The Gentlewoman (6 page)

Rory arrived at her office to find Nicole already there,
alone and on the phone working to make appointments with the eleven members of
the Appropriations Committee. As Rory grabbed a cup of coffee, she could hear
Nicole talking.

“Tell the representative that Nicole Dailey from
Congresswoman Morgan’s office phoned to set an appointment to review
legislation and discuss mutual agendas. Yes, thank you.” She hung up and Rory
walked in, sipping her coffee.

“You’re at it early this morning,” Rory said as she sat
down, cupping her mug.

“Yes, I wanted to get started on Morgan’s Eleven.” Nicole winked.

“Well, Prego, what do you have for me?” They smiled at each
other at the endearment Rory always used when Nicole was expecting.

“I have appointments for you with Richards and Marshall for
tomorrow. I left messages with Brown and Donnelly’s people and they said they’d
get back to me today. I’ll harass them again tomorrow morning if I haven’t
heard back from them.” She handed Rory a sheet of paper with all the
information on it including the meeting dates, times and locations.

“I’m having lunch with Arness and Moore on Wednesday,” Rory
announced as she held the paper in front of her face, taking another sip from
her mug.

“How’d you manage a lunch, newbie?”

“I’m magic,” Rory said, smiling slyly.

“I know, so what kind of wand did you wave?”

“Honestly, and don’t give me crap about it, Dorn invited
me.”

Nicole held her eyes. “He’s very handy, Ror. I like this
one.” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“You’ve made that abundantly clear, Prego. It must be the
hormones.”

“Yes, you should get yourself a set.” She smiled brightly.

Over the next two days, Rory worked on strategy to secure
the rest of the necessary votes from the Appropriations Committee. By
mid-morning Wednesday she had commitments from five of the eleven. Along with
Brown, she had confirmed Donnelly, Marshall, Richards and Goodhouse. Rory sat
at her desk and reviewed the manner in which the vote was coming together.
Counting Dorn, she had six of the eleven, and was feeling very confident.

As she sat at her desk and reflected on the vote, her mind
wandered to her father and how proud this would have made him. She recalled him
beaming during her swearing-in ceremony on city council. How she wished he
could see her now. How she wished she could have saved him from Aidan. Rory
stared at a blank space on her desk as she recalled the look on her father’s
face when he helped the FBI convince her of what Aidan really was. In that
shabby beige room at the Federal Building. She would never forget that look on
his face, and once again, tried not to feel responsible for bringing that
monster into their lives.

A knock on her door brought her back to her office in DC.
The door opened and a smiling, flushed Jill escorted Jackson Dorn inside.

“Thank you, Jill, was it?” Jackson said, flashing his neon
smile in her direction. Rory lifted her eyebrows as the young administrative
assistant giggled and blushed again, closing the door behind her.

“Do you have to corrupt my staff with your incessant
flirting?” Rory asked dryly as she began to straighten the papers and files on
her desk.

“Jealous?” Jackson quipped.

“You wish.”

“Maybe I do. You ready to go to the luncheon?”

Rory grabbed her coat and bag, ignoring Dorn’s comment. As
they walked through the outer office, she gave some last-minute instructions to
staff. Then they were walking down the corridor toward the side entrance of the
Rayburn Building. Rory reflected on how comfortable she and Dorn had become
with each other. She still didn’t know whether this was a good thing or a lapse
in judgment on her part, but she was going with it.

At times as they were walking he put his hand on her elbow
or lower back as he moved over to allow people to pass them. It all seemed so
natural. They had been spending time together and getting to know each other
better courtesy of their morning runs. Citing the buddy system, Dorn had
decided he would do his exercise with Rory every morning and had been meeting
her at her door at six a.m. Although Rory had declined the breakfast
invitations, she did accept the rides to work, offering to chip in on the car
service. Dorn had agreed, but thus far had not answered when she requested to
know how much she could pay him to split the service.

As they climbed into the backseat of the livery car, Rory
strategically set her bag between them. Jackson smiled, as he did every time
she made effort to keep her barriers intact. As they rode to the restaurant,
they made conversation about who would be at the luncheon and about the agenda
that would be discussed during the business meeting.

The restaurant manager ran down the list of preparations as
he walked them to the private dining room. Rory made note of how calm and
collected Jackson seemed as he listened and smiled, and stopped twice to shake
hands with men who were having lunch in the main room. In the private suite,
Jackson looked over the room and the menu and thanked the gentleman who was
obviously relieved that all had met with his approval. As the waitstaff took
their drink orders, men in suits began arriving.

