Page 39 of Bastard-in-Chief
A month ago, I would have growled out a response, stuck my head out, and made some kind of vague threat, but knowing I’m going to see my Sunshine any minute, has me smiling instead.
“Mercedes…”
She sticks her head through my office door, eyebrow raised. I point at her. “If my ‘scary boss’ reputation is ruined, I’ll know exactly who to blame.”
She just smiles at me like I was one of her grandbabies. “You mean yourself? If you want to keep up ‘your reputation’, as you put it, you’ll have to stop walking around here with a smile on your face and making excuses to talk to Ms. Alexander as you go through the lobby. Have fun!” She left before I could snap out an argument.
The muted ding of the elevator doors opening twenty minutes later pulls me from the project I’d been going over.
“Hello?” Sophie’s soft voice drifted through my doorway.
I come out to meet her, pulling my tuxedo jacket on and buttoning it, stopping short at the sight of her. “Wow. You look…” I can’t find words to describe how beautiful she is.
The emerald green dress she’s wearing has wide bands of fabric that crisscross over her chest, sitting off the edge of her shoulders, before wrapping around her narrow waist and flaring out into a full skirt. Her usual June Cleaver look has been bumped up to Marilyn Monroe, the low dip in the front of the dress barely containing her generous breasts and her smooth calves peeking out from under the knee-length skirt. Her curled hair drifts over her collar bones, teasing me with glimpses of her bare shoulders.
“Is it okay?” The worry in her tone and the way she’s working her bottom lip with her teeth has me across the space in a few long strides.
Pinching her chin with one hand, the other wrapping around her waist, I pull her plump bottom lip free. “You’re breathtaking.” I murmur the words against her lips, brushing hers with mine. “Damn, I want to rip this dress off you and kiss all the lipstick off your face.”
“Don’t you dare!” Sophie laughs, pushing me away. “You are not ripping off a dress that cost more than my monthly grocery budget, especially one with such fabulous pockets.” She demonstrates by shoving her hands deep into the sides of her dress. “And Emma will kill me if you mess up my hair or makeup.”
“I’ll buy you a new dress. I’ll buy you all the dresses you could ever want, if you promise me I can rip them off you later.” There’s a hint of teasing to my words, but the moment they leave me I want to take them back.
The light in Sophie’s eyes dims just a fraction and she steps back, putting more distance between us. “So, where is this event? I know it’s not in the building, I would know if you were throwing a black tie event in one of the conference rooms.” Something’s wrong, her words are forced, her enthusiasm fake.
Pushing aside the weird tension between us, I hold out my arm to her. “Well, you told me I wasn’t allowed to fly you to Maine for a date.”
“I said you aren’t allowed to fly me anywhere for just a date.”
I pull her to the elevator and push the button to take us to the roof. Instead of answering her question, I tug her into my arms and spend a moment in silence feeling her curves against me. “Theo?” Her voice is husky and ends with a shiver as I trace my fingers across the exposed skin of her back and arms.
“Just wait,” I whisper against her neck, dipping my head to kiss her temple. If I kiss her lips or her neck, I won’t stop. Instead I close my eyes and let the smell of her perfume—citrus and sunshine—drift into my soul.
The elevator stops and the doors open with a whoosh, the deafening whir of my surprise drowning out all the other noises of the summer night.
“A helicopter?” Sophie shouts in my ear.
Pulling back, I grin. “It’s not a plane.” Before she can come up with any objections, I lead her across the roof and help her climb inside. We settle in, slip the protective headsets over our ears, and buckle in.
“Where are you taking me? Not Maine, I hope!” Sophie’s words crackle through the headset, her grin back in place.
“No, not Maine. Just Seattle.”
“Just Seattle, he says. Like a helicopter ride from Portland to Seattle is just a normal, ordinary thing to do on a Friday night.” I can’t tell if she’s talking to herself or me.
“You know we can both hear everything you say, right?” I point to the pilot and myself.
It’s still light out, making it easy to see the blush that creeps over her cheeks and chest. “Well, now I do.”
Laughing, I tuck her under my arm, wanting to be close, and let the pilot do his thing. He points out interesting landmarks as we make the hour and a half flight, not that I’m paying much attention. Sophie soaks up every word, asking questions about things she spots and about the pilot himself. I’m too busy drinking her in—the warmth of her against my side, the sound of her laugh and gasps of surprise. The way her hair catches the light and how her skin glows, it captivates me.
We touch down on the hotel roof as the sun dips into the Pacific, the riot of shadow and light doing nothing to hide Sophie’s expressions of delight. I help her climb out of the helicopter, when her heel catches on something and she almost falls out. I barely restrain myself from throwing her over my shoulder and carrying her to the door
“Thank you!” She calls with a giggle to our pilot. He gives her a friendly wave before climbing back in. “Oh!” She looks up at me with those big eyes. “Is he leaving? How are we getting home?”
“He’s just going to the airfield nearby to make room for anyone else who needs the helipad.” I tuck her hand into the crook of my elbow and lead her to the elevator. “As for when we’re going home, that’s up to you to decide. We can leave whenever you want. Tonight, or in the morning.”
Stepping into the open doors, I pull Sophie in front of me, wrapping my arms around her waist, her hands settling over mine. If she can feel my already semi-hard cock pressing against her ass, she doesn’t give me any clue, but she does tip her head to the side, exposing the long line of her throat. I trace my lips and tongue along it, as she leans against me.