“Going to come, Sky.”

Sky closed her eyes and waited for the moment she’d wanted since the first moment she’d seen Loren. When Loren came in her mouth, she knew a completion sweeter than she had ever dreamed.


*


Cam lay on the sofa in the loft with her head in Blair’s lap, enjoying Blair’s look of relaxed pleasure. They’d spent the morning perusing the newspapers, discussing the latest movies and books and current events. Neither of them had mentioned Cam’s imminent trip to the West Coast.

Blair set the book review section aside and ran her fingers through Cam’s hair. “You’re staring.”

“Mmm. Awesome view.” Cam rubbed her cheek against Blair’s middle. “You look great.”

Blair laughed. “Despite my advancing years?”

“Feeling your age?” Cam frowned. “Maybe I shouldn’t have kept you up so late last night.”

“Please.” Blair snorted. “Who fell asleep first?”

Cam grinned. “I was going easy on you. Thought I’d give you a break.”

Blair leaned down, kissed her. “Is that what you call it.”

“I like you happy.”

“I am. Really.” Blair sighed, coiled a lock of Cam’s hair around a finger. “But I keep expecting a call from Lucinda at any moment with an update on my father’s itinerary and instructions as to when I should report for duty.”

Cam smiled wryly. “You’re probably right. It is the new year, after all, and the campaign year is upon us.”

“I really should call her. Wish her a happy new year. I should call him—since I only talked to him a second last night.” Blair shook her head. “I’m such a coward. I know if I do, I’ll get her too.”

Cam raised a brow. “You think?”

Blair laughed. “Don’t you?”

“I try not to think about other people’s personal lives, especially not the president of the United States.”

“Even when he’s your father-in-law?”

“Especially then.” Cam reached over for the last of her coffee and took a sip. “It can’t be easy for either of them, if what you think is true.”

“Not when the public believes it has a right to know everything about you.” Blair grimaced. “I understand it. I understand the imperative of elected officials being accountable, but the boundaries between what should be private and what is rightfully public knowledge don’t seem to apply to him. Or anyone close to him.”

“You don’t have to campaign with him,” Cam said. “I don’t care if you drop out of sight and neither will he. No one knows me, except in relationship to you. We could disappear.”

“Are you complaining about being a celebrity spouse?”

“Not at all,” Cam said seriously. “But if you want to get out, we can move, find someplace where you can paint and keep a low profile.”

“Believe me, I’ve thought of it more than once. But I’m proud of my father and I think what he’s doing is important. If he believes I can help him, then I’m going to.” Blair leaned over, kissed Cam hard. “And despite my occasional complaining, I’m proud of you too. What you do is important, and you’re not replaceable. I’m sticking.”

Cam sat up and slid an arm around Blair’s shoulders, tugging her close. “Thanks. Just remember, no matter what you decide now, in the future, if you need to back off, make space for yourself, we’ll find a way.”

Blair rested her cheek against Cam’s shoulder. “I know you mean that, and that’s all I need. To know that you’ll be there no matter what.” She kissed the side of Cam’s neck. “You will, won’t you?”

Cam kissed her. “Always.”

Blair played with the button on Cam’s shirt. “When are you leaving?”

“First thing in the morning.”

“Then let’s not talk about politics or duty or anything else for the rest of the day.”

“All right. What would you like to do?”

Blair grinned.

“Besides that.”

Chapter Twenty-seven


“With luck, we can get out of here later tonight,” Loren said. “If we hit the road by midnight, we can be home tomorrow night.”

Sky focused on her in the misty mirror above the vanity in the small bathroom. The air still undulated with heat, and her skin steamed, inside and out. The surface of her brain burned, her thoughts scattered embers of sensation and desire. She couldn’t seem to concentrate on anything other than the way Loren had felt against her mouth, under her hands, so pliant and open and incredibly hers. She watched as Loren pulled a towel off a shelf, rubbed her hair, and tossed the towel aside. Muscles rippled in Loren’s shoulders, her dark hair feathered in sensuous strands along the taut column of her throat. Swallowing the sudden lump of desire that threatened to choke her, Sky said, “What?”

Loren’s gaze grew heavy and she stepped closer, reaching around Sky’s body to loosen the towel she’d knotted above her breasts. Pressing against Sky’s back, her arms wending around Sky’s waist, Loren whispered against Sky’s neck, “We can beat the crowd home. I want you alone for a while.”

Sky reached back and threaded her fingers into Loren’s hair. She couldn’t get enough of her. She wanted to be touching her everywhere. She wanted Loren touching her everywhere. “Ramsey won’t care?”

