Quiet Angel (29 page)

“She was in the Miss Georgia Pageant,” Layla said.

“What color was your hair, Poppy?” Gage asked.

“Shut the hell up!” Poppy said. “My mother was a Miss Georgia. She had me in pageants before I could walk.”

“Did you win?” Gage asked.

Poppy shook her head. “I screwed a judge and got kicked out.”

“I don’t believe that,” Dash said. “I’ve screwed you, and you would’ve won for sure.”

“OK, OK, I’ll tell you what really happened,” Poppy said. “I got fat.”

“You weren’t fat,” Layla said.

Dash took Poppy in his arms. “I like women with a little size. I bet you were a cute little plumper.”

“I was,” Poppy said. “I thought fat sex would be gross, but sex is sex. It didn’t really matter. I was
awesome
no matter what.”

“Wait! I’m confused,” Gage said. “You’re so thin now, Poppy. Why’d you gain the weight?” Layla threw Gage a nasty look. “What? She can talk about our virginity, but I can’t ask about a few extra pounds?”

“Dude, don’t you know shit?” Dash asked. “You never ask about a girl’s weight.”

“It’s OK,” Poppy said, laughing. “I had a bad breakup around the time of the Miss Georgia Pageant and ate my way out of it.”

“I gained five sympathy pounds with her,” Layla said.

“Layla’s a good friend,” Poppy said. “She kneed the bastard in the balls—and told everyone in his frat he had a needle dick.”

“He deserved it,” Layla said.

“Dash, I guess you better treat Poppy right,” Gage said, “or Layla will be coming for you.”

“What did he do?” Dash asked. “I don’t want to make the same mistake.”

“You tell him, Layla,” Poppy said. “I’m going to refill my drink.”

Layla waited until Poppy went inside. “They’d been dating for six months or so, and Poppy told him that she loved him. It was the first and only time she’s ever said that to a guy. And you know what he said back? He told her he loved
fucking
her, but not her.”

“Asshole,” Dash said.

“She dyed her long blonde hair red the next day and chopped it all off.” Layla turned to Dash. “So don’t play with her. She acts all casual and whatever about guys, but it’s all an act. I’m not saying you have to be in love or anything, but you better be honest. If it’s just sex, she can handle that as long as she knows from the start. Just don’t act like it’s something that it’s not.”

*

Gage wiped down
the grill while Layla went in to get ready for bed. He felt good about how the day turned out. And he felt good about how he handled the media. He dreaded going back to the office in the morning. There’d be reporters all over the place. And there’d be piles of work to go through. He’d been so distracted lately. His in-box was the size of a small child, and his list of unread emails spanned a football field. The thought of digging through it all sucked.

He finished outside then turned on the flatscreen above her mantle. They were rerunning his press conference, with a photo of Layla on the side of the screen, and the headline
Continuing Coverage
splashed across the bottom.
Obviously they didn’t listen.
But he had no illusions they would. He wondered if this was more than just the press digging around, if there was something else going on. Perhaps someone was trying to convince him not to run.

His cell phone rang. “You did a good job this morning,” the former governor of Georgia said, “but you know they’re not going to stop.”

Gage shut off the television. “I know. What’s going on?”

“I’ve been doing a little digging. Probably overstepped my role as godfather, political consultant, or whatever I am. But I needed to know exactly what we’re up against, so I can protect you and deal with it.”

“
And
?”

“How much do you know about Layla?”

“Everything.”

“I can’t imagine that’s true,” Governor Clements said then launched into Layla’s entire life from birth to present, everything from her grammar school grades to tax returns she filed five years ago. He moved to the details of her abuse and time on the street.

“I know all this!”

“You know she was hospitalized for depression in Texas? On suicide watch? Considered a danger to herself and others?”

“Yes, but how the hell did you find out about that? Those are private medical records!”

“Got in touch with a few friends of friends. Some folks owed me a few favors. Not hard when you’ve been around as long as I have and know the right people.”

“I can’t have the press getting their hands on that stuff!”

“Of course not. I’ll work on burying the records. But this other issue may be a little tricky. Did you know she stabbed someone?”

“Jesus Christ! She was attacked!”

“The press, other candidates, could speculate it was a trick gone bad.”

“That is insane! I can’t have all this come out. Pull the plug on this political shit!”

“Son. . . .”

“No, I won’t do it. I won’t run.”

“Son, just listen. Every candidate has secrets. Their families do, too. I think I can help. But I needed to make sure you knew everything first.”

“What are you talking about? How can you help?”

“It’s probably better if you don’t know the details.”

“I don’t know about any of this anymore. Maybe it’s not the right time. I think it’s best. . . .”

“You’re running, Son. Don’t let the good people of Georgia down. Hell, don’t let your father down.” His godfather exhaled. “Look, just give me some time. Let me see if I can figure out who’s leaking things. Pay them off if I have to. Get some records buried.”

“You think these stories are being
leaked
? I thought this was just the press digging around, that this was politics as usual.”

“No, it’s more than that. This is a smear campaign against you and Layla.”

“Why? Who’s doing this?”

“I’m trying to find out. No one’s giving me names.”

“What’s your best guess?” Gage asked.

“Who’s Layla close to? It’s somebody she’s close to.”

“Not her family. That removes them.”

“Friends?” Governor Clements asked.

