30
Taylor
“Babe, all the other girls are riding on the party bus.”
“And you can too, sweetness.”
Taylor blew out a frustrated breath. “Don’t you ‘sweetness’ me. Don’t nobody else have to bring a bodyguard.”
Victor folded his arms and glared at her with a raised brow. “You know damn well Victoria Storm doesn’t go anywhere without security. Besides, you’re the First Lady of Illinois. It’s time you came to terms with that.”
“I have!”
“Nope,” Victor retorted. “No, you haven’t.”
“Victor!”
He threw his hand up, dismissing any further discussion. “Don’t wanna hear it. Have fun with the girls.”
Taylor growled at his back when he walked out of their bedroom. She was debating whether or not to follow him when he stuck his head in the doorway.
“By the way…you look beautiful, my love.”
He said it with the same sexy grin and deep, masculine baritone that always rendered her submissive.
“I can’t stand you,” she muttered with narrowed eyes.
“I know, babe, but I love you.”
“Get out, Victor!”
“Yep. Okay,” he quipped before dipping out of the doorway.
Taylor walked in her closet and looked in the mirror. She was already on the thick side, but the new baby weight made her damn near Amazonian. Victor seemed to love the extra inches, but her jeans didn’t. So, she settled for a black jumpsuit. It was wide-legged and loose-fitting, but the haltered top made it sexy. Hopefully, her full cleavage would take away from her growing waistline.
The night before, she’d twisted her hair into Bantu knots. After getting dressed, she took them down and used a pick to stretch her natural curls. To Victor, big natural curls, a jumpsuit, and curves, equaled Pam Grier. His ultimate obsession.
Taylor checked her lipstick, grabbed her purse from the mirrored vanity, and left the closet. She walked out of her room and down the hall, bypassing Victor’s office. As she walked past the door, she heard several voices.
She sighed.
Not even at home did he have a moment to himself. And had he not practically forced her out of the house, she would have kicked everyone out and picked out a movie on Netflix. But she fully understood that he was trying to ease her into normalcy. However, governing the state, running for reelection, and worrying about her was wearing on him.
Before reaching the end of the hall, Taylor froze. She’d just made a sudden decision she wasn’t sure Victor would appreciate. Nonetheless, she fished her phone out of her purse and turned to go back to their room.
She sat on the edge of the bed and made the necessary phone calls. Once she was done, she took off the dressy jumpsuit and hung it in the closet. She grabbed a pair of sweats and pulled her SIU t-shirt out of a drawer. After stepping into a pair of UGGs, she was ready. They were comfortable as hell but ugly as shit.
Taylor left her room and headed to Victor’s office. She took a deep breath before walking inside. The work continued. No one seemed to notice her presence, so she cleared her throat to get their attention. Victor looked away from his computer. His brow contracted with confusion when he noticed her appearance. He got up from his desk and hurried over to her.
“What happened, honey? Why’d you change your mind about going out?”
The anxiety in his voice made Taylor sad. She must have been a constant source of worry to him. She smiled to reassure him and caressed his handsome face.
“Nothing happened, sweetheart. I came up with a better plan.”
He smiled, but his furrowed brow revealed confusion. “What better plan?”
Taylor grinned and glanced around his broad shoulder. “They gotta go.”
