“Do you approve?” she asked in a small voice that was so not like her that it hurt him to hear it.
“I approve of you continuing to do what you love as long as you’re safe. We’re going to need to figure out what that entails.”
“You mean Secret Service.”
“Among other things.”
“What other things?”
“I don’t know yet!” He’d been president for ninety minutes, and they were already fighting.
“Here’s what I know—I’m so happy for you to have this opportunity, even if I’m sad for the Nelsons that they had to lose their husband and father to make it happen. I wouldn’t have wished for that in a million years, but here we are, and I was so proud tonight watching you take the oath. The American people are incredibly lucky to have you. They have no idea how lucky they are, but they’re going to find out. I’m prepared to support you one thousand percent in this, even if it’s not what I would’ve chosen for either of us. In return, I expect you to support me at the same level.”
“I understand.”
“Do you? Do you really?”
“I do, Samantha. After all this time, I certainly know what makes you happy, and I’ll do everything I can to make sure you’re happy.”
“Everything in your considerable power?”
“Yes,” he said with a sigh as he reached for her. “Come back. I don’t want to fight. I hate fighting with you.”
“I don’t want to fight with you either. You know I don’t.”
“Then let’s not do that, okay? Let’s figure this out together. We’re both going to have to compromise to make this work.”
“I’m willing to compromise about everything except my job. That’s nonnegotiable.”
Nick wasn’t sure how to respond to that. She might have to make some concessions to stay safe, but he wasn’t going to be the one to tell her that. “It’s going to take a minute for people to wrap their heads around the first lady having a job outside the White House.”
“There’s a first time for everything, and I’d love to make history by showing the world that a woman can support her husband and pursue an outside career at the same time.”
“For the record, I have no issue with you working while you’re first lady.”
“Well, thank goodness for that.”
“This is no time for sarcasm.”
“It’s always time for sarcasm.”
“Your position has been duly noted, as has your sarcasm. I’ll do everything I can for you, the way I always do.”
“Why do I hear a ‘but’ in there?”
“Some of this might not be up to me, Sam. They’re going to insist you have Secret Service, even if you’re not required to have it.”
“I might be willing to compromise—somewhat—on that if necessary.”
“Awww, look at you. My little girl is growing up.”
She poked his ribs, which made him laugh. “It wasn’t awful having them following me over the last week. If that’s all it was, I could live with that. But I still get to drive myself.”
He ran his hand up and down her arm. “We’ll have a meeting and work out the details.”
She released a deep breath and relaxed against him. “Thank you.”
“Anything for you, babe.”
“I feel like I dreamed this whole thing. Did you really just go to the White House to get sworn in as president?”
“I really did.”
“Giving all-new meaning to Black Friday.”
“Right?” he said, laughing. “What a fucking shit show. You know what the headlines will say tomorrow?”
“What?”
“Nelson dies, Cappuano sworn in to office he just said he didn’t want.”
“You said you didn’t want to run, not that you didn’t want to be president.”
“They won’t make that distinction. They’ll make me out to be a reluctant president.”
“You are a reluctant president.”
“That’ll make it harder for me to assert my authority. My political opponents will have a field day with my reluctance. They’ll make it a nightmare for me from the get-go.”
“Your party has control of both houses in Congress. It won’t matter what they say or do.”
“Maybe not, but it’ll be ugly—and we only got control of the House because two congressmen resigned due to ethics violations.”
“You can handle it. I have no doubt about that. You should govern like someone who has no plans to ever run for anything ever again. Like someone with no fucks to give for himself, but only for what he can do to make things better for others.”
“The no-fucks-to-give president. I kind of like that.”
Sam lifted herself up on an elbow so she could see him. “It’s true, right? You haven’t changed your mind about running in the next election just because Nelson died and you became president, have you?”
“No, I haven’t, but if you think the pressure for me to run was intense when I was the VP, wait until you see what it’ll be like when I’m the incumbent president.” He cringed just thinking about it. “They won’t take no for an answer.”
“They’ll have to if you refuse to run.”
“I don’t think it’ll be as ‘simple’ as it was when I was VP, and you saw how that went.”
“A lot can happen in three years.”
“They’ll be pressuring me right away about the next election, with the primary cycle starting in eighteen months.”
“We don’t have to think about that tonight. Did you take a melatonin?”
That was the only way he ever got any sleep. “I took two.”
“Good. You need to close your eyes and clear your brain so you can sleep. You can pick it up in the morning and figure out what’s next.”
“Is that how you sleep during an investigation?”
“Yep.” She kissed his chest and then moved farther down to kiss the muscles of his abdomen. He loved when she outlined his abs with her tongue. Burying his fingers in her silky hair, he sucked in a sharp deep breath when her chin brushed against the head of his suddenly hard cock. “You know what else helps?”
“Do tell.”
“Showing is so much more fun than telling.”
He closed his eyes and gave himself over to her care. “Couldn’t agree more.”
She took his cock into the heat of her mouth, making him gasp when she lashed him with her tongue.
His spine tingled, and goose bumps erupted on his skin as his cock nudged against her throat.
She released him slowly, going for maximum effect, and nearly succeeded in finishing him off.
He managed to hang on as she straddled him and took him into her body.
She was so fucking hot and sexy and perfect that he often wondered what he’d done right in a previous life to deserve the love of such an amazing woman in this one. Especially now, when he’d once again turned their world upside down.
“Are you relaxing?” she asked as she moved with erotic precision.
“Not quite yet, but I’m getting there.” Nick put his hands on her hips and then ran them up her sides to cup her breasts. She thought they were too big. He thought they were perfect. He’d never loved anyone the way he loved her, hadn’t known it was possible to love someone so much until he loved her.