Conscience (The Bellator Saga Book 2) (30 page)

She laughed. “No, I just wanted to meet her. Commiserate. Gossip. Complain. You know.”

Hendricks smiled back at her. “You can do that after you hear my acceptance speech. By the way, Lorenzo is here. I believe he’d like to speak with you both.”

Caroline tried to school her features. One of her biggest concerns about voting for Hendricks: his newly selected running mate. Senator Santos was not on the list of people she wanted to encounter during the convention.

Jack squeezed her hand. “That would be great,” he said.

She glared at him as Hendricks went to track Santos down. “I do not want to talk to that man,” she whispered.

“It’s only for a few minutes,” Jack said.

Representative Gerard and Senator Santos had encountered each other very few times during the time they served in Congress together. He was too brash, even with members of his own party. Caroline didn’t waste her time on those who were unable to play nice with others. It wasn’t even necessarily his political ideology, which seemed to be typical conservatism sprinkled with hypocritical faux libertarianism. She had plenty of friends who were devout in their faith, consistent in their ideals, and committed to a robust, classically conservative agenda.

It was how he expressed himself – as if no one else in the world were as smart, as gifted, as worthy of respect. The way he seemed to always be hiding something, his words glossing over what he was really trying to say. Santos was an expert panderer, able to make the most banal statement sound profound.

During his first Senate campaign, he curried favor with some very questionable, borderline radical groups. Not an unusual move, especially in states where the ultraconservatives controlled the primary process. But these groups had gone beyond typical party politics, even beyond most grassroots movements.

One of them wanted to re-criminalize sodomy and overturn
Lawrence v. Texas
, and believed that Christianity should be the national religion. Another supported the sterilization of citizens on public assistance. A third seemed a little too avid about emphasizing the merits of the South’s ideological positioning during the Civil War. Santos claimed to disavow every controversial and unconstitutional position they held, but Caroline didn’t believe him. Others accepted his explanation and welcomed him with open arms. Hers was a minority opinion, one she usually kept to herself. The very moderate Hendricks selected him to placate the evangelical and conservative wings of the GOP but the decision rubbed Caroline the wrong way.

Fortunately Governor Hendricks was relatively young and healthy. She didn’t want to imagine what would happen if Santos became president. Caroline pulled a chair out from behind a nearby table and sat down, tempted to sulk. This was not how she thought their meeting would go. She should have known better.

She had to stand up again immediately when Governor Hendricks returned with the vice presidential nominee. He shook Jack’s hand first, then turned to her. His eyes were dark. Very dark. As if there were just one giant pupil with no iris for contrast. Like something out of a horror movie. It creeped Caroline the fuck out. A petty observation, but part of the whole unsettling package.

“Ms. Gerard,” he said, extending his hand.

Oh, for God’s sake. She bit back the words she wanted to say, deciding to behave herself. “It’s Caroline.” Maybe she could be charming. “You know that.”

He seemed insulted by her amiable admonishment. “Of course.”

Political small talk was excruciating, especially when you were surrounded by people with whom you disagreed, but Caroline managed to slog through the next twenty minutes. Hendricks was a strong, qualified candidate yet he let Santos dominate much of the conversation, which was not the way to Caroline’s voting heart. She remained mostly silent until Santos made a comment about a series of possible constitutional amendments, including one defining marriage as between a man and a woman. She couldn’t let that slide.

“Governor Hendricks has never made that part of his platform,” she said, turning to the older man. “Have you?”

He looked uncomfortable. “I haven’t. But we do what the people want.”

“It’s a non-issue. The judiciary has already resolved it. And polls have consistently shown the vast majority of Americans in favor of marriage equality.”

“Interesting phrase,” Santos said. “Not everyone has an equal right to be married. It isn’t a civil right.”

“It is when you confer certain social and economic benefits along with it. Sacramental and civil marriage are not the same thing. A contract with the state should not be discriminatory in nature, and the courts have ruled as such.”

“The courts were wrong.”

Ah, some enlightenment as to his appreciation of the judicial branch. “So you’ve decided the best way to express your disagreement is to amend the Constitution? Because the Supreme Court made a decision contrary to your personal beliefs? Isn’t that a backwards approach to representative government in a republic?”

Santos turned to Jack. “Seems like your wife misses the bully pulpit a little.”

Could he be any more condescending? He didn’t even have the guts to speak to her directly. “One doesn’t need to be in a position of power in order to have an opinion on something.”

“I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”

The hell he didn’t. He didn’t like strong women. He’d made enough snide comments about female candidates from both parties to make the veracity of his statement questionable at best. Jack and Hendricks were standing back, willing to let them duke it out. Jack loved watching her get self-righteous. Hendricks always relished a good political battle, and appeared to enjoy her unwillingness to back down.