Jackson introduced everyone to Rory and didn’t miss a beat
as the conversation ebbed and flowed. She realized she was staring, mesmerized
by his easy candor with his colleagues. He laughed freely and made each person
feel special by asking about their wives or kids, or their platforms on the
Hill. Honestly, she thought, it was like looking in a mirror because he used
the same tactics she had learned growing up around politics.

Jackson explained an agenda item to one of the many
congressional aides, and she realized she was staring at his eyes again. He
really was so handsome it should be illegal. She looked at those lips and
whiter-than-bright teeth. She had noticed that he never shaved close enough to
be completely free of a short layer of dark stubble, and it was pretty sexy.
Her gaze dropped to his shoulders and how well they filled out the sharp navy
suit and how, as he pushed his jacket back to lean his hand on his hip, she
could tell how well his stomach was muscled. Maybe Nicole was right and she
should get laid because he made her hot as hell. Was she supposed to go without
sex her whole life? Love, yes, but sex? Everybody had needs, for crying out
loud, and having him around was like continuously watching porn.

“Rory, come.” He took Rory’s hand and led her closer to the
door where Congressman Koepler and his aide were removing their coats.

“Harold, Jake, welcome.” Jackson shook each of their hands.
“This is Rory Morgan, the gentlewoman from Ohio I was telling you about,
Harold.” Rory looked at him for a quick moment before taking Koepler’s hand in
a firm shake and giving him a smile.

“I’m so happy to meet you, Congressman, I’ve heard of your
work on funding Medicare and other social programs.” She turned to the aide and
shook his hand, noticing his smiling gaze. “I believe we have similar interests
on our agendas.”

Koepler was a portly man seemingly in his early sixties with
thinning hair on his fat head. Rory thought he looked as if he had eaten
something that was trying to fight its way back out. Unfortunately as the
conversation continued, she realized this look was not caused by a digestive
disorder, but more likely from his less-than-sunny disposition.

“We’re in the same party, dear. I’m sure all our agendas
reflect some similarities.”
Warm and fuzzy it is then
, Rory decided.

“Well, I was particularly interested in your proposal for
New York’s job training programs and how the TANF funding formula for the draw
down from Job and Family Services would change based on the proposed new
parameters. I had wondered what data you had combined to arrive at the
percentages you cited for full funding? The data you cited in the first draft
legislation didn’t hold up when I applied Ohio’s percentages.” She locked her
steely gaze on the congressman and blinked a couple times as if she were
impatient for a response. If warm and fuzzy wasn’t going to do it, she’d needle
him to death.

As Jackson watched Rory command Congressman Koepler, he
wasn’t just amused at her ability to handle the grumpy prick, he was turned on
by her expertise. It was a fact that nobody liked dealing with the fat bastard
from Buffalo. But sure enough, Rory had him on the ropes. As Jackson made the
rounds and continued his conversations with the other lunch guests, he kept one
ear on the conversation between Koepler and Rory.

It was fascinating to watch her reel the guy in, and he was
no small fish. Many had tried and failed to gain his favor. If she could pull
this one off, he would know that she was the powerhouse he suspected she would
be. At one point Jackson had to stop himself from laughing out loud as Koepler
followed Rory across the room like a dejected lover after she had haughtily
dismissed his financing plan as no better than voodoo economics.

Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Koepler was still hanging
on her every word. As Jackson approached Rory with Tom Arness of Vermont and
George Moore of Texas, Koepler shot him a nasty look and served up a pissy
remark for interrupting their conversation. They all stood around as Rory was
introduced and embarked on conversation with each one of them. Again, Jackson
found himself enthralled, the sound of her voice calling to him.

Jackson couldn’t help but watch how she glowed. She was
obviously very comfortable being the center of political attention, and for the
first time he really noticed how she came out of herself. He stared, feeling
that he was really seeing her for the first time. And she was beautiful. He
couldn’t take his eyes off her.

She was trim but not too skinny, having a sexy muscular
tone, no doubt from the running. She filled out that skirt so nicely he wanted
to run his hands up and down her hips. He looked back at her face and didn’t
hear a word she was saying to the group as he watched her full lips, slightly
shiny with some barely there gloss she had applied on the car ride over. He
licked his lips without thinking and imagined what they would taste like, or
even better, what they would look like stretched around his cock. As his dick
twitched in his pants, the group turned toward him, laughing at the comment
Rory had just made.

