Deadly Election (9781101619223) (6 page)

“Believe me,” she said, “I know.”

Gryder looked at her and smiled.

“He turned you down, didn’t he?”

She tightened her lips.

“Wow, that’s never happened to you before, has it, Carla?”

“I’m not finished.”

“Well, you are for now,” he pointed out, “because there he goes, with Laura.”

“I repeat,” she said, “he won’t go along.”

“I guess we’ll just have to see,” he told her. “Can I get you a drink?”

“How?”

“What?”

“How will we know?”

“It will all depend,” he said, “on how much she donates to the cause.” He took her arm. “Come on, I’ll get you a drink.”

“What are you going to tell the governor?” she asked as he led her away.

“Don’t worry,” he said, “the governor can wait.”

In another part of the room Lieutenant Governor Wheeler and Walter Dixon stood off to one side, each
holding a drink. They watched Laura Linquist take Clint one way, and Will Gryder tug Carla Beckett in another.

“I’m still not sure about this,” Dixon said.

“Come on,” Wheeler said. “Look at the attendance tonight.”

“Laura’s parties are always attended this well,” Dixon pointed out.

“But I’ve been talking to people, Walter,” Wheeler said. “They’re fascinated by this possibility.”

“The Gunsmith in Congress, representing Texas?” Dixon said.

“It’s a possibility.”

Dixon finished his drink and said, “I need another one.”

“The whiskey is flowing freely, my friend,” Wheeler said.

“It should be.”

Laura Linquist took Clint from the main ballroom of the huge house into a smaller room, lined with books on every wall.

“My husband’s den,” she said. “He used to spend hours in here, reading, or doing business at that desk.”

The desk was cherry wood, with spindly legs. It looked very expensive to Clint. She walked to it, ran her hand over the smooth surface.

“Where is he now?” Clint asked. “I thought you were taking me to meet him.”

“He’s in bed upstairs,” she said. “He’s been in a vegetative state for months. At least, that’s what the doctors tell me.”

“I see,” I said. “Then why bring me in here?”

She looked up at him, keeping her hand on the desk.

“I brought you in here so we could get better acquainted.” She left the desk and walked toward him. “I
need to see what I’m going to be investing my husband’s money in.”

“Well, then,” Clint said, “what do you want to know?”

She crossed the room to him and stood in front of him. She was a lovely woman, despite the small lines that were forking at the corners of her mouth and eyes.

“Kiss me,” she said.

“What?”

“Kiss me…please.”

“Mrs. Linquist—”

“Laura.”

“Laura, do you really think that’s a good idea?”

“I do, yes,” she said. “A very good idea. Do you find me unattractive?”

“I think you know you’re a beautiful woman, Laura.”

“And desirable?”

“Yes.”

“To you?”

“Laura—”

She licked her lips and said, “I’m just asking.”

“Well…yes.”

“Then kiss me.”

He hesitated, then leaned forward and kissed her on the lips.

She laughed.

“You call that a kiss?”

She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him fully, completely, her mouth wide open. He kissed her back in self-defense. Eventually, they each melted into it, and it went on for a while. When they finally parted, she stepped back, breathless.

“Well…not bad.”

“I passed?” he asked.

“The first test.”

“The first…what’s the rest?”

She stepped to him again, put her hands on his chest, started to undo the buttons of his new, crisp white shirt.

“Laura—”

“Are you going to resist me?”

“Well—”

“Is it the woman?”

“The woman?”

“What’s her name? Carla? She’s a lovely girl. Is she yours?”

“No, no,” he said, “nothing like that. She’s my…assistant.”

“I see. Let me show you something.”

She stepped back, put her hands behind her back, and her gown fell away, leaving her naked from the waist up. She had very good breasts, large and firm, with heavy undersides and dark nipples.

“I try to take care of my body.”

“You’re lovely,” he said, dry-mouthed.

“Are you interested?”

“Under normal circumstances I’d say yes.”

“And why are these not normal circumstances?”

“Well, for one thing, you’re married,” he said. “For another, you have a house full of guests.”

