Incumbent Page 8

  “You should be in politics.” I chuckled and kissed her temple, taking a moment to inhale her scent, something light and vaguely floral.

  “No,” she whispered, her breath tickling my throat. “Thank you. I’ll leave that to you.”

  I pulled back and grasped her elbows, gazing into her eyes.

  “I want to date you, Lucy. I mean, actually date you.” I slid my fingers down until they were linked with hers. “What do you think?”

  When she didn’t reply right away, my stomach clenched with worry I’d pushed her too far. But then her eyes lit up and she gave me a wide, genuine smile.

  “I think I’d like that.”

  That was all I needed to hear. I pulled her close and wrapped my arms around her, enjoying the feel of her palms pressed against the center of my back.

  “Let’s say our good-byes and finish this date elsewhere,” I suggested.

  When Lucy pushed back, her brows furrowed and her eyes narrowed, I quickly said, “I didn’t mean that like it sounded. I thought we’d go for ice cream.”

  She squinted at me. “Ice cream?”

  “Yes, you know the frozen confection that’s typically served in a cone?” I smirked, and she shook her head. “Come on, let’s go. I may even splurge for sprinkles.”

  Chapter 7

  ~ Lucy ~

  Rather than going to an ice cream stand, we ended up buying a couple of gallons and some toppings at the grocery store, and headed to my place. Drake made what he called his famous “you’re going to love it” sundae that consisted of a scoop of chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream smothered in hot fudge, caramel sauce, sliced banana, a swirl of whipped cream, and a cherry to top it off.

  Overwhelmed, all I could do was stare at it. “If I eat all of this, I’m not going to be able to move.”

  He handed me a spoon, and held up another in his hand. “That’s why we’re going to share, if that’s okay.”

  “It’s more than okay.” Frowning at him, I asked, “You look like you just walked off the cover of a fitness magazine. Do you always eat like this?”

  He chuckled, but not before taking a heaping spoonful of ice cream. Immediately, his face scrunched up, and he squeezed his eyes closed.

  “Brain freeze?” I giggled and placed a small taste in my mouth. “Mmm, this is delicious.”

  Drake nodded and squeezed his eyes closed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Man, that smarts. I should learn to take smaller bites.”

  I couldn’t help but laugh at him.

  After we finished our dessert, Drake grabbed the remote. “Do you mind if I check some scores?”

  When I shook my head, he flicked on the TV and tuned it to ESPN. He sat on the couch and pulled me to his side as he listened, and I was mesmerized by the scrolling ticker at the bottom of the screen. Even though I wasn’t sure what each acronym stood for, it caught my eye.

  As I tried to decipher the code, my lids began to close.

  • • •

  The thud of the newspaper hitting the front door woke me. I went to stretch, but my hand hit a hard surface covered in what felt like soft cotton. When I slowly opened my eyes, still completely disoriented, I did my best to focus on where my hand had landed.

  Drake’s handsome face was so peaceful in sleep. Early morning sunlight barely illuminated the room, just enough that I could see his chiseled jaw, which was now covered in morning scruff a little longer than I’d seen on him before.

  I was leaning against the sofa cushions with my head rested on his bicep, when even in the relaxed position was prominent and hard. As if my hand had a mind of its own, it traveled from his chest down his tight stomach, feeling each ripple of his abs one by one, and stopped just above the waistband of his jeans.

  My gaze was fixed on my fingers as they continued to move across the waistband of his pants and then north, but this time I grazed his strong arm until I rested my hand on his shoulder. When I looked back at his dark hair swept over his forehead, his eyelids flickered and his lips twitched.

  Shit. He’s awake. I quickly jerked my hand back and rested it at my side, never losing sight of his face.

  One eye opened and then the other. “Don’t stop on my account.” His dimple appeared, and my entire body heated from the inside out.

  Swallowing hard with embarrassment, I choked out, “I’m sorry.”

