by L. P. Dover
“You forget who you’re talking to. I know how to protect myself.”
“You’re right, you do.” He brought his hand up to my face. “I thought I could break through those walls. You just never gave me a chance.”
I placed my hand over his. “You know I love my life in Charleston. I can’t be the woman you need me to be.” He needed someone dependent on him, a woman who would take care of him. I was too independent for that.
“That’s not true,” he said, clasping my face. Eyes focused on my lips, he moved closer, until I pulled away.
“Yes, it is. You have to let me go.” Taking a deep breath, I stepped back completely and walked away.
People stared at me as I strolled through the crowd, pretending nothing was wrong. It didn’t matter how I acted, though. Tomorrow morning, there’d be an article in the tabloids about us. Even with the guests being friends of my brother, someone was always willing to give up the dirt for money. I was used to it.
I was almost away from the crowd, when someone called out to me. “Hanging in there, Carmichael?”
Stopping mid-step, I turned around and smiled. Josh Addington was my neighbor growing up and we’d graduated high school together. Now he was my niece’s bodyguard. My brother liked to keep people he could trust in his inner circle. As kids, Josh had been tall and lanky, with braces and dirty blond hair. Not anymore. He was a solid wall of pure muscle, with Hollywood good-looks that got him noticed everywhere he went.
Josh held out a shot of vodka and I took it. “I am now,” I blew out a breath. “It’s been a long night.” I tossed back the fiery liquid and sighed when it slid down my throat.
He nodded. “I can tell. Is Mr. VP still trying to get you back?”
Chris must’ve walked out of the tent because I didn’t see him anymore. “I don’t know what he’s trying to do. We called it off months ago.”
“We or you? There’s a big difference.”
“Obviously, it was Carmichael,” a voice called out from behind. I looked back and grinning as wide as he could was Emmitt Townsend. He was one of my brother’s personal bodyguards.
“Eavesdropping again?” I propped my hands on my hips.
He shrugged. “Didn’t take much. I watched Parks storm out of the tent and figured it had to be you who pissed him off.”
I groaned. “This is why I hate coming here. Three months wasn’t a long enough break from you guys.”
“Ouch. That stings.” Emmitt chuckled. “At least, I’m happy I get to see you again. Looking mighty sexy in that dress of yours.”
Rolling my eyes, it was hard to be angry at either Josh or Emmitt. I’d grown close to them over the years. “Are you on duty tonight?”
Shaking his head, he smiled and scanned the crowd. “Nope. I actually get to enjoy the party. Your brother thought I needed a night to myself. Jacobs and Mims are on duty tonight.” My brother had a whole team of men who protected him. I barely knew half of them.
I watched Emmitt study the crowd, knowing damn well he wasn’t relaxing. It was in his blood to protect. It’d been three months since I’d seen him last. His midnight-colored hair was longer and there was a scar above his left brow that hadn’t been there before. It was the one thing I loved about Noah’s inner circle; I knew he’d always be safe.
Josh nudged Emmitt in the side, looking over his shoulder. “Looks like Margaret Trainor can’t take her eyes off you. Might as well have some fun. From what I hear, she’s recently divorced.”
I snuck a glimpse at her. She definitely had eyes for him. “And worth a few million,” I added. She was older than him, but that didn’t seem to bother Emmitt, as his eyes raked over her body. To be in her fifties, she was a sexy woman with curly, blonde hair and smooth skin.
Emmitt squeezed my shoulder. “You two have a good night. I know I will.” He strolled off and joined Margaret, while Josh and I watched on in amusement.
“Why do men only think with their dicks?” I asked.
“It’s more fun that way,” he teased.
Rolling my eyes, I glanced down at his clothes. Instead of the usual suit, he had on a pair of khaki shorts and a blue polo shirt. “Blending in tonight?”
“Yep. Trinity’s orders.” He kept his eyes on my niece, who was standing across the room with my brother and his wife, Renee.
“She’s a handful, isn’t she?”
He sighed. “You have no idea.” Trinity noticed us watching her and made her way over. Josh leaned toward my ear. “Gotta go.”
Trinity’s smile faded when she saw him walk off. “Were you guys talking about me?”
I held up my hands, feigning innocence. “Not at all.”
Josh glanced at her over his shoulder as he walked away, and she tensed, whispering under her breath. “I’m so stupid, B.”
“Uh-oh. That doesn’t sound good. What did you do?”
She moved closer, almost reluctant to tell me. “Josh and I kissed a couple of nights ago. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but we were having a good time and it just happened.”
They were together twenty-four-seven and Josh was a handsome man, not to mention a good guy. It didn’t help that my brother was adamant about them staying together as much as they did. Fiddling with the necklace around her neck, she couldn’t take her eyes off Josh.
I grabbed her hand and pulled it away from the diamond tree of life pendant she clutched. “That’s pretty. I don’t think I’ve seen you wear it before.”
“Josh gave it to me for my birthday. I never take it off.”
Clearing my throat, I moved closer so only she could hear. “Don’t you have a boyfriend at the university?” I was pretty sure I’d seen pictures of them floating around the internet. She was a senior at Boston University, majoring in Business. I was shocked she chose a school within eight hours of Washington D.C.
