How did he do that? Her whole body tightened at his command, because his fingers had stroked her into submission. And she could do nothing but release at his insistence.
“Most beautiful thing in the world,” he whispered, kissing her on the lips as she tried to get her breathing under control.
Brady released her and then pressed another button on the elevator. Liz straightened her dress and ran her hands back through her hair. The sex had always been off the charts with Brady, but she thought it was incredible that every orgasm was better than the last with him. He took her to new levels with his fingers. She couldn’t imagine where the night would lead them.
The doors dinged open again and she saw a couple walking to the elevator. “Hold the doors, please!” the woman called.
Brady held the door for them and then led Liz down the hallway, on shaky legs. They shared a secret smile, knowing how close they had come to getting caught. Just what he needed to get in the papers for his upcoming election: “Congressman Maxwell Performs Sexual Acts in Public Elevator. Can This Man Help Run the Country?” Seriously, she needed to stop thinking about life in terms of newspaper headlines.
Brady stopped at the last door in the hall. There weren’t very many, which led her to believe that the apartments were huge. He swung the door open and she entered a modern chic bachelor pad.
“Penthouse,” she whispered, taking in the expansive apartment. She guessed that the square footage on the place was more than on the two-bedroom house she rented with Victoria in Chapel Hill. It was huge, but surprisingly empty. It was clear he didn’t spend much time here, but the decorations had been carefully crafted to entertain company.
“Yeah. I didn’t want a house. Nothing up here compares to the real estate back in North Carolina.”
“So you went as far opposite as you could get?” Liz asked.
His house in Chapel Hill was rather traditional, set in soft browns and blues with hardwood floors and dark wooden furniture. His penthouse in D.C. was set in a black, gray, and red palette with an L-shaped sofa and round chairs. The back wall was made entirely of glass overlooking the city, and was probably the best part of the house. The view was gorgeous.
“I don’t spend a great deal of time here. Most of it I spend sleeping or on the phone with you,” he said. He slipped out of his suit jacket and smiled at her expectantly.
Brady lived here. He slept here. He spent his time talking on the phone with her while he was here. She was part of his life, and he wanted her to be. It was just incredible and it made her light up to have it all come to her so suddenly.
“What’s the smile for?” he asked.
“I’m in D.C. with you.”
“You have been for a couple hours now.”
Her smile brightened. “Sometimes it’s hard to grasp that this is really real.”
“Well, if it’s a dream,” he said, dipping his face down and kissing her, “don’t wake me up.”
Chapter 11
A BRIGHT FUTURE
An article appeared in the papers the next day with a picture of Liz and Brady kissing at the airport. Another featured him picking her up and holding her against him. Liz flipped through the article on Brady’s iPad as she lounged in his bed.
She wasn’t surprised to see her face there anymore. They had both anticipated that happening. Brady had let Heather know about the airport ahead of time, but she still wasn’t pleased. Liz was certain that she could never do anything right in Heather’s eyes. And at the moment, lying in bed next to her boyfriend in his penthouse . . . she really didn’t give a fuck.
“I like that they’re still toting that quote from Heather,” Liz said absentmindedly to Brady.
He’d had Heather make a statement about Erin’s accusations regarding their relationship. They had thought it would be better not to go on the defensive and just make it clear that nothing had happened. The statement read, “Congressman Maxwell never had illicit relations with Ms. Dougherty while dating Ms. Edwards. The details of their split were not made public to protect Ms. Edwards’s privacy and for no other reason.”
The papers had circulated it over and over again. It was still showing up a couple days later. People wanted to know more, but so far the campaign hadn’t agreed to say anything else. Liz certainly wasn’t going to spill.
Besides two kisses, she and Brady really hadn’t done anything. They’d just agreed not to bring those kisses up. Since they hadn’t gone anywhere it more or less was irrelevant. They wanted to keep it that way.
“Mmm,” Brady said, tapping away on the MacBook in his lap. “Heather’s good at her job.”
“So are you.”
Without taking his eyes off the screen, he moved his left hand over to her thigh and started working his way up her leg. “I have a job for you.”
“Why do I have a feeling this is going to be sexual?” Liz asked.
“Would you deny me if it was?” Liz waited before answering. Brady turned to look at her with a raised eyebrow. “Well?”
“No,” she conceded. She would give him whatever he wanted.
“I didn’t think so.” He placed his computer on the nightstand, grabbed her by the thighs, and slid her flat on the bed. Liz handed off the iPad and then wrapped her arms around Brady’s neck. He kissed her deeply on the lips and she sighed into him. This was bliss.
“It’s so good to have you here,” he told her.
“I think I could get used to this.”
They stayed like that for a while, lost in each other’s kisses. She pressed her body firmly against his and let her hand trail down his six-pack. Every muscle was defined. Every inch smooth and beautiful. She reached the V that dipped down into navy blue boxers. He sucked in a breath as she fluttered her fingers against the skin.
“If you keep this up, we’re not going to get anything done today.”
“Who said I wanted to get anything done?” she asked, lowering her lashes and giving him a devious smirk.
“And I thought I was the demanding one.” He kissed his way down her jaw. “Though I did have some surprises set up for you. If you want to lie in bed all day, far be it from me to deny you your wish.”
His mouth had reached her collarbone and she felt his tongue flick out and caress her skin. She shivered.
Her brain didn’t really comprehend what he was saying. Surprises. Something about surprises. Or lying in bed all day. Mmm . . . sex. His mouth hit her shoulder and his hand reached under her shirt to fondle her breast. She arched into his hand and forgot everything else he was saying.