7 Degrees of Alpha (a collection of seven new BWWM, Alpha Male Romances) (14 page)

Since the NATO summit was to be held in Chicago this year, Victor was sitting through yet another prep meeting. Present was Charles Buchanan, the lieutenant governor, and Carl Rountree, the mayor of Chicago. Chicago's police superintendent and the deputy superintendent were also present, along with FBI intelligence. The NATO summit would require a number of the Heads of State and the Heads of Government of NATO countries to convene in one place. Therefore, law enforcement was essential. There were bound to be a number of protests and even more threats of terrorism. So, Victor knew just how important every prep meeting was, but that didn't stop his thoughts from drifting to Taylor. He couldn't wait to see her again, to kiss her again. He reminisced about the way she submitted completely to him when he kissed her. He imagined her submitting her entire beautiful body to him. Surprisingly, he found himself daydreaming of doing things other than sex with her. He could see them fishing and hunting together. Hell, he wished he could take walks with her or even hold her hand in a movie theater. She was so beautiful that he actually wanted to sleep next to her just to see how beautiful she was in the morning. Damn,  Taylor Montgomery had bewitched him. She was just so different from any woman that he'd ever met.

Victor was so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't even noticed that his meeting had come to an end. He remained at the head of the conference table and watched everyone file out of the room. He rubbed his chin and wondered what to plan for his date with Taylor. Admittedly, dating was difficult for him, and dating Taylor, a "normal" woman, was really going to be a challenge. Would she understand that he couldn't just walk into a restaurant, hand-in-hand with a woman like the average man? Since he’d lost his wife, every woman that he'd been with had understood his limitations as governor, but Taylor was different. She was special. And he had actually considered publicly dating her, but he needed to know how she felt about being linked to him first.

Victor fished his phone from his jacket pocket and dialed Taylor's number.

"Hello?" The sexy rasp in her voice sent a wakeup signal straight to his cock.

"Hello, gorgeous."

"How are you, Governor Creed?” Victor could hear the smile in her voice.

"I'm just fine, Officer Montgomery. How are you?"

"I'm good. What’s up?"

"Well, about our date tomorrow; how do you feel about, instead of going out, having dinner at my apartment in Chicago?"

"I feel just fine about that, sir."

"Good, I'll send a car for you at seven."

"I can drive."

"Yes, I know.
A car will be there at seven
."

"Yes, sir," she chuckled.

"Good. Now that that's settled, how was your day?"

Victor's hectic day was finally coming to a pleasant end as he laughed and talked with her for thirty minutes. Her wit and easy going nature was a breath of fresh air in a polluted world. He'd found himself still smiling, even after their call had ended. He was so enamored that he hadn't noticed that he wasn't alone in the large conference room.

"So you have a hot date? How sweet, Governor Creed."

Victor closed his eyes and stilled himself for a few seconds before turning to face Kara Edwards. Her presence wasn't a surprise. As his press secretary, she roamed freely through the Thompson Center.

"Kara, hello."

"So, you dump me and, in flash, you're on to someone new."

"Kara, you knew going in that I wasn't looking for anything long term, and you assured me that you weren't either."

"So, you, and only you, get to decide when the term has ended?"

"Kara, I-"

"Who in the fuck is Taylor?!" she screamed.

Victor stared at the woman, who had used him for sex for months while screaming from the rooftop that she could handle a strictly physical relationship.

He buttoned his suit coat and prepared to exit the conference room. "Taylor..." he responded, coolly. "...is none of your business. Your business is handling the media on my behalf.  Are you going to able to handle your
actual
business, Kara?"

Without waiting for an answer, he walked out of the conference room, leaving her seething.

As far as Victor was concerned, that conversation was over forever.

CHAPTER 6

Taylor picked a piece of lint off of her black pencil skirt, wondering if she should have chosen a different outfit. She'd paired it with a green silk blouse. Once the town car came to a stop, she stopped fidgeting and gawked at the massive building. Once the door was opened, the driver assisted her from the car.

"Thank you," she said in almost a whisper, still staring up at the impressive piece of real estate. Taylor had only ever seen Storm Tower from the expressway. The building was a significant part of Chicago's beautiful skyline.

"You’re welcome, Miss Montgomery."

