When I reached the door, I looked to my left and then my right. For the most part the hall was still dark. Only fragmented light from under the bathroom door gleamed into the pitch black. Assuming the light was from a nightlight left on for guests, I turned the knob and pushed the door open.
One step inside and I stop dead in my tracks. There was Liam climbing out of the shower. Beads of water glistened down his rock hard chest. He rubbed his hands over his head, spraying water around him. I stared in awe of the naked man reaching for a towel. Taut, tanned skin pulled over sinewy muscles taunted me. Tempting me. Gone was the well-tailored suit and hideous tie. In its place was sex incarnate.
My fingers itched to touch him. I could almost taste the water dripping down his body on my tongue. Inside my chest, my heart lurched, wanting to feel him all around me. Instead, my eyes feasted on the gorgeous man that was Congressman Baxter. Frozen where I stood, my gaze drifted down his well-defined torso to the main attraction between his legs. My eyes widened at the sight.
Fuck me! He’d definitely get the female and gay vote over that package.
His towel was midway around his waist when he noticed me. He stopped and something about his movement triggered me to look up, allowing my mind to escape the cloud of sexy flesh in which it was enveloped.
His dark stare met my hazel one. He cocked his head to the side and raised an eyebrow. I smacked my hand over my face, covering my eyes, trying to back out of the bathroom as fast as I could. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see…I didn’t know…” I shrieked, turning around, nearly hitting the corner of the door in the process.
Behind me, I could hear Liam rushing to wrap the towel around his hips. “Elizabeth,” he called out after me. “Wait!”
“I’m sorry,” I cried back.
“Elizabeth! Stop!”
But I didn’t stop.
Once I cleared the bathroom door, without breaking my nose, I dropped my hand and dashed down the hall toward my room. The memory of Liam’s naked form would forever be scorched into my memory.
Safe and secure in my room, I slammed the door shut and locked it. I pressed my ear to the cold wood to hear if anyone was coming. My heart raced in my chest and my breathing was erratic. I felt like a teenager who’d just been caught by her mother with a boy in her bedroom. I was absolutely humiliated. This wasn’t like me. I never lost my cool. Ever. Yet I ran like a fool.
“This is silly! I’m a grown woman,” I reminded myself. “I’ve seen naked men before. Gah!”
But none like him.
What the hell is wrong with me?
What an idiot I was over a little bare flesh. Not only did I interrupt a man’s privacy, but I gawked at him like a dog in heat.
Minutes passed and there was nothing. No one called my name. No one came to my door demanding an explanation for my childish behavior or why I’d invaded a Congressman’s privacy. Nothing happened.
I pressed my back to the door and slid down it, uncaring of the freezing cold floor beneath me. What I should’ve done was got my ass up and went to apologize to the man, yet my body couldn’t move.
Stupid!
I hugged my knees close to my body to keep warm. I dropped my forehead to my knees and closed my eyes. Gone was the urge to pee. It wouldn’t have surprised me if I’d wet myself during my run back to my room, but I was too cold and angry at myself to tell.
The whole scene replayed in my mind. His body, hard, long, and wet. His fingers clutching the terrycloth towel, about to wrap it around his hips. Water dripping from the top of his head. Those chocolate orbs boring back into mine. The look in his eyes upon catching me staring at him. What was that look?
Shock?
No, that wasn’t it. Well, it was, but not exactly.
Anger?
Again, it didn’t fit.
Arousal?
I lifted my head and shook it slightly.
Pissed off. That’s what it was.
Arousal. Blah! My imagination’s wishful delusion.
As time passed, I started thinking like myself again. My actions had been unprofessional and I needed to own up to the situation. It was an accident. No harm was done, and no one but Liam and myself needed to know it had occurred.
I pulled myself up and dared to slip open the door. I half expected to find Liam waiting in the hall for me to finally grow a pair and confront him, but he wasn’t there. The hall was dark. There wasn’t a single sound. Not even the glimmer of light from under the bathroom door shone anymore.
Liam was gone.
Okay. I could deal with this. In the morning, I’d do what I was best at, averting scandal. Calm and rational, I plotted out in my head how to fix the situation. Yet, no matter how hard I contemplated my next move, the image of Liam’s naked body resurfaced in my head.
I’m screwed. So very, very screwed.
No amount of makeup could cover up the dark circles under my eyes.
For someone who was used to running on little sleep, I was suffering. And for what?
Guilt?
In my line of work guilt was a liability, but I felt guilty for not going straight to Liam’s room to clear the air about what happened. The whole thing was an accident. My teenage girl seeing cock for the first time routine be damned.
When the sun finally came up, I didn’t hesitate. I donned my spare black sheath dress, perfected my usual makeup, and sucked up my shame.
Much to my dismay, however, he was already gone when I knocked on his bedroom door.
Frustrated and a little hungry, I hightailed it downstairs to the kitchen for a cup of tea and maybe a waffle. I knew from years of experience that Harper wouldn’t be up before noon, and since there was no telling where the young Congressman had scampered off to, I’d be eating alone. Well, as alone as one could be in a house filled with staff who were already bustling about for the evening festivities. I dodged in and out of traffic on my way to the kitchen, doing my best to stay out of the way.
