Scandalous (8 page)

“I like the sound of that.” Justin pecked her playfully behind her ear and headed for the living room.

From his position on the couch, Justin could see Vaughn's movements in the kitchen. It gave him a warm feeling of security inside. It had been so long since he'd had a real home-cooked meal, and even longer since he'd shared it with someone who mattered to him. He'd enjoyed being married, although it had been short-lived. He liked the whole notion of having someone to share your life, your dreams, your emotions with. He wanted it again. He wanted the chance to start over, to make a new life and have a family. He wanted that chance with Vaughn. And if by some miracle he ever found his daughter, he couldn't think of any other woman he'd want to share that joy with.

“Dinner is served,” Vaughn announced in an exaggerated accent.

“Hey, that's a pretty good imitation of the staid English butler,” Justin chuckled, pushing himself up off the couch.

“I try. But I think you have me beaten with Dracula.”

Justin smiled and took his place at the table. Vaughn had, at some point, lit a scented centerpiece which gave the room the soft scent of jasmine.

“Let's forget formalities,” Vaughn said suddenly, the shimmer of mischief dancing around her lips. “Just dig in. Last one to empty his plate gets to do the dishes!”

“You're on,” Justin challenged, and commenced to filling his plate with wild rice and topping it with a huge portion of the delectable casserole, drowning it in sauce. He added a heaping bowl of garden salad and snatched three slices of bread before Vaughn could wink.

She laughed out loud and shook her head in amazement as she watched Justin plow through his plate of food.

He looked up innocently, the fork suspended between his mouth and the plate. “I never back down from a challenge,” he stated simply, and proceeded to finish off his plate of food.

The scrumptious meal was interrupted periodically only by brief comments on the state of the world, the weather, the concert they were missing, and their mutual interest in sports. Justin was careful to steer clear of anything too personal, or the reason why she'd wanted to speak with him. He felt confident that she would reveal what was troubling her as soon as she was ready. If there was one thing he'd learned about her, it was that Vaughn couldn't be pushed into anything.

Finally, Justin took a defeated breath and pushed back from the table. “I give up,” he said. “I can't eat another thing. You win.”

Vaughn leaned back, smugly satisfied. “The trick,” she advised, “is to take small bites. It digests quicker—hence, more room for more food!” She smiled triumphantly.

“I'll try to remember that,” he replied drolly. He stood up and stretched. “Well, point me in the direction of the dishwasher.”

Vaughn tossed her head back and laughed. “No such luck, buddy. My mama didn't raise me to wash dishes in the dishwasher. Try good ole' Playtex gloves, hot water, and dishwashing liquid.” Vaughn covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a giggle when she saw the look of total distress on Justin's face.

“You're kidding, of course.”

Vaughn pressed her lips together and slowly shook her head.

“You're a wicked, wicked woman, Vaughn Hamilton,” Justin said with mock solemnity.

“I work at it,” she teased. She took his hand in hers.
“The dishes can wait. We need to talk,” she said seriously. Justin nodded and followed her to the loveseat.

“What would you like to talk about?”

Vaughn took a deep breath. “This seems silly considering my profession and all it entails,” she said, as if speaking to herself, “but I really enjoy your company and I want to continue our relationship.” She took Justin's hand in hers. “I'm in this relationship against my father's wishes.”

“What do you mean? You're not a teenager,” Justin commented.

“I know. I'm a woman who will soon wield incredible political power. Unfortunately, my power isn't effective over my father.”

Slowly, painfully, Vaughn spoke of her life, her childhood, the invisible hold that her father had had over her, her insecurities, and finally, her father's recent ultimatum. She left nothing out except the painful year…after Brian.

Justin was stunned. For several long moments he said absolutely nothing, trying to absorb all he'd been told.

Suddenly, Vaughn felt as if she'd made the biggest mistake in her life by revealing such intimate details and most of all, her fears. She was certain that now that Justin saw how weak she was, he wouldn't want to have anything to do with her.

Justin's shock quickly turned to anger. To think that a father who supposedly loved his child unconditionally would use the love he received as a weapon! What kind of man was Elliott Hamilton? If he had the chance, he knew he would do everything in his power to show
his
daughter how much she was loved. He also knew there was more to this revelation than Vaughn was telling. For whatever her reasons, she still didn't trust him quite enough to confide in him. But that was all right. In time he knew she would.
He turned to Vaughn, his eyes blazing. Vaughn held her breath, certain that Justin was a hot minute away from walking out the door.