The driver's use of her name prompted Taylor to look at him.

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"I'm Collier, ma'am; the governor's regular driver."

"But you're driving me. So, what happens if there's an emergency and the governor needed to be mobile?"

"There are backups in place, ma'am," he chuckled.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Collier."

"And you, ma'am. This way please," he said with his hand stretched toward the entrance. "I'm to escort you up."

"Thank you. And please call me Taylor."

"Yes, ma'am," he responded.

Taylor chuckled and followed him inside. As they walked through the lobby, Collier nodded to more security personnel. They nodded in return and glanced curiously at Taylor. She simply smiled and kept walking.

Once they were in the elevator, Collier pushed P88, the button for the penthouse on the eighty-eighth floor. They rode in silence, but it wasn't awkward. She was grateful for the silence. Admittedly, Taylor was a bit nervous. This was no average date, and Victor Creed was no average man.

When the elevator arrived at the desired floor, the doors glided open and revealed an awaiting Victor. He stood tall and unbelievably handsome. His towering stature and big body made her feel tiny. He was wearing a blue dress shirt with no tie and dark slacks. It was an easygoing look for the normally well-kept governor. Even his thick wavy hair was styled in a more relaxed fashion. Taylor glanced at the full lips that had kissed her with such enormous passion and mused that they were really plump for a white man.

"Hello, beautiful," he greeted with a smirk.

"Hey," Taylor responded.

She smiled and stepped off the elevator.

"Thank you, Collier," Victor said over her shoulder just as the doors slid closed.

Victor pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm glad you could make it," he said against her hair.

"Me too."

"Ma'am, I need to search your bag," said a voice coming from behind Victor.

Taylor looked around Victor's broad shoulders. She hadn't even noticed the large man in a dark suit leaning on a wall across from the elevator.

"I don't think so, mister," she responded in a calm tone, instinctively gripping her purse.

"Ma'am," he pressed, pushing off the wall.

"Sir, do you have a weapon?"

"Yes, ma'am I do."

"And it's your job to protect him?" she asked, pointing to Victor.

"It is."

"Well, sir, I have a weapon as well, and it's my job to protect me."

Victor seemed amused by the back and forth between her and the bigger man, but Taylor wasn't amused at all. She didn't like relinquishing her weapon. But the announcement of the weapon in her possession caused the bodyguard to close the distance between them. Victor placed himself between them and held his hand up, halting the bodyguard.

"Gregor, she's a cop," he told him.

Taylor could tell that the bodyguard could've cared less.

"Taylor, sweetheart, give him your bag." She turned to Victor with narrowed eyes, but before she could respond, he added, "It's his job. Besides, I'm here to protect you."

He flashed his charming smile, revealing perfect white teeth. Taylor reluctantly handed the man her purse. Victor was irresistible. He could probably convince her to rob a bank with just his smile, compounded with that rich, sexy baritone.

The guard, meticulously, searched her purse. He pulled her pistol out of the bag and tucked it into his pant pocket. He returned her purse and said, "Ma'am, you can have your firearm back once you leave."

Taylor swallowed her unease and nodded. Victor was right. The man was just doing his job. Hell, Victor was the governor, after all. Of course security would be tight.

"I'm sorry," she told the guard. "I'm not used to give up Nina Boo."

"Nina Boo?" he asked, confused.

"That's her name."

He was amused. "You named your weapon?"

"Yep," Taylor confirmed.

"Well, Nina Boo..." he reassured, patting his pocket. "... will be waiting right here for you."

"Alright, Gregor, stop flirting with my lady,” Victor said as he placed a possessive arm around Taylor and led them into a penthouse, leaving Gregor in the hall laughing.

"Oh my God," Taylor gasped when she stepped into the penthouse.

It was a grandiose palace that was impeccably designed. It had an open layout with curved lines. There was a remarkable panoramic view of the city. The walls were bright white and covered with art that could have dated back to the 17th century.

"Wow, Governor Creed, with your salary being public record and all, I know damn well you can't afford this place. The bribery business must be very lucrative," she jested.

"Hey, don't make jokes like that. The governors in Illinois have a tendency to wind up in prison."

Taylor realized that he was right and burst into laughter. "Sorry… This is a nice place, though."

