The Power and the Glory Read online

  She tugged at his shirt until Brady finally lifted his arms and helped her pull it off. Clothes were bad, she decided as she ran her hands over his skin, because it was a crime against all womankind for Brady to keep that chest covered up. He sucked in his breath as her thumbs raked over his nipples.

  “Your turn.” He helped her shrug off the cardigan, which she’d quit needing the moment he touched her. Brady clasped her elbows and guided her hands over her head. He eased her shirt up slowly, the palms of his hands making it a long caress over her sides and arms as he pushed the fabric up and off. Her bra joined her shirt on the floor a second later, and she was bare to the waist.

  She wasn’t shy or modest or prudish—but Brady was so intense in his exploration, carefully tracing the swells of her breasts that she began to blush under the scrutiny. He mirrored her earlier move, brushing his thumbs over already tight nipples, causing her to gasp at the sensation.

  She felt hot and light-headed and the tickle of Brady’s fingers along the skin above the waistband of her jeans felt both far away and disturbingly immediate. It was too hard to focus when Brady kissed her, and Aspyn was more than happy to just lose herself in the madness of passion.

  Brady hooked a hand under her butt and lifted her easily, settling her thighs on his hips and pulling her close. She finally had the contact she needed, hot and hard skin pressing against her breasts and stomach while crisp hairs tickled her nipples. She moved against him with a small groan, seeking more contact, and felt him smile against her neck.

  When Brady finally moved, she sent up fervent thanks. She had no idea where they were headed, and she didn’t care. Brief glimpses of a hallway, changes of light and finally cool softness against her back as Brady laid her on the bed.

  She missed the wonderful weight of him between her thighs as he moved off her to shuck his clothes, but watching him strip almost made up for it. Her imagination hadn’t come close to the reality of lean hips, powerful thighs and muscular calves. My oh my. She rolled onto her side, propped her head on her fist and took a long, lovely look.

  Brady caught her staring and raised an eyebrow.

  “Just admiring the view,” she said.

  “My view is a bit blocked at the moment. It hardly seems fair.” He extended a hand to her.

  “I’m all in favor of fairness and equality.” She let Brady help her to her feet. She’d lost her shoes, but she had no memory of taking them off.

  Brady flicked the snap of jeans and eased the zip open. He hooked two fingers in her belt loops and eased her jeans down, going to his knees as they reached the floor and she stepped out. She braced her hands on his shoulders as his mouth reversed the path of his hands until his lips reached the sensitive skin over her hip. His tongue traced along the top of her panties and she dug her fingers into the hard muscle, trying to steady herself but failing. She swayed when Brady’s tongue slipped into her navel; by the time she regained her balance, her panties were around her ankles, and Brady was on his feet guiding her back on to the bed.

  He stepped back and she could see the appreciation on his face. It made her feel sexy, powerful. “This is a much better view now. Beautiful landscape.”

  “You’re making me blush.”

  “That’s new.”

  “It certainly doesn’t happen often.”

  Brady’s grin was the sexiest thing she’d ever seen, and every nerve in her body screamed for attention. Deep breaths were impossible as Brady joined her on the bed, hovering over her on all fours. His head dipped to her breast, teasing her nipple until her back arched in pleasure. “I take that as a challenge,” he said, before moving his mouth to her other breast. “And I love a challenge.”

  Brady was a driven, determined, goal-oriented man. Aspyn knew that from working with him. She respected that. But when Brady’s hand slipped between her thighs and his fingers pressed inside, she was thankful for it, too.

  As the first little tremors started to shake her body, she amended that thought.

  Very, very, thankful.

  CHAPTER SIX

  BRADY had never been much of a rule-breaker. With two younger brothers raising hell and living in hot water, someone had to be the responsible one. But breaking a rule he’d laid down himself? That was a first. Sleeping with an employee was just asking for all kinds of trouble and scandal and lawsuits, but, right now, Brady couldn’t give a damn.

