The Candidate, page 24
“Just for that, that’s exactly what I should make you to do!”
Alex’s bottom lip sank into a pout. “I promise I’ll be good the rest of the night. Scout’s honor.”
Jane took her napkin from her lap and tossed it on the table, then rose and extended her upturned hand to Alex. She flashed her most inviting smile. “Let’s see how good you can be.”
Alex swallowed visibly, her eyes widening in unveiled surprise. They danced with nervous excitement. “You’re taking me to bed now?”
Jane laughed. She loved those sweet, unguarded moments of Alex’s. As a Secret Service agent, Jane knew Alex was well practiced at being cautious and reticent. But in her down time, her feelings, thoughts and expectations infused her voice and her body language so plainly to Jane . . . even if it was just in that softening of her eyes when she was feeling happy, or the way she rubbed her chin pensively between her thumb and forefinger. And there was that mischievous grin that could instantly light up Jane’s world. There was something so inherently forthright about Alex—brutally honest and unapologetically vulnerable, but there was a quiet, hidden strength too.
“God, I hope you never change, Alex.”
“Huh?”
Jane took Alex’s hand and led her away from the dining room. “Never mind. And no, I’m not taking you to bed yet.”
Alex halted abruptly. “You’re not?” Disappointment was evident on her face.
Jane laughed and tugged Alex along. “I promised you a romantic evening.”
“We just had a romantic dinner. Isn’t that enough?”
“Hardly. Especially since my mother cooked it.”
Alex’s draw dropped in mock surprise. “You’re romancing me under fraudulent circumstances?”
Jane stopped and pulled Alex close to her. She threw her arms around her lover’s neck. “I’ll romance you any which way I can, my dear. Even if it means begging for my mother’s help.”
They kissed tenderly, unhurriedly, holding each other tightly.
“We really do have all night, don’t we?” Alex said, touching her forehead to Jane’s.
“Yes. And I intend to use up every minute of it.”
“Are you sure you’re not too exhausted? Because if you are . . .”
Jane smiled. She was still bone weary. She had gotten perhaps a total of five hours of sleep in the last twenty-four hours. She knew the hiatus from the campaign would be short, because there was much to do in the coming weeks, but not tonight. Tonight was about her and Alex. Everything else could wait another day. Or two.
“Giving in to exhaustion is for the uninspired. And you, my darling, inspire the hell out of me.”
Alex kissed her fiercely. “You really are smooth with words, aren’t you?”
Jane laughed, took Alex’s hand again and led her into the living room. Fire roared from the grate, casting a warm, dancing glow that melded with candlelight from almost every corner and surface of the room. Rosemary Clooney crooned “Tenderly” from the hidden speakers.
“Wow,” Alex enthused. “You really are giving me the full treatment. This is wonderful.”
They moved to the couch and sat down, the length of their bodies touching. Jane’s long fingers fleetingly traced a line along Alex’s denimed thigh. “I may be out of practice, but I know how to do romance.”
“You sure your mother didn’t mind vacating the house for the night?”
“Ha! Mother loves you. She was happy to do it. Besides, she was thrilled to join the rest of the group at the Grand Hotel. They’re probably partying their heads off.” Their chartered plane back from Miami had been full of staffers and supporters who were bent on continuing the celebrations.
Alex clasped Jane’s hand and held it in her lap. “Your mother’s an angel. She’s been nothing but awesome while I stayed here. I can’t believe everything she’s done for me . . . for us.”
Jane looked at Alex, surprised to see tears shimmering in the corners of her eyes. She pried her hand from Alex’s, reached up and stroked her cheek lovingly. There was so much she still didn’t know about this woman who had become such a big part of her—so many little nooks and corners to explore. They had a lifetime for that, but Jane desperately wanted to start now.
“You’ve never talked about your family life. Your childhood.”
Alex turned to face her. She tried to smile, but faltered. “I don’t want to talk about it. Not tonight. Not when everything is so perfect.” This time, her smile was strong. “Besides, you’re all I need, Jane. You’re my family now.”
Jane caressed Alex’s cheek and felt her heart swell as Alex leaned into her touch. She loved Alex so much, the responsibility of it frightened her. “I just don’t ever want you to be hurt, Alex. Or disappointed.”
