“I want you again,” Jameson said. She moved to taste Candace again with abandon.
Candace gave herself over to Jameson. She wanted Jameson to take her. She wanted to lose all control, all hope of conscious thought. She needed to escape—to feel, to be reminded that there was one place she could fall away completely—Jameson. She moved against Jameson’s hand until her body erupted again, quaking against her will, loving every delicious moment of the fall.
Jameson slowed her pace. She waited to ascend Candace’s body until she felt Candace’s quaking give way to faint tremors. Lovingly, she kissed her way back to Candace’s lips. “I love you so much,” she whispered.
Candace brushed the hair from Jameson’s eyes. “I know, Jameson. I know you do.”
“I missed you.”
“I missed you too,” Candace replied. She kissed Jameson sweetly. Her hand dropped between them. She smiled at the warmth between Jameson’s legs.
“Candace, it’s okay…”
“I need to feel you, Jameson—right now.”
Jameson’s forehead fell against Candace’s. She was positive that the moment Candace began to touch her, she would erupt like Mt. Vesuvius—without warning.
Candace smiled. She’d felt the evidence of Jameson’s arousal pressed against her. And, she sensed her wife’s desperation as Jameson attempted to grind against her. “Not so fast,” she said.
Jameson groaned in frustration.
“I want you to feel you, Jameson. I want to feel you let go of everything.”
Jameson closed her eyes.
“You know what I want?” Candace asked.
Jameson did know. Candace loved to hear Jameson voice her desires. She had no intention of relenting immediately. She loved to hear Candace talk, to have Candace solicit those desires from her.
Candace forced herself not to chuckle. She knew Jameson’s game. She knew exactly what Jameson wanted, and she had every intention of giving it to her. “Tell me,” Candace said. She kissed Jameson’s lips. “Tell me what you want.”
“You.”
“Mm. You have me.” Candace sucked on Jameson’s earlobe. “Do you want to know how you make me feel?”
Jameson sucked in a ragged breath.
“You do. I know you do, Jameson.”
“Please.”
“Please what?”
“Tell me.”
“You tell me what you want right now, and I’ll tell you how you make me feel.”
Jameson panted.
“Tell me,” Candace ordered.
“I want to feel you inside me.”
Candace thrust deeply into Jameson, soliciting a sigh. “Like that?”
“Yes.”
“Mm.” Candace kissed Jameson passionately and moved in and out of her repeatedly. “I love the way you touch me,” she said. “The way your lips slip over my skin.”
“Oh, God,” Jameson croaked.
Candace’s eyes sparkled. She loved to watch Jameson fall away. “What do you want?”
“You. I swear, I want you again right now.”
Candace chuckled. She had no doubt that Jameson was being honest. She moved to straddle Jameson’s hips and dropped her breasts just above Jameson’s lips.
Jameson arched her back, desperately wanting to claim the prize Candace was offering.
Candace pulled back slightly. “Tell me, Jameson.”
“Please, please let me touch you,” Jameson begged.
“That’s what you want?”
“Yes. I want to hear what you want,” Jameson said.
“What if I show you instead?” Candace lowered herself. She gasped when Jameson sucked a nipple into her mouth. She pulled back and kissed Jameson’s forehead. “I want you right now,” Candace said. Without another word, Candace’s body glided down Jameson’s. She bent Jameson’s knee and held it in place with one hand. Her tongue bathed Jameson’s center in long, leisurely strokes until Jameson began to writhe beneath her.
“Candace, please… Please…”
Candace answered Jameson’s plea happily. She understood Jameson’s heart and her body. Jameson had been dangling on the edge of oblivion for what felt like hours to Candace. It was easy for Candace to understand. Nothing would ever arouse Candace more than making love to Jameson, not even Jameson touching her. That was their shared reality, a reality that made these moments together more than erotic. Love always took control of lust in the end. It left Candace with a feeling of awe and completion. She pulled Jameson closer as the first waves of pleasure began to thunder through Jameson’s body. She loved making love with Jameson. God, how she had missed it.
