by Katy Evans
She’s in my veins, this girl.
Nobody would guess that I sit, watching and waiting, lifting my eyes to find her watching the screen, twirling her hair on one finger, biting her lips, sometimes looking back at me—nobody would guess how much I want every inch and piece and breath of hers.
The suite is flooded with the most integral members of my team. Carlisle of course, as well as our chief strategist, our communications director, and some field operatives.
There’s a buzz in the air. Carlisle chain-smoking, oozing tension.
And here I am, calmer than I expected, my mind divided in two equal parts: one wondering about each vote, each state, each poll result; the other fixed on the woman across the room who was in my arms only hours ago.
A part of me wants to draw her aside and say something that will appease us both, but even I know there are no such words. I’m running for the most powerful office in the land. Ironic that I can’t promise something as simple as my love to her.
My mind drifts as I imagine what I’d do if Jacobs or Gordon beat me in this election. I picture heading to the Senate, working my way back to the race, dividing my attention between work and the woman I’m obsessed with. But when I’m back in the race again, what then?
Both my mother and I lost my father the day he became president. I don’t want Charlotte to lose me. I don’t want to lose the spark in her eyes whenever she looks at me, full of admiration and respect and desire—the spark that inevitably dies when you keep hurting those who love you, even if unintentionally.
It can’t work, I tell myself. You’ve known it and you still couldn’t keep away. You still want to hold this girl and never let her go even as that’s exactly what you prepare to do with every piece of news filtering into the room.
It streams on the TV and on live podcasts some of my team members are playing on their phones.
“Matthew Hamilton’s win requires every young voter out there, every minority, every woman, to come out and vote, and the turnout has been unprecedented today . . .”
“Early returns have been astounding . . .”
“Hamilton leading in Texas. Alabama. New York. People want change and they want it now.”
“They’re saying you’ve got Ohio,” Carlisle says.
“Yeah?” I lift my eyebrow, a kick of restlessness settling in my gut. One I can’t run out of my system right now. I scan the room for Jack and whistle him over. He leaps on the couch and sets his head on my lap. I stroke his head absently as Carlisle skims through the channels, remote in one hand, cigarette in the other. He stops on one.
“That’s right, Roger, the Hamilton campaign pulled off an impressive feat this year until, well, that incident where Hamilton failed to appear and give comments on the rumors—” the anchor is saying, and I grab the remote and shut off the TV, glancing at Charlotte in silence.
It bothers me to have the media speculate about her, and today I have no patience for it.
Her crystal-blue eyes look at me and pink crawls up her sweet cheeks. There’ll be no kissing the pink away from those cheeks. And suddenly the feeling of impotence bothers me too.
The room falls silent as I toss the remote aside. Carlisle lights up another cigarette by the window, and I soon leave Jack on the couch and join him. I can almost hear the clock ticking in my head when Mark barges inside.
Tick, tock, tick, tock.
“Turnout was unprecedented,” Mark begins.
She looks at me helplessly for one second, and my eyes meet hers, the excitement in Mark’s voice crackling in the room.
“You’ve won enough states to secure the electoral college vote.”
A chorus of gasps and exclamations follow the declaration.
“Holy crap!”
“OH MY GOD!”
“Fuck, I knew it!” This last remark from Carlisle.
The second it takes my mind to process what I heard, I am with my father. He’s standing in this room wearing that proud grin he used to when he talked about me, and he’s telling Charlotte, He’s going to be president one day …
My eyes seem to have a will of their own as they slide unerringly to lock on Charlotte.
She’s looking down at her lap, with a smile on her lips and a single tear on one cheek as she stands to face me. It seems to take her a moment to fully realize what she heard too. She’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen as she wipes the tear away, leaps like a girl, and clasps her hands together. Her pulse flutters, and my mouth wants to be right on hers, I want my hands on her, I want myself in her.
She keeps a distance and allows the others to come and congratulate me first. Hugs and cheer, and claps, Carlisle booting up the TV for even more confirmation, and I look at the screen, strongly resolved to take care of what I’ve been given. America is mine.
