Campaign Trail (By Design Book 9)

by J. A. Armstrong

  “I do,” Candace whispered in Jameson’s ear as her lips drifted to Jameson’s neck. “I love you so much, Jameson.”

  Jameson’s hands lifted Candace’s shirt, seeking the softness of Candace’s skin. She pushed Candace away gently. When she opened her eyes, she found Candace’s brow raised playfully. Jameson lifted hers in challenge. Candace understood the silent request and removed her shirt. She looked down at Jameson and grinned. Her fingers set about the task of unbuttoning Jameson’s blouse slowly.

  Jameson’s hands massaged Candace’s sides, traveling sensually up and down the softness of Candace’s ribs. She desperately wanted to touch Candace’s breasts, to feel Candace pressed against her. More than that, Jameson desired to make love with Candace slowly. She often felt urgency build within her when Candace was close. Candace’s touch—touching Candace aroused a myriad of intoxicating emotions and physical sensations in Jameson. The slightest brush of Candace’s fingertips across Jameson’s flesh could make Jameson crave release. Touches and kisses often grew insistent between them, but neither ever sought to rush their lovemaking.

  Candace pushed open Jameson’s blouse and let her hand glide across the swell of Jameson’s breasts. She leaned in and brushed her lips over the hollow of Jameson’s throat, allowing her kisses to fall sensually lower.

  “Candace,” Jameson exhaled slowly and let her eyes flutter closed.

  Candace delighted in the way Jameson felt beneath her. Jameson’s hands moved up and down Candace’s back tenderly.

  “Jameson,” Candace whispered. She waited until Jameson’s eyes opened to meet hers. She smiled lovingly at her wife. When—Candace wondered, would Jameson stop looking at her this way? She was positive that she could never tire of looking at Jameson, of touching Jameson. Candace sometimes wished that she and Jameson could disappear into one of these moments forever. Making love with Jameson had always been sublime. Jameson’s arms were Candace’s home. Here, Jameson looking up at her with so many unspoken thoughts and feelings glistening in her eyes, Candace felt both safety and exhilaration.

  Candace placed a soft kiss on Jameson’s lips. “I’ve missed you.”

  Jameson directed Candace’s lips back to hers and kissed her reverently. “I need you,” she confessed.

  Candace’s heart raced. She marveled at the way Jameson managed to make her feel like a teenager in love. For many years, Candace had resigned herself to the belief that heart racing, skin tingling anticipation was impossible to maintain in a relationship. Jameson had shattered that notion completely and forever. She directed Jameson to sit up, removed Jameson’s blouse, and gently pushed Jameson back on the bed.

  “You have me,” Candace promised.

  Jameson’s fingertip traced the outline of Candace’s lips. She lost her breath when Candace’s tongue circled her finger sensually. Her eyes met Candace’s darkened gaze and she sighed.

  Candace smiled. She placed a light kiss on Jameson’s forehead and then claimed Jameson’s lips with hers. The moment Jameson’s searching became desperate, Candace pulled back. “I’m right here,” she promised Jameson. “Look at me.”

  Jameson took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

  Candace’s fingertip delicately traced over Jameson’s brow. “Stay with me,” she requested.

  Jameson bit her lower lip gently as Candace’s mouth tasted the flesh of her neck. In an instant, Candace’s gaze returned to meet Jameson’s. Jameson reached out to pull Candace to her and Candace resisted. Wordlessly, Candace removed the rest of her clothing, then Jameson’s. She smiled, leaned in and kissed Jameson lovingly. “Stay with me,” she repeated her request.

  Jameson fought to steady her breathing as Candace pulled away slowly and began to move sensually against her. Her hands reached out seeking Candace’s breasts. Candace took hold of them and kissed the palm of each of Jameson’s hands.

  “Easy,” Candace said. “Just feel me.”

  Jameson groaned in frustration. “That’s what I was trying to do.”

  Candace snickered and cocked her eyebrow. Jameson’s frustration was palpable. Candace leaned down and placed her lips just above Jameson’s. “What do you want?” she asked.

