Betrayal (27 page)

Michele swung her feet over the side of the bed, bent down, and picked up her sheer negligee, trench coat, and shoes. She put on the delicate garment, tied the coat around her waist, and then slipped her feet into her fuchsia, ostrich-feathered mules. She crossed the room and opened the door, but before closing it, she turned around and took in the mess that they had made of the bed. The sheets and comforter were crumpled up, and partially draping the floor. She thought about making up the bed, but she wanted Preston to have a blatant reminder of their shameless night together the moment he walked into the room. She smirked and closed the door.

Maybe I’ll model my outfit for Preston now since he didn’t get a chance to see it last night
, she thought, and walked toward his office. She knocked on the door, but there was no answer. She knocked a second time, and when he didn’t answer, she slowly pushed the door open. “Preston, are you here?” she asked, on the off chance that he was in his private bathroom.

He must be at court
. She went to the desk, and checked his calendar. Sure enough, he had a seven-thirty breakfast meeting, followed by a hearing, and then a lunch meeting. Michele was glad that he’d be out of the office until late afternoon. At least now she didn’t have to rush home and try to get back within the hour. Besides, it would give her more time to get her script together. She and Preston had fucked like pros, but hadn’t shared their thoughts. Obviously, he wasn’t reserved with her anymore; at least last night he wasn’t shy. The way his dick responded to her made her think that he was becoming whipped, and she smiled at the thought. Michele walked out of the office, and was headed for the foyer when the doorbell rang.

Michele thought it might be the FedEx man, running ahead of schedule. She tied the belt tight around her waist before opening the door. The smile that she had worn only seconds before, quickly vanished. “Hello, Congressman,” she said drily. He was the last person—
well, maybe next to the last person, since Ariel was the first—she wanted to see.

“Good morning, Michele,” he sang, as he stepped inside the foyer.

“Preston’s at a breakfast meeting,” she said quickly, trying to get rid of him.

He moved closer to her. “I didn’t come here to see Preston.”

Michele moved back a few inches to get some distance between them. “Well, I’m on my way out. I’ve got a few errands to run.”

He looked down at her feet, and chuckled. “You won’t be running far in those.”

Michele had totally forgotten that she had on the sexy slippers. “I, uh …” she stalled, not knowing quite what to say.

“Is that the new dress code on the Hill?” Then in a bold move, he tugged on the belt of her trench coat. “Let’s see what you have on to match those shoes.”

Michele tried to snatch the belt from him but wasn’t strong enough to pull it out of his grip. The belt wasn’t knotted and loosened up with ease. She tried to hold the coat closed, to no avail.

“Hmm.” His eyes took in her nakedness underneath the sheer chemise. “I love the way you dress for work,” he said, taking the lapels of the coat and opening it wider so that he could get a better view.

Michele was totally embarrassed, and stood there speechless. Though she paraded around her goodies for all to see, wearing tight blouses and skirts, that was on her terms and she was in control. But standing before Laird, nearly nude, for once in her life, she felt ashamed. Besides, she had no explanation for wearing lingerie at work.

He stared at her bare breasts, and licked his lips. Her titties looked better than he had expected. Her areolas were dark, and her nipples were thick. He let go of her coat and began fondling her boobs. “Ohh, you feel so good.” He then pulled her close. “Come on, baby, let me fuck you.” Laird was so mesmerized by her, that he didn’t even think to ask why she was dressed in the sexy chemise and slippers in the first place. At the moment, the only thing on his mind was getting his rocks off.

Michele could feel the stiffness between his legs pressing against her groin. She tried to squirm away, but he held her tight and continued grinding. She realized that there was no point trying to fight him; instead, she’d have to sweet-talk her way out of this situation. She eased her hand down to his crotch and began massaging him. She was surprised to feel how large he was. His package wasn’t as big as Preston’s, but it was substantial nonetheless. She closed her eyes, and thought about Preston. She could feel herself getting wet and horny all over again, and continued stroking him up and down.

