Rory might let him take her ass was blowing his mind and fueling his intense arousal again.

  She turned in his arms. “You’ll have to show me,” she murmured as his lips came down on hers. She reached down and grasped his erection, pumping it gently as he moved between her legs again.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Friday afternoon Rory sat with Nicole in her office and ran down the details of the coming week. It would be a busy one, a couple of luncheons, several committee meetings and evening events to attend. She checked to make sure her calendar was accurate. She felt more confident now that she had everything lined up for the shipyard vote and she wouldn’t have to spend the next week chasing that down.

  Nicole broke into a huge grin for the hundredth time. “Honestly, Nicole, come on.” Rory rolled her eyes, smiling back at her.

  “I’m sorry, I’m just so excited for you!” Nicole had been having a very hard time containing her joy over Rory’s date for the state dinner. “Aren’t you excited?”

  “Of course I’m excited.” Rory beamed back at her. “I just have a better poker face than you do.”

  “It’s so romantic, Ror. He bought you the dress, he’s taking you to the White House, it’s like being Cinderella!”

  “Now there’s somebody I really compare to.”

  “I want to hear every last detail on Sunday. As a matter of fact, bring Jackson. Landon’s going out of town, so he won’t be there.”

  “How do you know that?” She still hadn’t touched base with Landon since their lunch the week before. She hadn’t returned his call from Monday, and he hadn’t tried her again. She wondered which one of them was acting more childish.

  “He told me on Monday when he called here. You didn’t know? He’s going home for a couple days with Rita, said they had some stuff to take care of.”

  “No, I haven’t talked to him.” She still felt as if something was off. That awkwardness with Roy Charles in Congressman Duncan’s office still wasn’t sitting well with her either, and she knew Landon and Roy were tight.

  “So you’ll bring Jackson to Sunday dinner? It’ll be nice. And I promise we’ll be good hosts.”

  Rory eyed her apprehensively. “You won’t ask his dick size?”

  “Cross my heart.” She crossed her heart with two fingers smiling broadly. “I’ll be on my best behavior.”

  “I’ll ask him if he’d like to come then.”

  “Does he ask you if you’d like to come?”

  “Nicole Dailey!” she admonished.

  Rory peered apprehensively at the spa door from the passenger seat of Jackson’s BMW. They had enjoyed a wonderful morning. They had woken early and gone for a run, followed by Jackson’s famous French toast, another self-declared dish. Afterward he had surprised her with the news that they would be spending the rest of the weekend at the InterContinental Hotel, a stone’s throw from the White House and very swanky.

  They settled into the huge honeymoon suite. Rory couldn’t believe Jackson had gone to so much trouble and expense, and told him so. He laughed and told her he’d check with his accountants to make certain he could take the hit.

  The promised itinerary had been produced and her jaw hit the floor. First they enjoyed lunch served in the suite, a feast of lobster tail and petite filet mignon. It was delicious and Rory indulged in the chilled champagne. She ate lightly, not wanting to be too full, remembering her formfitting dress. She didn’t want to disappoint the somewhat scary Gretta, who was scheduled to be there with the couture twins to dress her.

  But before she was to dress, Jackson had booked her into the spa she was now staring at for a mani-pedi and an hour Swedish massage. Rory had enjoyed manicures and pedicures before, but she had never had anything more than a quick chair massage, forced upon her by her secretary at City Hall during an employee wellness fair. Honestly, she just wasn’t that big a fan of being touched, unless there was a happy ending involved.

  “Go on, they’re expecting you,” Jackson urged as Rory looked back at him uncertainly. He sighed and shook his head, putting the car in park and racing to open her door. “In you go,” he said, taking her by the upper arm.

  There was a pretty blonde at the front desk. “Rory Morgan,” Jackson announced, and as Rory turned back to mutter second thoughts, he raced back through the door, leaving her stranded. Sneaky bastard.

  There was a natural motif with stone, rough wood décor and a waterfall running into a pond in the middle of the cavernous spa. The walls and floor were granite gray. She could see people on one side sitting with technicians while others were in the large waiting area. Everybody was wearing white robes and paper flip-flops.

  “Good afternoon, Miss Morgan, please follow me to the changing room.” The blonde led the way behind the massive counter. Rory dutifully followed and was shown to a room where she stripped, secured her things in a locker and donned the mandated robe and paper flip-flops. Scenes from the movie Silkwood raced through her head and she wondered if she would next be led to the high-powered shower and scrubbed down. She snickered at her acerbic nature and pledged that for Jackson’s sake she would try to enjoy herself.

  Another blonde led her through a private door and down a long quiet corridor to an interior waiting room. It was very dark and the walls were painted a very heavy navy blue. The black furniture was soft and low to the ground with a lot of fuzzy throw pillows. The requisite water feature was situated in one corner and there was low lighting and faint, slow classical music. She noticed magazines on the low coffee table and grabbed a Smithsonian. She huddled under the lamp on the end table to no avail. The Buddha-type lamps didn’t throw off enough illumination to read by and Rory questioned the decision to offer reading material in this dark room.