  He shifted and pulled me closer until my breasts pressed against the same hard chest my hand had just explored. His morning excitement pushed against my hip, and I did everything in my power not to grind against it.

  “That was the best alarm clock I’ve ever had.” Our eyes met, and he lifted a hand to stroke my hair before resting on my neck. “Do you know how badly I want you right now?” His deep sensual voice rendered me speechless. “Do you, Lucy?”

  “I have a bit of an idea.” I moved slightly, pushing my hip against his erection, and a deep growl came from him.

  “If you keep doing that, my grand plan of dating and slowly seducing you are going to fly out the window.”

  “So, you have a grand plan of seducing me?”

  “You forgot the dating part,” he said wryly.

  I snickered. “Yes, that too.”

  “I did have a plan,” he said softly, “but as in politics, sometimes you need to go with the flow and adjust your agenda.” His lips found the pulse on my neck as he nibbled, licked, and gently sucked. “Your skin tastes sweet.” As I leaned my head back to give him more access, he added, “Someday, I’m going to taste all of you.”

  Every pore in my body ignited, which made it difficult for me to speak, but I finally managed to breathe out one word. “Drake.” It sounded like a prayer to my own ears, and I hoped it didn’t sound desperate, but I wanted him to touch me.

  Cool air hit my lower back as he lifted the hem of my shirt. I didn’t stop him; I couldn’t. His eyes begged for permission, and the slowness of his stroke on my skin confirmed he was waiting for the green light.

  All I could do was kiss him. That was my answer. A simple kiss.

  He raised my top over my head, exposing my red lace bra. “You’re beautiful, Lucy.”

  His fingertips slowly grazed the swell of my breasts, as if in adoration. Goose bumps sprang to the surface of my oversensitive skin as he continued to explore, from my pebbled nipples to the center of my abdomen and back up again.

  The way he perused me not only with his touch, but with his eyes—normally a pale blue-green, but now the deeper color of the Caribbean sea—made me want to throw all caution to the wind.

  I was his if he wanted me to be.

  Chapter 8

  ~ Drake ~

  How was I going to take this slow? The need to taste her, touch her, and be inside her consumed me. Could it be I’d finally found the woman for me? Was Lucy the one? Would she want me to be hers?

  Her skin felt like silk under the pads of my fingers. The urge to explore her entire body raged through me, but I wanted her to understand that wasn’t all I wanted from her.

  No. With her, I wanted more. I needed to know what made her happy or sad, what her favorite food was, and her favorite color. Did she prefer movies or television? What sports did she like to watch, or didn’t she? What were her best childhood memories, what were her parents like, and when did she lose them?

  These were the kind of things I wanted to know. Granted, Ben could find all of this out and more—and I was sure he was itching to do it—but that wasn’t an option.

  “Drake,” she said, drawing me out of my thoughts, “I need to get up and ready for work.”

  My head dropped between her neck and her shoulder. “If I wasn’t concerned about the education of our youth, I’d ask you to play hooky.” Reluctantly, I moved to let her sit up.

  She grabbed her shirt and pulled it on. “I need to get the paper.”

  “Did I ever tell you how great it is that you still read the newspaper? Most of the people I know love having the online version, but I prefer holdin
g it in my hands. There’s something about the way the ink smells that speaks to me.”

  She opened her front door and grabbed the paper off the stoop. “I love that too.”

  “See? We’re meant to be together.”

  She’d pulled back to playfully swat me with the rolled paper, but suddenly her eyes widened and her jaw went slack.

  “What is it, Lucy?”

  She glanced up at me and shifted her gaze back to the paper. “I’m . . . we’re . . .”

  I walked over to see what had made her lose the ability to form a complete sentence. Glancing over her shoulder, I saw our picture in the newspaper, just below the fold. Lucy looked adorable in her Nationals jersey, and the awe in her eyes as she looked up at me made my heart swell, as well as another part of my body.

