Lovers and Reprisals (Lovers Series) (33 page)

Chapter 16

What I wouldn’t do for love

“Bolden...”

Eliza screamed out his name, then her teeth bit near his collar bone.  His orgasm had been so intense, he didn’t register the pain.  His hold around her waist was so tight, one would think that he was hanging on for dear life, while dangling over a chasm.  Whenever they made love, every act consumed an extreme amount of energy and this time was no different from the others.  In public, Eliza appeared calm on the outside, but in the bedroom her persona swung in the opposite direction.  She was making a humming noise and her body trembled, then she collapsed laying flat on his chest.  She was lifting to disengage them, but Bolden squealed out a plea because every nerve in his body buzzed like a jar filled with bumblebees.

His jaw clenched down, distorting the sound of his words.

“Please--please--please, don’t move baby.”

Eliza was a brilliant crisis management consultant and in her business, she was one of the best.  Her list of clients read like a who’s who, of wealthy powerful people, and some of those clients included the Delors and Morpheus Gustafson.  Currently, her primary client was the governor of Wyoming, Andrew Wilcox.  He was a political savvy man,  and his aspirations went as high as the oval office.  She’d had her fair-share of politicians as clients, and it came as no surprise to her, that those people had concealed embarrassing secrets.  She was a professional, and nothing shocked her, but Andrew Wilcox was something entirely different.  From day one, her first assignment involved years and years worth of skeletons and all of his troubles couldn’t be concealed in a closet.  With a client like that, Eliza had no other choice.  She’d finally confided in Bolden, but her openness wasn’t the type of revelation that nourished relationships.  In fact, the line that separated their personal and professional lives didn’t seem all that clear anymore, and this unhealthy melding had created a series of complications.

Eliza waited until Bolden’s body relaxed.  She rolled over, then she reached for a glass of water on the nightstand.  He sat up, adjusting his eyes to read the clock.  It was late, but not to late to finish the report he’d started before Eliza lured him into her bed.  He was nearly out of the bed, when he felt her hand pulling on his arm.

“No...don’t go.”  She said...

“I need to draft that report.  You’ll want to talk to Wilcox first thing in the morning.”

“We’ll see him tomorrow night--so the report can wait.”

Bolden shifted in the bed to stare at her, and he appeared to be confused.  He said...

“We just saw him this morning.  Then we jumped on the plane to fly to Texas--now you’re telling me that we’re going back to Wyoming in the morning?”

Eliza nodded when she said...

“Yes.  I want to see his face when I show him those emails.  That man is a fool if he thinks he can continue this affair and not have the information leak out before or during an election.”

“But...is that the only reason that we’re going back?  The emails?”

“No.”  Her face held no expression and he’d seen this before.  She would make a fortune in poker. 

Bolden said...

“There’s another problem isn’t there.”

Bolden reflected on this morning, and his time spent at Andrew Wilcox’s house.  He’d sat in the library while Eliza had a private conversation with her client.  One of his cooks had offered Bolden a fresh danish and a cup of coffee while he waited.  She also told him that she would take him to a room with a view.  He’d appreciated the large windows with picturesque views but he didn’t realize that the room was right next to the area where Wilcox and Eliza had been talking.  At first, the conversation didn’t interest him, until he heard a name that sounded familiar.  Amy Randolph.  The name had been repeated a few more times, then the conversation became heated because Eliza was blaming someone for being dangerous and impulsive.  At this point, Bolden had begun to eavesdrop.  He had not fully understand and now he wanted to be clear. 

He said...

“Eliza...I should have said something earlier, but I didn’t...”

Eliza turned to him, and she raised one brow.

“What should you have told me?”

He didn’t like the sound of her voice, and he was beginning to think that perhaps now wasn’t a good time to discuss this. 

He continued.

“Today at Wilcox’s house...I overheard parts of your conversation.”

Eliza’s face wore no expression but her eyes were like tacks, nailing him to the wall.  He didn’t let her annoyance stop him.

“There’s a case that’s been getting a lot of play on the TV News.  Marisela Pettier’s has filed a series of lawsuits against the city of New York.  She claims that her brother, Tollin Pettier did not commit suicide, like the medical examiners report states.”

At this point, Bolden had expected Eliza to stop him and when she didn’t, he continued.

“I heard you and the governor talking about Tollin and a little girl by the name of Amy Randolph.”

He waited several seconds, because after saying the names, he was certain that she would have said something--but Eliza remained quiet, and her eyes shot a few more tacks his way.  He felt the hit of each sharply pointed object, but there was something to this, and he was certain, that this had something to do with their quick turn around trip. 

Bolden said...

“Eliza...if I’m going to work with you; you have to be honest and tell me...”

She shut him down when she said...

“You work for me Bolden.  I thought we established that in the beginning.  You work for me...and you don’t get to tell me what I should or will tell you.”

His brows furrowed but he wouldn’t be bullied, even if she was his boss.

“I checked the internet.  That name...Amy Randolph--she was Andrew Wilcox’s niece.  And Tollin Pettier was involved in an accident that was blamed for her death.  But according to the News Reports, except for a pat on the hand...basically he walked.  Then for some unknown reason, before the end of the year, Gloria Wilcox-Randolph threatened to file a civil lawsuit.”

Eliza raised her hand, and she faulted her strong feelings for him, as part of the problem.  She shouldn’t have allowed him to continue.  She should have ended the conversation, no matter what he believed he’d heard.  There were bigger issues involved and she had to stay on top of this.

She said...

