Dirty Politics

Sterling Sibling

Windsor Rowse

Published by Windsor Rowse, 2022.

 Copyright © 2022WindsorRowse
All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form
without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright
law. For permissions contact: windsorrowse@gmail.com
 Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
 Chapter One
When Will Sterling walked into his office, he was surprised to find a
beautiful woman handcuffed to his desk. As much as the idea of a beautiful
woman handcuffed to his desk appealed to Will, he frowned.
First of all, this woman looked quite young; and secondly, she didn’t
seem particularly happy. Well, that was an understatement - she was pissed
He took off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack - taking his time. He
pushed the sleeves of his dress shirt up and sat on the top of his desk.
“May I help you?” he said, looking down at the woman who had not said
a word or made a sound since he’d entered the room. She didn’t look as
young as he’d originally thought - she was probably in her late twenties.
“I...I...” the woman stammered.
“Why don’t we start with introductions?” Will said. “I’m guessing you
know who I am since you broke into my office and chained yourself to my
desk, but I’ll go first anyway. My name is William Sterling, United States
Senator. You probably also know me as the brother of the current President.”
He held out his hand. She just ignored him.
“And you are?”
“I’m...my...” her voice faltered. She cleared her throat.
“My name is Olivia Dalton, and I am here protesting,” she said, her face
flushed.
“I see that.”
She sat up a little straighter (or as straight as she could while sitting cross-
legged on the floor, handcuffed to a desk).
“I am staying here until something is done about the contaminated water
in Carson,” she said.
Will’s shoulders sagged a little. “You’re in the wrong office.”
“People are suffering...”
“I know that. Of course, I know that,” he said, louder than he intended.
“Well, do something about it,” she said, her eyes blazing. “BV90 is
killing people all over the country. It needs to be banned.”
Will closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.
“You are talking to the wrong person,” he said.
“I’m not...”
 “I agree with you,’ he interrupted. “I would love to pass a bill banning the
local manufacturing plant from releasing those chemicals into the drinking
supply, but...”
“But, what?” she said, holding his gaze.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and swore softly. “That’s not the way
the government works. We need sixty votes. We don’t have them.”
She bit her lip; he couldn’t help but notice how pouty and red they were.
“That’s what I mean,” he continued. “You are in the wrong office. You
need to be in the Senate Minority Leader’s office. You already have my
vote.”
She blinked back tears. “If you wanted to make this happen, you
could...”
“Did you hear what I just said?” he asked. He stood up and walked over
to the window. The room felt small and stuffy all of the sudden. “I don’t have
some sort of magic wand.”
“I can’t believe that the most powerful Senator who just happens to be the
brother of the President cannot pass a bill that the majority of Americans
support.”
“Welcome to American politics.”
She bristled. “If you wanted to, you could fix this.”
He let out a deep breath and turned to face her.
“It’s illegal for you to be in here,” he said, crossing his arms over his
chest.
“I don’t care if I’m arrested,” she said, sitting perfectly still.
“I’m not even going to ask how you got in,” he said.
“Good, I won’t tell anyway,” she answered, shutting her mouth tight.
“If you’d just leave, I won’t involve the Capitol police. Hell, I’ll even
walk you over to Senate Minority Leader Birmingham’s office myself, so
you can protest to the right person.”
She rolled her eyes.
“We can go right now.”
“I don’t have the key.”
He stared at her for a moment, taking in her words. A line creased
between his brow.
“To the handcuffs...I...I don’t have the key,” she stammered.
He scoffed.
“Of course,” he said, walking toward her.
 She flinched as he knelt in front of her. His knee brushed her thigh.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said, softly. “Let me see those
handcuffs.”
She lifted her hand. He took it gently - turning it over to see both sides of
the cuffs. Her skin was soft and warm to the touch. He lingered for a moment
longer than he needed, and then reached in his pocket and pulled out a knife.
Her body stiffened.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he said again, louder this time.
He could see she was holding her breath.
“You can breathe. I’m just going to try to pick this lock,” he said.
He fiddled with his knife until he had the right attachment and began to
wiggle it into the tiny keyhole.
“I grew up in and out of foster care,” he said. “It’s amazing the things I
picked up.”
“I don’t need...”
“Shhh...” he said, leaning his head closer to her wrist. He jiggled the knife
until he heard a small click. The cuff popped open.
She rubbed her wrist.
“You’re welcome,” he said.
She glared at him.
“Do you need me to escort you out or direct you to the opposition
party?”
Liv shook her head.
“We’re on the same side,” he said, holding the door open.
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that,” she said as she gathered her things and
walked out the door without looking back.
 Chapter Two
When Liv exited the Capitol building, her friends were waiting for her.
“I can’t believe you left me,” she said.
“We chickened out,” Steph said.
“I don’t want to go to jail,” Ben said.
“What happened?” Steph said. “Did you talk to anyone?”
“William Sterling,” Liv said, as she started walking. “Are we parked over
here?”
Steph and Ben stood still and exchanged shocked glances.
“You talked to William Sterling?” Steph said.
“Yes.”
“The youngest Senator ever and brother of the sitting President?” Ben
asked, running to catch up with Liv.
“The one who is even more gorgeous than his brother?” Steph added.
“The one who is arguably the most powerful person in the U.S.
government outside of his brother?” Ben said.
“If you mean the self-centered, egotistical, hypocritical Senator Sterling,
then yes,” she said. “That’s the one.”
“Doesn’t mean he’s not hot,” Steph muttered.
Ben shot a glance at Steph who just shrugged and mouthed, “It’s true.”
Liv shivered for a moment thinking about his knee brushing up against
her leg and the heat radiating from his hands as he looked at the handcuffs.
She shook her head as if to shake the image away. William Sterling was
gorgeous and smelled amazing and had big warm gentle hands, but that was
beside the point, and not something Liv was going to admit out loud.
Ever.
As far as she was concerned, he was the enemy; and his hotness was just
a distraction.
“What did he say?” Ben asked,
Liv looked at Ben startled; afraid he could read her thoughts.
“I...I...”
“The bill - what did he say about the bill,” Ben said.
Of course. The bill.
“He said he couldn’t help,” she said through clenched teeth. “Or wouldn’t
help. It doesn’t matter. Really, guys, I don’t remember where we parked. Is it
this way?”
Ben nodded in the other direction, and Liv threw her hands up and
changed directions.
“I mean, he had the nerve to ask me if I understood how the government
works,” Liv said, her nostrils flaring. What a smug asshole.
“You were president of the Harvard Law Review. I think you would
know,” Steph said.
“He doesn’t know that, and I didn’t tell him, but he didn’t need to treat
me like I was an idiot,” she said.
She stopped walking and pulled her hair up into a messy bun. “Damn it,
where is the car?”
Ben pointed to the next parking lot.
“If he wanted to help, he could do something,” she said. “He was just too
prideful and stubborn to try.”
“What are you going to do now?” Ben asked.
“I’m going to force him.”
 Chapter Three
“Senator Sterling.”
Will looked up as his assistant, Marissa, walked into his office.
“We have a problem,” she said.
Will set down the papers he was reading and nodded for her to continue.
“It’s NokNok,” she said.
He looked confused.
“Oh, NokNok is a social media platform with short videos and...”
“I know what NokNok is,” he interrupted. “Why do I have a NokNok
problem?”
“It seems that a growing movement has started in support of fixing the
water problem in Carson, and I don’t really understand this, but for some
reason, everyone is directing their anger toward you.”
Will rested his elbows on the table and rubbed his temples. “Damn it.”
“It doesn’t make any sense, because you support this issue,” Marissa said,
while she scrolled through NokNok videos on her phone. “Why are they
targeting you?”
Will groaned. “It’s that damn protestor.”
“What protestor?”
“The one who handcuffed herself to my desk.”
“What?” Marissa said, eyes wide. Will waved his hand dismissively.
“She wanted me to act, and I explained to her that she was protesting to
the wrong person.”
“Well, she is,” Marissa said.
“I guess she didn’t like that answer,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“It looks like Liv Dalton is behind this. Is that her?” Marissa held up her
phone for Will to see a video.
“Yup. That’s the one.”
“She’s good,” Marissa said, watching for a moment. “Really good. These
videos are getting millions of views.”
“Well, she doesn’t understand the way the government works. If I could
wave my magic wand around and fix all the world’s problems, I would.”
“This whole thing is going viral in a big way. We’ve had pretty much
every major news outlet ask for a comment,” Marrisa added.
 Will closed his eyes and groaned. “I can’t pass laws by myself. I wish
these protestors would learn a thing or two about the law before they start
pointing fingers.”
“It says here that Liv Dalton graduated from Harvard Law two years ago,
very top of her class. Oh, she was President of the Harvard Law Review, too.
Wow,” Marissa said, reading from her phone.
“What?” Will said, his mouth dropped open slightly.
“Apparently,” she was heavily recruited out of law school but didn’t take
any of the jobs. That’s all I can find online.”
“What the hell?” Will said. He was up on his feet, pacing. “Are we sure
she isn’t actually working for the other side? Why would she target me over
this issue; she knows how these things work?”
Marissa shrugged. “I don’t know, but it’s not going away.”
“Get me on Newsom’s show tonight,” Will said. “We have to stay ahead
of it.”
 Chapter Four
“Hey, Liv,” Steph called. “It looks like Sterling is on Newsom’s show. You
need to come watch.”
“President or Senator?” Liv said, looking up from a video she was
editing.
“Senator,” Steph said. “Looks like you’ve gotten their attention.”
Liv smiled to herself and ran into the other room where her roommates
were watching the television already.
“He is so dreamy,” Steph said.
“And a jerk,” Liv said, giving Steph some serious side-eye. God, he
looked great in that suit, but no, nope, it didn’t matter. He was still a jerk -
even if he was a dreamy one.
“Shhh, I want to hear,” Ben said.
“Good evening. You are watching Brad Newsom Tonight. Our guest is
Senator William Sterling. Welcome, Senator.”
“Thank you, Brad. I’m always happy to talk with you,” Will said with a
bright smile.
“Yeah, because he’s a big celebrity journalist and not some nobody
activist,” Liv thought, squeezing the pillow she was holding like she was
trying to strangle it.
“You seem to be the target of a grassroots social media campaign right
now,” said Brad.
“It appears so,” Will said, with a smile. “Look - I admire these activists.”
“Bullshit,” Liv thought.
“They are passionate about an important issue.”
Brad nodded for Will to continue.
“I completely agree with them,” Will said. “I have been trying to get a
vote on this issue for ages. I am a little confused that their anger is directed at
me because I’d love to fix this issue. Unfortunately, Brad, we don’t have the
votes.”
“Public support is on their side.”
“Yes, this is what the public wants, but it doesn’t change how
Washington works.”
“Well, it seems to me that everyone needs to be working together.”
“Absolutely,” Will said. “I’d welcome the opportunity.”
 “Senator Sterling, will you stick around after the break to talk about the
upcoming budget negotiations?”
“I’d love to.
“What a smug bastard,” Liv said, turning off the television. “He’s such a
slippery politician.”
“He seemed pretty sincere to me,” Ben said with a shrug.
Liv glared.
“We should try to work with him,” Steph said. “I mean that’s great news.
You have put the pressure on him, and it’s all out in the public. He can’t walk
it back now.”
Liv twirled a pencil between her fingers. “We’ll see what they are willing
to do.”
 Chapter Five
“You’re late,” James said.
“Like five minutes late,” Will said, checking his watch.
He walked over and gave his sister-in-law, Elizabeth, a kiss on the cheek.
A big dog came bounding up. “Hey, Marryme,” Will said, scratching the
dog behind the ears. Marryme wiggled around and yipped.
“I still cannot believe you decided to call her Marryme,” Will said with a
laugh.
James gave Elizabeth Marryme as a puppy at Christmas to propose.
“Nothing else seemed to fit,” James said with a smile.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said to her. She waved her hand. “You’re
not late.”
“Is my niece asleep?” Will said.
“Yes,” James said. “Maybe if you’d come earlier next time you can see
her.”
Will nodded.
“Are you ready to eat?” Elizabeth said. “I think they just put out the food
in the dining room.”
“I’m starving,” Will said.
They all sat down around the table in the dining room residence of the
White House. Even though his brother had been President for over a year,
Will couldn’t help but feel a sense of awe every time he came to the White
House.
“Things online aren’t looking great for you. That NokNok girl really has
it out for you,” James said. “What the hell is going on with that?”
Will groaned while cutting his steak. He had been hoping to avoid the
subject, so he stuffed a piece of steak in his mouth and shrugged.
“I don’t get why they are mad at you,” Elizabeth said. “You don’t have
anything to do
with Carson.”
“It just keeps getting worse,” Will said. He cut his steak aggressively.
“Chill out - it’s already dead,” James said, pointing to Will’s steak.
Will dropped his knife and sighed. “It’s taking so much time away from
the work I
need to get done.”
 “You seemed to have really pissed off this woman,” James said with a
laugh.
“That’s an understatement,” Will said. He bristled at the thought of her.
Why did she
have to be so difficult? How hard is it to understand we are, in fact, on
the same side?
“Things are only getting worse for you,” James said. “They want to see
action; not just interviews.”
“I think the solution is obvious,” Elizabeth said, taking a sip of her red
wine.
“What is that?” Will said, his head pounding.
“You need to hire her.”
“What?” Will said, his body stiffened. “You must be kidding me.”
There is no way in hell I’m going to spend every day with that obnoxious,
entitled, delusional woman in my office.
“It makes sense,” James said, spearing a green bean. “If you can’t beat
them, join them.”
“Weren’t you just complaining to us about how your social media person
had taken a job at Infinity?” Elizabeth said with a smile. “Sounds like we
could kill two birds with one stone.”
Will closed his eyes. Over my dead body.
“Sounds like the perfect solution,” James said. “You’ve got bigger things
on your plate right now, Will. Take the easy way out.”
This is NOT going to be easy. Nothing about Liv Dalton is easy.

—-

“Eek!” Steph shrieked, jumping up and down.

“They set up a meeting!” Ben said. “You are going to sit down with
Senator Sterling.
“Again,” Liv said.
“Sort of, last time wasn’t so much a meeting and more trespassing,” Ben
said. “This is what you wanted.”
“I want the bill passed,” Liv said, tapping her foot.
“Well, this is the first step,” Steph said, hugging her. “I’m so proud of
you.”
“You can congratulate me when I get the bill passed.”
 “He is amazing, Liv,” Ben said. “You used to be a fan.”
“Until I met him. You know what they say: never meet your heroes.”
“Well, I find his story super inspiring,” Steph said. “Growing up in foster
care and being adopted by his brother when their foster mother died.”
“With all six of his other siblings,” Ben added. “I know his older brother,
James...President Sterling gets all the credit for adopting and raising his
siblings, but Will was a big part of it too.”
“Yeah, from all the stories I’ve read, Senator Sterling was a teenager at
the time, and he helped raise his siblings, got a job, and went to school to
help keep them afloat,” Steph said.
“Well, I guess he’s forgotten his roots because he’s a pompous ass,” Liv
said.
“I don’t think he’s going to help you with that attitude,” Steph said.
Liv crossed her arms over her chest.
“Fine,” she said through gritted teeth. “I’ll be nice. I promise.”

The next morning, Liv waited outside Senator Sterling’s office. Her knee
bounced, and she fiddled with her hair.
“Liv,” Marissa said.
“Yes.”
“Senator Sterling can see you now.”
When Liv walked into Will’s office, he inhaled sharply. Unlike last time
when she was wearing an old t-shirt and ripped jeans, today Liv was wearing
a form-fitting black dress and heels. Her legs looked impossibly long. Will
quickly averted his eyes.
Had her eyes been that green last time?
“Olivia - or do you prefer to be called Liv?” Will said, holding out his
hand.
“Liv is fine,” she said, shaking his hand. A warmth spread throughout his
body as their hands touched.
“Please sit,” he said, motioning for a chair. “You don’t have to sit on the
floor this time.”
‘I left my handcuffs at home,” she said.
He shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. “For the best.”
She nodded.
 “Thank you for coming in,” he said. “You’ve run quite a social media
campaign.”
“Thank you,” she said, sitting up straight with her head held high. “I hope
this has motivated you to work on the clean water initiative. Carson has
gotten the most attention recently, but BV90 is being used across the country
and spreading in our water supply.”
“That’s why I asked you here today,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
She sat up even straighter.
“We’d like you to join our team,” he said.
“Excuse me?” Elizabeth said, blinking.
“I’m offering you a job.”
“Doing what?”
“Social media and working on the clean water bill.”
“Are you buying me off? Tired of the bad press? won’t shut up that
easily,” she said, digging her fingernails into her thighs.
He scoffed. Why does she have to be so difficult about everything?
“Most people would jump at an opportunity like this,” he said, his voice
rising.
“I’m not most people,” she said, folding her arms over her chest.
“Clearly.”
“Are you really going to try to get this bill passed?”
“I’ve been trying for two years,” he said. “We’ll see if you can get it
passed without the votes.”
Her blood pressure began to rise.
“I don’t know why you’re so opposed to trying,” she said.
“Because I like to focus my time on things that I can actually
accomplish,” he said, rubbing his temples.
She pressed her lips firmly together and chewed on the inside of her
cheek.
He let out a deep breath.
“Listen, I admire your passion. I really do,” he said, his voice softer.
She scoffed.
“Don’t patronize me,” she said, her eyes narrowing.
“I...I wasn’t..” he stammered and then paused. “Listen, I’m giving you the
biggest platform possible. Do you want it or not?”
“Fine,” she said, getting up from her seat.
“Fine, he said, his voice tight. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
 After she left his office, he slammed the door, plopped down in his chair,
put his forehead on the cold desk, and growled in frustration.
What the hell was her problem?
 Chapter Six
“Dev,” Liv said, as he sat down beside her at the Olde Town Tavern. “You’re
here.”
“Where else would I be?” he said with a warm smile. “I wouldn’t miss
Smarty Pints Trivia Night. What would my team do without me?”
“We’d be lost.”
“We got matching shirts,” Ben said, throwing a shirt at Dev.
“Taking Care of Quizness - nice,” Dev said, reading the shirt before
pulling it on.
“We have a winning streak to protect,” Steph said, setting down four
beers on their table.
“I’ll drink to that,” Liv said, taking a sip of her beer.
“I think we should drink to Liv’s new job,” Ben said.
“What? What new job?” Dev said, looking at Liv with wide eyes.
“Oh, it’s just...” Liv started.
“She got a job in William Sterling’s office,” Steph said.
“Liv,” Dev said. “That’s amazing”
“I don’t know if it’s as impressive as clerking for a Supreme Court
Justice,” Liv responded.
Liv and Dev graduated from Harvard Law the same year. They’d met the
first day of class, and had been best friends since then.
“Oh, come on,” Dev said. “William Sterling is arguably the most
powerful Senator right now. This is amazing. Liv, I’m so excited for you.”
She tried to suppress a smile. “I’m just trying to get the Clean Water Bill
passed.”
“I have no doubts that you will,” Dev said.
“Shh...” Steph said. “First question: What was the first American state?”
“Delaware,” Dev and Liv said together.
“Liv has a little problem though,” Steph said, her eyes twinkling.
“What’s that?” Dev asked.
“She hates Senator Sterling.”.
“Mortal enemies,” Ben added with a big smile.
“One point for Taking Care of Quizness, Nerd Immunity, and Win or
Booze,” the host called.
“Nice,” Ben said. They all high-fived.
 “Next question: Who was the shortest-serving United States president?”
“William Henry Harrison,” Liv said, just as Dev was opening his mouth.
“Beat me to it,” he said. “What’s your problem with Senator Sterling? He
has a great reputation on the Hill. I’ve never heard someone say something
bad about him.”
Liv rolled her eyes.
“I believe she said he was egotistical.” Ben said.
“Hypocritical.” Steph added.
“Proud.”
“A jerk.”
“A pompous ass.”
“Ok,” Dev said. “I get the idea. Wow. I wouldn’t have guessed. Is it
going to be a problem working for him?”
“I hope not,” Liv said. “This is my best shot at getting this bill passed.”
Dev nodded.
“One point for Spanish Inquizition, Taking Care of Quizness, and
Sherlock Holmies.”
“If you’re half as good at your new job as you are at trivia, you’re going
to crush this,” Dev said, reaching over and squeezing her hand.
 Chapter Seven
The next day, Liv arrived early at the office. She thought she’d be the first to
arrive, but Will was already in his office working.
“Morning,” she said.
“Morning,” he answered, not looking up. “Marissa will be here shortly.
She will get you set up with all your paperwork. There’s a coffee machine in
the corner. Help yourself.”
“Thanks,” she said. She wasn’t sure if she should be offended that he
didn’t look up...or relieved.
Liv walked back into the outer office and fiddled with the coffee machine
until Marissa came. She spent the first day filling out paperwork and getting
through the required training.
At the end of the day, everyone gathered in the outer office for a
meeting.
“Marissa, John, how are those numbers looking for the budget
negotiations?” Will said.
“We are really in the weeds,” John said, shuffling some papers. “I'm
worried we won’t have them ready in time.”
Will nodded slowly.
“Liv,” he said. “I’d like you to work on those numbers with John and
Marissa the rest of this week. Now, we have the...”
“No,” Liv said. Everyone turned and stared at her. The room fell silent.
“Hmm?” Will said, thinking he had surely misheard her.
“I can’t work on the budget numbers; I need to work on the Clean Water
Bill,” she said, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
“The budget negotiations are coming up,” he said, strumming his fingers
on his leg. “We need all hands-on deck.”
“No.”
He stared at her. She returned his stare - neither of them flinching.
“Mateo and Taylor, will you please finish up the summaries and run them
to Senator Brown’s office before you leave?” he said, standing up. “That’s
everything for today. Great work everyone. I’ll see you tomorrow. Liv, can I
see you in my office?”
No one moved except Liv who stood up and walked into his office with
her head held high.
 He shut the door behind her and walked behind his desk. She could see a
vein popping out of his forehead; his jaw clenched.
“I’m here to work on the Clean Water Bill,” she said. “If I can’t do that, I
will quit. It’s the only thing that’s important to me.”
He just stared at her.
“People are dying.”
“More people will die if we don’t pass this budget,” he said, throwing his
hands up.
They stared at each other in silence. He swallowed hard.
What the hell was wrong with her?
“You sought me out,” she said. “I’m perfectly happy to go back to what I
was doing before.”
Good, god - save me from this woman. He thought, his heart racing.
“You’re being really impractical,” he said. “There’s actual work that we
have to get done to keep the government running; make sure people have
jobs; keep everyone safe.”
“You could be doing a lot more,” she said.
He let out a snort and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
“Oh, really? What would you do in all of your vast experience if you
were in my position?”
“Get rid of the filibuster for starters,” she said, hands on her hips.
He scoffed.
“You’d have the votes for the Clean Water Bill and many other things
without the filibuster,” she said.
“What happens when we aren’t in power anymore?”
“Who’s to say the other side won’t end the filibuster next time they have
the chance anyway?” she said. “I always say ‘when they go low, we go
lower.”
He scoffed again. Unbelievable.
“Just burn it all to the ground,” he said.
“Burning it to the ground to start over doesn’t seem like a bad plan, come
to think of it,” she answered. “You could tackle the voting system, the
climate, gerrymandering, and the Supreme Court while you’re at it.”
Will laughed out loud. “Anything else?”
“Politicians like you are just looking out for themselves,” she said. “You
just care about reelection.”
 “Is that right?” he said, his hands gripping the edges of the table, his
knuckles white.
“That’s how it appears,” she said. “You get into office and your priorities
become apparent quickly.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said, his voice rising.
“You are incredibly...naive.”
She shrugged. “If you don’t want me on your staff, I’m happy to leave.”
He bit the inside of his cheek so hard that he could taste blood.
“Just work on your bill and do whatever fairytale magic you think is most
important, and I’ll stay out of your way,” he said. “Is that okay, princess?”
A tight smile spread over her face. “Sounds good to me. See you
tomorrow.”
She turned and walked out the door; closing it hard behind her. As soon
as she left, he picked up his stapler and threw it across the room.
Good god, she’s even worse than I thought she’d be.
 Chapter Eight
When Will arrived home that evening, his head was pounding. He wanted to
fall into bed and forget about his awful day.
His phone pinged; he growled, contemplating ignoring it.
“Have you listened to the latest episode of the Val Myers Podcast?”
Marissa texted.
“No,” he texted back. Val Myers had the most popular political podcast in
the country; millions of listeners tuned in every day.
“Liv is on it,” Marissa said.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
He opened his phone and searched for the podcast. Before he could start
it, his phone started buzzing like crazy from incoming messages.
Shit!
After he silenced his notifications, he went to the fridge and grabbed a
beer, and then he grabbed another one.
Not how I wanted to spend the evening. She’s obviously trying to kill me.
He plopped down on the sofa, popped open a beer, took a long sip, and
then started the podcast.
Val: Today’s guest is up-and-coming activist Liv Dalton. You’ve
probably seen her NokNoks. Welcome to the show, Liv.
Liv: Thanks for having me.
Val: You seem pretty mad at Senator William Sterling.
Liv: (laughing) He’s in my way.
Val: How so?
Liv: He is one of these establishment politicians who gets into office and
forgets that there are real people with real needs throughout the country.
Val: Hmm...
Liv: This Clean Water Bill will impact millions of people who
desperately need the government to step in and protect them.
Val: But Senator Sterling supports this bill.
Liv: Does he?
Val: He says he does. He says he wants a vote.
Liv: Why hasn’t he made it happen?
Val: They don’t have the votes.
Liv: He doesn’t seem to be doing anything to change that.
 Val: It’s an uphill battle.
Liv: If he wasn’t up for the challenge maybe he should have stayed out of
politics. He doesn’t need to work. We all know that the Sterlings have
enormous amounts of money. He should go off and date some supermodel -
maybe vacation on a private yacht in the Mediterranean.
Val: (laughing) I suppose he could if he wanted...
Liv: I’m so tired of politicians who have lost touch. I think we need to
primary William Sterling.
Val: What?
Liv: We need to challenge him in the next primary. He doesn’t deserve
his Senate seat.
Val: He is very powerful; he has raised enormous amounts of money.
Liv: (growling sound) It shouldn’t be about who has the most money or
whose brother is the President.
Val: He’s very popular.
Liv: He was very popular. I’m seeing online that people are paying
attention. They are tired of politicians who are just interested in big money
and lobbyists and corporate interests. They want politicians who work for
them.
Val: Are you running?
Liv: (silence)
Val: Do we take that as a yes?
Liv: I think someone should do it.
Val: We are going to take a little break to hear from our sponsors. After
the break, Liv, will you talk to us about using social media to bolster political
support?
Liv: Absolutely.
Will stopped the podcast and opened his second beer.
“What the fuck?” he said to himself as he looked at his phone; he had
hundreds of new notifications.
“Just perfect,” he said, chugging his beer.
He’d missed calls from his siblings; he assumed that this had made
headlines around the country. God, did he ever look like an idiot with his
staffer - HIS OWN STAFFER - running around on podcasts saying she was
going to primary him. He groaned and called James.
“I thought you were taking care of this,” James said when he picked up
the phone.
 “I thought I had,” Will answered, rubbing his temples.
“You hired her, right?”
“I did.”
“Looks like this has backfired on you,”
“No shit,” Will said, pouring himself some whisky.
“Are you going to fire her now?”
“I probably should,” he said. God, did he want to.
“Well, I don’t really have any advice.”
“Thanks,” Will said, rubbing his chin. “I’m going to drown my sorrows in
some whiskey and then go to bed. I’ll deal with this in the morning.”

