by Lisa Cardiff
“I did.”
“But you still hoped it would all disappear, or he’d be able to explain it away.” I waited for a denial, but it never came.
“I did. My mom hasn’t been much of a parent, and my stepdad didn’t care about me except when I played the doting stepdaughter on the campaign trail, but I still had a family. Now I don’t. I can’t participate in their life. I can’t pretend I have people in the world who care about me.” She shook her head. “I have Winnie. She’ll always be my friend, but it doesn’t seem like enough.”
“You have me.” It was the naked truth. Unfortunately, she wouldn’t want me when she discovered the depth of my depravity. Everything between us started as a carefully orchestrated lie, but somehow all the lies twisted and turned until they morphed into the truth. I cared about Langley more than I should, more than was wise given the inevitable outcome of our relationship. We were a real live Shakespearean tragedy in the making.
Her cat-like eyes met mine, her cheeks shimmering with the salt of her dried tears and her nose red from standing in the cold. Even now, she looked beautiful. “Do I?”
“I promised I’d help you and I will,” I murmured, resting my head against hers.
She leaned her head against my shoulder again, and my gut twisted with guilt. Every ounce of my soul begged me to tell her the truth, but the words never came. I didn’t know where to start.
“For some reason I believe you. Maybe that makes me stupid, but I think you’re my best option. My only option.”
It took me a long time to respond. “I’m not going to let you down,” I whispered as I brushed a kiss on top of her head. I wanted to believe my declaration. I wanted to be her savior even though I knew she should get the hell away from Senator Wharton and me. If I weren’t so selfish, I would’ve demanded she leave D.C. I should’ve packed her bags for her and booked her a one way ticket to somewhere far, far away from me, but I didn’t. Shaking my head, I buried my sense of right and wrong again.
“What’s the plan now, Archer? Do I go back to my place and pretend nothing has happened? That I’m not being monitored? That he’s not watching every single thing I do?” She sounded lost and void of emotion, as though she’d reached the end of her endurance. She no longer cared how I answered her questions.
“We’re going to take a vacation.”
“What?” She lifted her head from my shoulder. “Why would we do that?”
“Because you need time to recoup,” I answered simply.
“But he plans to announce his candidacy on Wednesday. That’s only four days away.”
I shrugged. “That’s plenty of time.”
“Are you crazy? We need to figure something out, and we’ll need every minute of those four days to do it.”
“A couple days won’t matter. We almost have everything we need.” Knox already had everything in place. The email provided all the details he needed to puzzle the whole thing together. By the end of the weekend, his team will have finished interviewing every living woman on the list. He’d have copies of the nondisclosure agreements and as much evidence as possible linking Senator Wharton to the three dead women. By Saturday evening, the Senator would be in receipt of a letter outlining his options. If he refused to comply, the information would be leaked to the press at six in the morning on Tuesday. His Wednesday announcement will never happen.
“How?”
“I talked to Knox. He doesn’t need our help. This is his area of expertise, and he’ll be much more efficient if we get out of his way.”
She tapped her finger against her lips. “A vacation is your idea of getting out of his way?”
“Yes. It makes sense. You’ll get some relaxation before the storm hits, and if we’re lucky, you’ll escape Senator Wharton’s surveillance for a couple of days, which gives him less opportunity to become suspicious of you.”
“And if I don’t want to get out of Knox’s way and go on a vacation?” she said stubbornly, but I didn’t miss the smile playing at the corner of her lips.
“I’ll force you.”
Her eyebrows lifted, and she laughed, which was so much better than the emotional black hole she’d been in since she got into the car. “Really? I’d like to see that. Will you tie my hands and feet and throw me into the car?”
I shrugged and smoothed her hair away from her face. “If I have to, but I have a feeling it won’t come to that when you find out where I plan to take you.”
“Where are you taking me?”
“To a resort and spa near the Bull Run Mountains in Virginia.”
