Chapter Nine

 

Michael pushed for answers when I called, telling him I’d emailed him everything he needed for the week. “Is everything okay?” he asked.

I choked a little as I tried to fight back tears. “It’s fine. I just need some time off,” I explained without much detail.

“You promised you’d tell me anything that could be even remotely important,” he reminded me.

Tears rolled from my eyes and down my cheek. My hand was dampened with my sadness as I held on to the phone, working hard to swallow my pain and speak clearly. “Obviously, there is nothing important to report,” I said, my voice shaken, and obviously filled with sorrow.

I sniffled, swallowed hard, and took a deep breath as Michael remained silent for a few seconds. “Quinn, I’m coming over,” he insisted.

“No,” I protested.

“I know you haven’t confided in me, and I understand why. But you need a friend,” he said softly.

I sobbed relentlessly from his kindness. “Please, just give me the week,” I pleaded.

“Call me if you need anything at all,” he said.

“I promise,” I replied, and then hung up the phone.

Rowena felt horrible for pushing me to make Adam and me public, telling me so constantly.

“It’s not your fault,” I said her over and over, trying to convince her.

“Don’t you think you should answer his calls?” she asked.

I gripped my phone, staring at the screen. There were more than a dozen missed calls from Adam, and countless texts that I couldn’t bring myself to read. “No. It’ll just go back to the way it was before. I love him. He has a way of making me forget my convictions,” I said.

“And you have a way of making him forget his,” she said softly.

I didn’t find that statement to be true. He hadn’t given up anything in this endeavor. He was able to get what he wanted from me both professionally and personally. He didn’t have to announce or proclaim his feelings, and he held all the power. He knew that. I didn’t realize it until I pushed for something more.

“I was foolish. You warned me,” I smiled.

The next week, Adam continued to call and I continued to ignore any attempt he made to contact me.

“Someone is here for you,” Rowena said, peeking in my bedroom door where I’d barricaded myself for days.

“Who?” I asked, fearing it was Adam coming to sway me back into his bed.

“Michael Guidry,” she replied.

My stomach churned as I got up and took a quick glance in the mirror at myself. My hair was pulled tight into a ponytail and my face hadn’t seen makeup for at least two days. “I’m not in the mood to see anyone,” I said quickly.

“He said he’s not leaving. I’ll send him in here,” she snapped and disappeared from my doorway.

I knew she was irritated that I’d let this breakup get to me so badly. I was contemplating going back to Minnesota and getting my old job back, but I didn’t want to tell her that just yet. I didn’t want to tell anyone.

Michael stood in Rowena’s living room with a bottle of wine. “I thought you could use a drink,” he said, his voice kind and warm.

He wasn’t wrong.

We sat outside on the deck, drinking and talking for over two hours. He filled me in on everything that had happened in the White House and pleaded for me to come back. “Don’t let this ruin your dreams,” he insisted.

“That’s just it. This wasn’t my dream,” I admitted.

My dream was to have a talk show, one where my guests could share stories of inspiration. Ever since I wrote the article on my sister and her battle against cancer, I knew that was my dream.

Adam veered me off course. My attraction for Adam veered me off course.

“Are you coming back at all?” he asked, sipping the last of the wine from his glass.

“I don’t know yet,” I sighed.

“If it’s any consolation, he’s been a mess,” Michael said.

My heart ached to learn Adam was hurting as well. I couldn’t let that consume me. He’d had his chance; he’d made his decision. Now, I had to make mine.

“Don’t tell him you saw me,” I pleaded as Michael was leaving.

“Okay,” he agreed, closing the door and leaving me to deal with my future.

“I’m going back to Minnesota,” I announced to Rowena at breakfast.

She set her coffee mug on the table and stared into my eyes with confusion. “Quinn, why would you do that?” she asked.

“I’ve given it a lot of thought. I don’t want to hurt, but I don’t want to hurt Adam, either. If I stay, and I continue on in my position in the White House, sooner or later, what happened between us will be leaked by someone. That could destroy us both, but since we wouldn’t be together any longer, most likely him more than myself,” I explained.

She paused as if she were trying to find an angle that proved me wrong. “You’re right,” she agreed after a slight hesitation.

For some reason, her agreeing with me didn’t feel as good as I thought it would.

I spent the day, and a good portion of the evening, looking for a place to live and talking to the people at my old job. They were all shocked I’d leave a high-powered position at the White House, but were very excited to have me back.