“Liv, this is bad,” Steph said.

“It’s everywhere,” Ben said, holding up his phone.
“Shit,” she said. “I’d forgotten about the Val Myers podcast; I did that
interview weeks ago.”
“You need Senator Sterling to pass this bill,” Steph said.
Liv closed her eyes and groaned.
“How are you going to make this right?” Ben said.
“I may not be able to.”
 Chapter Nine
When Liv walked into the office, all eyes were on her. She didn’t even go to
her desk. She walked straight to Senator Sterling’s door and knocked. Sweat
pooled under her arms. Had she put on deodorant this morning - god, she
hoped so?
He motioned her in, and she shut the door behind her.
She slowly sat down in the chair across from his desk.
He watched her - waiting for an explanation.
“You should probably fire me,” she said.
“I should.”
“I did that podcast weeks ago,” she said. “I had honestly forgotten about
it.”
He just stared at her; his lips in a straight line.
“The timing was bad.”
He scoffed. The crease between his brow grew deeper.
She fiddled with her hands in her lap.
“Don’t fire me,” she blurted out.
He looked at her in surprise. “I thought you didn’t care about this job.”
She exhaled loudly.
“The truth is we both need each other,” she said, her shoulders slumping.
God, that was exactly what he didn’t want to hear.
He pinched the bridge of his nose.
“I can’t pass this Clean Water Bill without you,” she said.
“And you’ll make my life a living hell if you leave,” he said.
She shrugged.
“I just want to get this bill passed,” she said softly.
He sighed.
“You’re on a short leash,” he said. He couldn’t believe he was giving her
another chance. He had lost his mind, surely.
She nodded and sat up straighter.
“I’ll be on my best behavior.”
He very much doubted that.
“Work on the bill and keep out of trouble. No media. No social media.”
“Okay...but what about the podcast?” she said.
 “We’re going to ignore it,” he said. “Another news story will come along
in a day or so and everyone will forget about it. Americans have short
memories for these sorts of things.”
“Ok,” she said. “I am sorry. I should have stopped that from airing after I
started working for you.”
He gave her a doubtful half smile and then started to work on his
computer. When she left the room, he exhaled loudly.
He regretted this already.
 Chapter Ten
Senator Sterling was right. Another news story came along just two days later
that blew their little rift out of the water. It was a delicious scandal involving
a long-time Senator who apparently had a fetish for stealing women’s
underwear. It was shocking and weird; no one could talk of anything else.
Liv did as promised; she came to work, kept her head down, made no
trouble, and got her work done. Will had almost forgotten that she was in the
office at all. She normally sat at her desk with her headphones working on
her computer.
She hadn’t exactly made any friends at the office; none of them were fans
of hers after the podcast incident, but they were tolerating her.
All of the other staffers were gathered around the coffee station at the end
of the day when Will popped his head out of his office.
“Hey, we need another player for the congressional baseball practice
today,” Will said, looking around. “Can any of you, do it?”
“Not me,” Marissa said. “Remember last time? I accidentally tripped
Senator Melquist, and I thought he had broken his hip. I’m pretty sure I’m
banned from playing.”
“John and I are finishing up that report for Meyers,” Mateo said.
One by one - they each made excuses for why they couldn’t go until there
was no one left...but Liv.
All eyes turned to her.
“Ok, I guess I can do it,” she said, wishing she could melt into the floor.
“Ok,” Will said. His jaw tightened. “Marissa, give her the details.”
 Chapter Eleven
Liv stared around the baseball field. It was a surreal sight. About twenty-five
of the most powerful people in America - from both the Senate and the House
of Representatives were standing around her in exercise clothes along with
several staffers like herself. Will had called them into a huddle.
“Do you play much?” a voice whispered behind her. She turned, startled
to see Byron Ray standing behind her. He stood a smidge too close, but they
were standing in a huddle, so maybe it was normal.
“I’m familiar with the game,” she answered, shifting her feet slightly
away from him. Byron Ray was a first-term member of the House. He had a
meteoric rise over the past few years. You couldn’t go online or turn on the
television without seeing him.
“That’s good,” he said. “Most of these people spent a lot more time
studying for the bar than playing sports and it shows.”
She chuckled. “Probably for the best.”
He winked at her. She tried not to blush. God, he’s cute.
She turned back around to see Senator Sterling scowling at them while he
was giving directions. What was his problem? They were talking while he
was giving directions, but still.
They had been divided into teams to play a scrimmage game. Liv was
thankful she was on Byron’s team and not Senator Sterling’s.
“Wanna do some warm-up throws with me?” Byron asked.
“Sure,” she said, with a smile.
They started throwing the ball back and forth. He had a nice throw.
“You don’t throw like a girl,” Byron said. “I guess I’m not supposed to
say things like that. Let me start over: you have a nice arm.”
“Thanks,” she said. “My dad’s a baseball freak.”
Byron nodded. “I haven’t seen you out here before, have I?”
“No,” Liv said, throwing the ball. “I just started in Senator Sterling’s
office.”
“Oh,” he said. “Now I remember - you’re the Noknok girl! I knew I
recognized you.”
“Guilty,” she said. “Liv Dalton - nice to meet you.”
“Byron Ray,” he said, flashing a toothy smile. “Pleasure is mine. You’re
doing some great work.”
 She nodded.
“We might have to get you to do some freelancing for us during our
upcoming campaign,” he said.
“Sure,” she said. “I can give you my info.”
They stopped throwing, and she grabbed her cell phone. While they were
exchanging information, she glanced up to see Will glowering at them.
Sheesh! Why so grumpy?
“Why are we out here anyway?” Liv asked. “I mean I like sports, but this
is kinda weird.”
“Oh, this dates back to 1909,” Byron said. “We have one charity game a
year - Republicans versus Democrats.”
“That’s a long time running.”
“Yeah, one of those Washington traditions,” Byron continued. “It’s
supposed to show how members of Congress can be friendly with each other
and reach across the aisle.”
“Ah, I see.”
“We’ve had our asses handed to us the last two years, so we’ve decided to
step up our practices.”
“Smart.”
“Let’s get started,” Senator Sterling called.
“Can anyone pitch?” James Ferguson, the long-time Senator from Maine,
called into the dugout. “Barry normally pitches, but he’s caught in traffic.”
No one answered.
“I can, I guess,” Liv called out. God, what was she doing? She was
planning to come and fly under the radar. Pitching was not flying under the
radar. Pitching was the center of the radar.
Byron raised his eyebrow.
“Alright,” Senator Ferguson called. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Liv walked to the mound. She felt sweat roll down her back. Why had she
volunteered for this again?
She turned her eyes toward the other team’s dugout to see that Senator
Sterling was first up to bat. (of course).
She closed her eyes for a second.
Shit. Shit. Shit.
He walked up to the plate, and he looked her squarely in the eye. She
didn’t flinch.
She threw the ball. As it sailed toward Senator Sterling, he took a swing.
 “Strike one.”
He looked at her in disbelief.
“I didn’t know you were such an athlete,” he called.
“Played all four years of college,” she said with a smirk.
She threw her next pitch. Another swing and miss.
“Strike Two.”
Should she go easy on him? Embarrassing her boss in front of all of his
colleagues seemed like a bad idea, but she was so damn competitive.
She couldn’t help herself. Her third pitch was her best yet.
He almost hit it.
“Strike Three.”
“Oh, Sterling,” Byron called. “Served by your own staffer. Ouch.”
Will just grimaced.
Next to bat was Senator Collinsworth who was approximately eighty-five
years old. Liv took it easy. Don’t want to kill anyone and start a national
incident.

—-

“Nice game,” Byron said, giving her a high five. They’d won easily. “I’m
impressed.”
“Thanks,” Liv said. “It’s been a while.”
“Doesn’t look like your boss is too happy,” Byron said, leaning in so he
could whisper.
She glanced over; and, sure enough, Senator Sterling was shooting death
stares at her.
“It’s just a game,” she said with a shrug. God, I hope that’s true.
 Chapter Twelve
“Pull!” Will shouted.
He pointed his gun into the air watching the clay plate fly by. He
followed it with his gun and squeezed the trigger.
“Oof - that’s a big miss,” Declan said, standing beside him.
“Thanks, I noticed,” Will said.
“You are really off your game today,” Eli said.
“Thanks, I had already noticed that too,” Will said.
“Yeah, you normally kick our asses,” Keene said.
“At least at skeet shooting,” James said.
All of his brothers were gathered at Camp David for a long weekend
retreat. They were a competitive lot and had turned the weekend into a giant
competition. After dinner the first evening they’d arrived, they bowled. Will
couldn’t seem to focus or maybe he was focusing too much, but either way,
he didn’t even break eighty - all of his brothers crushing him in the first
competition.
He thought that surely after a good night’s sleep and hearty breakfast, he
would snap out of it, but skeet shooting was going even worse.
“Pull!” James yelled. The plate whizzed into the air. He pulled the trigger
and the plate exploded.
“Nice!” Keene said.
“You need to teach Will how it works,” Declan said.
Will growled.
“We can go horseback riding this afternoon, but the lady at the stable said
if we tried to race them again, we’ll be permanently banned from the stables,”
James said.
“What good is it to be President if you can’t have a little fun?” Eli asked.
After they finished with the skeet shooting (Will did not manage to shoot
a single plate), they drove over to the driving range. Golf was something Will
was good at - on a regular day at least.
“So, this staffer really has you rattled?” Eli said.
“Something like that,” Will said, practicing his swing.
“I can’t believe you didn’t fire her after that podcast,” Declan said,
stretching.
 “What do they say...keep your friends close and your enemies closer,”
Will said. He took a swing. The golf ball flew into the air and landed
nowhere near the green.
“Damn it.”
“She’s really in your head, isn’t she?” James asked, stepping up to take
his turn.
“The whole thing is such a waste of time,” Will said. “I have to devote so
much time and energy to this instead of doing my actual job.”
Keene patted him on the back.
“Why did she have to pick me?” he said. “There's 100 Senators to choose
from.”
After the driving range, Will was solidly in last place with no hope of
catching up to his brothers. They ate lunch in the main lodge and headed over
to the stables.
“Remember,” James said, “It’s not a competition.”
“That’s right,” Cindy, the stable manager, said. “If I catch you boys
racing, you will never set foot in this stable again.”
“Roger that,” Eli said, with a smile.
Cindy hurried around getting each of them settled with a horse. She
lectured them the whole time and called after them as they headed down the
trail.
“So, she wants us to race?” Declan said.
“Yeah, I didn’t quite get that,” Eli said. “Was it race or not race?”
“Pretty sure it was race,” Keene said, with a smirk.
They settled into the trail ride; Will was relieved that it was not a
competition. He didn’t think his pride could take another brutal defeat.
“How’s school?” he asked Keene, who was riding beside him.
“Great,” he said. “I mean, it’s weird being famous on campus for being
the brother of the President and having security.”
“Kinda cuts down on some of the fun,” Will said, thinking about his
college days.
“Yes, seriously,” Keene said. “People are a little afraid to be normal
around me or they are sucking up to me. I’ve found a small circle of good
friends though.”
Will nodded. When he was in college, they were struggling to make ends
meet. He was taking classes, working a night shift job, and watching his
younger siblings. He didn’t have a typical college experience; not that he was
bitter. He was so proud of what they had all accomplished together.
James had adopted all of the foster siblings when their beloved foster
mom died. Momma V had made them a family, and they were determined to
stay that way. Will and Zadie were teenagers; James was in his early
twenties. They had taken on a lot together.
While he was in college, he worked for James’ first start-up. It took off,
and they were able to sell it for millions. He immediately helped his brother
start another company. It was even more successful. By the time he was
twenty-five, he had enough money to retire, but he wanted to go to law
school and was accepted into Harvard Law.
He’d studied law because he wanted to make a difference. He knew how
hard life could be for millions of Americans, and he wanted to help fix the
system.
This was exactly why Liv’s attacks on him pestered him so much.
How dare she question his motives? He wasn’t just in this for re-election.
She was right that he was rich enough to retire and go live on an island with a
supermodel if he wanted, but he didn’t want that. He deeply cared about the
people he represented, and he’d done a lot of good work - not that Liv Dalton
was paying attention to any of those things.
God, it drove him crazy, and now he had to keep working with her.
“You gotta let it go, bro,” Declan said, as he rode up beside Keene and
Will.
“Easier said than done,” Will said. “I know you live the surfer life, and
can just Hakuna Matata through life or whatever, but I can’t.”
“Hakuna Matata,” Keene laughed. “That’s a weird reference.”
Declan started singing.
“Oh, god - no, please don’t let him sing,” Eli called from in front of
them.
Will started laughing.
“You’re a terrible singer,” Keene said.
Declan shrugged.
“So, Declan, where’s your next adventure going to take you?” Will
asked.
Declan spent his days traveling and surfing. He’d just returned from the
Cook Islands.
 “I’m thinking of Patagonia,” he said. “I’m putting together a backpacking
trip; planning to be gone for a few weeks. Wanna come?”
“I do,” Keene said.
“Thanks, but I don’t think I can take off a few weeks right now,” Will
said.
“I might be able to,” Eli said. “You’ll have to tell me when you’re doing
it.”
“Hell, yeah,” Declan said. “Let’s do this. Will, you should try to come for
a week.”
“Maybe,” Will said. “Keep me in the loop.”
“Eli, can you leave Chitchat that long?” Will asked. Eli’s social media
app, Chitchat, had exploded in popularity. He was rapidly becoming the
richest Sterling; no easy feat.
“I’m trying to step back a little,” Eli said, slowing down to join Will.
“I’ve just been working nonstop the last few years; I’d like a life.”
“It’s good to have a life,” James called. “I wish I had done it sooner.
Elizabeth and Vivienne are the best things that have ever happened to me.
Besides you guys of course.”
“Of course,” Declan said. “We aren’t offended at all.”
“Maybe a little,” Eli said.
“Definitely a little,” Keene said.
“Anyway, I’ve been hiring a lot of great people recently,” Eli continued.
“I’m trying to hand over the reins so to speak.”
“I see what you did there,” Keene said.
“I like it - horse metaphors - good stuff,” Declan added.
“You should try living a little,” James called.
“Who?” Keene said.
“Well, not Declan,” James said. “That’s all he does...all play and no
work...that’s your motto, right?”
“Guilty,” Declan said.
“I was talking to Will,” James said.
“Maybe you need a distraction from this work situation,” James said. He
had slowed down and joined the rest of the group.
“Not a bad idea,” Will said.
“What competitions do we have left?” Keene asked as they approached
the stables.
 “Ping pong, pool, arm wrestling, tennis, swimming - you pick,” James
said.
“God, can we just watch a movie? There’s a movie theater around here,
right?” Will said.
“Where’s your sense of competition?” Declan said.
“I lost it on the driving range,” Will said.
“I think you lost it bowling,” Eli said.
“Or skeet shooting,” Keene added.
Will rolled his eyes.
“Cindy, we’ve been perfect gentlemen,” James called out as Cindy
walked toward them.
“Yeah, just ask the horses,” Eli said.
“Don’t worry - I will,” Cindy said.
 Chapter Thirteen
Throughout the next week, Liv worked hard on the clean water campaign.
She didn’t see the Senator much. He was normally locked away in his office
or out doing meetings. She was surprised how many people - regular people -
he met with throughout the day.
“We will give you updates as we receive them,” Will said as he exited his
office with an older couple. “I’m not giving up on this. You have my word.”
“Who are they?” Liv whispered to Marissa after they left.
“Mr. and Mrs. Jennings,” Marissa said. “Their son is a prisoner of war.
Senator Sterling has been working for about four years to arrange a prisoner
swap. He’s getting close. The Jennings come to see him every few months.”
“Oh,” Liv said. “Wow”

—-

At the end of the day, she noticed Senator Sterling was still working in his
office.
“Does he ever leave?”
“He has an apartment nearby, but he’ll sleep on his couch quite often,”
Marissa said.
“Something like a hundred congress members live in their offices,” she
continued.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Liv said.
“No,” Marissa said. “They use the locker room in the Congressional gym
and sleep on their couches.”
“The gym?”
“Yeah, they have a pretty sweet gym. It has a pool, racquetball courts, a
sauna, and all the regular gym things. There’s a staff gym now. It’s just down
the road if you want to go. We can’t go to the one with the Congress
members.”
Liv rolled her eyes. Of course, not. It’s mostly a boys’ club anyway.
“He’s completely dedicated to his work,” Marissa said. “I always try to
beat him into the office in the morning, and I never do.”
“Wow.”
 “I’m done for the day,” Marissa said. “Do you want to walk out with
me?”
“No,” Liv answered. “I’m trying to finish up this new video I’m working
on. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Liv put on her headphones and lost herself in her work.
A little while later, she felt a tap on her shoulder and looked up to see
Senator Sterling standing in front of her. She slid off her headphones.
“Do you want something to eat?” he asked.
She looked at her watch. It was 9:30. “I didn’t realize it was so late.”
He smiled. “I ordered some takeout. I have plenty,” he said.
Her stomach rumbled at the thought of food.
“Ok,” she said, following him over to the food. “Thank you.”
She started to walk back to her desk.
“Sit with me,” he said.
She sat across from him and set down her food. She glanced around the
room noticing that they were alone, and all the doors were shut. It didn’t feel
weird until this moment.
They ate in silence.
“I’m sorry I struck you out,” she said.
He leaned his head back and laughed.
“I was wondering if you were going to go easy on me on that last pitch,”
he said.
“Nope,” she said, with a smirk.
“I would have done the same thing,” he said. “I’m glad however you
didn’t kill Senator Collinsworth with a fastball.”
“I figured I didn’t want to go down in history that way,” Liv answered,
between bites. “She is a national treasure.”
“That she is,” Will said. “Something we agree on.”
They continued eating in silence.
“We’ve really gotten off to a bad start,” he said.
“You could say that...” she agreed.
“So, tell me about yourself,” he said. “Harvard Law Review?”
She let out a laugh. “So, you’ve read up on me?”
“Well, I hired you, so I’d hope so.”
She smiled. “You didn’t know about my athletic career.”
“No,” he said. “I blame my researcher for that.”
“That’s the problem with outsourcing.”
 “Delegating,” he countered.
“Right,” she said, with a smile. “You’re a Harvard Law grad too.”
“Yup. A few years before your time. Why didn’t you take a job out of
school?” he said. “You could have worked anywhere.”
She shut her eyes for a moment. She didn’t like talking about this.
“My younger sister,” she said. “She got cancer.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, softly.
She nodded. “Both of my parents needed to work. I came home to take
care of her.”
“How is she now?”
“In remission,” she said. “Thank god.”
He smiled. “I’m glad to hear that,” he said.
“It’s BV90,” she said.
He was lifting a forkful of food toward his mouth and stopped short.
“The plant near our house; it started using BV90,” she said, her eyes
brimming with tears. “There’s so much cancer in my town. My sister was
only ten when she was diagnosed.”
“Shit,” he said. “I’m sorry. I wish you had told me earlier.”
“Well, you didn’t seem to want to listen when we first met,” she said.
He sighed. “That’s probably fair. I’m sorry.”
“BV90 is not just in Carson. It’s everywhere.”
He placed his fork down and leaned back.
“I have to do something,” she said. “People are dying.”
“That’s why this bill is so important to you,” he said.
She nodded.
“Ok, you’ve done a good job of getting public support, but we need more
information,” he said. “If we can show a pattern with other towns, we may be
able to win over the votes we need.”
She blinked away tears and sat up straighter.
“I want you to gather information for me,” he said. “And, let’s arrange a
trip to your hometown. I want to see this for myself.”
Her heart soared.
“If we get enough information, I have some contacts at The Times,” he
said. “We can leak it to them. Maybe they can even do some more digging.”
He rested his arms on the top of his head and stared up at the ceiling. Liv
had so many questions, but he seemed deep in thought, so she stayed silent.
After a few minutes, she couldn’t help but stifle a yawn; she’d been working
since the early morning with no breaks.
“It’s so late,” he said, checking his watch. “Are you going to head
home?”
“I probably should,” she said, covering another yawn.
“I’ll walk you out,” he said. “I think I should call it for the night too.”
They headed into the elevator together, carefully standing on opposite
sides. Once the elevator doors closed, she shut her eyes for a moment. The
only sound was his breathing. It was oddly... intimate.
They rode in silence until the elevator groaned and jerked to a stop.
Liv squeezed the handrails until her knuckles were white.
“Oh, God,” she said.
“Are you okay?” he asked, looking her up and down. She was breathing
too quickly and all of the color drained from her face.
She didn’t answer. He stepped closer to her.
“Liv,” he said. “Just breathe. It’s going to be fine. This elevator does this
all the time. If we could get that damn infrastructure bill passed, we could
have money to...”
She sunk to the floor; her knees up against her chest; her breathing even
more erratic.
He knelt beside her.
“You’re going to have to slow your breathing down,” he said. “In through
your nose; out through your mouth.”
“Is it okay if I put my hand on your back?” he asked.
She nodded, and he placed his hand between her shoulder blades. Her
body softened slightly to his touch.
“Keep breathing,” he whispered. He was so close; she could feel his
breath on her face.
She took a few slow, deep breaths.
“That’s better,” he said, lightly rubbing her back.
The elevator jerked again. She whimpered.
“One time, I was stuck in this elevator with Wilson, that idiot from
Mississippi for over an hour,” he said. “Damn it, that was awful.”
She laughed a little, but it came out like a snort.
“He truly thinks the KKK is just a social group. I considered murdering
him, but I figured there were cameras.”
She looked at him and smiled.
 “Maybe your brother would have pardoned you?”
“Shit - I hadn’t thought of that. Next time,” he said. He desperately
wanted to take the piece of hair that was dangling in her face and tuck it
behind her ear.
“What’s it like being the brother of the President?” she asked.
He laughed. “A pain in the ass.”
She smiled.
“No,” he said. “He’s a great brother, and I’m not surprised at his success.
He deserves it all. I’m so happy he found Elizabeth.”
“Vivi is maybe the most adorable toddler in the world,” she said.
“She really is,” he said. “She’s so spoiled by all of her aunts and uncles.”
“I bet.”
“Do you have other siblings besides your sister?” he asked.
“No, it’s just the two of us.
He nodded.
“I’m so sorry she had to go through that.”
“No one should have to,” she said.
The elevator heaved and jerked back into motion. Will quickly stood up
and helped Liv to her feet. He took two large steps away from her.
When the elevator came to the bottom floor, Liv rushed off. She leaned
over at the waist and put her hands on her knees; breathing deeply.
“Are you okay now?” he said, standing about six feet away from her.
“Yes,” she said, standing up straight. “Happy to be on solid ground.”
He stood completely still; arms plastered to his side.
“I’m this way,” she said. Embarrassment that she’d freaked out in front of
her boss crept over her. She couldn’t leave fast enough. “See you
tomorrow.”
He nodded and watched her walk away.
After she was out of sight, he raked his hands through his hair.
She is off limits. Nothing can happen between us. I’m her fucking boss.
Nothing can happen.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, his mind flashing to that soft piece of
hair dangling in front of her face.
I’m screwed.
 Chapter Fourteen
Will woke up in a cold sweat. He groaned remembering his dream. It had
been a pleasant dream, more than pleasant. Too pleasant.
He closed his eyes picturing his dream. Liv in his bed, her hair in his face,
her skin pressed against his.
He groaned again.
This. Can. Not. Happen.
He jumped out of bed. He had decided to train for a marathon to not think
about, well, her.
So far, it was not working.