“I see,” she said, a full-blown smile on her face now. “What will we do there?”
“Nothing. Everything. Whatever you want.”
“Unlimited spa treatments?”
“If that’s what you want to do.”
Her brows furrowed. “And what will you do?”
“Enjoy watching you have a good time,” I said, my voice soft and aching with more vulnerability than I liked.
“That’s it?”
“Isn’t that enough?” I asked, unable to stop myself. My chest ached with the realization that watching her was more than enough for me.
She shook her head. “You confuse me.” She waved her hand back and forth between us. “This thing between us, whatever it is, confuses me, but in a good way.”
“How so?” I asked, not even sure if I wanted the answer.
“Because you always know how to make me feel better. It’s almost as if we’ve known each other for years rather than a month or so. When I’m with you, none of this mess with my stepdad seems so bad anymore.” Her smile and voice were almost dreamy with reverence.
I bent to kiss her—a sweet, gentle kiss that told her without words how much she meant to me.
How much I ached for her.
How I’d never craved any woman as much as I craved her.
How I’d never stop wanting her even when she stopped wanting me.
All my wealth and lengthy list of accomplishments didn’t mean anything. She’d given me something I’d never had before…something I thought I’d never have. She gave me a new home, a new outlook on life, a new everything. I’d spent the first part of my life wanting revenge, but at that moment, I knew I’d spend the rest of my life wanting to make her happy.
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FOUR
Langley
“Langley.” A hand closed around my upper arm. I shifted in my seat.
I heard a deep chuckle next my ear, but I ignored it and brushed the hand away. “Leave me alone,” I mumbled, not opening my heavy eyes.
“Langley, we’re here. Wake up.”
I opened my eyes, blinked a few times, and then turned my head to the side. “Where?”
“The hotel.”
I flipped the visor down, studying my face. “What time is it?”
“Four in the afternoon.”
“Oh my God, I slept the entire way.”
“I noticed. If I’d known you didn’t plan to keep me company, I would’ve had the driver take us. At least I could’ve taken care of some work,” he teased, his fully dimpled smile on display.
“Sorry,” I groaned as I stretched my arms above my head and glanced out the window. My mouth dropped open when I saw the view in front of me. A two-story brick hotel with two wings and an inviting white portico sat directly in front of me, surrounded by acres and acres of impeccably manicured lawn and wooded rolling hills. “It’s beautiful,” I murmured.
“You’ve never been here before?”
“No. My mom goes here with her girlfriends every year, but I’ve never gone with her. Winnie and I booked a weekend getaway here a couple months ago, but her work cut back her hours and we canceled the trip.”
“Well, then I’m glad I picked this place.”
While Archer checked into the hotel, I roamed the main floor taking in all the traditional details. The lobby impressed me as much as the exterior of the hotel. Light blue walls complimented the ivory and tan furnis
hings. Paintings of horses lined the walls, reflecting the equestrian heritage of that region of Virginia. A California girl at heart, I’d much rather ride the waves than a horse, but I appreciated the beauty of the setting and the lifestyle.
“Are you ready to go to our room, or would you like to walk around awhile?” Archer asked, wrapping an arm around my waist.
“I’d much rather go to the room.”
“Then, we’re on the same page,” he said with a smirk as he guided me toward the elevator.
My heart clenched at his subtle insinuation. Two uninterrupted days with Archer started now, and I had every intention of concentrating on him instead of dwelling on the coming storm with my stepdad. The impending scandal and media frenzy could wait.
Two minutes later, Archer and I stepped into our room. The colors and décor from the lobby seamlessly transitioned into the rooms, and I already felt much lighter and carefree than I had in weeks.
“Thank you,” I said, circling my arms around his neck.
“For what?” He smiled down at me, his darker than sin eyes hooded but filled with amusement.
“For taking me here. For getting me out of D.C. for a couple days. For helping me with this whole mess. I’m so lucky you found me hiding in the hallway at that stupid fundraiser.”
