“Of course I’m right,” Chris says, wearing that evil smile I’ve seen him wear a thousand or more times before. “But it’s nice to hear you admit it.” His smile fades. “And no, you don’t owe me anything. I know how much you’re covering our asses, literally. I can only guess how many times you’ll be doing that over the next four to eight years.”
“Please remind your wife of that the next time she threatens to castrate me when I have to wake her up early.”
He grins again, pointing to his face. “Sadist, duh.”
When I leave his office a few minutes later, I feel like a weight’s rolled off my shoulders. The more I ponder his words, the more I know he’s correct.
If I build this right, from the ground up, it absolutely can work.
The question is, will Elliot finally find a way through his fear and trust me to take care of them both?
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Now
My alarm goes off too damned early on Friday morning, making me wish I had a gun so I could shoot my phone.
Except that would startle Elliot.
I reach over and silence it. It’s a vibration pattern that will jolt me awake even with the volume down low, but he’ll sleep through it.
I savor this moment, holding him close before I press my lips to his forehead. He’s deeply asleep right now and was thankfully too exhausted from the trip to have any nightmares overnight.
Closing my eyes, I deeply inhale his sweet scent.
He still smells the same to me as he did that very first weekend we spent together.
When I look into his blue eyes, I still see the same terrified congressman I met in the bar that night over twelve years ago.
I love this man.
If after everything we’ve been through I lose him, too, it’d kill me. What would be the point of having survived everything we’ve endured if we lose each other in the end? What’s the point behind the years of loneliness and deprivation we’ve subjected ourselves to?
I gently tighten my arms around him and nuzzle his nose. “Wake up, pet. Time to go to work.”
He startles awake with a sharp, gasping inhale, his whole body tensing before he finally relaxes in my grip and presses his face against my neck. “Master, I had this horrible nightmare I was stupid enough to agree to run for VP,” he mumbles.
I smile. This is a running gag between us. “Pet, I have bad news for you—”
He groans. “Nooooo.”
I kiss him. “There’s a Secret Service detail I can have come inside and explain it to you.”
“No, thank you, Master.Thank you for going with me on the trip.”
I massage his scalp. “I’m glad I could be there with you, pet.”
We stay like that for a moment, him pressing his head against mine.
“I love you, Leo,” he whispers, and the brave honesty in his voice nearly makes me cry.
“I love you, too, El.”
“I’m sorry that Jordan—”
“Shh.” I silence him with a kiss. “We had a good trip together this week. I’m going to help you get ready this morning. Once you’re out the door, I’ll unpack for you and get the laundry ready for your valet before I leave. All right?”
He looks me in the eyes, searching for…something.