As he ran along the National Mall, his spirits were rising. It was a beautiful
morning. He listened to music and managed not to think about anything.
He rounded a corner by the Jefferson Monument and nearly crashed into
another runner. Both of them stumbled out of the way.
Will pulled off his headphones.
Are you alright?” he said, looking up to see a woman. A beautiful woman
wearing tiny running shorts and a tight crop top.
Damn it.
“Senator Sterling,” Liv said, catching her breath. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see
you.”
“No, it was my fault,” he said. “I should have slowed down for that
corner.”
Why? Why Her?
“Are you feeling better?” he said, shifting from foot to foot. “From the
elevator?”
“Yes,” she said, color rising to her cheeks. “I feel pretty silly.”
“No need,” Will said, a crease forming between his brows.
“Do you run this route often?” she said, wiping some sweat from her
brow.
“I’m training for a marathon,” he said. “I enjoy running around the mall.
It gives me lots to look at. This is my favorite spot though - here by the
Jefferson Monument.”
 “I agree,” she said. “Not that I’m training for a marathon, but it’s a nice
place to run.”
Her chest was rising and falling as her breathing normalized. Tiny beads
of sweat were falling down her neck.
For fucks sake - you cannot ogle this woman. He forced himself to look
away, but the image of her in a tight workout crop top and tiny running shorts
was seared in his mind - surely to return and haunt him during his dreams.
He let out a sigh.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m keeping you.”
He smiled tightly. “Gotta keep up my pace,” he said and then turned and
sprinted away.
Will’s last few miles were significantly faster than his normal pace. He
arrived early at the coffee shop where he was meeting his sister, Zadie, for
coffee. They tried to meet once a week. She was as busy as he was.
While he waited for her, he listened to music and stretched.
“Woah,” she said. “Looks like you had quite a workout. You’re
drenched.”
“I...I was...um...working on my mile splits,” he said.
“Another marathon?” she asked.
He nodded as they joined the line for coffee.
“How’s lawyering these days?” he said after they placed their order.
“About the same,” she said. “How’s law-making?”
“Same,” he said with a smile.
“You look tired,” she said, pointing to a nearby table.
His mind flashed to the dreams that had been keeping him from getting a
good night’s sleep. He looked down at his coffee; afraid his face would
betray him.
“Do you want to set me up with what’s her name? The one from your
yoga class” he blurted out, as they sat down.
Zadie nearly spat out her coffee.
“Mariah?” she said.
“Yeah, sure,” he said. “You’ve been wanting to set me up with her for
ages.”
“Well, I did years ago,” she said. “She’s married now with a baby.”
“Oh.”
“But, you know what?” Zadie said, her eyes beamed. “I know this
woman, Ellen, who works for DOT. She’d be perfect for you. Want me to
arrange a blind date?”
“Why not?”
“Eeek!” Zadie said. “I’ve been waiting for this for so long.”
“I know.”
“Why the change of heart?”
Because I can’t fucking get Liv out of my mind, and I’m her fucking boss.
“Oh, you know, all work and no play...” he said.
She smiled. “Do I ever. This is going to be great. I’m going to work on
this today.”
Can’t happen soon enough. Will thought, taking a sip of his coffee.
 Chapter Fifteen
Liv found herself alone on the elevator again with her boss. Just the two of
them. She sighed. He on one side and she on the other; they couldn’t be
further apart if they tried.
God, this is awkward. I’m sure he’s praying that I don’t have another
panic attack. Her face flushed thinking about it.
Senator Sterling cleared his throat.
“Have you been on the Capitol subway yet?” he asked while pretending
to read emails on his phone.
“Subway?” Liv asked, she furrowed her brow. “Just for the Capitol?”
“Subway is a very generous term,” he said, as they exited the elevator.
Liv breathed a sigh of relief when they exited. No panic attack - score!
“I’ve only gotten stuck in those elevators a few times,” he said, with a
smile. “You’re normally safe in them.”
She nodded.
“The subway is this way,” he said, pointing down the hall. They walked
in silence until they reached the subway. Liv burst out laughing.
“You can’t be serious,” she said.
“I told you; subway is a stretch,” he said, chuckling.
“It looks like a children’s ride,” she said. “Was this installed by Disney?”
“You’d think,” he said, sitting down in one of the tiny cars. “It’s just to
move members of congress around more efficiently under the Capitol. In that
sense, it works well; but I normally feel like I should have some cotton candy
when I’m on it.”
She laughed. “Oh, it’s literally a tiny monorail. This is adorable.”
He nodded. “And you don’t even need a ticket.”
“Congress is weird.”
“Tell me about it.”
She laughed.
“Did you know we have a candy desk on the Senate floor?” he said, his
eyes beaming.
“What?” she said, her eyes sparkling. “Is it for good behavior?”
“I wish,” he said with a snort. “In 1965, California Senator George Murphy brought his
love of candy to the Senate floor. He was known for passing it out from his desk even though eating is
not permitted on the Senate floor. Turns out he was a one-term Senator, but the candy tradition lives on.
Now companies from all over the country send in candy to stock his desk drawer.”
“Wow,” she said. “George Murphy really had a lasting legacy.”
“You have to be known for something,” he said with a chuckle.
“Do you guys have an ice cream machine to go with your tiny adorable train and your candy
drawer?”
“Not yet. Maybe that will be my lasting legacy.”
“I doubt that’s what you will be known for,” she said, staring into his eyes.
He looked down at his hands; unable to hold her gaze.
“You’ve been holding out on me,” she said.
“What?” he said, his body tensing.
“The candy?” she said. “You need to sneak us some.”
He laughed, the tension melting from his body. “Oh, that can be arranged.”
They exited the train and started down a hallway.
“Sterling!”
They both turned to see Byron Ray, walking toward them.
“Representative Ray,” Will said, his face emotionless.
Byron let out a big guffaw and wrapped his arm around Will’s shoulder in
a half hug.
“This guy,” he said to Liv. “You’d think we were strangers and not old
law school friends.”
Liv raised an eyebrow. Old law school friends?
Senator Sterling smiled tightly.
“I’ve finally made it to Washington,” Byron said. “Took me just a little
while longer than you.”
Liv noticed Senator Sterling swallowing hard, his eyes darkening slightly.
“Was Sterling giving you a tour of our underground carnival ride?” Byron
asked.
“Something like that,” Senator Sterling mumbled.
“Subway doesn’t seem like the right word does it,” Liv said. She was
trying to read the tension between these two men, and she wasn’t sure what to
make of it.
“Liv, did you get my email?” Byron asked, his eyes twinkling. “We’ve
got a great project coming up for you,”
“I didn’t have time to look over it,” she said. “I’ll respond by tomorrow.”
“Please do,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with you.”
His eyes lingered on her like she was a dessert he was about to devour.
She shifted uncomfortably.
“We have a meeting with Cawthorne in five minutes,” Will said, his
voice lower than normal.
 Byron nodded. “Of course. See you around.”
When they were out of earshot, Liv whispered, “If you don't want me to
take any freelance work, I...”
“I don’t care what you do in your free time,” Will interrupted. “It’s none
of my business.”
“I won’t let it impact my job,” Liv continued.
“I don’t doubt it,” he said, through gritted teeth.
 Chapter Sixteen
Will sat across the table in a dimly lit restaurant watching his date sip her
white wine. She was beautiful, accomplished, and interesting. This was just
what he needed to avoid thinking about his beautiful, accomplished,
interesting, and sexy-as-hell staffer.
Focus. He said, taking a sip of his red wine.
“How do you know Zadie?” Will said.
“We both volunteer at the Bright Future kid’s club,” she said.
He nodded. “That’s great.”
He was struggling to keep the conversation going. Maybe I do need to
work less. I didn’t remember socializing being this hard.
“Zadie told me you’re training for a marathon,” Ellen said.
“Yes,” he said. To forget the woman I can’t be with. “Do you run?”
“No,” she said with a laugh. “Definitely not.”
He took another sip of wine.
“How are things these days at the DOT?”
“Not as glamorous as the Senate I’d imagine,” she said.
He laughed. “Smoke and mirrors...”
They both sipped their wine and sat in silence.
“You went to Yale?” he asked.
“Rutgers.”
“Oh,” he said. “I don’t think I know anyone who went to Rutgers.”
“What about your family?” he said, fiddling with his silverware. “Do you
have any siblings?”
“Only child,” she shrugged. “Both of my parents passed away a few years
ago.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
More silence.
“How is your little niece?” Ellen said. “She’s the talk of the town.”
“For a reason,” he said. “She’s the best. I wish I had more free time to
spend with her.”
“It’s nice to have a little one in the White House,” she said. “We haven’t
had a young family in so long.”
“It is; isn’t it.”
 Another long pause. Will searched his mind for new topics of
conversation but was coming up blank. It had been a while since he’d done
this; dating that is.
Was he always this bad at it?
Will was relieved to see the waiter bringing their food. They ate mostly in
silence.
“Do you think the budget will pass?” Ellen said as they were finishing up
their food.
“Eventually,” Will said. He rubbed his temples. He was tired all of the
sudden.
She nodded.
They exited to the sidewalk and stood awkwardly.
“I had a nice time,” Ellen said. She was quite stunning; and probably
interesting if he could manage to have a normal conversation with her.
“Me too,” Will said. “We should do it again.”
She smiled.
Maybe I just need a bit more practice.
“Would you like me to call you a cab or did you drive?” he asked.
“I’m just right here,” she said, pointing to a car parked on the street.
“Oh, great.”
“Yes,” she said, rummaging through her purse.
“Have a good evening,” he said. He stepped closer to her and hugged her
briefly.
“Thank you,” she said, keys in hand. “You too.”
Will waited until she drove away. When she was gone, he let out a deep
breath.
 Chapter Seventeen
Linda Dalton was practically buzzing with excitement.
“I can’t believe a real-life United States Senator is coming to dinner
tonight,” she said. She manically stirred a pot of potatoes. “And he’s the
President’s brother.”
Liv smiled.
“I hope this isn’t too plain for him,” she continued. “Liv, chop those
onions for me.”
“Mom, he grew up in foster care,” Liv said. “I’m sure this will be fine.
It’s not like a Kennedy is coming over.”
“The Sterlings are better than the Kennedy’s. Anyway, I’ve never hosted
someone so important before,” Linda said. “I’m quite frazzled.”
“I can see that, Mom,” Liv said, taking her mom’s hand. “You’re trying
to dump a cup of salt into the cake. Why don’t you try the sugar?”
“Oh, goodness, Liv,” Linda said. “What would I do without you?”
Liv gave her mom a quick hug. “It’s good to be here.”
“Oh, goodness, that’s the doorbell,” Linda said, scrambling around the
kitchen. “Liv, go answer it.”
Liv opened the door. Senator Sterling was standing on the other side,
wine bottle in hand. He was dressed more casually than she’d ever seen him
in a fitted sweater and jeans. It made her uncomfortable seeing him so
casual.
“Come in,” she said. “Did you have any trouble finding it?”
“No,” the Senator said. She noticed him fiddling with the wine bottle.
Was he nervous? Surely not.
“Let me introduce you to my family,” Liv said, leading him into the
living room. “Senator Sterling, this is Linda and Bob Dalton, my parents.”
“It’s such an honor to have you in our home,” Mrs. Dalton said. “We are
so proud that Liv is working for you.”
“You should be proud,” Senator Sterling said, shaking her hand. “She’s a
great staffer; I’m afraid someone is going to steal her away from me any day
now.”
“Just pay her more,” Mr. Dalton said, extending his hand.
“Dad!” Liv said, blushing. “Ignore him.”
 “It’s good advice,” Senator Sterling said, shaking Mr. Dalton’s hand. “It’s
a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
“This is my sister, Addy,” Liv said.
He shook her hand too.
“Addy, I have something for you,” he said, handing her an envelope.
She opened it without a sound and started to read it.
“It’s a letter from the President,” he said.
“Woah, it’s handwritten,” Liv said.
“I called in a favor,” Senator Sterling whispered, leaning closer to her.
Mr. and Mrs. Dalton gathered behind Addy to read the letter.
“This means so much to us,” Linda said, tears in her eyes.
He smiled; his eyes crinkled softly.
“Why don’t we head to the dining room?” Liv said, breaking the silence.
Liv noticed Will looking at the pictures on the wall - the story of her
childhood. Framed memories of dance costumes, family portraits, school
pictures, and graduation. She felt a warmth rising from her chest up her neck.
She rubbed her neck in an attempt to stop the spread and took a big sip of her
ice water.
“We hear you have a big family,” Linda said, spooning mashed potatoes
onto plates.
Senator Sterling chuckled. “We are infamous.”
“We know all about your oldest brother, of course,” Linda continued.
“We voted for him,” Bob interjected.
Senator Sterling smiled. “Me too.”
Everyone chuckled.
“Tell us about your other siblings,” Linda said.
“Zadie is the next oldest,” Senator Sterling said, cutting a piece of
chicken.
“I’ve seen her on the news,” Bob said.
“Yes, she does a lot of media appearances.”
“My book club read her latest book,” Linda said. “It was about the school
system; she’s a great author.”
“She sure is. We’re all very proud of her.”
“She lives in D.C., so we get together for coffee once a week,” he
continued. “My other siblings are more spread out. Eli and Declan are both
on the West coast.”
“I know about them,” Addy said.
 “I’m not surprised,” Senator Sterling said.
“Addy likes to spend most of her free time on that Chitchat App,” Linda
said.
“Like a billion other people,” Liv said.
“Yes, Eli’s social media app has completely taken off,” Senator Sterling
said. “He has really made a name for himself.”
“Declan is a little mysterious. We aren’t quite sure what all he does,” Liv
said.
“Join the club. Surfing, traveling - he has a large following online that’s
for sure.”
“Addy is one of those followers,” Bob said.
“Dad!” Addy said, her cheeks flushed.
“Brooklyn, another sister, is a teacher,” he continued, sparing Addy more
embarrassment. “She enjoys her privacy.”
They all nodded.
“Juno and Keene are in college,” he said. He took a long sip of water
before he added: “Did you get all of that?”
They all laughed.
“It’s nice that you have such a loving family,” Linda said.
“It really is. I don’t take it for granted. We are so lucky,” he said.
They all ate in silence for a moment. Liv studied him out of the corner of
her eye; he was softer here. His hair was a little tousled; a slight stubble on
his face. His posture relaxed.
The food is all delicious, Mrs. Dalton,” he said. “I haven’t had a proper
home-cooked meal in ages. Thank you.”
Mrs. Dalton beamed.

The next day, Senator Sterling met them at a local community center. Liv had
set up a town hall for cancer victims and their families. The room was
packed.
“This has to be half the town,” he whispered when they first walked in.
“Probably more,” Liv said. “I don't know any families who haven’t been
impacted in some way.”
He nodded grimly.
 The town mayor opened the meeting. Senator Sterling sat on a stool at the
front. They opened the floor for people to talk - to tell their stories. Stories of
loss, sickness, and death poured out. Senator Sterling listened intently. He
asked thoughtful questions. Liv could see the concern growing on his face as
more and more people told their stories.
When they were finished, he stood up and addressed the crowd.
“Thank you so much for sharing your stories with me,” he said. The room
was silent. Every eye focused on him.
“I’m so sorry for your loss,” he said. “...your collective loss as a
community. It is deep, and it pains me to hear about it. You did not deserve
this. No one does. I promise you that I will work to fix this problem. No one
in the United States should be unsafe in their homes.”
Everyone clapped. Liv let out a breath she was holding.
After the meeting, Senator Sterling stayed for hours talking with people
one on one. Once everyone left, Liv noticed his posture changed - a slight
slump to his shoulders; a hollowness around his eyes.
“Thank you for coming,” she said. “This means a lot.”
“Thank you for calling this to my attention,” he said. “I had no idea it was
this bad.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and tipped his head back to the
ceiling.
“It’s other places too,” she said. “I’ve started gathering the data. I know
we have a lot more research to do, but look at this.”
She pulled out a file folder and opened it.
“Here are the statistics of communities surrounding plants that use BV90
compared to communities that don’t,” she showed him the top sheet of a
thick pile of papers. “The cancer rates are off the chart where there’s BV90.”
He picked up the page and studied it.
“All of this is just three states,” she said, motioning to the huge stack.
His eyebrow shot up.
Her eyes were brimming with tears; she blinked them back. She didn’t
want to cry right now.
Not now. Not now.
He studied her face for a moment.
“It’s okay to be upset,” he said. “You don’t have to be guarded in front of
me.”
 “You’re my boss,” she whispered. “Normally, you don’t cry in front of
your boss.”
“It’s always okay to cry about people dying,” he said, still looking her in
the eye.
She felt a single tear trickle down her face. She took a deep breath and
turned around.
Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
He shuffled through the papers behind her.
Do. Not. Cry.
All of the emotion she’d been stuffing down bubbled to the surface. Her
tears were flowing now; an ugly, messy cry with slurpy, sloppy noises.
God, why now? She wanted to run from the room.
Before she could move, she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned, wiping
her face with her sleeve.
“Here,” he said, handing her some tissues. “This will help.”
She took it, wiped her face, and blew her nose.
“It’s just...I think about my sister,” she said, her voice breaking on the last
word. She cleared her throat.
“I know.” he said.
“It isn’t over for her,” Liv said, the tears returning. “She’s in remission,
but we don’t know if it will come back. It’s always going to hang over her.”
“It’s really fucked up,” he said.
She brought her hands to her face and began to sob. He stepped forward
and placed his hand on her upper arm. It was warm and comforting. Before
she realized what she was doing, she closed the space between them and
buried her face in his shoulder. He stiffened slightly but placed his hand on
her upper back with the lightest pressure. She felt him breathing into her hair.
Oh, God - he’s my boss. She thought. What am I doing? I’m going to
have to quit tomorrow.
After a moment, she composed herself and stepped back. She noticed he
took a step back as well - his hands firmly at his side.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “Oh, that was so inappropriate.”
“No...no...” he said. “Don’t.”
She groaned.
“Will you still write me a reference when I resign?” she said, wiping her
eyes.
He laughed. “No, because you aren’t quitting. Are you kidding me?”
 He held up the folder. “This is phenomenal work. I can’t believe you did
all this in such a short amount of time.”
She blushed.
“Thanks,” she said, looking at the soaking wet spot on his shoulder where
she’d just been blubbering.
“Hey, Liv,” her dad called from the doorway. “We’re ready to go. Are
you riding with us?”
“Yes,” she said before he could even finish the sentence. “Yes, I’ll be
right there.”
She grabbed her things and rushed toward the door.
“See you at the office,” he called.
She waved, afraid to look back.
 Chapter Eighteen
Will’s second date with Ellen was going much better than the first. He
seemed to remember how conversations worked this time.
They had just finished dinner and were walking arm in arm down the
sidewalk.
“It’s a beautiful night,” Ellen said.
“I love nights like this,” he said.
The door to the Olde Town Tavern opened and a couple spilled out. They
were laughing and arguing.
“You said it was Grover Cleveland,” the man said.
“No. No, I didn’t! You misheard me.”
“No. No. I heard you say Grover Cleveland.”
“Grover Cleveland doesn’t make any sense,” she said with a groan.
Will recognized that voice right away. Oh no.
He was hoping he could slip past them, but no...
“Senator Fucking Sterling,” the man said, clearly several drinks into the
night. “Liv, isn't this your boss?”
Liv, although a little wobbly on her feet, seemed to sober up at the sight
of Will.
“Senator Sterling,” she said, her eyes wide.
“Good evening,” he said.
“What are the odds?” her date said, entirely too loud.
“Taking Care of Quizness?” Ellen said, reading their matching shirts.
“It’s our trivia team,” he said, pointing to Liv. “We were on a winning
streak until this one thought Grover Cleveland presided over the Clayton
Antitrust Act.”
Liv rolled her eyes. “It was a misunderstanding.”
“Woodrow Wilson,” Will said.
“Right, man,” the date said, stumbling a bit. Liv took his arm to steady
him. “We need you on our team. Liv, get this man a shirt.”
“Senator Sterling, this is Dev Laghari,” she said. “Dev actually clerks for
Chief Justice Mitchell.”
Will’s eyebrow shot up.
“Dev is normally not this...” she mimicked drinking. “It’s his birthday.”
“Oh, well,” Will said. “Happy Birthday! It’s nice to meet you.”
 “Likewise, likewise, man,” Dev said, still much too loud. Liv patted his
arm.
“Time to get you home,” she said. “It was nice seeing you and ...”
“Ellen,” Ellen said, extending her hand. Liv shook it.
Dev started singing.
“I’ve really got to run,” she said. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ellen chuckled as they watched Liv drag Dev away.
“Youth,” Ellen said. “There’s nothing like it.”
“Agreed,” Will said, his brow furrowed.
 Chapter Nineteen
She sat at her desk, willing her brain to work. More coffee.
Liv woke up with a splitting headache that morning. She’d hit the snooze
button instead of going for a run then she overslept and had to throw herself
together.
While fixing another cup of coffee, she popped ibuprofen in her mouth
and then chugged a whole glass of water while she waited.
“Hey Liv,” Senator Sterling called from his office. “Will you come in
here?”
Liv closed her eyes.
Shit.
“Big night last night?” he said when she came in. She tried to smooth her
hair; she knew she looked a mess.
“I don’t...we don’t normally...” She closed her eyes for a moment.
“It’s none of my business,” he said, shutting his mouth into a straight
line.
“Did you need something?” she asked, eager to change the subject.
“Sit down,” he said.
He waited for her to sit and then continued. “Speaker of the House Miller
is looking for a new Chief of Staff. I think you should do it.”
“Me?” Her mouth fell open.
“It’s a great opportunity,” he said. “She has an all-female staff.”
“I know...I know,” she said. She did know. Miller’s office was legendary.
This would be the most coveted position open in years.
“Are you upset with my work?” she asked, sweat starting to run down her
back.
“No,” he said. “No, it has nothing to do with your performance. I’m an
idiot to send you away, but I think it would be a great move for your career.”
“Did I do something?” she asked. Like strike you out in front of your
colleagues, have a panic attack in the elevator, or cry on your shoulder?
“No...No...” he said, shaking his head. “It’s a raise and a lot more
exposure.”
“What about BV90?” she said, her hands trembling. “That’s all I care
about.”
 “I want to show you something,” he said, turning his computer monitor
towards her. “I sent your folder over to my buddies at The Times.
She stared at the screen, not sure what she was looking at.
“I don’t understand...”
“They started digging. This is the information on just fifteen more states.
Liv, the numbers are staggering. There’s no way the other side can ignore this
any longer.”
She blinked several times trying to absorb what he just said.
“We need to let them finish the investigation; they have vast resources to
accomplish this sort of work,” he said. “We need to sit tight while this comes
together.”
Liv bit her lip.
“I’m close with the Speaker of the House. If I put in a good word...”
Liv felt bile rise in her throat. Her stomach churning. Was it the hangover
or the way her boss was subtly firing her?
“You have to promise that I can continue to work on BV90,” she said, her
head pounding.
“We need support in the House as well,” he said. “They have to pass it
too.”
This was true, but...Liv couldn’t help but feel she was being tossed aside.
“I’ve spoken to the Speaker a few times about BV90; she wants to make
it a priority,” he said. “I’m sure we can work out an arrangement for you to
coordinate with my office when the time comes.”
It made sense; it truly did. This was the sort of job she’d dreamed about
throughout law school. She should be happy.
“Ok, I’ll do it,” she said.
“I’ll arrange an interview,” he said.
She sat for a moment staring blankly at him.
“Liv...” he started.
“Thank you for the opportunity,” she interrupted. She rose to her feet and
walked out of his office.
“Marissa, I’m taking a break,” she said, walking out the door.
She sat out front of the Capitol building, eating a hot dog she bought from
a vendor, taking her sweet time.
What is he going to do - fire me?
 Chapter Twenty
Liv stood in front of the hotel desk; her luggage by her feet.
This cannot be happening.
“Sam,” she said, reading his nametag. “Could you please check again?"
She searched her emails while he tapped away at the computer.
“See I have a confirmation email,” she said, holding out her phone. “It
was delivered yesterday.”
“I’m sorry, ma’am,” Sam said, still tapping away at the computer. “I
cannot find it.”
She rubbed her forehead. “What do you suggest?”
“We are completely booked. There is a conference in town...”
“Yes, yes! I know - I’m here for the conference which is why I booked
the hotel months ago.”
“There’s not...”
“Liv, is everything alright?” a voice from behind her said.
Liv froze.
Not him. Not him. Anyone but him.
She turned around to find Senator Sterling behind her. She had taken the
job with the Speaker months ago and hadn’t seen him since.
“It’s nothing,” she said, ready to slink off and sleep on the subway.
“Did they lose your reservation?” he said. “I couldn’t help but overhear.”
Perfect.
“I’m sure I can find something at another hotel,” she said, putting her
hand on the handle of her luggage.
“No, ma’am,” Sam said. “I’m afraid not - everyone is booked full.”
Thanks, Sam.
“You can stay in my room,” Senator Sterling said. His words came out
like a gush of air.
Her entire brain melted for a moment, unable to understand words or
form thoughts.
“Wha...what?”
“Stay in my room,” he said. “It’s not a big deal.”
It is a big deal.
“Look - what are you going to do? Sleep on the subway,” he continued
while Sam checked him in.
 “I’m considering it,” she said. “I hear the subway is pretty comfortable.”
“How about this?” he said. “Just bring your stuff to my room. If you find
somewhere else to stay, you can move.”
This is perfectly reasonable and not at all guaranteed to fail.
“I guess I don’t have other options,” she said, following him to the
elevator.
Just as the doors to the elevator were closing, a hand stuck between them
- opening them again.
“Well, look who it is?” Byron Ray called as he wheeled his luggage onto
the elevator. He was catching his breath. “Almost didn’t make it.”
Liv just stared.
“I’m floor 34,” he said to Senator Sterling who pushed the button.
“What floor are you, Liv?” he asked. She felt her color rise as he stared at
her.
“Um,” she looked at the number Will had pushed. “35.”
“Oh, same as Will,” he said. He looked from one of them to the other
with a stupid grin on his face. “Interesting.”
Liv just stared at the floor; her face bright red. She stayed motionless -
wishing she’d just spontaneously vaporize and float away in tiny particles.
“This is me,” Byron said, leaving the elevator. “Have fun together on the
penthouse level.”
The doors closed.
Oh my god. No. No. No.
“I didn’t know it was the penthouse level,” Liv said, throwing up her
arms. “He’s going to know I’m staying with you.”
Senator Sterling didn’t move - his face blank.
She groaned.
“Don’t worry what he thinks.”
Easy for you; you’re not the one who looks like a slut.
She followed him out of the elevator and into his hotel room. It was huge
with giant windows overlooking the city.
“At least it has a couch,” she muttered.
“What?”
“I’m just going to leave my luggage right here,” she said. “I’m sure I
won’t be staying.”
 Chapter Twenty-One
Liv did not, in fact, find alternative lodging.
“It’s this or the subway,” she muttered to herself as she opened the door
and entered the hotel room. The curtains were open, and the skyline lit up the
night sky. She stood in front of the windows for a moment taking in the view.
“Hello,” she called. “Senator Sterling?”
No answer. She let out a breath she’d been holding.
The day had flown by as Liv had moved from meeting to meeting. She’d
spent half the day thinking about her awful housing situation.
At least there’s a couch. She reminded herself, sitting down and closing
her eyes.
The door jiggled and Liv jumped back to her feet. Senator Sterling
walked through.
“Hi,” she said, softly.
“Hi,” he answered, staying on the opposite side of the room.
“I’m so sorry about this,” she said. “If it’s a problem, I can leave.”
“And sleep on the subway?” he said.
She shrugged.
“It’s fine,” he said. “The couch pulls out; I can sleep on it. You can take
the bed.”
Liv’s eyes widened.
“No...no...” she stammered. “It’s your hotel room. I’m not taking the
bed.”
He shrugged. Liv stared at him a bit too long. She averted her eyes. God,
he was handsome - like empirically handsome in a tall, dark, and
handsome/leading man sort of way. He and his brother got a lot of Kennedy
comparisons. She thought he was much sexier than any Kennedy.
She cleared her throat and stood up.
“I guess I will get ready for bed,” she said. “Is it alright if I use the
bathroom for a bit? You can go ...”
“Go,” he said. “Do whatever you need.”
He sat down on one of the plush chairs near the couch while she gathered
her things.
“Is this...” she started to say and then snapped her mouth shut.
“What?”
 “It’s just...um...will Ellen mind?” she blurted out.
He stared at her blankly.
“Will Ellen mind that I’m staying in your room?”
He furrowed his brow.
“Ellen...” he said, slowly like he’d never heard the name.
“Ellen...your girlfriend,” Liv said, her face growing red.
“My girlfriend?” Senator Sterling said, the creasing deepening between
his brows. “Oh, Ellen - from DOT.”
He started laughing.
She just stared silently.
“She isn’t...we aren’t. We never...” he stammered. “She isn’t my
girlfriend.”
“Oh.”
“What about your boyfriend?” he asked.
Now it was Liv’s turn to scowl.
“Mr. Quizness?”
“Oh, Dev,” Liv said, letting out a laugh. “No, no. That’s strictly platonic.”
“Oh.”
Neither of them said another word as she carried her things to the
bathroom. She let out a deep sigh as soon as she closed the bathroom door.
This is going to be a long night. She thought as she reached to the back of
her dress to her zipper. She tugged it, but it didn’t move.
No. No. No.
She tugged a bit harder. No luck. The zipper didn’t budge.
You’ve got to be kidding me. Why?
She tried contorting herself into all kinds of positions, but the zipper
would not move. She closed her eyes.
Damn it. This is actually happening.
She walked back into the living room, barefoot. He looked up at her.
“I have a problem,” she said, her voice wavering. “My dress.”
He stood up.
“The zipper...” a wave of nausea rolled over her.
He blinked several times.
“My zipper is stuck,” she said, wishing she was anywhere, literally,
anywhere but here. The subway was sounding pretty great.
He swallowed hard. She noticed his jaw clench.
“I see,” he said, stepping toward her.
 She turned around. He stepped closer to her - so close she could feel his
breathing on her neck.
He took his hand and gently brushed her hair to one side sending a shiver
down her body. She hoped he hadn’t noticed.
He began to tug at the zipper.
“I think it is caught in the fabric,” he said, as he tugged.
She thought she might die.
“Maybe if I just...” he said as he slid his hand inside the fabric of the back
of her dress. All of the muscles in her body tensed. She felt his hand trying to
pull at the zipper from the inside.
“Damn it.” he said. “Thought I had it. Let me try...”
She stared at her toes and bit her lip.
“I don’t think it’s going to budge,” he said after a few minutes.
Her shoulders slumped slightly.
“We are going to have to cut it off,” he said as he exhaled loudly.
“What?” Liv said. She twirled around to face him.
“I hate to ruin your dress,” he said.
That’s the least of my problems.
“It’s fine.”
“I hope it’s not a favorite,” he said, flinching a little.
“It’s really fine.”
“Do you have scissors?” he asked.
She blinked a few times; her brain had short-circuited again.
“I...I don’t,” she said, looking around.
“I can use my pocket knife,” he said, reaching into his pocket.
Her eyes grew wide.
“I’ll just cut the very top and then I think I can rip it,” he continued.
Her eyes grew even wider.
“Turn around,” he said.
She couldn’t think of a response, so she slowly turned around. He
brushed her hair to the side again. She felt him holding the fabric of her dress
at the top and heard him cut into her dress.
He put his knife back in his pocket while she remained frozen in place.
“I’m just going to have to rip it; shouldn’t be too hard now that I’ve
started it,” he said. He was standing so close to her now - leaning his body
into hers as he grabbed both sides of the fabric. He grunted and pulled at the
fabric. She could feel his breathing increase.
 “Let me try...” he said, followed by another grunt.
She shifted from foot to foot. Sweat rolled down her back.
“I need to just...” He stopped. “Damn it. I can’t get it. I think the front of
your dress will be easier.”
You’ve got to be kidding me. She thought as she turned to face him.
Maybe this was a joke? Maybe he was joking? Surely, he was joking.
“See it’s a V-neck in the front,” he said, pointing to her chest. “I think I
can rip it enough that you can step out of it.”
He was not joking. Good lord.
“I...I’m not...I don’t..” she said, looking down at her cleavage.
“I don’t even think I’d need the knife,” he said while rolling up his
sleeves.
She blinked several times.
“Ok,” she finally said, her brain had clearly exited her body and was
floating somewhere in space.
He reached both his hands just down the front of her dress. The warmth
of his body radiated toward her.
Good god. She bit her lip.
The backs of his hands skimmed the tops of her breast; sending tingling
sensations throughout her body.
“OK,” he said, taking a deep breath. She nodded and closed her eyes. “On
three...one, two...three.”
With a loud grunt, he pulled the fabric of her dress; a loud ripping noise
pierced the silence. He was breathing heavily. Liv was too terrified to open
her eyes.
“That should do it,” he said, scooting his feet away.
She looked down at her dress - ripped right down the middle to her navel
- her lacy black bra peeking out. She turned her eyes up to his face. His
breathing was still heavy. Eyes all pupils. She sucked in a quick breath of
air.
“I should.” he started to say, backing away.
She looked down at her dress again and burst out laughing.
He just watched her.
“Why...” she said, pausing to laugh. “Why...didn’t we...get scissors from
the front desk?”
His mouth dropped open.
“I don’t...” he started to say, but stopped short and howled with laughter.
 They were both doubled over, unable to control their fits of laughter.
She’d never seen him laugh like this before; it felt comfortable like putting on
a favorite sweatshirt.
“I think my brain malfunctioned,” she said, her stomach hurt from
laughing so hard.
“Me too,” he said, wiping his eyes. A giant smile spread over his face.
God, he has the perfect smile, she thought. Her stomach fluttered, and she
reached out and grabbed his bicep.
They both froze.
The moment suspended in time as she looked at his face. His smile
melted into a new expression - one full of desire. Liv stepped closer to him;
closing the distance between them.
She licked her lips.
His breathing stopped.
She placed her hands on his face, brushing over his soft stubble. He
exhaled slowly, never breaking eye contact with her.
She drew herself into him and pressed her lips to his. Softly.
He groaned as she ran her hands through his hair.
What am I doing? She thought, her heart racing. Am I doing this? Is this
really happening?
He pressed his tongue against her lips, and she parted them. He swept his
tongue inside, and she moaned and pulled his body closer to hers. His arms
wrapped around her waist; her chest pressed against his.
What the hell am I doing? She thought again, warmth building between
her legs.
She placed her hands on his chest and lowered her head. He rested his
forehead in her hair - breathing heavily. She felt his chest rise and fall.
“We can’t...” she said, shaking her head. “We shouldn’t...”
“Why not?” he said, his voice thick.
She exhaled. God, he smells good. She lingered for a moment in his arms
then pushed herself back.
“You’re my...”
“I’m not...” he interrupted. “I’m not your boss.”
Technically true.
“But...”
“But what?” he said, his breathing still irregular. “You don’t work for
me.”
 “I did.” she said.
And people will think I’m a slut who gets her jobs by sleeping with her
boss, she thought, hanging her head toward the floor.
“What is it?” he said.
“I don’t want people to think I slept my way to the top,” she said.
He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. She longed to touch his hair
again and feel it on her skin.
“You didn’t.”
“They won’t know that,” she said.
He placed his hands on his hips and exhaled loudly.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have,” she said. “I started it.”
“No. No. You were...”
Liv suddenly remembered that her dress was gaping open, and she pulled
it together at her chest. “I should probably get changed.”
He nodded as she scurried into the bathroom and slammed the door.
 Chapter Twenty-Two
As soon as Liv was gone, Will ran his hands through his hair again. He
exhaled and swore quietly.
He couldn’t stay in the room any longer with her, so he grabbed his wallet
and room key and left. He texted her on his way out that he had to meet some
people - a lie.
“Whiskey,” he said, as soon as he sat down at the bar. His mind was
racing. He could still taste her on his lips.
“Sterling!”
He turned to see Byron Ray sitting down at the bar stool next to him.
Fuck.
“Where’s that hot intern of yours?” Byron asked, waving at the
bartender.
“She’s not an intern,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Right, you got her that cushy job with the Speaker,” he said.
“She didn’t need me...”
“She is hot though. You have good taste,” Byron said.
Will clenched his hands into fists; his blood boiling. He contemplated
laying this idiot out, but the bartender approached and set down his drink.
I’ll have an Old Fashioned,” Byron said.
Will chugged his whiskey and set the glass down. “Another.”
The bartender nodded and walked away.
“Tough day? Trouble in paradise?” Byron said while scrolling on his
phone.
“We are not together,” Will said.
“So, she’s available?” Byron said, with a smirk. “Even better.”
This fucker. I might murder him.
Right when Will was about to tackle the moron, his phone buzzed. It was
a news alert. It read:
“Scores of communities around the country devastated by the ill effects of
BV90. Studies
show a dramatic increase in cancer rates and deaths among those
communities. Experts believe contaminated water is to blame.”
“Dude, what is it?” Byron said, taking a sip of his drink.
 Will downed his other whiskey, left money on the bar, and walked out
without saying a word to Byron.
He had to find Liv.
 Chapter Twenty-Two
Will rushed back to the hotel room. When he opened the door, he saw Liv
sitting on the couch in her pajamas, reading on her phone. She wiped a tear
from her eye.
“You saw it too,” he said.
“Yes,” she said, her eyes glistening. “The article is out. It’s even bigger
than I thought.”
He walked over and sat beside her. They silently read on their phones.
“It’s so much worse than I feared,” she said.
“I know,” he said. “No one would have known about this without you.”
A tear rolled down her face.
“There’s no way the other party will block this vote now,” he said. “Just
look at these tweets. Both sides are outraged; this will turn the tides.”
She took his phone and scrolled for a moment.
“Shit. Even Birmingham is demanding answers,” Will said, reading over
her shoulder.
Liv laughed.
He reached over and tenderly wiped a tear from her cheek.
“You did it,” he said, studying her face.
She leaned into his hand - now pressed against her cheek. He was closer
to her now. So close she thought he was going to kiss her, but he stopped
short.
“Sorry,” he said, sitting back suddenly. “You said you didn’t want...this.”
He motioned between the two of them.
“I did,” she said, her face flushed. “I did say that.”
She grabbed his tie and tugged it gently - pulling him back into her
space.
“I’ve changed my mind,” she whispered. He stared at her pouty, perfect
lips as she spoke.
“What about...”
“No one has to know,” she said, tugging his tie again until he was close
enough to kiss.
“No one has to know,” he repeated.
“It’s fun to have a secret.”
“Hmmm...”
 She kissed him again. It grew quickly from tender kisses to unbridled
desire. His hands were in her hair; hers around his neck. She leaned her head
to the side, and he kissed her neck. She moaned. His arms were around her
waist, pulling her close.
He slid his hand under her shirt up to her ribcage. The warmth spread
from his hand, causing her stomach to flutter. He rested his hand below her
breast as he kissed her.
“Are you sure?” he said, stopping to catch his breath.
“Please,” she said, her voice barely audible. It nearly undid him.
He inched his hand further up her shirt. When he realized she wasn’t
wearing a bra, he let out a low guttural sound. He ran his hand over the soft
skin of her breast. She trembled under this touch.
Holy shit.
She kissed his neck while he spread his enter hand over her breast and
squeezed. She moaned again. She nibbled his earlobe and loosened his tie.
“Can I get on top of you?” she asked, her breathing irregular.
He leaned back, so she could straddle him. He cupped her ass and pulled
her into him. She rubbed herself on his erection. He squeezed her ass even
tighter and groaned.
“Fuck, Liv.” he said. “I need a moment.”
He placed his hands on her hips and shifted her back slightly. His head
rested on her shoulder as he breathed deeply.
“It’s been a while.”
“For me too,” she said.
He removed her shirt in one swift motion and buried himself in her
breasts. He squeezed and teased while covering them in kisses.
“Oh, god,” she moaned, arching her back.
“Let’s go to the...” he started and paused. “Liv, I don’t have any...”
“I haven’t...” she stammered. “I haven’t been with anyone in a while -
I’m clean and I have an IUD, but...”
“I’m clean too,” he said, “It’s been a while for me too. I haven’t been
with anyone since my last test.”
“Not Ellen,” she asked.
“No,’ he said, running his hands through her hair. “I told you we weren’t
together.”
She nodded.
“Do you want to go to the bedroom?” he said. “We can stop now if...”
 “I want to,” she said, cutting him off.
He picked her up and carried her to the bed - kissing her on the neck and
chest.
“Why are you wearing so many clothes?” she asked, unbuttoning his
shirt.
“I was just wondering this myself,” he said. She slid his shirt off and
wiggled out of her pants. She scooted back on the bed - topless, wearing only
black underwear.
Will looked up from undoing his belt; his breathing hitched when he saw
her.
“God,” he said. “You are beautiful.”
She looked down and blushed.
He pulled off his pants and crawled onto the bed beside her. Tucking a
piece of her hair behind her ear.
“You take my breath away,” he said.
He slid his hand down the front of her body until he reached her panties.
Even through her underwear, he could feel she was wet.
“Liv...” He groaned.
Oh, my god. Reacting to his touch, her legs dropped open. He shifted
closer to her. His body pressed against the side of hers.
“Can I?’ he asked, his hands at the edge of her underwear.
She nodded, unsure that her voice would work properly.
He slid his hand under her panties and down to her slit.
Oh. My. God.
She spread her legs wider. He ran his fingers the length of her slit -
spreading her moisture around.
Oh, god. She moaned and arched her back. When his fingers touched her
sensitive bud, she nearly screamed. He kissed her neck as he caressed.
“Mmmmm,” she moaned, writhing under his touch.
He traced his fingers lower until they were circling her opening.
“Is this what you want?” he said, his voice husky.
She leaned her head back and arched her back further.
Yes. Yes. Yes.
“Oh, my god - yes,” she said.
He took her breast in his mouth while he slid a finger inside her. She
clenched around him.
“God, Liv...”
 She whimpered and bit her lip.
“You’re so... wet,” he said, leaning against her shoulder for a moment;
catching his breath.
Her eyes drifted down his perfect torso. She gasped a little at the sight of
him. He was hard - and big.
Too big? She swallowed hard.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, noticing her expression.
“Nothing,” she shook her head and wrapped her hand around his
erection.
“I can’t...” he said, removing her hand. “You can’t right now. It’s too
much.”
She pulled herself on top of him; leaning down to kiss him. Her hair
spilled over him. He took her breasts in his hands again and into his mouth
again.
“I need you inside me,” she whispered in his ear. He groaned.
She lowered herself onto him. She was wet but tight. She slowly worked
her way down; taking him inch by inch. She breathed deeply as she stretched
to receive him until he filled her completely.
“Oh, my god. Liv, you’re so tight,” he said, his voice trembling.
“I wasn’t sure if you’d fit,” she whispered into his ear.
He chuckled and squeezed her ass.
“Are you ready for this?” She said as she started to move.
“I’ve never been so fucking ready for anything in my life.”
She rode him slowly at first with long deliberate movements. He placed
his hands on her hips - helping her grind against him. When he slid his hands
around and cupped her ass, she sped up. He pulled her deeper into him. Soon
her movements were frantic; their breathing quick.
“I can’t...” she cried. “I need...”
“Go...” he said.
She crashed over and over - again and again.
“Oh, god.”
Again.
“Will...”
Again.
“Liv...don’t stop...”
Again.
“Will...”
 She felt herself floating or falling or floating or flying...she couldn’t tell.
Holy hell.
Her body shook as she crashed into him again.
Oh, my god. She screamed out his name one last time as she felt him
quiver and throb and explode inside her.
Holy fuck.
She collapsed on top of him; both of them struggling to catch their
breath.
She started to climb off him, but he grabbed her by the shoulders.
“Don’t. Move.”
She froze. His eyes were closed; his hands gripped firmly around her
shoulder.
“I want to feel you a little longer,” he said, his voice shaking.
“Ok,” she said, leaning down to kiss his cheek. They stayed motionless,
breathing heavily.
“Thank you,” he said, after a moment. He kissed her one more time and
then she climbed off him.
“Thank you,” he said again, pulling her into him. She snuggled up beside
him; his arm wrapped around her.
He was speechless; his brain could form no words. He’d been with
women before, but this was...different.
They drifted off to sleep in each other's arms.