  A third blonde appeared in the doorway. “Rory?” she asked in a quiet manner.

  “Yes.”

  “Hello, I’m Dalleen,” she said slowly and quietly. “Please follow me,” she offered with a calm smile and serene manner of movement. If Rory didn’t know better, she’d think somebody had been burning something other than incense. But as Dalleen turned and smiled sweetly, Rory reminded herself to go with this and try to enjoy Jackson’s generosity.

  Dalleen gave Rory a few moments to disrobe and arrange herself under the sheet on the massage table. Once she was flat and face down, the masseuse entered. She oiled her hands and as she started to massage Rory’s body, relaxation set in. After a few moments, Rory knew why millions of people weren’t wrong about full-body Swedish massage. What a gift. She really should b
e more grateful to Jackson. She began to think of ways that she could repay him for his kindness.

  Two hours later, Jackson stepped into the spa. She rose from her chair in the waiting room, feeling relaxed and boneless, and put her arms around his waist. She smiled up at him as he looked into her eyes.

  “Did you enjoy yourself, baby?”

  “I did.” She beamed as Jackson signed the bill. “Look.” She held her hands out to show him her French manicure.

  “Pretty.” He smiled widely, taking both her hands and kissing them before walking her out to the car.

  Rory turned to him. “Wait,” she said as he started the engine. She leaned over and placed her hand on his cheek. “Thank you for that. Thank you for all of this. It’s very sweet that you’re doing this for me.”

  Jackson smiled and leaned forward to capture her lips. “It’s my pleasure, believe me. Now let’s get you back. You’re not done yet.”

  Ah yes. Hair and makeup were also on the itinerary and would be done before the Olsen twins came to dress her.

  As she gazed into the full-length mirror, the door behind her opened and Jackson walked in. Her breath caught at the sight of him in his tuxedo. He was drop-dead gorgeous. He’d had his hair trimmed while she was at the spa, and it was dark and shiny under the lights in the bedroom. His blue eyes gazed at her. Although he had shaved, he still had the requisite dark stubble on his face. He looked so sexy, so tall and the tuxedo accentuated his nice build. Rory felt lucky to have the attention of this beautiful man. Ironically, she remembered long ago dreaming of having a man such as this as a husband. He was a physical ideal, and his kind and generous spirit was equally as attractive. It made him hard to resist.

  Jackson couldn’t take his eyes off Rory. As she turned to face him, he gasped at the way the dress hugged her full breasts and showed off the sexy peaks and valleys. She felt slightly exposed.

  “Rory, you look absolutely beautiful. I’m speechless.” His eyes roved her body. “I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep my hands in appropriate places.”

  Rory beamed up at him, eyes sparkling. “Right back at you.”

  “I have something for you. I think it will accentuate this sexy dress. Not that you need it; you already look perfect.” He opened a box to reveal a stunning necklace of emeralds, each round stone surrounded by diamonds, and matching earrings. Jackson took the necklace out and Rory turned so he could fasten it around her neck.

  “You didn’t buy these, did you?” Rory asked, shocked at the opulence of the jewels. She had never seen anything so exquisite.

  Jackson chuckled. “No, I didn’t think you’d appreciate me spending three hundred thousand for these.” Rory gasped and touched the jewels tentatively. “They’re on loan from a jewelry store. We’ll return them Monday. I wanted you to have something special to wear tonight,” he whispered as he kissed her ear.

  Rory turned and studied his face. This all seemed outside the order of his usual “friends with benefits”. It gave her pause. She had been ignoring the realization of how much time they were spending together, how invested they were becoming in each other in such a short time. It scared her to think that she might be developing feelings for him. Everything felt good with him, comfortable, and he inspired the most exciting happiness she had ever known. He was plugging that hole in her heart and it both frightened and excited her.

  “What?” Jackson asked as he stared into her eyes, holding her tightly against him.

  “Are you so romantic with all the ladies, Jackson?”

  “No,” he stated emphatically. “Romance hasn’t been something I’ve done for over ten years.”

  She smiled, resigned, as she spread her palm on his lapel. “Yes, friends and sexual partners, I remember.”

  Jackson grabbed her hand in his, jerking her tighter against his chest.

  “Until now,” he stated, staring into her eyes.

  “Now?”

  “Yes now, with you. You are more than just a friend or sexual partner, much more, Rory.” He searched her face.

  Rory was frozen by his candid admission. She wanted to embrace him and lavish him with heartfelt confessions of her own, but panic was her overriding feeling. The familiar metallic taste of fear made her swallow hard and she struggled to respond. She didn’t want to lose this moment because of her inability to deal with it, but she was also terrified to let him so far in.

  She opened her mouth to try to offer him some of the sweetness he was giving her. “I…oh God.” She pulled back and looked down in shame.

