State of Affairs

by Marie Force

Nick yawned and reached for her, bringing her back into his embrace. “You only have to call me that in bed.”

  “Haha. Dream on.”

  “Do you have to work tomorrow?”

  “I do. We caught a new case tonight. I already told Vernon that I have to be at HQ at eight.”

  “That’s good. Now about that birthday-level treatment I was promised…”

  “Speaking of your birthday—and Scotty’s—what do you want to do?” He’d be thirty-eight in December, and Scotty would be fourteen next week.

  “I don’t care as long as we spend the day with the kids.”

  “We can make that happen. We also need to be thinking about visiting the shelter to find a dog for our boy.”

  “Or we can ask the shelters to come to us with some options.”

  “That’s risky. He’ll want them all. He won’t be able to send them back—and neither will we.”

  “True. Let’s look online and narrow it down after we move.”

  “Don’t remind me that we have to move.”

  “Okay, I won’t.” He kissed down her neck and along her collarbone, pushing her T-shirt out of the way as he went. “You’re way too overdressed for a birthday-level treatment.”

  “I figured I was in big trouble, so I dressed accordingly.”

  “I’ll admit I was upset—seriously upset—that you were off the grid, but after hearing where you were and why, and I… I can’t be upset with you for being who you are and doing what you do.” With his chin propped on her chest, he gazed at her. “I know exactly who I married, Samantha, and I hate how my career has impacted yours.”

  “It hasn’t. Not really.”

  “Yes, it really has. You’re recognized everywhere you go, and I know you hate that. My higher profile has raised yours, which makes an already dangerous job that much more so.”

  “It’s no big deal.”

  “It’s a huge big deal and a massive safety issue that we have no choice but to address.”

  “It’ll be fine. We’ll figure it out, the way we always do. And for what it’s worth, I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the way we deal with this shit when it comes up. In my past life, I would’ve been in for days or even weeks of passive-aggressive silence while I was punished for the transgression of the moment.”

  “That’s no way to run a marriage.”

  “Believe me, I know. That was awful, and this… This is magic.”

  He pushed up her T-shirt and helped to ease it over her head. “Mmm, so sexy.”

  Sam crossed her arms over breasts.

  He moved her arms aside to kiss and caress her breasts before he finally sucked her nipple into the heat of his mouth while running his tongue over it. The sensations zinged through her body, gathering in a tight throb of need between her legs. “Nick,” she said, gasping and squirming beneath him.

  “Not so fast, my love. First, you’re going to take your punishment for making me suffer.”

  “Wha… What? Punishment?”

  “You heard me.”

  She sagged into the mattress. “I thought you wanted birthday-level treatment.”

  “We’ll get there. Eventually.”

  Resigned to being tortured in the best way possible, she grasped handfuls of the sheet and held on for dear life. When her husband set his mind to sensual torture, there was no point in fighting him.

  Nick breathed a sigh of relief that they’d gotten through that conversation without a big fight. He’d been spoiling for one when he got home and discovered she was still out there somewhere, unprotected and vulnerable to those who’d harm her just because she was married to him. Between his worries about her and the baffling incident with Ruskin, he’d been wound up tighter than he’d been in a long time.

  Until she walked into the room, safe, sexy and perfectly imperfect. Just that quickly, the fight had gone out of him, replaced by gratitude for her safety. This time. He was under no illusions that they’d completely solved the problem, but he took her at her word when she promised to allow a detail going forward.

  He never wanted to treat her the way her first husband had, but he couldn’t back down when it came to her safety. However, he didn’t need to think about any of that now that she was naked and soft and sexy as she tried to move him along. Always impatient, his Samantha. The more she tried to rush him, the more inclined he was to slow down. He placed kisses on her abdomen, smiling when goose bumps erupted on her skin.

  He loved the way she gasped and struggled against the arm he had across her hips, holding her down so she couldn’t get away as he moved down to prop her legs on his shoulders.

  “Nick.”

  “Shhh.”

  “Come on…”

  She was so easily annoyed, not that he minded that. All her rough edges made her who she was, and he loved everything about her.

  He ran his tongue over her most sensitive flesh, making her tremble in response as he sucked on her clit and drove his fingers into her. She came hard. He gave her no time to recover before he took her up again, letting her linger this time right at the precipice. Then he backed off, withdrew completely and kissed her inner thigh.

  “You’re being so mean,” she said, her breathing choppy.

  “How so?” He had to fight the urge to laugh at her incensed tone. “By my count, you owe me one.”

  “You know what you’re doing—and you’re doing it on purpose.”

  “Yes, I am, so be quiet and take it like the badass boss you are.”

  “Revenge is a bitch, and so am I.”

  “You don’t scare me.”

  “Now you’re just pissing me off.”

  “Just now I am? I need to work on my technique.”

  Her low growl made him laugh. Since her eyes were closed, that was the perfect time to bite down on her nipple as he pushed his fingers into her again, curling them to hit the magic spot that made her crazy every time. He had her on the verge of another climax when he stopped again.

  “I hate you.”