The next morning, Liv woke first; they were a tangle of naked limbs. She
crept to the bathroom and stepped into the shower. Her mind replayed the
night before; the heat, the intensity. It overwhelmed her as she let the water
wash over her.
“Can I join you?”
“Sure,” she said, with a smile. The sight of him sent shivers through her
body and a warmth between her legs.
“How’s your morning, Senator Sterling?”
“God, you can’t call me that,” he said.
“No,” she said, with a twinkle in her eye.
“Ok, maybe every once in a while,” he said with a laugh.
“Ok, William,” she said.
 “Will.”
“Will,’ she said. He trembled at the sound of his name on her lips.
“Last night was...” Will said, stopping to kiss her. “Unforgettable.”
She ran her hand down his chest; he was muscular and lean. She allowed
her hand to drift down until she was holding his erection again. It was as hard
as the night before.
“Is this okay this morning?” she said, stroking him gently.
He rolled his head back and growled.
Good god.
She stroked his shaft and traced her fingers over his head. He let out a
low guttural sound; grabbed her and pulled her close - kissing her feverishly.
“You’re like a drug,” he said. “I don’t think I could ever get enough of
you.”
He lowered himself down to his knees in front of her. She stood still,
trying to figure out what he was doing. He planted kisses on her stomach; her
legs; her inner thighs.
Oh.
He spread her apart and kissed her - oh, god, kissed her between her legs.
Oh, god.
She leaned against the shower wall as the water poured over them. She
lifted one leg and rested on the side of his shoulder. He growled, parted her
open, and began to lick her like a man starved.
God. God. God.
He licked the length of her from her opening up to her clit; and began to
suck.
Fuck.
She thought her legs were going to give out. His hands were grabbing the
back of her thighs pulling her into him.
Don’t. Stop.
“Will! Oh, God,” she said. “Fuck - I’m...I’m...God...Will.”
He slid a finger into her as he continued to suck.
She gasped.
He pulled it out slowly and plunged it in again. She nearly screamed. Her
breathing grew more and more erratic; her moans louder; her whole body
shaking and quivering at his touch.
Oh. My. God.
 He continued sucking and plunging his finger into her over and over. She
tried to squirm away - the feeling too intense. He gripped her thighs and
pulled her into him. With one final plunge of his finger, her whole body
shook and trembled; and she sank to the floor of the shower next to him. He
kissed her softly on the arms and shoulder while she trembled and panted.
“My whole body is jelly,” she said. “What the fuck did you do to me?
There are no bones in my body. I think I came fifteen times.”
He laughed.
“Don’t worry - I can carry you back to bed.”
 Chapter Twenty-Three
“Does no one think it’s odd that we pardon a turkey and then immediately go
eat another turkey?” Declan whispered.
Brooklyn elbowed him.
“Shh!” Will said. “You promised to behave at least until the press
leaves.”
Will stood beside all of his siblings outside the White House watching his
oldest brother, The President, pardon Lurkey the Turkey.
Everyone clapped as James finished a short Thanksgiving speech.
“Is everyone hungry?” Elizabeth said. “The food is ready.”
He hadn’t been together with all of his siblings in months. They all lived
busy lives, so it was difficult to get all of them together, but Thanksgiving
and Christmas were sacred and they never missed them.
He hadn’t told his siblings about Liv.
“No one has to know.” he reminded himself.
Liv wanted to keep it a secret. Will had to respect this, but he wrestled
with it - he was ready...ready to go public...ready to start living the life he’d
always wanted. He closed his eyes for a moment thinking about the two days
they’d spent locked away in that hotel room - ordering room service and
devouring each other.
“Hello!”
He shook his head - breaking from his thoughts.
“Hello, Will...” Juno said, holding a platter in front of him. “Did you want
cornbread stuffing or not?”
“Oh...um...sure,” he said. He took the platter.
Zadie eyed him suspiciously from across the table.
“What’s going on with you?” she whispered.
“Nothing,” he said. “Sometimes it’s just hard to decide whether you want
stuffing or not.”
“On Thanksgiving?” she said, passing him the cranberries.
He shrugged.
“I talked to Ellen last week,” Zadie said, plopping mashed potatoes on her
plate.
“Yeah,” Will said, he tried to keep his face as neutral as possible.
 “She said you had two nice dates, but didn’t work out,” Zadie said,
looking a little peeved.
“I didn’t ghost her,” he said.
“She didn’t say that you had.”
“There just wasn’t a spark,” he said. “She is a wonderful woman; we just
weren’t meant to be.”
“Who?” Juno said.
“I set Will up with this great woman who works at DOT,” Zadie said.
“Will you pass me the gravy boat?”
“Oh,” Juno said. “I didn’t think you dated. We’ve wondered if you were a
robot.”
Will handed Zadie the gravy boat.
“Hilarious,” he said with an eye roll.
“Didn’t work out?” Juno said.
“No.”
“Is Zadie setting people up again?” James called from the other end of the
table. “Was it a disaster like the time I let her set me up?”
James shuttered thinking of the horrid woman Zadie had set him up with
before he met Elizabeth.
Zadie rolled her eyes. “Ellen is wonderful...nothing like Alicia.”
“Could I have that gravy boat next?” Eli said. “Hey, Will, I know this
woman in our marketing department if you’re wanting to be set up.”
“I don’t.”
“Is Will wanting to be set up?” Elizabeth called from the end of the table.
“I’ve been waiting for this.”
“I’m not,” he called, loudly. “I don’t...”
“What’s your type?” she said. “I love setting people up.”
“I’m really not interested.”
“Oh, Will, I work with this woman who would be great,” Brooklyn
added. “She teaches middle school science, and she runs marathons.”
“Thank you, but...”
“There’s this professor that’s single if you...” Juno said.
“No.”
“My yoga instructor?” Brooklyn said.
“No, thank you.”
“Hey, Will,” Declan said. “I know this woman who has cured cancer;
she’s also an astronaut; a bestselling author; and a circus performer. Would
you like me to set you up?”
“Yes, absolutely,” Will said with a laugh. “Now the rest of you can leave
me alone.”
They all laughed.
“You just let us know if you change your mind,” Elizabeth said, tapping
her fingers on the table.
“You’ll be the first to know.”
 Chapter Twenty-Four
“Are you auditioning for a spy novel?” Will said when he opened the door.
“Funny,” Liv said, she had on a ballcap, sunglasses, and a hoodie over her
head.
“Come in,” he said.
“I don’t want anyone to know about us,” Liv said. Will pulled her inside
his apartment and held her close.
“You make a super sexy spy,” He said, removing her sunglasses.
“If someone sees me coming to your apartment or if someone takes a
picture of me here...” she said.
“Shhh.” he said, holding his finger up to her lips.
“No one knows.”
“No one knows,” she said. The words came out like a sigh.
“So sexy spy - what’s your top-secret name?” he said, starting to unzip
her hoodie.
“Um...Silver McQueen?” she said.
“Ok, I like that. What’s my name?”
“Agent Steel.”
He laughed, slipped her ball cap off and tossed it and her hoodie on the
couch.
“I’m a double agent,” she said. “Will I be the downfall of Agent Steel?”
“Likely. He has a real weakness for beautiful women”
He pulled her over to the couch. She giggled.
“Agent Steel, are you always so forward?”
“I’ve got a reputation to keep up.”
“Well, let’s see if you live up to the hype,” she said.
 Chapter Twenty-Five
Liv’s hands were shaking as she hung up the phone. Her day had gone from
bad to worse and then her mother’s call had gutted her.
She sunk down on a park bench, her head lowered, eyes fixed on the
ground.
“Liv?”
Liv looked up to see Will standing in front of her.
“Out for a run?” she asked, although the answer was obvious. His
breathing was labored, skin flushed.
He nodded. “What’s wrong?”
“My mom called.”
“Is everything okay?”
“No,” Liv said, while fidgeting with her keys. “Our next-door neighbor,
Billy Comer, was diagnosed with cancer - stage four pancreatic.”
Will inhaled sharply. “Shit. Liv, I’m so sorry.”
She nodded, looking back down. “This day has sucked. Speaker Miller
had me reassess our votes in the Senate, and we’ve actually lost support. Can
you believe it? I’m further away than when I started.”
She lowered her head into her hands.
“I can believe it, unfortunately.”
“This place sucks.”
“Tell me about it,” Will said, frowning.
“Bad day for you too?”
“I lost ground on the prisoner exchange. It’s always two steps forward
one step back in this town,” Will said, shifting his weight from one foot to the
other.
“How do you keep going?”
“I don’t have any other choice.”
Liv nodded, her eyes looked tired and sad. “I’m keeping you from your
run. Also, we don’t want to draw attention to ourselves. You should go.”
Just as Will was turning to go, he stopped and turned back. “Go away
with me this weekend.”
“What?”
“I have this place not too far from the city. It’s private and relaxing. No
one would know you were there with me.”
 “I...um...I’m not...”
“We could leave tomorrow after work.”
“Um...I don’t know how to say this...”
He stared at her quizzically.
“It’s my period. Oh, god is this too much information. It just started, and
I’m not exactly feeling...sexy. I know some people...do, but I’m not...um...I
don’t want...god, this is awkward. I should have just made up some other
excuse. Now I’m rambling. I should just stop talking. I am...stopping.”
Her face burned as she looked up at him. She was expecting a look of
horror instead he was grinning.
“I like it when you ramble,” he said. “Just come. We’ll eat good food,
drink good wine, snuggle on the couch watching movies, and forget
about...all of this,” he said, while motioning around himself.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course - pick you up tomorrow?”
“Sure.”

Liv rounded the corner to see Will waiting for her in his Tesla. She had
arranged for him to pick her up a few blocks from her house so her
roommates wouldn't find out she was leaving with him. She’d made up an
excuse about meeting up with a college friend at the last minute that they had
most definitely not believed but were too kind to press any further.
“Agent McQueen, is this incognito enough for you?” Will said, as she
opened the door. He was wearing a ball cap and dark aviator sunglasses.
“Agent Steel, where is your fake mustache?” Liv laughed.
“Damn, I left it at home.”
“The plan is ruined,” Liv said as she settled into the passenger seat.
“We’d better get out of here fast.”
“That’s the idea.”

When they arrived at the house, Will had insisted that Liv take a bath while
he started dinner. She lingered in the bath, allowing the stress of her job and
her problems to melt away as she soaked. When delicious smells began to
waft in from the kitchen, her stomach rumbled. She willed herself to leave the
cocoon-like comfort of the bathroom, changed quickly, and headed
downstairs.
“How can I help?” she said when she walked into the kitchen. “It smells
amazing in here.”
“Drink this and keep me company?” Will said, handing her a glass of red
wine. She sat at a barstool at the kitchen island. He smiled at her - his eyes
studying her.
“I like seeing you like this,” he said while measuring some olive oil.
“Like what?”
“Relaxed. In your sweats, hair wet, no makeup...you’re really beautiful.”
She blushed. “Are you sure you don’t need a sous chef?”
“I’m almost finished,” he said while mixing a salad dressing. “Perfect
timing.”
She smiled. “I’m hungry.”
“Me too.”
They dined on a goat cheese and fig jam crostini, a leaf green salad, and
butternut squash ravioli with a browned butter sauce. Liv took a bit of the
butternut squash ravioli after she’d dragged it through the sauce. As soon as it
hit her tongue, she moaned.
“How did you learn to cook like this?” she asked, licking the sauce from
her spoon.
“It’s a hobby,” Will said, smiling as he watched her savor the food.
“Useful hobby.”
“That’s the best kind.”
“It appears that way. These days I’m really impressed with myself when I
make a Trader Joe’s frozen meal that isn’t microwaved.”
“No shame in that,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t have time to cook most
days either.”
After dinner, they cleaned the kitchen together. Will had flipped on some
music and worked side-by-side while silently listening. When they’d dried
the last dish, Will grabbed Liv’s hand and pulled her close to him. The song
was slow in tempo and romantic. He held her hand, pressed his hand to the
small of her back, and rested his cheek on hers.
“Can I have this dance?” he whispered in her ear as they began to sway
slowly to the music together. Liv pulled herself closer into him. He kissed her
cheek and then her forehead. The song ended and they froze in place,
listening to each other's breaths and heartbeats.
 She began to slide her hand down from his chest when she reached his
pants, he placed his hand over hers.
“No.”
She looked up at him, startled. “Don’t you want me to?”
“No.”
“I thought you wanted...I could...”
“That’s not why I asked you here.”
She nodded slowly and took a step back.
“I just want to relax with you.”
She nodded.
“Want to watch a movie?” he said, walking toward the living room.
“Sure. What are the options?”

