Dissident (13 page)

“Chrissy, calm down. People are staring. Didn’t you plan this fundraiser to convince donors you’re warm and approachable?”

“Don’t change the subject,” Christine snapped, but she made a concerted effort to relax her frown. “He’s bad news, Punky. Bad, bad news.” She took another moment to compose herself. “I don’t want him here.”

“He just wrote you a giant check. I’d hate to tell him to rip it up.” Caroline found Christine’s behavior unsurprising but frustrating. “What’s the big deal, anyway?”

“I know you’ve been spending a lot of time with him since January, and he’s met the girls, he’s had dinner with us, whatever. I can’t tell you whether it was a good idea to let this man get to know your children. Maybe I should have said something to you sooner. But he’s only got one thing on his mind.”

“And what’s that?”

“He’s trying to get in your pants.”

Caroline laughed. “Isn’t that what most men try to do with women?”

“He’s a user, Caroline.”

“I think you’re wrong. So what if he wants to sleep with me?” Caroline tried not to sound insulted. “It’s not the worst idea I’ve ever heard.”

Christine’s tone was disapproving. “Do you know how many women he’s had in greater Philadelphia?”

“Really, Chrissy. You sound like a prude.”

“I do not. You deserve better than being a notch on his bedpost.”

“I don’t think that’s how he feels about me.”

Christine looked over Caroline’s shoulder at Jack, who was still at the bar. “I don’t trust him,” she declared. “I don’t trust his intentions, his motivations, anything about him. He is up to no good.”

Caroline shook her head. “You’re being overly dramatic.”

“Do you know why I was so upset at you about the way you acted during the campaign? Because I didn’t want you to behave in a manner that was beneath you. It doesn’t mean that what you said about him was false. Everything I’ve ever heard about him proves that what you said during that speech was the truth.”

“What a terrible thing to say. You don’t even know him. And neither did I when I said those things.”

“You don’t know him now. At all.”

“You need to stop being so cynical.”

Christine sighed. “Caroline, I know enough about him to know what’s going on here. You need to stay far away from that man. He’s only going to hurt you.”

Caroline turned and looked over at Jack, who was now walking toward them with drinks in his hands. She leaned toward Christine’s ear, not wanting to give her emotions away to anyone else. Especially not Jack. Not yet.

“Chrissy, I like him. Being with him makes me feel good. For the first time in a long time, I feel happy. Can’t you let me enjoy it?”

Christine put her arm around Caroline’s neck in a half hug. It was a gesture she’d almost never extend to anyone while in public, not even Tom or her daughters.

“I don’t want you to get hurt,” she said softly.

“I know.” Caroline returned the hug. “But you’re going to have to let me make my own choices.”

“I’m not sure I can.”

“Can you pretend to be nice to him tonight? For me?”

Christine caught another glimpse of the necklace Caroline was wearing and inhaled sharply. “Only for you.” She looked over Caroline’s shoulder and flashed a smile that only her friends and family would know was fake. “Hello, John.”

Caroline resisted the urge to smack her. What a fucking politician. But at least Christine was trying. For now.

Jack handed Caroline a wine glass. “Your Moscato, my lady.” He leaned over to kiss Christine’s cheek and greeted her warmly. “Hi, Christine.”

He wouldn’t have caught it, but Caroline saw the surprise in Christine’s eyes.

“Thank you for coming,” Christine told him.

“It was my pleasure,” Jack said. “I was lucky enough to have a very wonderful woman accompany me. And, please call me Jack.”

The look on Christine’s face made it plain that he would still be John for the remainder of the evening, if not longer. Caroline knew she wouldn’t stay with them long and sure enough, Christine started reading the crowd for familiar faces.

“If you two will excuse me, I’ve got to go pimp myself out for more money.” She kissed Caroline on the cheek and whispered in her ear. “Just be careful, Punky.”

She gave Christine a quick peck. “Go be charming to your guests, Congresswoman.”

*              *              *              *              *

Caroline leaned back in the limo and Jack put his arm around her.

“That went well,” he said. “Right?”

She patted his knee. “Sure.”

“I must say, I got a weird vibe from Christine tonight.”

She couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. Christine’s efforts to be nicer to Jack faded as the fundraiser dragged on. “More so than usual?”

“Yes. Have I done something to offend her?”

Caroline had never been one to bullshit anyone, at least when it came to the important stuff. She was well capable of it but it was one of her least attractive traits. And she wasn’t going to behave that way with Jack. Not anymore.

“She doesn’t trust you,” she said.

Jack coughed. “Why?”

“She thinks you’re, well, a-”

“Millionaire playboy?”

