by Nadia Aidan
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Adam fidgeted in his tuxedo while he waited for Lisa to come downstairs. He tugged at his bow tie trying to give himself some more space along the neck. He felt as if he was being strangled. He hated these things but resigned himself to the fact there was no way he could get out of wearing the dreaded monkey suits as long as he pursued a political career.
Sweat gathered on his brow and he swiped at it with his hand. What was taking Lisa so long? He frowned as he started to pace back and forth. He didn't want to admit it to himself but he was a little nervous about tonight and had been ever since lunchtime. No matter how many times he replayed the events in his head he still couldn't figure out where he'd gone wrong. At one moment he was helping her do up her zipper and in the next he was trying to think of ways to help her undo her zipper. He wanted to blame it on the dress, but he knew he'd be lying to himself. He'd been drawn to her in the tantalizing gown, but it really wasn't the dress—it was her. Standing in the small space of her bathroom, just him and her, and the scent of her arousal combined with her soft perfume had taken him back to the days when she would beckon him into her dressing room with just the quirk of a single finger and he would take her rough and hard against the wall, muffling her screams with his lips. He didn't know what had compelled him to stop but he was grateful nonetheless that he had. If he hadn't come to his senses he would have ended up fucking her against the bathroom sink, which would have been a disastrous mistake.
The sound of hushed footsteps came from the direction of the staircase and he glanced up to see Lisa float down the stairs. She took his breath away. Dressed in a strapless shimmering gown of gold satin she stood before him like a radiant goddess. His heart slammed in his chest. He'd liked the dress she'd tried on earlier, but this one was perfect. She radiated elegance and sensuality in the beautiful gown. In a word, she was gorgeous. He curled his hands into fists as nervous energy pulsed through him. How the hell was he going to make it through this night when all he could think about as she tiptoed down the stairs was what she looked like underneath the sparkling gown?
He schooled his features into a blank mask, doing his best not to give into the temptation to drag her into his arms when she sidled up next to him.
"You look nice,” he said politely, knowing it was a lie. She looked better than nice.
She offered him a hesitant smile. “Thank you. You, too."
"Ready?” he said, and offered her his elbow when she nodded.
He escorted her to the waiting limousine and helped her in.
The drive downtown to the Grand Hyatt didn't take long and within minutes they were pulling into the circular driveway of the upscale hotel. The entrance was bustling with people and he stopped to greet some of the guests that were still arriving.
With Lisa on his arm they made their way steadily through the throng of people until they got to the banquet hall.
Once inside, Adam effortlessly worked the room, stopping to talk with the guests who'd come in support of his campaign. For the most part, Lisa remained by his side, the epitome of grace and elegance as she joined in on many of the conversations.
The event sped by quickly and he found himself separated from Lisa when people got up after dinner to mingle.
As the evening drew to an end, many of the guests began to shuffle out of the room. Adam politely chatted with the former legal advisor to DC's City Council, Attorney Zachary Bolen, but his mind was elsewhere. Every now and then he glanced across the room to once again zero in on Lisa who now seemed to be standing even closer to John Hopkins surgeon, Marcus Robinson. He cast a furtive look at his watch and grimaced. They'd been glued at the hip for the past twenty minutes. When Marcus leaned into his wife, his face just inches from her exposed neck; he gave up any pretense of being polite.
He nodded to Attorney Bolen. “Would you excuse me?” He didn't even wait for his reply before tearing across the room. When the sensual lilt of her throaty laughter reached his ears, he quickened his steps.
"Good evening, Dr. Robinson,” he gritted out tightly as he came to stand beside Lisa. In a blatant gesture, he slid his arm around her waist, pulled her close and placed a quick peck against her soft lips.
"Are you ready to go?” he asked as he fixed his intent gaze on her upturned face. She stood there saying nothing with her eyes wide and mouth slightly agape, undoubtedly confused by the possessive streak that he'd just shown.
"I'm sure you're both tired, so I will say goodnight. Good luck in the race, Mayor."
Adam didn't even spare Marcus a glance. “Thank you. Good night,” he clipped out. And with his arm still draped around her waist, he gently but firmly ushered Lisa from the room. He only released his hold long enough to help her into the back of the limo and slide in beside her.
Once inside the dark confines of the car, he rounded on her.
"What the hell was that about?"
She met his gaze, her eyes wide. “What was what about?"
"You and Marcus. You were flirting with him."
She reared back, her expression full of shock. “No, I wasn't."
His nostrils flared in anger. “I saw you, Lisa. You were laughing and flirting with him for almost a half hour. If I hadn't come over there, you probably would have never left his side."
"That's ridiculous. You know Marcus is a longtime supporter of my charity Fostering Friends. We are business associates and friends with a mutual cause, nothing more."
He narrowed his eyes, studying her. Glimpsing the disbelief on her face, he slowly started to relax. When he'd first spotted her with Marcus he'd thought nothing of it, but as the minutes ticked by, having to watch their intimate familiarity while he stood across the room like an outsider had awakened the jealous beast inside him. He wasn't normally a jealous person, so he was shocked when the distinct emotion had whipped through him. He wanted to cross that room and fling the man aside by his collar. Regardless of the current state of their relationship, they were still married and that meant something to him. He hadn't touched another woman in their three-month separation and he didn't plan on it as long as he was still her husband.
