The Gentlewoman (24 page)

“No way. I’m here for you.”

Rory shook her head. “I’m just a pawn again. It’s just a
different kind of politics and they’ll use me to get what they need.” She
searched Nicole’s face. “Do you think they saw the pictures? Do you think any
of them knows what can happen?”

Nicole stepped forward and embraced her again. “It’s going
to be okay,” she whispered.

Jackson gathered his things from his office and marched Rory
out to the livery car. They were followed by the Secret Service agents. Rory
peered out the window, wondering where Roan was or if he was watching her. She
looked down and realized she was rubbing her wrist. She looked at Jackson to
find him watching her.

“Are you hungry?”

“No,” she whispered and looked back out the window.

Jackson led her into her condo, where she found Tagg and
Manus already on-site. She filled a bag with some clothes and toiletries and
apologized for the empty refrigerator. They were already making themselves at
home, however, with several boxes of supplies. After some logistical questions,
Jackson took her across the hall.

After closing and locking the door behind them, Jackson took
her bags and set them down. “Are you sure you’re not hungry?”

“I’m sure,” she answered, eyeing him wearily. “I’m sorry
about this. I’m sure you weren’t expecting babysitting duty.”

His eyes locked onto hers. “I’m doing exactly what I want to
be doing. I’m protecting you.”

“I’m putting you in danger. And I’m intruding on your space.
I’m sorry about that.”

He caressed her cheek with his thumb. “Don’t worry about
putting me in danger. I have lots of training to fall back on. And I never
wanted you to leave my space in the first place. I missed you.” He grabbed her
hands and squeezed them.

He moved to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water from
the refrigerator, then directed her to a seat at the bar. “Sit here and drink
this. You’re as pale as paper and look like you’re going to collapse.”

She did as he said and took several sips of water. She sat
quietly, studying the bottle in her hands.

Jackson spoke gently. “I’m the one who’s sorry that you’re
going through this again. You must be terrified.”

She looked up at him. She felt so lost. “I am, and not just
for myself. I know what they’re capable of. Jackson, it’s not safe for you, no
matter what you think. Aidan killed my father because of me. Roan would love to
take you along for the ride too.” Her chin quivered as she looked back down at
her hands.

He came around the island but she stood before he could
reach her.

“Look, I’m exhausted. Do you mind if I take a nap? I haven’t
been sleeping well…” She stopped before she admitted she hadn’t slept well
without him.

He led her upstairs, carrying her bags. She stopped in the
hall as he opened his bedroom door.

“I’m not sleeping in there.” She could barely stand to be
this close to that room, that place where they had shared so much.

He turned back to her incredulously. “Baby, come on. Two
days apart is enough. I need you back with me now, and you need me too.”

Rory stared at him. “Jackson, this doesn’t mean we’re back
on like nothing ever happened. You used me. I can’t forget that.”

In a heartbeat Jackson dropped the bags and had her against
the wall, his lips an inch from hers. “I need you,” he breathed, his eyes
smoldering. “I love you. Don’t you believe me?” He leaned in and ran his soft
lips across hers. She closed her eyes at the feel of the silky heat and leaned
in, losing herself in his kiss. It felt so good.

She pulled back, pushing on his chest and settling back
against the wall. “I’ll be staying in there.” She pointed to the room across
the hall. She swallowed hard and looked into his sultry eyes.

He turned and grabbed her bags, leading her into the guest
room across the hall. “Sure. These walls might be barrier enough for you.”

Rory woke with a jolt at two a.m. Last thing she remembered
was lying down after a quick shower. She rose slowly, lowering her feet over
the side of the bed. She looked down at herself. She was wearing a tank top and
panties, but she didn’t remember dressing. She was lightheaded. She desperately
needed water. How many days had it been since she’d eaten anything? She’d been
out cold and hadn’t even dreamed.

She padded into the bathroom on shaky legs to find there was
no glass. She silently opened the door and stepped into the hall.

Jackson’s door was open and she could see the outline of his
sleeping form. Longing slammed through her body. She wanted so badly to curl up
next to him and feel his heat. She knew there was a glass in his bathroom. As
she entered his room she couldn’t take her eyes off his large, powerful body.
She wrapped her arms around herself.

Suddenly his eyes were open. “What’s wrong?” She jumped and
took a step to run out of the room. “Wait, Rory, are you all right?” He lunged
forward and reached for her, snagging her arm.

