“Wow, I’m impressed. I can’t say that I understand this new you, but I like it. You killed it today, by the way.”
“Thanks, I really enjoyed doing it too. Do you know what a huge impact this could have for the state if it works?”
“Hell, not just the state, but the whole country. An initiative to get youth off the streets and into a better pattern is awesome.”
“Let’s just hope this first one gets off the ground.”
“Have a little faith. Today was just the first step. You’ve got a dozen more events lined up in the next few weeks. There are big things coming your way.”
I grinned. “Hey, it’s not all me. You are the one who set everything up, the security, advertising, pushing the funding through, that wasn’t me. I’m just the face for the crowd.”
“I call bullshit, but I’ll take most of the credit. I guess I got the brains and the looks,” Declan said.
Reaching across the back seat, I punched him in the arm, nearly spilling his drink as we both laughed. I had enjoyed spending the extra time with him. We were bonding in a way I didn’t think was possible. If only my father would accept Declan’s role in my future as easily, everything would be perfect; at least politically.
As it was, he still held a grudge against my brother. Despite my best attempts, my father refused to believe that I’d come to love Audrey of my own free volition. Declan didn’t help the situation, seeing no reason to repair the fractured relationship with the president. He was content to live his life and make a mark on the world separately from my father’s legacy.
While I held true to the same ideals, I knew it was easier to climb the political ladder when your father was the president, and you had his support. I didn’t want him to do anything for me, nor did I allow him to use his clout to help me in any way. Yet his friends and the public knew that we had similar goals, if not very different personal lives. I wasn’t ready for the day when the people started asking me about Audrey.
14
Kylan
“You look rather displeased,” I said.
She glared at me. “How long were you sitting on that bench this morning?”
“Come now, princess, I don’t think you’re in any place to be demanding answers.”
“Don’t call me that. How long were you watching me?”
“It’s my job to watch you,” I reminded her.
Audrey leaned forward, the delicate pout of her lips enough to drive a man insane. I wanted to take her chin between my fingers and kiss away what remained of her lipstick. She didn’t need to know how long I’d been watching her and Declan, sitting there unable to move as he thrust into her like a wild animal. I’d never seen such passion before. I craved it from the moment I saw them.
“I think you like to watch,” Audrey whispered.
“Oh, really? I think this line of questioning is over. Your mother will be back in a few hours. Until then, we can go over the itinerary for the next stop and what is expected of you again.”
“Oh Jesus, haven’t I already shown you that I work much better without the threats? You said I could see Declan today.”
“And you said you’d make it discreet. If I was able to watch that show, anyone walking by could have.”
“But you knew they wouldn’t.” Audrey grinned. “You had your men crawling all over the place. There wasn’t a student or staff member anywhere in sight. Or didn’t you think I’d notice that?”
I leaned forward, the small hotel table barely enough to keep us apart. If I leaned just a little further, I could taste her sweet breath. Would she let me? I saw the desire in her eyes, but it wasn’t the first time I’d seen that look. I’d done my research on her. Audrey liked to be watched. I was playing a dangerous game.
“Tell me, if you knew I was watching, why didn’t you stop?” I asked.
“If you didn’t notice, I was a little preoccupied. It was a fleeting glance.” Audrey shrugged.
“I don’t think so,” I whispered. “I saw the way you looked at me when he was inside of you.”
Her mouth parted. “You really do have a dirty side, don’t you, Mr. Klaus?”
“Princess, you don’t know the first thing about me. I’ll tell you this though, next time I won’t stop the locals from walking past. You might like it when I watch, but I don’t think you want everyone else watching.”
“What makes you think I want you watching?”
I leaned forward, my lips brushing against her ear. “I saw your eyes, princess. You and I both know the second you knew I was watching that tight little pussy of yours started dripping a little more. Maybe next time, I won’t just stand by and watch, but I’ll be damned if your little heats are going to ruin this job. Tell me you don’t like it, and I’ll stop.”
The only sound that hung in the air came from outside the towering hotel penthouse. Her racing heart did little to help as she held her breath. I moved away from her, longing to kiss her the nape of her neck just once. Yet the anticipation and longing excited every bone in my body. Audrey’s proximity alone made my cock hard. Her silence made my heart pound. The unspoken answer lingered between us.
“Hey, kids!” Derek called out.
We both jumped as I spun around to face him. “How was your tour of the campus?”
Derek grinned. “It was good. I like this place, but I want to see what the other cities have to offer.”
“You mean the ones further away from Washington?” Audrey asked.
He laughed. “That’s exactly what I mean. What about you two? How was your afternoon? Anything interesting happening?”
I looked at Audrey. Her cheeks flushed red as she shook her head. “Nope, nothing unusual. I went for a walk, Kylan crept around like a stalker. Another typical afternoon.”
“Really?” Derek asked. “Well, that’s great news then.”
“You sound like you were expecting something bad to have happened,” I said.
