Politically Incorrect (22 page)

How easy it would’ve been for me to slap him and march off. Had it been anyone else, I might’ve, but it was Liam. And I believed him. So, I gave a single nod.

“Good. Now, let’s find the others and get out of here.” His hands dropped from my body, slipping into mine. The clickety-clack of my heels reverberated through the halls as he rushed me toward the auditorium. “Wait. We can’t go in there looking like this.”

I pulled back, bringing us to a halt.

“Like what?” he asked, a little confused.

“Like this!” I exclaimed, pointing between the two of us. We were both beyond disheveled. His hair was rumpled, and his jacket askew. Liam glowed with this just been kissed flare. I reached up and combed his hair with my fingers. I adjusted his jacket and tie, snarling at the hideous thing. “Just so you know, I’m burning this tie.”

“Why?” he balked. “This is an amazing tie.”

“No. It’s not.”

He pulled the knot and slipped the tie from around his neck and tucked it into his pocket. With a flick of his fingers, he popped the top button of his shirt and grinned. “Better, Ms. McNeal?”

I nodded and smiled. “Much. Now, how do I look?”

“Absolutely stunning.” He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “And I love how kissed your mouth looks right now”

I gasped, covering my mouth. “Oh, God. What if someone notices?”

Liam kissed the tip of my nose. “Let them notice, Elizabeth.”

“Absolutely not! For all intents and purposes, you’re with Kristin.”

“I’m with you,” he proclaimed.

“You’re with me?”

A radiant smile lighted his eyes. “If you want me to be.”

I did want him. I wanted him so bad, but this was stupid and risky.

I opened my mouth to speak, but Liam stopped me. “Don’t, Elizabeth. Don’t over think this.” He cupped my face in his hands. “It’s a simple yes or no. If you want me, I’m yours. If you don’t, I’ll walk away and we’ll go back to being nothing more than a candidate running for office and his handler.”

A sudden burst of numbness struck me. “Could you really walk away?”

“It wouldn’t be easy, but if that’s what you want, I’ll do it.”

“Then you’re stronger than me.”

He leveled me with his gaze, as he dropped a tender kiss to my lips. I closed my eyes, caught in the wake of our kiss. Where all the others were passion filled, this one was different. His soft lips caressed mine causing my heart to ache. There was no rush, no push, only sweet truth in his actions. The truth that neither of us could fight this, even if we wanted to. When he finally broke free, he brushed his knuckles along my cheek. “Not so strong, I’m afraid.” He tapped the tip of my nose. “Now, let’s go see a man about some grub. I’m starved.”

“What about Harper? Shouldn’t we call him? He did offer to take us to dinner.”

“Fuck Harper.”

“Nah. He’s not my type.”

Liam laughed deep inside his chest. I liked the sound of his laughter. There was a sense of home about it. He touched his knuckles to my cheek. “C’mon, you silly woman. Let’s get out of here.”

We set off to find the remainder of our staff. Liam, respecting my need for discretion, walked beside me, his hand hovering over the small of my back but never touching. He’d done this a million times before, but this time was different. We were different. And I liked it.

I hated when our Texas trip came to an end. Liam and I had taken to meeting up in the middle of the night on the tour bus to make out. It damn near killed me every time he put on the brakes. I often felt like the man of the relationship, telling him we’d wait until he was ready, but damn if I didn’t have to take care of my lady-boner after every make-out session was over. I never quite understood the term
rub one out
before now, but thanks to Liam, I was doing a lot of rubbing.

The hardest part of returning to DC was facing reality. On the bus, it was just us. Back home it was the campaign, constituents, and bills in constant need of our attention. Liam spent most of his time on the Hill while I busted my ass at headquarters. His lead in the polls was growing in ways we’d never anticipated. I didn’t have to come up with any kind of dirt on Keating to help him. Not that I didn’t have a stockpile on her already. The woman was the epitome of a dirty politician.

I was pouring over the new mailers Brandy had dropped on my desk when my cell phone rang. I glanced down to find a text message from Jordyn.

Jordyn McNeal: Where are you?

I looked at the clock. It was half past eight. Shit! I’d lost track of time. I was supposed to have met Jordyn for dinner over an hour ago.

Elizabeth McNeal: I’m so sorry. On my way.

Her response came back rather quick.

Jordyn McNeal: Not at the restaurant. Picked up pizza. See you at home.

I collected my things and hightailed it out of the office, but not before glancing out my window at the Capitol. Liam was up there pulling some last minute votes. A smile appeared on my lips at the thought of him, but no matter how much I loved spending time with him, there was always this little nagging voice in my head telling me I was being a fool. I was too old for him and he couldn’t afford a scandal.

That didn’t mean I listened to the voice. Much.

An hour later, I pulled into the driveway, shocked to see two cars parked in front of my house. One was Jordyn’s little blue Volkswagen Beetle she had to have on her sixteenth birthday. The other I knew all too well from its usual spot at HQ ─ Liam’s.

A plethora of quandaries passed through my mind all at once. From
how on earth did Liam get my address
to
oh, God, he’s in there alone with Jordyn
. No one, not even Jordyn, knew about Liam and me. It was safer that way.

I parked my car by the curb and checked myself in the mirror. This was one of those rare days I allowed myself to dress casual for work. I donned a Vote Baxter for Senate t-shirt that the volunteers wore, jeans, and sneakers. My hair was pulled up into a high ponytail, which I quickly tugged down and combed my fingers through. I applied a fresh coat of lipstick and slipped out of the car.

