Scandalous: The Senator's Secret Bride (15 page)

“It’s as simple as that? We get married and then we can do what we want? I take you back to my place and—” He planted a kiss on my lips, crushing his lips to mine until all I could taste was his desire. His hands traveled down my skirt to the tops of my thighs, resting there for a moment as he kissed me.

“Depends,” he said, his breath hot against my skin. He brought his lips to my cheek, and then lower, into the hollow of my neck. A rush of warmth sped through my body. “If this is what you want, today, right now... then it’s something I have to give.”

“God help me, it is.” My body, as unwieldy as it was becoming, was sensitive to the heat of his fingertips, longing for his touch. He lifted my skirt, gently spreading my legs apart. A rush of cool air hit my sex, nearly making me rise from the sofa with aching anticipation.
 

“No matter what you decide, Sonia, I think I’ll want you all the days of my life. By damn, you’re the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen. And now you’re glowing with this beauty.” He moved a hand to the zipper of my skirt, pulling it down bit by bit and then lifting me slightly until the garment fell to a puddle on the floor. He moved back to my legs, spreading my thighs apart further. He moved his fingertips over the tops of my thighs, sending gooseflesh over my skin.

“I don’t feel much like I’m glowing... Oh!” He traced his finger along the edge of my panties, moving his hand inside. He flicked his fingers over the hot slickness, finding my sensitive button and moving his hand with agonizing slowness.

“These need to come off. God, you’re sexy. I crave you like a damn drug.” He brought his thumbs to the top of my waistband and pulled the panties off, tossing them aside. He moved toward me and pulled me to the edge of the couch. Gently, he placed one hand on my belly. “You can’t even fathom how gorgeous you are. How much I want you. The curve of your hips, of your breasts. I don’t want to mention the baby… but God, you’re even sexier now.”
 

A chill ran up my spine, the hairs at the nape of my neck standing on end. In these first few weeks of my pregnancy, there was nothing that could make me feel sexy, or even content with my body. But the wild desire in John’s eyes showed me just how beautiful I could be. He knelt down, closer to me, so agonizingly close. He kissed the top of my thigh, his teeth nibbling the flesh, his stubble tickling my skin. How was he capable of this? I’d spent all my life ignoring desire, pushing it down in my body. But with John, a delicate kiss on the top of my thigh nearly sent me over the edge into madness. He bent lower, his breath hot against my sex, sending sparks of heat through my thighs and up into my core. I moved my hands to his thick hair, grabbing it hard until he groaned. The vibration of his voice sent ripples of need through me, my body needing him like a drug. He brought his lips to the dark heat between my legs, pushing his tongue softly against my clit.
 

I cried out, arching my back in delight. My sensitivity had already changed—that one taste had almost sent me over the edge. John brought his lips closer in, encircling the tiny bundle of nerves and sucking hard, kissing and licking. He sucked, flicking his tongue over the bud of my clit, sending deep shocks through my body. I cried out and draped my legs over his shoulders, bringing him in closer, bucking against his face as he brought me closer and closer to oblivion. I hit that edge and the world tipped over, everything going blank for an instant. I clutched at the couch cushions, writhing against him as the orgasm hit and washed through me. He kept on kissing and licking, flicking his tongue back and forth over me.
 

“I want to watch you come again when I’m inside of you.” I nodded, catching my breath for a moment. I knew I would come—and fast—when he entered me. I watched as he pulled off his button-down, several buttons popping as it tightened over his broad chest. I bent down to help him with his buckle, moving my hand over his cock, already stiff and wanting. He unzipped himself and stood, stepping out of his pants and his boxers. “You want that too? To feel me inside of you.” He brought his hand to my chin and tilted it towards him.

“Yes,” I whispered. My body thrummed with longing. I brought my hand to his cock, stroking it, listening to his breath come in shorter gasps. Falling to my knees, I brought my lips to his thick, gorgeous cock, giving into the deeply physical need I felt whenever I was with him. I wanted to taste him, to touch him, to make him groan with pleasure. I flicked my tongue over the head, and took him in my mouth, all the way back. I swallowed, listening to his breath change as I massaged his cock with my throat. I sputtered for a moment, still not used to taking a man like this, not used to welcoming sex back into my life… and having nothing go wrong. Gently, he bucked against my face, and I welcomed him in deep in my throat, flicking my tongue over his head and shaft.
 

