by K. A. Linde
“I think that depends entirely on you,” I said, offering her my hand.
And after a few seconds, she placed hers in mine. “I want this.”
A smile lit up my features. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said, fighting back a smile. “I can’t believe we’re really here. Honestly, I felt like the worst was going to happen. That, at any minute, you were going to change your mind. Perhaps I’m a bit traumatized by the past.”
I brought her hand to my lips and placed a kiss on it. “I don’t want to leave you ever again.”
“I think I’d like that.” She looked down and then back up at me under her long, full lashes. “So…where are you staying tonight?”
“Well, I planned to stay with Court.”
“I’m thinking no,” she said, standing up and pulling me out of the booth. “I haven’t slept in, like, forty-eight hours. You can stay with me and make me sleep.”
“Is that what we’re calling it nowadays?”
She laughed and then threw her arms around me and kissed me. Relief flooded through my body as I held her in this ridiculous greasy burger joint and knew that she was mine. That we weren’t so jaded by our pasts to screw up something this incredible. That, despite all odds, we’d found each other again. And we were going to make it work.
We headed out together, taking a cab uptown. I thought she had been kidding when she said that she wanted to sleep, but as soon as we walked in the house, she stripped out of her clothes and nearly face-planted into the bed.
“Did you honestly not sleep at all?” I asked, pulling back the covers and tucking her legs in.
She shook her head. “I was a hot mess. I couldn’t seem to shut my brain off. I think I passed out right when English got back.”
I grimaced. “Oh yeah. I heard about English being back. She really laid into Court.”
Lark yawned dramatically and reached for me. “She’s going through something. It’ll blow over.”
“Sucks.”
“Yeah. That’s a word for it.”
I came around to her side of the bed and crouched down in front of her. “Can I give you something?”
Her green eyes were hooded as she nodded.
Then I retrieved a wrapped gift from my suit pocket. I’d gone back to my place in Brooklyn for it. I’d been planning to give it to her later. After the primary, when we won. A victory gift. But it felt right now.
“What is it?” she said, leaning up on one elbow.
I passed it to her. “A gift for you.”
She took it in her hands and slowly peeled back the wrapping paper. It fluttered to the floor, and in her hand was a small, hand-carved, wooden lark.
“Oh wow,” she breathed. “When did you have time for this?”
“You find time for things that are important.”
“You made me one of these on the presidential campaign.”
I nodded. “I did. I figured that one was probably gone. And you might need a replacement.”
“Actually,” she said softly, “I was waiting to show you…”
She opened up the second drawer of her nightstand and removed an object wrapped in tissue paper. She undid it and showed me the lark that I’d carved for her.
“You kept it all this time?” I asked in surprise.
“I couldn’t get rid of it. Even when I got rid of everything else. It felt too…personal.” She held the two larks together. “And now, they’re a matched set.”
“Like us.”
She hummed appreciatively and set the two larks down on her nightstand to watch over us. Then she patted the bed next to her. “Sleep.”
I laughed. “You really do just want to sleep.”
Her eyes were half-glazed over. “The stress is finally all gone. Well, except for your job. We’ll figure that out.”
I stripped out of my suit and crawled into bed, carefully tucking her back into my chest. “You sound so confident about that.”
“You’re good at what you do. We can find something.”
“You know, it took weeks for me to get the job on campaign after the other company closed.”
She turned in to face me and met my steady gaze. “I’m going to sound Upper East Side here, but you didn’t have me before. You didn’t have our group of friends. It’s different now. And I know that sounds snooty or whatever, but I’ve kind of come to terms with it. This is who I am. It has some benefits, and we’ll use them to get you a job that you enjoy.”
I brushed her wild red hair out of her face. “I feel lucky then that you would want to do that for me. I’d never ask.”
She pressed her lips to mine. “I know. That’s why I’m going to do it.”
Something shifted between us in that moment. It wasn’t just a soft kiss that bespoke of exhaustion. An exhaustion that we both felt. It was something else altogether. Like our worlds were back on axis, spinning with our own gravity.
Her hands explored my body, and then she was tugging at my boxers. I eased out of them as she tossed her panties to the ground. She reached for my cock, taking it in her hand and experimentally stroking it a few times. I groaned in the back of my throat. She smiled against my lips.
“I like that,” she said. “How you moan when I touch you.”
“Fuck, woman,” I groaned, grasping her jaw in my hands and crushing our lips together.
It was her turn to make sexy mewling noises against my lips. Then she hiked one leg up and over my body and settled herself on top of me. My hands slipped down to her hips as she aligned our bodies together. I had an unbelievable vision of her naked form on top of me. Her wide hips and the easy roll of her stomach. Her fucking perfect, small breasts. I dug my fingers into her skin as my cock lengthened at that glorious view.
“You’re beautiful.”
She flushed all over and then slid her pussy down onto my cock. I couldn’t contain my own moan as I watched her eyes close and her head tip back.
“Oh god,” she said.