The next morning, Liv woke up alone in the bedroom. The sunlight was
streaming through the windows; she could hear the sounds of birds outside.
She stretched as she sat up, looking around for Will.
He was nowhere to be seen.
She wandered down to the living room with a big fluffy robe tied around
her waist. There was a chill in the air. As she poured herself a cup of coffee,
she heard Will on the phone outside. He was pacing the porch; his voice was
low and strained.
“I don’t give a damn what they are wanting. No.I can’t believe this. Can’t
they just make up their minds?”
Liv listened for a moment until Will ended the call. She slipped out on the
porch. He was fuming, still pacing back and forth with his phone at his side.
“I thought we were leaving all that behind,” she said, taking the phone
from his hand and placing it on the porch swing.
He looked up and groaned. “It never ends.”
“I know. It will still be there on Monday.”
He nodded. “You’re right. Do you want breakfast?”
“Only if I can help you make it.”
“Deal.”
They made their way back into the kitchen. Will whipped together a
frittata with sausage, spinach, tomato, and smoked gouda. Liv cleaned and
chopped fruit for the side. She was amazed watching how relaxed he was in
the kitchen. He moved from one task to the next with ease.
“This is really second nature to you,” she said.
“I started to cook when I was really young out of necessity,” he said. “My
first jobs were working in kitchens. I think in a different life I might have
become a chef.”
“I’d eat at your restaurant,” Liv said as she set the table.
“Thanks,” he said. “Are you up for a hike this morning? There’s a nice
one by the creek.”
“Sounds perfect.”
 Chapter Twenty-Six
Liv spotted Byron Ray down the hallway and hurried to catch up with him.
“Representative Ray?” she called.
He stopped and turned. His face lit up when he saw her.
“Liv! How are you?”
“I’m well, thank you,” she said, breathing heavily. “I wanted to let you
know I emailed the proposal for the social media campaign. I just need you to
look it over and give me your feedback.”
“Perfect, perfect,” he said, staring her directly in the eye.
“How about we set up a meeting after the holiday?” he said. “You can
swing by my office, and we’ll get it hashed out.”
“Great. I’m looking forward to it,” she said.
He leaned in and squeezed her bicep. “I’m so glad you're working with
us.”
She smiled.
As he walked away, something caught the corner of her eye - Will
waiting in the doorway across the hall: his face grim.
“Hi,” she said, walking over to him.
“Can I talk with you?” he said, motioning for her to come into the empty
conference room behind him.
“Sure,” she said. They slipped into the room, and he closed the door
behind them. She hadn’t seen him since they’d gone away together about a
week prior.
“What was that?”
“What was what?”
“You and Representative Ray?”
“I’m doing a project for him. You knew that,” she said, frowning.
“The two of you seem awfully friendly.”
“Is that right?” she said, hands on her hips.
He nodded.
“I can’t believe you are acting this jealous,” she said, her eyes narrowing.
“Jealous?” he said with a huff.
“What would you call it?”
“Concern. I don’t...”
“You don’t like me working with other men?”
 “That’s not what I was going...”
“You don’t think I’m capable of working with a man without fucking
him?”
Will flinched.
“That’s...that’s not what I was...that’s not fair.” he stammered, his face
reddening.
She straightened her shoulder. “Isn’t it?”
“No!” He said, raking his hands through his hair. “I just...I just don’t
trust...”
“Me?” she said, her breathing shallow. “Because that’s what it seems
like.”
“Liv,” he said. “You’re taking this the wrong way.”
“It would be nice if you’d take me seriously,” she said.
“I do - God, of course, I do!”
“It’s not like we’re even in a relationship,” she said as she threw up her
hands.
His jaw tightened.
“What are we? Fuck buddies? A booty call?” he said.
She rolled her eyes.
“You can be with whoever you want,” he said. “That’s none of my
business.”
“That’s right,” she said. “It’s not.”
She twirled around, marched out the door, and slammed it behind her.
 Chapter Twenty-Seven
“How much work are you doing for Representative Ray anyway?” Ben
asked. They were gathered at the bar for Smarty Pints Trivia Night in their
matching shirts.
“He gave me a pretty big social media campaign to run,” Liv said, sipping
on her beer.
“First question: What branch of the United States military did John F.
Kennedy serve in?” Steph said. “Army?”
“Navy,” Dev answered.
“Yeah - it’s Navy,” Liv agreed.
“You’re hardly ever home,” Ben said. “Between your full-time job and
this extra work, when do you ever stop?”
“Not often,” Liv said, looking down at the table. “I’m here with you now,
aren’t I?”
“One point for Joey Trivianni, The Brainy Brunch, and Taking Care of
Quizness,” the host said.
“Sweet!” Ben said.
“Do you ever see your old boss anymore?” Dev asked. “You were both at
the Political Action conference last month, right?”
“I don’t have much reason to see him,” Liv said. “We crossed paths at the
conference.”
“Well, thank goodness,” Dev said.
Color rose to Liv’s cheeks.
“Egotistical, self-centered, out of touch, hypocrite.” Dev said.
“Oh,” she said. “Yeah, I guess it’s for the best.”
She’d been ignoring Will’s texts and calls for a week now.
“What about Byron Ray?” Steph said. “He’s super sexy.”
Liv shrugged.
“I’m like the straightest dude, and I think he’s super sexy,” Dev said.
“Well, he’s employing me at the moment, so he’s off limits,” Liv said.
“It’s freelance work,” Ben shrugged.
“Hmmm,” Steph said. “I’d give up a freelance gig to get with that. He’s
got that bad boy vibe. It totally does it for me.”
“Me too,” Dev said, with a smile. “And I’m super straight.”
“Are you?” Liv said.
 “Yeah, I’m kinda questioning,” Steph said.
“It’s all a spectrum, right?” Dev said.
“Speaking of the spectrum... the next question is what year did the
Supreme Court allow same-sex marriage?” Ben said.
“2015,” they all answered together and then laughed.
“What’s everyone doing for Christmas?” Ben asked.
“Back home to New Hampshire,” Steph said.
“I’ve got too much to do, so I’m staying here,” Ben said.
“My family planned a cruise,” Liv said.
“Without you?” Dev said, with a smile.
“No, with me,” Liv said. “We normally do Christmas at home, but my
parents wanted to mix things up. How about you Dev?”
“Ski trip with the family.”
“Nice,” she said.
“One point for Taking Care of Quizness, Sherlock Holmies, and Joey
Triviannes.”
“It should be,” he said. “I’m ready to get out of this town for a bit.”
“Me too,” she said. “You have no idea.”
 Chapter Twenty-Eight
It was just Liv’s luck to be stuck working two days before Christmas. To
make matters worse, she was driving up an icy mountain road to hand deliver
an urgent package to her ex-boss/ex-lover.
Fuck. My. Life. she thought with a sigh.
How was it possible that no one else could do this task?
It’s fine. It’s fine. She thought. I’ll just pop out of the car and deliver the
package and be on my way. I’ll be able to take the next flight out to Tampa to
jump on the cruise then I’ll be far, far away from Will Sterling, from work,
from Washington. Couldn’t come faster.
The snow began to fall harder. She squinted as she drove. Could this road
be any more windy and narrow?
That’s it! 507 - I found it. Now deliver this package and get out of here!
Liv turned the car toward the driveway.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
The car hit ice and started sliding.
No! Not that way.
Liv tried to take control, but there was no traction. The car continued to
slide right into a ditch and stopped when it hit a tree.
She sat for a moment too stunned to move; the airbag pressed against her
face.
“Are you alright?” She heard voices outside the car.
The car door opened.
“Are you hurt?” a man said. “We were just snowshoeing, and we saw
your car go over the ditch. Here, let us help you out.”
Three men practically dragged her from the car. She recognized them
immediately as Will’s younger brothers - Eli, Declan, and Keene.
You’ve got to be kidding me...his brothers. Liv thought as she wiggled her
way out of the car.
You’re bleeding,” Keene said.
She reached up and touched her forehead; blood was trickling down her
face.
“Oh...I..I didn’t realize,” she said, looking at her bloody fingers. She
began to sway on her feet at the sight of blood.
Declan grabbed her elbow to steady her.
 “Let’s get you to the cabin,” Eli said, waving down a passing
snowmobile. The snowmobile driver stopped and took off his helmet.
“What’s going...Liv?” Will said, the blood draining from his face.
“Liv?” Declan said, looking from Will to Liv. “You know her?”
Will didn’t answer the question.
“You’re hurt,” Will said, jumping off the snowmobile and rushing over.
“This cut doesn’t look good”
“I...”
“Are you hurt anywhere else?” he asked, the snow falling harder.
“I don’t know. I’m not...”
“We need to get you inside,” he said, taking her hand.
“My things.”
“The guys will get it. Come on.”
Will got on the snowmobile first; Liv sat behind him. Her legs straddled
him; her chest pressed against his back; her arms wrapped around his waist -
squeezing him tight as they rode up the driveway. She could feel him
breathing heavily.
She shivered. She wasn’t dressed for snowmobiling.
“You’re cold?” he said.
“I’m okay,” she said, her teeth practically chattering.
“We’re almost there,” he said. “We’ll get you warmed up.”
When they arrived in front of the enormous cabin, Will jumped off.
“Do you need me to carry you?”
“No!” she said, getting off the snowmobile. “No, I can walk.”
He held onto her arm as they walked up the stairs.
Just as they reached the top step, a group of people wearing matching
Christmas sweaters spilled out of the front door. A big dog came bounding
down the steps.
“What happened?” Juno said.
“Car accident,” Will said. “Everyone move out of the way; let’s get her
inside. MarryMe, out of the way you silly dog.
Will led her over to the couch in front of the fireplace.
“Get the doctor,” he called.
“Doctor?” Liv said, her eyes wide.
“The President travels with a doctor,” he said, looking closely at the cut
on her head. “You’re lucky you crashed into the right house.”
Not feeling so lucky at the moment. Liv thought.
 “Let’s get these wet clothes off you,” Will said, untying her shoes.
Liv just watched him motionlessly. She was in shock; surely, she was in
shock.
Maybe she was asleep? No, her head hurt too much to be dreaming.
Damn it - this was really happening.
“Hey, Zadie,” Will called. “Can we get her some dry clothes?”
“You’re going to be fine,” he whispered.
She nodded.
“Dr. Baker,” Will said, standing up. “She’s been in a car accident.”
Dr. Baker took over, examining Liv’s injuries. He determined that she
was fine other than the gash on her head which would need stitches.
“I can do them here,” Dr. Baker said. “I have everything in my kit. Let
me grab a few supplies.”
“Is it okay if I change first?” she said, shivering.
“Of course,” he said. “I’ll be right back.”
“I have some clothes for you,” Will said. “There’s a room you can change
in right over here.”
He led her to a bedroom off the living room and handed her a change of
clothes. He turned to leave.
“Will.”
He turned; his face dark with worry.
“I need help getting out of the sweater,” she said. God, could this be
happening again?
She looked down; there was blood all over it.
“This probably can’t be saved. I need to cut it off...with scissors,” she
said.
A faint smile crossed his lips and he left; returning shortly with scissors in
hand.
“Do you want me to shut the door?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’d rather your whole family not see me in my
underwear.”
He nodded.
“We don’t want this to go over your head so should I just cut it down the
back?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said, barely audible.
“Fuck, Liv, you’re shaking,” he said. “Are you sure you're okay?”
 “I’m probably just in shock,” she said, trying to hold her body still to no
avail.
He started to cut her sweater from the neck down to the bottom. He
worked slowly not wanting to poke her. She held her breath the entire time.
When he finished, he stepped back.
“I’m leaving some clothes on the bed,” he said. “Oh, shit - you won’t be
able to get this over your head. Here, take my shirt.”
Will unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off; he handed it to her.
She blinked several times while he stood shirtless in front of her.
“Oh...um...thank you,” she said. “Will you send the doctor in here? I
think this would be a better place to do the stitches.”
“Sure,” he said. “Liv...”
She turned to look at him.
“Are you sure you’re alright?” he said, swallowing hard.
“Yes,” she said.
He left, and she pulled some pajama bottoms - Christmas ones
with...llamas? She shrugged. They were cozy and had matching fluffy socks.
She pulled Will’s flannel shirt on. It was still warm from his body and
smelled of him. She lifted it up and took a deep breath - inhaling his scent.
She heard a knock at the door and jumped.
“The doctor’s ready,” Will called from the other side of the door. “Are
you ready for him?”
“Yes,” she said. “Send him in.”
The doctor came in and stitched her up.
“Good as new,” he said when he finished. “I'm going to evaluate you
every hour for signs of a concussion, but right now, you look okay. Why
don’t you come out into the living room? I don’t want you to fall asleep in
here.”
She nodded and followed him out. When she walked into the living room,
a hush fell over the group. She felt heat rising to her cheeks.
“I told her to wait out here. I’ll check in with her every hour to make sure
there’s no concussion. She needs to stay awake for a while,” Dr. Baker said.
“Why don’t you sit down?” Zadie said.
“Here’s a blanket,” Juno added.
“Would you like hot chocolate or soup?” Brooklyn asked.
“No, thank you,” Liv answered. “I don’t think I could eat right now;
maybe in a while.”
 The sisters nodded.
Was everyone staring at her shirt...or rather Will’s shirt on her? It felt like
it.
Will sat beside her and examined her stitches; he was wearing a shirt
again.
“They look good,” Will said. “I don’t think you’ll have a scar.”
Everyone else seemed to scatter after Will sat down.
“They all disappeared quickly,” Liv said, looking around.
“They are confused about how I know you,” Will said.
“And why I’m here?” Liv said, struggling to believe all this happened.
“I suppose.”
“I have some documents that Speaker Miller asked me to deliver,” Liv
said. “They’re in my bag. I’ll get them.”
Liv started to stand up, but Will grabbed her arm.
“I’ll get it in a minute,” he said. You must have drawn the short straw to
have to drive up here right before Christmas.”
“Sure looks that way,” Liv said. She stretched her wrist. It felt a little
stiff.
“Is your wrist okay?”
“It’s just a little stiff. I think I hit it on the airbag,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll
find some impressive bruises tomorrow.”
“I’m glad you're okay,” Will said, his eyes searching her face. “You
scared me.”
“I didn’t do this on purpose,” Liv blurted out.
Will furrowed his brow.
“I mean...I wasn’t trying to ruin your Christmas or something,” she said.
He laughed. “That had definitely not crossed my mind.”
She sighed. “I’m sorry.”
“There’s nothing to apologize for except maybe ignoring my calls.”
She bit her lip.
“We don’t have to talk about that now, but the doctor wants you to stay
awake for a while,” Will said. “Do you want to watch some Christmas
movies with me?”
“You don’t want to be with your family?”
“I want to make sure you’re okay,” he said. “What about Elf? Wanna
watch that with me?
“Yes, that would be nice.”
They watched movies in front of the fireplace. Dr. Baker checked on Liv
every hour. After several hours, he gave her the clear to fall asleep and
promised to follow up again in the morning.
“Do you want to finish this movie?” Will asked.
“Sure,” she said, her eyes barely open.
Liv woke the next morning on the couch with MarryMe covering her face
in kisses and wrapped in Will’s arms. She didn’t move as she felt Will stir.
Maybe he’d think she was sleeping. Once he was awake, he sat up quickly.
“I’m...I’m sorry...” he said. “I didn’t...I wasn’t trying...oh, MarryMe,
leave her alone”
“It’s fine,” she said. She reached out and petted the dog on the head and
then slowly sat up. She grimaced and groaned.
“What’s wrong?” he said.
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a bus...or rather a tree,” she said. She lifted
her shirt to see a huge bruise covering the side of her waist and rib cage.
“Shit, Liv,” Will said, inhaling quickly.
“I’m fine,” she said. “It’s just a bruise.”
He looked at her doubtfully.
“I bet my face looks worse,” she said.
“It does.”
“Thanks.”
“Do you think you can eat? Should you see the doctor first? Should we
try to take you to the hospital? I think we are snowed in now, but the
President is here - we can get you evacuated, if necessary,” he was rambling.
“Food sounds good. Do I smell coffee...and bacon?” she said, her
stomach rumbling.
“This way.”
 Chapter Twenty-Nine
When they walked into the kitchen, everyone fell silent.
Liv held her breath.
“Good morning,” Will said.
“How are you?” Elizabeth said. “Did you get any sleep?”
“A little thank you,” Liv said. “I’m just a bit banged up. I’m going to be
fine. Thank you all for your help.”
They nodded.
“I guess I should introduce you,” Will said, pouring a cup of coffee and
handing it to Liv.
“This is Liv Dalton. You may remember she worked for me,” Will said.
“She’s the Noknok girl,” Keene said. Liv thought she saw Juno elbow
him.
“Yes, that’s right. I work in the Speaker’s office now,” Liv said. “I was
delivering some papers yesterday to Senator Sterling yesterday and hit some
ice on the way in.”
“I’m glad you’re okay,” James said, standing up and extending his hand.
“I’m James Sterling, and this is my wife Elizabeth and our daughter
Vivienne. Welcome to Christmas.”
Liv took his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I hope I’m not ruining
Christmas. I can stay in that room and out of the way.”
James waved his hands; he was bouncing Vivi on his lap. “The more the
merrier.”
“Let me introduce you to everyone else,” Will said. “Over here at the
barstools are Juno, Keene, and Eli.”
Liv nodded and they waved.
“Zadie is behind you, and Brooklyn is sitting at the table with Declan.”
“It’s nice to meet all of you,” Liv said, trying to conceal that she was
trembling.
“I’m guessing your holiday plans were ruined too,” Elizabeth said.
“Oh, my god,” Liv said. “I need to call my parents. They must be so
worried. I was supposed to catch a flight last night. Can I borrow a phone? I
don’t know where mine is.”
“Take mine,” Will said, handing her the phone.
“Thank you,” she took it, went into the bedroom, and shut the door.
Everyone sat in silence staring at Will.
“What?”
“So this is the staffer who caused you so much drama?” Zadie said.
“Looks like there’s definitely some drama going on,” Keene said.
“Is that what the kids call it these days?” Eli added.
“Stop,” Will said. “She’s just someone I used to work with.”
No one was buying it.
“Seems like there’s a story here,” James said.
“There’s nothing to tell,” Will said.
 Chapter Thirty
After Liv talked with her parents and assured them, she was fine, and they
needed to go on the cruise without her, she returned to breakfast where she
ate two big plates of sausage, bacon, biscuits, eggs, and fresh orange juice.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so hungry.
“Hi, Liv,” Dr. Baker said, walking to the kitchen. “How are you feeling
this morning?”
“I’ve felt better,” she said.
“Can I take a look at those stitches?”
“Please,” she said, following him into the living room.
“Everything looks good,” he said. “There’s no sign of concussion. These
bruises are going to take a while to heal, but I’m pleased with the way things
look today. You need to take it easy for a few days.”
“Don’t worry - I was planning on it,”
Liv curled up on the sofa watching more Christmas movies. She nodded
off to sleep a few times.
“Do you want to watch the wood chopping competition?” Juno said,
poking her head into the room.
“The what?”
“The boys do this stupid wood chopping contest every year,” Zadie said.
“They’re on the final round; we’re all going outside to watch. Wanna join?”
“Sure,” Liv said. She got up slowly; her whole body was stiff.
“Let me help you with your jacket,” Brooklyn said, rushing over to help
her. Liv flinched as she lifted her arm and slid it into the armhole
“It seems I have bruises everywhere,” Liv said, grimacing.
“Just take your time,” Brooklyn said.
Once Liv finished, they went outside together. Liv’s jaw nearly hit the
ground when she saw all the boys lined up - each of them shirtless or nearly
shirtless.
“I had the same reaction my first year too,” Elizabeth said with a wink.
Liv closed her mouth and blinked several times. Surely, she was sleeping.
Surely this sexy lumberjack competition was not actually happening.
“We’ve finished all of the preliminary rounds,” Keene said.
“There are multiple rounds?” Liv whispered.
 “They take this very seriously,” Brooklyn said. “You should hear about
their Camp David competition.”
Liv’s eyes widened.
“They were temporarily banned from the stables last spring,” Zadie said,
with a laugh.
MarryMe frolicked in the snow around everyone - pouncing on invisible
enemies left and right. Vivi cackled as she watched the dog play.
“Juno, will you be our timer?” Eli said.
“Wouldn’t be Christmas break if I didn’t,” Juno said, pulling out her
phone.
“Declan is winning, so he will get to go first once the timer has started,
then James, Will, me, and finally Eli,” Keene said. “Whoever chops the most
logs in two minutes wins.”
“Ok, I’m going to count down from three,” Juno said, fiddling with the
timer on her phone. “Three, two, one. Declan, go!”
The girls whooped and hollered as Declan started chopping log after log.
“James, go...now Will...Keene, it’s your turn...Eli, start!” Juno called until
all of them were chopping at once.
Liv stared at Will - shirtless, his muscles rippling as he swung his ax over
and over again. Sweat trickled down his brow.
“Time!” Juno called. “Count your logs.”.
Liv couldn’t take her eyes off Will, leaning against his ax...catching his
breath. Her mind flashed back to the times they were together - his skin
against hers, his scent; the strength of his body as he moved over her.
She bit her lip.
“Keene is the winner!” Juno declared. “An amazing comeback...one for
the books.”
“Who’s up for a snowman building contest?” Eli said, playfully tossing a
snowball at Declan.
“Snowman or snowball?” Declan said, throwing a snowball back.
“Maybe both,” Eli said.
“At the same time?” Declan said.
“You guys are nuts,” Zadie said. “Who’s building a snowman with me?”
“Vivi and I will help,” Elizabeth said.
Will walked over to her. Once he was closer, she could see beads of
sweat on his chest. He was still breathing heavily.
She chewed on the inside of her cheek.
 “You didn’t have to come outside,” he said.
“And miss that?” she said. “Not a chance. So you do this every year?”
“Yeah,” he said. “One of our many holiday traditions. Normally we go
sledding and down to the local town for caroling and a Christmas Eve
service.”
“Are you staying in because of me?”
“No,” he said. “The roads aren’t passable. Snow fell all last night. We
won’t be able to get out for days.”
She shivered and pulled her jacket tighter. The snow had started falling
again.
“Let’s get you back inside.”

“Hey Liv,” Brooklyn said. “Do you want to help judge the gingerbread house
competition?”
Liv had just finished a round of dominoes with Juno, Eli, and Zadie.
“Sure,” she said, walking over to the dining room where they were all
displayed.
“Just rank them on this sheet,” Brooklyn said. “We’ll declare a winner
after dinner.”
“Woah,” Liv said, looking from house to house. “These are amazing.”
“We go big,” Brooklyn said with a laugh. “I started thinking about my
design in July.”
“Is this Downton Abbey? Liv asked, leaning closer to see all the details.
“Yes!”
“Oh, my god,” Liv said when she saw the next one. “It’s the Star Wars
Death Star. That’s incredible.”
“That’s my favorite,” Brooklyn said. “James always does a traditional
one, so the next one is Santa’s village.”
“It’s really good. This castle is amazing too,” Liv said. “I don’t know
how I would choose.”
“Brooklyn, they need you in the kitchen,” Will said as he walked into the
room. Liv was leaning over admiring the piping on the castle.
“Okay, just make sure you guys keep the door closed or MarryMe will eat
all of them and maybe Vivi too,” Brooklyn said, as she walked out and closed
the door behind her.
 “I didn’t know you guys were professional gingerbread house makers,”
Liv said. “I’ve never seen anything like this.”
“We take our Christmas traditions really seriously,” Will said.
“I see that.”
“When James adopted everyone, he wanted to make sure we had a strong
sense of family.”
Liv nodded.
“Zadie and I were teenagers, so we took on that responsibility for the
younger kids. We didn’t have traditions growing up since we were in a
different foster home each year. We wanted to give the rest normalcy and
stability...something to be proud of and to look forward to every year.”
“Looks like you succeeded.”
“Is there a front runner?” Will said, gesturing at the gingerbread houses.
“Probably the Death Star,” she said. “I’m blown away.”
“That’s Eli and mine,” he whispered. “You have good taste.”
 Chapter Thirty-One
After dinner, the Death Star was crowned the victor of the gingerbread house
competition.
“Crushed it,” Eli said, high-fiving Will.
“Never had any doubts, man,” Will said.
“Vivi, do you want to leave the cookies out for Santa?” Elizabeth said.
“Vivi wants cookies.”
“You can have one,” Elizabeth said, handing her a cookie. “But we have
to leave the rest for Santa.”
He’s going to be so hungry tonight since he has to fly all over the world,”
James said.
Vivi munched on her cookie while helping put the others on the hearth.
MarryMe immediately bounded over to the plate of cookies.
“No...no...not for MarryMe,” Elizabeth said. Vivi giggled.
“Why don’t we put those up here so Santa can see them better,” James
said as he placed the plate on the mantel.
“Don’t forget these,” Zadie said, handing James some carrots. He laid
them on the hearth. MarryMe sniffed them and walked away.
“Not interested in carrots, huh,” Will said.
“I guess MarryMe is not cut out to be a reindeer,” Zadie said.
“MarryMe a reindeer?” Vivi said, her eyes wide.
“Looks like she’s just a regular dog,” Elizabeth said.
“Everyone say goodnight to Vivi,” James said.
“I don’t want to go night-night,” Vivi said. MarryMe was stretching at
James’ feet.
“It looks like MarryMe is ready for bed,” Will said.
“Santa cannot come until you’re sleeping,” James said, kissing Vivi’s
cheek.
“Ok,” Vivi said, yawning.
“Come on, MarryMe,” James said. “To bed with both of you.”
After Vivi went to bed, they played holiday charades in the living room
for a few hours until James told everyone that Santa couldn’t come if they
were still awake...even the big kids.
Liv headed back to her bedroom and sat down on the side of the bed. She
jumped when she heard the door open. Will slipped in the door and shut it
behind him.
“We need to talk...”
She felt a shiver run down her spine, and she crossed her arms in front of
her chest.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “Is it alright that I’m in here? I should have asked
first.”
“It’s fine,” she said. “Come in.”
He walked toward her and pulled a chair over to sit right in front of her
on the bed.
“Liv, I’m sorry...”
“Will...”
“Just hear me out...please,” he said, running his hands through his hair.
“Ok,” she said, softly.
“I was wrong,” he said, his eyes looking directly into hers. “I don’t like
Byron Ray, but you’re a grown woman. You can take care of yourself. I
should have kept my mouth shut. I’m sorry.”
“Byron Ray...does this go back to your law school days?” she said.
“Yes, I’ve never liked him, but you’re a professional, and it’s none of my
business,” he said. “I’m sorry I overstepped.”
He swallowed hard.
“I miss you,” he said, his voice barely a whisper.
She looked down at her hands.
“I can go,” he said. “You need your rest. I just wanted to apologize. Good
night.”
He stood up and started to turn. She grabbed his wrist.
“No.”
He looked down at her, his eyes full of hope.
“Stay.”
He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
“I missed you too,” she whispered.
He felt a wave of relief wash over him.
“Take off your shirt,” she said.
He just stared at her; not registering her words. She was unbuttoning her
shirt.
“I don’t think we should...I mean...you’re injured...”
“I just want to feel you close to me,” she said. She stood up and started
helping him with his shirt. He pulled it over his head.
 She slid her hand up his arms - lingering at his bicep.
“Hmmm...” she said, pressing her palm against his chest. “I enjoyed the
show today.”
“Is that right?”
“You could sell tickets for that,” she said with a laugh.
“We’ll have to consider it.”
He stepped back from her. She was wearing pajama pants and her bra.
“These look worse today,” he said, gently touching his lips to a bruise on
her shoulder. “How do they feel?”
“Pretty much how they look,” she said with a laugh.
He lightly kissed the bruises on her arm, ribcage, stomach, and neck.
“Come here,” he said, getting into bed.
She climbed in beside him and snuggled up against his bare chest.
“God, Liv,” he said into her hair. “You have no idea how much I’ve
missed this.”
She nuzzled her cheek against his chest and breathed him in. She fell
asleep listening to his heart beating.
He didn’t fall asleep right away. Instead, he stared at the ceiling and
listened to her breathing.
 Chapter Thirty-Two
“Merry Christmas,” she said, snuggling closer to him.
“Merry Christmas,” he answered, his chest tight. This is what he wanted -
to wake up every morning with her in his arms, to have her here every
Christmas at the cabin, to be together as a couple; but that wasn’t what she
wanted.
“Mmmm,” she said. “You smell so good.”
“So do you,” he said, breathing in her hair. They stayed silent for several
minutes, just holding each other. Noise started to drift in from the other
rooms as more and more people woke up.
“They are all going to know I slept in here,” Will said. “We can’t keep
this a secret.”
“I know,” she said, closing her eyes. “I don’t want to walk out together.
Can you leave first? I’ll come out in a little bit.”
“Sure,” he said, standing up and pulling on his shirt.
After he walked out the door, she pulled the covers over her head and
groaned.