“Oh, no,” he stammered. “Not at all. I just can’t believe how well you two are getting along here recently. It just makes me happy that you aren’t at each other’s throats anymore. We still have a crazy person out there taking pictures.”
“I don’t think any of us can forget about that,” Audrey muttered. “I don’t want to talk about it right now though, it’s been a long enough day.”
“Oh, I bet, I have to do this lame meet and greet for my father in a few hours at the college, but I want to hear all about it when we can get some alone time,” Derek said.
I chuckled. “I can take a hint; why don’t you stay for a while and catch up with Audrey? I was just getting ready to leave anyway. I need to freshen up before dinner.”
“Really?” they asked in unison.
“Really. Is it so surprising that I’d want to have a few minutes alone?”
“Of course not. It’s just surprising that you’d give me those same few peaceful minutes without you,” Audrey said.
“Princess, I’m always watching.” I gave her a grin and headed for the door.
I knew she wasn’t going to tell Derek about what had happened earlier that afternoon. At least I was sure she would keep my voyeurism tastes a secret. Everything else was a different story. Audrey liked that I watched her. I had to keep my head in the game. Making my way into the adjacent suite, I quickly jumped onto a video conference with my sister. She appeared a little out of sorts, though the wine glass sitting next to her promptly pointed to why.
“You look like you’ve started celebrating early. Is it too optimistic to think things are going well there?”
She rolled her eyes. “God, you are dramatic sometimes. We’ve had a minor setback, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Please don’t tell me he’s a political oaf? I had such high hopes for him. Granted, the president has several speechwriters.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. It’s even worse. I made a move on him, and he completely shut me down. Now I look like an idiot, and we know he’s got real fe
elings for that stupid little brat. Please tell me you are at least making some progress on your end.”
My heart pounded. “There isn’t much to update. We’ve really just been focused on the campaign since we left Washington.”
“Are you kidding me? We are running out of time to bring down the Hartley brothers.”
“That isn’t the job, and you know it. Taking them down was just a fun side project if it could be done without repercussions, but their lives are intertwined with Audrey’s, so I think you should back off Dakota.”
“Seriously?” Molly hissed. “One second, you want me to throw myself at them, and the next, you are telling me to go cold? Maybe I was wrong to think you were ready for this.”
“I said to back off Dakota. The second Declan got back, he made my threat to Dakota clear. He’s not jetting off, right?”
“Well, no. The guards are with them at their favorite Italian place right now.”
“He’s no longer a threat. You did your job, albeit not how I thought it would happen but still, Dakota is not making a move.”
“And what about Audrey? Have you got her under control yet?” Molly snapped.
“I’m working on it.”
“Well, work faster. If you want to go down in the political hall of fame for saving not only the face of the VP's daughter but the future president, you need to get them split up.”
“Divide and conquer. Keep playing nice with Dakota. They are smart, so move slow, got it? Be his friend but aim for Declan. You don’t have a history with him, so you may fair better this time.”
“God, you sound like dad sometimes,” Molly muttered. “Please tell me you aren’t falling for that little trollop.”
“Of course not. Unlike you, I know how to keep my emotions out of it.”
“What emotions?”
“Oh, shut up. Listen, I need to go. The vice president has a ton of appointments, and it’s a circus trying to keep tabs on Audrey.”
“I thought that’s why you brought along Derek? Befriend him and get him on your side.”
“There are a lot of pokers in the fire over here right now. Just take care of things there and check in with me when you need, okay?”
“Whatever,” she grumbled.
Before I could say anything, she ended the call. Working with family was a pain in the ass at times. I chuckled at the image of Dakota Hartley rejecting my sister. It rarely happened to her. I didn’t tell her how much it worried me, though, that Dakota didn’t take the bait. Maybe a different woman would work. Plus, while his absence was a good thing for the moment, it showed that he respected Audrey enough to do as she asked.
The complicated relationships that were in play nearly gave me a migraine. I was just about to take off the edge with an early evening shot when someone knocked on my door. To my surprise, I found Derek waiting on the other side. He hadn’t sought me out since the trip started. It was the moment I’d been waiting for as we sat down in the petite sitting room.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
He nodded. “I know you and Audrey struck up some kind of deal so she could see Declan. There isn’t much that she keeps from me.”
“Okay then, what do you need?”
“It’s not what I need. It’s what Audrey needs. She cares about both of my brothers, and I know it, but you do something to her.”
My heart pounded. “What are you talking about? She can barely stand me.”
“Oh, please, I see the way she looks at you. She wants you to take control and lead her. For someone as headstrong and independent as she is, that’s a struggle. Even when she knows she’s in the wrong, it’s a fight for her.”
“I’m not sure what you are getting at here.”
“You have a way of pointing her in the right direction, so I’m going to do you a favor and let you in on a little secret. You aren’t going to tear the three of them apart, but there may well be room for you in that fold as well.”
