Politically Incorrect

by Jeanne McDonald

He dipped his head, his lips brushing the shell of my ear. “Because it’s exactly why I reacted to Harper the way I did. Tell me that asshole didn’t touch you in my room.”

  I withered at the feel of his tongue flicking my earlobe. All control was gone now. Kaput. Vanished. I was falling apart in his arms, which was the complete opposite of how he appeared to be. He seemed calm. Collected. Confident. Even while admitting he was vulnerable.

  “You...you were jealous of Harper?”

  “Yes,” he breathed. “Insanely jealous.”

  I struggled with that concept. There was no reason to be jealous of Harper, then again there was no reason for me to be jealous of Kristin, and I was. “But why?”

  Slow kisses trailed down my jaw. “Because of how you came out of my room all disheveled.”

  Teeth grazed along my neck, a flick of his tongue followed. A small squeak and a heavy gasp expelled from me. My hands reached around his back, digging into the fabric of his jacket.

  “Nothing...nothing happened.”

  “Good,” he growled. “Now, tell me why you’re avoiding me.”

  “Because I can’t resist you anymore.”

  Damn him for being able to pull the truth out of me.

  “Then don’t.”

  “But I must…” I mumbled as his mouth captured mine in a kiss that could ignite heaven and hell into a flame of glory. Earth would bow to such a kiss. The angels would sing.

  His tongue slipped inside my mouth, exploring every inch, taking what was his. If my mind was working right, this kiss would’ve resulted in high alert, panic mode. Had someone from the media or a voter with a phone rounded the corner we’d be exposed. But I couldn’t think. All I wanted was to taste him, to touch him, to claim him.

  Drunk on his kiss, I felt lightheaded when he pulled back, his forehead pressed against mine. “This game stops now, Elizabeth. No more pushing me away. No more avoiding me. No more keeping score. Do you understand?” His hands slid up my sides, pinning my hips to the lockers. “Tell me you understand.”

  “Yes,” I whimpered.

  His brown eyes bore into mine with such intensity that any coherent thought escaped me. A playfulness in his devious grin tickled my insides. He reminded me of a cat that caught the mouse. Liam hooked his arm around my waist, pulling me flush to his body. His mouth once again captured mine.

  My mind whirled with the feeling of his warm tongue exploring my mouth. My hands slipped into his hair, tangling into his soft locks. Liam’s hand pressed into the small of my back, forcing my body to conform to his. Engulfed in his embrace, surrounded by all things Liam, I was lost to logic and reality.

  Until he pulled back for a breath. That’s when it hit me. “Wait? What do you mean no more taking score?”

  Liam didn’t move. He held steady with my gaze, his nose wrinkled and his eyes danced. “You have a file on me.”

  I clasped my hand over my mouth. “You invaded my privacy?” I shrieked. “How dare you?”

  Liam shrugged a shoulder. “You vetted me. I was curious what you’d found. The tablet was there and I saw a file with my name on it. I wasn’t expecting to find what I did, though. You’re going to have to tell me how the scoring works.”

  “Damn you!” I tried to shove my way out of his arms, fury burning through me.

  His grip tightened around me. “No. Don’t you dare try to push me away again. I didn’t know what I was looking at until it was too late. Had I known it was your personal stuff I wouldn’t have looked.”

  “But you did!”

  “And I loved what I saw!”

  “What?”

  Liam raked his fingers through his hair, streaming a long breath. “I loved that folder, Elizabeth. It means I get under your skin as much as you do mine.”

  Embarrassed, I dropped my gaze. “That’s private.”

  “And I’m sorry for invading your privacy, but with the whole Harper thing and how you were acting this morning,” ─ he touched his fingertips to the side of my face and let out a sigh ─ “I’m sorry. My jealousy got the better of me. Forgive me? Please.”

  How easy it would’ve been for me to slap him and march off. Had it been anyone else, I might’ve, but it was Liam. And I believed him. So, I gave a single nod.

  “Good. Now, let’s find the others and get out of here.” His hands dropped from my body, slipping into mine. The clickety-clack of my heels reverberated through the halls as he rushed me toward the auditorium. “Wait. We can’t go in there looking like this.”

