Rumor Has It

by Cheris Hodges

  “Saving that soldier?”

  He nodded. “Men like Carlton are the reason why I’m in this race. The day I decided to run was when funding was cut at the center where I work.”

  “Let me put a fund-raiser together for you guys. I know . . .”

  Jackson held up his hand. “No need. We got quite a few donations today. People see how important the center is, and they have given us enough money to keep our doors open for now.”

  “That’s awesome,” Liza said with a bright smile. “But, how long will that last?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You really should think about letting me host a fund-raiser,” she said again. “People get really hot about something, but then cool off really quickly.”

  “We’ll have to see about that,” he replied. He knew she was telling the truth. He just hadn’t allowed himself to think that far ahead. Liza caught the pensive look on Jackson’s face and shook her head.

  “You don’t trust me, but you want to kiss me every chance you get. You know that doesn’t make a lot of sense.”

  “I simply want to keep business and personal separate. Liza, I bet you’re great at your job, but you did it for Robert for a long time. Imagine how that will play out in the media.”

  She snorted. “So, now you care about what the media thinks. At least you’re starting to think like a politician.”

  “I want to win, but not in a sleazy way.”

  “Exposing Robert for the liar he is isn’t sleazy.”

  “If he had been stealing money, taking bribes, or anything like that, I’d be all over it. But this . . . I can’t do anything with his personal life.”

  “When you throw your hat in the public arena, you don’t have a personal life anymore. Look at what just happened with you.”

  “That isn’t the same as someone snapping pictures of a private moment in my office. Suppose someone has pictures of you and I kissing?”

  “Well, being that neither of us made a big production about getting engaged, it really wouldn’t matter, now would it?” Liza rolled her eyes as she rose to her feet. With all of the wine and kisses, she was a bit wobbly as she strode toward the balcony’s railing. Jackson quickly caught up with her and wrapped his arms around her waist.

  “Don’t worry,” she said as she turned around to face him. “I wasn’t going to jump.”

  “I know. I just wanted to hold you.”

  “You want to do more than hold me, and I’m willing to let you.”

  Jackson was taken aback by her boldness, but at the same time, it turned him on. “And just what are you willing to let me do?”

  She took his hand and placed it between her thighs. “I want you to start by touching me here.” Her voice was like a sensual note from a saxophone, telling him of pleasure to come. He knew this was the last thing he should be doing right now. But he stroked her womanly core with his thumb.

  “You want me to touch you like this?” he asked, rubbing her back and forth. Liza moaned. Shivered with delight and was keenly aware of how love starved her body was. Could he bring her to climax with his thumb? Had it been so long since she’d been touched this way by a man that all it would take would be a thumb?

  “Umm,” she moaned as he continued to rub her hardened nub. With his free hand, he untied the halter of her jumpsuit. Discovering that she didn’t have a bra on and had the most perfect breasts that he’d seen in real life made him harder than the bricks on the balcony.

  “We should take this inside,” he moaned.

  She nodded in agreement. Liza needed this man inside her. She needed to feel the touch of his hands all over her naked body. In a swift movement, Jackson scooped her into his arms and carried her into his home. He had every intention of heading to his bedroom and properly laying her on the bed and tasting every inch of her. But the softness of her skin made him so anxious that he couldn’t make it past the sofa. He lowered her onto the leather sofa, then peeled her clothes away and parted her thighs. He had to know if she was as sweet as he dreamed that she was. Running his fingers against her thighs, he thought silk had nothing on the softness of her skin. He lifted her legs and placed them on his shoulders as he dove into her wet valley. And yes, she was sweet. And wet. Her sticky wetness covered his face as he lapped and sucked her precious bud. Liza cried out with zeal as she experienced the most earth-shattering orgasm. Her thighs shook as she clenched the back of Jackson’s neck. “Yes! Oh. My. God. Yes!”