I found the front door unlocked. Once inside, I heard two voices floating from the kitchen. I dropped my briefcase at the door and padded down the hall, following the delicious aroma of pizza and the peals of laughter. My legs halted at the door of the kitchen, my chest struck at the sight before me. Liam and Jordyn sat across from each other, half eaten pizza plated in front of them, and both grinning ear to ear.

Most women probably would’ve soared with delight over their daughter and their…whatever Liam was to me…getting along, but to me all I could think of was how natural they looked together. From the start I’d fought how I felt for him because of our age difference and now, seeing him and my child together, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I chewed my cuticle, watching them for a few minutes. From where I stood, I had a clear view of Jordyn’s face, and Liam’s side profile. I tried not to dwell on how strong his jaw looked with a couple of days’ worth of stubble. He must’ve been sleeping on the Hill. His shirt was fresh, but the crease in his slacks was a little flat and, lucky for me, he lacked a tie.

“But seriously, Congressman, Pipe was phenomenal,” she gushed. “I’ve never felt such a rush.”

“I told you, call me Liam, and yeah, I know what you mean. But you really could’ve hurt yourself during that wipe out. You’ve got to be careful.” A low chuckle rumbled from him. “As if I have any room to talk. I’ve wiped out too many times to count out there.”

“That’s so awesome!” Jordyn sunk her teeth into her pizza. “But do me a favor, don’t tell Mom. She’ll flip out.”

She wasn’t kidding. I was freaking at the thought of her wiping out on the Banzai Pipeline. It was one of the reasons I’d struggled letting her go to Hawaii in the first place. The other was a boy, but that was a whole other story. To know she could’ve been hurt, it took everything I had not to barge in and give her a piece of my mind.

“I can’t make any promises,” Liam stated, picking up his slice. “If for some odd reason your mother asks me, I’ll tell her. I won’t ever lie to her.”

“Ugh! She scares you, too. Damn you politicians. You realize she’s not God, right?”

Liam chuckled through a mouthful. “You sound just like her.”

“Don’t say that!” Jordyn screeched.

Liam dropped his slice of pizza on the plate. “You should take it as a compliment. Your mother’s an amazing woman.”

Jordyn sucked cola through a straw. “She is pretty awesome.”

I couldn’t help but smile, but I did feel a little guilty for eavesdropping on their private conversation.

A lull of silence ensued between them. I was about to step in when Jordyn swallowed down her bite. “You like Mom, don’t you?”

Liam had taken a swig of the beer I assumed Jordyn had offered him. At least it wasn’t my underage daughter drinking. “Of course I do. She’s the best consultant in the business.”

“That’s not what I mean,” Jordyn stated matter-of-factly.

“You talk around things just like she does, too.”

“Then let me be frank. You have feelings for my mother.”

Damn my child and her keen senses!

My heart rate ramped up in my chest. My palms began to sweat. I couldn’t believe that Jordyn would raise such a question. I swallowed down the thick lump that formed in my throat, hanging on what he might say next.

Liam linked his fingers and pressed his locked knuckles to his mouth. A slight smile appeared on his full lips. “Yes.”

There was no pretext, no subterfuge, it was simple yes. Nothing more.

“She likes you, too, you know,” Jordyn noted.

I damn near choked on my own spit.

Liam leaned back in his chair, scratching his fingernail along the edge of the plate. “Has she told you that?”

Jordyn laughed hard. “You know my mother, Liam. Do you think she’s told me anything?”

He chewed the inside of his cheek, then joined in her laughter. “What makes you think such a thing?”

“Because never have I seen her as happy as she’s been since you two returned from Texas.”

“Are you sure she’s not excited that I have a hefty lead in the polls?” he joked.

But Jordyn turned rather serious. “I know her political game face. That’s not what she’s sporting. She blushes. She giggles. My mother doesn’t giggle, and she certainly doesn’t blush.”

Liam snorted. “God, you really are your mother’s daughter.”

“Psh!” Jordyn motioned him off with a roll of her eyes. “Joke all you want, but I’m right.”

“What makes you think it’s me?”

Jordyn shoved the pizza crust in her mouth, chewing methodically. “Because” ─she swallowed down her bite─ “you’re the only man in her life besides Uncle Harper, and I know for certain it’s not him. Besides, it’s always your name she blushes over.”

I wanted to yell out at her,
I don’t blush!

“You’re observant like she is, too.”

Jordyn leaned forward, meeting Liam’s gaze. “That I am, and I’m warning you, if you hurt her, I’ll make it my mission in life to see your political career rank down there with Hoover or Bush.”

“Which Bush?” Liam popped off.

“Take your pick. They’re all shit.”

Liam dropped his head back in laughter. “And they’re all Republicans.”

On that note, I had to break up the little party. After I exhaled a deep, cleansing breath and plastered a polished smile on my face, I stepped into the kitchen.

“Hey there, you two,” I chirped.

Liam jumped up from his chair and turned to me, but Jordyn slinked down further into her seat. Her smile widened as she crossed her arms over her chest. “Nice of you to join us,” she cooed with a wink.

So she knew I was there. Go figure. My sneaky little girl.

I’d taught her well.

“Good evening, Elizabeth. I hope you don’t mind my being here. I stopped by and your lovely daughter let me in,” he rambled.

“Actually, he was sitting outside when I got here. I felt kind of sorry for him.”