“Vaughn, sweetheart.” Relief washed over her in waves at the sound of the endearment. “I'm so sorry—for everything—everything you've been through. But most of all I feel outrage at your father for twisting your life into knots.” He reached out and stroked her face. His jaw clenched. “I won't let him do that to you again, Vaughn. I swear to you I won't,” he added fervently. “Your father is so sure that this relationship is destined for failure. He has you convinced that I'd be no different than any of the other career-grabbing, money-hungry predators who have crossed your path.” His full lips lifted in a grin. “I told you,” he said deeply, “I never back down from a challenge.”

His fingers gripped her shoulders. “We can work through this, Vaughn. But only if you're willing to try. Are you?” he asked softly.

Vaughn swallowed back the knot of doubt and blinked away the water that floated in her eyes. Slowly, she nodded in agreement. “Yes. Yes, Justin, I am.”

His eyes burned across her face. Gently, he pulled her into his arms. “That's all I need to know,” he breathed against her neck. “We'll take it slowly. Get to know each other.” He leaned back and looked into her glistening eyes. “There's so much that I dream for us, Vaughn.” He kissed the tip of her nose. He desperately wanted to tell her of his plans, of his search. But it could wait. “I've never felt this way about anyone before in my life. And I believe, deep down in my soul, that we can make this thing, this magic, between us work.”

“Can we, Justin? Can we really?” she asked urgently, needing more than ever to know. “Politics can be an
all-consuming way of life. Are you sure that's what you want?”

Justin breathed deeply. “I have to be honest with you, Vaughn. I'm not happy with the possibility that you'll have to devote so much of your time and energy to so many other people. I worry that there won't be any time left for us.” He glanced away, then looked back into her questioning eyes. “But I'm willing to work through it.”

Vaughn reached up and stroked his cheek, wishing she could wipe away the lines of worry. “If there was any way I could promise you it would be otherwise, I would. But you know I can't.” She lowered her gaze. “All I can do is try.” She smiled. “But we may be discussing something that's not even going to happen. I haven't won yet, you know.”

Justin kissed her gently on the lips. “You will. I don't doubt that for a minute. Richmond has had its fill of Lucus Stone.”

Vaughn snuggled closer to Justin. “I hope you're right.”

“You have plenty of strong support, Vaughn.” He tilted up her chin so that she had no other choice than to stare into his eyes. The connection made her stomach flutter. “And your strongest supporter is right here,” he said. His gaze drifted down to the open neckline of her blouse.

“Justin…” she breathed.

“Sssh, don't say anything.” He caressed her face. His finger trailed down her cheek to her neck. Vaughn struggled to push down the tremor that rippled through her. Justin's fingers explored the expanse of her neck. Feeling her pulse pound against the pads of his fingertips, he replaced his touch with his lips. The fire from his mouth burned across her collarbone and downward to the swell of her breasts. His tongue traced tiny, titillating circles on the exposed silken flesh. He pulled her tighter against his throbbing
body, wishing he could magically soak her up into his very being.

Vaughn's lids fluttered closed as she absorbed the heat of Justin's touch. Her heart raced. Her breathing escalated. To feel like this again, she thought in wonder, so exquisite, so alive, was something she had not envisioned as part of her future. For so long she had shielded herself from romantic entanglements. Her past relationships had carved out a part of her heart and left her hollow and indifferent to men. Yet she dreamed of being reawakened, to know once again what it was like to savor the intimacy of being with a man she truly cared about. Justin was that man. She knew she wanted him. She didn't care that they'd only known each other for such a short period of time. She knew she'd said she wanted to take it slow, to be sure. But now, under the assault of his touch, all her resolve seemed to melt away. She wanted to prove to herself that through all the heartache she'd endured, she wasn't frigid, she wasn't the unfeeling “iron maiden” that she'd been dubbed.

Vaughn gripped Justin's arms, feeling the muscles tighten beneath her touch. Her hands spread across his chest, kneading the rock-hard body that pressed steadily against her own. Was it the real reason that she believed she wanted him so desperately, she thought suddenly—to prove something to herself—to reassure herself that she was still capable of making love to a man? Her body seemed to freeze as the thought took shape in her head. Slowly the fire that raged within her was extinguished.

Justin instantly felt the tension take hold of her body, even as his fingers deftly unfastened the top two buttons of her silk blouse. Her hands, which had only moments ago been as hot as a fire against his skin, were now as cold as ice as they grasped his hand, halting him.