"Thank you. And I'll have you know that before I became the governor of the great state of Illinois, I owned a very lucrative business."

"Oh, is that so?"

"Yes. Maybe you've heard of it; Opulent Cruises."

Taylor's eyes got big. "Not only have I heard of it, I've traveled to the Caribbean on one of your cruise liners."

"Please tell me that you loved it and had the time of your life."

"Well, Governor Creed, I loved every minute of it and had the time of my life," Taylor giggled.

"Seriously?"

"Yep, had a ball."

"Good to know my little brothers aren't running our business into the ground."

Taylor had seen pictures of Victor's brothers during his campaign. There were four of them total, and they were just as tall and almost as good looking as Victor. The handsome young brothers were media favorites.

Victor placed his hand in the small of her back and led her to the sofa, asking, "Would you like a drink?"

"What do you have?"

"Everything," he chuckled.

"Okay, then I'll have a Grey Goose and tonic."

"Lime?'

"Of course."

"I have to go and check on the food. I'll be back with your drink."

He headed toward what she guessed was the kitchen.

"Whoa, wait, you cooked?"

"I did," he responded over his shoulder.

Although impressed, Taylor didn't comment. However, she did sneak a peek and his tight muscular ass.

Taylor removed the napkin from her lap and placed it on the table. Victor hadn't taken his eyes off of her the entire evening. From the time the elevator doors opened, and she appeared in front of him, it was over for Victor. He was done in. She was wearing a green blouse that all but groped her full tits. There was a respectful amount of cleavage, but not enough to stifle his imagination. He was picturing himself cupping her heavy tits as she rode his cock. And that tight skirt… damn; it was hugging her hips in a way that Victor had never seen. He wanted her, wanted to skip dinner and take her straight to bed. He couldn't keep his eyes off of her. And her hair, so wild and beautiful, was the icing on the cake. Taylor was alluring, and he simply couldn't look away. He hadn't even tried.

"Victor, dinner was amazing. I can't believe that you cook that well."

"Thank you. My mother insisted that my brothers and I learned to cook."

"Well, thank you, Momma Creed. The seafood pasta was amazing."

Victor did a subtle bow. "I gotta say, watching you eat was a refreshing experience. Most women eat like birds when they think someone is watching. But you seemed to really appreciate a good meal."

"Don't try to feed me if you don't want me to eat," she chuckled.

Victor laughed and tossed his napkin on the table.

"Victor, as you can see, I'm not exactly frail," she said with a wave over herself.

"Frail? No, not frail. Beautiful, sexy, curvy, and voluptuous. Yes, a fucking bombshell is what I see."

Victor stood and pulled her from her chair. He pulled her body close to his and wrapped his arms around her waist. Pleased when her arms circled his neck, he pushed his body against her. His cock was so hard that it would be impossible for Taylor not to feel it. When she didn't pull away, he whispered, "This is what your lack of frailty does to me, Taylor."

She looked up at him with fire blazing in her eyes. "What else does it do to you?" she asked in a wanton voice.

"Mmm, baby, so much," Victor respond, pushing his erection against her.

When she ran her fingers through his hair and massaged his scalp, Victor couldn't contain his excitement. He was going to have her.

He gripped her round ass and slammed his lips against hers. He licked the seam of her mouth, coaxing her lips apart. She smelled of lime, and he wanted to know if she tasted the same.

Taylor, apparently, had wanted to taste him as well. She pulled slightly away, slowing his advance, and ran her tongue seductively over his lips before sucking his bottom lip into her warm mouth. His cock began to pulse and strain against his zipper. That was it for Victor. He tightened his grip on her ass and lifted her from the floor. His plan was to walk her into the nearest bedroom. He didn't want her on the couch. He intended to worship every inch of her body.

But they were interrupted.

"Governor Creed, I'm sorry to interrupt, but-" Kenyatta started.

"Then don’t!" Victor grunted harshly against Taylor's mouth.

His irritation at the interruption grew when Taylor wiggled out of his arms to stand on her own.

"I'm sorry, Governor, but it can't be helped," Kenyatta insisted.

She had walked into the dining room. She was standing her ground. At that point, Victor was sure that whatever it was, was serious. Kenyatta would never have been so bold and intrusive.