“Hold on, baby. Oh God, that’s good. Wait baby.” He groaned again and pulled away from my mouth. “I want to come while I’m inside of you.”

He helped me up, his fingers moving to the buttons on my shirt, tossing it aside. He reached around and unhooked my bra, tossing it on the sofa and exposing my sensitive, aching breasts to the air. He cupped them gently, moving his lips to one nipple and sucking ever so gently. John took my other nipple between his thumb and forefinger, rolling it, sending fire through my veins and into my waiting sex. I groaned, throwing my head back, the pleasure pouring through my body in great, rolling waves. In one smooth, swift motion, he lifted me and carried me over to my bed.

“Studio apartment. Everything’s within reach,” I said, throwing my arms around his neck and kissing his clean, smooth skin.

“I like it that way.” He placed me on the bed, moving me to the edge, his hands firm and gentle. John lead down and kissed down over my belly and to the tops of my thighs. “You want this?”
 

I nodded. “Right now, this is the one thing I
know
I want.” He leaned into me, pressing his cock against my aching, needy sex. He pushed himself into my entrance, and I groaned, throwing my legs around him and pulling him in, desperate to be filled. I thrust my body against his, welcoming him. He panted and groaned, leaning back and thrusting hard inside me. John slowed, his eyes meeting mine.
 

He fell into a slow rhythm, pushing all the way inside and hitting against my clit with each movement. I gasped. This is what it would be like to fall into him, to welcome him in my bed each morning. He pumped into me, slow and sweet, bringing me closer and closer to the edge. My muscles began to tighten, each cell in my body full of sweet, agonizing pleasure. I groaned and clutched the covers in my hand as he pumped into me, sending me into a wild, soul-shattering release. My legs shook, wrapped around him, as he thrust into me hard, panting and letting out a long moan. John shuddered, pushing inside of me harder, reaching his climax and pulling me into him as he came deep inside of me. He fell down onto the bed beside me, and I sighed, pressing my lips against his shoulder. It was sweet and quick—like we’d been together for years. My body hummed with the pleasure of being close to him, breathing his scent, taking him in just like a woman in an ordinary relationship.

“No matter what you decide, I’ll be here waiting for you. Can’t you imagine that it would be a beautiful life… you and me?”

“Yes, I can imagine it.” The words slipped out of my mouth.
 

“The next time you see me, we’ll be a week away from the election. Maybe we can talk then. Figure out a plan.”

“John, you know I’m still conflicted. I’m not the type of woman who can be a senator’s wife, play the game. Head up the Junior League. I need the thrill of the political game. I need it like my own lifeblood. It’s what I was born to do.” He nodded.

“I know you do.”

“For now, we could just start by spending the day together, not thinking out the rest of our lives.”

“Okay,” he said. “I can do that. And for the next few weeks, we can stay a secret, avoiding all the trouble of the outside world.” I nodded, wondering just what this was, this secret thing we had tried so hard to keep hidden. When I was with John, there was so much that was good, so much that was
right
.
 

“Why do we have to keep it hidden? I mean, if we were going to give it a try?” I covered my hand with my mouth, shocked to hear those words falling out of my mouth.
 

“We can’t give ourselves over to the scandal of it, not yet… to the people who would try to hurt us. The people who would try to hurt you. The marriage, the contract. It ties you to me so that people won’t accuse me of having a secret affair—and so that they can’t accuse you of going after me. But not if we go shouting it to the world just now.” I turned away, wondering what lay hidden in his words. For someone so impulsive, for someone so joyful, he was hellbent on protecting his election. And he said all those things about protecting me—how could he protect
both?

But I let him hold me, let him stay. There was nothing else I could do. As surely as the gravity held me to the earth, I was bound to him, now more than ever. The next time I saw him, at his final campaign speech in Richmond, I would still feel the same way, bound to him for a brief moment in time.
 

