Fires of Autumn (39 page)

Kurt watched Scott a
moment as he wrestled with that very sentiment. He knew exactly what the man
was driving at; he was probably the only one other than Scott who did.  The man
had been hung up on Casey Cleburne for weeks but she had made it clear she
wasn’t interested.  The talk of remarriage, of coming home to someone every
night, wasn’t new.  Kurt had been hearing it for weeks.

Casey’s lack of interest
hadn’t deterred Scott, however. He still talked about her and made attempts to
go to the White House on pointless visits, always making contact with her somehow
while he was there. Kurt thought it was rather sad to watch, the man going on
fool’s errands. He lingered near the senator’s desk, his hands in his pockets. 
He felt deeply sorry for the man.

“I heard something today
that might interest you,” he said softly.

“What’s that?”

Kurt wasn’t quite sure
how to say it without coming right out and telling him.  There was no gentle
way to couch the rumor.

“Word at the West Wing
is that Casey is dating the new Special Agent in Charge,” he said. “It’s all
anyone can talk about.”

Scott looked at him, the
wheels of thought churning behind the dark hazel eyes. He cocked his head
thoughtfully. “Sheridan?”

“The new guy. The big
guy.”

Recognition dawned. “
That
guy?” Scott seemed incredulous. “Not the Anti-Christ?”

“That’s what people are
saying.”

Scott looked as if he
was seriously mulling over the possibility.  After a moment, he lowered his
gaze. “She said she was seeing someone,” he muttered. “It never occurred to me
that it was… so she’s seeing Sheridan, huh?”

“You never heard that
rumor?”

“Never. Not a word.”

Kurt didn’t sense
depression from the man at all. If anything, he sensed a challenge. It was in
his tone, in his demeanor.

“He’s a big, mean guy,
senator,” he said casually, thinking that perhaps he should discourage whatever
Scott might be thinking. “You’ve heard all about him, right? Why he’s called
the Anti-Christ?”

Scott looked at his
young aide. “I’ve heard about him,” he agreed.  Then he began to mutter, more
to himself than to Kurt.  “She shouldn’t be with someone like that. Not him.”

“Maybe you need to let
her decide, sir.”

It was apparent that
Scott was thinking long and hard about Casey Cleburne and the big Secret
Service agent. Kurt could see that. But what he didn’t know was that Scott knew
more about Sheridan than he let on. He’d known for awhile, things that most
people in Washington could only guess at.  Scott had inside knowledge of the
man and his workings.  He was shocked to realize that the Anti-Christ was his
rival for Casey’s affections. 

He hustled Kurt out of
his office, pretending he was leaving, too.  But when Kurt finally vacated and
Scott turned off the lights to continue the ruse, he went back into his office
in the dark and picked up the phone. Using a secure line and dialing a number
that wasn’t written anywhere, or recorded anywhere, he listened as it rang five
times.  Someone picked it up on the sixth.

“Hello?”

Scott sat back down in
his chair, the moonlight from the mild Washington night streaming in through
the windows.

“Hello, Victor,” he said
softly, leaning back in his plump leather chair. “It’s Scott.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Casey’s
intercom had been ringing steadily for the past several seconds but she hadn’t
taken the time to pick it up.  A glance showed it to be Lisanne but she didn’t
have the time to spare to talk to the woman.  Russ was waiting for an agenda
for his first meeting of the morning and she was running late.

It had
been her fault, really.  She and Colt had driven to work together, parking in
their usual spot in the parking structure, but once Colt had put it in park and
turned off the engine, he had grabbed her before she could get out of the car. 
He’d gotten rather amorous with her and, being weak to the man’s charms, she
had let him.  They both needed the comfort and reassurance after what had
happened with Mr. Meade. Casey’s skirt had ended up bunched up around her waist
as his fingers had worked her into a couple of climaxes. It had been sweet,
thrilling and erotic.  The car windows were all steamed up by the time they
were finished and they’d both had to run to get to the office on time.

Colt had
gone straight into a meeting with his boss in a smaller conference room while
Casey, her legs like spaghetti and her heart still fluttering, had tried to
focus on work.   As she finished up the last of Russ’ agenda and the intercom
went off like crazy, a figure in an expensive overcoat entered her office
space.

Casey
glanced up, rather startled to realize it was Scott Dane.  He smiled at her and
she mustered up the strength to smile back.

“Good
morning, Senator,” she said pleasantly. “How can I help you this morning?”

He glanced
at his watch. “I’m a little early for my meeting with the President. I hope
that’s okay.”

Casey’s
brow furrowed as she looked at the President’s schedule for the day.

“I’m
sorry, but I don’t seem to see you on his schedule,” she said. Then she started
looking at the next day.  “There you are; you’re a day early.”

Scott
wriggled his eyebrows.  “Wow,” he pretended to be very forgetful. “Are you
sure? Isn’t it Wednesday?”

“Thursday.”

He shook
his head. “And I rushed all the way over here,” he said with feigned disgust.
“I’m getting forgetful in my old age, I guess.”

Casey just
smiled pleasantly. “We’ll be happy to see you tomorrow.”

Scott
nodded.  Then he shrugged, glancing over at the coffee service behind Casey’s
desk. “Do you mind if I have a cup of coffee before I head back out into the
world?”

Casey was
already getting out of her chair. “Of course not,” she said. “You take it
black, right?”

Scott
smiled, watching her as she moved to pour him some coffee. She was dressed in a
gorgeous lavender suit that looked spectacular on her figure.

“Right,”
he said. “I’m flattered you remembered.”

She simply
smiled as she handed him the coffee and regained her seat.  Scott sat down in
her guest chair, very close to her desk, and Casey struggled not to become
unnerved by his proximity.  She found herself wishing Colt would come back from
his meeting quickly.