“There’s only one guest I’m interested in,” she said. “The rest can fend for themselves. As for my husband, he has always been too old to have sex with me. He is aware that I go elsewhere for it.”

“But this isn’t the place—”

“The time or the place? It’s perfect.” She stepped
closer to him. As she did, her gown fell to the floor and she stepped out of it. She was completely naked now.

“There are a lot of people in the house, making noise, which is good. Musicians playing loudly, as I instructed them to do.” She leaned against him, flattening her breasts to his chest, her crotch to his, and whispered into his ear, “I’m a screamer.”

She reached between them, massaged his hard cock through his trousers.

“Oh,” she said, softly, “I see that you
are
interested.”

Laura kissed him while she took his penis out of his pants. She stroked it while he ran his hands down her back to her buttocks. As it grew in her hand, she became more and more interested in that part of his body.

She got down on her knees so she could use two hands on him. She pressed the burning column of flesh to her cheek, rubbing it there, then over her lips. She stuck her tongue out and used it to wet him, moaning at the same time.

“Wait,” he said abruptly.

She fell back onto her haunches and remained that way, staring at him.

He removed his gun belt, set aside where it was within easy reach, then undid the belt on his trousers and dropped them to the floor.

“Oh,” she said, and came back to him. With one hand she grasped his shaft, and with the other she cupped his heavy sack. Then she took him into her mouth, slowly,
inch by inch, until he was fully engulfed. She began to slide him in and out of her mouth, slowly at first, then faster and faster…

“What do you supposed they’re doing?” Carla asked Gryder.

“What do you think they’re doing, Carla?” Gryder asked with a smile.

“I don’t want to think about it,” she said.

“Jealous?”

“Disgusted.”

“Tell me,” Gryder said, “why do you think Clint resisted you?”

Her lovely mouth tightened. At first she wasn’t going to answer, but then she decided to.

“He’s playing games with me,” she said. “He wants the power.”

“And does he have it?”

“Not yet.”

“You’re so concerned about what he’s doing now,” Gryder said, “I think maybe he has.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Why don’t you go and see what he’s doing?”

“Why don’t you go and get a lady another drink?”

He did, chuckling as he went.

Lieutenant Governor Wheeler looked up and saw the governor approaching him.

“Sir,” he said when the man reached him.

“Wheeler,” the governor said. “Where’s Mr. Adams? Has he arrived?”

“I, uh, I’ll have to find out for you, sir,” Wheeler said. “I’ll ask Will Gryder.”

“Never mind,” the governor said. “I’ll find him and ask him myself.”

“Yes, sir.”

As the governor walked away, Dixon came over.

“What’s wrong?”

“He’s looking for Adams.”

“Is he still with Laura?”

Wheeler shrugged.

Dixon rolled his eyes.

Gryder was crossing the room with Carla’s drink when he ran into the governor.

“Will!”

He turned and stopped.

“Sir?”

“Is Adams here?” the governor asked. “I’m waiting to meet him.”

“Uh, yes, sir, he’s here.”

“Why didn’t you bring him to me?”

“He insisted on meeting Laura first.”

“Ah.”

“He said since she was the hostess, and a possible contributor…”

“I understand,” the governor said. “He’s thinking like a candidate already.”

“Yes, I suppose he is.”

“Very well,” the man said. “When he’s available, then.”

“Yes, sir,” Gryder said. “I’ll bring him right over.”

The governor nodded and walked past Gryder, presumably to go to the bar. Gryder walked over to Carla and handed her the drink.

“It’s taking too long,” she said.

“Yes,” Gryder said, “it is.”

Clint allowed Laura to suck his cock for as long as he could take it, then reached down and pulled her to her feet. He kissed her mouth roughly, bruising it, then took her breasts in his hands. He lifted them to his mouth, sucked, and licked her nipples while she moaned, then he began to bite them.

“Oh Christ,” she said impatiently, “I have guests to see to, Clint. Come here.”

She grabbed his hard cock and pulled him toward a flimsy-looking sofa. She settled down onto it, and opened her legs to him.

“Are you sure this will hold us?” he asked.

She put her hands between her legs and said, “Goddamnit, figure it out!”

