LifeoftheParty (12 page)

“Touch me,” she moaned. “Just once.
Please.
”

“Not part of the deal, doll,” he said, kissing her again,
her leg arching against his back. “And definitely not necessary.”

“Please,” she begged. “I don’t want you to fuck me, but I
can’t stand it.”

“You won’t have to much longer. Now pay attention.”

He kissed her once more then again began his trek down her
body—ears, neck, armpits, breasts, licking, sucking, branding, Gina writhing
against the sheet as if she were sliding on oil, moaning softly, her hands on
his shoulders, urging her lower.

“Please, Doug. Please…” She groaned. “I don’t care, I just
want you to…”

He kissed one hip, her belly, the other hip, then back.
Then, reaching up, he pinched a nipple between his fingers and squeezed,
trailing across her belly to lace his tongue deep into her navel. Where he
flicked. And flicked and flicked and flicked.

Her mouth opened, her neck arching into the pillow, her hips
shivering as violently as he’d ever seen before she went limp, her eyes falling
shut. “Jesus,” she breathed.

Doug leaned up on his arm. “Didn’t I tell you? No pussy
involved at all. It’s all in the brain, really. You see?”

She turned to her side, snoring.

Doug sighed, looking down. His cock lay against his thigh
like a steel pipe. Sometimes his randy mojo was a real pain in the ass.

He dead-bolted the door and shut off the lights, sliding his
Glock underneath his pillow. Then he hunkered down and, pulling Gina against
him, fell immediately asleep.

Sometime in the middle of the night he awoke to an intense
pressure between his legs, pushing, pulling, until he realized it was his cock,
yanking his whole body forward. He rolled onto his back and the pressure grew
more intense, the muscles of his ass tightening. His eyes flew open and he saw
Gina through the shadows. It wasn’t a second later he exploded into her mouth,
Gina sucking and licking until she pumped him dry. When she was through, she
settled against his side.

“No pussy involved at all,” she said, promptly falling
asleep.

* * * * *

7:36 A.M.

“Where you going?” Gina asked sleepily, grabbing his pillow,
her hair spilling about her own.

Doug leaned down and kissed her temple. “Just sleep,” he
said, smoothing her hair. She was so beautiful he winced. “I won’t be long.”

“Mmm…” she murmured, drifting off.

A few minutes later he was out on the street, crossing
Rittenhouse Square. The benches held a few early birds, dog-walkers here and
there, the coffee shops already open and steady with traffic. But he needed to
walk. And keep walking as long as he could to work it out of him. He knew it
was selfish because he really shouldn’t be leaving her alone. And if something
did happen to her while he was stupidly tending to his own corrupted ego, he’d
simply put his service pistol to his head and pull the trigger. But he couldn’t
help it. He needed air and motion like a horse needed to run. He needed it
badly and he needed it now.

So he walked and walked, the store windows decorated with
autumn colors, the potted geraniums soon giving way to poinsettias and
eventually winter cabbages. Why he knew this he couldn’t fathom, beyond it was
one of those constants in modern life that stuck with you like knowing your
email addresses, PINs and what month to get your car registration renewed. But
the things much older than that, as in the inner workings and foibles of the
human heart—those completely baffled him. Those, he just couldn’t figure.

He loved her. God in heaven, he loved her. He always had, he
always would, as sure of it as the sun climbing over the skyline. But did she
love him? She’d never said so. He turned the corner, easing around a man
sleeping over a steam grate. The only time she ever mentioned it was to say she
didn’t love him, sending him to a place he never wanted to go to again. So what
now?

He stopped at a light, the sparse traffic mostly taxis and
buses and not a car in sight. He stamped his feet, impatient. He always thought
it stupid to wait at a light when nothing was coming, but then there’s always
the chance a car would come out of the blue and hit him broadside. And when he
stepped off the curb, sure enough a taxi careened around the corner. He jumped
back to the sidewalk and found his answer.

He didn’t care.

He didn’t care if she didn’t love him. He didn’t care if
today and tomorrow were all the time they had in the world. All he cared about
was she had come back. She had taken the last two and a half years and folded
the empty space to link them back together, as good as uninterrupted. She had
given him, he was giving
her
, a second chance. How many people got that?
And if she left tomorrow, if she took her suitcase and his heart with her back
to Washington, he also knew something else—he would survive. He would survive
because he had lived to try again, and that was the best he could hope for in
this out-of-control world.