“I assure you; I have no desire to –”
“Save it, buddy. I might not be as old as you are, but I know that look in a man’s eyes. You aren’t going to win this argument with me, so don’t waste my time. Before you decide to try and split up a tripod that’s built on a solid foundation, try looking at how you could benefit from it instead.”
“I –”
Derek raised his hands, darting back out of my room as quickly as he had appeared. I was left with my mouth gaping open, still too stunned to speak as the door closed behind him. For someone so young, he seemed to be wise beyond his years. I had to give him that. Yet he was wrong. I didn’t want to be a part of their twisted little love affair just because I was attracted to Audrey. It was a passing fancy that could be fucked away with the first willing woman I met.
I didn’t have the time to think about what he’d said before the vice president’s motorcade pulled up outside the hotel ahead of schedule and I was once again diving into action. My first priority was her and the potential damage to her reputation. Nothing could distract me from that goal, not even the lingering fantasy of taking Audrey alongside the Hartley brothers.
15
Audrey
“You seem to be enjoying yourself on the trip,” my mother said.
“Honestly, I really am. I think I needed this. We both did. It’s been a blast having Derek with me too.”
“It was nice of Kylan to make that happen. I hope you’ve told him thanks for that. He seems like a nice guy.”
“Please don’t tell me you are trying to play matchmaker. Kylan’s great, but I’m perfectly happy with where I’m at in life right now.”
“Alright,” she muttered. “I won’t press the issue. You really do seem happy out here though, it eases my soul some.”
“Good, if I can make your burden a little lighter, then I’m happy to be here with you. How is the campaign going?”
“We are getting a lot of support; I have a feeling that’s because of the active role you’ve taken on with things. Young women all over are going to start looking up to you.”
“Hopefully, I can be worthy of that honor.”
We both fell silent as the waiter appeared with our drinks. In earnest, I hadn’t been able to get Kylan or the morning's events out of my mind. We would move on to the next stop in the morning, and the close quarters of our flight would force me to interact with Kylan. A shudder coursed through my body as I thought about his eyes on me. Maybe I would wear a dress and spread my legs just a little bit too wide. He did something to me that I couldn’t ignore, nor did I want to.
“You seem like you’re a million miles away. Do you want to talk about it?” she asked.
“No, not really. I was just thinking about our next stop. Maybe Derek will find his dream college in South Carolina.”
She chuckled. “I don’t think he’s going to find one he likes in the United States at all. Poor kid, I’m happy he came with us on this trip. He needed to get away from that family.”
“I think we all needed to get away from there,” I agreed.
“Crap,” she muttered. “The dean of the university just walked in and noticed us. If I don’t go and tell him hello, I’ll never hear the end of it.”
I giggled. “Do you want me to go instead? You can make a fake call and slip away.”
“Thank you for your sacrifice, my dear girl, but I’ll take this bullet. Why don’t you get our food boxed up, and we can ditch this place for some black and white movies back at the hotel?”
“I like the sound of that.”
Within five minutes, I had our food ready to go. After promising the owner the food was delicious, and our departure was not a reflection of the service, I posed for a picture with him and scurried out to the car to wait on my mother. With the few minutes of peace that I had, I slipped out the burner phone and quickly checked my messages. The single number that wasn’t programmed in my phone appeared—the words from my stalker sending a chill through my spine.
Did you miss me? I
missed you.
My fingers worked frantically to reply.
Me: Leave me alone, David.
That idiot can’t wipe his own ass. Strike one, Princess.
I could barely breathe. The only person who called me princess was Kylan. My hands shook as an image downloaded. The picture was of Kylan and me, his mouth just inches from mine as we gazed at each other. The photo was taken earlier that day when Kylan had tormented me with his words. Our mutual desire was evident in the photograph, captured from a building across the road. While it didn’t seem as damning as the other pictures, it struck an unmatched fear in my heart.
Me: Who the fuck are you?
You’ve got three days.
Me: Three days for what?
Three days to get me a better shot than this. I want action.
My stomach lurched.
Me: I won’t cheat on the brothers.
Then you won’t have them at all. If you haven’t seduced your new flame in three days, all the images go public.
Me: You can’t do this to me.
I can do whatever I want to you. Strike two.
Me: What happens when you get to three?
Let’s find out. Don’t forget, you tell anyone, and you’ll regret it.
“Oh god,” I whispered.
The door opened, and my mother slid in. “You okay?”
I nodded. “Yeah, I shouldn’t have had the wine with dinner. It hit me like a brick wall.”
“Uh oh, you’ll learn to watch stuff like that on the road. A single glass can give you jetlag. You just need a good night’s rest.”
“You’re probably right. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be a party pooper.”
“Don’t be silly. I still have a few tweaks to make to my speech tomorrow. You get to your room and get some rest.”
Wicked Dynasty: The Untouchables | Book Two Page 9