“There are some things that you know--and more that you don’t know.  The first thing that you must learn in this line of work is that, when you think that you know something, more than likely, you’re completely off base.  In this case--you heard a part of a conversation that I am not privy to repeat.  And you also must remember--Governor Andrew Wilcox is our client.  It is our job to clean up his alley--and not to judge his trash.  So, whatever you think you might know--flush it down the toilet and act as if you never heard a thing.”

There were times that she could sound like a cold hearted bitch, then in the next second she would say something to overshadow her bluntness

“Bolden...lay down.  Andrew doesn’t need to read emails to prove that his sloppy affairs can be easily discovered.  He knows this.”

“Then why the report?  Why do you have me creating files and...”

Eliza cupped that back of his head with her hand.  She forcefully kissed him, and in her urging, he kissed her back.  In their exchange, their tongues stroked the inner surfaces of their mouths.  She moaned because in each kiss, she was falling in love and that had never been a part of the plan.

Eliza drew back, she inhaled to catch her breath.  She spoke, truly meaning her words...

“I didn’t give you busy work.  We will need those reports--for a number of reasons.  But for now--let’s just say, that Andrew knows about the affairs, and I won’t have to force him to admit to anything.”
“And the little girl--and Tollin; what about them?”

She sighed, when she said...

“It isn’t what you think Bolden.  Besides...we have bigger fish to fry and we have to be done with Andrew by the end of the year.”

“Why?  Why the end of the year?  Already we’re working around the clock to clean up a lifetimes worth of foulups.  What’s going to happen if he slips and gets in trouble during an election campaign?”

“Sweetie...we can talk about that later.  Hold me.”

This was the side of her that he liked.  Eliza was a powerful woman, but she wasn’t afraid to show her feminine side.  He pulled her into his arms, inhaling the smell of her shampoo.  When he wrapped his arms around her, she raised his hand to her lips, then she kissed his fingers.  She said...

“I love your eyes.”

This wasn’t the first time that he’d heard this and he supplied his stock response.

“You’ll have to thank my mother when you meet her.  Her eyes are hazel and my eyes tend to swing between green and grey.  Kind of like a mood ring.”

She laughed, then she said...

“You said that your mother was at your father’s New Year’s Day party.”

“Yes”  he said, and he wanted to set a date for her to meet his mother; but as usual, his wants would have to wait.  Their conversation ended when her phone rang.  At first he’d expected her to ignore it; given that moments earlier she’d persuaded him to stay in bed with her, instead of finishing the draft of his report.  Eliza pulled free, reaching for her nightstand.

He said...

“Let it ring.”

“I can’t.  Only a few people have this number and it could be important.”

Bolden turned on his side, shifting his weight to lay at an angle.  He tugged the sheet to cover himself, and this gesture demonstrated his annoyance.  She was whispering into the phone, and by her hush-hush tone he assumed that this was another one of her bullshit calls.  More than likely another tip, that would necessitate a change in plans.  For months now, he’d had his hands in some pretty underhanded shit.  Unimaginable things involving, underaged girls, and secret families. 

Eliza’s voiced sounded composed and clear, but when you sleep with a person, they are easier to read.  Parts of their armor lay loose, or cracked, partially exposing them.  He’d heard one of her cracks in her voice.  It had been ever so subtle, but Bolden had heard it.

“My hands are tied right now but if I come upon someone who may be of help, I’ll certainly pass your number along.  Yes--certainly.  If you’re asking for my opinion--I think it’s a colossal waste of time.  Of course...I understand your position but it sounds like your’s may be the only reasonable voice and I would suggest that you use this leverage to save the family further heartache”  She laughed, then she said...  “No--it wasn’t a bother.  We’ve been friends for far to long; please don’t worry.  Wish your family well for me.  Yes.  You too.  Goodnight.”

Eliza clicked off her phone, then she lay it back on the nightstand.

“Sorry about that.”  She placed her hand at the nape of his neck, then she caressed his skin along the line of his spine.  When he didn’t respond, she leaned forward, touching his back with her tongue.  She traced the area where her finger had just stroked.  Bolden’s body tingled beneath his flesh.  He wanted to be angry and he wouldn’t tolerate her dogged need for secrecy.

He gritted his teeth while saying...

“Who was that Eliza?”

She licked until she reached the base of his spine.  When she stopped, she spoon her body with his.

“No one important.  Just an old friend.”

“Why were they asking you for help?  Don’t they know that you’re working for the governor.”
She hated the way he pronounced the word governor.  When the veil had been lifted, and there was no longer any  pretense between them; Bolden’s voice wreaked of sarcasm whenever he mentioned the governor.  Eliza’s connection to Andrew Wilcox was one string tied to many other dangling strings; and collectively, these strings formed a huge political, corporate, vindictive scheme held by one knot.

Eliza pulled away.  She was tired and she didn’t want to argue.  There were so many aspects of this scene that resembled events in her past.  Bolden was beginning to sound like Tollin; although Tollin had not worked for her, and he had not been privy to any of her secrets.  While on the other hand, due to circumstances, her relationship with Bolden was its own ticking time bomb and she didn’t look forward to that explosion.

Bolden turned over tucking his elbow beneath his head.  He spoke, and he couldn’t contain his jealousy...

“Who were you talking to?”

“Goodnight Bolden.”

“Eliza...”

She sighed when she said...

“I don’t like you when you’re like this.  You know how I earn my living--and you know that there are facets of my life that involve confidential matters--and it isn’t my place to reveal secrets, especially when the matter concerns other people.”
“I’m not asking to know about your clients.”

“Good.”  She answered as if she’d made her point, but Bolden tested her logic.

“So give...”

“Bolden--I will not discuss my other clients with you.”

”But you just said that you were talking to a friend.  What’s so secret about that?  If I were talking on the phone to a friend...”