  Aspyn sighed, sending a warm draft across his chest, then rolled off him. Once on her back, she stretched—probably completely unaware of the erotic picture it created—then flipped to her stomach and propped herself on her elbows.

  She flashed him a cheeky smile. “Well, my ego feels better now.”

  That was a change from “Was it good for you?” “Just your ego?”

  “Okay, my everything feels much better now, but my ego really needed the reassurance.”

  “Because …?”

  “Because it’s taken quite a beating from you recently.” She trailed a hand over his chest. “A hot guy—who’s not married or gay—totally immune to all my feminine wiles. Cue the battered ego.”

  “Then I apologize.” He tugged at one of her curls and smiled as it sprung back into place. “I did not mean to cast your wiles into doubt. They are all in proper working order.”

  “Why, thank you, Mr. Marshall.” She exaggerated her drawl and batted her eyelashes. “You certainly know how to put a smile on a girl’s face.”

  “My pleasure.”

  “Oh, I hope so. I’d hate to think that was a chore for you. And talk about ego-destroying …”

  The laugh felt good. Strange, but good. Aspyn put everything in a different light with her approach to life. Even sex, it seemed.

  Aspyn made a face and smacked him playfully. “Maybe I should have heeded Lauren’s warnings.”

  Lauren and warnings were two things he really didn’t want to discuss in his bed. But as always, Aspyn drew the question out anyway. “Lauren warned you? About what?”

  “Oh, it was a very nice lecture, delivered with only the best intentions I’m sure, basically telling me not to get any ideas about you because you don’t ‘fish in the company pond.’”

  “Lauren is right.” Aspyn raised an eyebrow at him. “Usually,” he amended. “But it seems there’s an exception to every rule. I get the feeling you’re the exception to a lot of rules.”

  She grinned. “Only sometimes. But I totally respect that position, you know. Office romances are tricky at best and disruptive when they go bad. A general moratorium is good, sound management policy.”

  He agreed completely … “Yet here we are.”

  “Indeed.” The hand on his chest eased down and her fingers circled his navel. “Lauren said she’d seen it before and just wanted to save me some heartbreak down the road.”

  Uh-oh. “Well …”

  Aspyn burst into laughter. “Oh, my. Look at your face.” She pushed up to a seated position and dragged the sheet across her lap, either unaware or uncaring that the view of her breasts was still distracting. “Let’s not panic here, okay? I like you. You’re smart and you’re hot and what you just did was nothing short of amazing, but, it’s just sex. Great sex,” she amended, “but it’s still just sex.” She laughed. “Have I shocked you?”

  That was a refreshing view. A tiny bit insulting, and not one he’d never heard from a woman currently in his bed. There was nothing in her voice or body language to make him think her casual attitude was masking something else or fishing for more. “Once again, you have managed to surprise me.”

  “Poor Brady.” She ran a hand over his jaw. “It must be so hard to be a handsome, charming, well-connected eligible bachelor in this town.”

  Was she mocking him? “Well, when you say it like that …”

  “No, I’m serious. I’ve seen how people treat you, heard how they talk about you. I can connect the dots. I bet women are lined up with nets and cages and stun guns trying to tie you down. Lauren’s warning was probably mo
re about protecting you than any concern about me.” She laughed and lay down next to him. “I can actually picture you being pursued by this pack of women in wedding dresses trying force you to the altar. And this—” her hand moved to his hip “—could be construed as a major step in that direction. If that’s what the woman was after.”

  Aspyn was uncomfortably astute. “So you see the problem.”

  “Yeah. I promise you, though, I’m not after anything other than your body.”

  It was an erotic statement—and it slammed into him—but … “Should I be offended by that?”

  “No. That—what we just did—was awesome. In fact, I’d like to do it again. Soon, and often, if possible. So I’ll tell you something to relieve your mind and clear your overdeveloped conscience.”