“I…I can't,” she said in a strangled voice. She tried to turn her face away from his look of concern, but Justin wouldn't allow it.

“Listen to me,” he began, gaining some control over his ragged breathing. He held her chin between his fingers. “I told you once before, we won't do anything you don't want or aren't ready to do.” His thumb gently brushed her bottom lip.

Her eyes filled and she swallowed back a sob. She lowered her gaze. “Justin, it's not you…”

“I don't need or want an explanation, Vaughn,” he said gently. His lips tilted into a tremulous grin. “I haven't always been known as a patient man. But if patience is what you need…then it's a trait that I'd be more than happy to perfect.” He inhaled, then breathed out heavily. “You're a special woman—woman,” he teased, coaxing a shy smile from her. “And you're definitely worth waiting for. I'll just have to spend a lot of my free time taking cold showers.”

Vaughn buried her head against his chest and they both released the tension that they had withheld in a bout of cleansing laughter. Their laughter, one a hearty bass, the other a throaty contralto, mingled in perfect harmony.

With her ear pressed against his chest, she heard and felt the contentment that rippled through him. And because of that she felt safe, secure. Somehow, she felt assured that Justin would wait, that he wasn't just saying what he thought she wanted to hear. When the time came for them to be together, it would be the right time for both of them, and it'd be for the right reasons.

“Well,” Justin breathed, setting Vaughn gently away from him. “I'd better get to those dishes.”

“I have a better idea,” Vaughn said brightly, “let's do them together.”

Justin looked deep into her eyes. “I like the sound of the word ‘together'…especially when you say it,” he said, tweaking her nose.

Vaughn grinned. “Me, too.”

“H
ow could you, Elliott?” Sheila cried in anger. Her cinnamon eyes blazed. “You have no right to interfere in Vaughn's personal life—or to have her followed! She's not some adversary that you need to gather dirty secrets on. She's your daughter, for God's sake!”

Elliott got up from the bed and spun toward his wife, his eyes blazing with irrational fury. “I will not allow Vaughn to jeopardize her future ever again,” he boomed. “She nearly ruined her life once with Brian Willis, then again with Paul. I will not sit by and watch her make a fool of herself in front of the entire state of Virginia!” He pointed an accusing finger at his wife. “You were the one who said that this was no ordinary campaign, that Stone was no ordinary opponent, that the risks were higher this time.” He waved his arms in the air and pounded his fist against his palm as he continued his tirade. “I'm trying to protect her and us. If that girl messes up now, it's not
something that can get swept under the rug. She's in the public eye. I won't be able to fix it again. I won't risk a scandal because of that impetuous girl!”

“First of all Elliott, that
girl
is a grown woman with a mind of her own. Maybe for once in her life she doesn't
want
you to fix it!” Sheila snatched up her robe, put on her slippers, and stormed toward the bedroom door.

“Where are you going?” Elliott demanded.

Sheila spun around, her eyes blazing. “Someplace you're not!” The door slammed so forcefully behind her exit that the gilded frame that held their family portrait nearly fell off the wall.

“I'll do whatever I have to do,” Elliott vowed to the reverberating room. “Anything.”

 

On the ride back to his apartment, Justin thought about his evening with Vaughn. His insides still throbbed with desire. He had to admit that his ability to restrain himself had surprised him. But without a doubt, he was willing to wait. That alone was a milestone of accomplishment for him. For whatever the reason, he was sure Vaughn Hamilton was a woman worth the wait, even as his body told him otherwise.

Hours later, sleep seemed an impossibility. By three A.M. Justin had done no more than toss and turn as erotic visions of Vaughn engulfed him. Moaning heavily, he flicked on the bedside lamp, then looked down at the tent in his sheet. Without humor he wondered if that old wives' tale of a cold shower had any validity.

On the other side of town, Vaughn wasn't faring much better. The constant heat and pulsing sensations that pumped through her center gave her no peace. She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her hands against her stomach. How long had it been since she'd felt this
driving need to be filled by a man? Had she ever truly felt this way before? Deep inside she knew she hadn't. Her youthful encounters had proved unfulfilling and traumatic. As an adult, she longed for something from a man that always seemed to be out of her reach. As a result, sex was an area of her life that had been tainted with failure and frustration. Consequently, she poured herself into her work to the exclusion of everything else. Until now. Just the thought of Justin's kisses, his skilled fingers exploring her body, caused her to tremble with need. Unbidden, her hands skimmed the contours of her body. Slowly she drew up her knees. She smiled, knowing that one day soon, she would finally experience, with Justin, what had eluded her.

