Loving the Senator (Capitol Affairs #1)

by Mia Villano

  The way he watched the orgasm rush through me was so intense. His dark eyes penetrated me as I thrashed under him. When it was through, Alex collapsed on top of me. I was unable to move under him. We lay there for minutes, giving our bodies a chance to recover.

  When Alex rolled off me, he cradled me and said, “This is what happens when you send me dirty pictures while I am helping the President run the country.”

  “Shut up,” I said, laughing and picturing him worked up on the senate floor.

  “Did you like the pearls?” he asked, snuggling up closer to me.

  “It was amazing, Alex. But enough about me, you must be hungry and exhausted. I made us some spaghetti.”

  “Mmmmm. You cooked for me to?” He smiled, then kissed my nose. “I may just have to keep you.”

  Downstairs, I fed him my spaghetti as we snuggled on the couch, with Beckett at our feet.

  “God, there is nothing better after a long day than sex with you and spaghetti?” He smiled up at me with sauce all over his lips. His smile was so sexy, I probably could have fucked him again right then.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The fundraiser was the talk of the town in D.C. Victoria was attending, and she brought her husband. I couldn’t wait to see what he looked like, and to meet this man that won her over. I don’t think anyone had laid eyes on him before that night. Beulah was invited but decided at the last minute not to go. I tried again to talk Alex out of not going or going alone, but he wouldn’t hear of it.

  True to his word, Alex had taken my shopping and helped me pick out a dress for the occasion. I chose a silk, steel-gray, Gucci dress. Alex’s jaw dropped when he saw me in it at the store, so I knew it was perfect. I paired the dress with Louboutins and simple accessories. Alex wore a Tom Ford black tux. There were no words to describe the way he looked when I opened my door to him that night.

  “Alex, you look good enough to eat,” I said, planting a soft, sensual kiss on his beautiful lips. He completed his look with a five o’clock shadow and slicked back hair. Breathtaking.

  “Oh, I like the sound of that. Traffic will be insane, so we probably have a half-hour limo ride; that should be enough time.”

  “I’m wearing silk. I don’t want any stains on it.”

  “Wow, fashion before sex. I never thought you would say that,” he said, as he wrapped his arms around my waist.

  “You look amazing. This is the color you wore your party. I remember how fucking hard you made me that night. I hope you aren’t wearing panties under that dress.” He hooked a finger at the opening of the slit and pulled the fabric aside. But, I swatted his hand away, ignoring the heat building between my legs.

  “You just don’t worry about it. I want to keep you wondering all night,” I said. I grabbed my purse and headed for the door, noticing his growing hard on.

  We arrived while the party was in full swing. The place was swarming with very important politicians, international delegates, and former presidents from both political parties. I was overwhelmed, and self-conscious being in the company of such important people. The President was to arrive, and the guests crowded around to get a glimpse of him. I grabbed a glass of champagne to settle my nerves, and held Alex’s hand as we walked through the crowd. I had a great time talking to other senators and their wives as the evening progressed. Alex was well liked within the ranks, so the smiles and pats on the back he received were likely genuine. Some were nice enough too. I heard high praises for my grandfather from the senators that knew him and had worked with him.

  “I am the luckiest man in this room, Prudence. I’m so proud to be with you tonight. We’ve both come a long way. You and I make one hell of a pair, don’t you think?” I was proud to be with him as well, and I kissed him on his full, luscious mouth for everyone to see.

  Alex worked the crowd, leaving me a few times to talk business. I watched as women swooned over him, their lust-filled eyes taking him in. There was one dark haired woman sitting at the bar alone that hadn’t not taken her eyes off him the entire evening. She was dark skinned with long legs that went on for miles. Her eggplant-purple dress fell perfectly over her tall and slender frame and her jet-black hair hung to her waist in perfect shiny strands of straightness. She had full pouty lips and a button nose that looked like it had been surgically altered to perfection. But it was very large breasts that seemed to draw the attention of man after man as they made attempts to talk to her. I began to walk up to her and introduce myself when I heard a familiar voice behind me.

