A man interrupts. “Jackson, I thought that was you.” He slaps his hand on Jax’s back. He’s tall, probably early sixties, but handsome and very distinguished looking. Jax stands, shaking the man’s hand.

“Senator Gorman. It’s been a long time.”

“It certainly has. You haven’t come to the last few Senate family functions. You should come. Your father could certainly use some help with the younger voters.”

Jax’s jaw clenches and I watch as something comes over him. “Yes, I’m sure he could.” He turns his attention to me, doling out his impeccable manners. “This is Lily St. Claire.”

The Senator nods. “Nice to meet you Miss. St. Claire.”

“You too.”

He studies me for a moment. “Any relation to Phillip St. Claire, the state Senator from New Jersey?”

“I don’t think so.”

Remembering the young woman standing next to him, the Senator clears his throat, making the obligatory introduction, albeit uncomfortably. “And this is Eve Matthews. She’s my youth marketing advisor. Keeps me in touch with the young constituents,” he says with a nod to the voluptuous twenty-something year old woman standing next to him.

There’s little change in Jax’s face, but I catch the tightening of his jaw and the glazed over look in his eyes. He nods in response, saying nothing to the woman. Making his point painfully obvious, Jax’s eyes fall to the Senator’s wedding ring and then his stare returns to the Senator. No words are spoken, yet so much is said.

Sensing it’s time to go, the Senator fumbles a bit. “Well you two enjoy your evening.” His hand drops to the woman’s lower back, a little too low and familiar in his touch for an exchange between just business associates. Jax’s eyes catch it to. Turning back, he says, “I hope to see you following your father’s footsteps, Jackson. You’d make a fine Senator someday. You’re so much like your father was at your age.”

Seething, Jax replies, “I’m nothing like my father.” Dismissing the Senator as he sits down, he doesn’t offer so much as a look back.

We’re both quiet for a long moment. The waiter interrupts the thick tension that hangs in the air when he comes to check on us. “Can I interest you in the dessert menu?”

Jax looks to me, his face still riddled with tension, I debate my answer for a moment and then respond. I feel the heat rise in my face before I even finish the sentence. “No thank you. We’ve already made plans for dessert in our room.”

Jax’s eyebrows pop up with surprise. The corner of his mouth twitches up. “Just the check, please.” Speaking directly to me instead of the waiter, he adds. “And if you can get us out of here in one minute or less, I’ll double your tip.”

We’re weaving our way out of the restaurant with purpose sixty seconds later.

Chapter 20

Jax

Thoughts of all the things I want to do to her beat out any of the frustration I felt listening to Senator Gorman speak. The elevator fills as an older couple holds the door open for some friends. Lily brushes up against me as she takes a step back. Her sweet fresh smell consumes me with her nearness.

“You smell incredible,” I mumble quietly in her ear so only she can hear. My fingertips grip her hipbone on both sides and I pull her back, closing the small gap between us. Her breath hitches when I discreetly push my firm erection against her ass. She elbows me as the doors close in the near capacity elevator car. It only encourages me more.

After four achingly long stops on different floors, it’s only us and another couple. I catch our reflection in the shining silver doors and slide my hand hidden against the wall from her hip down to her thigh. “Look forward,” I whisper.

Her eyes lock with mine in the reflection. The doors open and the last two people step out. When our reflection comes back into focus as the doors slide closed, I reach up and roughly cup her breast. Her eyes go wide, but she gives in to it quickly when I pinch her protruding nipple. I watch intently as her head lolls back, lips part and her breathing turns harsh when I bring the other hand up to grope her other breast. My head spins watching her – I want to be inside her, make her scream my name over and over so it consumes her and she can think of nothing else but how I make her feel.

Reaching the penthouse, the elevator door opens. Briefly I contemplate staying where we are. My need is so raw and I can’t wait too much longer to feel skin against skin. But out of the corner of my eye, a camera reminds me we’re not really alone.

“Mirror. Now,” I growl and begin to guide her quickly through the suite. Stopping us in the doorway to the closet, I let her gaze settle on the dressing island in the middle and the oversized mirror hanging in front of it.

“You’re going to lean over, grip the other side with your hands.” She gasps, picturing it before us. “Spread your legs open wide. Position your sweet ass high for me.” My grip on her hip tightens, maybe a bit more that it should, but it’s either that or it’ll be over too fast. “I want you to see everything you do to me in the mirror while I watch you take each inch of me deep inside of you. Don’t close your eyes. Watch. Every minute of what I’m going to do to you, Angel.”

She murmurs something I can’t understand, I’m not even sure if they’re words or just a string of sounds blending together with a moan and a sigh that I feel pulsing through my body. I swallow, my mouth salivating at the thought of f**king her for hours. Taking a deep breath, I resist the unbearable urge to just strip her down and drive my throbbing c**k inside of her as hard and fast as I can. Instead, I turn her and take her mouth in a kiss. It’s passionate and raw, I use all my willpower to keep it from becoming too forceful. The need inside of me is so strong, I’m afraid to allow it to consume me too much. Afraid I’ll scare her. The way I feel about this woman, so intense and powerful, it scares the hell out of me.

Lily makes it even more difficult to contain my self-control when she presses her br**sts into me firmly, lifts one leg high, and wraps it around my waist. The pointy heel from her sexy shoes dig into my skin. I grab her ass and lift, her other leg wraps tightly around me. I feel how wet she is between her legs even though we’re both still fully dressed. It makes my body tremble as I cling to my last bit of resolve to maintain some semblance of control. But then her hand wrapped around my neck moves to my hair and she tugs. Hard. Her newfound boldness is my undoing.