I’m being engulfed by Carlisle, hands shaking, everyone congratulating.
“Matt! Now’s the time for champagne.”
Someone is bringing back the bottle I made them remove earlier.
Charlotte hangs back, and it isn’t until everyone in the room has had their say that she steps forward, her voice betraying nothing.
“You’re this close to being president, Matt,” she says, showing me with her little fingers.
I smile and think to myself, Not as close as I was to telling you I loved you back.
She’s the last to hug me, and when I pull her small frame into my arms, she pulls back hastily; Charlotte making sure I hugged her for the same length of time I hugged each of the others.
It’s not enough.
I hug her with my damn eyes as she lets go. She gathers her things and tucks a glorious strand of red hair behind her ear, and then walks away.
I’ve never been so aware of the price I paid for my victory.
To be continued in COMMANDER IN CHIEF…
Dear Readers
Thank you so much for picking up my new WHITE HOUSE series. Matt and Charlotte’s story consumed me from the start, and I’ve been working nonstop to bring you the sequel, COMMANDER IN CHIEF, by early next year. It’s been a fabulous experience for me, different, exciting, shining with hope and bursting with passion. I cannot wait to share the continuation of Matt and Charlotte’s fiery romance.
Thank you for your support and enthusiasm for my work.
XOXO,
Katy
Acknowledgments
I can hardly believe this book happened. I began it last year and worked on it sporadically, sometimes thinking it would be a pet project just for me. At other times, I was too consumed by it to care about what would happen. Then I finished, and was so eager to jump into Commander in Chief, that I just couldn’t keep it to myself.
This book is for Amy, who is all kinds of amazing—the best agent, advisor, and friend. I am so blessed to have her on my team, as well as all the other amazing people at the Jane Rotrosen Agency.
I also could not have done this without my family’s love and support, and so many other people who have contributed in small and big ways to supporting my writing.
Huge, huge thank yous to my editor Kelli Collins and Sue Rohan for her expertise, Gwen Hayes,
my copy editor Lisa, my proofreader Anita Saunders, and my betas Nina, Angie, Kim J., Kim K., Jenn, Monica, Mara, and CeCe.
To the fabulous Nina at Social Butterfly and the entire team at Social Butterfly PR, you ladies are truly phenomenal. Thank you for being as excited about my books as I am and for all that you do.
To Melissa, thank you for everything,
and to Gel, for the incredible support and promo material.
Thank you to my foreign publishers for translating my stories so that they can be read across the world.
To Julie at JT Formatting and my cover designer, James at Bookfly Covers, you did an amazing job!
Bloggers, I am ever so grateful for your support and enthusiasm for reading. You always make my day when you choose to share and promote my work from among so many other amazing stories to share,
read, and review. Thank you!
And to my readers. You are always in the back of my mind, every time I’m writing. I get to parts that make me smile, or do other little things to me, and I think to myself, “I wonder if they’ll feel this, just like this.” It is always my aim for you to, so I am always grateful to be given the chance to coax you into my world.
Thank you for your support and your love. Thank you to everyone who picked up, shared, and read this book.
Katy
About the Author
New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Katy Evans is the author of the Real and Manwhore series. She lives with her husband, two kids, and their beloved dogs. To find out more about her or her books, visit her pages. She’d love to hear from you.
Website: www.katyevans.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKatyEvans
Twitter: @authorkatyevans
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Also by Katy Evans
Real series:
REAL
MINE
REMY
ROGUE
RIPPED
LEGEND
Manwhore series:
MANWHORE
MANWHORE +1
MS. MANWHORE
LADIES MAN
Upcoming releases:
WOMANIZER - 12/5/2016
COMMANDER IN CHIEF - 1/11/2017
All rights reserved.
This is a work of fiction. The names, characters, incidents, and places are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental.
The author acknowledges the trademark status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent from the publisher, except in the instance of quotes for reviews.
Copyright © 2016 by Katy Evans
Cover design by James T. Egan, www.bookflydesign.com
Interior formatting by JT Formatting
ISBN-13: 978-0-9972636-3-3
ISBN-13: 978-1539407140 (print)