Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 107115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107115 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 536(@200wpm)___ 428(@250wpm)___ 357(@300wpm)
“Our time is so short. What will happen to us?”
“Only what we allow.”
“But Todd—”
“Will do his fucking best to come between us because he’s a spiteful asshole. We know that. We can’t let him break us. No matter what lie he tells you, what bribe he offers you, what bullshit he tries to spew at you, don’t take his bait.”
“You’re right.”
Matt hoped like hell she stayed strong. He already expected the son of a bitch she’d married to throw the kitchen sink at them, not because Todd actually wanted her, but because he fucking hated to lose. And the entitled bastard would love to lord his victory over Matt’s head.
“Let’s not talk about him.” Matt kissed her softly. “We’ll have plenty of Todd Pershing in the next few months.”
“I’ve already had enough to last me ten lifetimes.”
“I’ll bet, honey. Tell me what you want tonight.”
She didn’t hesitate. “You.”
“How?”
“However you want me.” She laughed at herself. “Maybe I sound too easy, but I know how rare time with you is about to become. I’ll take any moments with you now that we can steal.”
As much as he enjoyed exploring his dirty side with her, his feelings for Madison weren’t about getting off. They were rooted in his love for the kind, spontaneous woman who embraced the people in her life completely and wholly. Besides, if they had a kink-lover’s paradise waiting for their clandestine days in DC, they could fly their freak flags then. They would, no doubt, have steam to burn off. Tonight, Matt ached to simply connect with her.
He settled his lips over hers, sinking into her scent and softness. Rightness settled over him. When she tilted her head to deepen the kiss, he caressed her cheek and moaned. The urge to take her up on her silent invitation and invade her lush mouth gripped him. But before he spent the next four hours giving her pleasure, he needed to take care of her.
Reluctantly, Matt broke their kiss. “I want that, too. More than you know. But the colonel says you haven’t been eating.”
She winced. “The thought of going back to DC, back to Todd… I just want to throw up.”
“I know.” He kissed her forehead. “But you can’t fight him off if you don’t keep up your strength. Eat something. For me?”
“Okay.” She sighed unhappily and rolled off the bed, reaching for her nightgown.
He blocked her with his body. “I didn’t say you could cover what’s mine. I’ll bring you food.”
“Determined to keep me naked?”
“Every minute I can. While you fuel up, I’ll just…enjoy the view.” He rubbed his thumb along the seam of her pussy. “Or maybe I’ll eat a snack of my own.”
A whimper escaped Madison. “How am I supposed to focus on food if you do that?”
He winked at her. “I’ll let you figure that out. Be right back.”
“You don’t play fair.”
Matt turned back with a grin. “When it comes to you, I’ll always fight dirty. You’ve been warned.”
“You’re insane!” she called after him as he shut the door.
Grinning, he headed for the kitchen and found Caleb pouring a cup of coffee.
“She all right?” the older man asked.
“Yeah. She’s not happy I’m making her eat something,” Matt said as he prowled through the refrigerator and plucked out a container of yogurt, then found a protein bar on the nearby counter.
Caleb sipped at his brew, his stare full of gravity. “Good. Um…not trying to step on toes. I know she’s an adult, and I know she’s yours. But once a father, always a father. Since hers is too sick to watch over her…”
“I appreciate that. Given Madison’s situation, I don’t think she can have too many people in her corner.”
“And she’s far too sweet for the savages she’s about to go to war with.” Edgington sighed. “What do you know about this family of assholes she married into?”
Until a few days ago, only what she’d told him. After conferring with the bosses and talking to some of his fellow operatives, he knew a lot more. And he didn’t like any of it.
“Pershing has a reputation for being a very pay-to-play senator. Almost every dirty government and company out there looking for an advocate has figured out that if they line his pockets, he’ll push their agenda. He’s buddy-buddy with some really shadowy, wanna-run-the-world elitists. His wife is shrewd, and she’s particularly good at both bending or bullying the press to her will. She’s destroyed enemies just because she can. When she wants to float a narrative, she reaches out to bootlickers working for small, hungry internet news outlets. Then she strong-arms her sycophants in mainstream media to push the same vicious crap by citing the original stories she helped to create. When the internet outlets get questioned, they just refer back to the big guys who repeated their BS for validation. And people swallow it because the media is so above reproach and would never tell a lie,” Matt drawled sarcastically. “And voilà, the rumor is suddenly accepted as truth. Isn’t it amazing?”