  He was far from finished tasting her as he pressed his finger inside her hot pot while he suckled her hardened nipples. Liza came again, harder. With more intensity than before. There was something about Jackson’s tongue that seemed to hit every hungry spot of her body. And she wanted—needed—more. Urging him silently, she pressed her hips into his hand and his finger went deeper. Her thighs began to shake as he touched her G-spot. “Umm, Jackson!” she cried as he flicked his tongue across her nipple while twirling his finger inside her G-spot. Her pleasure poured down her thighs. Jackson pulled his mouth from her succulent breasts and planted his face between her legs, lapping up her sweet release. Liza’s voice went hoarse as she cried out while Jackson licked and sucked her juices and her throbbing bud. Jackson could’ve feasted on her all night, but his erection had other plans. He needed to be inside her, needed her walls holding him as they ground against each other. Jackson wanted her so bad that it hurt. But he had to at least make it to the bedroom, where he had a condom and of course the bed. Easing back from her, Jackson smiled at the sated look on her face.

  “Let me take you upstairs,” he said, his voice a husky whisper. “I need you, Liza.”

  She blinked and nodded as if she couldn’t speak at all. He extended his hand to her, and as she rose from the sofa, he got a full glimpse of her naked body. One word stuck in his mind: magnificent. From the curve of her hips to the tips of her toes, she was a beauty, a living goddess. And for the night, she was his. Lifting her into his arms, Jackson rushed up the stairs to his bedroom, wishing he’d had candles burning so that he could watch the light of the flames flickering against her skin as he made love to her.

  Next time, he thought as they entered the bedroom. Jackson lay her across his king-sized bed, and for a moment, he simply stared at her naked body.

  “What?” she asked when their eyes met.

  “You’re beautiful.”

  She eased toward him on her knees and reached up to unbutton his slacks. “It’s really not fair that you’re standing here fully dressed and I’m just laid bare,” she said with a seductive smile.

  “Then by all means,” he said as he assisted her with removing his clothes. After he was stripped out of his clothes, it was Liza’s turn to marvel at his physique. Lean, six-pack of abs, strong thighs, and that erection. It made her mouth water with anticipation. She reached out and stroked him, causing Jackson to cry out in delight. When her lips captured his penis, Jackson’s knees went weak. She licked, sucked, and kissed him with such passion and enthusiasm that he had to temper his building climax. “Stop, stop, stop,” he moaned. “I feel like I’m about to explode. I need to be inside you.”

  She pulled back with a wily smile on her lips. “Great, because I need to feel you. Deep inside.”

  He reached into his nightstand drawer, pulled out a condom, and Liza took it from his hand. “Allow me,” she said as she tore the package open and rolled the sheath in place. Jackson eased into the bed and Liza climbed on top of him.

  “Always have to be in control, huh?” he asked as she guided him into her wetness.

  “You’ll enjoy it,” she said as she ground against him. They moved in a slow motion, Liza reveling in his thickness filling her wetness. He felt so good. And he knew how to thrust his hips into her and touch her most sensitive spots. Tossing her head back, Liza couldn’t believe how hard and fast she reached her climax. Her love-starved body could barely handle the sensations running through her. But Jackson wasn’t about to stop. Gripping her hips, he flipped
her on her back.

  Bringing his lips to her ears, he flicked his tongue against her lobe. “Now, let me show you how good it feels to let go.” Jackson thrust into her, making Liza’s pleasure increase tenfold. He gripped her hips as he slowly ground against her, touching all of her sensitive spots. Liza wrapped her legs tightly around his waist, pulling him in deeper. He had been right—she loved the way she felt as she let go and allowed him to control her body. She lost count of the number of orgasms that she’d been treated to after Jackson reached his own climax and drew her into his arms. “Amazing,” he breathed.

  “Yes,” she said as she followed a bead of sweat down his bicep with her index finger.

  He stroked her forehead and smiled at her. “I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen you powered down.”

  “Oh, stop,” she whispered. Liza inhaled his sexy scent. She didn’t want to move or power up. If this were a perfect world, she would stay in Jackson’s arms for the rest of the year. It felt so good to be held. Closing her eyes, she sighed.