“I’m sorry; I was just looking for a glass of water,” she
said, her voice raspy. “I didn’t mean to wake you”

Jackson rose, tall and muscular in his boxer shorts, and
headed for the bathroom. He returned with a glass of cold water. As she drank,
he sat down on the bed. He held her eyes as she downed the whole glass of
water. When she was finished, Jackson took the empty glass and set it on the
bedside table. He turned and lay back in the bed, scooting over into the
middle. He turned back to her and held her gaze as he lifted the covers for her
to climb in next to him.

Rory looked at the bed and returned her gaze to Jackson’s
eyes. She was mesmerized by the need she saw there, a need that matched her
own. There was no pity, no shame. It took her a moment, but she moved forward
and sat on the bed. She reclined slowly until she felt his chest at her back
and his arms enclose her. She felt his warm breath as he exhaled on her ear.
They lay still for several moments. One by one, her muscles relaxed and she
melted into him.

She finally placed her hands on his forearms and took a deep
breath. “How did you know I needed this?” She hadn’t even known herself.

He whispered into her ear. “Because it’s what I desperately
needed too.” He nuzzled her hair and sighed contentedly. She leaned into him
and closed her eyes.

Friday afternoon Jackson sat in Energy and Commerce looking
over the business agenda. Dull as dishwater. He leaned back in his chair and
looked over at Rory, remembering her escape from his bed that morning.

He was tired of this forced estrangement. And it was forced;
he could tell she still wanted him. Her head had been on his chest, her hand
halfway to his hard cock before she’d fully woken and sprung out of bed like it
was on fire.

He missed their closeness. He needed it. He remembered
holding her and laughing with her, rolling around that bed with her. Something
had to give. He needed her back to normal, or as normal as they could get in
their current situation.

He’d had to force her to eat breakfast. She claimed no
appetite until he refused to leave the house unless she ate something. She had
choked down a piece of toast and he bet she hadn’t had anything since. He
wondered how long she could go on like this.

He rose and whispered that he’d see her later and swiftly
left the committee room. He needed to fix this and he wanted to ask the one
person’s advice who knew her better than anyone. He made the quick trip back to
the Rayburn Building and caught up with Nicole in the reception area of Rory’s
offices. It appeared they were in the middle of a meeting with the Secret
Service agents. One of them was showing a picture of Roan Sullivan. Jackson
remembered it from Rory’s file. They all looked up as he entered.

“I’m sorry to interrupt.” He looked at Nicole. “May I speak
with you privately?”

“Certainly.” She turned back to the group. “Continue, I’ll
be back.”

They went into her office and sat down. “I’m sorry to interrupt,
but I need your help.”

“Is everything okay with Rory, I mean, considering…”

“Yes, she’s still in committee. I left to catch you alone.”

“We were just briefing the staff on the threat. I didn’t
want them to do it while she was around.”

“Good idea.”

“What do you need, Jackson?” she asked, cocking her head and
gazing at him.

“Advice. On how to get Rory to forgive me.”

“I warned you. We sat exactly as we are now and I warned you
not to hurt her or give her another reason to retreat. Didn’t I?”

“You did.”

“And yet you weren’t honest, with me or her. You knew then
she was a pawn. You could have limited the damage by being honest, but you
didn’t. I believe my rearview mirror has a spot awaiting your—”

“I admit I wasn’t honest, Nicole, but you can’t believe I
wanted to hurt her. I’m in love with her.”

The announcement rang in the air and Nicole smiled. “I knew
it. I told her so.”

“So, you’ll help me? I don’t know what to do. I can’t seem
to make her believe I love her and want to be with her. She thinks the seat on
Homeland is the only reason I had anything to do with her. She won’t
acknowledge what’s right in front of her.”

Nicole searched his face while she thought things through.
“You ever been betrayed by someone you loved before?”

“Does my ex-wife’s infidelity count?”

Nicole cocked an eyebrow, impressed. “Yeah, that’s pretty
bad. But not as bad as what happened to Rory.”

“Nicole, I read her FBI file. I know the whole thing; saw
the pictures too. That guy was a monster and I know what he did to her father and
her. I know about the pregnancy. I’ve also seen how badly she struggles with
the aftereffects, the PTSD.”

“You know a lot then. Rory never dreamed that man was
conning her and she never dreamed him capable of doing that to her and her
family. Imagine, finding out your whole life is a lie and your husband’s a
criminal, losing your father to him violently, and the baby you wanted all your
life. She was almost dead and had to come back to life and deal with all that.”

“I already feel like a bastard for what I’ve done to her,
please, Nicole.” He shook his head in bewilderment.

