Passion, Power, and Privilege (Siren Publishing Classic)

by Cara Addison

  She nodded, and moved forward to make room in the spacious tub. He stepped in behind her, and once seated, wrapped his legs around hers. He leaned forward, and slid his hand between her legs, causing her to wince. “Did I hurt you?” he whispered in a concerned voice. She shook her head side to side, letting the warm water soothe the tenderness from her body.

  He leaned back against the tub, and sighed. “Where are we going for dinner?” she inquired.

  “Lower Manhattan. It’s a restaurant Richard recommended,” he replied, taking the cloth to lather her back. “A car is scheduled to pick us up in twenty minutes.”

  Kate dressed in a comfortable but chic Isaac Mizrahi dress and simple black shoes with a kitten heel, and added a few essentials to a clutch purse before they made their way to the lobby. The car was prompt, pulling up in front of the hotel as they entered the lobby. Brad tipped the doorman as Kate slipped into the back seat, sliding over to make room for him. The car whisked them through the city, avoiding the major traffic snarls, dropping them off in the heart of Battery Park. They strolled through the park and along the waterfront, stopping to look out at Governors Island, Ellis Island, and the majestic Statue of Liberty that rose out of the Hudson River, a beacon to all who passed by. They turned north, and strolled up Broadway, slipping off the main artery, preferring the quiet of the side streets. Kate was admiring the unique architecture of New York when she suddenly realized they were walking past the New York Stock Exchange.

  “It’s such a formidable building,” she whispered, taking his hand. They strolled a little further. “Isn’t that the building where JP Morgan lived?” she asked, pointing to 14 Wall Street.

  “It is. How did you know that?”

  “I think it was converted into a restaurant. I remember having dinner there with my father, years ago. I wonder if it’s still there,” she reminisced.

  “You’re right. It was a fantastic little restaurant, but it’s closed now. I heard there is a high-tech company in that space now.”

  “Really?” They continued walking north, crossing back over Broadway to Liberty Street, stopping to pay their respects at the National September 11 Memorial.

  The sky was beginning to darken as the sun set. Kate glanced around as they walked back toward Broadway. “Where is city hall from here?”

  “It’s just up a few blocks.” He pointed to their right. “It’s like the mother ship for you, isn’t it?” He laughed.

  “I remember going on a tour there when I was a kid, but I haven’t been down to this part of the city in years.” She smiled.

  “Let’s walk by. The park is lovely.”

  They entered at the south end of the park, wandering up the wide path toward the fountain in the center of the park. The area was brightly lit with stunning antique lampposts, each with five octagon-shaped luminaires. She could see the pillars of the main entrance to city hall through the canopy of pink tree blossoms that enveloped the path.

  He paused in front of the fountain and turned to face her. “Kate?” He licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry. “I want you to know how much I love you.” She smiled, taking his hand, making his heart beat faster. “I can’t imagine my life without you…and…” He bent down on one knee, pulling a Tiffany blue box from his pocket. “…and I want you to be my wife.” She gasped, blinking away a tear. “Will you marry me?” he asked as he opened the box.

  A small crowd had gathered, stopping to witness his proposal. “Yes,” she answered, pulling him to his feet. “Absolutely, without question, yes!” The crowd applauded but Kate hardly noticed them as she kissed him.

  The ring was stunning. It was set in platinum. The primary stone was a brilliant five-carat princess-cut diamond. It was flanked by baguette-cut sapphires alongside another set of diamonds. “I selected those sapphires myself,” he whispered. “I wanted them to match your eyes.” He slipped the ring onto her finger.

  “I love you,” she whispered, wrapping her arms around his neck, staring deep into his eyes before she stood on her tiptoes to slowly kiss him.

  “Not that I care,” he whispered into her hair, “but we’re going to be late for dinner.”