  “You don’t know who she is, do you?” I turned around to face Jade. She looked as fake and tanned as ever with a drink in both hands. She handed me one, and I was taken aback by her friendly gesture. I was ready to give her a piece of my mind and she was being nice.

  “Let’s go somewhere where we can talk without a thousand eyes on us,” she said. She drank the entire glass of champagne in one sip. She grabbed another from the bar, and kept walking.

  “Jade, I don’t want to go anywhere with you. Oh, by the way, quit sending me text messages. They’re vile and disturbing.”

  “I have no idea what you are talking about, Prudence. I don’t have a need to send you any text messages. I don’t even know your number. I honestly don’t care enough to waste my time. If you want to stand here and stare at that woman at the bar then go right ahead. Try to figure it out for yourself. I know who she is, and I’ve dealt with her for far too long. When you are ready, come and find me,” she said, and walked off.

  “Hold on, Jade.” I put my champagne glass down, and followed her through the crowd.

  Once we made it outside, she lit a cigarette, and turned to face me. The wind nearly blew the cigarette away, but she held onto it, taking hit after hit. Up close, she wasn’t as pretty as I’d thought. Her face looked rough and bronzed. Her lips had started to show signs of wrinkles and her eyes, though a dark blue, looked tired and worn out.

  “I want to get the record straight. I don’t like being accused of things I didn’t do. I never texted you, and I would never threaten or bother you. I do have a life.”

  “Alex said you were sending me these hurtful messages, and he said he called you and told you to stop.”

  “Alex is lying. He is lying to protect the woman at the bar.”

  I gasped.

  “Who is she, and why does she keep staring at Alex?” I asked.

  “Her name is Stella Simon, and she is Senator Simon’s daughter. She’s a physician, and when I dated Alex, she was a constant problem in our relationship. She and Alex go way back. Their parents were good friends, and they spent a lot of time together. They have a bond and it’s one you will not be able to break. I’ve tried. Every time Alex and I would go out together, she would be somewhere lurking, staring at us, or texting him nonstop. It became uncomfortable, how she knew where we were going to be and when. It was creepy. I even saw her once when he and I went to Bermuda.”

  “Oh, come on, Jade. I find that hard to believe.” Hoping my tough exterior wasn’t starting to fade. Alex has never mentioned this woman, and certainly acted like he didn’t know who she was when I saw her at the market. It was her. It had to be.

  “You can believe me if you want. His phone would constantly be going off with text messages from her at all hours of the night. He’d tell me it’s work, but I knew better. It was Stella. She was relentless, and he couldn’t say no to her. It’s what ended our relationship. Alex doesn’t like to discuss her, and will change the subject as soon as he is confronted. I have tried and failed many times; I just didn’t see it getting me anywhere. If you’re getting text messages, mark my words, they’re from her. She used to do it to me. I pleaded with Alex to make it stop, and he promised he would, but it never did.”

  The wind was fierce, and my hair blew all over my face. I felt growing panic with every detail she exposed.

  “Why are you telling me this?” I asked, trying to seem confident, as if her words didn’t bother me in the least.

&
nbsp; “I thought you deserve to know. I loved him, but there was no breaking the bond he has with Stella. When we broke up, he secretly got engaged to her. I don’t know what happened, or what the story was, but I think she got sick and went away for a while. He broke it off with her, and then I noticed he was with you. I don’t know if this is a game with him or what, but after a while, you will notice it just doesn’t go away and neither does she. Just be careful, is all I have to say.”

  “For what it is worth, Jade, thank you for telling me this.” I tried to hide that fact that I couldn’t breathe, as tears stung my eyes.

  “I’m not the bitch you think I am. I was unhappy; constantly trying to keep him to myself, and I didn’t want to lose him. It wasn’t worth it after so long; I just gave up. You’ll see, loving the senator is a tough job, and an exhausting one. He’s a wonderful man and a great lover with an insatiable sexual appetite, but mark my words, he can’t let her go.”