Caroline reflexively moved away from him, resting her elbows on her knees. “That’s not the way I would phrase it.”

“I’m sorry, Caroline.” He closed the gap between them and put his hand on her back. “I shouldn’t have said that. I take it she thinks I’m using you.”

“Basically.”

“I do have a piss poor track record when it comes to relationships. As in never being able to maintain one. And yes, I’ve used a lot of women.”

“She thinks you’re going to hurt me.”

“I probably will.”

Caroline stared at him.

“I don’t mean intentionally,” Jack said. “But I’ll probably do something I’ll regret because I don’t know any better. I don’t know how to treat women properly.”

“You seem to be doing okay so far.”

“You’re different.”

“You mean I’m not young, blond, and Republican?” Which seemed to be his type, from what Caroline could gather.

He chuckled. “I’ve sometimes dated women who are age appropriate for me, Caroline. Even women with dark hair, on occasion.”

“Pictures or it didn’t happen.”

Jack rubbed her shoulder. “You’re an amazing person. Someone who deserves only the best, no matter the circumstances. And one of my biggest fears about all of this is that I am going to hurt you and break your heart.”

“Did you invite me to stay with you this weekend to get me to sleep with you?”

“No.” He hesitated. “Although I’m not going to turn you down if that’s what you want. You’re an incredibly attractive woman.”

“If we go forward with this it’s going to change a lot of things. For both of us.” She shivered although it wasn’t cold and Jack took off his suit jacket and put it around her shoulders. His affectionate behavior wasn’t helping her rationalize her way out of what she felt was inevitably going to happen.

“I’m willing to take that risk,” he said. “Aren’t you?”

“I didn’t think I’d be ready for this so soon. I don’t know if I’m making the right decision.”

“Nothing has to happen tonight, sweetheart. If that’s what it takes for you to trust me, we can go as slow as you want.”

She wasn’t sure if taking it slow was the best route, either. She found herself imagining all sorts of scandalous things when she was around him and every muscle in her body was ready to pounce. But it still felt wrong.

“I do trust you.” Maybe saying it would convince her subconscious that the statement was true.

Jack smiled broadly. “Good.”

“And I really enjoy spending time with you, talking to you, being around you,” Caroline said. “I’m not sure it’s a good idea for us to mess with that.”

“So you didn’t like kissing me?”

She scooted toward him. “I might have liked it a little.”

“So did I.” He wrapped his arm around her again and she leaned back against him.

She didn’t want to hurt his feelings but needed to confess her fears. “I don’t have casual relationships, Jack. If that’s what you’re after, I don’t think we’ll be able to work this out. I don’t just fall into bed with people.”

He turned to her and tipped her chin up until she was looking him in the eyes. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life, Caroline. Things I’m not proud of. I’ll probably continue to be an asshole who does terrible things to people. But I feel something for you I’ve never felt before. I want to see where it leads. You make me want to be a better human being. And I hope you’re willing to give me the chance to be the man I know you need me to be.”

She sat there stunned, not knowing what to say. From his tone of voice, she had half expected him to say he was in love with her. But he barely knew her. Men like him didn’t fall in love with women like her. Maybe infatuation or lust, but not much more than that.

“Okay,” she whispered, as the limo made the turn down the long, winding drive that led to his residence. The rational part of her was rapidly losing out to the impetuous side. “Let’s try.”

Caroline

June

They were sitting on the couch in his living room. His very formal, very white living room. Based on what she’d seen so far, Caroline was willing to bet a significant amount of money that children had never set foot in his house.

“It’s been a long time,” she said to Jack. She was very tense. “I’m afraid I might have forgotten my technique.”

Which, in her opinion, wasn’t all that advanced to begin with. Nick had never been all that picky and she’d generally just been happy to get laid.

“It’s just like riding a bike,” Jack said.

She wanted to make an inappropriate comment but decided against it. “I guess so.”

“What were you going to say?”

Caroline smiled nervously. “Well, you know that old joke about the town bicycle….”

He chuckled. “Are you saying I’m the bike?”

“Is there an answer to that question that won’t sound completely judgmental?”

“You shouldn’t be worried,” Jack said. “The only thing that matters is that we’re together. Right here, right now. It’s just the two of us. We can be whoever or do whatever we want.”

He kissed her cheek, letting his fingers drift along the nape of her neck. “What do you want?” he whispered.

All her self-control flew out the window. Without thinking, Caroline said, “I want to see that bedroom of yours.”

Jack took her hand and led her up the stairs. Neither one of them spoke. He brought her into his bedroom and turned to her with passion in his eyes. Could he sense her trepidation?

He caressed her cheek. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured. She closed her eyes and leaned in closer, hoping he’d move his hands to other parts of her body. But she was terrified of the other feelings that might arouse in her.