“I haven’t
seen you in awhile,” Scott said casually, leaning back and sipping his coffee.
“How have you been?”

Casey’s
forced smile was becoming something of a habit. “Well, thanks,” she said. “And
you?”

“Very
well, thank you,” he replied.  “How were your holidays?”

Casey was
anxious to get him out and get back to work, and it was a struggling not to
sound rude.

“Good,
thank you.”

“Did you
spend it with your family?”

“My
parents flew out from California.”

“Nice,” he
commented, eyeing her as she tried to refocus on the paperwork in front of her.
“Was Santa good to you?”

She
nodded. “He brought me a new car.”

Scott’s
smile grew. “Very nice,” he said. “You must have been a very good girl this
year.”

She just
smiled, because she knew she should, and refocused on her paperwork.  Scott
watched her, sensing the conversation was dying, until he happened to glance at
her left hand and saw the big ring on her finger.  His heart sank but the fight
didn’t go out of him, not yet. Engagements could be broken.

“It looks
like he brought you something else, too,” he said quietly.

When Casey
looked up, having no idea what he was talking about, he gestured to her left
hand.  Casey looked at the ring a moment.

“That
wasn’t from Santa,” she said rather matter of factly.

She hoped
he would take the hint and leave well enough alone, but he didn’t.  He
continued to sip his coffee, watching her, making her uncomfortable with his unwelcome
attention.

“Congratulations,”
he said, his voice low. “Sheridan, isn’t it?”

She
glanced up at him.  There was no use in denying it since he’d obviously heard
the rumors.  In fact, maybe the knowledge that she was dating big, bad Sheridan
would force him to give up.

“Yes,” she
replied.

He nodded
faintly, his gaze moving back to the ring as her hand perched on the computer
keyboard.  “I’ve heard,” he said. “I’m just… well, as long as you’re happy.”

“I am.”

“I hope
so. You’re taking a big risk, you know.”

He was
starting to piss her off.  Casey stopped typing and looked at him squarely.  If
he wanted to push the subject, then she was going to push him back.

“I suppose
I should ask what you mean by that comment, but the truth is that I don’t
really care,” she spoke in a low, even tone. “Look, Senator, I told you when
you first sent me those flowers that I was flattered, and I was.  I told you I
was seeing someone.  A true gentleman would have left well enough alone, but
instead, you keep pushing the subject of my personal life.  Please let me make
this very clear – it’s none of your business.  I appreciate your interest but I
am with someone else, someone I’m going to marry, and that’s all there is to
it.  All you’re succeeding in doing is making me mad, so I’d really appreciate
it if you would stop bringing up my personal life.  It’s absolutely none of
your business.”

Scott
could see that he’d upset her and he was frankly surprised by her reaction.  In
all of the contact he’d ever had with her, she’d always been exceedingly polite
and pleasant.  Now he’d roused her anger. He scrambled to make up for offending
her.

“I’m
sorry,” he was no longer casual or cocky; he was repentant. “I didn’t mean to
upset you. It’s just that… Casey, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t concerned
about it.”

Her jaw
started to tick. “I don’t know why,” she said. “I am absolutely no concern of
yours, so please just… drop it.”

He sighed
faintly and set the coffee down.  “Okay, I will,” he said. “But on the
condition you hear me out.  Just listen to what I have to say and I promise
I’ll drop the subject forever. Please?”

Frustrated,
Casey just waved a sharp hand at him and turned back to her computer.  Scott
wasn’t sure if that gesture was the go-ahead, but he did anyway.  He just started
talking.

“Casey,
I’m sorry if I’m pestering you,” he said in a low, soft voice.  “It’s just…
well, I told you this before, but I think you’re the most beautiful,
intelligent and sweet woman I’ve ever met.  I guess I’m not used to not getting
what I want, and it’s tough to fight down matters of the heart.”

Casey
didn’t say anything. She just kept typing.  Scott continued. “I heard that your
mystery boyfriend was Sheridan,” he muttered.  “Casey, I just can’t let this go
without saying something. You know that guy has a bad reputation.  He’s mean,
he’s rough, and there’s something very shady about him.  Do you know that his
last girlfriend was murdered?”

Casey
stopped typing and looked at him. “Seriously?” she shook her head with disgust.
“That’s the best you can do?”

“I’m
deadly serious,” Scott insisted quietly. “A few years ago he was working on an
assignment in Russia and he got a woman killed.  From what I was told, her
father was the head of one of the most powerful factions of the Russian Mafia
and rumor has it that Colt was trying to infiltrate the faction and they got
wise to him.  They tried to kill him with a car bomb but the girl got it
instead.  Bad elements seem to follow Sheridan around and I couldn’t live with
it if something happened to you because of him. Don’t you have children? What
if something happened to your children because of him? You need to get away
from him, for your family’s sake.”

Casey was
off-balance and furious, trying to shake him off but she only grew more
frustrated. She remembered Colt mentioning he’d had a girlfriend a few years
ago but he had never elaborated on her. Maybe there was a reason he hadn’t.
Casey’s patience snapped and she smacked her hands on the desktop to get Scott
to stop talking.

“Enough,”
she hissed. “You’re not going to force me to change my mind about him no matter
what you say, so I’d appreciate it if you’d just shut the hell up. I don’t want
to hear your slander anymore, okay? It’s not working.  Colt and I are going to
get married and that’s the end of it.”

Scott sat
back in the chair, eyeing her.  She was very angry; he could see it, but he
hoped that at least some of what he said was getting through to her.  It was
the truth, a very self-serving truth.  He’d gotten all of it from the horse’s
mouth, and Victor Meade had been more than willing to talk about it.