“If you have to amend the constitution just to implement your platform, doesn’t that say something about the constitutionality of your agenda?” Caroline asked Santos. “Doesn’t it seem contrary to the Rule of Law and two hundred years of precedent to amend timeless documents on a whim in order to suit a temporary goal? Wouldn’t it make more sense to embrace change, welcome compromise, perhaps even realize that, in fact, you may need to adjust your worldview?”

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Jack hiding a smile behind his hand. She’d aimed well.

Santos crossed his arms over his chest. “I just think it’s time for this nation to return to traditional Christian values.”

“And whose values are those?” Caroline asked. “The deists who founded this nation, the Puritans who came over on the Mayflower, or the modern Pharisees who seem hell bent on misinterpreting the words of Jesus?”

When Santos spoke again, his face was red. She’d pissed him off. “I see you still have all your secular liberal talking points.”

“I’m Catholic,” she reminded him. “A desire for social justice influences all my talking points.”

“Ah yes, a Catholic of the cafeteria variety, picking and choosing the bits of doctrine that suit your needs. I assume you’re also opposed to any constitutional amendments regarding abortion, or have you decided to be consistent and stop supporting that barbaric practice?”

So help them all if he started talking about slut pills. Caroline dug her stiletto heel into the toe of Jack’s shoe and he jumped.

“We should probably get going,” he said. “I do have a speech to practice.”

They said their goodbyes. Caroline practically scampered out of the room, grateful for an escape. She should have done the shoe trick when they first got in there, but she didn’t like to interrupt her husband’s opportunities to mingle with party leaders.

Jack put his arm around her as they headed down the hallway. “Thank you for almost breaking my foot.”

He wasn’t even limping, but she’d probably have to apologize later. “You owe me
so hard
,” she said. “I don’t like that guy.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell.”

“He’s a jerk.”

“He’s my party’s vice presidential candidate.”

“God help us.”

“Are you still considering voting for Hendricks?”

“Yes.” It was a testament to the weakness of the incumbent that she could say that with a straight face and mean it. “Can we get out of here for a little bit?”

“Sure.” Jack paused. “Do you think Santos hurts or helps Hendricks?”

“Depends on who shows up at the polls, I guess. If the Dems don’t mobilize the base, they’re gone for sure.”

“Come on,” he said. “I’ll give you a back rub when we get back to the hotel.”

She let her arm slip around his waist. “Let’s go.”

*              *              *              *              *

Her analysis had been simplistic, but two months later, Caroline was proven correct. She hadn’t been able to hold her nose and vote for Hendricks; the idea of Santos being anywhere near the Oval Office was too much for her. She even agreed to appear with the president during his campaign stops in Pennsylvania. Caroline caught a little heat for her very public endorsement, but not much. The DNC poured hundreds of millions of dollars into swing states, but their actions were useless. Her efforts also proved irrelevant. The Dems languished, losing seats in both houses and losing the White House by a landslide. And standing behind a respectful, even deferential President-elect Hendricks on Election Night was a very self-satisfied Lorenzo Santos.

The Past

Caroline yawned as she stretched out on the bed in the master bedroom, trying to read. She looked at the clock. It was well past ten. Jack was late. He’d gone to Lebanon that afternoon to meet with some local business owners and give a speech for a dinner thrown by the Chamber of Commerce. She was miffed she hadn’t been able to go along, but she had a late luncheon with members of the state police and their families. One of her pet projects. Being able to talk shop with cops was one of her favorite pastimes, but she still wished she’d been able to go with Jack. Hershey was on the same route and she wanted to take another tour of the chocolate factory. Mostly because they showered her with free yummies every time she showed up since she gave them so much free advertising on her Twitter feed.

She got up and walked to the window. The lights illuminating the exterior of the Governor’s Mansion had flickered on several hours ago. A few gardeners were idly tending to the flower beds near the entryway. Early summer meant weeds were plentiful, and their landscapers preferred to work at night. Caroline and Jack didn’t mind.

Her phone flashed with a new text and she picked it up.

The governor requests your presence in his office. Wear those shoes he likes. Panties optional.

Caroline blushed. Jack would send her risqué messages like that constantly. They seemed to increase in frequency when the girls were at camp, and the two of them had dropped Marguerite and Sophie off the week before. She always looked forward to Jack’s escapades during the summer but worried that he’d deliver his love notes to the wrong person. They didn’t need that mess on top of all the other publicity they received. She dashed into the bathroom to freshen up, then grabbed her shoes and ran downstairs.