  “What’s wrong?” Jackson asked.

  “This was so impulsive,” she quietly said, but didn’t move from his embrace. “I just want you to know I don’t normally do things like this.”

  “Neither do I,” he said. “But you were so damned irresistible. I’d like to think that this wasn’t a one-night stand.”

  “It wasn’t. But this isn’t why I agreed to have dinner with you.”

  “Yeah, you wanted me to slip into sleazy politics and get back at your friend—”

  “Former friend,” she interjected.

  “Friend, former friend, whatever. Liza, I don’t want you to be my political rival or my deep throat . . . you know what I mean.”

  “I know that if you want to win, you’re going to have to put your Clark Kent ideals to the side and realize this is a nasty business.”

  “Clark Kent ideals?”

  “Truth, justice, and the American way. That only works in superhero movies and not even there, because even Superman has a dark side. Did you see Man of Steel? Even when Superman got pushed too—”

  “Liza, hold up,” he said. “After what we just shared, this is the conversation you want to have? Do I need to remind you that we have a lot of other things to talk about?” He reached for her hand and placed it on his growing erection. “This is a space where we don’t talk politics, revenge, or fictional supermen.”

  “Right,” she said as her fingers danced across the tip of his erection. “I’d have to say you’re pretty super yourself.”

  Jackson covered her mouth in a hot and lusty kiss, his tongue teasing her full bottom lip as she stroked him with a smooth motion. Breaking the kiss, she locked eyes with Jackson as she prolonged his pleasure with her skillful strokes.

  “Liza,” he moaned, then licked his lips.

  “And if you’re super, then I have to say, I’m pretty wonderful,” she replied with a wink. Jackson reached into his nightstand drawer and grabbed another condom.

  “And modesty certainly isn’t one of your superpowers, is it?” Before she could answer, he covered her mouth with his.

  Hours later, Jackson and Liza were sated from their lovemaking and the sky was starting to lighten. Had they been at it all night? Jackson brushed his fingers across Liza’s forehead as she slept. She was beautiful, close to being angelic. But he knew that she was far from an angel. How was he going to convince her that she needed to let her anger toward Montgomery go and how was he going to continue to see her when he wanted to win the senate seat? He hated the doubts that were creeping into his mind while he looked at her. Suppose this had been a setup? But Jackson hadn’t done anything wrong; he wasn’t married nor was he engaged. Of course, people had ideas about politicians and sex. Like, they shouldn’t have it. That was completely illogical to him. It wasn’t as if he was running to be a Baptist preacher. Shaking his head, Jackson wondered if a honey trap had taken him in or if he’d jumped into politics without thinking how his life was going to change.

  Liza’s eyes fluttered open as Jackson sat up in the bed. “Oh my,” she whispered as she looked at the sky. “I didn’t mean to spend the night.”

  “I’m kind of glad that you did,” he said.

  She stroked his chest. “Me too. But leaving is going to be a bit difficult,” Liza said with a yawn.

  “You sure know how to stroke a man’s ego,” he quipped.

  “That’s not what I mean.” She thumped him on the shoulder. “What if there’s a photographer roaming around out there? You can bet that Robert would use any picture of you that someone fed him to bring you down.”

  Jackson groaned. “Let it go, Liza. I’m not playing dirty politics. I’m not going to let you try to plant fear into us seeing each other. Unless there is something you need to tell me.”

  She sat up and glared at him. “What are you trying to say, Jackson?” Her right eyebrow shot up at his accusation.

  “I’m not trying to say anything. I was asking a question,” he replied.

  “Don’t you think it’s a little late to be thinking about what my motivation was to be here last night?” she retorted.

  “What I’m saying is I hope what you and I share isn’t a game.”

  “And just what is it that we share? One night where we had a little too much wine?”

  “So, that’s all you want this to be?” He shrugged. “All right.”

  “Isn’t that what it was to you?” Liza was trying hard not to put emotions into what she and Jackson had done. It was just sex. Amazing, mind-blowing, and phenomenal, but just sex. She almost braced herself to hear those words from Jackson. When he stroked her cheek, she knew he was going to....