"Yes, well I shouldn't have to remind you that your actions reflect back on me so they need to be above reproach."
"So, what? I can't talk to my friends now? Is Richard off limits too?” she said mockingly.
"This is not a joke, Lisa."
"I'm not trying to make it into one.” She stopped then and just stared at him. He felt like she was probing him with her gaze, trying to see straight to his soul. He jerked his head away to stare out the window. He didn't need her trying to psychoanalyze him.
"What is this really about, Adam?” she asked, softly. “Are you mad because seeing me with Marcus could damage your campaign or—?"
He spun his head around to face her. He knew where she was headed with this.
"Don't start this, Lisa,” he warned.
"You're jealous."
He feigned surprise, hating that she knew him so well. Still he refused to admit it.
"Why would I be jealous?"
"I don't know, but, Adam, you have no reason to be jealous. The only man I want is you,” she whispered.
He closed his eyes and forced the air out of his lungs through his nose. “Lisa, you have to stop doing this to yourself. Our marriage is over,” he said quietly.
He kept his eyes shut, unable to look her in the face when he said the words, knowing that her eyes would darken with sadness. He didn't need to open his eyes to know the moment she withdrew from him, because he felt it. He heard the soft rasp of her dress brush against the leather seat as she scooted toward her door, but that was nowhere near as loud as the sound of her withdrawing from him emotionally.
He wasn't a cruel person. Just because their marriage hadn't worked out didn't mean he had to be hateful toward her. He didn't want to hurt her unnecessarily. He just wanted her to accept that they didn't have a future together.
He snapped his eyes open when
the limo pulled to a stop. They were home. Like before, he got out first to help her out. But this time she ignored his hand to brush past him. He pressed his mouth into a tight frown as he followed after her.
He knew he'd hurt her. That wasn't his intent. He'd just been speaking the truth, but he'd still upset her. A raging tornado of emotions swirled around inside him. On one hand he still clung to his anger and bitterness toward her, but on the other, he still felt the overpowering need to protect her to the point he could not just simply ignore her when she was hurting.
He quickened his pace until he caught up to her just before she was about to slam her bedroom door. Clamping a hand around her arm, he pushed inside behind her and closed the door with his heel.
Spinning her around, he gripped her other arm with his hand so that she now faced him.
"Lisa, look at me,” he said when she kept her gaze fixed on the floor so that all he could see was the crown of her head.
He swore softly when she lifted her head. He wanted to close his eyes and shut out the sight of moisture swimming in the depths of her gaze, but he couldn't.
His hands tightened around her arms and he dragged her closer to him.
"Lisa, I'm sorry."
"Don't be. You were just telling the truth,” she said with a brittle smile. “You're right. It's time for me to accept that our marriage is really over.” A tear slid down her cheek and she lowered her head again. She twisted her body, trying to tug out of his grasp. “Can you just let go of me? I need to be alone,” she choked out.
A heavy weight settled in his chest and he felt as if a sharp knife had just twisted inside his gut. So many emotions fought for dominance inside him, but he didn't stop to sort them all out. Driven by some compulsion that would later leave him at a complete loss, he released her arms to cup her cheeks. With her face between his hands, he tilted her head back, forcing her watery eyes to meet his. Before he could stop and think about what he was doing, he lowered his head to kiss her tear-stained cheeks, swiping his tongue across her soft skin to taste her salty tears. She sighed and he shivered when her warm breath brushed against his face. Dragging his head lower, he hovered just above her mouth for a single moment before dipping to press his lips firmly against hers.
Hot shocks of lightning shot across his flesh the moment their lips touched. He groaned against her mouth, deepening the kiss when she parted her lips. He stroked his tongue inside her mouth, delighting in the sensual feel of her tongue dueling with his. Heat pooled in his belly and his cock twitched as it hardened, straining against the rough confines of his trousers.
He grasped the back of her head; tangling his hands in her silky hair at the same time he abruptly tore his mouth from her lips to trace a wet trail of kisses along the column of her throat.
"Adam,” she gasped, her body trembling in his arms as his fingers grasped the zipper of her dress and tugged it down. As soon as the satin length of the gown pooled at her feet, he stroked his hands along her bare stomach until he reached the lacy cups of her strapless bra.
With his face still buried against her neck, he pushed the garment down to cup her small breasts in his hands. She sucked in a sharp breath at the same time the air froze in his lungs as he stroked his thumbs across her hardened peaks.
His cock grew harder and he ached to ease her lithe body down to the floor, wrap her long legs around his neck and thrust home. He knew her silken sheath would grip him tightly while her molten juices coated him until his cock was drenched. He groaned as he remembered the many nights he'd spent locked between her thighs, stroking inside her hot pussy as her sticky, wet heat gushed out, easing the way for his thrusting cock until he would explode deep inside her.
He longed to recapture the magic of those nights but resisted. He couldn't make love to her. No matter how much he still wanted her, he knew if they crossed that line and succumbed to the passion that burned inside them, they would end up entangled in a web that would only leave them both scarred.