Then she started moving. Lifting her hips ever so slowly and then dropping back down onto me. She braced one hand on my chest, working up a rhythm. Her tits bounced as she rocked back and forth.
And soon, I lost the ability to let her continue. It was a fucking sight to watch, but I needed more. She needed more.
I took control back, even as she was on top of me. I grasped her hips harder and began to work them in a rolling motion.
Her eyes widened. “Fuck. Right there.”
I thrust up into her as I slammed her back down onto me again and again. Faster and faster, fucking her until we were both gasping for breath, aching all over. My cock grew just a little bit more as I watched her give in and come all over my dick. And then I grunted inelegantly and came behind her.
She collapsed forward over me when she was finished and pressed a kiss to my chest. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
Her breathing slowed until she was almost asleep before she went into the bathroom to clean up. I went in after she was done, and by the time I came back out, she was already passed out. I pulled my boxers back on, climbed into bed, and drew her tight against me.
Mine.
She was mine.
38
Lark
“It’s just temporary, right?” I asked English the next morning.
Her eyes rose when she saw Sam walk into the room and reach for the pot of coffee.
“Oh yeah. We made up.”
English snorted. “Go figure.”
“But really, you’re not moving back to LA, right?”
She sighed and then shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. But I do have to go back. I have to finish some stuff off, talk to some people. Lots of decisions to make.”
“As long as you come back,” I said, pulling her into a hug.
“Well, as much as I hate him, Josh said that I could keep the apartment.” She rolled her eyes. “Rather magnanimous of him, don’t you think? He got me the apartmen
t out of guilt and is letting me keep it out of guilt.”
“I’m just glad you’ll be here. But if you hate the apartment, we can sell it and find you something else.”
She frowned. “But I want it. And then I feel stupid because I want it and he bought it for me.” She shook her head. “I’ll have to disentangle some of this.”
“You’ll get there…just not overnight.”
“I know,” she said softly. She pushed her carry-on toward the door. “Off through three more time zones. I won’t even know my own name, the jet-lag will be so bad. Wish me luck.”
“All the luck in the world, friend.”
She blew me a kiss and then was gone.
“God, I feel bad for her,” I told Sam.
He nodded and offered me coffee. “Me too. I can’t believe what Josh did.”
“Yeah. Me either. She’s such a catch.”
“You should be going. Don’t want to be late.”
“And what will you do all day?” I asked him.
He shrugged. “Start looking at jobs, I guess.”
“Well, let me know if you find anything,” I told him, giving him a kiss before I headed out to work.
“Lark,” Aspen said on the intercom sometime after lunch, “it’s Malcolm from the mayor’s office on line two.”
Malcolm?
That was odd. Leslie’s assistant never called over here. We had little crossover between the organizations. For legal reasons, the campaign had to be completely separate from the actual running of politics. So, I’d had to give up the job that I’d had with Leslie at City Hall to come get her reelected. It was all a big ordeal but an important one.
“Got it. Thanks.” Then I pressed the line. “Hi, Malcolm. It’s Lark. How can I help you?”
“Hey, Lark. The mayor just asked me to have you over at City Hall for a meeting at three o’clock. Does that work for you?”
What the hell? Why?
That was what I wanted to ask. But I had a feeling Malcolm was just the messenger, and Leslie would let me know when I needed to know.
“Sure. Three is fine with me.”
“Excellent. See you then.”
I was confused. I didn’t know what this meant. Yesterday, Shawn had said that I was irreplaceable. And now, Leslie was calling me into her office at City Hall. Not the one she used when she was here. It couldn’t be good news. That was for sure.
By two thirty, I told Aspen I’d be gone for the afternoon for the mayor, and I headed to City Hall. My nerves, which had previously calmed down since I talked to Sam, were jittery all over again. I hated this. The not knowing.
I found Malcolm waiting outside the mayor’s office. He was a short, round-faced Indian man with dark, curly hair.
He energetically waved at me. “Hey, Lark! It’s good to have you back in the building.”
I smiled wanly at him. “Sometimes, I miss it.”
He rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. You like getting people elected more than you like running a city.”
He wasn’t wrong.
I just shrugged. “True.”
“I think she’s ready for you. You can go on in,” he said with a warm smile.
I took a deep breath and then pushed the door open. Leslie was sitting behind her imposing desk, writing avidly on a legal pad.
“Hello, Your Honor,” I said, forcing a smile.
She glanced up and smiled grimly. “Lark, I feel like we’ve known each other long enough that you can call me Leslie. Even in here.”
“Leslie, what can I do for you today?”
“You can sit. We need to talk.”
I gulped. “All right.” I sat straight-backed in the chair before her desk. “What do we need to talk about?”
“Court.”
I furrowed my brows. That wasn’t what I’d been anticipating. I’d thought she’d want to talk about Sam and what had happened.
“What about Court?”
“I don’t want to know all the details,” she said, crossing her arms on the desk. “Lord knows, I have no interest in knowing what my son is really up to. But I heard about the raid. That you got him out.”