“Hmm, that feels so good,” he said, in her ear.

The moment Michele heard his voice, her eyes popped open.
What the hell are you doing? What if Preston walks in?
With that thought in mind, she suddenly stopped. “Laird, I’d love to fuck you right here, right now, but Preston is due back any minute and we don’t want to get busted, do we?” she lied.

“I’m so hard right now, I wouldn’t care if my wife walked in. All I care about is fucking your pussy,” he said lustfully, still holding her tight.

Michele pushed against his chest. “The painters are finished with my apartment, so come by my place later this week, and we’ll finish what we started. Okay?”

“Where’s your apartment?”

She spouted off her address. Michele wasn’t worried about him popping by unannounced. She lived in a doorman building, and there was no way he could get past security without her permission. “Okay?” she asked again.

“It’s a date. And I promise you won’t be sorry,” he said, kissing her on the neck.

“All right, Laird, let me run,” she said, finally breaking away from his clutches. Michele showed him the door, and once he was gone, she leaned against the back of the door, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Damn, that was close
. Michele was playing a dangerous game. She didn’t realize how aggressive Laird could be. He was older and seemed harmless. Michele thought that she could flirt harmlessly with him, but now she knew without a doubt that he wanted more.
I’ll just have to dodge him, until he cools off
. She waited ten minutes to make sure the coast was clear before leaving.

At home, she thought about taking a quick nap, but decided against it. Laird had taken her by surprise. She was so busy fending him off, that she didn’t have a chance to get her spiel for Preston together. Michele took an extra long hot shower. While the water ran down her body, she thought of two convincing arguments. One for if he rejected her and one for if he was willing to forgive his wife, and wanted to try and salvage his marriage. After showering and scheming, she stepped out of the stall, dried off, and went to her closet. Though she and Preston had made love twice—well, three times if you counted the early-morning fuck—she still wanted to continue dressing conservatively to really make him think that she had completly changed. The buttoned-up look was working to her advantage, and she didn’t want to jinx her lucky streak. Michele chose a navy pantsuit with lavender pinstripes (which looked white from a distance), a pale lavender blouse, and a pair of navy, round-toe pumps. She grabbed her purse and briefcase and headed out of the door.

Michele noticed Preston’s car sitting in the driveway as she drove down the block. Her nerves began to take over as she parked behind his sedan. She didn’t know what type of mood he’d be in. After all, she had snuck into his bed in the middle of the night, and even though he had fucked her back, she still felt a twinge of guilt for seducing him.
Get a grip! Your plan is working brilliantly. Do you want to be the lady of the manor or not?
she asked herself. Michele sat in the car a few minutes longer to collect her thoughts. She had finally found her entry into the inner circle and wasn’t about to back down now. She took a deep breath, and stepped out of the car. Michele stood tall with her shoulders back and her head held high as she marched up the walkway.

She stuck her key in the lock, opened the door, walked in, and immediately went to her office area. Preston’s door was closed, but she wasn’t sure if he was in there or upstairs. Once Michele sat down, she noticed that his private line was lit. Very few people called him on that line. Suddenly, she began to panic. What if he were on the phone
with Ariel, confessing everything?
Calm down. He’s not stupid. Men don’t confess their affairs
. With that thought in mind, she began to breathe easy again. She logged on to her computer and was getting ready to check her e-mail when Preston buzzed.

“Michele, are you there?”

“Yes, Preston, I’m here.”

“Can you come in please?” his voice boomed over the speaker.

“Sure. I’ll be right in.” She picked up a steno pad and pen, to look official even though she didn’t plan on taking a single note. Michele opened his office door with trepidation. Though she was brazen the night before, at the moment she was nervous. She couldn’t get a read on his voice over the intercom, so she didn’t know what to expect.

When she walked in, Preston was holding the phone to his ear and nodding as if agreeing with the person on the other end of the line. He held up his index finger and mouthed, “Just a minute.” Michele sat across from his desk, crossed her legs, and waited.