  “No, you don’t.”

  “Yes, I really do.”

  “Well, we can’t have that.” Nick moved to align his cock and pushed into her in one deep thrust that triggered her release.

  She actually scratched his back in the throes of passion, and he loved it.

  “No more,” she said when she’d recovered enough to speak.

  “Yes more.”

  She shook her head.

  He kissed her until her arms encircled his neck and her legs curled around his hips. That’s when he knew he had her. He gave it to her hard and fast, the way she liked it best, until they were both coming, clinging to each other in a moment of unity that made him forget everything that wasn’t her, them and the perfection they found together.

  “I hope you’re not still expecting birthday-level service after that. I’m wrecked.”

  “Then my work here is finished.”

  “I’ve been thoroughly punished with three orgasms. That’s not exactly a deterrent to future bad behavior.”

  “Hmm, I’ll have to work on my punishment technique going forward.”

  “If your technique was any better, I’d be dead.”

  “You’re not allowed to die. That’s the point I’ve been trying to make.”

  “Your point is very well made. And what you said… About how I’d feel if the very nature of my job endangered your life…”

  He raised his head from her shoulder and found light blue eyes looking at him with so much love. She was everything to him. Every. Single. Thing. A life without her wouldn’t be worth living, thus his desperate desire to ensure her safety.

  “I couldn’t bear that. So I want you to know, I get it. I always did, but now I really do. I get it. I want you to be president and to continue to make us all so proud, and I don’t want to do anything to ruin that for you. I really don’t.”

  “I know that, babe. And I don’t want to do anything to ruin your job for you either. That’s the last thing I want.
I know how important it is to you.”

  “Before I had you, it was everything to me. That wasn’t really healthy, but it’s such a big part of who I am. I’d be lost without it.”

  “As awful and upsetting and terrifying as it can be sometimes, I know how much you love it.”

  “I do love it. I love the challenge of the cases, the people I work with—most of them, anyway—the satisfaction of getting justice for the loved ones of victims. I love it all.”

  “I’m going to fight as hard as I can to make sure you get to keep doing what you love. I’ll take every political hit I have to in order to make that happen for you.”

  She tightened her arms around him and bit back a yawn. “I love you so much for that. More than you’ll ever know. You get me.”

  “I speak Samantha fluently, and I swear to you I’ll never ask you to be anyone other than who you are, no matter what happens on this crazy ride we’re on.”

  “Thank you.”

  Nick silently vowed to do whatever it took to keep that promise no matter what it might cost him in the court of public opinion.

  Before she left the house the next morning, Sam knocked on Elijah’s door.

  “Come in.”

  “Sorry to wake you, but I wanted to say goodbye before I go to work.”

  “I thought you were off this weekend.”

  “So did I. We caught a homicide last night, and I’m going to give it a few hours before my meeting with Mrs. Nelson.”

  “Going to check out the new crib, huh?”

  Sam laughed. “Something like that.”

  “I wanted to thank you again for the incredible party for the kids. They absolutely loved it.”

  “That was all Shelby.”

  “It was all of you, and they know it. I’m really sorry that one of the dick parents released that photo and caused problems for Nick.”

  “Don’t worry about that. He doesn’t care what anyone says. He was right where he wanted to be while also juggling an international crisis. You said you’d come home every weekend for a while, but I really don’t think you need to. Focus on school, and we’ll take good care of the twins.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. We’ll call you in if they’re having trouble adjusting, but I think they’ll be fine.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “I am. We’ll see you in a few weeks for Christmas?”

  “I’ll be here. Or I guess I should say I’ll see you across town.”

  “There’ll always be a room for you at our home.”

  “That means so much to me, especially now with everything you guys have got going on. My mom is making noise about me coming to visit her, but I told her I want to be with the kids, so she has to come to me if she wants to see me.” Before their murders, he’d lived with his father and stepmother, Cleo, when he wasn’t away at school.

  “We’ll make her feel welcome too.”

  “That’s awesome. Thanks. She’ll shit her pants when I invite her to the White House.”

  Sam laughed.

  “Nick told me I’ve got to have a detail going forward.” His expression told her what he thought of that. “Just what every college student wants.”

  “Every homicide detective too. It sucks, but I’m trying to tell myself it beats the alternative. People know you’re part of our family now, so that makes you vulnerable, as Nick would say.”

  “That’s what he told me. I’m willing to do it if it gives him peace of mind, but…”

  “I know. Trust me. I get it.”

  “I guess that’s the price we pay for having our own bowling alley.”

  Laughing, Sam said, “Exactly. I hear we’ll have butlers too.”

  “Well, that won’t suck.”

  “From what I’m told, it’s quite lovely. I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” Sam checked her watch and saw that she had twenty minutes before she was due to meet Freddie and Gonzo at HQ. “I’d better hit it. Let us know if you need anything at school. We’re here for you.”

  He got out of bed to hug her. “Thank you, Sam. You guys are the best.”

  “We love you. Be safe.”

  “You too.”