  She took a deep breath, savoring the moment before releasing him. He took her by the hand, and guided her north to the restaurant. It was almost completely dark, and the streets had grown quiet. She ran her thumb instinctively around the delicate band, stopping suddenly in the middle of the sidewalk. “Wallace,” she gasped, looking up at him. “How am I going to tell him?”

  He smiled and kissed her. “He already knows. I asked on Sunday if he would mind terribly if I married you.”

  Kate quickly realized why her father had acted so strangely at Sunday dinner, and why Brad had taken so long to return from picking him up. “You belong in a smart city.” She smiled, stealing another kiss.

  Dinner was romantic. The Asian cuisine was light and delicate with robust flavors. At nine thirty they exited the restaurant. A car was waiting for them at the curb.

  “I love you,” she whispered, as they entered the suite.

  “Show me.” He smiled as she pulled off his shirt and unbuttoned his pants. He laid her onto the bed, pulling off her panties as he kissed her shoulder, then her belly, and then her hips.

  She sat up, sitting at the edge of the bed and slowly pulled off his briefs. She ran her hands up his thighs, massaging his hips as she looked up at his eyes. They’d darkened to a smoky blue, and she found them mesmerizing. She leaned forward, and delivered a very soft lick as she watched his eyes. Her hand dropped between his legs, slowly swirling her fingers around his balls in a figure-eight pattern. Another lick. “You’re beautiful,” she whispered, sliding her lips over the hot swollen head of his cock.

  “Damn,” he murmured, running his fingers through her hair, moaning as she twirled her tongue to match the movement of her fingers. “I wa–ant you,” he stammered as she took him deep into her mouth. His knees buckled as he lifted her chin and pushed her back toward the bed.

  She smiled, pulling him into bed. “You can hold the tree pose indefinitely at yoga, but you can’t stand on two feet for more than a minute.”

  “Not at all the same,” he whispered as he lay beside her, running his hand up her leg, finding her pussy. He gently parted her flesh and leaned down to lick her. She gasped in delight. He sat up, and ran his hands down her thigh and back up again as he turned to look at her. Her eyes were wide, wondering what he was doing, or what he was planning. Again, he bent down, delivering another long, delicious lick to her pussy. He turned his head to look at her. “Every time I lick you, you get wetter,” he whispered. His voice was thick with desire. She clutched the sheets as again, he swirled his taut tongue against her clit. “I wish you could see this.”

  “I can fe–el it,” she moaned as he slipped his finger inside her vagina. He kissed her thigh, holding her to the bed as she squirmed. “I want you,” she begged.

  He continued thrusting his fingers into her pussy as he kissed his way up her belly, across her breasts, and to her mouth. She pulled him from her side, and between her legs, kissing him urgently. A cry escaped as he slid his hard shaft into her, slowly removing his fingers. She dug her nails into his bottom, desperately trying to pull him deeper. He spread her legs wider, thrusting against her.

  She panted, frantically trying to catch her breath. “You feel so—” she gasped as she closed her eyes, feeling the intensity build. Her toes curled and her back arched, thrusting her hips against his as intense jolts of pleasure coursed through her body.

  “You have no idea how incredible that feels, Kate.” He moaned as her body constricted and pulsed around his thrusting cock.

  He slipped out of her, causing her to whimper. “Follow me,” he whispered, pulling her up and leading her to the living room. He sat on the sofa, pulling her down to straddle him. “I want you to ride me,” he murmured, cupping her breasts. “Ride me hard.” She bit her lip and leaned in to kiss him.

  She lowered h
er hips, spreading her legs as his cock entered her pussy. She throbbed, still feeling the residual spasms from her last orgasm. “Oh god,” she moaned, riding him up and then down like a carousel. He burrowed his face in her breasts, kneading as he pulled a nipple into his mouth, tugging and sucking. “Don’t stop,” she begged. His eyes promised that he wouldn’t.

  He put his hands on her hips, following her motion, until he suddenly pushed her down, pressing his cock deep into her, causing a cry to escape her lips. He released. She rode him until her legs ached. She begged him to come. He closed his eyes, and trembled as he came. She smiled peacefully, kissing his exhausted face.