Now, I’d never been a wiz in the kitchen. My mother tried to teach me how to cook when I was younger but I had no desire to learn. I was more interested in reading and boys. Some years later I regretted that decision. As a young, single mother, I struggled to make my growing daughter a well prepared meal. After many nights of burnt soups, and yes, one can burn soup, I finally figured out a few minor cooking techniques. Not that I ever became a good cook, but I did learn how to boil water for tea and make some mean waffles.
Once in the kitchen, it didn’t take long for me to find a tea kettle, but with all the people rushing about, there was no way I’d be able to make waffles.
Tea would have to do.
Damn my luck!
I filled the kettle with water and placed it to boil on the only stove burner available.
The faint smell of barbeque floated through the air making my mouth water. Food was a must, so I slipped in between two women, both wearing chef’s uniforms, to get into the double-wide refrigerator that was bound to have something I could eat.
Much like the rest of the house, Harper had renovated the kitchen once he took over the estate. Polished hardwood flooring, painted white wood cabinets, gorgeous white and black tile backsplashes, and amazing black granite countertops created a look of elegance for the enormous space.
A giant kitchen and three bathrooms.
Three fucking bathrooms and I had to walk into the one where Liam was taking a shower. Why the hell was he taking a shower at such a crazy hour? Better yet, why wasn’t there any steam from said shower? That might have at least tipped me off.
Right. As if anything would’ve but his enormous…would’ve caught my attention in that moment.
Naked Liam resurfaced in my mind. Damn, he did look good.
Stop that! He’s too young!
Too young was right. Ten and a half years too young. Not only that but he was a politician. No self-respecting campaign manager would be caught dead with a politician. We knew too many dirty little secrets about the underbellies of p
oliticians that the American people would die if they knew.
I shuddered at the thought.
No, I could admire him from a professional distance. There was nothing wrong with that.
I placed my hands on the door handles, ready to pull open the fridge when I caught sight of Liam through the kitchen window.
Of course he appears right now.
I almost had enough restraint not to take a closer look.
Almost.
I released the handles and side stepped to the window. Resting the palms of my hands on the countertop, I leaned forward. The morning fog still rested on the ground, but there was Liam doing pushups in the grass. Up and down he went, his arm and leg muscles flexing with each repetition. I watched as his lips moved each time he came up.
He’s counting. I chuckled to myself.
The tight, black compression shirt looked soaked through and his black and red basketball shorts dragged the ground as he pushed himself up. How he wasn’t freezing in a sleeveless shirt and shorts astounded me. My ass would’ve been a popsicle.
His face scrunched with the intensity of his workout, and I became mesmerized by how consistent his movements were. They were fluid in motion, not jerky. His body knew what it was doing without even being told. It was trained, poised, and ready.
The longer I observed him, the bigger that pit in my stomach grew. Once again I was guilt-ridden that I had somehow managed to stumble on yet another private moment in the life of William Baxter.
I backed away from the window, leaving him to his workout.
I hated this sudden moral conscience I was experiencing. I’d worked so hard over the years to squash it.
With a roll of my shoulders, I pushed back the feelings. Once Liam came inside, I’d sit down and discuss what happened with him in a rational, professional manner. I was a closer and I would close this. Sure, I might have to eat a little crow. This whole damn situation was my fault and I was woman enough to own up to my mistakes.
All my plans to apologize reformulated in my head. I’d explain that I was caught up in work and I didn’t notice the bathroom light on. It wasn’t a lie. I was certain Liam would understand and even agree to let this whole thing go for the sake of the campaign. There was no reason for anything to be awkward. We were both adults.
Okay, so I was the adult. He just surpassed the brink of manhood. Tit for tat.
Secure in my decision, I moved back to the fridge. Cold air blasted against my face as I opened both doors. My eyes scanned the shelves, searching for anything that might fill my stomach. So much food and nothing appeared appetizing. I opened and closed the drawers, barely paying attention to what was really in them.
About to slam the doors shut, I was stopped by the warmth of his breath fanning over my hair. His chest pressed against my back and the smell of the outdoors flooded my senses. My body burned with kinetic energy. I tried to calm my erratic breathing, but there was no controlling it. His mere closeness caused me to tremble. Even if I wanted to move, I couldn’t. He had me pinned between him and the cool refrigerator.
A strong, defined arm reached over my shoulder and a huge hand appeared in front of my face. I glanced up to see Liam standing over me, sweat peppering his brow. His mouth pulled into a crooked grin as our eyes met.
Inside I was screaming in aggravation. This man was exasperating. Here he was, rubbing his nasty, sweaty, smelly...hot, gorgeous, amped up, body against me when I was clean and dressed for the day.
“Do you mind?” I snarled.
“No, I don’t,” he buzzed, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.
I tried to shove him back, but it was no use. He was hard as stone and acted like he didn’t even notice my attempt for escape.
Liam pulled his arm back slowly, letting the bare skin of his wrist brush against my neck.
Ugh! What the hell?