Drawing upon the last vestiges of his control, he dragged his lips from her dewy soft skin and released her breasts.
He heard the soft mewl of protest that came from her lips but ignored it.
She lifted her eyes to his face and he took a hesitant step back when anger flashed in their depths.
"Is this how it's always going to be with you? You pull me in only to push me away?"
He turned his lips down into a frown as guilt seized him. If he were her, he'd be angry too. Twice today he'd initiated an intimacy between them that he just couldn't deliver on.
"I'm sorry. I should never have touched you."
"You're right, Adam. If you're going to start this then be prepared to finish it. Otherwise keep your hands to yourself."
He nodded stiffly before he twisted on his heels and left her room, closing the door behind him with a soft click.
He walked the short distance down the hall to his room. Quickly stripping out of his clothing, he slipped into bed. He lay on his back just staring up at the ceiling. He could still taste Lisa on his lips, feel the weight of her breasts in the palm of his hand. He groaned as his semi-erect cock responded to his thoughts. He let out a low groan, trying to bring his body under control.
She'd only been there a week and already she had him twisted up in knots. He knew when she moved back in that having her around would be difficult, but he'd thought it would be hard because seeing her again would conjure up all of his bitter feelings toward her. He'd never imagined he would have a hard time simply keeping his hands off of her. They'd always shared an all-consuming physical attraction to each other but he'd been sure he was over that. What man in his right mind still lusted after a woman who'd wounded him so deeply with her betrayal? Apparently him, although he was certain he was no longer in his right mind. He let out a ragged breath and closed his eyes, although he knew sleep was a long way off.
One week, he thought again. She'd only been there one week and he was having trouble keeping himself in check. How the hell was he going to survive the next several months, longer even, if he won the election?
He'd always prided himself on his strict sense of discipline, so where the hell was his discipline now when he needed it the most?
[Back to Table of Contents]
Chapter Five
"Hey, honey, you okay?"
Lisa glanced up from pouring over the budget details of Fostering Friends, the non-profit she'd started right out of school. Fostering Friends was her pride and joy. It provided a family oriented group home alternative to foster care for children who would otherwise wind up spending their childhood years in the system, just like she had.
She met the gaze of DC's only female Superior Court Judge, Sonya Michaels, with a blank stare.
"I'm sorry, Sonya. What did you say?"
The older woman's eyes flashed with concern as she propped her hip against the desk.
"Honey, you've been staring at those figures for the last hour. You haven't turned the page or written anything down. You want to clue me in on what's brewing in that pretty little head of yours?"
Lisa smiled as she dropped the pencil she'd been absently twirling between her fingers and leaned back in her chair. For the last five years, Sonya volunteered her weekends to help with the children. A divorced mother of one son who was now in college, she was great with the kids and they adored her.
Lisa counted her among one of her closest friends, although to hear Sonya tell it, Lisa was more like the daughter she never had. Her smile grew wider at that thought.
The woman was just in her mid-forties, only eleven years older than her, but Sonya loved to play the role of mother hen. It could have fit her if she wasn't such a M.I.L.F as Lacy liked to call her. Sonya was a regal woman who possessed a timeless, sultry beauty that was impossible to ignore.
Lisa dragged in a long breath and let it out slowly as she returned to Sonya's question.
"It's Adam."
Sonya's perfectly arched eyebrows lifted. “Yo
u've only been back a week. What could have possibly happened already?"
Lisa ducked her head as her face heated, grateful once again that her dark complexion hid the telling sign of her embarrassment. But Sonya didn't need any blush to read her body language.
Her eyes rounded. “You didn't sleep with him already?"
"Hell no you did not sleep with that man already!"
Lisa and Sonya both looked up to see Lacy enter her office, like the living hurricane that she was.
She lifted her shoulders in a helpless shrug. “No, not yet, but close."
"What!” Sonya and Lacy shouted simultaneously. She rolled her eyes as she tugged her lips into a grimace. If Lacy and Sonya shared the same reaction to anything then it had to be bad. Her two closest friends were like night and day, but somehow it worked. They never agreed on anything, but they always respected each other's opinions and listened to each other when it was important. The bond between the three of them was what Lisa counted on when her life was in turmoil—like now.
"We kind of fooled around last night."
"Already?” Lacy exclaimed.
Sonya grinned. “That's what I said. But then again I'm not surprised. You two couldn't keep your hands off each other before. Why should things be any different now?"
Lacy stared at Sonya as if she was insane. “Are you crazy, Sonya? Things should definitely be different. The man kicked her out because he thought she betrayed him.” Lacy snapped her gaze from Sonya to Lisa. “They should both be brimming with enough ill feelings to keep their hands off of each other, not trying to do the nasty before the week's end."
"Are you talking as the sex therapist/feminist psychologist or just as my regular old girlfriend? If this is some more of that women's sexuality mumbo jumbo then you can save it, Dr. Savoy."
"Make fun all you want but my research is not mumbo jumbo. Many brilliant minds still seek out my expert knowledge on women's sexuality. You would think you two would take advantage of the wealth of knowledge sitting right here at your fingertips."