“By tonight, he’ll be too into the party to care who goes where.” Loren breathed in the scent of vanilla shampoo and the lotion Sky had just rubbed on her arms, the kind they always stocked in hotels, but on Sky the aroma was as erotic as expensive perfume. Moisture beaded between their bodies, and when she cupped Sky’s breasts, the nipples hardened in her palms. “Then again, we’re alone right now.”

“Loren,” Sky whispered, a desperate sound that might have meant stop or more.

“Right here.” Loren edged back, turned Sky with her hands on her hips, and kissed her. Sky arched into her and Loren filled her hands with smooth, hot flesh. Sky’s fingers dove into her hair again, tightening, tugging, telegraphing urgency and desire. Loren kissed down Sky’s throat, lifted her breast into her hand, and slipped Sky’s nipple into her mouth.

“Oh God,” Sky groaned.

Sky’s head fell back and her thighs parted. Loren pressed a leg between Sky’s, a welcoming heat flooding over her skin. “Right now.”

“So good,” Sky breathed, her eyes barely open, hazy and heavy-lidded.

Loren held her breasts in both hands and kissed between them, licking and sucking, edging her teeth over oh-so-sensitive flesh until Sky cried out.

When Sky slid a hand behind Loren’s neck and pressed Loren’s face harder to her breast, Loren slipped a hand between them, found Sky open and wet, and filled her.

“Yes,” Sky hissed between clenched teeth, pressing down against Loren’s hand, drawing her deeper. “Yes. Right now.”

Loren surged within her, desperate to hear her sobs of pleasure, wild with the tight, slick invitation to take, to own. Her mind blanked, her heart beat furiously, she gave herself to the blinding need to claim. “I want you. I want you.”

“Oh God,” Sky cried, surprise and pleasure ringing in her voice. “You’re making me come.”

Loren drove her through her orgasm, and while Sky still pulsed and thrust against her hand, she dropped to her knees and took her into her mouth. Sky’s startled gasp brought the blood pounding furiously in Loren’s head, and she took her with her mouth and her hands, over and over in one long swell of desire, until Sky pushed weakly at her face. “Stop, please, no more, I can’t.”

Loren closed her eyes and rested her cheek against Sky’s thigh, drinking in Sky’s soft sobs of satisfaction. Finally, she rose on trembling legs, pulled her close, and kissed her. “You’re amazing.”

Sky dropped her head against Loren’s shoulder and clung to her, more than a little afraid. She’d never given herself so completely, never wanted to be taken so thoroughly. She felt marked, branded, a sensation both terrifying and exhilarating. Loren’s heart pounded furiously against her chest, as if she had run miles to reach her. Sky kissed Loren’s neck, tasted salt and steam. “You’re the one who’s amazing. I’m not even sure what you did to me.”

Loren rubbed her face against Sky’s hair. “You’re so sexy, you kill me.”

Sky laughed, her voice shaking. “My intention is to keep you very healthy so you can do that again.”

“When?”

“I might need a little nourishment first.” Sky stroked Loren’s back. “And I might have a few other things I want.” Her hand dropped to Loren’s ass, squeezed. “Like this.”

Loren laughed softly and pressed her pelvis into Sky’s thigh. “Works for me.”

“Let’s go put in an appearance so we can get out of here. But, Loren?”

“Hmm?” Loren stroked Sky’s breast, thinking about tasting her again.

“You’re pretty banged up. You might need to take the bitch seat.”

Loren laughed. “You keep dreaming.”

Sky kissed her, the expression in her eyes suddenly serious. “Maybe I am.”

Loren wanted to tell her not to worry, wanted to keep her safe, and knew she could do neither. But she could give her the truth. “This is no dream. This is real.”


*


Sky’s phone vibrated in the front pocket of her jeans, and she searched the casino for Loren. She found her at the far end of the bar, drinking with Ramsey, Quincy, and some biker she didn’t know. The only other person who might be calling her was Dan. She said to Trish, “Gotta hit the ladies’. I’ll catch you later, okay?”

“Sure, sweetie,” Trish said. “Have fun.”

Sky threaded her way through the crush of bikers in the direction of the restrooms but quickly ducked out a side door before she reached them. A few people congregated near the exit, a few smoking, others in various stages of working up to sex. None of them paid any attention to her. She strolled away from the cone of weak illumination thrown by the security light above the fire door and smiled at a younger woman in a short leather jacket with faux leopard fur at the throat, and pants that looked like they were made out of red latex painted onto her pencil-thin legs. She rocked back and forth on stiletto heels while she smoked furiously.