  “Look at that,” I said with a chuckle. “We made the newspaper. Granted, it’s a few days after the fact, but I’ve always wanted to make the front page.”

  “This . . . oh my God. What are people going to think?” Her attention dialed in on the picture, and her shoulders slumped.

  “They’re going to think we went to a ballgame on Friday.” I gently snatched the paper out of her hand and tossed it on the table. “It’s a great picture. I can even see that cute little freckle of yours.”

  Her expression was distraught, so I placed my hands on her hips and pulled her toward me. Her breathing quickened.

  “I’m sorry,” I said. “That was insensitive. I’m used to the press, and my picture popping up here and there. I can assure you, the paparazzi doesn’t follow me around. It’s not like I’m a movie star or something.”

  Giving me a woebegone look, she said, “You could have been.”

  “If politics don’t work out, I might consider acting.” I gave her a chaste kiss. “Go get ready for work. I’ll drive you.”

  “No, you don’t need to—”

  I lifted a finger to shush her. “Don’t argue with me. I want to.”

  • • •

  After I dropped Lucy off at the high school, I went to my place to change before I headed to the campaign headquarters for a few quick meetings before heading to Capitol Hill. When I swung my office door open, Ben was waiting for me.

  “Seriously, Ben.” I hung my suit jacket on the coat rack and loosened my tie. “Do you have a tracking device on me?”

  “No. No tracking device. I saw you pull in.” He studied me with narrowed eyes.

  “Okay, what’s up?” I asked as I sat behind my desk. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “We need to go over this month’s agenda.”

  “The agenda? That’s it? You aren’t dying to say anything about the picture in the paper?” I didn’t want to poke the bear, but needed to get this out on the table.

  He shook his head. “I gave you my opinion on that, so no. Let’s get to business.” He glanced at his planner. “You have a fundraiser dinner this Saturday. I’ve already sent the invitation to Gretchen, so she has all the details.”

  “I’m going to ask Lucy to go with me.” When his head jerked up and his surprised gaze met mine, I held up a hand and said, “I’ll let Gretchen know. What’s next?”

  He pinned me with a stare, but there was no room for discussion about who would be on my arm, so he dropped it.

  “You have a meeting at the veterans’ hospital to discuss their new free clinic for families of vets, and then you have a few meetings with your campaign supporters.” He ran his pen down the list and ticked things off as he went. “That’s it for right now. But you know the closer we get to June, the harder we need to work. even though you’re running unopposed for the Republican ticket, your opposition will do everything in their power to discredit you between June and Election Day.

  “Fine, that won’t be an issue.”

  Ben stood and walked out. I needed to send Gretchen a text to apologize for any confusion. Then I needed to ask Lucy to go with me. It dawned on me she might not want to go, but if that were the case, I’d go alone.

  DRAKE: Hey, sis. You’re off the hook for Saturday night. I’m going to ask Lucy to go.

  GRETCHEN: Cool. I thought it was odd when I got the invite from Ben.

  DRAKE: He has a way of jumping the gun.

  GRETCHEN: OK. I gotta go. Talk to you later.

  DRAKE: Bye.

  After finishing up at headquarters and attending a few meetings on the Hill, choking down a sandwich between them, I headed for Lucy’s school to pick her up. When I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed Lucy standing on the sidewalk in a group of women. Her body language looked very uncomfortable as one of the women spoke to her, and another held the newspaper in her hand.

  I slowed when I saw Mason walk up to them. Relief washed over Lucy’s face; her entire expression and posture changed. He slung his arm around her shoulder, obviously a show of solidarity, and my heart pounded against my ribs.

  He was protecting her.

  That should be me, I thought, but maybe I’m the one he’s protecting her from.

  Not knowing what was going on, I finally pulled up to the curb. The women turned and looked at me. One of them, the one who was talking to Lucy, wiggled her fingers at me in a desperate attempt at a cute wave.

