by King, Imani
I pulled my eyes away and grabbed my purse.
I have to go. I have to not be here. I got up and ran from the room, my heart pounding. Tears stung my eyes, and I collapsed onto one of the benches in the hallway. If you’re smart, you won’t stay. You’ll walk away. No need to be here. Kelly’s got it under control.
I rose to my feet and started walking out of the lobby, my skirts swishing around me. My phone beeped, startling me and sending a visceral pulse through my body. I yanked it out of my purse.
I have an hour. Meet me in room 405. I froze. How could he stand there with that lovely woman and then go backstage to text me? I’d known he would be here with someone else, but only then did it sink in. Even if she were just an image, he was using us both. Heat prickled at my eyes, threatening to become fully formed tears.
“Fuck,” I groaned. “Damn that man.” I froze for a moment and then walked for the revolving door that lead outside. The phone beeped in my hand, the buzz sending a vibration up my arm.
Please. I need you. My heart pounded, and I turned, walking toward the elevators.
***
I gulped as the elevator opened on the fourth floor. Of course, John had gotten the same room he’d had when I’d stayed with him before. I quaked with anticipation, stepping across the plush carpet and walking up to the door marked 405. For a moment, I paused, wondering if I could slip away. I raised my hand to knock, trembling and then dropping my hand down to my side. I stepped back for a moment, willing myself to turn back toward the elevator. But just as I started to turn, the door swung open. On the other side was John, smiling and holding a glass of champagne. He reached out and took my hand, pulling me into the room and letting the door slam shut.
“We shouldn’t be doing this.”
“That’s just the point,” he said, sitting the champagne down and pulling me into his arms. The warmth spread through my legs, reaching that center I’d left untouched for so long. But oh yes, John had accessed that part of me. And that’s what had led me to his room, had led me into his arms. He crushed his lips to mine, the sharp, dry taste of champagne on his lips. “It makes it a thousand times better,” he whispered, leaning in to bite gently on my earlobe, his breath hot and heavy against my skin. I moaned, every hair standing on end, gooseflesh taking my body over. Every moment spent waiting… every day spent on the road. This want had been bundled up inside of me, and here, in this room, I was a creature of desire. The shouldn’ts all disappeared, and we stood together, man and woman, a tangle of limbs. He ran his fingers over the sensitive hollow of my neck, tracing the lines of my body.
“And haven’t you wanted this?” He trailed one finger over the neckline of my dress, down to the thin orange and red silk that covered my breasts.
“I’d be lying,” I said, gasping for air as his thumb brushed across my nipple, “If I said no.” He took down his trousers, exposing his stiff cock. I reached out and ran my fingers over the head and down the thick, hot shaft.
“Christ, Sonia,” he said. He grabbed me, fingers digging into the flesh of my arms, and kissed me again. I opened my mouth, tasting him, wanting him inside of me more than I’d ever wanted anything.
I groaned. His hands found my hips and gripped them hard. Bolder now, I pushed him back to the bed and knelt before him. He put his hands to my hair and pulled slightly, groaning as I began to stroke him. I reached the tip of my tongue out to the head of his cock, licking around the tip and taking it gently between my lips. I ran my palm over his shaft, stroking in a steady rhythm as I tasted him. His musk, the saltiness of his skin… drove me to near-insanity. My sex pulsed, slick and waiting, the flesh there ready to be filled. I took in as much of his shaft as I could, his skin hot against my tongue. His hands caressed the curls of my tousled hair, his touch gentle and sure. Moaning with a masculine, throaty rasp, he pulled my hair and pumped into my face. I brought my hand down to the base of his shaft, gripping it tight and relishing the feeling of him filling my mouth and then my throat.
He let out a groan and pulled me away, lifting me up and throwing me on the bed. In a flurry of movement, he unzipped my dress and cast it to the floor. His hands ran over my trembling body and up to my breasts, cupping them and twirling my nipples with his fingers. I lay before him again, completely vulnerable and exposed. Arousal sung through my body, each nerve ending set on fire, each cell filled with longing. In avoiding him over and over, I’d only let my desire for him build up to the point where I was like a kettle, about to boil over. I lifted my hips and pulled down my panties, throwing them aside and bringing one hand to my pussy. I moved two fingers over my clit, creating small circles. I groaned, and another rush of wetness came to me. John stroked himself and stepped out of his discarded pants, moving to kneel on the bed between my legs. I pulled him into me with my legs, his body falling against mine. Lifting my hands to unbutton my shirt, I sought out the rippling hardness muscles.
“For an older man, you’re certainly pretty fine.”