  Sam went down the stairs and found Vernon and Jimmy waiting for her by the door. “Morning,” she said to them and the new agent working the door. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”

  She went into the kitchen, brewed coffee to go and grabbed a protein bar to hold her over until she had time to eat a real meal. Juggling her mug and coat, she met the agents at the door.

  “I’m going to MPD headquarters.”

  “We’ll be right behind you,” Vernon said.

  “Thank you.” She could tell she’d taken the agents by surprise by thanking them. That wouldn’t do. When they were on the sidewalk and out of the earshot of the others, she said, “Listen, I know I’m a total pain in the ass, which some would say is part of my charm. But as a fellow law enforcement officer, I want you to know I respect the role you guys play in keeping me and my family safe. I’ll do my best to cooperate with you going forward.”

  “And we’ll do our best to let you do your job without interference,” Vernon said. “We respect the fact that you’re staying on the job when you certainly don’t need to.”

  “I do, though. It’s in my blood, you know?”

  “I get it,” Vernon said. “My father and grandfather were federal agents.”

  “That’s really cool. Thanks for telling me that. Well, I guess I’d better get to it.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Sam got into the black BMW that used to belong to Nick. He’d made it so she could live for days inside that car if it ever came to that, which was probably the only reason the Secret Service was allowing her to drive herself without objection. When she’d cleared the checkpoint, she put through a call to Brendan Sullivan.

  He answered on the third ring. “Is this the first lady or Lieutenant Holland?”

  “Both, I guess.”

  “Congratulations. I think?”

  Sam laughed. “Still not quite sure. I’m sorry to bother you on a Sunday morning, but a parolee landed in the morgue last night, and I’m looking for some info.”

  “Name?”

  “Eduardo Carter.”

  His deep sigh came through loud and clear. “Why am I not surprised? He’s been in and out of trouble for years.”

  “Can you tell me where he lived? We went by his parents’ home last night and didn’t get very far with the father.”

  “The parents washed their hands of him after he beat up his mother. They stuck with him a lot longer than I would have. He put them through hell.” She heard rustling in the background. “Let me log in to my work computer to find an address for him.”

  “Shoot it to my email, along with any known associates and a rundown on what I need to know about him?”

  “Will do.”

  “Thanks, Brendan.”

  “You got it. Best of luck to you and your husband.”

  “Thanks. We appreciate the good wishes.” She flipped the phone closed and headed for HQ. On the way, she put through a call to Dr. Anderson, a friend at GW Hospital.

  “Are you seriously calling me, or is this a butt dial?”

  “My butt’s not that talented.”

  “Don’t you have a new job?”

  “Nope. I still have the same old lousy one, and that’s why I’m calling.”

  “You’re really still doing your job?”

  “I really am.”

  “Wow. I wondered what you were going to do.”

  “Now you know. I’m looking for info about Shanice Williams, who was brought in by EMS last night. She had a stab wound to the neck. I need to speak to her this morning and was hoping you could help me get around the privacy stuff and tell me where I might find her.”

  “Hang on.”

  She heard him typing on a computer.

  “She’s in the ICU.”

  “Am I allowed to see her t
here?”

  “Let me know when you’re coming, and I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Thanks, Doc.”

  “Haven’t seen you in a while. You must be due for some sort of disaster by now.”

  “Shut your mouth!”

  He hung up laughing.

  Sam ended the call. “Cheeky bastard.” Despite her overall disdain for people in general, she’d made some good friends through her job, and they often came in handy. She drove through quiet Sunday morning streets and was at HQ twelve minutes later. For once, the place wasn’t surrounded by media trucks, as the press probably didn’t expect her to be there on a Sunday.

  Their absence made it possible for her to enter the building through the main entrance, which was a rare treat. Usually, she had to sneak in through the morgue to avoid reporters holding out hope that she’d one day comment on her husband, his public persona, their personal lives, etc. The only thing she was ever willing to comment on—and willing was a stretch—was her cases. Otherwise, they could kiss her ass. She’d never give them anything about Nick, no matter how many times they asked.

  The first person she encountered was the one she least expected to see there on a Sunday—Chief Farnsworth.

  “Fancy meeting you here,” she said. “No church this morning?” For as long as she’d known him—and she’d known him all her life—he’d never missed weekly Mass.

  “We went last night. I prayed for you and your husband as you begin this challenging new journey.”

  “Thank you,” she said softly. “We need all the prayers we can get.”

  “You’re going to be a terrific first couple. I have no doubt about it.”

  “He’ll be a great president. I have no doubt about that. The jury’s still out on the first lady, however. I hear she’s a ball-busting cop who’s refusing to give up her day job.”

  Smiling, he said, “She’s the best ball-busting cop on this force, and I, for one, am very relieved that she’s stubbornly clinging to her day job. She makes me look good on the regular.”

  “She does what she can for the people. Are we done speaking of her in the third person?”

  “We can be. How are you?”

  “I’m strangely okay. Talk to me when I have to move, which I hear is happening as soon as later this week. Did you know they come in, pack up all your crap for you and then unpack it there?”