He sighs. “Me, too, sir.” I know he can’t say it back to me because everyone within earshot of them now knows who he’s talking to. “And I will. I promise.” But his tone is that of a worried Master who now has me on his mind.
Because he’s held me through nightmares, too.
I suck it up and return to President Woodley mode. “Sleep late and take him out to brunch tomorrow,” I say. “Tell him I’m pulling executive privilege on him and he needs to take the time off.”
That finally earns me a chuckle. “I will,sir. Whose phone is this?”
“One of the agents. Their work phone.”
“Ah. I’ll send your kit back to the White House with one of these agents. And your phones.”
“Thanks.”
“Areyouall right, Mister President?” But he says it as retired Special Agent Leo Cruz and not in the way that hardens my cock.
“I’m fine. We’ll talk tomorrow. Take care.” I hang up before I embarrass myself and lean forward again to return the phone. “Thank you,” I tell the agent as I hand it back. “I just needed to check on them. They’re…my friends.”
“Yes, sir.”
Then again, I’m likely not fooling them in the slightest. It’s probably common knowledge there’s more going on between the three of us than they let on.
It’s theirjobsnot to let on.
To guard not only my body but my secrets, too.
I slump back in the seat once more. In my pocket, where my shorts have hiked up a little, I feel the ring box digging into my thigh.
I was sooo fucking close.
* * *
When we returnto the White House, I lean forward again as we slow in the driveway and approach the portico. “I’m sorry for screaming earlier,” I tell them. “For losing my cool. Leo and Jordan mean a lot to me.”
“That’s all right, Mister President,” the passenger says. “We understand.”
“Still, I feel badly for screaming at you. I know you were only doing your jobs. I apologize for that. You didn’t deserve that.”
The driver nods. “Thank you, sir, but you don’t need to apologize.”
I shake hands with both of them before getting out, and that’s where the head of my detail jogs over from the vehicle he rode in and catches up with me. “The threat’s neutralized, sir.”
“What happened?” We walk inside as the Marine at the door salutes and I automatically salute back.
“Domestic disturbance. Nothing to do with you. One of the foundation’s employees, her estranged husband showed up, shot her, then took his own life.”
“Oh, my god! Is she all right?”
“Injured. He shot her in the right shoulder, through and through. Chances are she’ll be okay. They transported her. The other shots fired were law enforcement.”
“So if he hadn’t shot himself he’d still be dead?”
He grimaces. “Yes, sir. Probably.”
“How’d he even get into the place with a firearm?”
“He is—was—a deputy. We’re still sorting out all the details but we’d already started pulling our agents from the facility, since you were departing. He apparently knew one of the local law enforcement officers and they let him through, not realizing there were domestic issues at play.”
“Sonofabitch.”