“You can’t always stop that from happening,” Alex whispered, emotion like sandpaper to her voice. “But you can love me with everything you have. That much you can do.”
Jane leaned in and kissed Alex’s cheek. “That I will. Always.”
Alex smiled through her tears and touched Jane’s face in return. “Will you dance with me?”
Ella Fitzgerald was singing “Trav’lin’ Light” and they wordlessly rose from the sofa, fingers intertwined.
Completely attuned to the music and each other, they joined in a full body embrace, Alex’s arms encircling Jane’s waist, Jane’s arms curled lightly around Alex’s neck. They swayed together against each other, like trees in a gentle breeze. They nuzzled one another’s necks, ran fingers through hair, breathed in the scent of skin and hair and soap. There was no need to speak, only a yearning for their bodies to touch in time to the music. It felt magical.
Songs came and went—Diana Krall, Mel Torme, Michael Bublé—and still, they glided across the floor, circled together fluidly as though they’d danced together a hundred times before.
Alex’s fingers began to delicately trace the outline of Jane’s mouth, and Jane felt herself stumble a step. She quivered at Alex’s touch.
“You have the sexiest mouth,” Alex said, her breath ruffling Jane’s hair. “You have the sexiest everything.”
“Kiss me, Alex Warner.”
Alex devoured her mouth, pushing hard against it, sucking on Jane’s lips, nibbling them, licking them, then pressing hard again. Hands, big and strong and warm, began to glide up and down Jane’s back, hovering over the lines of her bra. Jane felt her body slowly numbing, her legs weakening, her blood beginning to pump furiously. The tickling sensation began deep in her belly, then blossomed further south as she felt herself beginning to moisten the bright red silk panties she had picked out especially for tonight.
Her throat tightened and her voice came out raspy and halting. “Oh, Alex. I want to make love with you. Now. Please,” she said, feeling she would burst if Alex’s hands didn’t soon find their way inside her wool slacks. God, why did I choose pants! I should have worn a skirt to save some precious seconds.
“I thought you’d never ask.” Alex’s voice was thick and warm, like honey. “Here?”
Jane shook her head, weak and distracted. Her voice came out thin, reedy. “No. In case some of the agents are patrolling out by the windows.”
Alex wrenched herself away from Jane, looking determined. “Wait for me upstairs. I’ll take care of the fire and the candles and the music.”
Alex could be very commanding, and Jane didn’t need to be told twice. She took the stairs two at a time, stripped off her pants and blouse and left them in a heap on the bedroom floor. Fleetingly, she wondered whether she should run a bubble bath, but she was too turned on. The bath could wait. She lit a candle on the night stand, then climbed into the queen-sized bed. She’d left her bra and underwear on, deciding to let Alex have some fun removing them.
Faintly, she could hear Alex bustling around downstairs, then heard her bounding quickly up the stairs. Nervous thoughts edged into her mind, eclipsing her elation. She didn’t want to disappoint Alex, especially after so much time apart. Jane wanted Alex to be satisfied. She didn’t want her lack of skill to ruin an otherwise perfect evening. She wished for years of sexual experience to suddenly inspire her and spare her from the embarrassment of being an obvious novice with a woman.
Alex appeared, slightly breathless and rosy faced, and leaned lazily against the door frame. Her arms were crossed in a display of casual confidence, but she was grinning slyly, as though Jane were her cornered prey. You’re mine, her look said—mine to do what I want with.
Jane was envious of Alex’s self-assuredness. She forced herself to smile, told herself to breathe calmly and felt the nervous flutters in her stomach slowly subside.
Alex finally slipped into the room, never taking her eyes off Jane. She methodically unzipped her jeans and pulled them down over her form-fitting boxer shorts, then stepped out of them. She was brisk and nimble, but not too hasty to undress. Jane gasped in appreciation at the thick, ropey muscles of Alex’s legs. Then again as Alex pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a plain white tank top that starkly showed off muscled shoulders and well-defined biceps and triceps. Jane held Alex’s unblinking stare, as if to signal her readiness for more, and Alex stripped completely.