Suddenly he felt light, lighter than he had ever been. He
looked across the street and there was a store just turning the lights
on—women’s clothing, he could see. He looked up and the stoplight changed.
Lights,
lights, lights.
He trotted across, smiling, weightless, ethereal, pick up a
thesaurus and point. He went to the door. It was locked. There was a woman
behind the counter, waving him off, pointing to her watch. “We open at nine.
Sorry.”

Doug folded his hands in supplication. “Oh please. Today’s
our anniversary, and I didn’t get my wife a thing. I can’t go home until I do.
Please!”

The look on her face told him she was wary. Why should she
open the door to a complete stranger, blathering about anniversaries at barely
eight o’clock on a Saturday morning? He reached into his pocket. “Look,” he
said, pressing his shield up against the glass, “I’m a Camden police officer.
One who’s in a real bind. I’ll make it worth your while. I swear.” Then he
flashed his lethal Welland smile, a bit of a trump card known to leave more
than a few women fairly helpless. She smiled back. And opened the door.

Ten minutes later he was on the street, clutching two bags,
three hundred dollars lighter. Back at the hotel he picked up the house phone
and ordered a full breakfast for two. And coffee, lots and lots of coffee. A
minute more and he was back at the room, shoving the keycard in the door.

When he walked in the room was empty.

“Gina!” he screamed.

She poked her head from the bathroom. “Jesus, Doug! What?”

He dropped the bags, rushing to her. He didn’t think—he
couldn’t
think. He just took her in his arms and crushed her against him, kissing her
over and over again.

Gina laughed, holding her arms out, her hands white with
lotion. Finally she just gave up and swiped them down her hotel-supplied robe,
wrapping her arms around him. “Wow, that’s some welcome. I can’t imagine what’d
happen if you left me for a full hour.”

He held her out. “It’s just that you were, and I— Oh hell.”
He kissed her again.

“I’m all right. Doug. Doug!” She pushed him back, holding
him by the shoulders. “Doug, sweetie, please.” She pressed his hand to her
cheek and whispered, “I’m all right. Really I am.” She kissed his palm. “See?”

He exhaled, pulling her to him. He still wasn’t sure whether
she was all right or not. But he was, at least for now.

* * * * *

9:37 A.M.

Gina turned around, checking the slitted skirt in the
mirror. “This looks great!” She turned back, cocking a hip. “Who would’ve
thought? My little Doug, my own metrosexual fashion dude.”

He spread his legs, leaning back in the chair. “I had some
help.”

“Now don’t be modest,” she said, sliding into his lap. She
adjusted the cashmere sweater on her shoulder. “I love the panties too. So I’m
back to wearing them?”

He snorted, dropping a hand to her knee. “Well, they
looked—”

“Sexy?” she finished. “That’s okay. It’s always a lot of fun
getting them off.” Her BlackBerry chimed. She leaned over the end table and
grabbed it. “That’s Jack. Finally.” She switched it to speaker. “Jack. It’s
about time. I’ve been calling you all morning.”

“Now you know how I felt yesterday,” he said without
preamble.

“That’s my fault,” Doug said. “We were following a few
leads. And someone broke into Gina’s hotel room yesterday. We had to check her
out.”

“Damn. I’m sorry, G. Where you at now?”

Doug winced. He hated that nickname. He hated she had a
nickname he didn’t give her. “Why? Can’t you—”

“We’re at the Radisson in Philly,” Gina interjected,
squeezing his knee. “We came to check out that email addy. But I’ll be staying
at Doug’s place in Camden.”

“In Camden?” Jack cleared his throat. “Of course. At Doug’s
place. I’m sure you’ll be perfectly safe.”

Doug shifted beneath her, exhaling heavily. Gina swiped her
hand under his chin and asked, “Jack, why didn’t you tell me about Milton
Tate?”

Silence for a moment. “That’s far from finalized.”

“It sure as hell is! Especially since I don’t know about
it.”

He laughed humorlessly. “Gina, you’ve been a little
preoccupied these days. I didn’t want to burden you with it.”

“Jack! Burden me. I’m your chief of staff. I’m
supposed
to be your beast of burden. I’m supposed to know things before you do. How does
it look when I had to hear it from Lee Roland last night?”

“Wait a minute. You saw Lee last night? He’s supposed to be
in Washington at a party strategy session.”

“You don’t say,” said Doug, looking at Gina. “How do you
know this?”

“Because he’s on the vetting committee for my seat. As soon
as I announce I’m running for governor, I want to pull my replacement up on the
podium next to me. He’s supposed to be down in D.C. finalizing it for me for
tomorrow.”