He cupped my face almost reverently. “I’m the lucky one. I haven’t had a vacation in months. Now, I’m at a five star hotel with a gorgeous and intelligent woman.”
I shook my head back and forth once, but not hard enough to break his light hold on my face. “For the first time in my life, I truly feel blessed. Someone is watching over me.”
He cocked his head to the side, his lips curling into a lopsided grin. “Someone?”
“Yes, and that someone is you—”
He pressed two fingers over my mouth, interrupting my confession. “Shh, Langley. I don’t want to talk now.”
“You don’t?” I muttered against the tips of his fingers.
“No,” he answered simply, dropping his hands from my face.
“Then, what do you want to do?”
“This,” he murmured, cementing his declaration with a kiss.
My palms flattened against the contours of his muscular chest as his lips moved back and forth across mine, engulfing me in a blistering heat with every hypnotic glide of his mouth. His lips, teeth, and tongue collided with mine, fusing us together, not leaving a single area untouched. Dizzy, my hands dropped to my sides and I swayed into him. His heart thumped strong and steady against my chest, beating in time with mine.
Claimed.
Possessed.
Loved.
That’s how I felt at that instant. Those primal thoughts should have sent me running as fast and as far as I could from Archer, but everything about Archer and this moment felt absolutely right.
Even though I hadn’t been able to count on anyone in my past, I believed Archer could be the person to change the pattern.
My dad chose drugs.
My mom chose my stepdad.
Brandon chose his job.
But Archer…he chose me.
In that glimmer of time, with Archer claiming my soul and my body, thoughts of my stepdad, Brandon, and the coming week faded into nothingness, which pleased me more than I could ever convey. I didn’t want to think about the bad in my life. I wanted to embrace the good, and that meant living in the present with Archer.
The kiss went on and on until the back of my thighs smacked the side of the mattress, and I tumbled backward, finally separating our lips. I sucked a mouthful of air into my oxygen-starved lungs, watching and waiting for his next move.
Color stained his sharp-angled cheekbones, his chest heaved with every breath, and his brown eyes glimmered with arousal. His dark beauty took my breath away.
“Langley,” he hummed through his teeth. The sound of my name spoken from his pleasure-stung lips vibrated over my nerve endings, setting them on fire with a bone-aching lust only he brought out in me.
“Archer,” I whispered. My body thrummed with awareness as his gaze raked over my prone body. His dilated pupils lingered on my face as he released the button and zipper of my pants with a skillful flick of his wrist. The smooth pads of his fingers whispered over the small expanse of exposed skin, and a shudder whistled through my body.
He gripped my hips and slid my pants down my legs. A dark tide swallowed me as his lips traced the inside of one thigh, then the other. I wanted him so badly; I couldn’t speak. I couldn’t move.
“Take off your shirt,” he demanded, visually devouring me.
Nodding, I lifted it over my head and tossed it on the bed beside me. Now, I sat on the bed in only my bra and matching panties.
“I like these,” he said, one finger toying with the lace edge of my panties. The rawness of his voice sent a tremor of desire down my spine. “But they have to go.” He yanked the wisp of lace down my legs.
He bent my legs one at a time, positioning them on the bed too far apart to ignore his intent. A blush crept up my face. As much as I wanted to hide from his penetrating gaze, I couldn’t look away. His eyes flared with heat as his mouth closed over my sex. Arousal roared through my body like I had gasoline for blood and Archer was the spark.
Within seconds, not minutes, I was lost, spiraling faster and faster toward my release. I tried to hold back, to stop it, but it wasn’t possible. My eyes slammed shut, and I embraced the sensations whipping through my body with every stroke of his skilled tongue and mouth. Air escaped my lungs in a greedy moan, and my entire body stiffened. He slid two fingers inside of me, and I exploded.