  * * * *

  The sun was shining in the window as she poured coffee while he sat in bed checking his e-mail. He laughed out loud as he read. “Did you get an e-mail from Seth?”

  “No. Why?”

  “He sent me a message. I think it’s for you. I’ll forward it to you.”

  A second later, her phone pinged and she picked it up to see what was so amusing. She opened the e-mail. It was simple. In twenty-point font, and all caps, Seth had written two words. Followed by a long line of exclamation points. “Thank you.”

  She laughed, a strange feeling of fierce pride coming over her. She wondered if this is what being a proud parent felt like.

  “What have you got on your finger, pretty girl?” he asked, distracted by the sparkling glint from across the room.

  “Oh this?” she mocked, admiring the rock on her left hand. “It’s a little somethin’ I picked up last night.” She smiled widely. “When are we going to put one on your hand?” she asked, delivering him a cup of coffee, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

  “Good question. The kids are taking a year to plan their wedding. We don’t need a year, do we?”

  She shook her head and then grimaced. “The kids…we need to be careful not to upstage them.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “This is a big deal for them. I don’t want them to think we’ve sauntered in and stolen their thunder.”

  “Good point. I’ll talk to them when we get home. I’ll call Lauren’s mother, too.” He leaned in for a kiss.

  “You should talk to Drew, too. I think he’s struggling the most with us being together. I get the feeling that he’s fiercely loyal to the memory of his mother.”

  “You’re right. I’ll talk to him. So what about a date?”

  “Hmmmm. Labor day? Thanksgiving? Christmas?”

  “I like the idea of Labor Day,” he responded. “Quick, but not too quick.” He took a sip of coffee. “We also need to downsize our real estate portfolio. We hardly need two huge houses.”

  “I just bought that house.”

  “So did I.” He smiled. “Which house do you want us to live in?”

  She thought for a moment. “I love both houses, but realistically it’s going to be easier to resell mine. I think.”

  “Likely,” he agreed. “Plus I have a really good tub for sex. “

  She looked at him quizzically “We’ve never had sex in your tub.”

  “In the fullness of time, my love. The fullness of time.”

  She heard something at the door. “Are you expecting those documents to be sent here?” she asked, walking to the entrance.

  “No. Those have already been sent to my office.”

  A large manila envelope had been slipped under the door. She picked it up, noticing that it was addressed to both of them. She walked it to the bedroom, turning it over in her hands. “It’s addressed to both of us. Did you register both our names at the hotel?”

  “Nope.” He sat up, curious to see what was in the envelope. “Maybe the kids sent something.”

  She pulled open the tab, and slipped out a letter and what felt like photos. She handed him the letter, gasping as she thumbed through the eight-by-ten glossy images. “What does the letter say?”

  He scanned it, scrunching his face as he read. “Someone is threatening to publish those photos if we don’t pay them one million dollars.” He looked at her. “What’s in the photos?”

  She laid them out on the bed. Five photos of the two of them, in varying degrees of nakedness. One was a close-up of Kate, topless. “Are those from Richard’s yacht?” he asked, inspecting one photo closely.

  “It looks like it. I don’t remember seeing any other boats that day. Do you?”

  “I was a little distracted.” He chuckled, pointing to the photo of him kissing her stomach.

  “A million dollars?” Kate asked, reviewing the note. “Does is say how to pay?”

  “There’s a bank account number. It looks Cayman.”

  She looked over at him and chuckled. “It bodes well for me, that you can recognize a Cayman bank account, doesn’t it?”

  “It would be hard to trace,” he responded.

  She sat for a moment. “I find it hard to believe that any newspaper would even bother publishing these. Who cares is we were sunbathing topless?” She started typing a message on her phone.

  “Who are you e-mailing?” he asked.

  “I’m asking John Jenkins if he has time for a quick Skype call. He’s the editor at the Expositor. I’d like to see if he’s already been contacted…or if he thinks there is any real threat here.”