  I wanted to run away and never come back. The thought of Alex lying to me ripped at my heart. I was about to be sick to my stomach. How well did I really know Alex Conrad beyond what he liked to eat and what he liked in bed?

  I left Jade outside, and walked back into the party. I stopped off at the ladies room to get myself together. My makeup had smeared, and my hair was a complete mess. I didn’t recognize the woman in the mirror. My time with Alex had been amazing, better than I had even dreamed. But, somewhere along the way, I had lost my true self loving him and it was time to become Prudence Romaine again.

  When I exited the ladies room, Victoria waved me over to her and introduced me to several people in her inner circle, including her husband. I tried to act as calm as I possibly could without losing my mind. I didn’t want to be rude to Victoria, but I excused myself and walked around the party looking for Alex. I downed another glass of champagne after realizing Stella was no longer at the bar. After exchanging pleasantries and pretending to be interested in what Victoria’s friends were saying, I saw them.

  In a far back corner, Stella was pinned against the wall with Alex’s hand up against it, blocking her in. She was smiling up at him, but I could not make out what she said. At that moment, my heart broke into a million pieces. I watched as he stood inches from her, preoccupied. When she reached up to touch his face, the same face I had hoped would be buried in between my legs in a few hours, I noticed she had a diamond ring on her left hand.

  My empty champagne glass shattered as it hit the marble floor.

  Chapter Nineteen

  I couldn’t help it. I ran from the party in tears. My prince had turned out to be a toad. Behind me, Alex called my name and it felt like sharp knives to my heart. I kept going, refusing to give in, my silk dress now stained from sweat. Our conversation from earlier about stains on my dress ran through my mind as tears ran down my cheeks. A policeman directing traffic asked if everything was all right.

  “I’m just trying to get home. I need a cab; I’m feeling sick,” I said. My chest felt like it was being crushed and all I wanted to do was get out of there.

  Within a few seconds, a cab was in front of me and I hurried inside. As it pulled away, I saw Alex yelling my name and waving his arms. My cell phone was ringing his personal ring tone in my purse. I ignored it. But when it wouldn’t stop ringing, I pulled it out to turn it off and there was a text. You lose. He will always be mine. Go home to your trailer and pathetic life in Ohio, little girl.

  I stewed in anger, hatred, and sadness until I got home.

  Once inside my condo, I collapsed on the couch. How could I have been so wrong about Alex? How could I think I could win his love? That I was special. That I was the only one who could turn him on that way? Jade’s words stung. “Insatiable sexual appetite.” It wasn’t me all along. It was Alex. I could have been anyone. Jade. Stella. All the times he’d said he was working late. Was he with her? Had he been with her and then climbed into bed with me? I was sick to my stomach. Crying and heaving on the floor. I was nothing. Trailer trash like Stella’d said. How could I think a man like Alex Conrad would want me for more than just a fuck toy?

  And then it hit me. Maybe it wasn’t me he really wanted all along. Maybe it was having a Romaine on his arm. I was young and attractive. I pictured him bragging to the other senators about how he’d fucked me whenever he wanted, and how I would do anything he said, dripping wet at the mere thought of his touch. Even now, thinking about him touching me made me burn for him. Even fucking now, after he had hurt me like this. How could I let this happen to me? I thought I was smarter than that. I was angry with him, but even angrier with myself.

  A half hour must have passed as I sat in shambles with tears and makeup smearing my Gucci dress, wondering how I had allowed myself to become consumed with all things Alex Conrad. His taste, his smell, his fucking dog. Why didn’t I see this sooner? I knew all along those text messages were not work related, yet I chose to believe him. I wanted to believe him.

  I was even sicker when I heard a car pull into my driveway. He was going to make me face him. You don’t run away from a man like Alex Conrad.

  The knocking started, and I ignored it, hoping he would go away. He then started pounding with both hands on the door so hard, I feared the neighbors would call the police.