“Archer,” I screamed as my entire body shuddered. It went on and on, so long that when I finally opened my eyes, Archer stood in front of me completely naked, rolling on a condom. I consumed him with my eyes, committing every detail to memory.
His broad chest.
His narrow waist.
His muscular thighs.
His sexy dimple.
Leaning forward, he unclasped my bra and slid it down my shoulders. “Are you ready?”
I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled his mouth to mine. His tongue slid against mine, stroking me until I ached with need to be filled by him.
Like he could read my mind, he pressed into me. I gasped at the perfection of the moment…at the perfection of him inside of me.
“Perfect,” I mumbled. The words tumbled from my mouth unwittingly.
“My thoughts exactly.”
My stomach clenched as his velvety voice vibrated on my skin like a caress. The world around us disappeared. In that flash of time, it was the two of us moving together, and nothing else mattered.
His hips moved back and forth, each thrust deeper than the last, coaxing another orgasm from me with every flex of his hips. His mouth found mine again. I arched against him, lost in his relentless rhythm. Lost in the moment. Lost in the sensation of Archer moving inside of me. I forgot about all my worries. I didn’t care about anything except the release shimmering just outside of my reach.
He adjusted my hips, just a small movement, but it made all the difference. An intense, mind-splitting sensation rippled through me. I cried out, digging my hands into his hips, pulling him closer to me, demanding everything he had to offer and more. Within seconds, he slammed inside of me one last time, curses falling from his lips and sweat beading on his brow as his body shuddered.
He lowered his head against the crook of my neck as our hearts drummed in harmony. I shivered, and Archer pulled the blanket over our entwined bodies. He kissed my neck and then my lips, and rolled over.
His lips curled into a smile. “A whole weekend together,” he whispered, our eyes meeting in a moment of perfect intimacy.
“Just like this,” I said, my voice already thick with exhaustion.
“No.” He knitted his fingers through mine and laughed softly. “I promise to feed you once in a while too.”
I laughed, letting my eyes drift closed. “How though
tful.”
“No, just greedy. I can’t have you pass out on me.” He wound his arm around my waist and pulled me back against his chest. “Go to sleep.”
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
Archer
“Is Knox your only family?”
I rolled my head to the side and ran my finger along her jaw. Langley had been firing questions at me since we woke up this morning. I didn’t mind. For the first time in my life, I wanted to share my past with someone. No, not someone. Langley.
Over the last twenty-four hours, she erased all my memories of the faceless women who came before her. There was only Langley, her golden hair, her million-dollar smile, and her sexy green eyes.
“We have another brother. He’s eight years younger than me,” I answered. I never discussed Gunnar with anyone. Our relationship was complicated.
“Are you close?”
“Not really. We trade phone calls every couple months, but I haven’t seen him for over a year, maybe more.”
Her green eyes brimmed with curiosity. “Why?”
“He went to live with his dad’s family when he was six years old.”
Her brows furrowed. “How’d that happen?”
“Our mom wasn’t much of a mom, and his dad wasn’t much of a dad, but his dad came from money. My mom didn’t come home for days at a time, and she’d leave Gunnar alone with Knox and me. When Gunnar’s grandparents realized what was happening, they fought my mom for custody, and they won easily.”
“I’m sure it was hard to be separated from your brother.”
“It was the best thing for Gunnar. He lived with a stable family. I can’t say the same thing about Knox and me.”
“Where’s you mom now?”
“She died.”
Langley threaded her fingers through mine and squeezed my hand. “How?”
“The police report said she killed herself,” I answered, even though I didn’t believe it, especially now.
“I know it’s silly to say, but I’m sorry. You probably know my dad died of an overdose.” She closed her eyes. “I’ve never really come to terms with it. There are days when I wake up angry with him for choosing the drugs over me. Then, other days I’m just sad he’s not here. At every milestone, I feel the pain of his death again.” She opened her eyes and shook her head. “It’s a hole in my heart that will never be filled no matter how many days pass.”