Aaron straightened to his full height, his hands resting on his hips. For most men that stance would look feminine, but due to Aaron’s stature, it made him appear formidable. “You act like I haven’t been working on Capitol Hill for the last year!” His deep tone rumbled throughout the room. “I know how to handle constituents, lady. I do it every damn day, and I also know my brother better than you do. He’s honest. That’s why people like him.”
Scout met Aaron’s stance, which was kind of entertaining since he was three times her size. It was like watching a mouse face off against a pit bull. Only problem was, I couldn’t determine which one was the mouse and which one was the pit bull.
Scout flung her arm toward Liam who was sitting on the sofa next to Kristin. “People like him because he’s young and hot!”
Liam’s face flushed a light shade of pink. Kristin covered her mouth with the ball of her fist, snickering. Although I was a little aggravated, okay, more like pissed, by Kristin arriving to the party so late, I couldn’t deny that from the moment I met Kristin Page, I liked her. She was a tall, slender woman, with absolutely no curves. Not that I would tell her, but she reminded me of a twelve-year-old girl just about to reach puberty. Her mousy brown hair was pulled back into a sleek ponytail, exposing her long neck. She’d chosen a pink tulle cocktail dress for the evening, which only accentuated her little girl persona. Soft spoken, she came off as timid and shy. It was almost a treat to see her giggle at the interchange between Aaron and Scout.
“So you’re saying people only voted for him because he’s hot?” Aaron added air quotes.
“No. I’m not saying that’s the only reason, but it’s a good one. Your brother will capture the female voters’ hearts, young and old, and we don’t want to turn them off by him jamming his platform down their throats too quickly.”
“Yeah, because we all know women don’t like having it rammed down their throats.” Aaron wiggled his brows.
“You would know, wouldn’t you?” Scout delineated.
Irritation flashed in Aaron's eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“You know exactly what it means. From what I’ve heard your fly’s open more than a Google homepage.”
That was my cue to step in. I took a swig from my cup and cleared my throat. “Children, please. Don’t make me separate the two of you.”
“But…” Scout threw her hands in the air. Her green eyes burning hot with her temper.
I raised a hand, stopping her oncoming tantrum. “No. Here’s what you’re going to do and I’m not going to hear any complaining from either of you. Understand?”
Scout slunk down into the oversized armchair that Harper usually fancied. Harper’d already escaped the debacle over an hour ago. I envied him, all tucked away in his nice warm bed, while I was stuck managing the bickering children. Aaron folded in next to his brother, punching his knee, almost cocky, as if he’d won.
He hadn’t.
I circled the room, ticking off my fingers as I listed the details of what I expected Aaron and Scout to accomplish before the next day. In my trek, I noticed the distance between Kristin and Liam. They were close, but their movements were calculated. They were comfortable in each other’s presence, and while I couldn’t put my finger on it, something was off between them. He maintained a cordial stance with her, his hand always at the center of her back, directing her around the room. Rarely did he ask her to speak. And even now, they leaned into each other, but it reminded me of how I settled in with Harper. It was clear, they were not a couple.
“So,” I finalized, “all we need now is to make sure everyone is where they need to be and doing what they need to do.” I pointed to the sofa. “Kristin, you’ll be on stage next to Liam tomorrow when he makes his announcement.”
A look of terror crossed Kristin’s face. Liam bounded out of his seat. “No. Absolutely not.”
“Why not?”
Liam maneuvered around the coffee table in a fluid motion, glancing over his shoulder to Kristin. The knot of his tie had been loosened and the top button undone. Gone was the jacket that had contoured his body so well, leaving only the crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled halfway up his arms. He adjusted the band of his watch against his wrist. “I agreed for her to be at my side during social events, but I won’t force her into the public eye more than I have to.”
Again I asked, “Why not?” challenging him.
The expression on his face caused alarms to sound off in my head. I’d struck a chord with him. He was protective of her. No man would react that way over something so trivial. He was hiding something for her and I needed to figure out what it was and fast. If she could hurt him, then we needed to find a replacement.