He did. He kept one foot on the ground so that both of their combined weights were not on the sofa. He guided his cock to her wet pussy and slid himself in.

“Oh, God, yes,” she said, closing her eyes.

He took one of her ankles in each hand, held her spread, and began to fuck her that way.

“Yes, oh yes,” she said, squeezing her breasts, rubbing them hard. “Just like that. Keep going, keep going…ohhhh God…”

He kept going, all right, decided to give her what she obviously wanted, as hard and fast as he could. He was also working off some of the sexual tension from being around Carla. Walking away from her the night before, while she was sitting on his bed, had been hard, but he couldn’t let her take control that early in their relationship.

And this woman, this hungry and demanding woman, thought she was in control, too, because of her beauty and her money, but at the moment he was in charge, and by the time he got done, she’d have a hard time walking straight.

And so would he…

Laura Linquist strolled back into the ballroom on Clint Adams’s arm sometime later, a smile plastered on her face.

“You bastard,” she said. “I’m raw.”

“I think you asked for it, ma’am.”

“And you gave it to me.”

“I did my best.”

“Really?” she asked. “You mean there’s no more where that came from?”

“Laura,” he said, “we’re at a party, remember?”

“I remember,” she said. “Here comes your campaign manager.”

“He probably wants to talk to you about contributing,” Clint said.

“Oh, don’t worry,” she said, “I’ll be contributing. And I’ll get my friends to contribute. You’re as good as elected, my friend.”

“Your friends?”

“My lady friends.”

Clint wondered what that meant as Will Gryder approached them.

“I’ve been looking for you two,” he said. “The governor wants to meet you, Clint.”

“I’m ready.”

“And Laura, you and I have to talk.”

“I’m ready, too,” she promised.

“Don’t disappear on me again,” Gryder said to her. “I’ll be right back as soon as I introduce Clint.”

“I’m going to get myself a drink,” Laura said, giving Clint a sly look. She licked her slightly swollen lips. “I need one.”

Clint allowed Will Gryder to take him across the room toward the governor, who was talking at the moment to three other men.

“How did it go with Laura?” Gryder asked.

“It went fine.”

“Is she going to contribute?”

“She says she is.”

“With her on our side,” Gryder said, “we should be able to get a lot of her friends to contribute.”

“Her lady friends,” Clint said.

“What?”

“She says she can get her lady friends to contribute.”

“She’s talking about wives getting their husbands to contribute,” Gryder said, “and I’m all for that.”

Clint was, too—unless Laura Linquist meant he’d have to do to other wives what he’d just done to her. Clint didn’t know if he had the energy for that. Although it would have been very interesting go try.

“Okay, here we go,” Gryder said. “Time to meet the big man himself.”

“Governor?” Gryder said.

The governor turned, drink in hand, and looked at Gryder, then at Clint.

“Excuse me, gentlemen,” he said to the other three men. “Time for me to meet the guest of honor.”

The three men, no doubt local dignitaries, waited to see if they would be introduced as well. When it was plain that this was not to be the case, they moved away.

“Governor,” Will Gryder said, “this is Clint Adams.”

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Adams,” the man said, extending his hand.

Clint shook hands with the politician and said, “I’m told I have you to thank for this.”

“This party?” the governor said. “That’s all Laura Linquist.”

“I mean the campaign,” Clint said, playing along with the official story. “It was your idea that I run.”

“And a brilliant idea, I think,” the governor said.

“Well,” Clint said, “I guess that’s something we’re going to find out.”

The governor looked at Gryder.

“Will, why don’t you give me some time with Clint?” he said.

“That’s fine, Governor,” Gryder said. “I have to talk to Laura anyway.”

“And have somebody bring Clint a drink, won’t you?”

“Sure.”

“Champagne,” the governor said.

“I’ll have Carla bring it over.”

“Fine, fine,” the governor said. “Lovely girl.”

Gryder nodded and walked away.

“Clint,” the governor said, “can I call you that?”

“Of course, sir.”

“I think running you for Congress here in Texas is going to be one of the best ideas I ever had. I think you’re going to prove me right.”

“I hope so, Governor.”