The door to the Governor’s Office was shut. They’d besmirched just about every other inch of the mansion over the past two and a half years, when they knew they were alone. Caroline was still hesitant to do too much in his office. It seemed disrespectful and highly un-first ladylike, which made it incredibly tempting at the same time. Nevertheless, she slipped on her red patent pumps and knocked on the door on the off chance he wasn’t in there alone. The door swung open and Jack pulled her inside with one hand, pushing her against the wall and kissing her. He’d already taken off his tie and suit jacket.

“I hope we’re the only ones in here,” Caroline said, laughing.

Jack reached over to lock the office door. “We are. Especially now. After such a long, grueling afternoon on the road I told my staff to call it a day.”

“How was Lebanon?”

“Friendly, as always,” he said.

She looked around the room. “Bring back anything interesting?”

“Like what?”

He could easily fool reporters but failed at being evasive with her. Caroline pulled at his arm. “Why do you have your hand behind your back?”

“Nothing. It’s nothing.” He turned his body so she couldn’t see what he was holding.

She tried to reach behind his back. “No, it’s something. What is it?”

“That depends.” Jack nudged her toward the wall again. “Did you follow my instructions?” He looked down at her feet and licked his lips. “I see you’ve got the proper footwear.”

“It wasn’t a command so much as a suggestion, right? And you really need to stop sending messages like that. What if they end up in someone else’s inbox?”

Jack slipped his free hand under her skirt, inching his way upward, smiling when he answered his own question.

“Then I suppose someone else will be coming to greet me without wearing any undergarments. Naughty girl.” He pulled his left hand from behind his back, revealing a small gift bag. “
Pour vous
,” he said, still tickling her legs.

“Stop that.” She grabbed the bag out of his hand. His French accent was terrible but she’d let that slide. “You stopped in Hershey.”

“I did.”

“Wasn’t it too late?”

“You know their hours?” He walked the fingers of one hand up her thigh.

“I know everything about the Chocolate World by heart.”

“I might have pulled some strings.” He fiddled with the collar of her blouse with the other. “Told them their number one fan had a craving.”

“No doubt Greg was thrilled at the sudden detour.” Jack’s campaign manager turned chief of staff had softened toward Caroline, but they weren’t exactly close.

“He spent most of his time hoping there weren’t any fangirl employees with camera phones nearby.”

“I bet you looked positively charming weeding through piles of chocolate.”

“The very attractive young female clerks were quite eager to help.”

“I’m sure they were.” Caroline caressed his cheek. “Thank you for stopping.”

“I felt badly that you couldn’t come along. I missed you. How was the luncheon?”

“It was fun. You know I’m secretly a badge bunny.”

Jack kissed her again. “Are you still going to try to talk me into letting you go on a ride-along?”

“Yup.”

“Not a chance.”

“The commissioner would be there too.”

Jack shook his head. “No way.”

“I’d wear a vest.”

“Even less of a chance, now that I know that. What else did you do with your day?”

“Katie and I had some girl time after the luncheon.”

“Did you paint nails and brush hair?”

Caroline laughed. “We talked about you and Liz, mostly.”

“Tell her any dirty tales?”

She laughed again. “She’s convinced you’re the greatest husband ever. You should be proud, you’re like her favorite straight guy. And definitely her favorite Republican.”

“She doesn’t know many other Republicans, but I appreciate her affection. How’s Liz?”

“She’s okay. I think Katie misses her since she’s been traveling so much. Doesn’t give them much time to spend together on the weekends. We dished about the two of you and then we watched
9 to 5
.”

Jack rubbed her back. “You live such a rough life, Caroline. I don’t know how you manage it. What did you do after that?”

“I made her dinner.”

“And she’s still alive?”

She cuffed his arm. “I’m not that bad a cook. Douchebag.”

He pulled her in for another hard kiss. “I love it when you talk dirty. What gave you that idea?”

“I didn’t want the staff to have to make an elaborate meal for just the two of us so I threw a chicken fajita dinner together. And there are leftovers and you can’t have any.”

“Mean woman.” He made a sad face, then smiled. “I didn’t mean to malign your cooking skills. Your fajitas are pretty good.”

“You just implied that I tried to kill off my beloved chief of staff via ethnic food conduit. Flattery will get you nowhere.”

Jack kissed her cheek. “My deepest apologies, my lady.”

He had to have pulled a hell of a lot of strings just to get her a few candy bars. The gesture would not go unappreciated. “Did you really have them keep the gift shop open for you?” she asked.

She could swear he was blushing, even in the shadowed corner of his office. “Yes,” he said.

“You shouldn’t abuse your power like that – ooh, so much candy!” she exclaimed, peeking inside the bag.

Jack chuckled. “There you go, getting distracted by something shiny.”

“I’ll give you my speeches on privilege and ego later.” Caroline pushed past him and headed toward the door. “This will keep me occupied for hours. Thanks, Monty.”