“For an older man?” He laughed and cupped my breasts, shrugging out of his shirt and throwing off his red tie. “I’m in better shape than I was when I was twenty. And you’re so damn gorgeous you make me feel like I’m twenty again. Like I could dive into you and go all night long.” He thrust his cock against the slick flesh of my pussy, hitting against my clit and sending vibrations deep into my center. “Tell me I’m old again,” he said, pushing the hot, searching head of his cock against my clit. I whimpered, reaching up and digging my nails into the back of his neck. He thrust again, and I wrapped my legs around him.
“Older. Just slightly older,” I said, sighing and pulling him into me. He reached for a condom on the bedside table, opening with his teeth and pulling away from me to slip it on. He pressed into me again, this time moving the tip of his cock to my slippery cleft, entering me with agonizing slowness. A pulse of desire ran through my body, and I cried out as he took me by the waist, entering me all at once and stretching me open fully. He pumped into me, grinding his hips into mine, making the pressure inside of my body build, all of my muscles tensing at once. A hot flush filled my body, the ripples of pleasure trilling through my center.
“You, you are most beautiful,” he whispered, grabbing one of my thighs and thrusting hard. He pulled me on top, and I cried out, pushing myself down hard and angling myself so that my clit hit against the base of his cock. I rode him slowly at first, grabbing onto the bed frame for leverage. With every movement, my slick, sensitive flesh hit his, the fire growing inside of me. The flames worked their way up my thighs, and into my belly. I moaned and arched my back, clutching at the bed with one hand and gripping his arm with the other. My body began to tremble, shocks traveling through my core and out into each cell of my body. John pounded into me from below, taking me over the edge of sanity, fucking me hard so that there was nothing of me left… only the need for pleasure, the desire to give myself to this man, and this man only. I cried out, and my orgasm washed through me, like fire catching, like a wave hitting shore… timeless and powerful and primal. My legs shook, and I fell against him. Letting go of the bed, I took John into an embrace, kissing him hard. I lifted myself again, and he brought his hands to my waist, watching me as I thrust my body against his.
“Most beautiful,” he panted. He lifted me and pumped into me from below, but slower this time, his rhythm more controlled. I closed my eyes, sighing as he pushed his cock inside of me, filling me to the hilt again and again. He let out a mighty groan, his fingers gripping the flesh of my ass. The room around us went blank, and another climax swept through me, longer and slower than the first. At the same moment, John’s muscles tensed and his thrusts became more insistent, pounding into me. He rammed into me one final time, growling as he met his own climax. I fell against him, and this time, I stayed there, my legs wrapped around his, our bodies a sweaty tangle. Slowly, I came back to myself, my thoughts reorganizing again and leaving the intoxicated haze of pleasure behind.
“Then why
wasn’t I on that stage with you?” I whispered. He rolled me to my side and kissed me.
“Would you want to be?” His lips found mine, strong and insistent. “Would you want all that comes with it?” I paused for a moment. Would I want that? The senator’s younger girlfriend, one of his employees. I closed my eyes, breathing in his scent, his closeness. If it meant being with him, then maybe I’d learn to deal with it. Maybe.
For once, I let myself drift off in a man’s arms, denying caution, denying responsibility. I slept as John went downstairs again to make the rounds with his supporters. And when he came back to me after midnight, he held me in his arms, kissing me tenderly. And there was love, softer and sweeter, when we woke near five in the morning. He entered me, filling me while I was still half sleeping, making me cry out and clutch him with need. I cried out, coming hard with my legs wrapped around his perfectly sculpted body. Afterwards, I stole out of bed, determined to get back to my apartment and rest for once.
“See you Monday,” he said. “And maybe some other time?”
“Probably all the days after that too. I am helping run your campaign,” I said, fumbling back into the formal dress. It felt tight in all of the wrong places, my breasts uncommonly sore.
“No, I mean, like this. You and me, together.”
“I’ll think about it,” I said. “But what’s fun for us might not be the best thing for your campaign.” He nodded, his face somber. I picked up my bag and waved awkwardly as I made my way over to the door.
“Even still. Maybe what’s fun for us... well, maybe it’ll keep me going. Give me a reason to win.” My heart pounded for a moment, and I looked at him, considering a world where a real relationship between us might be possible. It was a nice thought.
“We can talk about that some other time, John.”
“Okay,” he said, falling back onto his pillow and watching me as I left.
I walked out of the hotel into the cool air of the morning, starting my second walk of shame from the Four Seasons back to my apartment. Well, the taxi ride of shame, anyway. My body buzzed from the attention John had paid to each curve… each soft spot where my skin met his. Last night, and again this morning. I paused at the curb, looking behind me.
Did anyone see me going up to his room? Did they notice when I didn’t come back down? Did Kelly?
My stomach roiled again, and I brought my hands to my belly. I swayed a bit, clenching my hands as another wave of nausea hit.
Get ahold of yourself, Sonia. No one saw you. And they won’t see you. Because there won’t be another time. I stepped out to the street and waved my arm, my stomach pitching again as a cab passed. Dammit, I’ll have to get to a doctor if this shit keeps happening. Get some sleeping pills or… something for my nerves. Another cab rolled by.