Everyone else was gathered in the kitchen wearing matching Christmas

pajamas. Will tried to sneak into the kitchen without being noticed. MarryMe
was sniffing the counters, trying to steal some bacon.
“Will!” Eli shouted. “There you are!”
“Looks like Will is having a very Merry Christmas,” Keene said with a
grin.
“A very Merry Christmas indeed,” Declan said, slapping him on the back.
“Cut it out,” Will said. “Don’t be weird.”
“You might want to be careful; there’s mistletoe all around this place,”
Brooklyn said.
“Seriously,” Will said. “Don’t say anything when she comes out.”
Brooklyn made a zipper motion over her lips, Declan just shrugged, and
Keene did the boy scout’s salute.
“I don’t trust any of you,” Will said, pouring himself coffee.

—-
After breakfast, everyone gathered around the Christmas tree. The stockings
were full; presents were everywhere.
“Santa was awfully busy last night,” Eli said.
“It’s his night to shine,” James said with a wink.
Viv totted around the room - squealing at the shiny boxes and ribbons.
MarryMe followed behind her sniffing as he went.
Liv enjoyed watching everyone open their presents. Will bounced Viv on
his knee, and MarryMe playfully growled and pounced around.
After gifts were exchanged and Vivi went down for a nap, Eli stood up
and clinked a glass.
“We’re snowed in this year, and everyone knows what that means,” he
said, grinning from ear to ear.
“Christmas Lava!” Juno squealed.
Liv looked around the room in confusion.
“We play this game that’s part drinking game/part trivia game/part floor
is lava every year we get snowed in.”
“Ah...will this be as exciting as the wood chopping?” she asked, her eyes
twinkling.
“A different kind of exciting,” he said.
“Are there teams?” she asked.
“Yes,” he said. “Here draw a straw.”
Liv held up her straw. It was long. Brooklyn and Keene had the same
size.
“Nice,” Keene said, high-fiving Brooklyn.
Will was paired up with James and Zadie.
“Oh, the elders are together,” Juno said. “I’m not sure if this is fair.”
“The straws have declared it to be,” Will said. “There’s no questioning
the wisdom of the straws.”
Declan, Juno, and Eli made the last team.
“Elizabeth, are you not playing?” Liv asked.
“I’m the judge and the trivia reader,” she said.
Liv looked around in wonder as all of the siblings began to move
furniture around and climb on top.
“So, is this the floor is lava part?” Liv asked.
“Exactly,” Will said, pulling her up on the coffee table.
“What do you want to drink?” Juno said. “It doesn’t have to be alcoholic
if you don’t want.”
 “Umm...” Liv said, looking around at everyone else. “How about
Wassail?”
“Perfect,” Juno wandered off to collect more drink orders.
“So, is someone going to explain the rules?” Liv said.
“First there are trivia questions,” Eli said. “They are presidential themed
for obvious reasons.”
Liv nodded. “Makes sense.”
“If you miss your question, you have to jump to another spot without
landing in the lava,” Keene said.
“Got it,” Liv said.
“If you get a question right, the other team has to hum a tune,” Brooklyn
said.
“What?”
“Like name that tune,” Will said.
“I see.”
“If you get the tune right, the other team drinks,” Juno said, handing Liv
her drink. “If you get it wrong, you drink.”
“Ok,” Liv said, taking her drink. “Anything else I need to know?”
“There are a few surprises along the way,” Will said. “Let’s start.”
“OK: First question...which president also served as Chief Justice of the
Supreme Court?” Elizabeth said. She was sitting on the couch snuggled under
a blanket. “Keene, you’re up first.”
“Taft!” Keene said.
Liv nodded in agreement.
Eli started humming a tune.
“Gosh,” Liv said, quietly. “Sounds like Baby Got Back.”
Will broke out in giggles. “No, it really doesn’t.”
“Oh, I know...I know!” Brooklyn said. “It’s Smells like Teen Spirit.”
“Correct,” Eli said, he raised his glass to his lips and drank.
“Next question: This is for Declan,” Elizabeth said. “Which president was
known as the little magician?”
“Bill Clinton,” Declan said. They all burst out laughing.
“NO!” Elizabeth said. “Martin Van Buren. Jump to a new spot.”
Declan jumped from his chair over to the ottoman with Brooklyn.
“How do you win?” Liv whispered to Will.
“Be the last man or woman standing,” he said. “You’re out if you fall in
the lava.”
 “Oh, I see.”
“It gets harder after a few drinks.”
She smiled.
“Speaking of which...drink up,” Will said. They both took a sip of their
drinks.
After two hours, the only players left were Will, James, and Liv.
“We need to do different trivia next time,” Juno said. “They know too
much about the Presidents.”
“Ok,” Elizabeth said. “It’s time for the lightning round. Anyone can
answer the question. If you get it right, you stay in place. If you lose, you
have to spin around and jump two times. The other players have to spin
around and jump twice if you get the answer right. Humming and drinking
rules still apply.”
“Which inventor tried to save William McKinley’s life after he was
shot?” Elizabeth read.
“Alexander Graham Bell,” Liv shouted.
“Correct!”
Liv watched Will and James spin around and jump to new pieces of
furniture. They were both a little wobbly on their feet.
“James, hum a tune,” Elizabeth said.
James began to hum.
“Oh, I know it,” Will said. “Oh, Canada?”
“That’s a weird tune for the American President,” Juno said.
James shrugged, lifted his drink to his lips, and took a sip.
“Next question - which president won re-election with the widest popular
vote margin in history?”
“It will be James Sterling,” Will said. They all cheered. “In the past, I’m
going to say, Ronald Reagan?”
“Wrong!” Elizabeth shouted. “LBJ!”
“I would have gotten that wrong too,” Liv whispered.
Will spun around. He was far from the next piece of furniture; he leaped
forward but couldn’t quite make it.
“Oh, you had a good run,” Eli said, patting his brother on the back.
“Then there were two,” James said with a smile.
“Indeed,” Liv said. She started humming.
“Hmmm...” James said. “Oh, Christmas Tree.”
“Yes,” Liv said, taking a sip of her drink.
 “Next question: Who was the first president to have a rescue dog in the
White House?”
Liv closed her eyes. She wobbled a bit.
“George W. Bush?”
“That is not correct,” Elizabeth said. “Joe Biden is the correct answer.”
“Damn it!” Liv said. She spun around and jumped toward the ottoman but
missed.
“James is the winner!” Elizabeth said. “Congratulations.”
“Do I get a kiss from the judge?” he asked, walking over to her.
“Only seems fair,” she said, kissing him.
“Gross,” Declan said.
“Get a room,” Brooklyn added.
“That was fun,” Liv said. “And weird.”
“Accurate,” Keene said.
“Hey Declan, how’s your Patagonia trip looking?” James asked as he sat
down beside Elizabeth.
“Keene has some time off school coming up, and Eli’s breaking away
from work,” Declan said. “You want to join?”
“Ha! I don’t think the Secret Service will go for that,” James said. “They
don’t exactly love that I come here.”
“Anyone else want to join?” Declan said. “Anyone can come. Will?”
“Don’t think I’ll be able to make it this time,” Will said.
“Anyone up for round two,” Juno said.
They all groaned.
“Can’t hold my liquor like I used to,” Will said.
“Agreed,” Eli added.
“You or me?” Will said.
“Both of us.”
 Chapter Thirty-Two
The rest of the holiday whizzed by. Will wanted to soak in every minute he
could with Liv. He loved seeing her with his family and sleeping with her in
his arms.
“It was good having you here,” he said while driving her to the airport. “I
mean, I’m sorry it happened the way it did, but I’m glad.”
“It was nice meeting your family,” she said.
You fit right in. he thought.
“Liv, can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“What were your plans before Addy got sick? You had all of those offers
right out of law school. Would you have taken them?” Will asked without
taking his eyes off the road.
“Honestly,” she said. “What I’m doing right now...this job with the
Speaker is what I wanted.”
“And long-term? Do you want to stay there long-term?”
“Part of me does, but part of me wants to run for office. I don’t know if
I’d want to give up my privacy and have to put up with all of the dirty politics
though. Maybe I don’t have the stomach for it.”
“Well, it can be a dirty business, but we need people like you.”
“What about you?” she asked. “Is this what you’ve always wanted?”
“When I was very young...no,” Will said. “Mostly because my life was
just about survival. I didn’t have much thought to the future because I wasn’t
sure if I’d go to bed hungry or have to wear shoes that didn’t fit. It’s hard to
be ambitious when your needs aren’t met.”
Liv nodded.
“Once James adopted us though, I knew that we could be different from
our parents. James was doing it, and I knew that if he could do it, I could
too.”
“You’re lucky to have your family,” Liv said, quietly.
“I think about that every day,” Will said. “I wouldn’t be here without
them - that’s for damned sure.”
She smiled.
“Will they...do you think they can keep this a secret?” Liv asked, looking
down at her hands.
 Will’s heart sank. He’d hoped that things had changed at the cabin; that
maybe she’d want more than just a secret fling. He stared straight ahead.
“I just...you know...I don’t want people to think...”
“I know...I know...I’ll talk to them,” he said, gripping the steering wheel
tighter. “They can keep a secret.”
“Thanks,” she said, softly.
“So what does this mean for our future?” Will said. The words just spilled
out; he was surprised he’d said them.
“What do you mean?”
“You just want to keep hooking up?”
“It sounds bad when you put it that way,” she said.
He shrugged. “That’s what we’re doing, right?”
“I’m having a good time,” she said, playfully squeezing his bicep.
“Aren’t you?”
“Of course,” he said. “I just want to know where things stand.”
“Let’s just keep going like this. It’s working, isn’t it?”
No. Not for me.
“Of course,” he said, his knuckles turning white. “Nothing wrong with
having some fun.”
“Exactly,” she said with a smile. “You get it.”
They pulled up at the airport, and Will jumped out of the car to help her
with her bags.
“Thank you, Senator Sterling,” she said, taking the luggage from him.
Senator Sterling. Her words hit him like a punch to the gut.
“You’re welcome,” he said. He longed to kiss her goodbye. “Have a good
trip.”
“Thanks - I’ll see you around.”

James was sitting on the front porch with MarryMe when Will arrived back at
the cabin.
“Sit with me,” James said.
“Got your watch dog here?” Will said, scratching MarryMe behind the
ears. She licked his hand.
“I know,” James said. “I hardly even need the Secret Service with this
ferocious beast nearby.”
 MarryMe yawned and curled up in a ball at their feet. They sat together in
silence, staring at the snowy landscape.
“She makes you happy,” James said. “Is it serious?”
“No.”
“What did you tell me about Elizabeth - you don’t find someone like that
twice?”
“I also said ‘Don’t fuck it up,’” Will said with a laugh.
“And, I almost did,” James said. Will nodded.
“Well, I’m going to give you the same advice,” James said. “Don’t fuck
this up.”
“It’s not me,” Will said, leaning his head back. “I would have asked her
to move in with me months ago. Hell, I probably would have proposed
already, but..”
“But, what?”
“It’s not what she wants,” Will said, letting out a heavy exhale.
“I see.”
“She wants to keep our relationship secret,” Will said.
“Why?”
“She thinks it will make her look bad - like she was sleeping with her
boss.”
“But you’re not her boss.”
“But I was.”
“People are always going to talk - especially in Washington.”
“I know...I know, but I have to respect that this is important to her,” Will
said. “I just don’t know how long I can go on like this.”
She’s breaking my heart.
James nodded.
“Let’s change the subject,” Will said. “Do you mind talking about work
for a minute?”
“Sure.”
“You know that prisoner exchange I’ve been working on?” Will said.
“Yes, fifteen prisoners of war in all,” James said. “I just don’t know that
we can exchange the prisoners they want.”
“I know,” Will said. “I have an idea.”
“I’m all ears.”
 Chapter Thirty-Three
Liv squirted some cleanser onto her hand and started to rub it in circular
motions on her face. A podcast played in the background, but Liv had tuned
it out. Her brain was too fried to follow along.
It had been a long day in a long week.
She was tired and didn’t, absolutely didn't want to do this skincare routine
right now.
She sighed as she rinsed the cleanser off her face and then grabbed a
second cleanser and began to wash her face again. Steph had talked her into
starting a new skincare routine she’d seen on NokNok, and as much as she
wanted to be the sort of woman who had a skincare routine, she did not like
being an actual woman with a skincare routine.
It was too much work. It was literally eight steps (EIGHT!). There were
so many other things she’d rather spend her time doing.
She leaned closer to the mirror. Her scar was fading and his bruises were
just a hint of yellowy-green at the moment. Her body was still a little stiff,
but she was feeling more and more like herself every day.
She looked over all the skin care products on the bathroom counter and
groaned softly. She picked up the toner. Was this next? Maybe it was the
serum? Or was she supposed to be exfoliating tonight?
Ugh.
Too much work.
“Hey, Liv,” Ben called from the other side of the door. There’s something
you need to see.
“Ok, I’ll be out in a sec,” Liv called back as she shrugged and grabbed the
moisturizer. She was going to skip steps three to seven tonight and jump
straight to eight. She scooped out the moisturizer and slathered it on her face.
Good enough.
“Oh,” Steph said when she walked out into the living room. “Your skin
looks so good. Did you do all eight steps? You really have to do all of them
to see a difference. I think it’s helped with your bruises too. What do you
think?”
“Um...”
“Not now,” Ben said. “Y’all can talk NokNok skincare another time. Liv,
you need to see this video.”
 “What is it?”
“Senator Sterling.”
Liv arched her eyebrow, trying not to reveal anything about her feelings
for him.
“What is it?” she asked, keeping her voice neutral.
“It’s so hot,” Steph gushed. ‘I know you don’t have a great history with
him and think he’s an arrogant asshole or whatever, but oh...my...god.”
Liv furrowed her brows. “What’s he doing? Shirtless push-ups or
something?”
“No. What?” Ben said. “Why would your brain go there?”
“I, for one, would love to see a shirtless pushup video. Damn, Liv - now I
can’t get that out of my mind.”
“Ok. Moving on - the video is from the town hall earlier tonight,” Ben
said.
“Oh,” Liv said, sitting closer to Ben so she could see his tablet. “What
happened? I was going to check in on that. I wanted to go actually, but
Speaker Miller needed me to do a few things that couldn’t wait and it
required travel so I...”
“We get it,” Steph said. “Let’s watch it. I want to see it again.”
Ben pulled up the video. Someone in the audience had recorded the town
hall on their phone.
“Wow,” Liv said. “The room is packed.”
“Yeah,” Ben said. “Apparently, they had to turn people away. It was
completely full.”
“That’s great. We need to put pressure on those holdouts in the Senate.
The more public support they see; the better.”
“Especially when it’s coming from their own districts,” Ben added.
“That’s true,” Liv said. It had been her idea for Will to do a tour of the
Midwest. He needed to be where people were most impacted, but he also
needed to put pressure on the elected officials in these regions.
“Well, what are we waiting for?” Steph said, leaning over Ben’s
shoulder.
He clicked play. The camera panned the crowd. An elderly gentleman
stood with a microphone.
“Senator Sterling,” he said, the crowd completely quiet as he spoke. “My
name is Ron Garrison. I’ve lived here my whole life in this community. It’s
hard for me to believe what is happening in my hometown. We have new
people being diagnosed with cancer every day. My friends. My family
members...”
His voice cracked. No one made a sound.
“Take your time,” Will said, softly. His eyes were focused on the man.
Ron cleared his throat and continued. “It...it was never like this before. We
want to know what the US government is going to do. We aren’t seeing any
help. We need help.”
The crowd clapped.
Will stood up from his stool, a microphone in his hand. He was wearing
perfectly tailored pants and a white collared shirt with the sleeves rolled up.
Liv shivered a little watching him.
“Thank you for your question, Ron,” he said. “I have the same question.
I’ve spent the last few weeks traveling around the country, hearing stories
like yours everywhere I go. I want my colleagues to pay attention. I’m doing
this tour because we need more votes. We’re close. We’re getting closer
every day.”
Ron nodded.
“What you can do is contact your representatives. We need people around
the country to call their Senators and ask them to vote for the Clean Water
Bill. If they hear from enough of you, they’ll do it.”
“What a joke!” someone called from the crowd. “Sterling, you’re a joke
and so is your brother. These people want to keep you afraid. They will make
up anything to try to control you. It’s all lies.”
Will stopped talking and turned toward the heckler who started laughing,
loudly.
“It’s not real,” the man continued, louder. “There’s no cancer. This is just
a plot for government control.”
The crowd was silent, looking from Will to the heckler.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Will said, taking a few steps toward
the man. “You think children with cancer is funny? You think people dying is
funny? What the fuck is wrong with you?”
The heckler opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Will
continued, his voice firm and loud - completely in control.
“I know it would be nice to live in some alternate universe where there’s
no cancer and bad things don’t happen, but that’s not reality and we can’t fix
our problems if we pretend that they don’t exist. We have to face them -
however hard they may be if we want to fix them.”
 Will paused and the crowd jumped to their feet, cheering and clapping.
The heckler slipped back into the crowd and disappeared.
“Misinformation is such a problem. It’s hard to gain support when so
many people want to just deny what is happening, but the evidence is
irrefutable. You all have seen it in your own communities. Doctors are telling
us it’s a problem. You don’t have to fucking take this anymore. Push back.”
Will stopped talking and let the crowd holler and cheer.
Ben stopped the video.
Liv’s mouth was hanging open.
“Wasn’t that hot?” Steph said, literally fanning herself.
“I can’t believe he said fuck. Twice,” Liv said, shaking her head. “Is he
getting any pushback about this?”
“Not from anyone who matters?” Steph said.
“What do you mean?”
“Sure, there’s certain talking heads and websites who are losing their
mind that a Senator said fuck, but most everyone is supporting him. It’s
bringing a ton of attention to the issue.”
Liv nodded. Will was normally so buttoned up and by-the-book; she was
surprised to see him react so passionately. Steph was right - it was hot.
Liv yawned. “I’ve got to go to bed. Thanks for showing me that.”
“Night,” Ben called.
“Nite-nite,” Steph said. “See you tomorrow.”
Liv waved, and she walked out of the room.
Before she was even in her bedroom, she pulled out her phone and started
texting Will.
Liv: Saw the video of the town hall.
Will: Oh, yeah. What did you think?
Liv: Surprised.
Will: Me too.
Liv: Haha. What came over you?
Will: You.
Liv: ?
Will: I’ve been thinking a lot about how fucked up it is that we can’t get
anything done on this issue. You’ve made me see up close how people are
being impacted. It’s personal to me now.
Liv: Are you surprised it hasn’t backfired?
 Will: It wasn’t calculated. I didn’t put any thought into it. I’m glad no
one’s calling for my resignation though.
Liv: Well, anyone who matters at least.
Will: True. There’s a group that is always calling for my head no matter
what I do.
Liv: True. Can’t win with everyone.
Will: Right.
Liv: It was hot - just so you know.
Will: Is that right?
Liv: You should act that way more often.
Will: I’d get a reputation.
Liv: Wouldn’t be a bad thing.
Will: Probably not. How are you feeling?
Liv: Good. Little stiff, but mostly back to normal.
Will: Good. I’ve been worried about you.
Liv: I know.
Will: Can’t help it.
Liv: :)
Will: When will I see you again?
Liv: Soon. I have an early morning. I’m sure you do too.
Will: Yes. Get some sleep. Good night.
Liv. Night.
 Chapter Thirty-Four
Will scanned the room for Liv. He knew she was coming, but he didn’t see
her anywhere. They hadn’t seen each other since the cabin, and he was dying
to see her in person. Texts just weren’t cutting it.
“Glad you could make it tonight,” Senator Billings said.
“It’s one of the most important fundraisers,” Will said. “I wouldn’t miss
it.”
“How’s that prisoner exchange situation coming along?” Billings asked.
“It’s shaping up,” Will said. “I think we should have it settled this
month.”
“Good, good - we can also use some good press,” Billings said. “The
people like a story like that.”
“And, the prisoners and their families appreciate it,” Will said.
“Right, right - of course,” Billing said. “Oh, Wilbert, I was just thinking
about the cotton situation. Can I have a word?”
Will scanned the room again for Liv. Instead, he spotted Byron Ray
coming in his direction.
“Damn it,” Will muttered.
“Sterling,” Byron said, slapping him on the back. “How was the
holiday?”
“Nice, thank you,” Will said.
“You spent it at the cabin with your family again?”
“That’s right,” Will said, searching for a reason to cut this conversation
short.
“Went to Mexico myself,” Byron said.
“That’s nice,” Will said, his voice flat.
“It’s amazing what you can do there,” Byron said. “If you know what I
mean.”
“I really don’t,” Will said, gulping his whiskey.
“Well, just use your imagination,” Byron said. “You should come with
me next time.”
When hell freezes over.
“Where’s that hot intern?”
“Not an intern...not my...”
 Byron waved his hands in the air. “You told me you weren’t together, but
I don’t believe you. If I was that close to her, I’d for sure be fucking her.”
Will squeezed his glass and narrowed his eyes.
“Chill, dude,” Byron said. “If she’s yours, I’ll back off.”
“I think you should back off either way,” Will said. “She works with
you.”
“Right,” Byron said. “Right...”
Will let out a sigh and caught sight of Liv entering the room. She was
wearing a black evening gown that hugged her curves, her hair swept up; his
breath hitched when he saw her.
“Shit,” Byron said, he was enjoying the same view. “She’s really showing
it all off tonight. God, she’s got a great rack, and they look real. Man, I could
bury myself...Oh, shit, there’s that old rat Miller; she hates me. I gotta hide.”
Will breathed a sigh of relief. He wanted to tell Liv what Byron had just
said, but he knew it was a sensitive subject.
Liv walked up to him. He stopped breathing as she approached.
“Senator Sterling, good evening,” she said as she leaned in close to him
and slipped something into his pocket.
“It’s so stuffy in here,” she whispered. “Maybe you could meet me out in
the garden?”
As she walked off, Will slowly sipped his whiskey. He slipped his hand
in his pocket and felt what she’d left behind...her underwear.
He groaned softly.
After he saw her slip out the back door, he followed her making sure no
one was watching.
 Chapter Thirty-Five
Will walked out onto the patio and down into the garden.
“Hey there,” Liv called. She was leaning against a stone wall.
“You forgot something,” Will said, holding up her lacy, black panties.
“Silly me,” she said. “I was wondering where I’d put those.”
“They’re mine now,” he said, a broad grin on his face. He slipped the
underwear back into his pocket.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispered.
“How are your injuries?” he said.
“Good as new aside from some faded bruises,” she said.
She slid her hands around his neck and kissed him. He leaned into her -
his chest pressed against hers. Her back pressed against the wall.
“God,” she moaned. “I’ve been desperate for you. It’s been so long.”
“I like this dress,” he said as he traced his fingers along the straps and
down to the tops of her breasts.
Her breathing hitched as he kissed the tops of her breasts. He tugged at
the top of her dress until her breasts spilled out of it. He took her nipple in his
mouth and sucked.
My Lord.
She gasped and ran her fingers through his hair.
“Oh, Liv...” he murmured into her chest.
He slid his hand up her dress - higher and higher until his fingers touched
her bare ass. He squeezed it and pulled her closer to him until she could feel
his erection.
Oh my god.
“I love your ass,” he said. “You have no idea.”
She giggled and grabbed his ass. “You have no idea how much I love
yours.”
As they continued to kiss, he slid a finger into her.
“Fuck, Liv,” he said. “You’re so wet.”
“For you,” she whispered in his ear. “I’ve been thinking about you for
days.”
He moaned.
He slid his finger in and out and circled her opening.
“Can I fuck you?” he said.
 “Only if you make me come,” she purred.
He unzipped his pants and hiked up her skirt.
“Wrap your legs around me,” he said. He lifted her up as she wrapped her
legs around his waist; her arms around his neck; her skirt pulled up to her
waist; her back pressed against the wall.
“Oh god,” he said, as he plunged into her. “Liv, you feel so good.”
She moaned.
“You can’t be loud,” he whispered in her ear.
“You make me want to scream,” she whispered back.
He grunted and thrust into her harder.
“Oh, god,” she said. “Harder.”
He plunged deeper and deeper still.
“More,” she said, clinging desperately to him.
God, Will...
“Liv...Liv...” he called her name with each thrust again and again.
“Liv.”
Again.
“Liv.”
Again.
“Liv.”
Again.
With one final thrust, his body quaked and trembled.
Oh, god.
A wave washed over her, and she bit down on her arm so she wouldn’t
scream. She felt him quiver and release inside her as she clenched around
him. He set her down gently and leaned his head on her shoulder; breathing
heavily.
“Damn...” she said breathlessly.
“Damn is right,” he growled. “I could live inside you.”
“Mmmm...” she said, running her fingers through the back of his hair.
“Sounds good to me.”
He stood up straight and looked at her in the moonlight. She was so
beautiful...and disheveled.
“You look like you’ve just been fucked,” he said, zipping up his pants.
“That bad?” she said, adjusting her dress and smoothing her hair. Her
cheeks were flushed; her lips swollen.
“We definitely can’t walk back in together,” he said.
 “Definitely not,” she said, straightening his tie and running her hands
through his hair.
“You go first,” she said. “I’ll see you inside.”
He started to walk away but paused.
“Liv..”
“Yeah.”
“I’m going to be dreaming about that tonight.”
“Me too.”
 Chapter Thirty-Six
Liv straightened her dress and smoothed her hair one more time before she
entered the ballroom. She spotted Will talking to her boss and Senator
Lathan.
“Liv,” Speaker Miller called, motioning her over.
“Good evening,” she said as she approached the group.
“Liv, you know Senator Sterling,” Speaker Miller said.
“Yes. Good to see you, Senator,” she said, shaking his hand.
“I’d like to introduce you to Senator Lathan,” Speaker Miller said,
nodding to Lathan.
“Pleasure to meet you,” Liv said, shaking his hand.
“Liv, I wanted you to hear this,” Speaker Miller said. “As you know, we
have enough votes in the House to pass the Clean Water Bill.”
Liv nodded - they’d secured the votes a few weeks back.
“Senator Lathan was giving us an update on the situation in the Senate,”
Speaker Miller continued.
“As you know, we need sixty votes,” he said. “I did an informal count
after The Times report came out.”
Liv looked from one of them to the other.
“How many votes do we have now?” she asked softly.
“Fifty-nine,” he said.
Her jaw dropped. A broad smile spread across Will’s face.
“Fifty-nine!” she said. “Are you serious?”
Senator Lathan nodded.
“We just need one more?”
“That’s right.”
“We think we can persuade either Senator Blackwell or Senator Zaleski,”
Will said. “Rumors are they are considering it.”
Liv nodded slowly - processing this information.
“We think you should do it,” Speaker Miller said.
“What? Me?”
“Senator Blackwell is here tonight,” Senator Lathan said. “We think your
personal story will resonate with her.”
“Now? You want me to talk to her now?”
 “Yes,” Will said. “We want to wrap this up. The longer we wait; the more
chance we’ll lose other votes.”
Liv took a deep breath; this is what she’d been waiting for.
“Ok,” she said, smoothing the front of her gown. “Introduce me.”