But we had no idea what trouble lay ahead.

October 28, 2016

Nine Days until Election Day

The next weeks went by in a blur. There were times I would forget I was pregnant—that I’d ever married John. Election season was at a fever pitch, and John and Janice were neck and neck in the polls. I worked my magic with supporters, pulling both parties to our side as John started to pull ahead of Janice in popularity. We had John’s charm going for us. Not to mention the handsome face, the salt-and-pepper hair, and his perfect physique. Those things went over well with our consumers.
 

When I walked into the gorgeous old hotel in Richmond, though, everything came crashing back to me. And I felt my need for John sweeping over me in a wave. Kelly took my arm as soon as she saw me, and she rushed up to me, drawing me into a hug.

“I have a bad feeling about tonight,” Kelly said. “Everything has gone too well, Sonia.” She looked around the grand hall at the Jefferson. John had just delivered his final Richmond speech before the election. And this was the first time I’d laid eyes on him in three weeks. Since then, my belly had become much more conspicuous. I pulled my shawl around my shoulders and over my stomach, glad that full skirts were in fashion.
 

“What kind of bad feeling, Kell? It seems like the wedding shut Janice up for a while.”

“Sonia, lower your voice. I think Janice
knows
something. Our guy got the pictures off of her laptop, but she’s been way too quiet recently. She’s going to do
something
, hit us somehow.” She leaned into me. “Who
knows
about the pregnancy?”

“John, me, you. And my doctor. He’s in Maryland. I don’t think he knows who the hell is running for Senate in Virginia.”
 

“That’s all good and well. But I had the thought… Those people at the hospital.”

“We went under different names. John knew some head surgeon at Alexandria Hospital who arranged everything, covered it all up.”

“I just have this feeling, Sonia. That it’s
too
good. Polls are
too
high. John looks like he’s going to win, and that makes me nervous.” She drew out the last syllable of “nervous” and gripped onto my arm.
 

“For once, Kelly, I’m going to say we’re okay. Maybe. For right now. We’ll just enjoy tonight.”

“Alright my darling.” Kelly kissed me on the cheek and ran off to one of the tables people were crowding.
 

I followed her into the grand hall where John was chatting with supporters. The Jefferson was a historic old hotel in Richmond, grander and more beautiful than any I’d seen in DC. And the food was some of the best I’d ever tasted. But tonight, I wasn’t worrying about the food from anywhere. I was worrying about Janice Howell and the information she might or might not have. Kelly’s words stuck with me. I watched John talking to his loyal followers, wondering if we were safe. I hadn’t taken too much time to consider if we were or weren’t recently. There were too many other things that seemed important.

She’s going to do something, hit us somehow.

 
I gulped, moving my hands down to my belly. At twelve weeks pregnant, I was beginning to show ever so slightly. All of the people at the office were far too invested in their own lives—and in the goal of getting John into office—to notice. John hadn’t laid eyes on me in three weeks, and we hadn’t even had a chance to talk since our wedding day. There were a few emails here and there, mostly reminding me to take my vitamins.
 

Each word from him hurt me, scorched me in a way, reminding me of the pregnancy I was trying so hard to forget. But knowing that he was somewhere, thinking of me—sometimes it got me through the day. It was a strange thing, this limbo we were in. There were moments I couldn’t keep my mind off of him, off of his body and his hands. John was so charming with all of his fans, all the people who loved him. He hadn’t seen me, and for once, I just observed him.
 

John leaned down to grab a card for one of his growing band of fans. When he looked up, he saw me. His eyes rested on mine for a moment before sweeping over my body. He handed the card to his supporter, looking back into my eyes. All at once, a great warmth spread through me, filling me with the sparks and light of John’s warmth. I hadn’t felt that for weeks, not since he went home with me on the day of our wedding.
 

“Just a second,” he said to the crowd around him. “There’s someone I need to talk to.” Unabashed, impulsive as ever, John walked over to me and took my hands in his, leaning in to kiss my cheek.
 

“John! You can’t!”