Once Jameson’s trembling subsided, Candace moved to kiss her tenderly. “I did miss you, Jameson. I missed you so much.” She collapsed onto Jameson’s chest, content to lie on the cold tile in the warmth of Jameson’s arms. She lifted her head when she heard Jameson chuckle. “What are you laughing about?”
“Nothing.”
Candace’s brow arched into her hairline.
“Okay. It just hit me that I just seduced the next president in a hotel bathroom.”
Candace laughed. “No one can say we aren’t classy.”
“On that note, what do you say we re-fill that bathtub?”
“Are you suggesting we are dirty?”
Jameson shrugged. “The floor’s cold.”
“I see. That’s your reason, huh?”
“One of them.”
Candace grinned. Something tells me this is going to be a long night.
CHAPTER SIX
“Where are we going?” Cooper asked.
“We’re going with Mommy to a rally, buddy,” Jameson explained.
Cooper shrugged and spooned some cereal into his mouth.
“Good morning, sweetheart.” Candace kissed the top of Cooper’s head.
Jameson handed Candace a cup of coffee and received a delicate kiss as thanks.
“Do I look like I need this?” Candace asked playfully.
“I’m on my third,” Jameson replied.
“Momma said since there’s no rest for the weary, God made coffee,” Cooper offered.
Candace shook her head. “Lunatic.”
“I assume that was Glenn who called at the crack of dawn?”
“How’d you guess?” Candace sipped her coffee gratefully. “This is almost as good as…”
“Don’t say it,” Jameson chuckled.
“What did you think I was going to say?” Candace asked.
“Sleep?”
“I’m sure.”
“Ready for today?” Jameson wondered.
“I think so. It’ll be interesting to see the reaction.”
“It’s not like this is the first time you and Ellison have appeared together.”
“True, but as running mates? It’s a completely different ballgame.”
Jameson waved off the notion. “Two attractive, successful people with incredibly good-looking families? What’s not to like?”
Candace laughed. “I’ll at least agree to the latter part of that statement.” She sighed and took another sip of her coffee.
“Let me guess; you have some calls to make.”
Candace’s smile was laced with regret and apology.
Jameson kissed Candace’s cheek. “No worries,” she promised. “I promised Coop we could watch some Scooby Doo before we have to leave.”
“Uh-huh.”
“What?”
“I’m sure Cooper appreciates how difficult that will be for you.”
Jameson rolled her eyes. “You finished, buddy?”
Cooper wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Yep! Mommy, you want to watch Scooby with us?”
“I will try and sneak in for a few minutes.”
“’Kay!” Cooper scampered off to his room.
“Are you sure you don’t want to come with me to Arizona?” Candace asked.
“I want to,” Jameson said. “I do. Candace, I do. I promised Jonah I would look at t
his new contract he landed. Cooper…”
“I know.”
“We both would rather be with you,” Jameson said. “It’s only for a couple of days.”
“Actually…”
Jameson waited for the shoe to drop.
Candace grinned. Jameson clearly expected her to deliver the news that she would be away longer than expected. “Actually, I’m planning on meeting you in Illinois Friday night.”
“I was planning on coming home Friday night.”
“I know. Your mom is going to make the trip with me and Cooper. I’m having dinner with Jane. I thought maybe we could take Cooper to see the Cubs play.”
“Uh-huh. Don’t you need to plan ahead for that?”
“Already taken care of. I rented a suite. Marianne and Scott are flying in Saturday morning to join us. Dana and Steve will be there with the boys too.”
“Dana and Steve? Let me guess; they’re playing The Mets.”
“Maybe.”
“Ah, the master plan comes into focus. Sneaky, Governor.”
Candace shrugged. “Not sneakier than you convincing our son watching Scooby Doo is all about him.”
“Don’t you have a call to make?” Jameson asked.