“Because we’re not together, and if that’s not enough, then let’s settle for I said no,” he etched out between gritted teeth.
I mimicked Aaron’s earlier stance, propping my hands on my hips. “Well, I don’t care what you say. She needs to be on that stage with you.”
“I refuse to put her in that position,” he grinded.
“You refuse?” I spat.
“Did I stutter?”
Oh, this was war. No one treated me like that and got away with it. Kristin tried to intervene, but we paid her no mind.
“Listen here, buddy. You hired me to run your campaign, and that’s what I’m doing. When you go up there tomorrow, she” ─I thrust my finger in Kristin’s general direction─ “must be on stage with you. I don’t give a damn if you two are fucking or not, but what I do care about is making it seem like you are.”
Aaron laughed. Scout chuckled. And it sounded like Kristin gasped. But Liam stood speechless in front of me. His mouth clamped shut, his jaws jutted and rage seared in his eyes. Air poured from his nose like fire, expanding his nostrils with each exhale.
“You have no right...” he began.
“I have every right,” I shot back. “This is what I do. It’s how I make sure you win.”
Unlike when Aaron faced off against Scout, Liam had lowered his face to meet mine. The smell of coffee and peppermint clung to his breath. Sweat prickled my skin. The urge to wipe it away tickled my fingertips, but I refused to be the first to back down. He was wrong. I was right.
Closer and closer we drew together. I wiggled my fingers at my sides. Air rushed in my ears, filling the silence that penetrated the room. Liam was pushing my limits, but I wouldn’t lose. Not to him.
“Liam,” Kristin’s soft voice broke through the silence.
Liam blinked and when he did, I realized how close we were standing to each other. Nearly stomach to stomach, our mouths were a breath away from touching. Somehow, in our standoff, we’d pulled so close together that not even a sliver of paper could’ve slid between us. If we’d been naked, it was safe to say our bodies would’ve been connected in an unholy manner.
In a jerking motion, Liam twisted around to meet the voice of his friend. I glanced around to see Aaron’s mouth twisted in a smirk, his brows raised almost to his hairline. Scout crossed her arms over her chest, her head tilted in an analytical way.
“I’ll do it,” Kristin muttered.
“What?” we both replied in unison.
She squirmed under the several pairs of eyes burrowing into her from around the room. “I’ll stand with you if it’s important.”
Liam moved away from me, the scent of his cologne lingering in the air around where I stood. With him out of arm’s reach, my dander simmered down, slowing the pounding in my chest. The twitch in my fingertips that had played along my leg in a piano-like manner stopped. This man had gotten me all riled up again. The pull toward him made me nervous. It was a confusing feeling.
A slight thud resonated as Liam knelt to the floor in front of Kristin. He took her hands in his, giving them a slight squeeze. “I won’t let you put yourself in that position, Kris. You do enough for me as it is. This would be too much to ask.”
She slipped her hand from his, resting it against his ch
eek. Her thin lips moved into a meek smile. “Liam, you’re always protecting me, and I adore you for it, but you can’t guard me from the world. You never ask enough of me, and I want to do this for you. It’s not like they’re asking me to marry you.” She lifted her gaze to meet my stunned expression. “Are you?”
The softness of her question brought laughter to my belly. I bit my lip, preventing the chortle from escaping me. “I’d never ask such a thing,” I fibbed, because that was definitely something I’d ask a candidate to do if it meant winning the election. Hell, I’d done it before.
“Sure you wouldn’t,” Liam berated, sarcasm coloring his cadence.
“I would,” Aaron chuckled.
“Me, too,” Scout chimed in.
I covered my face with my hand, this time unable to hide the amusement. My laughter broke the ice in the room, sending almost all of us into hysterics. Kristin appeared confused for a moment, but soon joined in. Liam never wavered, maintaining his poker face. The man didn’t even crack a smirk.
