Aubrey is about to join me but, after a quick glance between me and Isaac, asks, “Will you two keep your hands to yourselves without a chaperone?”
“It’ll be fine. I promise.”
“Right.” She smirks and heads to the other vehicle.
Isaac opens the door for me while the driver places my suitcase in the trunk. Once he’s in the car beside me, he presses a button on the door to lift the privacy glass. At the satisfying click of it shifting into place, he takes my hand, bringing my knuckles to his lips.
“You look beautiful, as always.”
I glance down at my clothes and chuckle. “I’m not sure if beautiful is the right word. But I’m comfortable.”
“No, I was correct the first time.” He sets our joined hands on my thigh. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” It’s going to be a long week of pretending Isaac and I are only friends. With this being the only time we’ll be alone, I unbuckle my seatbelt and shift to the middle seat. “That’s better.”
Once I’m buckled in again, he grips my thigh and pulls my leg flush with his. I rest my head on his shoulder, needing this small connection with him before we have to paint on our smiles. He kisses the top of my head, whispering into my hair, “I love you.” Those three little words make my heart swell each time he says them, but it also hurts, just like it did when we tried to stay together long-distance after he left New York.
“I love you too.” I glance up at him and he gently cradles my throat as he brings my lips to his. I whimper on contact, missing his sweet kisses. It’s unrushed, full of love, but ends entirely too quickly. He wraps his arm around me and I lean into him,snuggling closer. I’ve missed him so damn much and want to soak up every second we have.
We arrive at the official residence, and the pictures I’ve seen online don’t do it justice—the gray stone reminds me of a castle. It has an old-world charm, like something out of a fairytale.
“You live here?” Aubrey asks as she gets out of the other car, gazing up at the home in awe.
“For now,” he admits. “But I have an apartment as well that I’ll be moving back into once I’m no longer Prime Minister.” The drivers retrieve our suitcases and Aubrey links her arm in mine as we follow Isaac. “There’s a spare bedroom where you can get changed before heading to the hotel.”
“Are you sure we can’t stay here?” she teases.
He glances over his shoulder at us, his eyes finding mine. “Want to stay?”
I bark a laugh. “You’ve asked me at least a dozen times this week alone. My answer hasn’t changed.”
He shrugs as he opens the door. “Worth a shot.”
The inside is beautiful but a bit stuffy, with furniture that looks as if a grandmother picked it out. None of it feels like Isaac. As much as I’d love to stay here with him, if anyone found out, it would be front-page news, distracting from the summit.
Isaac orders dinner to be delivered while Aubrey and I get changed to be presentable for any media who may be waiting outside of the hotel. I slip on my favorite blue button-down shirt and a pair of black slacks, then rummage through my bag to find my ballet flats.
Once we’re dressed, we make our way downstairs to join Isaac and Wes, finding them laughing in the kitchen. Isaac spots us first, his laughter ceasing immediately. He crosses the kitchen with intent, not stopping until he’s cupping my face, his lips crushing mine in a kiss I feel all the way to my toes.
Aubrey clears her throat. “Do you mind? You two had the entire car ride to make out like horny teenagers.”
“Actually”—I pull back, not taking my eyes off Isaac—“we didn’t.”
My favorite little dimples pop as he adds, “I was just happy to have her next to me.”
“You two are disgustingly adorable, but if you could keep your mouths to yourselves in front of me, I’d appreciate it.”
“Respectfully, Ms. Raine,” Wes interjects, “the Prime Minister only has a few hours with her. If I was in his shoes, I’d be doing the same thing.”
Footsteps approach, and I jump away from Isaac, but he pulls me back to him. “It’s just Todd,” he assures me, and I relax a little.
Todd enters with a few bags, setting them on the counter. Isaac ordered from a Mexican restaurant not far from the home—of course including nachos. While we eat dinner, Aubrey goes over tomorrow’s schedule. I’ve been asked to participate in a panel, a roundtable discussion, and will be seated next to the Vice President and her husband for the luncheon.
It’s incredible that Isaac and his team have put this together so quickly. I can’t help feeling a little bit of imposter syndrome being invited. It isn’t that I don’t deserve to be here, but I’mjust someone with big dreams to help other people like me. I’m not like the other politicians invited; my parents lived paycheck to paycheck when I was growing up. I remember getting cheeseburgers for a little more than a quarter at fast-food restaurants on promotional nights, always waiting until movies were on VHS to rent because they couldn’t afford to take me to the movies, and trips to the hardware store with my dad every Sunday to shop the clearance aisle before starting a home project, since a contractor was definitely out of the question. I learned how to stretch my dollar at the grocery store with coupons, while most of the world leaders attending this weekend come from old money. I’ll be a fish out of water.
Exhausted from a full day of travel, Aubrey suggests we head to the hotel. As much as I hate leaving Isaac for the night, I need a little time and space to focus on the week ahead. I’ll be one of the youngest in attendance; one slip-up could effectively end my career or embarrass the constituents I represent.
As we arrive at the hotel, snow paints the sidewalks and streets. It’s only a light dusting, and I chuckle to myself at the obscurity of being snowed-in. Once again, the weather apps are wrong. We check in, and Aubrey takes a few photos for social media, then we head up to our rooms. Aubrey will be rooming solo tonight, but will be sharing with Tracy tomorrow. I have a room to myself, but with Aubrey next door, I’m worried I won’t get much sleep if she succeeds in her quest to get laid this week.