Candace laughed. “I’ll catch up with you in a bit, Shaggy.”
“Shaggy? I’d say I’m more like Fred.”
“Uh-huh.” Candace strolled out of the room.
“Shaggy? Who’s she calling shaggy?”
Candace poked her head back around the corner. She gestured to the box of cookies already in Jameson’s hand.
“What?” Jameson asked. “You can’t watch Scooby without snacks.”
“Just make sure you and Cooper go easy on the Scooby Snacks. It’s only 8:00 A.M. I don’t need either of you wired on sugar today.”
“Ha-ha.”
“I wasn’t kidding.”
“Go do president things, will you?”
Candace chuckled and walked away.
Jameson looked at the box of cookies in her hand and frowned. She shrugged, reached inside and popped one in her mouth. She sighed again, rolled her eyes, and placed the box on the counter. I hate it when she’s right.
***
“Is she here yet?” Nate Ellison asked.
“About five minutes out.”
Ellison took a deep breath and blew it out nervously.
“Are you nervous about seeing Candace?”
Ellison looked at his assistant. John Deaver had been an intern on his senatorial campaign. He admired the young man’s intelligence and political aptitude. Deaver was inexperienced when it came to presidential politics. In truth, so was Ellison. Nate Ellison gave his assistant a smile. “I’m not nervous about seeing Candace. She’s not Candace today, John. She’s the party’s candidate for president. In a few months, she may be the most powerful person in the world.”
“When you put it that way.”
“Governor Reid’s car just pulled up,” a man called into the room.
“I’ll get Janine and the kids,” Deaver offered.
Ellison took a few deep breaths. He’d shared a stage with Candace Reid a few times. While his star may have been considered as a rising one, hers had always eclipsed his. He imagined that would always be the case. He’d been genuinely surprised when she’d called to inform him that she wanted him to join the ticket. Like most people, Deaver had assumed his vetting had been done purely for the masses; a name that would conjure interest and discussion without ever being thrown into serious consideration. He replayed Candace’s call as he waited for her arrival.
“Governor Reid.”
“Drop the formality, Nate. If we’re going to work together, I think we should be on a first name basis.”
Silence hovered.
Candace laughed. “Not what you expected me to say?”
“I..”
“I’ve spent more hours than I care to count weighing my options,” Candace said.
Ellison had no doubt that was true. He’d participated in two lengthy face to face meetings with the governor and several phone conversations. “I can imagine.”
“I need someone who balances me—not the way the politicos have been chattering endlessly about for the last month. I need someone who will challenge me, but who respects that the decisions ultimately lie with me. And, I need someone who wants to take on more than diplomatic pleasantries. The vice presidency shouldn’t be a slot filled to bolster votes. At least, it shouldn’t be that alone. God forbid anything were to happen to me, I need a partner who can lead seamlessly. I think you’re that partner, Nate. That is, if you are still interested in the job.”
“I’d be honored.”
“Don’t be honored, be honest.”
“Understood.”
“I want you to be sure,” Candace said. “The pace will change. It isn’t easy. Frankly, this campaign is exhausting. You have two young children. Also, a benefit from my perspective, but a challenge as a parent. You won’t be under a telescope anymore. You’ll be under a microscope—so, will your family.”
“That’s your sales pitch?” Ellison joked.
“I don’t have any desire to sell this job to anyone who doesn’t want it. One thing you will learn about me, Nate, I can blow smoke up the asses of the windbags we know and love with the best of them. I don’t bullshit my team.”
“In that case, where do I sign up?”
Ellison felt a hand on his back. He turned and smiled at his wife. “Ready?” he asked.
“I’m so proud of you,” Janine Ellison said.
“Let’s hope I can help her deliver this election.”
“You will.”
“She’s on her way in,” Deaver said.
Ellison took another deep breath.
“You’ll be great,” Janine encouraged her husband.