“Oh, Alex. You are so beautiful.” And she was. All muscle and softness at the same time—lines and curves juxtaposed perfectly. Jane ached inside at the knowledge that Alex would soon be touching her, kissing her, doing those exquisite things to her body that she remembered so vividly from last summer. She could feel the moisture of her arousal spreading between her legs, her blood pounding out a new beat of desire. It was almost too much.
Silently, Alex pulled back the sheet and gently lay on top of Jane, her strong arms holding most of her weight back. Both moaned softly as their bodies came into contact. With one hand, Alex touched Jane’s hair, then her face, and smiled into her eyes.
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” Alex said.
“No,” Jane murmured, then thrust her jaw forward to capture Alex’s lips in a bold, fiery kiss. She felt her body stirring beneath Alex as the kiss went on. She couldn’t stop the tiny pelvic thrusts that reached up to her lover of their own accord, seeking friction and release, silk against skin.
Alex’s warm, wet mouth had migrated to the hollow of Jane’s throat, and Jane wanted to scream out at the scorching sensation against her hot, sensitive skin. Hands cupped her breasts through the lacy bra, and she felt Alex’s breath quicken against her.
“You don’t know how many times since last summer I’ve thought about doing this,” Alex said huskily. “I’ve remembered everything about your body—how you taste, how soft your skin feels, how you quiver when I touch you.”
Jane still could not quite believe they were finally alone and about to make love. It would be the first, true consummating of their love for one another, and the thought excited her beyond reason. “Oh, God, Alex. I’ve thought about making love with you about a million times. I think I’m going to come the second you touch me there.”
Alex’s laugh was a low rumble. “Oh, no you don’t. You’re not going to cheat me out of this.”
Jane swallowed thickly, pushed harder against Alex. “I just— I’m so turned on, Alex. Oh, God. I need you to make me come.”
Alex snickered, slowly working her fingers just inside Jane’s bra. “Oh, you’ll come all right. You’re going to be coming all night long, my dear.”
Jane groaned loudly, squeezed her eyes shut as the throbbing in her center grew more persistent, painful even. Fingers circled around her nipples, eliciting a cry from deep in her throat. She felt herself stiffen at Alex’s light caresses, and again at the feel of Alex’s tongue on her sensitive flesh, the bra pushed aside. Fingers danced and stroked, teasing her nipples to a painful sharpness. Alex coaxed a breast almost entirely into her mouth and suckled it expertly. A free hand roamed lightly along Jane’s stomach, which quivered at the touch, and she wished for Alex’s hand to continue its journey south, and quickly. Release was her urgent goal now, and it beckoned like a distant train thundering closer and closer.
Jane’s breathing had accelerated along with her pounding heartbeat. With every cell, her body screamed out for the stimulation she needed to climax. As if sensing her growing impatience, Alex’s fingers played at the waistband of the skimpy, silk panties, and Jane thrust herself up against the touch. She certainly wasn’t any good at playing coy. She knew exactly what she wanted Alex to do.
“Please,” Jane whimpered urgently, nearly begging. “Touch me, Alex. I’m going to die if you don’t.” She had thought how romantic it would be to take their time delighting in each other’s bodies, but now that the moment was here, Jane couldn’t wait. She was greedy for Alex’s proficient hands, for the magnificent things she could do with her mouth.
Alex’s hand mercifully dipped beneath the thin material of her skimpy underwear, gliding quickly and lightly over Jane’s hard, pulsing clitoris. Jane’s thrusting pelvis tried to trap the roaming fingers, but to no avail. Finally, Alex’s palm settled over her, cupping her, letting Jane thrust hard against it.
“You feel so good,” Alex said, her mouth finding Jane’s stomach, her tongue drawing tight circles on her skin. “I want you to wait until I can taste you.”
