The Perfect Candidate (9 page)

“Okay,” Ashley nodded, looking grateful to be able to disappear- Michael assumed she went into the kitchen. 

He stole another piece of pizza while she was gone, and ate it more slowly as he glanced around the room.  There were notes and scraps of paper covering the floor.  Michael eased off his jacket and picked one up.

“Don’
t!
”
Ashley shrieked, making Michael jump almost a foot into the air.  He dropped the paper instantly.  It hadn
’
t occurred to him that they might be important or private, not when they were littered all over the floor like rubbish, but then Ashley had hardly been expecting guests.

“Sorry,” he said quickly.  “I didn’
t mean-
”

“Did you move it out of order?” Ashley demanded anxiously. 

Michael looked over the sea of papers doubtfully. 
“
There
’
s an
order?
” he murmured in disbelief.

“Well, of course there is!” Ashley snapped, trying to find the piece of paper that he had, probably, moved of its allotted spot.  She had moved close enough to allow Michael to catch a sniff of her perfume…  “It’
s your next speech,
”
she added, smiling shyly.

“Wow,” Michael murmured.  He knew she worked hard of course, but this showed real dedication.  He liked her for that almost as much as he liked her for letting him into her house went she was only wearing her pajamas.  “Do you often bring your work home?”

Ashley shrugged her shoulders, which made her breasts bounce. Michael shifted uncomfortably. 
“
Sometimes.  I had to today though.  I didn
’
t get anything done all afternoon,
”
she frowned.

“Ah, because of the interviews?” Michael murmured, making himself lift his gaze to Ashley’
s face. 

“Yes, because of the interviews,” she sighed, and then gave up trying to find where the errant page of notes was meant to go and handed Michael his water. 

“And how did you find the interviews, and the
interviewers?
” he asked, taking a sip from the icy glass.  “Norm showed me some of what you’
d done,
”
he smiled. 
“
You looked like you handled everything wonderfully.
”

“Do you think so?” Ashley beamed, and sat down beside him- Michael felt the whole of his right side prickle from her nearness.  “It was a little strange at first. 
Me
being interviewed,
”
she continued,
“
but Norman had gone over everything I needed to say so many time before he let me speak to anyone that I would have been embarrassed if I had made a mistake!
”
she snorted.

“Norm likes to worry about things.  I think it gives his life purpose.”

Ashley giggled, and then she slowly seemed to realize just how close they were sitting, and perhaps she was also thinking about how little she was wearing?  Michael certainly couldn
’
t stop thinking about it!  He wondered, would there be any excuse for kissing her again?

He could claim he was only practicing, he could pretend that he was sorry if she slapped him away. Ashley didn
’
t
look
like she was going to put up very much of a fight though. She was starting to lean towards him, her eyes wide and dark, and her lips slightly parted in a subtle invitation.  Michael felt like he was being pulled towards her, as if he was caught in a current that he couldn
’
t fight.  He got close enough to feel the shaking puff of her breath as it crossed her lips- and then his phone rang.

Ashley jumped back as though she had been scalded, and as she couldn
’
t ignore the loud ringing, Michael didn
’
t see that there was any point in him doing so.  He reached in his pocket and answered brusquely.

“
What
is it?
”
he growled.

“Michael?” Norm voice met his ear.  “Michael where are you?  I’
ve been calling your home phone for half an hour!
”

“Heaven forbid I should decide to go out.  Why don’
t you get me tagged Norm?  That way you wouldn
’
t have any problem tracking me when I go missing,
”
Michael grumbled sarcastically.

“What the hell has got into you?” Norm demanded.

“Nothing,” Michael sighed, although he would like to be able to get inside Ashley… 

He knew that a kiss wouldn
’
t have satisfied his hunger in the slightest.  It would just have been the flame that went on to light his fuse.  But bedding Ashley was a bad idea for so many reasons-  Not least of all because he was supposed to be make believing that they had the perfect relationship, and whenever he started having sex with a woman things always seemed to spiral out of control and almost immediately hit destruction.  He wasn
’
t going to risk his shot at winning this election because she had raised his blood pressure.

“Anyway, what can I do for you, Norm?” Michael sighed, trying to calm his body back down.

“I thought you’
d like to know that I
’
ve rescheduled dinner with the businessmen you stood up tonight.
”

“Well, now I know…” Michael grunted, a second away from hanging up.

“I thought it might be a good idea if you brought Miss Kendall along?  She could-”

“Yeah, okay, Norm.  We’
ll talk about it in the morning,
”
Michael said smoothing and then promptly snapped his phone shut.

Ashley raised an eyebrow at him. 
“
Bad news?
”

“Bad timing,” Michael muttered under his breath, too quietly for Ashley to hear.  “Well, I guess I should probably go,” he said, standing up, and holding his coat strategically in front of his body. 

He waited to see if Ashley would try to stop him.  She didn
’
t.  Which annoyed him, even though he had already decided that he couldn
’
t stay.

“Just so you know, you’
re probably going to get a call from Norm in a minute to invite you to deathly dull dinner party.  I think he wants you to flirt with some business whose money we need,
”
he grunted.

“Oh,” Ashley looked surprised.  “Why can’
t you invite me?
”
she asked, smiling hesitantly.

Because he became an absolute bear when he was sexually frustrated
.  Michael forced himself to smile. 
“
I
’
m so sorry.  Would you care to be my date for a deathly dull dinner party?
”
he teased.

Ashley giggled. 
“
What no flirting instructions from you?
”

“Oh, you can flirt,” Michael nodded, following Ashley back towards the front door (fortunately his body had relaxed sufficiently to allow him to manage that at least)  “But only with me,” he whispered huskily.

“Michael!” Ashley giggled.  “I’
m sure that would defeat Norman
’
s whole purpose of asking me to dinner,
”
she said innocently, opening the front door, and then standing back to let his pass.

“Norm didn’
t ask you to dinner, I did,
”
Michael pointed out possessively, pausing in the doorway to look down at her.

“Yes, but only because Norman told you to,” Ashley grinned.  “Come on, you can’
t deny it
’
s true!
”
she laughed, but then she patted his arm in a conciliatory. Gesture. 
“
It
’
s okay, I forgive you.  I know you
’
re not used to having a girlfriend around.
”

“I’
m beginning to think there might be a very good reason for the that,
”
Michael grunted. 
“
Goodnight, Miss Kendall,
”
he said, deciding that he could risk a quick, chaste peck on the cheek. 

Mistake. 

Desire hit Michael hard in the gut as he breathed in the enticing scent of Ashley
’
s skin and her shampoo.  He soon found that he was in almost as a bad a state as he had been when they were sitting on the sofa together!

“Goodnight, Mr. Reese,” Ashley said in a breathy whisper.  Her eyelids had dipped low, their pupils were dialated.

“I’
ll see you at work tomorrow,
”
Michael said, stepping away from Ashley hastily, before he risked losing control of himself completely and simply pounced on her. 
“
Don
’
t be late!
”
he shouted over his shoulder, before opening his car door and getting inside.

7

Michael breathed out heavily once he was safely shut inside the car.  He had never,
ever
thought that simply being around Ashley would have had the power to discompose him so spectacularly!  His body was burning and throbbing with longing.  There was no way he was going to get any rest tonight.

It was rather ironic!  He couldn
’
t have Ashley
–
he knew that, but he wanted her regardless, but because she was
meant
to be his girlfriend, he couldn
’
t have any other woman either!

Michael groaned, as he turned out onto the street.  This was going to be torture!  Why hadn
’
t he realized this
before
setting everything in motion?  There was no way he could live like this until November- perhaps even longer!