“The worst of it is this, Jackson. She blames herself for
the death of her father and her baby.”

“What? Why would she?”

“Survivor’s guilt and PTSD. Only more severe. She thinks she
was just stupid and should have been able to see what Aidan really was. Her
cousin Devon and I have tried, but she never talks about it. She doesn’t
believe she deserves to be forgiven or be happy. She feels totally
responsible.”

Jackson was wide-eyed. “Holy shit.”

“Devon and I had to convince her to give you a chance. We
knew she was attracted to you and we really thought you’d be good for her.
Thanks for fucking that up.”

“Well, how do I fix it?”

“I don’t know. In her mind, you’ve used her like Aidan did.”

“If I hear myself compared to that monster again I’m going
to break something.”

“You brought this on yourself. You could start with begging,
I guess.”

“I’ve tried that.” They were silent for a moment, both
thinking about the situation.

“So if she blames herself for Aidan, does she blame herself
for what I’ve done to her?”

“Probably, that’s how her mind works. She always says ‘fool
me once, shame on me’. Drives me crazy.”

“So that’s the problem, she blames herself for letting her
guard down and trusting me. She can’t forgive herself, so she can’t forgive
me.”

“I tried telling her this wasn’t that bad. Hell, I’ve seen
her do worse in the name of revenge, not to mention political gain.”

Jackson’s gaze shot back to Nicole. “Really? Like what?”

“Let’s go out to dinner tonight,” Jackson said to Rory. They
were in the back of the livery car, and she looked at him as if he had three
heads atop his broad shoulders. She had boxed herself up next to him on the
seat with bags full of work to keep herself busy over the weekend.

“Are you nuts?”

“Only for you.” He smiled and batted his eyes. She looked
out the window. “I’m serious; let’s go to dinner. Why not?”

“Well, let’s see. It’s freezing out, there’s two feet of
snow, and oh yeah, there’s a cold-blooded murderer scouring the city looking to
kill us.”

“I don’t mind the cold a bit,” he quipped. She shot him an
eat-shit look. “We’re supposed to maintain appearances, Ror. We would normally
go out to dinner at some point. Let’s go. I don’t have any food in the house.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“When was your last meal, anyway?”

Rory ignored him.

“We can go right now. Travis here can drive us, can’t you,
Travis?” he shouted to the driver.

“Jackson,” she hissed, closing her eyes and praying for
patience.

“Please. For me. I want us to talk and I don’t think we
should hole up in that condo tonight. We’re liable to lose our minds. Please,
Rory.”

She searched his eyes. “I’m not sure why I should be doing
you any favors. Let’s go home first. I want to change. I’m tired of monkey
suits,” she murmured to herself.

“Certainly. I love it when you wear jeans.”

The waiter handed them menus after seating them in the
center of the restaurant. Rory looked around for any signs of Roan or Lon. She
felt exposed, even though she knew there were at least two agents shadowing
them. She looked over at the generous bar area. It seemed quite the happening
place; bodies were piled up six deep over there.

“Want a drink? I’m having a Jack and Coke.” Jackson seemed
happy to be out.

“Water is fine,” she mumbled.

“They have the best Spanish food in town here.” The waiter
returned and took his drink order. “I wish you’d relax. Nothing will happen in
public. Your former brother-in-law is a very smart criminal.”

“Thanks, that thought eases me.”

“Rory, I want to talk…”

“Hello, Jackson, Rory, nice to see you here.” Jennifer
Durand stood beside them, another blonde twit in tow.

“Jennifer, Gwen, how are you both?” Jackson stood and kissed
both women’s cheeks. Ever the gentleman, Rory mused. “Rory, you remember
Jennifer. This is another friend, Gwen Saunders.”

Rory rose halfway, managed a semblance of a smile and
quickly shook both ladies’ hands before reclining in her chair again. She
really wasn’t in the mood to socialize. Especially when she was pretty sure she
was odd woman out in one of Jackson’s threesomes. The new twit was wide-eyed
and drooling.

“It’s nice to see you again, Congresswoman,” Jennifer
offered coolly.

“You too, Jennifer.”

“We saw your news footage,” new Barbie explained, bouncing.
“You two looked very hot together.”

It took real talent to flirt with two people simultaneously,
Rory thought. “Well, thank you.” Rory didn’t want to say more. She wasn’t sure
she could keep it polite.

“We’ll leave you to your dinner,” Jennifer said.

“Thank you,” Jackson said. “Nice seeing you ladies.”