Jack began nipping at her neck as he slid his suit jacket off her shoulders, tossing it on a chair. “I want to make you feel good. Do all the things for you that you’ve been missing. Touch you the way you want to be touched. Make you shudder and tremble and moan. But I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to do, understand?”

The fiery promise in his voice caused her heartbeat to speed up. “Yes,” she whispered.

Caroline stepped back and touched his face. Jack leaned in and started to kiss her neck again. He buried his face in her cleavage and she moaned. She was very glad that she was wearing a dress that showed a bit more skin than she normally preferred. She weaved her fingers through his hair and encouraged him to keep going.

Jack ran his hands down the length of her dress, nuzzling her through the smooth material as he worked his way down until he was on his knees. He gazed up at her with a boyish innocence in his eyes, and Caroline tilted her head back. He lifted up the hem of her dress and saw her garter belt. She’d put it on just in case. She was no femme fatale and the garters were not particularly easy to deal with, but they did make her feel sexy.

Jack grinned devilishly. “I love these.”

He tugged at one of the garters attached to her thigh highs, then released it. It snapped back into place and Caroline moaned again. He shifted his position and she could feel his breath on the most sensitive part of her body as he began nuzzling her through her satin panties.

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” she mumbled, and Jack let out a small laugh.

She ran her hand through his hair again, urging him on. He brought his hands up her legs and started teasing her, oblivious to the encumbrance of her underwear. It was driving her crazy. She was about to take them off herself until he leaned in to kiss her clit. The combination of his breath, his tongue, his mouth and his fingers over the material was almost unbearable.

“You’re already wet,” he said in a surprised tone. “And all for me.”

Her knees grew weak. How could he do that, make her lose control simply by using his voice? Jack could sense that she was losing her balance and rose to his feet, gripping her hands firmly.

“Are you okay, sweetheart?”

She swayed into him, unbelievably turned on. Her entire body was trembling. “I think so. You definitely know what you’re doing.”

“I could do this to you all night,” he whispered.

Jack cradled her head in his hands and kissed her hard, his tongue expertly finding hers. He turned her around until she was up against the wall and kissed her until she could barely take it anymore. She was frantically grabbing at his shirt, his tie, his suspenders. Pawing at his back and neck, anything she could hold on to in order to bring him closer to her. He spread her legs apart with his knee and leaned into her, taking his cue. She grabbed his ass and pushed herself into him until he unexpectedly pulled back.

“I’m sorry,” he said breathlessly. “I promised you that I’d ask before I kissed you again.”

Caroline was having a hard time concentrating. “I - what?”

“I said I’d-”

“I heard you.” Her mind came back into focus. “We kissed right before we left for the fundraiser. Don’t you remember?”

“I do. And
you
were the one who kissed
me
. Remember?”

“
Now
you’re concerned about propriety? After everything you just did to me?”

Jack eyed her up and down. “Yes.”

Caroline grabbed his tie. “Oh, shut up and put your tongue back in my mouth.”

Jack kissed her again as she began to loosen his tie. She was groping at his shirt; her hands were shaking and she was having tremendous difficulty keeping them still long enough to undo the small buttons.

She broke their kiss. “Damn it. Why the fuck is your shirt so complicated?”

“Such coarse language from such a beautiful lady. You can rip it off if you want.”

Caroline fumbled with the buttons. “Like I’m going to ruin an expensive piece of clothing. Screw it.” She trailed her fingers up his neck and through his hair before pulling him closer to her. “I’ll figure it out later.”

His suspenders were much easier to pull down. Caroline could feel his smooth muscles through his dress shirt as they exchanged long, delicious kisses.  She moaned against Jack’s mouth and he stepped back from their embrace. He unbuttoned his shirt and let it fall to the floor, then pulled his white undershirt over his head with ease.

Caroline gaped at his chest and arms. He worked out. A lot. She was trying to figure out when he found the time to do it. He was arguably the best looking man in his forties she’d ever seen. She trailed a finger down his abdomen.

“You should have taken your shirt off months ago,” she said. “I would have slept with you so much sooner.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” He pushed her against the wall again. She wrapped her leg around him, pulling him even closer.

“Stop talking,” Caroline said, still distracted.

“Someone’s pretty bossy.” Jack brought his mouth to hers. “And eager. I wonder what for.”

She could feel his cock, hard as a rock, against her hip. Even through his pants she could sense his size, and she gasped.

He pulled back from her. “Do you want me to stop?”

She giggled softly. “No. But I discovered that you aren’t compensating for anything with your giant house and fancy cars.”