He lifted himself from the floor and crossed the room to me, tugging his ear. My amusement vanished at the seriousness of his expression. “You won’t ever ask her to do that,” he growled so only I could hear.
My hackles rose. Under my skin, my blood began to simmer. “I’ll do whatever I have to do to get you elected.”
He stepped in closer, his mouth moving to my ear. I could feel the warmth of his breath wash over my skin. A slight shiver rushed down my spine. “You didn’t hear me then. I said you won’t ever ask her to do that. Do you understand?”
I tilted my head, defiance rippling through me. He could make demands all he wanted, but in the end, this was my arena and he’d play by my rules. I rolled my shoulders, putting a little distance, but not much, between us. This conversation needed to remain private, or at least as private as I could make it. My finger pressed against his broad chest. “Yes,” I spoke with authority, poking his breastbone, “but know this, if you or Kristin are hiding something, I will find out. So it’s best to come clean now.”
“We’re hiding nothing.”
Bullshit! But it was too soon to call him on his bluff. I needed my ace to win.
“Okay.” I poked his chest once more for good measure. “I’m in this to win. I told you that last night and I’m not in the habit of repeating myself. So, I’ll say it one last time, just so it sinks into that thick skull of yours, I’ll do whatever it takes to win. Are we clear?”
Liam took a step back. Stern consternation placated his features. “Crystal,” he claimed. For a moment he remained still, his focus stationed on me. He was sizing me up. And I must have met his expectations, because his shoulders dropped and his stance became less hostile.
Score!
Liam 1 - Elizabeth 1
A bit of pride swelled inside me as I ticked off the score. He was a fierce competitor. Few had ever taken me on and even fewer had ever given the challenge that Liam presented. The man had some serious balls, and I couldn’t wait to see him in the throes of a debate.
On the heel of his polished cap-toes, Liam circled around to Kristin. I couldn’t see his face, but from the way his body relaxed I had the inclination that he smiled at her. “No one would ever ask that of you, Kris, and I’d be honored to have you stand by my side tomorrow. That is, if you really want to.”
Kristin lifted up from the sofa, her tulle skirt rustling as she approached Liam. Her long, skinny fingers clasped his bicep. “As long as you have a barf bag nearby, I’ll be there with bells on.”
A hearty laugh reverberated from Liam. “I’ll make sure they have as many as you need on standby. Right, Bet?” He cocked his head to see me from his peripheral.
My mouth dropped at his blatant use of Harper’s nickname for me. This was him attempting to regain power. Well, I wouldn’t have it.
“Absolutely!” Scout interceded before I had the chance to smart off.
Aaron sprang off the couch and rushed to the couple, pulling them both into his arms. “Of course we’ll take care of our little Krissy.”
“There,” I announced. “That’s settled.” Feeling drained, I rubbed the back of my neck. “With that resolved, I think I’ll head off to bed.” I clicked my fingernail against my teeth, trying to pull my thoughts together. With a snap of my fingers, I pointed to Scout, shaking my index finger. “More than likely, I won’t be here when you get up in the morning. I have to run home, grab some clothes, and pack for my return to DC. I’ll meet you at the courthouse around eleven to start setting things up.”
Liam tugged on the end of his tie, his mouth drawn into a straight line, but he said nothing.
“Aaron, please listen to Scout about Liam’s speech tomorrow. I beseech you. Put your differences aside and make it a kick ass speech. All right?”
Aaron squeezed Liam and Kristin tighter in his grip. Poor Kristin winced at the additional pressure. He cast his cocky grin to Scout. “We won’t let you down. I promise.”
Kristin wiggled free of Aaron’s hold. Relief expressed in the way she shook her tiny body to release the stress Aaron caused. Liam scratched the side of his neck, still not looking at me. I’d finally gotten under his skin. Was about damn time. I was getting sick of being on the defensive. I preferred being on the offensive. It suited me better.
“We’ll be fine,” Scout reassured me. “Don’t worry. I know Elizabeth McNeal quality and I won’t let anything ruin that reputation.”