“Come on over if you’d like a nightcap after your meal,”
Gwen offered, looking a little too hopeful. She let her gaze roam down Rory’s
body. “It was very nice meeting you, Congresswoman.”

Rory smiled. Damn if it wasn’t comical that all Jackson’s
fuck friends kept coming on to her. “Thank you, Gwen. The pleasure was mine,”
she cooed condescendingly.

Jackson smiled across the table after they were gone.

“What?” Rory shrugged.

“You.”

“What?” She feigned confusion.

“Let’s just say sometimes I’m glad I can’t hear what you’re
saying in your head.”

Rory finally laughed as he had guessed her thoughts so
accurately. “I’m just stepping around all the innuendo your multiple partners
drop.”

Jackson laughed and looked into her eyes appreciatively. “Rory.”

“What?”

“What can I do to make you forgive me?” She stared at him.
“I’m not giving you up. You’re my girl. The only one I want.”

“You used me.”

“You’ve used people. Hell, you used me to get to the people
you needed that vote from. That’s what we do, Rory. We use people and we
consider it fair game because we pretend it serves a higher purpose. That’s
politics. Doesn’t make it right, but it doesn’t make me wrong for you.”

“I’ve never forced someone to do something like…”

“Who’s Kevin Miller, Congresswoman?”

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “Damn Nicole and her
mouth. That wasn’t like this.”

“No, you’re right. It was worse. You tricked him into taking
a job you knew would take him out of the running for a seat you wanted.”

“So? You’d do the same. He tried to discredit me and caused
me a lot of trouble.” She shrugged. “Not my fault he couldn’t hold on to that
job.”

“That’s not the only outcome you’ve engineered. Think about
that.”

“Yep, engineering outcomes is the job. You’re right. I
should just welcome you back with open thighs.”

“You shouldn’t dismiss my love for you. I engineered that
committee seat, for sure. I even knew it was against your will. But I didn’t do
it to hurt you. Hell, I actually think it’ll do you some good.”

“You sure throw that love word around.”

“It’s the truth, Rory. Look, I made sure to get to know you
and I even helped you out with those votes because I wanted you to count on me.
When the time came, I was going to put you on that committee and I did. I’m
sorry about the method, but you know that’s how it goes here. But I didn’t
become involved with you and fall in love with you because I needed to get you
to sit on Homeland. That happened extracurricular to my plans. And it has
become the most important thing that’s ever happened to me. I would do anything
to get past this and return to what we had.”

He seemed so sincere. She stared transfixed into his heated
blue eyes. The waiter approached and Jackson waved him away without a word.

“And while I’m at it, let’s clear the air entirely. I’m
nothing like your late husband, and if you ever say that to me again I’ll
fucking lose it. You should also know that you’re not going to like the
legislation we put you on the committee to sponsor. And third, I read your FBI
file a long time ago. I know exactly what happened to you. You didn’t cause any
of it, and there was no way in hell you could have stopped what happened. He
was to blame, not you. So do us all a favor and forgive yourself and me so that
we can get on with things, because I’m dying to hear you say you love me too.”
Jackson sat back and drained his Jack and Coke. He snapped his fingers at the
waiter and signaled for another round.

“And don’t even think about getting pissed off at me about
anything I’ve just said, damn it.”

Rory stared at him before looking down at her hands at
either side of her plate. She was sure this was information overload, because
all she could do was wonder what detergent they used to get that shine on the
dishes.

“When…” She cleared her throat trying to recover her weak
voice. “When did you read my file?”

Jackson held her gaze. “I read it when you flew home to
Cleveland.”

She looked back at her plate. He knew almost everything. Had
known all along.

“Rory.” Her head snapped up from gazing at the table. “Let’s
order some food. I think you need to eat.”

Aidan had placed another chair between Rory and her
father. He demanded their full attention. In the event they started to lose
focus or pass out, he corrected them with a punch. In Rory’s case, since she was
on the floor, he kicked her in the ribs. He was quite the showman.

He questioned them on many things, including their
involvement with the FBI and their knowledge of his operations and family. He
wanted to know who they had given up to the authorities. He made Rory answer
the questions and left her father gagged, kicking him every time he wanted a
nod of confirmation. Rory told him the truth about everything, hoping to spare
their lives. It didn’t matter; they were rewarded with continued violence, each
horrified to see the other beaten. Rory could barely move.

It lasted forever, and then finally Aidan was quiet. He
was so still that it alarmed her and she opened her eyes slowly to see what he
was doing. He was staring into her face from only inches away.