  “Prudence, I know you’re in there. Jade told me about your conversation. Let me in. If you don’t, I’m going to kick this fucking door in,” he yelled through the closed door. “Prudence, let me explain. Please.”

  Alex banged until I finally opened the door. He looked shattered, broken as if I was the one who had hurt him.

  “What is there to explain, Alex? Your other girlfriend, Jade, explained everything to me. For once, I get the truth, and it is from someone I despise. You’re engaged to Stella and used Jade and I for sex. Am I right, or did I leave out someone else? I saw the goddamn ring on Stella Simon’s hand. You lied to me. She was the one following us around the flea market, and you knew. You saw her, and you told me it was a crazy woman and that’s why you wanted to leave. You knew then. Why would you do this to me? I loved you. I have loved you my whole life. I would have given you anything.” I was crying and screaming, and through it all, I wanted to die. Part of me was hoping he would take me in his arms and take me to bed.

  “You heard Jade’s side of the story and now I want you to hear mine.” He looked down and ran his hands through his messed up hair.

  I wiped my face and nose, and tried to look a little more presentable, but the damage had already been done. He handed me his handkerchief.

  “Sit down and listen to me, Prudence. I won’t lie to you. I haven’t lied to you.” He reached out his hand to push my hair behind my ear and I flinched.

  “Don’t give me orders. You will not touch me again or tell me what to do,” I said, as I wiped my eyes, mascara stinging through the tears. Alex stood in the kitchen and I stood against the wall for support.

  “Look at you. Still so fucking stunning,” he looked as if he was in pain as he took me in, still in my dress, the one he picked out.

  “Don’t you dare compliment me right now. And don’t give me any shit that you don’t lie to me. I’ve told you everything about me and I trusted you. You didn’t think enough of me to tell me about her. You’ve just joined the list of all the lying assholes in my life I was supposed to have been able to trust! Fuck you, Alex Conrad.” I wanted to punch him in the face.

  “Calm down, Prudence. You are getting worked up over nothing.”

  “Don’t talk to me like that, Alex. I saw you and your secret fiancé in deep conversation after you just told me how much you loved me. What the hell is going on with you? Is this some kind of twisted game you play with women? Do you collect women like you do Fiats?”

  “Please stop yelling and just listen. What Jade told you is true. I was engaged to Stella, and I broke it off. We dated through college and we planned on getting married. Our parents were close, and we grew up together. Her parents pushed us to be a couple. That was
all she talked about; when we were going to get married and start a family. I did fall in love with her, and we were happy once. I got too caught up in the political life, and we grew apart. I started dating Jade, and Stella started dating a doctor at the hospital she worked at. Since her father is a senator, she would go to a lot of the parties he was invited to. I saw her one night after I was lonely and needed someone to talk to, and we rekindled our relationship. I will admit I had sex with her, and we both wanted it to be private because of who she was and what I was trying to accomplish.” He was silent for a second.

  “What the hell? You were lonely so you fucked her? And she’s dating someone else, but still wears your ginormous engagement ring? What kind of stupid girl do you think I am, Alex?” I had to fold my hands behind me to keep from lunging at his neck with them.

  “Let me finish,” he pleaded, and I could swear he was getting turned on as he looked me up and down, lingering for a few seconds on my breasts. A few months after the night we were together, she told me she was pregnant. I knew that I had to do the right thing, so I asked her to marry me. I will admit, part of it was to uphold my image and the other part? Well I thought it could work between her and me. I thought this could be the start of the family I’d always wanted. Soon after that, she turned into different person. She became possessive and mean, and would not let me out of her sight. When she was three months pregnant she had a miscarriage, and she ended up in the psych ward for two months. She can no longer practice medicine because she is mentally unstable. I feel partially to blame for it because if it hadn’t been for me, she wouldn’t have gotten pregnant and lost our baby. She is under a doctor’s care and wasn’t supposed to be there tonight. Before I came here, I had her father come and get her. She’s not well, Prudence, and I don’t think she ever will be. How she got your cell phone number, I’m not sure.”