  “It’s okay,” he said, stepping closer to her again, not letting her escape. “I didn’t mean to push you. I do understand your apprehension. It’s been awhile since I’ve had these feelings.” He gently reached for her and lightly kissed her on the lips, trying not to ruin her lipstick.

  She cursed herself. She was tired of fear and living half a life. Devon and Nicole were right; it was time to move on, away from shame and betrayal and into whatever this was with Jackson. He made her feel whole again, not sad anymore. He made her live life and live it less afraid. She swallowed hard and steeled her spine. She needed to reciprocate. She needed to tell this lovely man that he mattered to her.

  She cupped his cheek and stared into his eyes. “Jackson, I want…I want you to know, I do have feelings for you.”

  A smile spread across his beautiful features. “You do?” he whispered, hugging her body tightly to his. “Oh baby, that makes me very happy.”

  “You look beautiful, are you ready?” Jackson kissed her hand as he exited the limo. Excitement rushed through her as she stepped into the North Portico entrance of the White House. They were ushered through the door and up the red carpeted steps. After checking their coats, they were led into the Yellow Oval Room for the cocktail hour. The White House was as lovely as Rory imagined it, and exactly as stately as it appeared on television. There were ornate floral arrangements, and honor guards and color guards in full dress uniform lined the rooms. It was all very official, right down to the order of events.

  The informal reception was first. The room was bursting at the seams, so many tuxedos and ball gowns of every color. Rory could see a few people she recognized from the news, mostly ambassadors and diplomats, members of the president’s cabinet. She even saw a couple of well-known actors. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as Jackson directed her with his hand at the small of her back.

  A waiter rushed forward with a large tray of champagne-filled glasses. Jackson took two, offering one to Rory. Men in tuxedos approached and greeted Jackson cheerfully, graciously making Rory’s acquaintance. One or two gave her a long look or raised an eyebrow, either at the tight dress or her party affiliation. It made no difference. Much small talk was made about several bills working through Congress, and those future items upcoming on agendas. She felt only slightly out of place as she noted the absence of her own party compatriots.

  After twenty minutes the announcement was made that the president and first lady were descending the grand staircase and guests should follow to the receiving line. There they would meet the Australian prime minister and the heads of state for whom the evening was in honor.

  As they left the Yellow Room, Jackson leaned over and whispered to Rory, “Get ready to have your photo taken.” Rory smiled at him, unconcerned with the cameras.

  The orchestration was incredible. The United States Marine Band played Hail to the Chief, followed by the Star Spangled Banner and what Rory surmised must be the Australian national anthem. On cue, guests were announced as they crossed the floor, posed for a quick photo op, and climbed the staircase to greet the president, first lady and their guests. It was all very pomp and circumstance and Rory was fascinated with the proceedings. Jackson seemed no stranger to the order.

  “How many of these have you been to?”

  He carefully tucked her hand into the crook of his arm while awaiting their names to be called. “Well, in the past five years….this would be my fourth.”r />
  Rory snorted. “It’s nice to be the majority, huh?”

  “It doesn’t suck, that’s for sure,” Jackson chuckled and pulled her closer, kissing the top of her head. “But this one is the best because I’m here with you,” he whispered in her ear. She beamed at him.

  “The Honorable Congressman Jackson P. Dorn of Maine and The Honorable Congresswoman Rory E. Morgan of Ohio,” the Chief of Protocol announced as they crossed the carpet, posed for their photograph and started up the stairs. Rory concentrated on each step, so as not to fall and embarrass Jackson, herself or her great state. He held her hand through the entire walk, and as they cleared the top of the steps, led her to the president and first lady. Rory was excited and nervous.

  Jackson shook hands with the president with ease, as if he’d known him all his life. And, as Rory thought about it, perhaps he had. A Dorn had served in almost every Congress. One had even signed the Declaration of Independence.

  “Mr. President, may I introduce my date, Congresswoman Rory Morgan.” Rory stepped up to shake the president’s hand. He eyed her playfully, squeezing her hand in his.

  “Sir, it’s an honor to meet you,” she stated, smiling genuinely.

  “Congresswoman Morgan, I had heard of your appointment, congratulations and welcome to Washington. I’m sure your friends and family in Ohio are very proud to have you represent them here.” He was warm and open. She had thought she was a good politician, but of course, she had nothing on the president. She smiled at his knowledge of her appointment, but that was his job, to know the makeup of the legislature.

  “I have heard some great things about you, Congresswoman. I’m delighted to meet you. I have but one question; what the hell are you doing here with the likes of Dorn?” He laughed loudly at his own joke and slapped Jackson’s back hard. Rory was mesmerized when the first lady joined in.

  “Bill, leave them alone. Congresswoman, it’s a pleasure to meet you, I hope you’re enjoying yourself this evening.” First Lady Katherine Tuggle was equally as enchanting as her husband and shook Rory’s hand before lightly hugging Jackson. “Honestly,” she tutted toward her husband before Jackson and Rory were introduced to the Australian head of state.