  I pulled back, bringing us to a halt.

  “Like what?” he asked, a little confused.

  “Like this!” I exclaimed, pointing between the two of us. We were both beyond disheveled. His hair was rumpled, and his jacket askew. Liam glowed with this just been kissed flare. I reached up and combed his hair with my fingers. I adjusted his jacket and tie, snarling at the hideous thing. “Just so you know, I’m burning this tie.”

  “Why?” he balked. “This is an amazing tie.”

  “No. It’s not.”

  He pulled the knot and slipped the tie from around his neck and tucked it into his pocket. With a flick of his fingers, he popped the top button of his shirt and grinned. “Better, Ms. McNeal?”

  I nodded and smiled. “Much. Now, how do I look?”

  “Absolutely stunning.” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “And I love how kissed your mouth looks right now”

  I gasped, covering my mouth. “Oh, God. What if someone notices?”

  Liam kissed the tip of my nose. “Let them notice, Elizabeth.”

  “Absolutely not! For all intents and purposes, you’re with Kristin.”

  “I’m with you,” he proclaimed.

  “You’re with me?”

  A radiant smile lighted his eyes. “If you want me to be.”

  I did want him. I wanted him so bad, but this was stupid and risky.

  I opened my mouth to speak, but Liam stopped me. “Don’t, Elizabeth. Don’t over think this.” He cupped my face in his hands. “It’s a simple yes or no. If you want me, I’m yours. If you don’t, I’ll walk away and we’ll go back to being nothing more than a candidate running for office and his handler.”

  A sudden burst of numbness struck me. “Could you really walk away?”

  “It wouldn’t be easy, but if that’s what you want, I’ll do it.”

  “Then you’re stronger than me.”

  He leveled me with his gaze, as he dropped a tender kiss to my lips. I closed my eyes, caught in the wake of our kiss. Where all the others were passion filled, this one was different. His soft lips caressed mine causing my heart to ache. There was no rush, no push, only sweet truth in his actions. The truth that neither of us could fight this, even if we wanted to. When he finally broke free, he brushed his knuckles along my cheek. “Not so strong, I’m afraid.” He tapped the tip of my nose. “Now, let’s go see a man about some grub. I’m starved.”

  “What about Harper? Shouldn’t we call him? He did offer to take us to dinner.”

  “Fuck Harper.”

  “Nah. He’s not my type.”

  Liam laughed deep inside his chest. I liked the sound of his laughter. There was a sense of home about it. He touched his knuckles to my cheek. “C’mon, you silly woman. Let’s get out of here.”

  We set off to find the remainder of our staff. Liam, respecting my need for discretion, walked beside me, his hand hovering over the small of my back but never touching. He’d done this a million times before, but this time was different. We were different. And I liked it.

  I hated when our Texas trip came to an end. Liam and I had taken to meeting up in the middle of the night on the tour bus to make out. It damn near killed me every time he put on the brakes. I often felt like the man of the relationship, telling him we’d wait until he was ready, but damn if I didn’t have to take care of my lady-boner after every make-out session was over. I never quite understood the term rub one out before now, but thanks to Liam, I was d
oing a lot of rubbing.

  The hardest part of returning to DC was facing reality. On the bus, it was just us. Back home it was the campaign, constituents, and bills in constant need of our attention. Liam spent most of his time on the Hill while I busted my ass at headquarters. His lead in the polls was growing in ways we’d never anticipated. I didn’t have to come up with any kind of dirt on Keating to help him. Not that I didn’t have a stockpile on her already. The woman was the epitome of a dirty politician.

  I was pouring over the new mailers Brandy had dropped on my desk when my cell phone rang. I glanced down to find a text message from Jordyn.

  Jordyn McNeal: Where are you?

  I looked at the clock. It was half past eight. Shit! I’d lost track of time. I was supposed to have met Jordyn for dinner over an hour ago.

  Elizabeth McNeal: I’m so sorry. On my way.

  Her response came back rather quick.

  Jordyn McNeal: Not at the restaurant. Picked up pizza. See you at home.