Candace entered the small banquet room that had been reserved for their luncheon with a smile. She was aware that her presence had the power to both excite and unnerve people. She headed directly for Ellison. “Well, Senator, you ready to go win an election?” she asked.
“Absolutely, Governor.”
Candace winked. “It’s good to see you, Nate.” She took Janine Ellison into an embrace. “How are you, Janine?”
“Proud of this guy.”
“You should be,” Candace said. She beckoned Jameson and Cooper closer. “You remember my wife, Jameson?”
“Of course,” Ellison extended his hand.
“JD,” Jameson said. “There are only two people on the planet who call me Jameson when I’m not in trouble.”
“It is your name, isn’t it?” Candace quipped.
“Yes, it is,” Jameson agreed.
“And, this is our youngest, Cooper,” Candace took hold of Cooper’s hand. He offered the group a shy wave.
“Cooper,” Ellison offered his hand. Cooper looked at Candace for permission. She winked at him, and he grasped the senator’s hand. “Your mother tells me you love trains,” Ellison said.
“Yep,” Cooper agreed. “But Momma thinks I’m a fish.”
“He loves the water,” Jameson explained.
“So, do ours,” Janine replied. She gestured to her two boys. “This is Derek, and this,” she shuttled her younger son in front of her, “is Grayson.”
“It’s nice to see you again Derek—and Grayson.” Candace shook each boy’s hand. “You might not remember me.”
“You’re on TV,” Grayson offered innocently.
Candace chuckled. “Once in a while.” She gestured to the room behind them. “Why don’t we all go have a seat before the horde arrives.”
“Horde?” Janine whispered to Jameson.
“That’s what she calls the press,” Jameson explained.
Janine nodded.
“How are you doing with all this?” Jameson asked Ellison’s wife.
“To tell you the truth, I’m not sure what to expect.”
“The unexpected,” Jameson chimed.
Jan
ine laughed. Jameson put her immediately at ease. She looked ahead to find both her boys regaling Candace and Cooper with a story. Cooper was grinning while he clasped his mother’s hand. Candace seemed fully engaged and attentive to the story she was being told.
“The boys like her.”
“Most people do once they meet her,” Jameson said.
Janine smiled. “Somehow, I don’t doubt that, JD.”
***
One thing Jameson never tired of was watching Candace address a crowd. She stood just off stage with Janine and the boys, watching as Candace and Nate Ellison walked onto stage to the boisterous cheers of the crowd. She glanced over at Janine and chuckled. “Not like most of the rallies you’ve been to.”
“Not really.”
“The good news is they love her here.”
“The bad news?” Janine asked.
Jameson turned back to the stage. People in the public either adored Candace or they loathed her. It remained a difficult fact for Jameson to understand. Jameson had told Janine Ellison the truth earlier that day. People who had the chance to meet Candace or talk with her almost always ended up in her corner. Not everyone desired to take the time to interact with Candace Reid. There were some people—more than Jameson cared to admit who had a visceral aversion to Candace as both a candidate and as a person. Jameson would never grasp that. She could easily understand disagreeing with Candace’s policies. There were times she disagreed with her wife on issues both at home and in politics. But Jameson knew that Candace made her decisions based on what she thought would benefit the most people. The people in this arena felt that from their candidate. Jameson reveled in watching Candace soar. She also knew that on the other side of the walls protestors would be holding signs spouting vile rhetoric and hateful names about the woman she loved. Strange reality.
“Hello, Nevada!” Candace called out.
As if on cue the crowd called back. “Hello, Candace!”
Jameson grinned. Somewhere along the campaign trail, the crowds had adopted the process of returning Candace’s greeting. It had become a hallmark of every rally. She listened as Candace began to speak.
“You know, I had a lot of names thrown at me over the last few months. I talked to some of the smartest and most experienced people we have as leaders today. I kept asking myself one question: Who will make me a better president? The answer I came up with time and again was Nate Ellison.”
Election Day (By Design Book 10) Page 11