He turned to Taylor. "Sweetheart, please have a seat. Make yourself at home, and I'll be right back."

"Um, I can go if-" she started.

Taylor leaving was the last thing that Victor wanted. "No, don't go. I'll be right back."

"No, sir, you won't. I'm sorry," Kenyatta contradicted. She then turned to Taylor. "Officer Montgomery, I really apologize for the interruption."

"It's ok, Miss..."

"Kena. Call me Kena, please. I'm the governor's PA. Again, I'm very sorry for the interruption."

"It's fine, Kena. I should be going anyway."

Victor stood by in disbelief. Taylor was leaving. Kenyatta had just waltzed into his dining room and poured cold water on his hot date.

"I'll walk you out," he told Taylor.

As the two of them walked passed Kena, Victor said through gritted teeth, "There had better be the threat of a dirty bomb somewhere in Illinois.
In Illinois!
If it's in Indiana, you're fired. If it's in Wisconsin, you're fired."

Kena nodded. "Yes, sir."

"Let Collier know that Miss Montgomery is on her way down."

"Done, sir."

Victor placed his hand in the small of Taylor's back in order to regain their physical connection. He stopped her at the front door and turned her to face him. "To be continued?" he asked hopefully.

She smiled. "I can't wait."

Victor breathed a sigh of relief and captured her face in his hands. He kissed her gently on the lips before opening the door and watching her walk away. He stood in the doorway and watched as Gregor turned over her weapon and pushed the call button. When the elevator arrived, she stepped in and turned toward Victor.

"Thanks for dinner," she said, just as the doors close.

She was gone, and Victor couldn't help but to feel a loss. He didn't believe that he'd ever wanted a woman so bad. His dick was rock hard. He felt an unusual connection, and he couldn't figure out what made Taylor Montgomery so different. But, for now, figuring Taylor out would have to wait. He slammed the door and stormed into the dining room.

"What the fuck, Kena?!"

"Mmmm, you watch your tone with me, Governor Creed. I didn't create this mess."

Victor took a deep breath and calmed himself before asking, "What mess, Kenyatta?"

"Kara Edwards. She tried to hang herself in your Chicago office," Kena blurted, rather unsympathetically, in Victor's opinion.

"Are you serious?" he asked with narrowed eyes, sure that Kena was fucking with him.

"As a heart attack. She was found hanging from the ceiling fan in your office."

"Oh, God! What the hell?" Victor shouted, running his fingers roughly through his hair.

"She alive," Kena murmured.

"Kenyatta! Honestly, you sound disappointed," Victor responded in disbelief.

"That conniving little bi-"

"Kena!"

"She was never in any danger of dying."

"What do you mean?" Victor asked, confused.

"Well, for one, there was a mysterious call to security by an anonymous female caller stating that they believed that your office was being burglarized. And two, she wrote a four-page suicide letter that spoke of her relationship with you... in the future."

"So.... you're saying...?"

"She's a public relations guru. She knew exactly what she was doing. I handled it."

Victor's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "What do you mean, you handled it?" he asked, gesturing quotation marks with his fingers.

"I made sure that no one dialed 911. I called a physician to your office. There won't be any hospital records, and I burned that fucking love letter that she called a suicide note."

"Okay, good job. So if you did all that, why are you here?"

Kena took an impatient breath and blew it out. "Kara is threatening to admit herself into a hospital and tell the press that your cruelty toward her pushed her to attempt suicide, if you don't go and talk to her."

Victor's closed his eye and ran his fingers roughly through his hair. He opened his eyes to find Kenyatta, with her arms folded, awaiting a solution. He paced the floor a few times and turned back to his assistant.

"Tell her that I'm unavailable and to do what she has to do."

"But, Gov-"

"No, Kena, I won't be blackmailed. Besides, Kara's no fool. She loves her career more than anything. She's been busting down doors for years to get where she is. Kara would lose every bit of credibility if our affair came out."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure" he responded with conviction

Kenyatta nodded with whisper of a smile. She clearly approved. "I'll handle it."

"Thank you, Kena."

"You're welcome. Goodnight, Governor."

"Goodnight," Victor sighed.