  I collected my things and hightailed it out of the office, but not before glancing out my window at the Capitol. Liam was up there pulling some last minute votes. A smile appeared on my lips at the thought of him, but no matter how much I loved spending time with him, there was always this little nagging voice in my head telling me I was being a fool. I was too old for him and he couldn’t afford a scandal.

  That didn’t mean I listened to the voice. Much.

  An hour later, I pulled into the driveway, shocked to see two cars parked in front of my house. One was Jordyn’s little blue Volkswagen Beetle she had to have on her sixteenth birthday. The other I knew all too well from its usual spot at HQ ─ Liam’s.

  A plethora of quandaries passed through my mind all at once. From how on earth did Liam get my address to oh, God, he’s in there alone with Jordyn. No one, not even Jordyn, knew about Liam and me. It was safer that way.

  I parked my car by the curb and checked myself in the mirror. This was one of those rare days I allowed myself to dress casual for work. I donned a Vote Baxter for Senate t-shirt that the volunteers wore, jeans, and sneakers. My hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, which I quickly tugged down and combed my fingers through. I applied a fresh coat of lipstick and slipped out of the car.

  I found the front door unlocked. Once inside, I heard two voices floating from the kitchen. I dropped my briefcase at the door and padded down the hall, following the delicious aroma of pizza and the peals of laughter. My legs halted at the door of the kitchen, my chest struck at the sight before me. Liam and Jordyn sat across from each other, half eaten pizza plated in front of them, and both grinning ear to ear.

  Most women probably would’ve soared with delight over their daughter and their…whatever Liam was to me…getting along, but to me all I could think of was how natural they looked together. From the start I’d fought how I felt for him because of our age difference and now, seeing him and my child together, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

  I chewed my cuticle, watching them for a few minutes. From where I stood, I had a clear view of Jordyn’s face, and Liam’s side profile. I tried not to dwell on how strong his jaw looked with a couple of days’ worth of stubble. He must’ve been sleeping on the Hill. His shirt was fresh, but the crease in his slacks was a little flat and, lucky for me, he lacked a tie.

  “But seriously, Congressman, Pipe was phenomenal,” she gushed. “I’ve never felt such a rush.”

  “I told you, call me Liam, and yeah, I know what you mean. But you really could’ve hurt yourself during that wipe out. You’ve got to be careful.” A low chuckle rumbled from him. “As if I have any room to talk. I’ve wiped out too many times to count out there.”

  “That’s so awesome!” Jordyn sunk her teeth into her pizza. “But do me a favor, don’t tell Mom. She’ll flip out.”

  She wasn’t kidding. I was freaking at the thought of her wiping out on the Banzai Pipeline. It was one of the reasons I’d struggled letting her go to Hawaii in the first place. The other was a boy, but that was a whole other story. To know she could’ve been hurt, it took everything I had not to barge in and give her a piece of my mind.

  “I can’t make any promises,” Liam stated, picking up his slice. “If for some odd reason your mother asks me, I’ll tell her. I won’t ever lie to her.”

  “Ugh! She scares you, too. Damn you politicians. You realize she’s not God, right?”

  Liam chuckled through a mouthful. “You sound just like her.”

  “Don’t say that!” Jordyn screeched.

  Liam dropped his slice of pizza on the plate. “You should take it as a compliment. Your mother’s an amazing woman.”

  Jordyn sucked cola through a straw. “She is pretty awesome.”

  I couldn’t help but smile, but I did feel a little guilty for eavesdropping on their private conversation.

  A lull of silence ensued between them. I was about to step in when Jordyn swallowed down her bite. “You like Mom, don’t you?”

  Liam had taken a swig of the beer I assumed Jordyn had offered him. At least it wasn’t my underage daughter drinking. “Of course I do. She’s the best consultant in the business.”

  “That’s not what I mean,” Jordyn stated matter-of-factly.

  “You talk around things just like she does, too.”

  “Then let me be frank. You have feelings for my mother.”

  Damn my child and her keen senses!

  My heart rate ramped up in my chest. My palms began to sweat. I couldn’t believe that Jordyn would raise such a question. I swallowed down the thick lump that formed in my throat, hanging on what he might say next.

