Perfectly Inappropriate

“No worries,” said Jared, a black hat covering his dirty-blond hair. His dark brown eyes were calm and steady, as always.

“Let’s talk in the living room.” Noah led the way.

Most senators weren’t given a security detail unless they were in Washington, but Noah didn’t take chances and, always aware of the dirty game of politics, he had hired his own. He’d seen scandals destroy careers. And while SiR ran criminal background checks, that wasn’t enough reassurance for Noah. Jared, a retired Navy Seal, had worked for Noah during the year he campaigned and stayed on these last four years since he’d been elected as one of New York’s senators. Jared knew about SiR and Noah’s interests, so Jared’s protection wasn’t to keep Noah physically safe, it was to keep Noah’s sexual relationships off CNN’s radar.

“Want a beer?” Noah asked, entering the chef’s kitchen decorated with white lacquer cabinets and bluestone counters.

“Would love one,” Jared replied.

Noah grabbed two crisp beers from the stainless-steel fridge. When he returned to the living room, he saw that Jared had taken a seat in his usual spot on the leather chair set next to the couch and was stretching out his long legs. Noah offered him the beer. “I take it you got what you needed on Olivia.”

Jared nodded and raised the folder. “All things Olivia Watts.”

Noah shook his head, dropping onto the couch. He tried not to invade someone’s personal history more than he needed to protect himself. Discovering the intricacies about his submissives was all part of the game. “Is there anything about her that should worry me?”

“I’m not sure about this one.” Jared took a long swig of his beer then explained further. “Either this girl is a saint, or her records have been scrubbed.”

“Scrubbed, really?” This concern was a first.

Jared cocked his head and gave him a measured look. “No matter how good a person is, they’re going to have a past. Ms. Watts hasn’t even had a parking ticket.”

Noah didn’t like the sound of that either. “She’s too clean?”

“Squeaky clean.” Jared nodded. “Who in their life hasn’t had at least a parking ticket?”

“People who play by the rules,” Noah offered.

“Which is totally plausible,” Jared agreed. “And yet, her lack of a past is concerning and something I would take a hard look at. She doesn’t seem like a risk taker who would be involved in this type of arrangement.”

When Jared gave advice, Noah listened. In two years he’d run for reelection, and in the game of politics, Noah knew his competition would already be looking at him now, trying to find holes in his character to sink him. “How about her connections to anyone in politics? Any links there?”

Jared shook his head. “None that I could see. I dug pretty deep into her family history—everyone there looks fine. I couldn’t see any links from her Facebook to any politicians. On the outside, it very much looks like she’s fine. But…”

There was always a but.

Jared leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs, and leveled Noah with a hard look. “What better scandal is there than a senator who sleeps with an all-too-sweet girl and roughs her up without her consent?”

Noah’s jaw tightened. He could see that headline shooting across his television screen. He’d never recover from such a scandal. “What better scandal indeed.”

Jared nodded, his beer bottle dangling from his fingers. “I can’t shake my concern here. Stay cautious with this one until you trust her.”

Noah wouldn’t put it past his competition to not only discover his lifestyle but find some way to destroy him with it. “And her friend?”

“She’s much more of what I’d expected to find. She’s got a past. Had some adventures. But she’s nothing to worry about.”

“All right,” Noah said, tipping his chin at the folder in Jared’s hands. “Thank you for this.”

Jared polished off his beer then rose, lifting the bottle. “Thank you for this.” He entered the kitchen and left the bottle on the counter before he strode by Noah again.

Just as he walked by, Noah asked, “Have you got a picture of Olivia on file?”

Jared reached into the folder then offered Noah a five-by-seven photograph. It was a different photo of Olivia; Noah assumed it was from Facebook. When Jared tucked the file back under his arm, he asked, “Is the plan to meet her tomorrow?”

Noah seemed already decided, though he also remained curious but cautious. He nodded. “I want another look at her myself. See if she’s as innocent as your file says she is or if something else is going on here.”

“You’ll shoot me the time later?”

“I will.”