“Senator Blackwell,” Speaker Miller said. “I’d like to introduce you to my

Chief of Staff, Liv Dalton.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Liv said, shaking her hand firmly. Her legs were
shaking, but she was forcing herself to maintain eye contact and steady her
voice.
“Likewise.”
“Liv would like to speak to you a moment about the Clean Water Bill. Do
you have time?”
“Sure.”
“I’ll leave the two of you,” Speaker Miller said as she slipped away.
“Senator Blackwell,” Liv said, her voice stronger than she’d expected.
“I’m sure you’ve seen The Times report about BV90.”
“I have.”
Liv nodded.
“My community,” she said, her hands trembling. She placed them behind
her back. “My small American town has been devastated by this chemical.
When the factory moved in and started using BV90, our cancer rates
soared.”
Senator Blackwell nodded, but her eyes glanced around the room.
Damn it - she doesn’t care.
“My sister was diagnosed with cancer when she was just ten years old,”
Liv said, staring the Senator directly in the eye.
“I’m sorry,” Senator Blackwell said, her interest piqued.
“My parents struggled to work and take care of her,” Liv said. “I moved
back home - putting my career on hold after law school. Do you have
children?”
“I do.”
“Can you imagine taking them to chemotherapy, shaving their heads,
comforting them while they throw up?” Liv said, her eyes glistening. “My
sister should have been camping with her girls' club troop, swimming with
her friends, and riding her bike around the neighborhood. Instead, she was
stuck inside too weak and sick to do anything. It robbed her of those years - it
robbed all of us.”
Senator Blackwell didn’t answer.
“It’s happening all around the country.”
Senator Blackwell nodded.
“How many votes do you have?” she finally asked.
“We just need one more,” Liv said.
“You have it.”
 Chapter Thirty-Seven
Liv hadn’t planned to attend baseball practice; she was, under no
circumstances, going to play; but her boss needed some papers signed
immediately, so here she was - watching from the sidelines. She tapped her
foot as she waited for a moment to take papers out to Senator Holland.
Representative Ray walked up beside her. “Why aren’t you playing
today?”
“Oh, I’m just a courier at the moment,” Liv said, holding up the papers.
“Too bad,” Byron said. “I really enjoyed watching you embarrass all of
these tough guys.”
She smiled. “I enjoy it myself.”
“I heard you had a bit of an accident over Christmas,” Byron said.
“Oh, it’s embarrassing,” she said. “I can’t drive on ice apparently.”
“Are you feeling better?”
“Yes,” she said. “I’m almost back to normal...maybe not ball-playing
normal.”
“I see you had stitches on your forehead,” he said.
“Yes,” she said. “They are almost healed.
“It’s looking good,” he said, leaning in to inspect them. “We wouldn’t
want to damage that pretty face of yours.”
She leaned back on her heels and smiled tightly.
“I’m sorry we keep having to change our meeting,” he said. “It’s just a
busy season.”
“Oh, no problem,” she said. “I accepted that last calendar invite. We
should be good to go.”
“Well, then, it’s a date,” he said, with a smile.
“A meeting.”
“Right, right, a meeting,” he said, his eyes sparkling.
“Oh, there’s a break in the action,” Liv said, walking away. “I have to get
these papers to Senator Holland.”
That was weird. She thought as she hurried off.

“Liv,” Will said. “Delivering papers for Speaker Miller?”

 “Yes,” she said, standing outside the dugout. “I’m just waiting for him to
sign them.”
She lowered her voice. “That ass is looking good in your ball gear.”
He suppressed a smile.
“Are you hitting on me in front of all of my colleagues?” he whispered.
“No, absolutely not,” she answered. “I have no idea what you are talking
about.”
“What were you talking about with Representative Slimeball?”
She rolled her eyes. “A work meeting.”
She noticed his jaw tighten.
“It’s a work meeting at the United States Capitol building,” she said.
“Calm down.”
He nodded his head, but his eyes were glaring at Ray.
“You don’t need to be so obvious,” she whispered.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Why don’t the two of you just have a dick measuring contest and get it
over with?”
Will scoffed.
“Ms. Dalton,” Senator Holland said from the dugout. “I have the papers
signed.”
“Thank you, Senator,” Liv said. “I’ll get those to the Speaker right
away.”
“See you around, Sterling,” she said as she grabbed the papers and left.
 Chapter Thirty-Eight
“Did you need to see me?” Liv asked as she rapped her knuckles on Speaker
Miller’s door.
“Yes, Liv,” Speaker Miller said, motioning for her to come inside.
“Please come in and sit down. And, please close the door.”
“Is everything alright?” Liv asked as she sat down.
“Well, first of all, I wanted to congratulate you on the Clean Water Bill,”
Speaker Miller said with a broad smile across her face. “I knew you would
make it happen. I can’t wait to see it signed into law. It won’t be long.”
“I’m still pinching myself,” Liv said.
“You’re not dreaming,” Speaker Miller said. “You made this happen. Liv,
you are going to go far in this town. I can’t wait to see what things are in
store for you.”
“Thank you,” Liv said, blushing.
“I did need to talk with you about something else...something sensitive in
nature.”
Liv’s stomach dropped. Could Speaker Miller know about her
relationship with Will? Was it possible someone saw them in the garden?
Ugh...that had been reckless.
Sexy as hell, but incredibly reckless.
“Oh, what is it?” Liv asked, her throat dry. Sweat trickled down her back.
Maybe she should just confess everything and get it out in the open?
“I’ve received some unsettling news,” Speaker Miller said.
“Oh, about what?” Liv said, shifting in her seat. Please don’t say me.
“I’ve had a staffer report to me that she had been sexually harassed by a
member of Congress...a male member of Congress,” Speaker Miller said.
Liv felt her heart beating in her throat. She was afraid it was so loud that
Speaker Miller would hear it.
“What kind of harassment?”
“Unwanted touching, inappropriate comments, that sort of thing.”
Liv breathed a small sigh of relief. Speaker Miller was not talking about
her relationship with Will although this sexual harassment situation was
certainly unsettling.
“Will there be an investigation? Did she file a complaint?”
 “No,” Speaker Miller said, with a sigh. “She didn’t want to file a
complaint.”
“Oh...I see.”
“She was afraid, and I don’t blame her. As far as we have come, women
are often treated unfairly when they come forward,” she said. “I wish it
weren’t the case. She’s afraid people won’t believe her, and she’s afraid it
will ruin her career.”
“All valid concerns,” Liv said.
“Yes, unfortunately.”
“I’m not sure what I can do.”
“I was just wondering if you’ve had any problems.”
“No, I haven’t,” Liv said, fidgeting with her hands. Liv’s mind flashed to
her conversation at the baseball practice with Representative Ray. It
was...weird, but not harassment. She had felt a little uncomfortable, but she
was probably just reading into things. Damn, it was Will in her head. She
couldn’t think about Representative Ray objectively. He hadn’t said or done
anything to warrant a complaint, that was for sure.
“Can you tell me any more information about this man?” Liv asked.
“Unfortunately, I can’t. The woman wouldn’t name him,” Speaker Miller
said, rubbing her temples. “Have you heard anything from the other women
who work here?”
“No...nothing.”
Speaker Miller nodded.
“Keep your ear to the ground,” she said. “I want to get that bastard out of
office and possibly in jail. I have a feeling this woman wasn’t telling me the
whole story. I’m afraid it might have gone beyond sexual harassment.”
“Oh, dear,” Liv said. “That’s terrible.”
“No one should feel unsafe at work,” Speaker Miller said. “...especially
here at the Capitol of all places.”
Liv nodded.
“Anyway, if you hear anything, let me know,” Speaker Miller said as she
opened her laptop. “I’m here to help.”
“I will. Thank you.”
 Chapter Thirty-Nine
“God, I’m tired,” Liv said, as she crashed onto the couch beside Steph.
“We’ve hardly seen you recently. Do you have a secret boyfriend you’re
not telling us about?”
“I have a not-so-secret bill that I’ve been working on night and day,” Liv
said. “Is that sexy enough?”
“Super sexy,” Ben said. “Talk legislative process to me, baby.”
Liv giggled. “Oh, that’s gross. Please don’t...”
“Wanna watch something with us?” Steph said.
“I haven’t watched anything since Christmas,” Liv said. “There are so
many things I should be doing, but my brain isn’t processing any longer.”
“Take a break,” Ben said.
“We have pickle popcorn and ice cream,” Steph said.
“Am I supposed to eat that together?” Liv said.
“Gross, that sounds like some sort of weird pregnancy craving,” Ben said
with a laugh.
“Well, I wouldn’t know,” Liv said.
“Me neither,” Steph added.
“Or me...” Ben said. Liv threw a pillow at him.
“Liv, you haven’t told us about Christmas,” Steph said. “I’m dying to
know about the Sterlings.”
“Ok, what do you want to know?” Liv said. Ben brought bowls of pickle
popcorn and passed them around.
“Which one is the hottest?” Steph asked.
“Oh, gosh,” Liv said. Will, definitely Will. “I can’t say, but I can tell you
about this ridiculous sexy lumberjack competition they do every year.”
“What?” Ben said. “Liv, how could you have known this information for
a whole month and not tell us? Sexy lumberjacks? Did you take pictures?”
“No,” Liv said, munching on some of the popcorn. “Ah, this is so
good...pickle popcorn...who knew?”
“Right?” Ben said. “Super good.”
“Yes, yes, it’s addicting, but more about lumberjacks,” Steph said. “How
were they lumberjacks, and why were they sexy?”
“Well, they were dressed like they were going to make a sexy lumberjack
calendar,” Liv said with a laugh.
 “What does that mean?”
“Tight jeans, boots, open flannel shirts, suspenders,” Liv said. “Some
were shirtless...in the snow.”
Ben and Steph erupted in a fit of giggles. “Even the President?”
Liv shook her head and giggled. “They chopped wood...well, it was a
competition to see who could chop the most wood in a short amount of
time.”
“Good god, that sounds hot,” Steph said.
“Shit, Liv, if you had a picture of this, you could sell it for millions of
dollars,”
“Hmm...pay off my student loans,” she said. “Wish I had thought about
that.”
“They would have been able to trace it back to you,” Steph said.
“But worth it for millions of dollars,” Ben said.
“Well, next time I crash into a tree and have to spend the holidays with
the President and his family, I’ll remember that,” Liv said, laughing.
“Anything else?” Steph said. “Were they nice? How was the First Lady? I
want to be her friend.”
“Me too,” Ben said.
“Everyone does,” Liv said. “They were all great. They go all in for
Christmas, that's for sure.”
“How so?”
“Well, they have this unbelievable gingerbread house competition,” Liv
said. “All the food was amazing. They played games, built snowmen, and ate
Christmas cookies.”
“You just described a Hallmark movie,” Ben said.
“It kinda was,” Liv said.
“I want to live in a Hallmark movie,” Steph said.
“Yeah, I didn’t want to leave,” Liv said with a yawn. “We’d better start
this movie, or I’ll never make it. I have a long day tomorrow.”
 Chapter Forty
Liv checked her watch as she ran through the Capitol building. Her last
meeting had run over, and now she was late.
She was supposed to meet with Representative Ray in five minutes - if
she could just get there. They had rescheduled so many times; she couldn’t
change it again. They had to squeeze this meeting in after her regular work
hours as it was.
She hoped this meeting wouldn’t be...weird.
Ugh.
Stupid Will and his dumb jealousy. It was a work meeting to talk about
work - nothing more.
She checked her watch again as she arrived in front of his office - one
minute to spare.
A small miracle. She thought as she struggled to catch her breath
“Thought I was going to be late,” Byron said from behind her. She
jumped a little - not expecting him to be in the hallway.
“Me too,” she said, breathing heavily. “My meeting with Palmer ran
late.”
“Come on in,” Byron said. She followed him into his office. All of his
staff had already left for the day.
What did you think of my proposal?” Liv said, after sitting down. She
noticed that he’d shut the door to his office.
“Looks great,” he said.
“Any notes?”
“Hmmm,” he said, shuffling some papers. “No, I think we should go
forward with it.”
“Ok,” she said, shifting in her seat. Well, this is going to be a short
meeting.
He walked around to the front of his desk and stood in front of her.
“I should really be...”
“Liv,” he said, leaning against his desk. His foot brushed against hers.
She moved it quickly. “We should get to know one another better since
you’re working for me.”
She gripped the arms of her chair, her knuckles turning white.
“Aren’t we friends?” he asked, unbuckling his belt.
 Her heart raced. She looked toward the door.
“Representative Ray, you seem to have gotten the wrong idea,” she said,
standing up quickly.
“Have I?” he said. “Where did I go wrong? You’re always looking at me
with those fuck-me eyes. Didn’t you wear that tight skirt today just for me?”
She scoffed and stepped toward the door.
He stepped in front of her.
“I’m leaving,” she said.
He stepped closer - so close his body was touching hers. The hairs on her
arms stood up. He reached out and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.
She shuttered.
“I know you want it,” he whispered. She recoiled as she felt his hot breath
on her face. “I could tell from the day I met you. You’re always flirting with
me.”
She stayed silent.
“I know about your arrangement with Sterling - that’s all I want,” he
said.
“You don’t know anything,” she said, her voice lower than normal.
“I know you stayed together during the Political Action Conference,” he
said. “It seems you like to fuck men in power.”
Her mind raced as she looked around the room.
“I bet you like it rough,” he said, putting his hand behind her neck.
“Don’t touch me,” she said. “I’ll scream.”
“No one will hear you,” he said. “It’s after hours. No one is here.”
She pushed him with all her might, but he was too strong. He smashed his
lips against hers, forcing his tongue into her mouth. She wrestled and pleaded
for him to stop.
He bit her lip; she tasted blood.
“So, you do like it rough? I figured. You seem like the type,” he said,
grabbing her wrists so hard she was afraid he might break them.
“You won’t get away with this,” she said, struggling to free herself.
“I’m sure I will,” he said. He pushed her against his bookcase and
wrapped his hands around her neck until she couldn’t breathe.
“Just admit you want this,” he said in her ear.
Her vision started to blur, and her extremities tingled.
This was it. She knew she couldn’t fight him. She allowed her body to go
limp.
 Her mind was slipping out of consciousness when she heard a knock at
the door. Could it be? No. Everyone has gone home. She must have imagined
it.
There it was again - louder than before. She definitely heard it this time,
and so did Byron because he released his grip around her neck for a moment
and turned toward the door. Without hesitation, Liv kneed him as hard as she
could in the crotch.
“Bitch,” he groaned and doubled over.
He grabbed at her once more, but she raked him across the face with her
nails.
“You’ll regret this,” he seethed.
She raced out the door - nearly tackling the page who had been knocking.
As she ran, she kept looking back over her shoulder. She quickly pulled her
shoes off and held them as she ran. She didn’t stop until she was on the other
side of the building. Only then did she realize she was beside Will’s office.
She darted inside and shut the door.
“Liv,” she heard.
She leaned against the office door.
“Liv, what’s wrong?” Will said, standing up at his desk.
She didn’t answer - her body trembling.
“What happened? Why are you barefoot?” he said, walking closer to her.
“Liv, your lip is bleeding.”
“I..I..” she said, reaching up to touch her lips.
“You’re shaking,” he said. “Come, sit on the couch. Tell me what
happened.”
She sat down on the couch and looked at her hands. She’d broken a nail;
hopefully, it was in Byron Ray’s eyeball.
“I had a meeting with Representative Ray,” she said.
Will’s whole body tensed.
“All of his staff had left for the day,” she said, tears pooling in her eyes.
“Did he do this?” Will said, his eyes studying her face. “Are these his
fucking handprints on your arms?”
Liv looked down at her arms - bruises had already formed. Her neck was
on fire; she reached her hand up and touched it.
“Are these his fucking handprints around your neck?” Will said. He was
on his feet now. “I’m going to murder him. Is he in his office?”
“Will,” she said, pleading. “Sit.”
 “Did he...” Will asked, his voice wavering.
“No...no,” she said. “Not for lack of trying - a page came by.”
“Fuck, Liv,” he said. “We need to call the police.”
“It’s my fault,” she said, tears rushing down her cheeks.
“Nothing about this is your fault,” he said, sitting down beside her and
taking her hand. “Do you hear me - nothing!”
“You tried to warn me,” she said.
He closed his eyes.
“I should have told you the whole story,” Will said, letting out a heavy
sigh. “There were rumors about Byron in law school. It was all vague, but I
knew a lot of women who weren’t comfortable around him. I suspected
things, but I didn’t have any proof. I didn’t think it was fair to tell you when I
didn’t know for sure.”
She leaned down and put her head in his lap. He stroked her hair while
she cried.
“Will you report him?”
“I don’t know.”
“He’ll do it again,” he said, softly.
“It will ruin my career.”
 Chapter Forty-One
“Liv, have you seen the news?” Ben asked, turning on the television.
“No,” she said. It had been a week since the attack. A week since she’d
had Will drive her to the police station and file a report.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he’d said when they pulled up to the
police station. “I won’t think any less of you.”
“I’m going to,” she said. “I’d rather ruin my career and stop him than live
the rest of my life knowing he was still out there hurting other women.”
“You’re the bravest person I know,” he said, squeezing her hand.
She’d stayed a few days at Will’s after the attack, but now she was back
at her apartment.
“Ten more women have come forward,” Steph said, pointing to the news
report.
“That makes thirty so far,” Ben said. “Shit, what a sick bastard.”
“Your name hasn’t even come out,” Steph said. “You don’t ever have to
go public with this if you don’t want.”
Liv nodded. She wasn’t sure what she’d do in the future, but she was glad
it wasn’t his word against hers. It was thirty women against him now, and the
numbers would probably continue to grow.
“How did this not come out during his campaign?” Ben said.
“He’s rich and powerful - it happens all the time,” Steph said.
 Chapter Forty-Two
“Do you think he’s coming?” Liv said, checking her phone.
“I’ve texted him several times,” Ben said.
“Me too. He hasn’t written back,” Liv said, checking her phone again.
“He never misses Smarty Pints,” Steph said.
“I know. This is weird,” Ben said. “I would think he would at least text us
to know he’s not coming or running late.”
“I’m worried,” Liv said.
“He probably just got caught up in some brief he’s working on and lost
track of time,” Ben said.
Liv tapped her fingers on the table - something was off.
Just then, the door opened and Dev burst into the room.
“Liv,” he said. “I’ve got to talk with you.”
“Ok,” she said. “What’s up?”
“In private,” he said. “Can we talk outside?”
“Sure,” she said, following him outside.
“What’s up?” she said. They were standing in an alley.
“I hate to tell you this, Liv.”
“What is it?”
“The Clean Water Bill is dead.”
“What? That’s not possible. We’ve just finished it. We have the votes in
the House, and we have the votes in the Senate. The President is not going to
veto it. It’s happening.”
“It’s not.”
She put her hands on her hips.
“Dev, you aren’t making any sense.”
He sighed.
“You were right about Senator Sterling.”
“Senator Sterling...what...what do you mean?”
“He sold you out.”
“I...I don’t understand,” she said. “That’s not possible.”
“Believe me,” he said. “That bastard is killing the bill.”
“That’s...that’s just not possible. You must be mistaken. Why would he
do that?”
 “He needs support for his prisoner exchange,” Dev said. “He’s trading
support for it for the Clean Water Bill.”
“That’s...that’s...not possible.”
“I guess it’s the only way he can get the prisoners,” Dev said, quietly.
“He can’t get support for both.”
“I don’t believe it. He wouldn’t do that.
“I thought you hated him. Why are you defending him?”
She shrugged. “He’s not capable of this.”
“I’m just the messenger,” Dev said, holding up his hands. “I didn’t want
you to hear it from someone else.”
“Thanks,” Liv said, walking away.
“Where are you going?”
“To find out for myself.”
 Chapter Forty-Three
Will checked his watch...it was late, but someone was pounding on his door.
Who could it be at this hour?
He checked the peephole and opened the door immediately.
“Liv,” he said, motioning her to come in. “What’s wrong? Are you okay?
Are you hurt?”
She walked into his apartment, and he shut the door behind her.
“When were you going to tell me?” she said, her eyes blazing.
“Tell you about what?”
“Killing the Clean Water Bill for the prisoner exchange,” she said, hands
on her hips.
Will closed his eyes for a moment.
“So, it’s true?” she said, her voice higher than normal.
“Liv...shit...it’s...”
“Were you ever going to tell me?” she said, her face flushed.
“Liv, it’s complicated,” he said, softly.
“Complicated?” she said. “Is it so complicated that I couldn’t
comprehend it? I’m not stupid.”
“I didn’t say you were. Liv, I...”
“Did you know this whole time?” she said. She was pacing back and
forth. “Did you hire me to shut me up and then work behind my back?”
She threw one of his pillows across the room. “Was fucking me just a
bonus?”
“Liv, no. That’s not what...”
“You’re sick,” she said, her stomach feeling queasy all of the sudden.
She picked up another pillow and threw it.
“Were you fucking me so I wouldn’t suspect anything? You’re a
psychopath.”
“Liv, I really didn’t...”
“Seriously, Will...what the hell? I thought you cared about me and that
you cared about this bill. God, you lied to my parents...to my whole town.”
“You don’t have all the facts...”
“I seem to have all the facts that matter. I don’t ever want to see you
again,” she said, breathing heavily.
He flinched. “Liv, that’s not...please...”
 “I’m blocking you,” she said, turning around. “Don’t try to contact me.”
“Liv, let me please...”
“Don’t...don’t...there’s nothing you can say.”
“You’re just a selfish, lying politician like all of the rest of them. I can’t
believe I ever trusted you,” she said, walking out the door and slamming it
behind her.
 Chapter Forty-Four
“Liv, we brought you pho,” Steph called from outside her bedroom door.
“You have to eat something,” Ben said.
“You haven’t come out of your room in days,” Steph said. “We’re
worried.”
“This soup smells amazing,” Ben said. “And we have chocolate chip
cookies.”
Liv opened the door. She hadn’t stopped crying in days - her eyes were
puffy; her skin pale.
The bill was dead; Will was dead to her. What was the point?
“I can’t eat,” she said.
“You should try,” Ben said.
“You got the votes once,” Steph said. “You’ll be able to do it again.”
Liv sighed.
“I can’t believe that Sterling betrayed you like that,” Ben said. “You were
right about him all along. What a dick.”
“Major dick,” Steph added.
Liv started sobbing.
“I...I was...”
“What? You always knew he was a dick.”
“Egotistical.”
“Self-centered.”
“Hypocritical.”
“Yes...yes. I did at first,” Liv said, wiping her eyes. “But then...I...we...we
were...together.”
Steph and Ben stared at her silently.
“Wait,” Steph said after a moment. “Are you saying that you and Senator
Sterling were...together... together?”
Liv nodded.
“Like intimately?” Ben said.
“How else, Ben?” Steph said, rolling her eyes.
“While you worked for him?”
“No!” Liv said. “No, not until the Political Action Conference.”
“Ah,” Steph said. “That makes sense.”
“What?”
 “You were really happy after that trip, so we figured you were having a
fling with someone.”
“We just didn’t guess it was Senator Sterling,” Ben said, shaking his
head. “This is blowing my mind a bit.”
“I was such an idiot,” Liv said. “I think he was just trying to neutralize
me.”
“Gross,” Ben said.
“That’s some really dirty politics.”
“I thought I knew him. I spent Christmas with his family,” Liv said.
“They were wonderful; he was wonderful.”
“He didn’t want a real relationship though, right?” Ben said.
“No,” Liv said. “I was the one who wanted to keep it a secret. I thought it
would make me look bad.”
“Huh?” Ben said. “That doesn’t make much sense. He was just using you,
but he also wanted to go public? I don’t get it.”
Steph shrugged. “You can’t get into the mind of a psychopath.”
“I thought he actually liked me,” Liv said, tears rolling down her face. “I
was starting to think we could have something long-term, and this whole time
he was using me to get what he wanted.”
“Fuck that guy,” Steph said. “He messed with the wrong people.”
“This means wars,” Ben said.
“Absolutely,” Liv said.
 Chapter Forty-Five
“Hey, brother,” Declan said, as Will exited the plane. “Glad you made it.”
“Welcome to Patagonia,” Eli said.
“Thanks,” Will said. As soon as Liv had left his apartment, he’d
contacted Declan to let them know he was going to join them. He had to get
out of town. There was so much he wanted to say to Liv, but he couldn’t...not
right now.
“I’ll get your bags,” Keene said. “You can take the front seat.”
“Why the change of heart?” Eli said after they were all piled in the Land
Rover.
“I had to get out of town.”
“Was it the girl?” Declan said.
Will didn’t answer.
“I’ll take that as a yes,” Declan said.
Will sighed. “I need a break.”
“That’s right,” Declan said. “We’re going to help you forget your troubles
- girl troubles and otherwise.”
“For sure,” Eli said. “By the end of this week, you won’t even remember
her name.”
Will scoffed. Impossible.
“Here’s home base,” Declan said, pulling up to a beautiful mansion.
“I thought you were sleeping outside on the hard ground every night
under the stars,” Will said, climbing out of the jeep.
“Shh...” Keene said. “We have a reputation to keep up.”
“Come inside,” Declan said, grabbing Will’s bag. “We’ll make you a
drink.”

“Damn, guys,” Declan said. “Look at this.”