“Well perhaps this is a good time to sit and start on our
lunch,” Jackson offered in order to hide the fact he had no clue where the
conversation had headed. Everybody turned and found a seat. To his dismay, Rory
had positioned herself between Koepler and Jake Schnyder, the congressman’s
chief of staff, who was gazing at her. An unfamiliar pang of jealousy surged
and he worked to control the urge to pull her by the arm and make her sit right
next to him.

By the time the main course was served they were halfway
through the agenda, and Jackson was going to kill Schnyder. He called for a
break and peered across the table at Rory and Jake for the hundredth time.
Steam rose inside him as he watched the shameless maneuvering. What were they,
in tenth grade? Flirting and smiling had continued well through the entire
meeting. Rory herself seemed very at ease and smiled back. When Jake’s gaze
dropped to the undone button at the top of Rory’s blouse, Jackson made a hasty
retreat to the men’s room where he could get himself under control.

He splashed cold water on his face and breathed deeply.
Jesus Christ, he hadn’t known Rory long enough to have any thoughts past the
usual sexual ones, much less these possessive feelings that he hadn’t had for
any woman in the past ten years. He wanted to rip that motherfucker’s throat
out. He looked in the mirror and eyed himself suspiciously, deciding he’d
better get a handle on his real issues. He wanted her in his bed, for sure. He
had felt that way about a lot of women. But he had only felt jealousy a few
times, and only about his former wife. Never before and never since, until
Rory. He cursed at that surprising realization. And as he remembered what
jealousy had driven him to, he knew he needed to handle this shit better.

Rory excused herself and went to the ladies’ room. She had
been talking to Jake the Snake, as she had nicknamed him in her head. She was
quickly becoming bored with his attempts to impress the pants off her,
literally. As she went down the hall, the door to the men’s room opened and
Jackson pushed her back against the wall. It happened so quickly she didn’t
realize what he was doing. He braced one hand next to her head, and swiftly
planted his lips on hers. She made a surprised sound in her throat but quickly
absorbed the heat of his soft lips. She leaned into him. He felt so good. He
forced her mouth open and she tasted him as his tongue greedily explored.
Instinctually, her hands moved up his chest and she felt his muscles tense as
he leaned in and their hips made contact. In a flash, he pushed away. His eyes
peered into hers as both their chests rose and fell with rapid breaths.

“I’m not sorry, Rory. I really wanted to do that,” he said,
eyes boring holes into hers.

She didn’t know what to say. She was glad he wasn’t
apologizing but didn’t really know why she felt that way. She just kept staring
and breathing, as if that were all she knew how to do. After a moment, he
pushed off the wall and calmly walked back to the luncheon, not looking back.
After a beat, she stepped into the ladies’ room and looked at herself in the
mirror. It was getting harder and harder to deny that she wanted Jackson Dorn
to put his hands on her. And she had no idea how she was going to deal with
that.

The luncheon was still going strong when Rory said her
goodbyes and Jackson placed her in their livery car. It was awkward, so Rory
broke the ice by playfully scolding him to mind his manners if he visited the
restroom again. They were both smiling at each other as the car drove away.

The rest of the afternoon droned on. By six in the evening,
she was tired and irritated that she had to spend her evening checking in with
the party. She and Nicole headed to the Hyatt, where the happy hour preceding
the monthly business meeting was just getting under way. They both took a seat
at the bar, and Rory ordered a vodka and cranberry.

“Bet you wish you could have one of these, don’t you,
Prego,” Rory teased as she sipped her drink.

“Sure do,” Nicole answered.

“Sucks to be you.” Rory looked around the room to take
inventory of the arrivals. She was ready to pounce if she saw one of Morgan’s
Eleven.

“So how was the luncheon today?”

“Good, I got Koepler and Arness. I’m pretty sure I got
Moore, but I’m going to confirm with him one more time. He’s checking out since
he’s so close to retirement. Bastard better give me this vote before he
leaves,” she muttered, lifting her glass to her lips.

“So that’s seven.”

“Eight including Dorn.”

“Yes, let’s not forget our hot friend from Maine.” Nicole
smiled and met Rory’s eyes. “What’s going on there?”

“I don’t know, lots of snow, moose…”

“You know what I mean, Ror.”

“I’m not in the mood.”

“Well, there’s a news flash for you. When are you in the
mood to talk about Jackson Dorn? And that, my friend, is why I can’t help but
wonder what’s going on there.” She trailed off as she took a sip of her
lemonade and smiled wickedly. “I know something’s up, so just spill it. I’ve
known you forever.”