“Dammit!” I shouted. “I need to get my ass back home.” I swayed again and shut my eyes tight, trying to calm myself. I must have looked a sight in my formal wear with my hair flying every which a way. Anyone who saw me could have guessed exactly where I’d come from.
Hopefully, though, they wouldn’t guess who I’d been with. When I opened my eyes, I saw a dark Rolls Royce turn onto the street, slowing as it approached the hotel. The windows were tinted black. It rolled close to where I was standing and then sped past, turning around the block again. My heart pounded as it passed by, and I waved frantically for a taxi to stop. Yet another passed by, almost as if it were avoiding me.
“Come the fuck on!” I groaned and kicked at the pavement. As exciting as last night had been, it was morning now, and I needed to get the hell out of there. To my horror, the Rolls turned the corner again, slowing to a crawl as it approached the hotel.
Some dude thinks I’m a hooker. Fantastic. The rolls pulled to a halt right in front of me, one dark window rolling down. I laughed nervously.
“I’m just waiting for a cab,” I said, swinging my purse. An angular, thin face peeked through the window, and I immediately recognized Janice Howell, the Republican candidate for Senate.
“Get in,” she said. “I know your secret.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
October 1, 2016
Five Weeks until Election Day
The door to the Rolls opened, revealing its immaculate leather seats and the long, thin leg of Janice Howell.
“My team has been hard at work, Miss Mills. And it looks like you have too.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I said, stumbling backwards and almost falling onto the sidewalk. I looked around desperately for a taxi.
“I had the taxi company that trolls through here stop service to this street for the next hour. And believe me, sweetheart, we’ll follow you all the way home. But it looks like my ex-husband wore you out last night. I’m betting your legs are sore.” My eyes went wide, and I stared blankly at Janice’s icy, cool expression.
“What are you talking about?”
“Oh sweetheart, it looks like you and your little Mexican friend didn’t know your own candidate’s personal history. John and I did our best to erase our little mistake of a marriage, but if you did any kind of digging, you’d find it right away.”
“She’s Argentinian,” I said flatly, stepping backwards. John and... this woman?
“Whatever the case may be, it looks like she’s an idiot. And you are too. Or maybe you were just knocked flat by John’s charms. Flat on your back, with your legs spread, more like.” She laughed, her eyes remaining cold. A flush rose over my chest and into my cheeks.
“Take your nastiness elsewhere. There’s no way for you to prove what you’re saying.”
“Isn’t there? I think you’ll want to take a look at these pictures.” I stood still, and Janice looked me over, her expression calculating. She took out her phone and opened the screen, turning it to me. “I said, get in the car. Or this goes live on Twitter before John wakes up for breakfast.” I leaned in closer to get a better look at the screen. There was a very clear picture of John taking me in his arms after the fundraiser last night.
“How in the hell...” My voice trailed off. She must have had a camera set up in his room. It looked like I wasn’t the only one who knew that he had a strong preference for room 405. My gut twisted, another pang of nausea rolling through my body.
“I said, get in. We need to have a little chat, my dear Miss Sonia Mills.” The door of the Rolls opened wider, and Janice gestured to the seat next to hers. I paused for a moment and looked back at the hotel. John lay asleep in his Four Seasons suite, unaware that there had been cameras positioned inside of his room. Unaware that I had made the mistake of a lifetime. Unaware that he could awake to a scandal at any moment. “Don’t worry, Miss Mills. If anyone were going to murder you for your indiscretions, it would probably be the team you’re already on. And John’s too much of a bleeding heart to allow that kind of thing. He probably even likes you. But as for me? I have no qualms dragging you and your family through the mud.” My body going numb, I stepped to the car, sliding into the seat and closing the door behind me. The car started and rolled forward, heading slowly towards my Columbia Heights apartment. Janice lit a cigarette and gestured for the driver to roll down her window a bit.
“You don’t mind if I smoke, do you?” I shook my head slightly. She lit the cigarette and blew out a ring of white smoke. I coughed slightly, looking away.
“How did you know?” My voice came out raspy, my throat tightening with disgust.
“You have to keep your bases covered with this type of thing, Sonia. May I call you Sonia?” The car sped on, the buildings moving in a blur outside of the darkened windows. She paused for a moment, as if waiting for me to respond, but I stared out of the window, my mind reeling. “I know that John is something of a romantic, and though he’s not particularly prone to flings, I heard rumblings that he might be interested in someone on his campaign. My little birdies are everywhere. That’s how you succeed in this business. John himself is far too soft, his ideals too pure.”
“So he wants to win to get you out of office? Does he want to get you out of office because he’s... jealous?” I looked down at my hands as if they held the answers I was seeking. This didn’t seem like John. The secrets, the hidden lie of his marriage.