I raked my nails through my silky locks, fighting the irritation crawling under my skin. No matter what, I had to get myself under control, apologize, and put this crap behind me so I could get to work on important stuff – like making sure Liam won the race.
I turned my eyes heavenward and sighed in resignation. With my chin lifted, I closed the fridge doors and swung around to face Liam.
He backed away keeping his eyes locked on me. A bemused smile played across those sexy as fuck lips.
“Sleep well?” he queried, hoisting himself up onto the large island behind the refrigerator. He dragged the bottle of cold water across his brow to cool his face. “Because you look quite exhausted.”
Thrown off task by his comment, not to mention that seductive little move of his, I gritted my teeth into a polished grin. “I slept fine. Thank you.”
He shrugged. “Could’ve fooled me.” Taken back by his candor, I examined his expression. His eyes darkened with mischief. “You really should sleep more if you intend on helping me win the election. From what I hear it’s going to be time consuming, me being the dark horse and all.”
Liam twisted the lid off the bottle and brought it to his mouth. His throat bobbed as he gulped down the water. Lost in his actions, I smacked my lips, drawing my tongue out over them. Liam twisted the lid back on the bottle and dropped it to his lap. His gaze traveled down my body, heating every inch of me. I dared to meet those smoldering eyes of his, only to get lost in my memory of him. Tanned skin. Firm muscles. Defined torso. An exceptional….
Oh shit! I just looked at his crotch!
I jerked my eyes away from him, feeling something warm rise in my cheeks. No way in hell could I be blushing.
No! No! No!
But there it was. My blood surged through my veins. The thrum of my heartbeat pounded in my ears. Tension mounted inside me and at any moment it could explode.
And it nearly did at the sound of the kettle chirping, which caused me to jump clean out of my skin. “Jesus!” I screeched.
“I’ve been called many things, but that’s a new one for me.”
The seriousness of his tone caused me to laugh. “How about asshole? Have you heard that one before?”
As I whipped around to turn off the stove and collect my screaming kettle, he tapped his chin and laughed.
“You seem rather jittery this morning,” he evaluated. “Maybe you should take a shower. I hear it can be quite cathartic.”
It was a good thing I’d set the kettle down on a potholder or I might’ve dropped the damn thing. I jerked around to him, my mind whirling with what to say next. It was time for me to own up and make amends. I rounded my shoulders and straightened my back, bringing myself to my full height. “I guess we need…”
“There’s nothing like hot water spraying down your naked body to help you unwind from a hard day. Wouldn’t you agree?” he interrupted me.
It took only a second for me to realize that this little snot was needling me. Well, two could play that game. I collected my wits about me and returned to my task of making a cup of tea. Mug in hand, I inserted the tea infuser and poured in hot water. “Absolutely. And locking the door to the bathroom is a good way to keep from being disturbed.”
Wrapping the chain between my fingers, I bobbed the infuser to help my brew along, careful not to look at Liam. It was bad enough I could feel him staring a hole into my back.
“Doors are only meant to be locked if someone has something to hide.”
“Again, I won’t argue there, but something so small should really be concealed behind a locked door.”
Boom! There ya go. Dig the knife in a little deeper.
I turned around to find his brow lifted and lips pursed.
“Small?”
I brought the cup to my lips, feeling the steam rise against my nose. “More like tiny.”
Liam shoved off the island and moved toward me. People tried to push past him but he was solid as a wall blocking their way. Instead they simply moved around him. “Not tiny at all.”
Through it all, I stood my ground. For the first time since last night I he
ld the upper hand and it felt good to be back on top again. “I beg to differ.”
Much like he had in our previous encounters, he closed the gap between us in a single stride. He took my teacup from my hands and placed it on the counter beside us. “I’d hate to argue with you, since you’re the expert and all, but on this fact, I must.”
Without a flinch, I met his gaze, which wasn’t easy, and produced my best smile. “You’re right. I am the expert and you should trust me on this.”
He bowed his head, his lips ghosting my ear. “Maybe the expert on politics, but this, you need a little instruction on.”
Heat rolled through my veins. An uncontrollable shiver scampered up my spine so hard we both felt it. “That’s what I thought,” he whispered so soft it tickled my skin. Liam took a step back, giving me a chance to breathe. “Now, I need to go take a shower. My run was quite invigorating this morning.”
In a militaristic manner, he turned on his heel and started to walk away.
What possessed me to call after him, I wasn’t sure, but I did. He stopped but didn’t look back.
“Elizabeth. Don’t.”
His single warning burrowed its way deep inside me. In that one word I understood. This incident was between us and would stay that way. First impressions remained unscathed. Authority would be a tug-of-war between us. A game of sorts and this was only the first round. There was no winner or loser here. We had a draw. A draw in which we both agreed on. But next time there would be a clear winner and clear loser and the game would play out until Election Day.
My mouth snapped shut, as he lumbered off.
A worthy opponent.
I reached for my cup and sucked down the bitter brew, my focus remaining on the exit where Liam had disappeared. The world returned around me, all the hustle and bustle of preparation. My stomach growled reminding me that I still hadn’t eaten. I chuckled deep in my throat and snagged a mini quiche from a passing service tray.
Politically Incorrect Page 5