  I opened the door to get out, and Mason stepped over to shake my hand.

  “Good to see you, Drake.”

  “You too.”

  I turned to Lucy, and for once I didn’t know what to do. Do I hug her? Every bone in my body wanted to grab her and pull her as close to me as possible, but I refrained.

  “Hi, Lucy.” I gave her a friendly smile, and she surprised the shit out of me when she threw her arms around my neck and kissed me.

  Then she broke the kiss, craned her head back a touch, and said, “Hi.” Her eyes had a pleading look to them, but I wasn’t sure what she needed from me.

  I gave her another squeeze and released her to turn to the three women who were standing there. “Good afternoon, ladies.”

  The finger wiggler was the first to respond. “Hi, Senator, I’m Michelle. I voted for you in the last election.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Michelle. I thought you looked familiar.”

  Mason and Lucy both stifled a laugh.

  After I greeted the others, I looked at Lucy. “Ready?”

  “You bet I am.” She smiled, and I took her hand in mine.

  “Mason, do you need a lift? You live near Lucy, right?”

  “Thanks, but I drove today. I have to ref a soccer game tonight. I’ll catch you two later.”

  After we said good-bye to Mason, we climbed into my car. Once we were driving away, Lucy let out a long breath.

  “Care to tell me what that was about back there?”

  “Our picture. That’s what it was about.” She rested her elbow on the door and propped her head up with her hand. “Michelle asked me if we were dating, and if we weren’t, would I give you her number. Then you walked up.”

  “So you kissed me. Were you marking your territory?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know what came over me. I hope you can forgive me.”

  “Forgive you for kissing me?” I reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Never. There’s nothing to forgive. Anytime you feel the urge to place your lips on mine or anywhere else on my body, feel free to do so.” I glanced at her and smiled.

  Her face turned a light shade of pink. “Noted.”

  “I have a couple of things to ask you. But I’d prefer we weren’t sitting in my car when we talk. Would you like to go get a drink?”

  “Yes,” she said with an enthusiastic nod. “I could use one.”

  We ended up at an Irish pub not far from there, complete with wood-plank floors, Irish flags on the walls, and the smell of beer hanging in the air. We made ourselves comfortable in a booth, seated across from each other, and waited for our server.

  Lucy folded her hands on the table. “You wanted to ask me something?”

  Our waiter came up to us, an
d he looked at Lucy first. “Can I get you something to drink?”

  “I’ll have a rum and Coke.”

  He turned to me. “And for you, sir?”

  “Just a beer. Whatever you have on draft is fine.”

  Once he was gone, I said, “Where were we?”

  “You were going to ask me something.”

  I smiled. “Yes. I’d like to know if you’ll be my date this Saturday night. I have a fundraiser to go to, and as you know, I normally bring Gretchen with me. But this time I want you on my arm.”

  I reached across the table and flipped my hand over so it was palm side up. She placed hers on mine.

  Wrapping my fingers around hers, I said, “The thing is, I want you on my arm all the time, not just at business dinners or baseball games. I can’t stop thinking about you. We were together all day yesterday and this morning, but I want more. This isn’t all about me, I want to be on your arm too. I want to be the one who makes your face light up, and your freckle dance when you smile.”

  Her tongue peeked out to lick her lips, and I could feel my pants tighten.

  “So, what do you think?” I asked.

  “About which part?”

  The waiter placed our drinks down and hurried away.

  “All of it. Tell me what I want to hear. Please, Lucy, say yes to everything.”

  “You hardly know me.”

  The waiter came back, and we hadn’t even taken a sip yet. Obviously, this wasn’t the place to have this conversation. I tossed a twenty on the table, grabbed her hand, and drove her home.

  We were silent in the car, and it was killing me not to say anything, but luckily we were right around the corner from her place. I could wait a little.

  She unlocked the door and walked over to sit on her couch, where I joined her.