I gave Scout a two-finger salute. “I knew we hired you for a reason.”
“It takes the best to know the best,” she boasted.
With a wink, I laughed. “That it does. Now, you kids play nice. I’ll catch you all at the courthouse tomorrow. And Liam,” ─his gaze met mine in what could’ve easily been our next face-off─ “please try to wear a sensible tie tomorrow. I swear to God, if you pull out a neon pink tie, I’ll have to strangle you with it.”
“Is that a threat?” he quipped, that confident smile blooming across his face.
“It’s a promise.”
The morning sun trickled in through the heavy curtains. A stream of light rippled in a long, bright line across the floor. I stood at the foot of my bed, my toes touching the tip of the rays, as I rubbed my temples to alleviate the pressure behind my eyes.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had a headache, but I woke with the worst one imaginable. With only a few hours ‘til Liam’s announcement speech, I could barely think past the headache to what I needed to get done before I left for the courthouse.
Finish packing. Right. That was the first thing I needed to do.
My open suitcase was spread out across the bed like a political mistress with her legs wide open. Clothes were strewn everywhere. Nothing was folded or even placed in the luggage. For me that was a horrific no-no. Everything in its place was my logic. Clean. Tidy. Wrinkle free! Yet, in my current disarray, it appeared as though Jordyn was packing for me.
I trotted into my bathroom and rummaged through the medicine cabinet for some Tylenol. I needed something to knock that damn headache out.
My recent bout of insomnia was killing me. All night long I tossed and turned thinking about Liam only a few doors away from me. No matter how badly I needed to pee, I wasn’t about to go near that bathroom. Not if it meant I was chancing a run in with a naked Liam again. That was one image forever burned into my memory.
Tall. Wet. Pleasingly hard in all the right places.
I clapped my hands over my eyes trying to block the image from my mind.
Perv!
Since I couldn’t sleep, thanks to images of Liam dancing through my head, I left Harper’s house while it was still dark out. The hour long drive to my place gave me a chance to clear my head. I opened the sunroof of my car, unconcerned by the cold air rushing in, and blasted my stereo with the throaty vocals of Bush. Come to think of it, that probably didn’t help my head in the least likely bit, but the sound of the electric guitar vibrating through the speakers took my m
ind off the young temptation for a moment.
Why the hell did he have to be so damn young? That alone was cruel. Then to make him my client. Talk about the ultimate forbidden fruit.
After two pills and a gulp of water, I went back to work packing for my return home. Once Liam made his announcement, I was scheduled for the first flight back to Washington. There was so much to do and I couldn’t do it without the support of my full staff.
That reminded me of my second task. I needed to check in for my flight.
Before I forgot, I grabbed my phone from the charger and navigated through the airline’s website. Much to my surprise, my assistant, Brandy Turner, had already completed that task for me. I adored that woman. Her knack for organization and discretion, made her the perfect assistant. Relieved, I returned my phone to its charger and continued with my mediocre packing job.
In the midst of folding my delicates, my phone chirped. I swiped the device from my nightstand and glanced down at the screen to the message indicator. Of all the people in the world, the text had to be from Liam.
I slid my finger across the screen and the message burst forth in a blaze of light. I blinked a few times to focus on the little black letters.
William Baxter: I need your opinion on something.
A little curious, I plopped down on the bed where I typed out a quick response.
Elizabeth McNeal: How can I help?
I tucked my feet beneath me and leaned forward so that my elbows rested on my knees. Within seconds a new message appeared. This time it included attachments. I clicked the attachments and my jaw hit the ground. There were two selfies of Liam from the chin down. One was of him in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs and a bright yellow tie. The other was in the same underwear with a chartreuse tie. I blinked, shook my head, and pulled the phone away from my face to make sure I wasn’t imagining he’d sent me such a thing.
When I determined my headache wasn’t screwing with my vision, I quickly replied.
Politically Incorrect Page 8