  Jameson’s breath hitched and her heart skipped erratically.

  “Jameson?”

  “I need to touch you,” Jameson said.

  Candace sat back and resumed her movement against Jameson. She lifted Jameson’s hands and placed them over her breasts. She smiled when Jameson moaned appreciatively. Desire burned in her veins as Jameson’s fingers danced over her body. Candace held Jameson’s gaze. She felt Jameson’s need as it began to swell. She was tempted to put an end to both their suffering immediately, but something deeper seemed to be calling her. She had missed Jameson. Life was chaotic for them both. Candace had a million fires to put out and a million more balls in the air to juggle. She had not meant to be distant, but exhaustion had plagued her the last few weeks. After a long day of dealing with state business, intermixed with the realities of heading a presidential campaign, Candace would return home to the excitement of a five-year-old boy who demanded her attention. Sleep had become irregular. Jameson had expressed some concern that Candace was not getting enough rest. There had been several nights when Jameson had taken the papers from Candace’s lap, removed the glasses from her face, and ordered Candace to get some rest. Candace was tired, but what she wanted—what she needed now more than anything else was to lose herself in Jameson.

  Jameson sighed when Candace’s fingertips brushed across her nipples. “Jesus,” Jameson moaned.

  Candace’s hips continued their slow pace. Her eyes closed and she gasped when Jameson sat up and covered her breasts with a flurry of kisses.

  “God!” Candace cried out. She fell into Jameson, her hands barely able to support her weight.

  Jameson’s hands dropped to Candace’s backside and pulled her impossibly closer. Without warning, she felt Candace’s lips cover hers. Jameson lost herself in Candace’s kiss as both their bodies began to shake. A wave of ecstasy thundered through Jameson’s body. She felt her body rise to meet Candace’s as their kiss deepened further, swallowing both their cries.

  Candace’s head fell onto Jameson’s shoulder. She held onto Jameson as if her life depended on it.

  “Candace,” Jameson whispered. “Candace,” she repeated when she felt the warmth of Candace’s tears bathe her neck. “Hey,” Jameson called. She pulled away slightly and took hold of Candace’s face. “Why are you crying?”

  “I don’t know,” Candace confessed.

  Jameson wiped the tears from Candace’s cheeks and smiled. It wasn’t the first time that making love had broken an emotional dam for one of them. She kissed Candace’s forehead. “You’re exhausted.”

  “I missed you,” Candace said again.

  “I know. I missed you too.”

  “I’m sorry, Jameson.”

  “Sorry?” Jameson was puzzled. “What are you sorry for?”

  “I haven’t made enough time for you—for us.”

  “Not true,” Jameson disagreed. “We both knew that this would be hard; that it would put greater demands on your time. It’s okay,” she promised.

  “It’s not okay.”

  “Candace…”

  “It’s not,” Candace said. “I can’t do this without you.”

  “I’m here.”

  “I know,” Candace replied. “But, I need to make the time for us, Jameson.”

  “I don’t want you to worry about me.”

  “I will always worry about you,” Candace said. “And, it isn’t just for you. I need you. I don’t mean just like this, but this is part of it.”

  Jameson tucked a strand of hair behind Candace’s ear and smiled. They endured a great deal of teasing from family about their obvious affection for one another. Michelle had dubbed their private life “Bible Study.” Jameson often found it amusing that Candace’s children seemed to have some idea that Jameson and Candace were writing th
eir own erotica. The truth was, they spent far more nights sleeping in a quiet embrace than they ever had making passionate love. When they did come together, it was always intense. Making love with Candace had always been about communicating the connection Jameson felt to her wife. Desire and lust colored those moments, but what made their intimate life exhilarating was the emotion that coursed between them. There were moments when those feelings went so far beyond words that the only way they could be expressed was through touch.