“Poppy. But she wouldn’t do this.”

“Doctors?”

“From a decade ago? I doubt it, but I don’t know.”

“Ex-boyfriends?”

“Layla hasn’t mentioned any.” Gage pinched the bridge of his nose. “Look, please just figure it out. Protecting her is the most important thing.”

“I’m surprised you don’t have a guard on her.”

“I’ve got it handled.”

“Good. I think you can protect her
and
run for office. Just leave this to me. Enjoy your wedding, your bride, your honeymoon. Give me that long.”

Gage exhaled. “OK, but you’ve got to keep me in the loop. Don’t go behind my back again.”

He hung up and walked to her kitchen window, looking out at the stars. He searched around, finding the right one, the one she showed him on the beach 12 years ago.
The Angel Layla star
. He’d looked at it so many times over the years, missing her, wishing for one more second, one more kiss.

Now he needed to be close to her, to hold her. He’d promised to protect her. He had to trust his godfather could make everything disappear. And he wasn’t about to go to tell Layla what the old man found out—and how easy it was. He was a little afraid if she knew, she’d run away again. She’d done it before. He couldn’t let it happen again.

*

Gage stood in
the doorway and watched her sleep, all curled up in white sheets. She looked like an angel, peaceful, sweet, beautiful. He slipped off his clothes and nudged Pippa to the foot of the bed.

The soft warmth of her body greeted him. He brushed a strand of hair from her face and breathed in her lavender scent. She gently rolled over, and her blue eyes fluttered open. “Sorry I woke you,” he said before her lips fell to his mouth.

He wound her hair in his hand and pulled her deeper into their kiss, their tongues slowly massaging. He slipped the covers away, and she sat up slightly. She pulled her t-shirt over her head, locked eyes with him, and slipped off her panties.

He grew hard at the sight of her simple beauty, her sexiness, all laid out for him. He hadn’t seen her this way in 12 years. He slid his fingers along her curves and cut a path down her smooth, milky flesh, tracing her breasts and down her flat stomach, grazing her inner thighs.

She reached for the old leather rope around his neck and pulled him to her lips, circling her tongue with his, melting into him, a deep ache building between her legs. Then she wrapped her body around his.

He ran his fingers down her spine and kissed his way to her neck, gently caressing her nipple. “I missed every inch of you,” he said, sucking and nibbling, slipping a finger inside. Layla moaned, and he let out a sexy chuckle. “You missed me, too.” She dug her fingers into his shoulders and pulled him tighter.

Gage took her breasts in his hands and slid down her body, feeling her shiver beneath his tongue. Her legs dropped open, welcoming him, and his warm breath came over her. He outlined her folds with his tongue, and she melted into his mouth. “I could stay here all night.”

“More,” she begged.

He loved hearing that, as much as he loved tasting her, watching her, stroking her. He grabbed her ass and pushed her tighter against his mouth, sucking her hard, his tongue slipping in and out of her.

Her muscles clenched, begging for more. “Don’t stop.”

He watched her arch her back. It was better than going Mach speed in a fighter jet. She was so raw, so free, and all for him. Her body started to quiver, and he could tell she was almost there. He slid a hand to her breast.

She tightened her legs and gripped his hair. “Gage!”

He brought her down slowly, enjoying the last of her tremors, planting light kisses between her legs. Her body quivered, coming alive again. He knew she wasn’t done, that she was building back up. He slid up her body and stared deeply in her eyes. She flashed him a sexy smile and widened her legs.

“I’ll be here in the morning,” she said and slid off his boxers.

“You better be,” he said and slipped himself inside.

She suddenly stopped. “Condom?”

“No,” he groaned, thrusting slowly in and out of her.

“You don’t have a condom?”

“Like this,” he said. “Just like this, like our first time.” He brushed his fingers on her cheek, and their eyes locked on each other. “Just this once.” Their bodies began to move together, remembering each other. He rolled his hips into her, and she pressed hers against him.

He pulled out slightly then firmly pushed back in. He did it again, totally filling her. He lifted her leg to his hip and gripped her ass, going deeper inside. They settled into a delicious rocking motion, slow but hard. “You like that?”

“Mmm,” she moaned sweetly.

As much as he wanted to speed up, he held back and watched Layla build beneath him. “Angel,” he whispered, “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she said, holding his face in her hands. He hit just the right spot, and her mouth dropped open, her breasts rising and falling.

“Tell me you’re mine,” he said.

“I’m yours,” she said, going crazy from his dirty talk, his dick slipping in and out of her, his breath warm on her neck. She arched her back and tossed her hands in his hair. She moved them wildly, struggling for something to grip.

This was intense, raw heat like nothing she’d experienced before, and far different than their first time, both of them full of nerves back then. The man had learned a thing or two since he was 18. She rolled her hips and thrust hard against him.

“Finish with me,” he groaned. “I need you to finish with me.”

She moved her hips quickly, wanting to do as he said, desperate to come again. She slid her nails down his back and grabbed his ass as she pushed against him. Her body began to shake. “Oh my God!” Then Gage let himself go.

Breathless, he held her to his chest and brushed a strand of chocolate hair behind her ear. “God, you are so damn good. Exactly how I remember.”

Layla sat up and straddled him. “Tell me you’re mine.”

Gage looked up at her naked body, a halo of moonlight around her. “You own me, Angel.”