“Not so fast.” He tugged on her arm.

She gave him a dazzlingly chaste smile. “Begging your pardon, was there something else the governor wanted?”

Jack snatched the bag out of her hands and tossed it on the floor, bringing his lips to hers again. “I’ve been looking forward to this moment all afternoon. You’re not running off that easily.” He began caressing her neck as she tugged at his collar. “Do you want to know what I was thinking about during the ride home tonight?” he asked, trailing kisses down her throat.

“How much chocolate you could eat out of that bag without me noticing?”

“No, I was picturing you bent over my desk as I slowly slid your skirt up. Can you fill in the rest of the blanks?”

She tried not to moan when he undid the first button of her blouse, his fingertips brushing against her breasts. She’d have to pace herself since they were likely going to be here for a while. “Did it involve me eating chocolate? I hope it involved me eating chocolate.”

Jack chuckled softly. “No, but you might get to have some afterward. If you aren’t too worn out.”

She straightened up. “Governor McIntyre, I am shocked at your bravado. Defiling your office with such brazen behavior. What would the voters say?”

He undid another button. “Your insistence upon open government during my administration does not extend to our sordid encounters on my off time.”

She swatted at his hand. There would be plenty of time for clothing removal and not nearly enough for witty banter. “So you won’t be conducting a poll? I’m concerned about the governor’s approval ratings. They’re so much lower than the first lady’s.”

Jack changed course, snaking his hands up her skirt. “You talk too much,” he said. “And your numbers are not that much better than mine.”

Caroline closed her eyes. “I’m way more popular than you. Almost thirty points more popular.”

He reached between her thighs. Oh, the things he could do with just one finger. He deserved some sort of award.

“Do you really care what all those strangers think of you?” he whispered.

“No.” She gasped when his finger brushed across her clit. “I’m much more concerned about my standing with the chief executive of the Commonwealth.”

He withdrew his hand. “I find the first lady’s job performance to be exemplary, particularly as it pertains to her ability to keep the governor happy.”

Caroline tried to push his hand back under her skirt, but Jack yanked it away and grinned at her. “Begging your pardon, was there something else the first lady wanted?”

“If you don’t put your hand back where it belongs I’m going to get myself off.”

“I’d love to watch you do that,” he murmured. “But not tonight. Patience, sweetheart. I’m not done yet. And we don’t have to do it on the desk. We can do it right here. Look, I brought you another gift.” He pulled a condom out of his pants.

“
Ribbed for her pleasure
,” Caroline read. “So thoughtful.”

“It’s mostly to help me last longer.” Jack put the condom back in his pocket and slid his hands under her skirt again.

“You’ve never had any problems with that.”

“Well, I intend to do this more than once. I’m trying to keep you looking somewhat presentable before I ravish you again upstairs, since you’re partially clothed and all. You didn’t want to go to bed any time soon, did you?”

“No,” Caroline said softly. His hands moved further up her legs. “I’m fine right where I am.”

“Are you wet?”

If the answer was no, she’d join a convent straightaway. “Why don’t you find out for yourself?”

Jack slid a finger inside her and she sighed. He smiled, pulling it out, starting to tease her again. “Very nice. Were you thinking about me tonight?”

“I miss you when you’re away.”

He kissed her again, lightly fingering her earlobe. “I love that you’re always so ready for me. Why is that?”

“You’ve had your hands up my skirt. Is your memory that faulty?”

“It’s more than that.” He nipped her neck. “You are very, very excited. Were you naughty while I was gone?”

“I was trying to read and I couldn’t, so I was thinking about what you were going to do to me tonight.”

“You assumed I’d want sex?”

Caroline moaned again as he flicked her clit. “You always want sex.”

“So do you, wild woman. It’s part of the reason I was so excited to get back here.”

She bit her lip. “I couldn’t wait until you got home.”

“Did you-?”

“No, I managed to hold out. But I had some very nice daydreams.”

“Good girl,” Jack said. “I’m glad you waited.”

His hands were magical but his smooth, easy words of praise brought her even closer to orgasm. “I knew I’d get in trouble if I didn’t.”

“It’s the kind of trouble you like. Maybe we can act out some of those daydreams later.” He glided another finger inside her.

“Maybe.” Her knees buckled. “Oh, Jack. I don’t think I can stand up if you do that to me much longer.”

“Hold on to me.” Jack pushed her up against the wall, his thumb circling around her clit as he kept two fingers inside her. “You like that?” He groaned when she clenched his hair in her fists. “I’m taking that as a yes.”

She closed her eyes, leaning her head back against the wall. “How do you always know what to do to me?”

Jack kissed her collarbone. “I know you get off on the sound of my voice,” he whispered. “Everything else is dumb luck.”