“Did you sleep well last night?” he asked casually, the moment he hung up the phone. His tone was that of a host asking a guest if the bed was comfortable.

Michele couldn’t help but blush. “It was the best
sleep
I’ve had in a long time.”

“Actually, I can say the same thing.
Sleep
like that doesn’t come along every night,” he responded, cracking a slight smile.

“You’d better believe it.
Sleep
like that is rare, and if I were you, I wouldn’t take it for granted,” she said, tossing the comment back in his court.

“Trust me, I appreciate good
sleep.”
He dropped his head for a moment, and looked back at her. “In all seriousness, Michele,” he said, putting an end to their verbal jousting, “last night was totally unexpected. I’d plan on making our first time the last time,” he said, folding his hands on the desk in front of him.

“Look, I know you’re probably feeling guilty, but like I told you before, you have nothing to feel guilty about. Trey and Ariel are in New York right now, doing Lord knows what, so why should you play
the martyr and deny yourself? Life is too short to be miserable,” she said, giving him food for thought.

Preston knew that she was right. He was being betrayed not only by his wife, but by his only son, and the thought made his blood boil. At this point, the only person he felt that he could trust was Michele; at least she wasn’t lying and keeping secrets from him. “You’re absolutely right. Life is too short, that’s why as soon as Ariel gets home, I’m going to ask her for a divorce. Cheating can often be forgiven, but cheating with a friend or relative is the ultimate sin. I know I probably sound like a hypocrite, especially after last night, but at least I’m not going to lie and sneak around like she’s doing.”

Michele couldn’t believe her ears. Preston said the
D
word, and she couldn’t have been happier. “Yes, Preston, I think a clean break is best for everyone. Now Trey and Ariel can be together, and so can we.”

Preston heard her words and nearly choked. There was no
we;
he had fucked her on the rebound, and beyond that, he had no future plans. “Listen, Michele, I truly appreciate you being honest with me, and allowing me to release my frustrations in a physical way. But, I’m still wrapping my mind around the fact that Ariel cheated with my son. So I’m nowhere near ready to jump into another relationship.”

Shit! Why the hell did I say “we”?
“Preston, I totally agree. I didn’t mean
we
as in you and I as a couple. I just meant that now we can concentrate more on business and not be distracted by all of this personal stuff.” Michele knew that she wasn’t making any sense. She had already stuck her foot in her mouth, and it was too late for damage control, but she tried anyway. Preston was still sensitive, so she’d have to be more careful, and not tip her hand too soon. But at the same time, she needed to move quickly before Ariel came back home. “Preston, I can see that this conversation is making you upset. Why don’t we knock off early today and go get some food,” she said, trying to sound casual.

“I can’t. I’ve got a four o’clock conference call,” he said, sounding as if they had never fucked.

“Well, let’s leave once you’re done. I know this terrific little Italian place. The pasta is to die for, and it’s small and quiet,” she said, trying to lure him in.

“Michele, I don’t know. I’d planned on having an early evening and …”

“Come on, Preston, it’s only dinner. We’ll drive separately, and once we finish eating, I’ll go to my place and you go to yours. Okay?” she asked, trying to seal the deal.

He thought about it for a second. He loved Italian food, and since they would be driving in separate cars, he wouldn’t have to take her home and be tempted to go upstairs for a “nightcap.” Besides, he had told her exactly where he stood, and wasn’t trying to lead her on. Their brief affair was over, now it was back to business as usual. “Okay, sounds good. We’ll leave once my call is over.”

“Great. I have some e-mails to return,” she said, getting up to leave.

Once Michele was back at her desk, she wanted to scream. All the work she had done last night was in vain. Preston still wasn’t hooked like she had hoped. However, Michele wasn’t discouraged. She still had a few more tricks up her sleeve.

CONGRATULATIONS, COUNSELOR
,” Meri sang through the phone.