Jane moaned loudly and thrashed her head from side to side. “I don’t know if I can—”Her words died in the air as Alex roughly pulled the panties aside, nearly tearing them in her haste, and greedily took Jane in her mouth. Jane cried out sharply, the pleasure so acute and swift, and Alex moaned too. Jane felt as though her body were floating as Alex expertly stimulated her with brisk, flicking strokes that brought her to a throbbing rigidity. Jane selfishly pushed herself into Alex, enveloping her tongue and swallowing it up inside of her, smearing Alex’s face with her hot, slick desire. She rode Alex enthusiastically and unapologetically, taking all she needed, moaning encouragement for Alex to push herself further and harder and faster into her. Alex’s fingers stroked her clitoris in time with the thrusts and Jane felt her orgasm root itself in her legs. She wanted to enjoy Alex’s oral ministrations much longer—oh, God, did she ever. But release crept closer and closer, working its way up her tingling body.
Vaguely, Jane wondered why she had taken no for an answer at dawn this morning, when they’d shared the same bed and some sexless affection. Oh, yes. No matter what Alex said, she should have just pulled up that nightshirt, climbed on top of Alex and straddled her face with abandon. The vision of herself riding Alex that way pushed her over the edge. Orgasm charitably claimed her, rocking her body with wave after powerful wave of pleasure.
She screamed her release, squeezing herself against Alex, letting her ravenously consume the remainder of her desire. But Alex was not stopping. Her mouth and tongue smothered Jane with a new round of enthusiasm.
Jane propped herself up on her elbows, marveling at the sight of her Alex between her legs, pleasuring her with an insatiable energy that seemed boundless. Jane was helpless as a new surge of longing rose in her like a geyser, shockingly fierce and powerful. It was uncontrollable. Her arousal owned her. She could not stop it if she wanted to. And . . . oh, God . . . she did not want to stop. Alex was flicking her tongue lightning quick over her center, and she was blinded by the voracious rapture that crested and finally spilled through her like hot lava. Her chest heaved and her strangled voice cried out, weaker this time, and she felt more spent and fulfilled than she’d ever felt before.
“Oh, God, Alex. My love.”
Alex crawled fully onto her this time, letting Jane rock slowly against her in the last quiet thrusts of orgasm. She covered Jane with little kisses that were meant to convey her love rather than elicit another round of desire.
“My darling, you were wonderful,” Alex said. “You are so responsive, so . . . God!” Alex’s eyes took on a warm glow in the flickering candlelight. “You are the sexiest woman I’ve ever known.” She kissed Jane endearingly, almost reverently. She smiled playfully. “And a woman like you needs to be well-sexed.”
Jane chuckled, feeling both deliciously evil and deliriously happy. “How will I ever get any work done if—”
“If I’m fucking you five times a day?”
“Exactly.” Jane laughed again, wishing they could stay in bed forever with not a single obligation, other than to pleasure one another and bask in their love. The timing of their togetherness wasn’t great, Jane knew, and the thought of how busy she would be over the coming weeks already made her feel guilty. There was more staff to hire, four years worth of policy to review, endless meetings with Collins and his staff to map out their direction, the inauguration . . .
“What are you thinking about?” Alex’s fingers softly caressed Jane’s cheek.
Jane closed her eyes for a moment to jettison thoughts of work. “Nothing and everything.” When she looked at Alex, she felt the beginning of tears. She knew Alex had not missed a thing.
“Are you sad?” Alex asked worriedly.
Jane kissed the lips hovering so closely over hers. “I’m stupidly happy.”
“But you look a little sad. Have I—”
“Oh, Alex. You are nothing but wonderful.” Jane wrapped her arms around her in a bear hug, squeezing tightly the muscles in Alex’s back. “The only thing that makes me sad is that we’re not going to have hours every day to spend like this.”
Alex scrutinized Jane, looking tender and wistful. Her hand casually caressed the hair away from Jane’s face. “Then we’ll just have to make the most of our moments together, won’t we?”
Jane’s spirits began to soar again. “Are you sure they’ll be enough?”
Alex grinned cockily. “I’m pretty sure I just need about five minutes to rock your world.”
Jane pinched her teasingly. “You always rock my world. Just don’t get into the habit of rush jobs.”
Alex deftly rolled them over so that Jane was on top, and she smiled up at her. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” She gently tugged at Jane’s bottom lip with her teeth, pulling Jane closer, kissing her with increasing fervor. Alex’s hands had crept between their bodies to cup Jane’s breasts.