“Woah,” Keene said, coming behind Declan up the trail.
“This is amazing,” Eli said, catching his breath. “Will, you still with us?”
“Yes, I’m just speechless,” Will said, setting his backpack down. “I
literally don’t have words.”
 “It’s a waterfall coming out of a fucking glacier,” Eli said. “I can’t even
believe this is real. Declan, I’m so glad you convinced us to come.”
“Yeah, man,” Declan said. “You’ve got to live your life, right?”
“How many miles have we gone?” Keene said.
“Seventeen to get up here,” Will said, checking his watch.
“Let’s enjoy the view for a minute,” Declan said, sitting down on a rock.
He pulled his water bottle out of his backpack.
“Anyone want trail mix?” Keene asked as he passed the bag around.
“Have you forgotten your girl problems yet?” Declan said, looking at
Will.
“Until you just brought it up,” Will said. “Thanks.”
“Do you think you’ll be able to work it out?” Keene said. “I liked her. It
seemed like you liked her.”
“Yeah,” Eli said. “She makes you happy.”
“She does.”
“What’s the problem?”
“She’s mad at me right now for something I can’t control for starters,” he
said. “It’s complicated.”
Declan nodded. “It always is.”
“But,” Will said. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve been thinking we don’t want
the same things.”
“What do you mean?” Keene said.
“She doesn’t want a real relationship,” Will said. “She doesn’t want
anyone to know about us.”
‘Oh, she’s your fuck buddy,” Eli said.
“Basically.”
“Could be worse,” Declan said with a shrug.
Will sighed. “It’s not what I want,” he said. “When I’m with her, it’s
magical, but...”
“But?” Eli said.
“I want it all,” Will said. “I’m ready. I don’t want to date anymore. I
don’t want a fuck buddy. I want her all the time. It’s too painful being with
her knowing she doesn’t want to be with me.”
“Sorry, Will. That’s tough,” Declan said. “What are you going to do?”
Will stared out at the view for a moment. His heart was shattering into a
million pieces.
 “Go our separate ways, I guess,” he said, closing his eyes. His chest
ached at the thought of losing her.
Declan nodded. “Sometimes that’s for the best.”
It isn’t, but what other choice do I have?
 Chapter Forty-Six
“Liv, wake up,” Steph said bursting into Liv’s room.
“Oh, my god, Liv,” Ben said. “You have to get up.”
“Wha...what time is it?” Liv said, rubbing her eyes.
“Early,” Steph said. “You’ve got to see this. Come on! You’re not going
to believe it.”
“I’ve gotta pee,” Liv said, flipping her legs onto the floor.
“Can’t you wait?” Ben said.
“No.”
“Do it fast,” Steph said.
When Liv stumbled out into the living room a few minutes later, Steph
handed her a cup of coffee.
Liv stared at the T.V.
“What is this?” she said, stretching.
“Shh...” Ben said, turning up the volume.
“This is a special breaking report. I’m Pam Jordan, and you’re watching
First News Today,” Pam Jordan said. “A stunning series of events unfolded
during the night on Capitol Hill. We’re going live with our White House
reporter, Tom Carrington. Tom, what’s happening?”
“Thank you, Pam,” Tom said, standing in front of the White House. “You
are right about the stunning series of events. Late in the night, the United
States Navy Seals extracted the fifteen prisoners of war from Torovia. During
the extraction, they found another forty-seven soldiers who had been missing
in action. All of the soldiers were rescued safely. We are being told they
landed in Germany moments ago and are being assessed by a medical team.”
“Just stunning...We have some images from inside the White House,”
Pam said. “These pictures show the President watching the live feed of this
raid. He’s surrounded by Vice President Dixon, Secretary of State
Zimmerman, Secretary of Defense Melville, and Secretary of Homeland
Security Breyer. His brother, Senator Will Sterling, is also present.”
“Yes, Senator Sterling has been working for years trying to get a prisoner
exchange, but it looks as though they decided to go a different route,” Tom
said. “You can really see the tension in these photographs - which will surely
be in history books someday.”
 “This was a real gamble for the President and his brother,” Pam said. “If
this mission had failed...”
“Indeed,” Tom said. “Their political careers would have been over. It
seems; however, that this has worked out spectacularly. This is like nothing
we’ve seen in modern American history.”
“The President must have been heavily relying on his brother for this plan
to work,” Pam said. “We had been hearing for weeks that Senator Sterling
had killed his own Clean Water Bill in exchange for support for a prisoner
exchange - it is clear now that was just a red herring. The President needed to
conduct this raid without any suspicion - if Torovia thought the exchange was
coming, they would not be expecting this.”
“Not at all,” Tom said. “No one was...really incredible strategizing
between these two brothers. They managed to pull this off in complete
secrecy.”
“Thank you, Tom,” Pam said. “I’m sure we will be returning to you again
shortly, but for now we are going to go over to Paige Morrow, who covers
Congress. Paige, what’s the news?”
“We are hearing that the Senate will vote this morning on the Clean
Water Act,” Paige said. “My sources say they have the votes. Everyone
thought this vote was dead in the water, but it turns out it is possible to keep a
secret in Washington, and this is one of the best-kept secrets in decades.”
“A historic day on Capitol Hill,” Pam said.
“Absolutely,” Paige said. “The Clean Water Bill will impact millions of
Americans. It bans the use of BV90; it also expands free cancer screenings;
and support for those already diagnosed.”
“A big win for this administration, and I would say the Sterling brothers
in particular,” Pam said.
Steph muted the television. Liv continued to stare at the blank screen.
“Liv, you did it!” Ben said.
“Wha...what?”
“The bill...didn’t you hear?” Steph said. “They are voting this morning.
You did it.”
“Oh, my god,” Liv said. She slumped into a chair. “It’s going to pass.”
“It says here that sources are saying they have close to seventy-five votes
now,” Ben said, holding up his phone. “Talk about reaching across the aisle.
When was the last time Congress passed a bill with this much support?”
Steph shrugged.
 Liv clicked her phone open and started scrolling.
“Your name is everywhere online,” Steph said. “Everyone’s talking about
how you made this happen.”
“Really?”
“They are saying you have changed activism forever.”
“I can’t believe this,” she said.
“Believe it,” Ben said. “You did it.”
“He was never going to kill the bill,” Liv said, her hands covering her
mouth. “Oh, my god, the things I said to him...”
“You didn’t know.”
“He couldn’t tell me,” Liv said. “Of course, he couldn’t tell me. This was
one of the biggest secrets in the world.”
“In the history of the world,” Steph said.
“There was no way you could have known,” Ben said.
“Text him or call him,” Steph said. “What are you waiting for?”
“Oh, god,” Liv said, fiddling with her phone. “I blocked his number. He
couldn’t have contacted me if he wanted.”
“Ben, how do I unblock him?” she said, handing her phone over to Ben.
“I’m sure his phone is off anyway. They’ll be starting to vote soon.”
Liv paced the room; she desperately wanted to go to the Capitol.
“I’m going for a run,” she said. “I can’t stay here any longer.”
She dressed quickly and set out on her usual path around the National
Mall. She ran faster than normal since she was exploding with extra energy.
Her mind replayed the last fight they’d had. God, she wished she could take
all of that back.
What had she called him? A psychopath who used sex to distract her from
his evil plan. She cringed as it replayed in her mind.
When she rounded the corner at the Jefferson Monument where she’d
crashed into Will months ago, she stopped short. Could it be?
“Hey,” she said, running over to the bench in front of the water.
“Hey,” he answered. He was sitting on the bench, looking out at the
water.
“Don’t you have a vote to get to?” she said.
“It starts in an hour,” he said. “I wanted to get away for a moment.”
He looked at his watch. “I should probably head back.”
“Will...”
He looked up at her.
“Liv, I need to go.”
She shook her head - all the words she wanted to say stuck in her throat.
“Wait...please...”
“Liv...I have to go,” he said, his eyes looked hollow.
Liv let out a little sob as he turned and walked away.
 Chapter Forty-Seven
She checked the time - again. Three hours. She’d been pacing in front of his
apartment for three hours. After they’d talked, she’d run back to her
apartment to shower and change before heading back to his place. She needed
to talk with him face-to-face.
A news alert had popped onto her phone about an hour ago - the bill had
passed. They were sending it to the House, but it should be on the President’s
desk by the end of the week.
She cried when she saw it.
Another peek at her phone - only two more minutes had passed. Maybe
she would walk outside for a minute. She was losing her mind waiting at his
apartment. She punched the elevator button and tapped her foot restlessly
while she waited.
The door opened.
Oh.
“What...how did you know I was here?” Will said, walking off the
elevator.
“Lucky guess,” she said. She followed him to his door.
“When was the last time you slept,” she said. “Or eaten.”
“Doesn’t matter,” he said, turning the key and opening the door.
“Can I come in?”
He didn’t answer but motioned her inside.
“Will...”
“I wanted to tell you,” he said, his voice low. “I didn’t want to hurt you,
but I didn’t have any other way.”
I know. I know. I know.
“I know,” she said, stepping closer to him. “I know...I’m so sorry for
things I said.”
“It’s fine,” he said. “You had no way of knowing.”
She nodded.
“But...Liv, I need to talk to you about something,” he said, his voice
breaking on the last word.
“Ok.”
“This isn’t working,” he said, exhaling a heavy sigh.
No. No. No.
 Liv felt her heart shattering into a million pieces.
“I don’t understand.”
“Us,” he said, looking to the floor.
“Oh. I didn’t...”
“I can’t do it anymore,” he said, running his hands through his hair.
No. Please. No.
“Oh,” she said, her chest hurt.
“I can’t go on the way we were,” he said, his eyes full of pain.
“Oh. Did I do something? I’m so sorry for the things I said.”
Please. Please.
“It’s not that.”
She blinked. “What then? Is there someone else?”
“God, no.”
Thank god.
“Oh, is it something I did?”
“Liv, I don’t want a secret relationship,” he blurted out.
Oh.
She stared at him.
“It’s too painful,” he said, his voice softer. “I don’t just want a piece of
you. I want it all - all of you.”
She bit her lip, wanting to speak but not having the words.
“I love you,” he said.
Her eyes were fixed on him; her skin tingling.
“I want you here with me,” he said. “In my home each night...waking up
together every morning. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”
She blinked a few times. He turned and faced the window.
“I am. Will...I am.”
He turned back around. His eyes widened. “What?”
“I am. I am yours,” she said, closing the distance between them. “I love
you.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.
“Liv...” he sighed. “Are you sure? I want a real relationship...one that
everyone knows about.”
“Yes! Yes! I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life,” she said.
She pressed her lips to his and leaned her body into him.
“I need you now,” she said, pulling him toward the floor.
“Here?” he asked as he lowered himself to the floor.
 “Here...now,” she said, her breathing shallow and irregular.
Now.
She pulled him on top of her, and they kissed frantically on the rug. She
spread her legs so she could feel his whole weight on her. His hands were
everywhere - her heart raced.
Now.
“Will, I need you inside me,” she said. “I need to feel you.”
He groaned and nuzzled her neck. He pushed her skirt up to her waist and
pulled off her panties.
Now.
“Will, I need you. I need you.”
He unzipped his pants and lowered himself on top of her again.
“Now,” she said, trembling. “Please...please...”
She spread herself wider, and he slid inside her with a groan.
“God, Will,” she said, as he entered her.
“Liv,” he groaned as he slid out a bit and plunged in again. She gasped,
wrapping her arms around him.
“Will, I’ve missed you,” she purred into his ear.
He muttered something incomprehensible as he thrust into her harder.
“I need you. I need you...only you,” she moaned as he crashed into her
over and over.

——

“Liv, I love you,” he said, struggling to catch his breath.

“I love you more,” she whispered, snuggled up beside him. They hadn’t
moved from the floor. “Doubtful.”
She sat up. “Follow me.”
She walked into his bedroom and pulled him gently by his tie.
“Don’t take your clothes off,” she said.
He raised his eyebrow.
She turned around. “Unzip my dress.”
He brushed her hair to the side - sending shivers down her spine. He took
the zipper and slowly lowered it.
“Thanks,” she whispered as she lowered her dress off her shoulders and
allowed it to drop to the floor.
“My bra,” she said, her voice raspy.
 He skimmed his hands over her shoulders, down to her shoulder blades,
and then slowly unhooked her bra.
She took the straps down and let her bra fall to the floor.
He slid his hands down her waist and wrapped his fingers under the
elastic of her underwear. “These next?”
“Mmm-hmm.”
He pulled her panties down to the floor. She stepped out of them. He slid
his hands up the back of her legs up to her ass. She moaned.
“Can I take my clothes off?”
“No.”
“Touch me everywhere.”
Still standing behind her, he slid his hands around to the front of her body
touching her breasts.
Good god.
She leaned back into him. He kissed her neck and shoulders as he traced
his fingers over her nipples.
Yes.
She pressed her ass against his hard dick.
Fuck yes.
“God, I love the way that feels,” he said, pressing himself into her.
He slid his hand down the front of her stomach until he reached between
her legs. She gasped when he reached her clit.
“Do you want it from behind?” he growled into her ear.
“Only if I can watch,” she said, looking over a mirror across the
bedroom.
He grinned. “Can I take any of my clothes off?”
“Just your jacket.”
She climbed onto the edge of the bed in front of the mirror and stayed on
all fours.
Will removed his jacket. He squeezed one of her ass cheeks and leaned
over and gently kissed the other one.
“You really have no idea how much I love your ass,” he said.
“I have some idea,” she said, smiling back at him.
“Can I finger you from behind like this?” he asked.
“Please.”
He found her opening and slid his fingers into her.
Holy shit. She nearly passed out.
 “Oh, my god,” he groaned. His fingers were so deep. She was so wet and
tight around them.
They both watched in the mirror as he slowly slid his fingers out and
plunged them back in. She moaned with each thrust.
“More,” she said.
He plunged into her harder.
“More.”
He continued slowly removing and returning his finger until she cried out
for him to stop.
“Do you want me to fuck you now?” he asked, his heart racing.
“God, yes,” she said. “I want to feel your dick.”
He entered her from behind watching in the mirror the entire time - he
fully clothed, she completely naked.
“God, you’re so deep,” she said as he thrust harder into her.
He loved hearing the sound of his body slapping against her ass as he
continued to plunge into her.
“Harder...harder...” she cried, her breast bouncing wildly with each
thrust.
“Liv...I’m about to...”
“I’m ready,” she groaned, reaching her hand up to her clit and rubbing it
as he crashed into her one final time. She screamed out his name as he
exploded inside her.
They fell onto the bed both struggling to catch their breath.
“Oh, my god...that was...intense.”
“You’re so sexy,” Will said. “Did you come more than once?”
“I think so. I might have blacked out for a moment.”
Liv cuddled beside him while he stroked her hair.
“I can’t move at all. You’ve paralyzed me.”
“I am just getting started too.”
“Is that right?”
“Let’s never leave this room.”
“Ok, but we might die of starvation.”
“Totally worth it,” he said, kissing the top of her head.
“For sure,” she said, with a laugh.
“Liv...”
“Yeah.”
 “I really love you. I’ve never felt this way. Shit, it feels like you’re the
first person I’ve ever been with.”
She laughed. “You didn’t tell me you were a virgin. I would have gone
easier on you.”
“It feels like...It feels like nothing I’ve experienced before.”
“I feel that way too.”
“Move in,” Will said.
“What?”
“Move in here with me,” he repeated.
“Ok,” she said. “I’d like that.”
 Chapter Forty-Eight
“Welcome! Welcome!” Elizabeth said. She walked up to Liv and kissed her
on the cheek. “It’s so good to see you. Please, introduce me to your family.”
They were standing in the Blue Room of the White House.
“Elizabeth, these are my parents,” she said. “Bob and Linda Dalton.”
“It’s a pleasure,” Linda said, shaking Elizabeth’s hand. “And to be invited
to the White House. We’re thrilled.”
“We wanted you to be here for the signing of the Clean Water Bill,”
Elizabeth said, shaking hands with Bob. “It’s an important day for all of us.”
“It sure is,” Liv said.
“You must be Addy,” Elizabeth said, holding out her hand. “We’re so
happy you’re here.”
“Thank you,” Addy said, taking Elizabeth’s hand. “I never thought I’d be
in the White House.”
“Me too,” Elizabeth said.
“Really?”
“Oh, yes,” Elizabeth said, laughing. “I never planned to be in politics. It’s
funny how things work out sometimes. Please help yourself to refreshments.
James will be here soon.”
Bob, Linda, and Addy walked over to the table and started to fill their
plates.
“Liv,” Elizabeth said.
“Yes.”
“Will told us that you’re moving in,” Elizabeth said. She was beaming.
“Yes,” Liv said, blushing.
“We’re so happy for you two,” Elizabeth said. “You’re a great match.
You make Will so happy, and that’s all we’ve ever wanted.”
“Thank you,” Liv said. “He makes me happy too.”
“Speaking of...”
Liv turned to see Will and James walking in together. Her stomach
fluttered when she saw him.
He walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek.
“It’s really sexy to see you in the White House,” she whispered.
His eyebrow shot up.
“Is that right?” he said. “Don’t get any ideas.”
 “My parents are here,” she said. “I’m not that kinky.”
He shrugged.
James and Elizabeth were talking with her family.
“James told me to invite you to dinner,” Will said. “I try to come every
other week. Would you want to come?”
“Of course,” she said. “That would be lovely.”
“Vivi!” Will called when he saw his niece walk into the room. His face lit
up. “Come here.”
She ran over to him. “Uncle Will!”
He picked her up. MarryMe came bounding behind her.
“Hey there, MarryMe,” Liv said, petting the dog on the head. He wiggled
around happily while she scratched behind his ears.
“Uncle Will,” Vivi said, her eyes big. “I had two cookies today.”
“What? Two!”
“Yes.”
“Chocolate Chip?”
“Yes!”
“And you didn’t share one with me?”
Vivi shook her head.
“That’s okay. Maybe next time.”
James came over and took Vivi.
“How’s my little girl today?”
“Good. I had two cookies.”
“Two? Does your mom know about this?”
“She gave them to me!”
“Well, that’s surprising.”
“They were chocolate chip.”
“Mmm...my favorite. Are there any left over?”
“Yes!”
“I’ll have to grab some later. Are you ready for your nap?”
“No.”
“Naps are fun,” Will said.
“No, not fun.”
“I wish I could take a nap right now.”
“Not Vivi,” she said.
“I’ll see you after your nap,” James said, kissing her on the forehead. A
nanny came over and took Vivi to her room.
 “It’s time,” Elizabeth said.
Everyone followed James and Elizabeth into the Oval Office.
Photographers and reporters waited on one side of the room. A few members
of the House and Senate were present including Speaker Miller.
James sat down at his desk and motioned for the Daltons to stand behind
him.
“I’m signing this bill today to improve the lives of millions of
Americans,” James said. “Everyone deserves access to clean and safe
drinking water. We will fight for those who are sick. This bill will provide
support and relief to those already impacted. I want to thank the Daltons for
coming today. Their daughter, Addy, was diagnosed with cancer at the age of
ten. We want to make sure other children don’t suffer as she did. Thank you,
Addy, for being here today. You’ve been so brave, and we are so happy that
you are healthy.”
Everyone clapped; cameras flashed.
James picked up his pen and signed the bill.
The room erupted in cheers. Will reached over and squeezed Liv’s hand.
“You did it.”
 Chapter Forty-Nine
“We have something for you,” Dev said.
“Really?” Will said, looking from Dev to Ben to Steph. They were all
smiling at him.
“Tada!” Steph said as she pulled a shirt out from behind her back.
“We got you a shirt,” Ben said.
“You’re officially part of Taking Care of Quizness,” Dev said.
“I’m honored to wear it...really, thank you,” Will said as he pulled the
shirt over his head.
“It’s a good look on you,” Liv said.
“We’re going to grab the drinks,” Steph said over her shoulder as she
walked to the bar with Dev and Ben.
“I wanted to talk to you about something,” Will said.
“Sure,” Liv said, her head resting on her hands.
“It’s about Byron Ray,” Will said. Liv bristled when she heard his name.
“What about him?” she said. “ I prefer not to think about him now that his
ass is parked in jail.”
“And, you shouldn’t,” Will said. He picked up her hand and kissed it.
“He’s never getting out. You don’t need to worry about him.”
“Well, why did you bring him up?”
“His seat is open,” Will said. “There’s a special election coming up to fill
it.”
“And?”
“And you live in his district.”
“Yes,” she said. “I’ll be voting. Don’t worry.”
“I’m not,” he said, with a laugh. “Especially because I think you should
run.”
“What?”
“You should run in the special election. You’ll win.”
“Me?”
“You! You’re perfect. Not only will you win, but you’ll be amazing.”
Liv blinked several times. “Really?”
“Your name came up at a party meeting last night.”
“Did you bring it up?” she asked, her eyes narrowing.
“No,” he said. “I didn’t have to.”
 Her eyebrow shot up.
“You have a lot of support already,” he said.
“Hmmm.”
“The party leaders asked me to feel this out and set up a meeting if you’re
interested. Are you?”
“Interested?”
“Yes. Do you want me to set up the meeting?”
“Yes.”
“Really?” he said. He clapped his hands together and smiled. “I thought I
was going to have to convince you.”
“No,” she said. “I think you’re right. I can win this.”
“Hell, yeah you can,” he said, kissing her hand again. “This is just the
beginning for you.”
“Really? What did you have in mind?”
“The White House.”
“Me or you?” she said with a laugh.
“You.”
“You’ll be the First Gentleman?”
“I’d be honored.”
“Maybe we could both run? Sixteen years in the White House,” she said.
“Or maybe we could run together, you could be the First Gentleman and the
Vice President at the same time?”
“Even better,” he said as he leaned in and kissed her.
 Thank you for reading! Don’t stop now!
I hope you enjoyed Dirty Politics. Want to read more about Quinn and
Heath? Download a free bonus chapter to see what is happening eight
months later. .https://dl.bookfunnel.com/sutpnwuzls
Did you enjoy this story?
Please leave a review. It helps me so much as a new author, and I always
appreciate it so much.
Stay in touch
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Email windsorrowse@gmail.com

-—

Keep reading
Look for other Windsor Rowse stories on Amazon.
Strangers in the Queue (Stand Alone Novella)
The Week Before Christmas (Sterling Series Holiday Novella)
The Presidential Proposal (Sterling Book 1 – James' story)
Zadie’s Bodyguard (Sterling Book 3) Coming Soon

Sneak Peek (Zadie’s Body Guard)

Chapter One
“James, what the hell?” Zadie said as she burst through the door into the
Oval Office.
“Zadie?” James said, standing up.
She walked towards him, continuing, “You heard me...what the hell?
When were you going to tell me?”
“Zadie...” James fumbled; his face flushed.
He was standing behind the Resolute Desk, and she was standing in front
of him with her hands on her hips.
“Full-time security?”
“Listen...”
“A bodyguard? Are you kidding me?” she said, her eyes blazing. “We’d
agreed when you decided to run for President that security would be
temporary. James, this won’t work. You know I like my privacy. I need my
privacy.”
“I know, but Zadie...”
 “What if I want to bring a man home, James? What if I want to meet
someone on Tinder and want to fuck him in every room of my house? Is my
bodyguard supposed to watch? Join in?”
James’ face turned from pink to bright red, and his eyes flickered to
something behind her.
Zadie slowly turned around to see the Vice President, Secretary of State,
and Defense Secretary sitting on the couches, looking painfully
uncomfortable. Secretary of State Zimmerman stared at the rug while
Defense Secretary Melville picked some invisible lint off her jacket.
“Zadie,” James said, clearing his throat. “We aren’t alone.”
“Vice President,” she said, giving a nod. “Secretary of State, Defense
Secretary, pleasure to see you.”
Vice President Dixon stood and the other two followed. “I think we were
finished here anyway,” he said, inching toward the door. “Good to see you,
Zadie. President Sterling.”
She nodded, sweat rolling down her back.
James and Zadie watched them leave.
“James,” Zadie said, once they’d left. “Why didn’t you tell me we had an
audience?”
“I tried,” he said, throwing up his arms. “You wouldn’t take a breath.”
“Fine,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest. “James, when were
you going to tell me about this bodyguard?”
James groaned and tipped his head back.
“Zadie, sit down,” he said, motioning toward the couches.
“I was planning on calling you this morning, but I had some things come
up last minute,” he said. “I’m sorry you didn’t hear it from me.”
She nodded, her face softening a little.
“Zadie, you know I wouldn’t do this unless I believed it absolutely
necessary. I thought we could manage without it, but I was wrong.”
When her brother had asked her opinion on running for President several
years ago, Zadie had encouraged him. She knew it would change her life, but
she also believed in her brother and his vision. She knew he’d win and make
a great President...and he had.
She closed his eyes for a moment.
“What’s going on? Why now?”
“The FBI has been monitoring threats against you. Zadie, they’ve
increased and have become very specific. We arrested three men last night
who were plotting to kidnap you. They were planning it for this week. Zadie,
they knew your schedule. They bought supplies. This wasn’t something
theoretical.”
She exhaled loudly. “Shit.”
“Shit is right,” James said. “I have to protect you. You know I could
never leave you in danger - any of you.”
“I know,” Zadie said, softly. James had adopted Zadie along with their six
other foster siblings when he was twenty-one after their foster mother had
died. He’d devoted his life to caring for them and making them a family.
“Hopefully, it’s temporary,” James said, his voice wasn’t confident.
She knew this was unlikely but stayed silent.
“If you want to bring home your Tinder man, you’re just going to have to
keep him in the bedroom for now,” James said, with a sparkle in his eye.
“Oh, shut up,” she said, laughing. She punched his shoulder softly. “I’m
not happy about this.”
“I know. Let’s allow the FBI agents to do their jobs - complete this
investigation. Hopefully, we’ll be able to pull this back.”
She nodded.
“Doesn’t look like I have much of a choice,” she said, standing up.
“Unfortunately, not,” he said as he stood to join her. “Don’t be too hard
on them, please?”
“Who?”
“Your security team,” he said. “It’s not their fault.”
“I can’t promise anything,” she said, as she walked out the room.
Chapter Two
Ethan Frasier stood by the window - scanning the street. Ms. Sterling
would be arriving any moment with a Secret Service escort from the White
House. Once she arrived, his team would take over.
He watched several black cars pull into the driveway. Several agents
exited the cars and surrounded the house. Ms. Sterling emerged from one of
the car moments later. He recognized her immediately. She was, of course,
the sister of the United States President, but she had been famous even prior
to her brother running for office. He’d seen her on news programs and heard
her interviewed on the radio.
She was a high-profile lawyer and author. He’d actually read several of
her books - they were quite good. It was her work that made her more of a
target than her other siblings. She was a prominent activist with opinions that
pissed off certain populations. He fought the urge to smile thinking about
some of the fiery exchanges he’d witnessed from her television interviews.
This was a woman who did not back down.
Ethan scanned the road again, looking for threats as Ms. Sterling walked
to the door. He had always found Ms. Sterling to be an attractive woman with
thick curly hair and striking dark eyes. Her dress, while quite modest and
conversative, couldn’t hide her curves.
No. No. No. Absolutely not. He shook his head as if to clear away his
thoughts. He was here to protect her, not to ogle her.
The door opened, and she stepped inside. He stepped forward, his hand
outstretched.
“Ms. Sterling.”
“Zadie,” she said, taking his hand. “Just call me Zadie, please.”
“Afraid I can’t do that,” he said, shaking her hand. “I have to follow
protocol.”
Her expression soured, and she tapped her foot on the floor. Clearly, not
the answer she wanted to hear.
“And you are?” she said, her annoyance bubbling to the surface.
“Frasier,” he said.
“Is that a first name or last name?”
“Last name, ma’am.”
“Right, do you have a first name?”
“It’s not important,” he said. He was standing perfectly straight, head
high.
“Right,” she muttered. “Great - a robot. This ought to be fun.”
He didn’t respond.
“Well, where should I take my things? Am I allowed into a different
room?”
“Yes, ma’am. Follow me,” he said. He reached out to pick up her bag, but
she snatched it up before he could touch it.
“I can carry it,” she said. “I’m not helpless, and don’t call me ma’am. I’m
not your grandmother.”
“Of course,” he said, tipping his head. .
She followed him into a bedroom. He did a quick sweep of the room and
peeked out each window.
“How long am I going to be in prison here?” she asked, her arms crossed
over her chest.
 “The President wants you to remain here until the media storm dies
down,” he answered, his eyes staring directly into hers. He was close enough
to notice the tiny specks of gold in her eyes.
“Right,” she said, as shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
“My understanding is the FBI believes more co-conspirators exist in this
kidnapping plot.”
She breathed in through her nose and nodded.
“Is there WiFi?” she asked. “I’d like to get some work done.”
“Yes,” he said. “I’ll get the password for you.”
He walked into the hallway and paused for a moment once he was alone.
He looked down and noticed his hands were clenched. He sighed and
released them.
This wasn’t going to be an easy job. She wasn’t going to make any of this
easy. He could tell that already.