  “I don’t know why you have such a low opinion of men, but I’m not in the one-night stand business. Especially not with a woman like you.”

  “A woman like me?” she quizzed.

  “One taste won’t be enough. One kiss was enough to make me yearn for you when I should have been focused on the election. I see your face when I prep for the debate. So, yeah, I want more. I just don’t want the ugliness of politics to be the reason we’re together or to come between us. You know Robert’s secrets and the like because he was your friend for years. You have every right to be mad about what he’s doing to your sorority sister, but I don’t give a damn. And I don’t think a man’s personal life should determine whether he’s fit to lead or not.”

  “That’s where you’re wrong. If a man can lie to the woman he plans to marry, what does campaign promises mean? Not. A. Damned. Thing!” She pounded the bed with her delicate fist and Jackson laughed.

  “Why are you patronizing me?” Liza demanded.

  “Who hurt you? I mean, this is more than an ex who cheated.”

  She chewed her bottom lip and sighed. Figuring that she was already laid bare, she had nothing else to lose. “My father.”

  “What?”

  “My father taught me that trusting a man was dangerous. Leads to disappointment and distress. I lost my mother when I was really young, about eight.”

  “How did she die?”

  “She got her heart broken,” Liza said, her voice sounding far away. “My dad worked for a computer company. Traveled and claimed he was working hard to provide for us. It had been just the three of us—so we thought.” Liza closed her eyes and shivered. Jackson instinctively drew her into his arms, stroking her smooth forearms.

  “Maybe that’s why I never loved Robert as more than a friend. He reminded me of my dad.”

  Jackson wanted to hear her story but didn’t want to push her. Her face wore deep emotions that tugged at his heartstrings. Maybe he shouldn’t have pressed her about her feelings and why she wanted revenge on Robert so badly. Her private pain was hers. Still, as she spoke, he listened intently.

  “My mama gave up everything to be a wife and mother. She was smart, so smart—except when it came to love. She loved my dad more than she loved herself. They met in college, back when women wer
e expected to go to school and get an MRS.”

  “An MRS?” Jackson asked.

  “A husband. Believe it or not, women used to teach their daughters that without a man they weren’t worth a damn. Imagine a world where women dumb themselves down to gain the attention of a man because their mothers told them that’s what they were supposed to do.” Liza sighed, knowing that world still existed and she saw it firsthand when she was at UNC. “My mother could have been a professor, a principal, anything. She loved education and wanted to teach. My dad wanted her to give up her teaching position after I was born. Said that his wife should be at home raising his children and keeping dinner warm for him. She agreed. And tried to have more children, but she suffered three miscarriages in a row. My father actually blamed her.” Liza shook her head. “Said she wasn’t taking care of herself, called her lazy and a bad mother.”

  “I’m sorry,” Jackson said, kissing her forehead.

  “Anyway,” she said, her voice regaining its coolness. “Dad came home from a business trip and told my mother that he was leaving. He might as well have been saying he wanted chicken instead of fish for dinner. Then he said he had a new family, a fertile woman who would give him the son he deserved.”

  “Liza.” His heart ached for her.

  “My dad rejected us and my mother couldn’t take it. She pretended that everything was all right. But that day she sent me to school . . . I should’ve known something was wrong. She gave me Oreos.”

  Jackson furrowed his brows in confusion. Liza flashed him a sardonic smile. “She wasn’t one to give me sweets. She’d always say I was hyper and sweet enough and then she’d cut up an apple for me. But that day, she gave me a huge package of Oreos. I was just a cookie-loving kid, so I was happy. When I got off the bus that afternoon, I didn’t think I’d ever be happy again. My mother was dead.”

  “I’m sorry,” he intoned, holding her tighter. “That had to be . . .”

  She brought her finger to his lips. “I’ve said enough and I don’t want to talk about it anymore. That’s why I depend on me. And I like to hold people accountable. I wish I could’ve sent my dad to prison for murder.”