  “I understand,” Jameson promised. “I missed you too.” She pulled Candace into her arms and felt Candace release a long, deep breath. “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Yes,” Candace said. “I want to talk about everything. Not now,” she said. “I just want to be here with you without anyone or anything else creeping between us.”

  Jameson closed her eyes. “Nothing has ever crept between us,” she said. “I know it feels that way some days, but it hasn’t.”

  “Thank you.”

  Jameson kissed Candace’s head. “Thank you.”

  “For what? Being absent?”

  “You’re never absent,” Jameson put the thought to rest. “That’s why you’re so wiped out. I’m going to be here no matter what. So, don’t worry if you need…”

  “What I need is you.” Candace nestled closer to Jameson.

  “Are you regretting that you launched this campaign?”

  Candace sighed. “No; are you?”

  “No.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. You know,” Jameson began. “You know how you will tell me to stay with you when we are making love?”

  “Yes?”

  “You need to trust that I am with you. I’m always there, even if I’m not standing with you.”

  “Yes, you are. I love you, Jameson.”

  “I love you too. Get some sleep.”

  “I promise you; when things settle down a little, I will make this up to you.”

  Jameson chuckled.

  “Why is that funny?”

  “I love you. When things settle down?” Jameson laughed. “You do remember who is in our family; right?”

  Candace chuckled. “Point taken.”

  “Stop worrying,” Jameson said. “Get some sleep.”

  “Think I need it?” Candace teased.

  “Yes.”

  Candace closed her eyes. Jameson’s hands ran softly over her back. She sighed in contentment. “Love you.”

  Jameson let her eyes fall shut. “Thank God.”

  Chapter Two

  “What are you doing?” Candace asked.

  Jameson lifted her head from the plans she had spread across the kitchen table. “Jonah asked me to look at something.”

  Candace’s gaze narrowed. She grabbed Jameson’s empty mug from the table and moved to refill it. “What time did you get up?” she asked as she set the mug back in front of Jameson.

  “Thanks,” Jameson said. “About five.”

  “You’ve been up since five a.m.?”

  Jameson shrugged and took a sip from her coffee. “God, I needed that.”

  Candace grinned.

  “I look like I needed it, huh?”

  “Why were you up so early?”

  “I wanted to put this to bed so that I could have the rest of the weekend with you and Coop.”

  Candace poured herself a cup of coffee and took a seat across from Jameson. “Problems?”

  Jameson shook her head. “No. I just wish Jonah would trust himself.”

  Candace nodded. “He’s been on edge lately.”

  “You noticed it too?” Jameson asked.

  “A little. I think that Laura’s pregnancy has him a bit nervous.”

  “Why?” Jameson asked. “Is something wrong?”

  “Not wrong,” Candace said.

  “Candace?”

  Candace sighed heavily. “Her blood pressure is a little high.”

  “Yeah, I wonder why,” Jameson drawled.

  “I’m sure some of it has to do with her father,” Candace said.

  “Is she in danger of losing the baby?”

  “No,” Candace said.

  “You’re worried.”

  “Not worried,” Candace replied. “Aware.”

  “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “To be honest, I thought Jonah would have told you, and with us passing each other…”

  “I can’t believe he didn’t say anything.”

  “He doesn’t want to worry you about it,” Candace smiled. “She’ll be okay, Jameson. I just think it’s an added layer for Jonah. He worries about disappointing you.”

  “Me?”

  “Yes, you,” Candace laughed. “Come on, Jameson. You know that.”

  Jameson shook her head. “That’s crazy.”

  “Why? You worry about disappointing your parents.”

  “Not the same.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Candace… Geez… Jonah could never disappoint me.”

  Candace smiled. “Maybe remind him of that.”

  Jameson looked at the plans in front of her. “I need to cut them loose.”

  “What?” Candace asked.

  Jameson shook her head. “Candace, I need to let them buy me out of the firm.”

  Candace set down her coffee mug and took a deep breath. “Jameson…”

  “We both know that I’m right. My presence is only going to complicate things for Jonah and Mel.”