A knock on the door pulled me from the couch where I surfed online for houses to rent in my old neighborhood.

I opened it to reveal Adam’s Secret Service team on Rowena’s stoop. “I don’t want to see him,” I scoffed, slamming the door hard.

One of the men’s hands stopped the door from closing, pushing it back open. “I’m afraid this isn’t a request,” he said firmly.

“What? You’re going to drag me there kicking and screaming?” I chuckled sarcastically.

“If I have to,” he said without emotion.

I knew this was a battle I wouldn’t win. I grabbed my bag, followed the men to the black car, and quietly rode to the White House.

I was escorted to Adam’s private quarters, where the bed we’d made love in mocked me.

Soon after the men left, Adam entered.

“This is a real dick move, even for you, Adam,” I snarled.

He didn’t speak as he moved toward me. His blue eyes penetrated through my skin, and his confident swagger made me weak in the knees.

This is why I knew I couldn’t see him.

“I had no choice. I missed you,” he said softly, his arms wrapping around me.

I tensed as he squeezed me, pulling away as soon as I found my escape.

“So, you want to go public?” I asked sarcastically.

“I don’t think we should announce anything,” he said.

I let out a growl and moved towards the door. He caught me in his arms, pulling me back to him. Damn, he smelled so good.

“But I think we should quit hiding our relationship. Let it come out on its own,” he said.

It wasn’t the perfect plan, but it was enough to make me stop trying to run from the room, from him.

“I love you, Quinn,” he said softly, tears welling in his eyes.

It was all I wanted to hear. All I’d been wanting to hear this whole time. “I love you too, Adam,” I whispered. “You’re sure about this?” I asked.

He pulled me into his chest, letting me get a long whiff of his irresistable scent. “I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”

I let my arms wrap around him, squeezing him tightly into my heart. Our mouths searched for one another, finally landing our lips together for a powerful spark. We fell onto the bed, kissing passionately as we rolled in each other’s arms.

Adam lifted from our embrace. His hands brushed my hair from my face as his lips gently landed on my nose for a sweet kiss. “I plan on flaunting you all over town,” he teased.

I giggled at the thought of being on Adam’s arm in public.

He rose up to his knees, squatting with his legs straddled over me. His hands worked quickly to unbutton my blouse, revealing my tight, full breasts. His eyes soaked me in, and then his mouth consumed my soft skin, paying close attention to my nipples with his skillful tongue.

I arched my back, pushing my body toward him. His hands pulled at my pants, slipping them from my body. I hadn’t bothered to put panties on after my shower that night, and the look in Adam’s eyes proved he was pleased with my decision.

“Damn, you’re sexy,” he gasped, quickly sliding down to let his mouth taste what he had just uncovered.

My moans were filling the room fast as his tongue explored my tight pussy with forceful, long thrusts. I was close to coming when Adam lifted up from between my legs, pouncing from the bed and undressing while I watched with delight.

My body was squirming from his teasing as he worked his way back onto the mattress, and then towards the head of the bed.

His hard cock was long, thick, and smooth. His hand wrapped around it tightly, stroking it until the tip turned purple, and then soft pink as he released.

My mouth watered, working up the saliva to be able to take him into my throat. A salty, sweet taste filled my tongue as it rolled around his member. He let out soft growls as I worked him in deeper and deeper between my lips.

“Don’t make me come,” he whispered between growls.

Soft flesh warmed my fingers as I gripped his balls, massaging them in the same rhythm my mouth pleased his cock.

“Stop,” he whispered, pulling back.

My suction tightened, not willing to lose this delicious flavor so soon. “I want to come together,” he insisted, slowly working himself from my grip.

I let my legs fall apart, spreading my pussy wide open for his viewing pleasure. I loved that he saw me, that he looked at me with such hunger, and that his cock twitched when my fingers slid down my belly to the swollen clit pushing out from my patch of pubic hair.

He pulled a condom from his nightstand drawer and slid it on carefully.

Adam’s strong arms gripped me, pulling me into his chest as he pinned me beneath him on the bed. His cock rested at my pussy, throbbing against the pulsations pushing from between my own legs.

Our eyes locked, never leaving their positions as he pushed into me with one forceful thrust. I let out a moan that could’ve awakened the whole nation, and he growled like a victorious grizzly bear.

Our bodies melted together as we both held on to one another. He didn’t move, and I didn’t dare. Our orgasms exploded into one another without friction, without any movement at all. It was simply from that feeling of finally becoming one.