“My ass is sleeping in a hotel with my body in a bed. You are more than welcome to sleep on the bus, Carl. Reagan and I can share a hotel without ripping each other’s throats out. Right, Reagan?”
Really, I want to rip her panties off and lick her throat in the process. She may be my enemy, but I’ve never wanted anyone more than my body craves her.
Her head tilts to the side, exposing her neck, and she purses her lips. “Yes, as long as you’re on your best behavior.”
“You stay on your side, and I’ll stay on mine,” I tell her and raise an eyebrow. “Scout’s honor.” I lift two fingers in the air and smirk.
“For fuck’s sake. You were never a Boy Scout,” Reagan says, placing her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes before turning around and starting to walk toward the small inn to the right of us.
“Glad you checked up on me. You know,” I call out, following behind her, “if there’s anything you want to know about me, I’d be happy to fill in the blanks.”
Carl and Lexi are behind us, trying to keep a close eye on us because I can hear the crunch of the gravel under their feet, but I ignore them.
“I can stop by for a nightcap if you’d like,” I offer just to throw her off and ruffle her feathers.
She spins so fast on her heels I almost walk into her. “Listen, Mr. War Hero.” She pokes me in the chest with her long, thin finger. “I want no part of you. Anything I need to know, I’ll find out through research.” The tip of her fingernail digs into my breastbone between my pecs, giving me a delicious pinch.
I glance down at her finger and lick my lips before dragging my eyes back to hers. “I’m quicker and easier.”
“I’ve never liked anything easy.” She hasn’t moved her finger yet, and I take the opportunity to flex so she can feel my hardness.
“Me either.” I resist the urge to touch her when everything in me is screaming for me to do just that and push my sleeves up a bit farther to expose more of my ink.
Her eyes drop for a moment. “You think I was given my seat, but I’ve earned everything.” The vein on the side of her neck is protruding, and I can’t help but stare at its steady rhythm as she speaks. “It was me who campaigned for the state house and won, not my father.Me.”
“Truce.” I lift my hands in the air, signaling my willingness to end the conversation…for now, and I wipe the shitty grin off my face. It’s the one thing that agitates her, and I plan to pull it out whenever possible.
A strange but sexy sound comes from her throat, and she drops her hand. “We’ll never have a truce, Titan. Never. Not even when I beat you on Election Day.” Her chin lifts before she smiles and crosses her arms again.
I can’t stop my eyes from following the movement of her breasts. Based on my reactions, it’s as if I’ve never seen a pair before. I’ve seen enough to know that I want to see hers without that annoying, partially unbuttoned top. I scrub my hands down my face, not out of frustration, but to stop my eyes from ogling her chest. When I open them, I say, “I look forward to it.”
“Hey.” Lexi steps next to us, but she puts her body partially between us as a barrier. “Although I love the passion both of you have for the race, it’s hotter than Hades out here, and I’d really love some air conditioning.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am.” I give her a sympathetic smile when she wipes the sweat from her brow. “Let’s get everyone more comfortable.” My mind wanders, and I wonder what Reagan wears when she isn’t dressed up like a stiff businesswoman. “I can’t wait to get out of these clothes myself.”
Reagan chokes and her face reddens.
“Are you okay?” Lexi asks.
“I’m fine,” she replies, tapping on her chest before she saunters off and Lexi follows.
I’m left standing there, watching them walk away, and I can’t stop myself from staring at the sway of her hips. They’re hypnotic. My head snaps forward, and I turn to glare at Carl. “What the fuck, man?”
He’s shaking his head and staring at the ground. “You’re going to be outed as a perv if you keep this shit up, Jude. You’re too overtly sexual with her. You need to stop the bullshit before your pecker gets you in so much trouble that you tank the election.”
I wave him off. “Don’t worry, Carl. I know what I’m doing.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” he mutters.
“Come on,” I tell him and start to follow the ladies toward the inn.
Carl moves quickly to catch up. “This is going to be an interesting night.”
“You can say that again,” I whisper with a smile on my face. I’m not done with Reagan…not by a long shot.
After checkingin and getting settled, I throw on some sweats and head for the workout room. The woman at the front desk assured me there was a weight set, treadmill, and elliptical in a room at the end of the hall that they converted. It won’t be like my gym at home, but it will do in a pinch. I can’t allow myself to get soft being on the road for the next couple of months.
The voters need to see me as a strong military man. I can’t have my exterior deteriorate without losing a few votes along the way. At this point, I don’t care if I get the female vote because of my looks. I’ll do anything to knock out Preston and become the next senator to represent the great state of Illinois in the nation’s capital.