  Liam linked his fingers and pressed his locked knuckles to his mouth. A slight smile appeared on his full lips. “Yes.”

  There was no pretext, no subterfuge, it was simple yes. Nothing more.

  “She likes you, too, you know,” Jordyn noted.

  I damn near choked on my own spit.

  Liam leaned back in his chair, scratching his fingernail along the edge of the plate. “Has she told you that?”

  Jordyn laughed hard. “You know my mother, Liam. Do you think she’s told me anything?”

  He chewed the inside of his cheek, then joined in her laughter. “What makes you think such a thing?”

  “Because never have I seen her as happy as she’s been since you two returned from Texas.”

  “Are you sure she’s not excited that I have a hefty lead in the polls?” he joked.

  But Jordyn turned rather serious. “I know her political game face. That’s not what she’s sporting. She blushes. She giggles. My mother doesn’t giggle, and she certainly doesn’t blush.”

  Liam snorted. “God, you really are your mother’s daughter.”

  “Psh!” Jordyn motioned him off with a roll of her eyes. “Joke all you want, but I’m right.”

  “What makes you think it’s me?”

  Jordyn shoved the pizza crust in her mouth, chewing methodically. “Because” ─she swallowed down her bite─ “you’re the only man in her life besides Uncle Harper, and I know for certain it’s not him. Besides, it’s always your name she blushes over.”

  I wanted to yell out at her, I don’t blush!

  “You’re observant like she is, too.”

  Jordyn leaned forward, meeting Liam’s gaze. “That I am, and I’m warning you, if you hurt her, I’ll make it my mission in life to see your political career rank down there with Hoover or Bush.”

  “Which Bush?” Liam popped off.

  “Take your pick. They’re all shit.”

  Liam dropped his head back in laughter. “And they’re all Republicans.”

  On that note, I had to break up the little party. After I exhaled a deep, cleansing breath and plastered a polished smile on my face, I stepped into the kitchen.

  “Hey there, you two,” I chirped.

  Liam jumped up from his chair and turned to me, but Jordyn slinked down further into her seat. Her smile widened as she crossed her
arms over her chest. “Nice of you to join us,” she cooed with a wink.

  So she knew I was there. Go figure. My sneaky little girl.

  I’d taught her well.

  “Good evening, Elizabeth. I hope you don’t mind my being here. I stopped by and your lovely daughter let me in,” he rambled.

  “Actually, he was sitting outside when I got here. I felt kind of sorry for him.”

  Liam narrowed his gaze at Jordyn and I couldn’t stop the bout of laughter that bounded out of me. “I completely understand. He’s kind of like a stray puppy, isn’t he?” I teased, stepping around to the fridge and grabbing myself a beer. “You can’t help but want to rescue him.” I popped the metal cap off the bottle and took a long swig.

  Liam tucked his hands into his pockets. “Great. Two McNeal woman giving me shit. I’ve entered the ninth circle of hell.”

  “With Mom, I’d say more like the second, but what do I know of ancient texts,” Jordyn razzed.

  “Isn’t that the lust circle?” Liam probed.

  I smacked my hand over my face. Damn college kids and their literature courses. “Jordyn, how about another slice,” I interceded before she could answer.

  Jordyn popped up from her chair, giving Liam a pat on the back. “Nah. I gotta head out.” She collected her empty paper plate from the table, but I stopped her before she could dispose of it in the trash can. “Wait? You can’t leave now. I just got here.”

  She side-stepped me and deposited her plate into the trash. “That’s why I wanted to do dinner at seven. I have an exam tomorrow that I gotta study for. I’ll stop by your office afterward for lunch. Is that okay?”

  I brushed her soft red hair away from her face. She’d inherited that trait from her father’s Scottish heritage. Or at least that’s what I always assumed. “Yeah. That’s fine. I’m sorry I lost track of time at work today. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow.”

  Jordyn pulled me into a hug. “I know you will, Mom. I’ll see you tomorrow. I love you.” She pressed a kiss to my cheek and then thrust a hand at Liam. “And it was a pleasure meeting you, Congressman. You’ll be happy to know, you have my vote.”

  Liam graced her with a sweet smile and shook her hand. “I consider that a great honor.”