  His body picked up on the “again” and “soon” part of her statement. The languid feeling in his blood had now been completely replaced by interest and heat. He had to force himself to focus. “And that would be …?”

  She looked him straight in the eye and wrinkled her nose. “I don’t want to marry you.”

  Until this moment, Brady hadn’t realized it was possible to be relieved and insulted at the same time. The conflicting feelings made no sense, but he was starting to get used to that confused feeling where Aspyn was concerned. With her, nothing was what he expected. He kept his voice light and tried to sound amused. “I don’t believe I asked you to.”

  “Good. Then we’re clear.” She snuggled down next to him and rested her head on his chest like she hadn’t just thrown a verbal grenade. Aspyn fit into him like a puzzle piece, letting her leg drape over his so she could run her toes over his calf like a sexy promise.

  He should let it go, but he couldn’t. “Out of simple curiosity—which I really must learn to rein in around you—is it the institution or me, personally, you object to?”

  She put a fist on his chest and balanced her chin on it as she grinned at him again. “Oh, I’m sure you’ll make some nice girl from the right family a fine husband one day, but I don’t believe in marriage.”

  She said it matter-of-factly, like she didn’t expect to have to clarify or justify. Though he knew he shouldn’t and he’d probably regret it later, he couldn’t help asking, “In theory or in practice?”

  “Both. It’s a false construct that abuses the entire idea of love. If two people want to be together, then they should be. But not because some piece of paper says so. That’s taking the easy way out. Commitment is demonstrated by waking up every morning and choosing to be with that person because it’s what makes you happy, not just because you’re ‘married.’ A forced commitment is worthless. Love is staying when you could just as easily leave.”

  Just when he thought Aspyn couldn’t get more surprising. “Didn’t you claim to be an optimist?”

  “I am. Loving someone is optimism at its best. But love shouldn’t come with strings attached, and they call marriage ‘tying the knot’ for a reason. My parents have been together for over thirty years because every day they decide they want to be together.”

  “Your parents aren’t married?” When would he stop being surprised at everything that came out of her mouth?

  “No. They took the name Breedlove shortly before I was born because they were becoming a family and that’s what families do—breed love. They’re happy and one of the strongest couples I’ve ever seen, but they don’t need paper to prove it.” She slithered on top of him, giving him skin-to-skin contact from her breasts to her toes before tucking her knees around his hips and pushing up to straddle him. “But we are talking about sex. Sex between two healthy, mature adults. And that has nothing to do with love or commitment or—horrors!—marriage.” Aspyn splayed her hands on his stomach and let her thumbs trace around the edges of his navel. “Since I can assure you I’m not looking for strings or rings, can I keep my job and still have sex with you?”

  Aspyn’s bluntness could hit hard sometimes. When combined with the carnal look and the feeling of being pressed against her slippery warmth, it was all he could do to not shift her the necessary inch or two and slide home. He reached for a condom, moved her just enough to cover himself, then placed her back in her earlier position. Then he addressed the other half of her statement while running his thumbs along the insides of her thighs. Two could play this game. “You’re concerned about your job?”

  “Yeah.” A small shiver ran over her and she rocked against him. “It’s been difficult the last few days because I didn’t know where things stood with us after that kiss, and it would have been easier to just quit than continue on like that. But then I realized I didn’t want to quit. I like working for the campaign.” She slid her hands up to his chest as she spoke. “And trust me, that surprises me a hell of a lot more than it could surprise you.”

  He mirrored her movement, cupping her breasts in his hands and massaging gently. “Your job is only temporary.”

  “Mmm-hmm.” The sound was one of both agreement and pleasure. “But I’m learning a lot, and maybe I’ll want to find another job in the political world when this is done.”

  He could salve his conscience with that. Only a few people knew the truth behind her position and none of them would be spreading that information around. Meanwhile, Aspyn was smart and learning quickly. The experience she was getting would be valuable to her. “But if I want to keep my job in politics, I can’t let it be known that I sleep with members of my staff.”