Gina stood up, pacing. “Now you’ve got me baffled, Jack. We
decided on Jerry Szabo, the mayor of Florence Township, remember?”

He sighed. “There’s been a change of plans.”

“Oh really. Did you plan on telling me who?”

Another pause. “Ted Parks.”

“
Ted Parks
?” Her face went crimson. Doug jumped from
the chair. “Are you kidding? I’ve been working for months with Szabo. This’ll
make me look like a fool!”

“Gina, I’m not having this conversation over the phone. Be
at my office in an hour.” He hung up.

She was livid, but more than that, Doug realized. She was
scared.

“Jesus, Doug, why is he closing me out?”

“I don’t know,” he said softly.

The BlackBerry dinged for a text. She looked at it, going
white. “Oh God.”

Doug grabbed it from her.
Your big fan won’t have an idol
too much longer
. He scrolled to the source. PRIVATE CALLER. “Jesus, now
he’s texting. And it’s blocked.”

Gina crumpled to the chair, her face in her hands.

DISTRICT OFFICE, U.S. REPRESENTATIVE JOHN C. FALCO—RIVERBORO

SATURDAY 2 NOVEMBER

11:14 A.M.

Gina pressed her knuckles to the desk. “Why are you closing
me out, Jack?”

He sighed, coming around to her. “I’m not closing you out,
Gina. It’s just that things are happening very quickly.”

“Without me, it appears. Apparently, you must be
dissatisfied with my work.”

He squeezed her hand. “Nothing could be further from the
truth. I’ve never met anyone more dedicated. You’re the best there is, and I
mean that.”

She glanced to Doug on the sofa. She had his full attention.
“Then why?”

“Gina…” Jack scrubbed his hand over his face, half sitting
on his desk.

“Would you like me to leave?” Doug asked.

Jack looked to him, as if suddenly realizing he was there.
“No. As a matter of fact I’m glad you’re here. I think you should be.”

“For what?” Gina asked, getting impatient.

Jack regarded her, crossing his arms. “Gina, I don’t have to
tell you I’m in this for the long haul. I’d like to go as far as I can, all the
way to the top if I can get there.”

“And I want to be right there with you, you know that.”

“You told me as much. But do you believe it?”

She looked at him, incredulous. “Of course I do. Why
wouldn’t I? Do you think I take any of this lightly? Do you think I don’t give
you a hundred and ten percent and more?”

“Of course you do. And that’s your problem, Gina. You
squeeze everyone and everything out until you get what you want. You can be
ruthlessly efficient, more than anyone I’ve ever seen.”

“And what’s wrong with that? Because if I were a man—”

“Stop right there,” said Jack, sliding from the desk. “Do
not
play the sex card with me. You above anyone else should know that doesn’t
matter. What I’m talking about is what does, and Gina? You just don’t get it
anymore. I don’t know if you ever did.”

“Then what are you saying?”

“Simply this.” He looked away for a moment, returning with
an intensity Gina had never seen before. “To succeed in this business, because
politics
is
a business, don’t fool yourself, you have to let it absorb
you. Nothing else can matter, not even your family, because what do they end up
becoming anyway except filler in the background of your campaign poster?
Everyone you love, anyone you’re close to, has to take on the same persona.
There’s no independence in politics, there’s only lining up behind the party
line, Democratic or Republican, liberal or conservative, from ward leaders
right up to the top. Are you prepared to live like that?”

He palmed his chest. “For me? It doesn’t matter. I have no
pretty family to stand alongside me, no beaming wife to hold my bible while I’m
sworn in, but that’s okay. Why would you ever want to drag someone you love
into this kind of life? And I love you, Gina.” He looked to Doug. “Don’t worry,
not that way. But in a way I would love a family if I had one, enough to tell
you flat-out this is no life for you anymore.”

“You have no right to say that,” she said evenly.

He nodded. “True. But somebody should. Because you have too
much life in you to give it up for me or the party, not when you can be so much
more effective out there in the real world, getting your hands dirty instead of
dirtying someone else’s. If this whole stalker episode has proved anything it’s
what’s important and what isn’t.” He laughed harshly. “I should’ve never coaxed
you out of lobbying. You were one of the good ones, for a cause you believed
in. To get where I want I’m going to have to be an egomaniac surrounded by
mercenaries, and Gina? I don’t think you want to go there. Not now.”

She met his gaze directly. “Are you firing me?”

“Of course not. Believe it or not, that’s one decision
you’ll have to make on your own.” He turned to Doug. “The only thing that’s
important now is getting this maniac out of the way.”

Doug stood. “We’re going to get that list from Ted Parks
right now.”