“Yes,” she replied sadly. “And I’m confused as hell. Josh has been my bodyguard for two years now, and I care about him. If Dad finds out, he’ll be pissed. I can’t lose him. Then again, he’s my bodyguard. I can never have him anyway.”
“What about your boyfriend? Do you still care about him?”
She groaned. “Of course, I do. We talk every day. The truth is—” Before she could finish, we were interrupted by some guests who wanted to say their farewells. Leaning in, she whispered in my ear, “I’ll tell you everything later.”
While she said goodbye to the group, I tried searching for Wade, but there was no trace of him. Trinity and I had something in common . . . we both desired unattainable men. Well, that and we looked like we could be sisters. The only difference was that I had green eyes, while she had blue, and I was older by five years.
She nudged me in the side. I turned back to see she was alone once again. “Who are you looking for? It couldn’t be Wade Chandler, could it?”
I smiled. “How do you know him?”
“Seriously?” she replied, staring incredulously. “Everyone knows him, B. He’s one of America’s Most Handsome and Eligible Bachelors. The question is . . . what do you want with him?”
I rolled my eyes. “We grew up together, Trinity. And I need his help with the shop. That’s it. I don’t want to get involved with him in any other way.”
“I don’t know. You both seemed pretty taken with each other just a little bit ago. And I don’t think I’ve seen you interested in someone in a long time.”
“It’s because I never stick around for long. Don’t have time for it.”
“Don’t I know it,” she grumbled, watching my brother approach with Renee in tow. “Why don’t you stay with us tonight?” She moved closer to whisper in my ear. “We can finish our conversation.”
My brother stopped in front of us and nodded. “Trinity’s right. It’s late. You’re more than welcome to stay. It’ll be like old times.”
Trinity begged me with her eyes, but I couldn’t. I hugged her. “I wish I could, but there might be a certain bachelor waiting for me at the hotel bar.”
She squeezed me hard. “Guess I can forgive you then. Soon, okay? I’ll want details.”
I let her go. “I promise.”
Renee held out her arms. “Thanks for coming, Brina.”
“Happy to.” My sister-in-law was a beautiful woman, with long brown hair and a kind smile. The country loved her, especially with all the charity work she did.
Once Renee let me go, Noah was right there. “We’ll talk soon. Do you want Emmitt to take you to the hotel?” He looked around for him, but he was nowhere to be seen.
By now Emmitt was probably cock deep inside Margaret Trainor. “I think he’s a little busy at the moment. Anyway, I’m a big girl. I can get to the hotel on my own.”
“That you can,” he said, grinning slyly. “Be safe.”
“Always am.”
I arrived at the hotel right on time, and when I got to the bar, Wade was there with two drinks in front of him. “Is that for me or someone else?” I asked.
His lip tilted up slightly and he slid the glass over to me. It was straight vodka.
“How did you know that’s what I drink?”
He took a sip of his whiskey and faced me. “It’s what you had at the party.”
I sat down beside him and nodded. “Very perceptive. Didn’t think you studied me that hard.” Picking up my glass, I glanced down at his. “How’s your whiskey?”
His grin widened. “Didn’t think you studied me that hard,” he said, repeating my words.
I shrugged. “I never go into anything blind.”
“Neither do I.” We tapped glasses and downed our drinks, his gaze never leaving mine. The vodka went down smooth, sending warmth throughout my body. “So, I couldn’t help but notice the tension between you and Parks.”
I seriously needed another shot. “He wasn’t happy about me talking to you.”
“Jealous then.”
“That, and concerned,” I added. “He doesn’t want me getting hurt. Apparently, your reputation precedes you. Little does he know, I don’t give a shit about that.”
He finished off his whiskey and the bartender filled it again. “You said there was something you wanted to discuss? Is that true, or was there something else on your mind?”
Lifting my glass, the bartender came over and filled it with another double shot of vodka. I sipped it and let my eyes rake over his body. “I’m starting to think there’s something else on yours, Mr. Chandler.”
He brought the whiskey to his lips. “Would you like to find out?”
The way he stared at me made me tremble. It’d been a long time since any man had excited me. “Possibly. But first, I want to talk business. I have a shop in Charleston that needs a boost. With my schedule, sometimes it’s hard to focus on it. I do all the designs myself.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “I’m shocked you need help at all. You don’t take me as the kind of woman to ask for it.”
“You’re right, I don’t. But I want to see my company expand further than the southeast. And with you being a savvy businessman, I thought maybe you could help make it happen.”
I could see his gears turning. “What kind of shop is it?”
“It’s called Endless Summer. I design the clothes and surfboards, and Lexi, my friend and store manager, helps with the marketing and accounting.” By the look on his face, he wasn’t surprised. “But something tells me you already knew all of that.” I chugged the last of my vodka.
He shrugged. “I make it a point to know everything about the people I get involved with.”
A laugh escaped my lips. “There’s no way to know everything.”
“Want to bet?” he replied in all seriousness.
I studied him and his gaze never wavered. I loved his confidence, but he didn’t know everything about me. “I’d bet my life on it. Besides, who says we’re going to get involved?”