  Candace sighed. She knew Jameson was right, but she also felt a sense of guilt about Jameson’s appraisal of the situation. Jameson’s architectural firm had a history of receiving government contracts. She’d designed buildings for the State of Arkansas, Texas, Maryland, Massachusetts, and New York. She’d largely recused herself from the business when Candace assumed the role of governor. Now, with Candace running for the presidency, the situation had grown more complicated. It would be tricky negotiating contracts for Jonah and Melanie as it was. Jonah was Candace’s son and Melanie her daughter-in-law. However, they had a right to conduct their business despite Candace’s aspirations. Jameson differed. She was married to Candace. That was already a point of contention for many people. Jameson had hoped to keep her hands at least partially on the reins until the Democratic primaries had been wrapped up. That was still more than a year in the future. It was already evident to Jameson that the time had come.

  “It’s time, Candace.”

  “Jameson…”

  Jameson smiled. “I’m okay with it if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “I don’t want you to give up…”

  “We both know this was inevitable.”

  “It’s still a long road. You can bide your time…”

  “No,” Jameson disagreed. “And, it’s not just what is best for your campaign. It’s what is best for Jonah.”

  “For Jonah?”

  “Right. He doesn’t need me, and neither does Mel. Don’t look at me like that. They don’t. They are ten times more capable than I was at their age. And, they have each other. They’ll be fine.”

  “And, what about you?”

  “I have plenty of things to fill my time,” Jameson said.

  “Is that so?”

  “Yeah. I have some projects I’ve been wanting to do here.”

  “More projects?” Candace grinned.

  Jameson shrugged. “Besides,” she said. “I want to be able to be with you when your travel takes off.”

  Candace smiled. “Are you sure this is what you want to do?”

  “Yeah, I’m sure.”

  “You know that Jonah will fight you on this?”

  “Well, he doesn’t have a choice. He can either buy me out of the business or I’ll just sign the whole damn thing over to them. And, we both know he will never go for that.”

  “Sneaky architect,” Candace teased.

  “I thought I was a snarky architect?”

  “Sometimes.”

  Jameson la
ughed.

  “Mommy,” Cooper walked into the kitchen rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

  “Good morning, sweetheart,” Candace greeted him.

  Cooper sleepily made his way to Candace and crawled into her lap.

  “Still tired?” Candace asked. Cooper nodded. “Do you want some breakfast?”

  “Can we watch Aladdin?”

  “Aladdin, huh?” Candace asked. She smiled. He finally pronounced it correctly. “Do you want to watch Aladdin and I will make some pancakes?” she asked him. He nodded.

  “Come on, Coop,” Jameson pushed out her chair and held out her hand.

  Candace watched as Cooper made his way to Jameson. She shook her head affectionately. How did I end up with one son ready to give me another grandchild, and one son still addicted to Disney movies? She laughed at her reality. Only you, Candace.

  ***

  Jonah walked into his mother’s office to find Jameson sitting behind the desk. “Uh-oh, am I grounded?” he joked.

  “Why? Did you forget to take out the garbage again?” she bantered.

  “Ha-ha. I’ll make sure Laura never tells you my dirty little secrets again.”

  Jameson winked. “Sit down.” She handed Jonah a folder.

  “What’s this?”

  Jameson took a deep breath. “Before you open that, I want you to listen to what I have to say.”

  “JD?”

  “I talked to Mel earlier.”

  “Were the plans that bad?” he asked.

  “Jonah,” Jameson shook her head. “The plans were excellent. I told you; McGillis is testing you—not your talent, your balls—for lack of a better way to put it.”

  “JD, he’s…”

  Jameson held her hand up. “Save it. You don’t need me for this account. And, that is a good thing because you are not going to have me in any official capacity soon.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I’m leaving the firm completely.”

  “JD! It’s your firm.”

  Jameson smiled. “Not anymore,” she said.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Jonah, listen to me; I can’t stay involved in the firm. It’s bad for the firm and it’s not good for your mom.”