 

Khendra eased closer to her husband, savoring the warmth of his body. Knowing his weak spot, she traced the hollow of his ear with her tongue. Sean moaned in his sleep and instinctively turned toward his wife. “I can't sleep,” she whispered in his ear.

“Neither can I—
now,”
he whispered back. He slipped his hands beneath her back, pulling her close.

Khendra wiggled. “I want to talk.”

Sean groaned. “Now?”

“Yes, now,” she replied with a grin.

Sean flipped onto his back. “Go ahead, talk.”

Khendra sat up in bed. “We still haven't decided how we're going to find out why Justin is really going to give up the practice. But a few things have been running through my head.”

“I bet they have,” Sean said drolly. Khendra rolled her eyes at her husband. He rubbed a hand across his face. “Sorry,” he said halfheartedly. “Go ahead, I'm listening.”

“Remember that night about two years ago when we had Justin over for dinner and he talked to us about his marriage and his daughter?”

“Yeah. And?”

“I think he plans to start searching for her again.”

“But that's not enough of a reason to give up his practice! I can't see why he couldn't do both.”

“Well, according to what he'd told us, his previous search had been all-consuming. I just have the feeling that this practice was something that he could throw himself into—to forget.” She turned toward her husband. “I think he's accomplished everything he's wanted in life except finding his daughter.”

Sean slowly shook his head. “I don't know, Khen. Personally, I think it's more than that. That's not to say that finding his daughter isn't part of the reason. I just don't think it's the whole reason.” He sighed heavily. “Justin seemed almost…I can't find the words. Like, he's already found something. There was a spark in his eyes that I've never seen before. There was a lightness in his voice. He didn't look or sound like a man on a quest. More like someone who'd already conquered something and was savoring victory.”

Khendra frowned, then turned questioning eyes on her husband. “Do you think it's a woman?” she asked, excitement rippling through her voice.

Sean chuckled. “Women have been known to have pretty strange effects on men. Kings have given up their thrones for a woman. Men have lost sleep because of a woman.” Gently he eased on top of her. “Like now,” he said deeply.

Khendra giggled and snuggled closer. “Is this your way of saying to stay out of Justin's business?”

“That's why I love you,” Sean said, kissing her lightly on the lips. “You're so quick.”

Yet even as Sean masterfully lit the flames of desire deep within her, she briefly wondered who the mystery woman in Justin's life was.

 

Justin was the first to arrive at his office the following morning. He had a full schedule and wanted to get an early start. Based on the staff meeting of the previous morning, it appeared that his firm would be handling the Harrison murder case. He knew that it would absorb all of Sean's and Khendra's time for months. Which would mean that he would have to put his plans on temporary hold.

Justin took a seat behind his desk. He'd wanted to tell Vaughn about Janice and his daughter as well as his plans to find her. But Vaughn had enough to deal with at the moment. There would be plenty of time for him to discuss his painful marriage and his loss.

Flipping through the files on his desk, he saw the documents Barbara had given him the day before. He picked up the papers and read the résumé and recommendations for Simone Rivers. He was impressed. Nodding in approval of what he read, he scanned the last sheet, which was a preliminary recommendation from Chad and Barbara. This young woman was obviously worth seeing, he thought.

Justin reviewed her background once again, this time with a more critical eye. Simone would be about the same age as his daughter, he realized with a pang. Eighteen. Simone, he thought wistfully. Even the name was similar. He looked at the pages again. His heart beat a little faster. Simone Rivers had grown up in Atlanta. He'd met and married Janice in Atlanta. Janice had disappeared with his daughter in Atlanta.

He shook his head in denial. It couldn't be. Not after all
this time. He couldn't believe Janice and Sam had been in Atlanta all along. It was impossible. “Hey, boss.”

Justin looked up to see Chad Rushmore standing in his open doorway. He forced his thoughts to clear.

“Rush.” Chad grinned at the nickname. Justin cleared his throat. “You're here early.” He placed the papers on his desk. Chad strolled into the office.

“I needed to get a jump start today. Looks like you had the same idea.” Chad smiled broadly. He angled his chin toward the papers on Justin's desk. “I see you have the application for Simone Rivers.”

“I was just going over it. Looks like a good candidate,” he said, trying to sound casual.

“I think the same thing. I spoke with her last night.”

Justin's eyes widened slightly. “You did?” There were a million questions he wanted to ask, but he valiantly controlled the urge.

“Barbara asked me to call and let her know that we'd received her info.”