“I do.”
I bit my lip and rolled those last two words around in my brain. Damn the vodka for making me horny. Who was I kidding? I wanted him. “Is that what you want?”
Sliding his chair back, he dropped a couple hundred dollar bills on the bar and took my hand. “You already know the answer to that.”
Wade
Holy shit. I had never had a night with another woman like I’d had with Brina Carmichael. And the last thing I expected when I opened my eyes was to find an empty bed. Even though I’d already left Washington to go home, I could still smell her perfume and taste her on my lips. Fuck, I wanted more.
What made our time together even more exciting was the note she’d left on her pillow.
It was fun.
A chuckle escaped my lips. It was a first for me. I’d never had a woman walk out on me in the morning. I had to admit, I fucking loved it. It turned me on in a way I hadn’t known was possible. Her early departure left me determined to have her again—one way or another.
Note in hand, I walked off the elevator and through the lobby of Chandler Enterprises. Mrs. Marshall, our receptionist, waved as I passed by. “Good morning, Mr. Chandler.”
“Good morning,” I called out.
As expected, my desk was covered in messages. I half expected one from Brina, since we never got to the part about me helping with her business. Maybe it was just an excuse to get me alone, but she didn’t take me for the type to play games.
The second I sat down at my desk, a newspaper dropped in front of me.
“Well, well, look who had a good time in D.C.” I jerked my head up to find Ian, smiling smugly down at me. “Go ahead, take a look. You don’t want to miss this.”
Reluctantly, I opened the newspaper. Staring me in the face was a picture of me and Brina holding hands as we were leaving the bar. And then another one of us kissing as the elevator doors closed. But that wasn’t all. There was also a picture of her and Chris at the party; his hands on her face, looking as if they were about to kiss.
“Motherfucker.”
“Thought you’d say that. She’s fucking hot too. And after all those years I’d thought of her as a goody-goody princess.” He shook his head. “Doesn’t look like it in those photos.”
“Trust me, she’s not. She surprised the hell out of me.” She wasn’t the prim and proper girl who was on TV when her father was president. No, she was a fucking vixen in bed. I rode her hard and vice versa.
“I’d say so.” Ian laughed. Leaning over, he tapped the newspaper. “Oh, and get this, sources say you two looked awfully cozy at the party, which pissed off her ex. Looks like he wants her back.”
Huffing, I skimmed over the article. It made me out to be the bad guy, stealing the VP’s girl out from under him. A bunch of bullshit was what it was. “He was pissed when he saw her talking to me,” I stated.
“I’m sure he’s a raving lunatic now that it’s obvious you fucked his girl.”
“He can get the hell over it,” I grumbled.
“The question is,” he prodded, “weren’t you supposed to be working?”
I was about to blast off when my father stormed into the office and slammed the door. “What the hell were you thinking?” he demanded, pointing at the paper.
Huffing, I got to my feet and tossed the newspaper in the trash. “It was one fucking night. That’s all.”
His eyes blazed as he pointed angrily at me. “You can’t get involved with her. End of story. Is that clear? She can’t know what you do.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” I shouted incredulously. “I’m not a fucking moron.”
He blew out a breath and leaned against the door, arms crossed at the chest. “I know you’re not, son. You just have to be careful who you get involved with. Brina is the former First Daughter. I love her like my own. I have to . . .” He stopped mid-sentence.
I threw up my hands. “You have to what?”
His jaw clenched. “Protect her. It’s what her father would’ve wanted. You don’t exactly have the best track record with women. If you break her heart, it’ll damage my relationship
with the Carmichaels.”
“You have nothing to worry about. It’s over. Done. I don’t see how this has anything to do with you.”
With a heavy sigh, he glanced at Ian, then over at me. “It does, son. There are some things both of you don’t know. Now that you’re involved with Brina, I have no choice but to tell you.”
I looked over at Ian and he shrugged, clearly as confused as I was.
Dad walked over to the window. “When Brina’s father, Brad Carmichael, was sworn into office, he knew the risk he was taking. If there was one thing he valued over the country, it was his family. Keeping them safe was his top priority.” He paused and put his hands behind his back, looking over the city. “That’s why he formed a secret group of three, called his inner circle. Those were the only men he trusted.”
Ian and I both froze. This was news to us. We’d never had a clue he was that close to the former president. “You were one of them, weren’t you?” I asked.
I could see his forlorn expression through the reflection in the window. “I was. That’s why I took it so hard when he was killed. None of you knew how close we actually were.”
Ian’s eyes widened. “Why didn’t you tell us sooner?”
My father shrugged. “Didn’t think I’d have to. But now, after hearing about what happened with Danny Wheeler at the party, I have a feeling Noah Carmichael must have his own inner circle. Brad must’ve told him.”
“How did all of this happen?” I inquired.
He came back over at sat down. “Brad and I are both from Wyoming. We grew up together and became close friends as children. When we got older, we moved to Charleston and joined the Coast Guard. Over time, we started our families.” A small smile spread across his face when he looked at me. “Brina was born in Charleston, just like you. You two were inseparable. Then Brad moved to Washington D.C. so he could go after the presidency.”