Rory took another sip of her drink and was pensive. It
wasn’t like there was anything to tell.

She leaned in and looked straight into Nicole’s eyes. “Last
night I fucked him and another chick until three in the morning. It was really
good.”

Nicole almost jumped off her stool. “Oh my God you’re
kidding me!”

Rory doubled over laughing. “Yes, I’m kidding you, but I
love that look on your face!”

“You totally suck.”

Rory couldn’t stop laughing. “You are so gullible, Dailey.”

“Fuck you. Now tell me what’s up, and I mean it. Cut the
bullshit, Morgan.”

“There’s not much to tell. We’ve kissed twice.”

“Ha! I knew it!”

“Do you want to hear this?” She took another sip of her
drink and continued. “At first I thought of him as just the man-whore playboy,
you know, very entertaining. But I like talking to him and I feel comfortable
around him. He’s hot as hell and he really turns me on. I don’t know how much
longer I can hang around him and not give in. He’s helped me a lot. He seems
like a really nice guy, but I know better. I’m sure he has an angle. I just
haven’t figured it out yet. He’s really attentive and helpful. I mean, I can
tell he has the hots for me, but there’s more to it than that, like he’s trying
to get close to me for a reason other than getting into my pants. Which really
makes it inconvenient. I’ve been more forthcoming with him, and most of the
time I feel like I’m giving him the rope with which he’ll hang me. Does any of
this make sense?”

“Makes perfect sense to me. Landon has you completely
paranoid.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about the fact that Landon McCollum has trained
you to be overly suspicious and paranoid since you were twenty-two years old.”
She held up a hand when Rory started to protest. “Couple that with the fact
that what Aidan did left you completely devoid of the ability to trust and I’m
sure you’re questioning every word Jackson Dorn utters. Which is a shame, just
so you know.”

“Look, I’m not stupid. I’m not past using people to get what
I need politically, up to a point. I’m sure that’s what he’s up to. He just
goes way overboard with the foreplay.”

“Have you ever considered the fact that maybe he’s just
really into you? Why don’t you just go with it and see where this leads? You
say he’s a nice guy and he’s helping you a lot, so what could be the harm?
You’re using him for contacts, so what if he eventually asks you for a favor?
And, FYI, what’s wrong with scratching the itch? What’s wrong with exploring
where this might go and having some fun along the way?”

“I’m nervous to find out how badly it’ll suck after
everything goes to shit.”

“The glass is just always half full with you, isn’t it?”

“Fool me once, shame on me,” Rory said into her glass.

“That’s not how the saying goes, and you know it. You just
turned thirty-five. Don’t you think it’s a little early to decide that your
shots at happiness are all used up? Look, I’ve been here with you through all
the bullshit and I know it’s been worse than hell. I know you’re not over it,
and sometimes I worry you’ll never move on. You hold on to the loss like it’s
an albatross you have to bear for the rest of your life. But I’m here to tell
you that you don’t have to. Give life a try again. Give Jackson Dorn the
attention he’s obviously looking for and see where this goes. Have some fun.
Move on.”

Easier said than done, Rory thought. “So I should just fuck
him? You are such a bad influence on me.” She smiled, trying to change the
subject. “Besides, Landon would kill me for hooking up with the enemy, and the
party wouldn’t like it.”

“Yes, and they are both worth living life for, aren’t they?”
Nicole stated.

“Oh look, there’s Roy Charles. I need to catch up with him.”
She walked away as Nicole shook her head in exasperation. Unfortunately, Nicole
was hitting the nail on the head.

Rory finally made it home around nine and Jackson heard her
enter her apartment. He tried not to concentrate on the fact that he’d been
lying in wait and jumping up at every little noise. He knocked softly on her
door.

“Who’s there?”

He smiled as she yelled. “It’s Jackson, can I come in?”

“Door’s open.”

“Why is the door unlocked if you’re in here alone?” He made
his way into the great room and his gaze fell to the new couch. She lay there
as if she had merely walked in and collapsed. “Long day?”

“Yes, long and exhausting,” she replied, without opening her
eyes.

Jackson couldn’t help himself. He lowered himself onto the
sofa, planting his knees on either side of her small body. As he eased himself
down, he slid his arms underneath her shoulders. His face was two inches from
hers.

“What are you doing?” She stared at him.

“I wanted to ask how you enjoyed the luncheon.” He smiled
and stared into her eyes. He brushed her hair back from her face, resting his
palm on the side of her head. His thumb stroked her cheek, looking so large and
rough next to her pale smooth skin. His smile faded as he breathed deeply.
Arousal slammed through his body.