“What were your impressions?”

“She sounds just as good as she appears on paper. I think we should have her come down for an interview.”

Justin's pulse escalated another notch. “Why don't you make the arrangements? Find out if she can come down at the end of the week. Offer to put her up in a hotel for the weekend. We'll take care of the flight arrangements.”

“Great. I'll take care of it right away.” He turned to leave.

“And Rush…”

Chad turned “Yes?”

Justin breathed deeply. “Uh, let me know what happens.”

Chad looked at Justin curiously. “No problem. As soon as I know—you'll know.”

 

Once Chad was gone, Justin looked again at the papers in front of him. Would Janice have changed Samantha's name to Simone? It seemed like a reasonable assumption. She'd probably changed her name as well. Which would explain why his searching had been fruitless. Could it be possible that the miracle he'd prayed for was actually within reach? He took a calming breath and pressed his palms against the desktop to stop the trembling. He wouldn't let his imagination run wild. It was a one-in-a-million chance that Simone was his daughter. But what if she was?

 

Vaughn was going over her morning schedule when Crystal breezed into her office, slapping the
Washington Post
onto her desk. “Take a look,” Chris insisted.

Vaughn held her breath and picked up the paper, expecting bad news. Instead she read the glowing tribute that was written about her and her work over the past four years. She had the backing of the
Post!
Her eyes glowed with excitement. “I don't believe it,” she said in awe. “Stone didn't even get backing from the
Post
on his last bid.”

“Well, girlfriend, be prepared for a down-and-dirty fight. Stone isn't going to take too kindly to this. I'm sure we'll be hearing from his office real soon.”

Vaughn sat back in her seat. “I can't wait,” she said, rising to the challenge. “This is just the ammunition we need.”

Crystal took a seat. “We need to plan our strategy. You know he's going to come at you full steam ahead. We need to be prepared for anything.”

“I'll be ready,” Vaughn said, full of confidence.

Crystal grew suddenly serious. “Vaughn,” she began slowly. “The night of the fundraiser, your mom said something real strange to me.”

Vaughn looked at her friend quizzically. “What did she say?”

“She said that I should be there for you. She sounded worried, Vaughn. Worried for reasons beyond just the stress of the campaign.” She looked pointedly at Vaughn. “Do you know why?”

Vaughn's heart thudded once, then settled as she thought of the one thing that plagued her mother's thoughts. “I can't imagine what my mother could be so worried about. Maybe you were reading more into what she said.”

“I don't think so, Vaughn. And I don't think that you do, either.”

Vaughn looked away. “I don't know what you mean. You know how my mother can be sometimes.”

“Yeah,” Crystal nodded in agreement. “I know how she is. She's one of the most level headed people I know. Nothing much rattles your mom. But she was rattled. And please don't insult my intelligence by telling me that I'm imagining things, okay?”

“All right, maybe you weren't imagining things, but that doesn't mean I know what she was talking about,” Vaughn countered defensively.

Crystal's eyes narrowed. She flipped her hair behind her ear. “Listen,” she said calmly. “I'm your chief of staff, your campaign manager. But first and foremost, I'm your friend. If there's anything I need to know to help you or protect you, then I think you ought to tell me. We don't need any surprises, Vaughn.” She looked solemnly at Vaughn, a faint smile shadowed her lips. “I only want to help.”

“I know,” Vaughn said heavily. “And I appreciate it. But there's nothing to worry about.” Yet even as she said
the words, she could only pray that they were true. “If there's anything I can think of, you'll be the first to know. I promise.”

Crystal sighed and rose from her seat. “Fine.” She flipped open her notebook. “You have a ten o'clock meeting with the community school board. Then you and I have to meet with Councilman Henderson at noon. Then there's the dinner tonight with One Hundred Black Women at seven.”

“Are you planning to come to the dinner?”

“I'm thinking about it. You know I have that trip to New York in the morning. But if you think you'll need me, I'll go.”

“Don't worry about it. I know you have plenty to do.”

“Why don't you give Justin my ticket?” Crystal hedged.

Vaughn felt the flush heat her face. She smiled shyly. “Maybe I will.”

“Did the two of you iron things out? He seemed mighty angry yesterday.”

“We did,” she said simply.

“I'm really glad to hear that. I hope everything works out with the two of you.”

“So do I, Crystal. So do I.”

Vaughn's private line rang. She hesitated before answering. Crystal took the hint.

“I'll see you later,” she said softly as Vaughn picked up the phone.