  A few seconds later, she had a reply. She moved to the office area and opened her laptop, setting up the Skype call. He answered promptly as Brad pulled up a chair beside her.

  “Good morning, Kate. What’s up?”

  “Thanks for taking the time to talk to me, John. Have you met Brad Taylor?” she inquired.

  “We have,” he responded. “Good to see you, Brad.”

  “Likewise,” Brad added.

  “John, have you received any suspicious photos that you would consider publishing?”

  He looked at her through the video camera curiously. “No, Kate. I haven’t. What are you talking about?”

  She paused. “We’ve received a set of somewhat compromising photos, with a letter demanding payment, or the photos will be released to the media.” She held up one of the photos to the camera so that he could see what she was referring to.

  His jaw dropped open, his eyes studying the close-up photo of a topless Kate. “I see. Nice.”

  “There are four more. Same idea.”

  He paused. “Well, besides the fact that they are great photos, I’m not sure why we…or any other newspaper, would publish them. It looks like you’re on a boat. Were you smuggling drugs or anything?”

  “No!” she huffed. “Of course, not. It was a vacation.”

  “Well, you’re clearly not having an affair, you’re there with your boyfriend. I’m not sure why the public would even care. Nothing illegal or unethical. Geez, Kate, the public barely cares anymore when we publish stories of a senator when he gets caught sexting pictures with his mistress.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “There are two other stories I’d like to cover though,” he added.

  “What do you have in mind,” Brad asked.

  “I’d like to put an investigative journalist on this, to find out who is trying to blackmail you. That’s a much more interesting story.”

  Kate and Brad looked at each other. “You’re right,” Brad agreed. “Let’s do that.”

  John pulled out a notepad. “When did you get the photos?”

  Kate looked at the clock. “About a half hour ago.”

  “How were they delivered?”

  “They arrived in an envelope and slipped under the hotel door.”

  “Where are you staying?”

  “We’re in New York. The St. Regis.”

  “Nice.” He whistled through his teeth, shuffling some papers. “I’m going to put Jake Anderson on this story. I’d like him to be able to contact the hotel, and find out what he can about how the package arrived there.”

  “I’ll call the hotel manager, and pass on Jake’s information,” Brad offered.

  “Good. We’ll get on t
his right away. When are you back in Lowden?”

  “This afternoon,” Brad answered.

  “Can you bring the envelope, letter, and photos in for me to see? There may be some clues there.”

  “Absolutely,” Kate offered.

  “In the meantime, I’ll call my counterpart over at the Observer. I know he doesn’t publically support all of your political decisions, Kate, but I know he respects you as an individual and I can’t imagine that he would even consider publishing photos like this.”

  “Thanks, John,” Kate added, starting to relax a little. “What’s the other story you wanted to cover?”

  He smiled. “I couldn’t help but notice a rather stunning ring on your finger, Kate. My best to both of you. I think that’s a story that Lowden would love to read.”

  They looked at each other and then smiled back at the camera. “We have a few people that we want to inform personally, John,” Brad responded, “but we’d be happy to sit down for an interview in a day or two.”

  “Excellent. No rush. It would be a great addition to the weekend edition.”

  “Thanks for your time and your insight, John,” Kate added, before signing off. “I’ll drop these by your office later today.”

  She disconnected the call. “See, nothing to worry about,” he said, wrapping his arms around her. He flipped through the photos again. “I particularly like this one. Can I keep it?” he added. His boyish grin was infectious, making her laugh at the idea.

  “It’s evidence,” she emphasized, taking the photos and letter, returning them to their envelope. She crossed the room, placing them into her carry-on bag.

  His phone rang. It was his office calling. She decided to take a shower while he talked. If they were heading home, she had some packing to do.

  “They signed the deal,” he announced a few minutes later, standing in the bathroom door. “The jet will be ready in ninety minutes. The car will be here in sixty.”