“You had to lie on top of me to ask how I enjoyed lunch?”
she whispered, staring back.

“No but I had to lie on you to do this.” He bent his head
and kissed her lips softly and gently. He needed more and kissed her harder,
forcing her mouth open and exploring her with his tongue. She tasted so good,
like cinnamon, and her lips were so soft. Their tongues danced together and he
placed his hands on either side of her head. He pulled back and peered into her
eyes.

“I want you so badly, I can’t help myself. I want to be
inside you so badly, Rory.”

Rory looked into his eyes and he silently implored her to
let him continue. After a long moment, she ran her hands down his muscular
back, not stopping until she squeezed his ass. He moaned and captured her mouth
hard, his body melding, his hips rocking into hers.

He shifted his knee between her legs. He lifted her
shoulders and quickly peeled off her coat, tossing it away. He kissed her, heat
transferring between their bodies, and she lifted her hips, squeezing him
between her legs. His hard cock throbbed to be inside her, but he held himself
back. His hand smoothed over her neck and collarbone and his mouth followed. As
he sucked and nipped at her skin, his hand palmed her breast through her silk
blouse. Her body arched and she let out a breathless moan.

He kissed her hungrily and urgently. His thumb ran circles
around her nipple as he gently squeezed. Her body bowed and she ran her hands
up his back to his shoulders. His hands went to the buttons of her blouse,
expertly freeing them and laying it wide open. He gazed down at her creamy
satin bra, her pink flushed nipples showing through thin lace.

“God you’re so sexy,” he breathed with wonder in his voice.

He freed her breasts from the lace cups and she took a deep,
shaking breath. His blood pounded in his ears and he hoped she wanted this as
much as he did. He wanted his hands and mouth on her body. He moved to her
nipple and sucked the pink tip hard. She gasped and jerked as his fingers
teased and pulled on the opposite nipple.

Her hands caught in his hair and she pulled and tangled the
thick locks in her fingers. He liked that almost as much as the taste of her
skin. She breathed deeply and he felt her muscles tense. He moved to the other
nipple and his hand trailed to her belly. He pulled her blouse out of her skirt
and moved underneath the waistband, splaying his hand out over her belly, his
fingertips landing next to her hip bone. He felt roughened skin and traced the
area with his fingertips. She shot up, grabbing the back of the sofa with one
hand and pushing hard on his chest with the other. He immediately backed off
and looked into her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he whispered breathlessly.

She moved to a sitting position, resting her elbows on her
knees, her face in her hands. Her open blouse hung out of her skirt and she
tried to get her labored breathing under control. After a long moment, she
looked at Jackson with an anxious smile.

“I’m sorry. I guess I’m just not ready to do this tonight.”

“I’m sorry, Rory.” He was quiet for a moment, wondering how
much her reaction had to do with him feeling that scarred area by her hip. “To
be honest, I’m having a really strong reaction to you and I’m having a hard
time resisting what I’d like to do to you.” He looked into her eyes, trying to
gauge exactly how badly he had just fucked this up. Was there anything to fuck
up? He thought she had been feeling it.

“What would you like to do to me?” she whispered, heat in
her eyes. She shook her head. “On second thought, don’t answer that. Some
things are probably best left unexpressed.”

She walked into the kitchen, buttoning her blouse. She
opened the refrigerator and took a bottle of water. She closed her eyes and
held the bottle curled against her chest, taking a breath. He watched her,
feeling how lonely she seemed, obviously fighting her anxiety over his roaming
hands.

He was standing in front of her when she opened her eyes.

“Try to get some sleep and I’ll see you in the morning for a
run.”

She smiled. “I think I’ll do that. Thanks for lunch today
and all the help. I really appreciate it.”

“What are friends for, Morgan?” He smiled back at her and
placed his hand on her cheek. Neither of them moved as their eyes locked and
held. After a moment he left, closing the door soundly behind him.

Jackson closed his front door and texted Agent Durand one
word: “File?” He threw the phone back on the counter. He wanted to know about
everything that happened in that attack on Rory. He could feel her response to
him, damn it. He knew she wanted him. But she fought it. His dick was so hard
he could barely stand it. As he headed to the shower, he couldn’t believe how
badly he wanted to pump her harder than he’d ever had anyone in his life. His
reaction to her was incredible. As he stood under the shower and grabbed his
thick cock in his hand, images of Rory ran through his mind. Those lingering
looks from those dark eyes, those full lips, that tasty flesh…