  “Of course not. And I wouldn’t want possible future employers to think I’m using something other than my brain to get ahead. Reputation is everything in politics, you know.” Aspyn moaned softly and rocked her hips against him.

  “You are learning fast.”

  “It’ll be a real challenge, but I can probably keep it under control in front of other people.” Aspyn lifted her hips, repositioned herself and slid slowly down until her skin met his again, encasing him in slick heat that sent a shudder through him. Her eyes closed as that shudder then moved through her, and she bit her lip as she savored it. Opening her eyes, she met his gaze squarely. “Can you?”

  He held her hips as she started to move and her breath began to come in short, breathy gasps, punctuated by tiny cries of pleasure. “I told you I love a challenge.”

  “Glad … to … hear … it,” she said between moans. Then her back arched as tremors took over and her muscles contracted. Reality dimmed around the edges as Aspyn came apart with a shout, and he exploded with a force that had him seeing stars.

  Aspyn wanted to bang her head against something hard. It would be infinitely more productive than continuing the email exchange with this man in Fredericksburg. She despised the fact she was now the one providing vague, useless responses to someone who obviously cared deeply about protecting the coastal regions, but honestly, there was no good way to tell someone that their proposed solutions were unfeasible, unsustainable and quite frankly, insane.

  “You okay?” Matthew propped a hip on her desk next to her keyboard.

  “Just frustrated. This guy is just …” She shook her head.

  “I told you not to engage.”

  “I know, but people deserve explanations—otherwise they get frustrated and angry and think I’m not listening. They mean well and they care, but they just don’t get it. They want easy answers and quick fixes, but those don’t exist. Their ‘solutions’ would only create a new problem somewhere else.”

  “How ironic this situation must be for you. Welcome to the other side of the fence, Aspyn.”

  She shot him a dirty look that only caused him to laugh before she turned back to her monitor and tried to decide what to say to this man next.

  “How about we go get a drink?”

  She sighed. “Thanks, but I’m fine at the moment. I’ll watch the phones while you’re gone, though.”

  “If I go alone, that rather defeats the purpose.”

  “What?” She could tell by the look on his face she’d missed something. “I’m sorry
, but that irony, as you called it, is making me grouchy and distracted.”

  Matthew’s smile was slightly shy. “Then let me clarify. Would you like to have a drink with me tonight?”

  She couldn’t. Brady was on his way back from an overnight trip to Norfolk. She needed to catch up on a few more emails, proofread her report, get home to shower and change and pick up Thai food on her way to Brady’s. She didn’t have time to have a drink with Matthew. “Sorry, but I can’t.”

  Matthew’s smile faded and the disappointment on his face clued her in a moment too late. Damn. “Can’t or won’t?”

  Double damn. Was there a nice way to do this? She didn’t really have much practice letting guys down easy. Honesty was always her first choice, but Matthew was a nice guy and she wanted to keep a good working relationship with him. She edged around the truth. “A little of both.”

  “I see.”

  “Please don’t be hurt or angry. You’re nice and you’re cute and you’re funny, but I just don’t feel that way toward you. And we work together. It could make things … awkward around here.” You seem to be doing okay with Brady a little voice whispered.

  “The election isn’t far off. We won’t be ‘around here’ much longer.”

  “True.” Just three more weeks. Brady’s schedule would only get more crazy until then, and they were already having a tough time carving out any time alone. But it was worth it. The past week had been insane yet fantastic. She was running on little sleep most days, and their need for discretion made for some interesting finagling, but it was still worth it.

  “Maybe if you took me up on that drink, you could find out if you …”

  “Matthew, I’m flattered, but no.” Firm, yet friendly.

  Matthew’s mouth twisted and his voice turned caustic. “He’ll never notice you, you know.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “It’s obvious that you have the hots for Brady, but if you’re holding out hope he’s going to suddenly notice you as something other than a cog in this machine, you’re wasting your time.”