“That’s what I figured. But he’s not at his office, if
that’s where you’re headed. I left a message on his cell telling him to call
you right away.”

“He called my captain the other day, trying to find me. Any
idea how he knew to do that?”

“I told him to,” said Jack. “He’s organizing the rally, and
even though we’re trying to keep Gina’s situation out of the public eye,
obviously there’s a leak. Having this maniac think the police are somewhat
involved couldn’t hurt. Ted just thinks we want it for general security
reasons. Anyway…” He stood, extending his hand. “Thanks, Lieutenant. It’s a
godsend on many levels you’re here. I mean that sincerely.”

Doug shook it heartily. “You’re welcome.”

Jack looked to Gina. “And for your information, G, nothing’s
finalized about meeting with Tate. All I’ve done is left the door open. As far
as who’s going to take over my seat, both Szabo and Ted will be at the rally,
as Ted hasn’t passed the vetting committee yet. And don’t underestimate Lee.
He’s been known to slip back into playboy from time to time, but he gets the
job done.”

Gina snorted. “Yeah, well, we’ll see.”

Falco placed his hand on her arm. “Look,
I
don’t even
know who’s going to replace me until I actually call them up on the platform
tomorrow. Just be there at noon. And, Doug? Please make sure she is.”

“A foregone conclusion, Congressman.”

They left.

Gina turned toward the window as they pulled out of the
parking lot. “My career is over.”

He squeezed her shoulder. “Maybe it’s just beginning.”

“Oh Doug, I’m too jaded for aphorisms. Try another tack.”

“Then how about this. Anywhere you want to go, I’ll be right
there with you. Does that help?”

“More than you can imagine,” she said, nuzzling his hand,
knowing full well it only made the guilt so much deeper.

* * * * *

SERIOUS JOE COFFEE BISTRO—RIVERBORO

11:51 A.M.

“He said he’d be right over.” Gina slipped the BlackBerry
into her purse. “Jeez, why all the drama? Why didn’t he just email me the list
two days ago?”

“He lives just a couple of streets down,” said Roark,
setting two mugs and a plate of fruit on the table. “His wife and mine are
pretty thick.”

Doug slanted him a look. “How is Pam? Still pissed at me?”

Roark smiled, sliding the tray under his muscled arm. “Not anymore,”
he said, glancing at Gina. “Let me know if you need anything.”

“What was that all about?” Gina asked.

Doug slid a mug to her, poking the fruit with a fork. “I
showed up at his house in the middle of the night a few days ago. Scared the
crap out of his wife.”

“Isn’t his wife that big writer, what’s her name, Pamela
Flynn? And she’s pregnant, right? With twins?”

“Triplets,” he said, sipping as he looked out the window.

Gina felt a little sick. Sick for Doug, sick for herself.
How painful was that to see his best friend’s wife pregnant, massively, no
doubt. She touched his arm. “I’m sorry.”

He looked at her sharply. “What for?”

“For it not being me instead of her.”

He turned back to the window. “Forget about it.”

“How can I? It’s the two-ton elephant in the room.”

“Gina, we can beat it to death or we can forget about it,
but I’m not going to let it sit between us anymore. I can’t. Because the fact
that you’re here says more about what we mean to each other now than what we
meant in the past. You do want to be here, don’t you?”

She felt the knife twist in her heart. “Oh God, you know I
do.”

“Well, there it is. That’s the best I can hope for, isn’t
it?”

This is why people meet in public places to discuss the
things too close to the heart
, she thought. To reveal them privately was
unbearable. “I want to give you so much more, Doug. Truly I do.”

He looked to her, impassive. “Do you?”

A bell tinkled over the door. They looked to it. A tall,
lanky man walked in, dressed in running clothes. He smiled cheerfully. “Gina.
So good to see you.”

Her smile was cordial. “Ted. We’ve been waiting for you.
Have a seat.”

“Don’t mind if I do.” He twisted the chair around, sitting
backwards. “Lieutenant Welland.”

Doug nodded. “I believe you have something for Gina?”

“Right.” Parks reached into his pocket. “Everyone from the
senators right on down to the guy who cleans the grease trap. No one got in or
out of there without getting on this list. Including me.” He leaned into Gina,
the printout between his fingers. “Now why is it you need that? Should I be
scared?”

“Only if you have something to hide,” she said, snatching it
from him. “Do you?”

“Ha!” he laughed. “I’m an open book. At least the vetters
seem to think so. Nothing but good news so far.”