“Well, it was thanks to Camden.”
She smirked. “Thanks to Camden indeed. He was the one who had tipped the police off to begin with.”
“Wait…what?” I asked in confusion. “No, he said he knew a police detective who had tipped him off.”
“The Percys are not what they seem, Lark. Camden runs practically the entire company. He has significant influence. He likely has a police detective or two in his pocket. But I assure you that he let the police know about what was happening and drew them to the location. There are several men involved, who are currently in custody.”
I couldn’t figure out why he’d lie about that. How could Camden be the whistleblower? Camden Percy who didn’t have a good, just, or righteous bone in his body. It had to have been business. He had disliked Thomas from the start. He must have wanted to get back at him. But I had no idea why he’d go to those lengths for someone like Thomas even if he disliked him.
“That isn’t what matters though. What matters is Anna,” Leslie said.
“Anna?” Then I realized she meant English. No one ever called her Anna. It always threw me. “Oh, right…Anna.”
“I saw what happened with her husband. It’s all over the tabloids. She must be going through such a hard time. She wasn’t there the night this happened.”
“That’s not her fault.”
“No, but I want to make sure she’s not going to be a liability. Is she still on her game?”
God, I didn’t even know how to answer that. Any other day, any other situation, I would have jumped at the answer. This was English. She was always on her game. But after what Josh had done, I really didn’t know.
“Truthfully, I think she might need a little time. Anyone would in the same circumstance. But I know that she’s staying in New York. She just bought a new place. I think once she comes back, she’ll be ready. You won’t regret it.”
Leslie stared straight through me for a full minute before nodding. “Okay. I’ll leave her. She’s done a good job. The polling numbers are looking up, especially related to any questions regarding Court. It seems the work she’s put in has paid off.”
“I agree. The magazine that did the exclusive on the cottage was brilliant. It was everywhere. Who knew we just needed to get him in front of a camera?”
“Lord help us all if we put Court in front of a camera more often,” she said with a lighthearted tone. “Let me ask you this, what would you say is Court’s main character trait?”
I mused over that. “Charisma?”
She laughed. “Yes, I suppose there is that. It’s how he gets away with most of what he does. But I would generally say, selfishness. Whether he is that way because of how I raised him or because of the trauma of his father dying or whatever combination of reasons, Court only thinks of himself.”
“I don’t think he’s that bad. He takes care of his friends.”
“And how many of those does he have? How many has he had longer than a year?”
I frowned, trying to think. “Camden.”
“Exactly.” Leslie leaned forward on her desk. “Anyone who can make Court think of someone other than himself, I think is a valuable person. It’s why I’ve continued to cultivate my relationship with the Percys. Even though…we’ve not always seen eye to eye, I know that Court sees something worthwhile in Camden.”
“Right,” I said, unsure of where this was leading.
“And after talking to Court this morning, it seems that he believes Sam Rutherford is another one of these people.”
My mouth popped open. “Oh.”
“From what I heard, Sam has had a positive influence on Court.”
“Yes. I mean, I think he has.”
“In fact,” she continued, “he insisted that I couldn’t fire him.”
“What?” I asked in surprise.
“H
e was quite adamant about it actually.”
“But…I thought you fired him because of how it would look to the campaign for him to be dating a superior. I mean, I just assumed that’s what it was because it would look bad, considering I was in a position of power.”
“I did,” she agreed. “I’m glad that you came to the same conclusion.”
“Then how…”
“I plan to hire him for the Kensington Corporation.” She smiled. “It was Court’s suggestion actually.”
“Oh my god,” I muttered.
“I don’t want to let anyone go who is clearly good for my team.”
“That would be…amazing.”
Leslie stood and smiled. “I’m glad you think so. He’s waiting outside right now. Could you do me a favor and pretend to be thoroughly chastised before sending him in?”
I laughed. “You’re bad.”
“Don’t make me lose the element of surprise.”
“Okay, okay. I’ll do what I can.” I reached forward and offered her my hand. “And thank you.”
Leslie shook. “I meant what I said to Shawn. That you are irreplaceable. Let’s win this thing.”
“Yes, ma’am,” I said, beaming.
Then I turned back to the exit. I had to force the smile off of my face and slouch my shoulders. I didn’t want to oversell it.
I stepped out and found Sam sitting in the waiting area. He looked up when the door opened, and his eyes rounded.
“Lark?” he asked.
“Sam, I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
“Yeah, I got a call this morning.” He glanced to Malcolm. “What were you called in for?”
I sighed. “Leslie wanted to talk about what happened.”
“Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know. She said to send you in.”
He blew out heavily. “Okay. I’ll just…I don’t know…can you wait for me?”
“Yeah. I’ll wait here.”
He kissed my forehead and then turned to enter the mayor’s office. As soon as he was gone, a smile lit up my face. I had to keep myself from laughing with joy. He was in for the unexpected.
Twenty minutes later, Sam burst out of the mayor’s office. He pointed his finger at me with a smile on his beautiful face. “You!”