He looked down at the bulge in his groin, bringing her hand down to touch it. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

She wanted to find out as quickly as possible. Caroline dropped to her knees, eyeing his zipper. Jack tipped her chin up.

“No,” he said. “Tonight is about you.”

She wanted to argue with him. She really did. She wanted to rip off his pants and let him know exactly how she wanted the night to progress. But he yanked her to her feet and kissed her again, and somehow she lost her train of thought.

“You,” he repeated.

Jack caressed her breasts through her dress and smiled silkily as her nipples grew hard. He kissed her chest again, working his way back down.

“Your clothing is in my way,” he said in a muffled voice.

“You should probably do something about that, then,” she whispered, kissing the top of his head.

“Tell me to stop and I’ll stop.” Jack pulled her toward the bed. “But I really want us both naked, as soon as possible.”

He turned her around and began kissing her shoulders. A shiver ran down her spine and she felt desire continuing to pool inside of her. It had been so long since she’d been touched like this. She missed it. Caroline realized she’d never quite been touched like this before, or at least had never reacted this way.

I’m in way over my head here
, she thought.

And as Jack began to unzip her dress and trail kisses down her back, she discovered that she didn’t really care.

*              *              *              *              *

A soothing hand was stroking her hair, tucking it behind her ear. She opened her eyes.

“Hello, sweetheart,” Jack said.

Caroline yawned. “Did I fall asleep?”

“Just for a little bit. Did I wear you out?”

She looked at the clock on the nightstand. “It is pretty late.”

“So I didn’t wear you out?”

She smiled. “Maybe a little.”

He pulled her into his arms. “I know you think you were out of practice but if that was you knocking the rust off, I think we’re going to be just fine.”

“That was C-plus work, tops,” she said.

“Then I’d love to see your A game.” Jack kissed her nose. “Did you enjoy yourself?”

Caroline snuggled into his neck. “Absolutely.”

He started nuzzling her cheek. “You talk in your sleep. Did you know that?”

She toyed with his hair. “Unfortunately, I am very aware of that habit. What did I say?”

“I’m not telling.”

“It wasn’t bad, was it?” She didn’t talk in her sleep that often, but her sleepytime ramblings almost always involved saying something that wasn’t meant to come out. Or so she had been told.

“No. It was very, very good.” He kissed her. “I think you should know something. When you were asleep, I texted my chief of staff. Told him I wasn’t feeling well.”

“You aren’t?”

“Let me finish. I told him it was a shame that I’d have to cancel my constituent meetings, but that I simply had to spend the rest of the weekend at home. For my health, you see.”

“I do see.” Caroline smiled. “Do you need someone to take care of you?”

Jack pulled her on top of him. “I’m sure we can think of something therapeutic to do.”

“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make sure you’re fully recovered by Monday.” She started to kiss his chest, smiling as she rubbed up against him. “Although you seem to be doing pretty well without my assistance.”

“Every little bit helps,” Jack said.

“I’ll do what I can.” Caroline laughed at his physical response as she began to stroke him. “I like this.”

Jack groaned as she ducked under the sheet. “I can tell.” He sank back into his pillow. “I think I’m feeling better already.”

She peeked out from under the sheet. “Really?”

“Yes,” Jack said. “Don’t stop, though. We don’t want a relapse.”

“I think we should stay in bed just to be safe.” Caroline teased him with the tips of her fingers, kissing her way down his abdomen.

“Only if you go back to what you were doing.”

She licked her lips. “That can be arranged.” She dove back under the covers again. Maybe now he’d finally let her focus on him. “But I think you’ll like this next trick better.”

*              *              *              *              *

Jack flopped back against the pillow, a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.

“Holy fuck,” he panted. “Wow.”

“That good?”

“Yes.”

She smirked at him. “I try.”

Jack rubbed his face.  “That was incredible. I never would have guessed that you could behave that way.”

Caroline’s smile faded somewhat. “Huh?”

Jack blanched. “I mean, I-”

She tried not to laugh at his expression. “Be very, very careful what you say next.”

“You’re a talented woman,” he said. “I suppose I should have figured that it would translate to the bedroom.”

“I think it’s important to maintain a proper skill set. If you like something, you should try to be good at it.”

“You are. Believe me.” He traced his finger down her arm. “Do you like sex in general, or sex with me?”

“Can’t it be both?”

“I guess so.”

“I’ve missed this,” Caroline said quietly. “Not only the closeness of it, but I love sex. Like, really, really love sex.”

“I suspected as much.”

“Are you accusing me of being a horndog?”

“Maybe. We’re going on, what, eighteen consecutive hours in bed?”

“We had breakfast.”

“More like brunch, but I still had to go downstairs and get it for you.”