“How wonderful for you,” Gina said, stuffing the papers into
her purse. “You’ll love Washington. I do.”

“Past tense, Gina. You
did
, if Jack goes to Trenton.
But it doesn’t have to be that way, you know. If I win, you can keep your job
and work for me.”

Gina’s eyes flared. “I’m Jack’s chief of staff. Where he
goes, I do.”

Parks threw out his hands, standing up. “Just throwing the
offer out there. Well, got to run, literally. See you tomorrow.”

Doug eyed him as he ran down the street. “Presumptuous
little bastard, isn’t he?”

Gina watched him until he turned the corner. “The thing is
he’s too used to winning. He always gets what he wants.”

“Like you?” asked Doug, nipping into a strawberry.

Her mouth crooked. “Like me. Now can we get out of here?”

* * * * *

HENRY STREET—CITY OF CAMDEN

12:44 P.M.

“I’m so tired,” Gina said, leaning against Doug’s shoulder
as he shut off the car. “Do we have to go anywhere?”

“Nowhere except up to my rooms. How does that sound to you?”

“Like heaven,” she said, yawning expansively. “I’m just
going to strip off these beautiful clothes you bought me and crawl right into
your big, bad bed. Would you like to come with me?”

“Over and over again, doll,” he said, grabbing her hand.
“Let’s go, I’m getting a love jones just thinking about it.”

Miss Ella appeared to be out, which was a good thing. As
nice as she seemed, Gina couldn’t help feeling slightly shady parading past
Doug’s parental figure, as though he should somehow be sneaking her in by the
back entrance. But then hadn’t all her lovers been covert, always afraid of
making the wrong impression, of losing her impartiality? Comparatively, it was
so much easier to be with Doug. He was so out of her workaday sphere she could
be herself. That is, as much as she allowed herself to be.

“Take a load off,” he said once they reached his flat. He
tossed his keys to the table and went to the kitchen. “Would you like something
to drink?”

“No, nothing,” she said, already slipping out of her
sweater. By the time Doug returned, beer in hand, she was standing naked next
to the bed.

“Hi,” she said, kicking off her shoes. “Or would you like me
to leave them on?”

His gaze took a leisurely stroll up and down her body.
“You’re gorgeous, you know? Like nothing I’ve ever seen.”

She turned to her side, crooking her finger. “Come here.”

He took a long pull on the beer then set it on the night
table. “I’m here.”

“So you are.” Gina reached up and slipped her hands inside
his jacket to slide it off, his tie following. He shrugged out of his holster,
locking his pistol into a gun safe in the night table, then kicking off his
shoes, stripping off the rest of his clothes until he was as naked as she. All
at once Gina held her breath.

Could a single human being really possess all that is
physically perfect? Or did love overshadow every imperfection? It was a
postulate that could be argued ad infinitum, but to Gina, the seeing was hard
to dismiss. As he stood there in the bright afternoon light, she took in his
spiky blond hair, his Nordic features, his broad shoulders and arms thick with muscles,
his perfect pecs, strong back, ridged abs and that ass! Good Lord! What an ass.
And then there was the memory of those legs twining around hers in sleep. She
felt a bit giddy.
Damn, even his toes are perfect.
In fact, he was quite
simply the finest specimen of male pulchritude she’d ever seen.

And he loved her.
My God.
She looked up at him.
How
perfect is this?

“You’re staring at me,” he said.

“I am. Because you’re gorgeous too. The most gorgeous thing
I’ve ever seen.”

A bloom spread over his face. “Gorgeous is for chicks,
doll.”

“Not manly men? Well, how about ripped. Smokin’.
Hot
.”

Red seeped down to his chest. “I’m nothing special.”

She couldn’t help but laugh. Gina wrapped her arms around
his waist. “Isn’t it always the special ones who say that?” She pushed up on
her toes and kissed him.

He gathered her up in his arms and took her to the big iron
bed, kissing her mouth, her neck, her breasts, trailing down her belly to the
join of her legs where he feasted on her until her breath came in gasps and her
groans turned to sighs. When she rolled over, he put a pillow under her belly
and made love to her bottom, licking every crevice and curve, biting and
sucking until he branded her as his own. Then, tilting her a bit, he held her
legs together with his as he sank his cock deep into her pussy. She raised her
body up and latched on to the iron bar, her heavy breasts slapping against her
chest with each thrust, her head thrown back as he nipped and nuzzled her neck,
the friction of the sheet against her pussy sending her spiraling over the edge
again. Which launched him as well, his come filling her, spilling over her
brim. When they stilled, she curled against him and they slept.