At the Pleasure of the President (The Perfect Gentlemen 5)

“Dumpy?” She shook her head, but he could see her thinking. It was good because it was likely distracting her from the fact that his fingers were inching closer and closer to her pussy. Once his hands reached nirvana, she would melt for him. She responded passionately to him each and every time he made love to her.

“I’m not vain. Proceed.”

She relaxed against him, letting him pull up her skirt a bit. “I would advise the couple to go on a few low-key dates, ease the public into the situation. The politician in question is a beloved figure and respected, but it’s been a long time since he had a relationship, temporary skanks aside. So as long as the woman is First Lady material, I think it would be fine.”

She was thinking ahead. He liked that. “First Lady material?”

She’d thwarted his first inclination—get her pregnant so neither of them could dodge the issue of matrimony. It had almost worked for Mad. But if he needed to marry Elizabeth for the good press, then that was just what he’d have to do.

She stiffened in his arms. “I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant if the woman is respectable, I don’t think there would be much backlash.”

He stopped and forced her chin up so she would look him in the eyes. “You’re perfectly respectable. If it gets out that we’re having an affair, it won’t surprise too many people. I think my dating the way I have the last few weeks has done far more damage to my reputation than anything I might have done with you. I’ve heard certain tabloids have taken to calling me the Player President because they think I broke your heart. You’re beloved, Elizabeth. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

The press adored her. She was quick, witty, easy to talk to, made press conferences lively, and never lied to the press. They greatly preferred her to him.

“I just don’t want you to think I’m angling for a ring.”

“I don’t think that at all.” But he had every intention of giving her one. He’d already considered this. She made him happy. She couldn’t betray him. It simply wasn’t in her nature. “So you want to grab some coffee sometime?”

It would feel good not to have to sneak around. He could finally hold her hand in public without caring how it looked.

“Are you asking me on a date, Mr. President?” The haunted look in her eyes was gone. The happiness he saw there warmed him, encouraged him.

Damn, he was in deep. “I am, Ms. Matthews. But first, we’ve only got another ten minutes or so before those cameras come on.”

She laughed but was interrupted by the door opening and Roman quickly shutting it. That was the good part. The bad part? Roman was on the wrong side of that door.

“Please tell me you haven’t turned the Resolute desk into a sex surface,” his chief of staff/best friend said with a fierce frown. “You do know there are cameras in here, right? Are you planning on having an X-rated section of your presidential library?”

He tried to keep hold of Elizabeth, but she was already struggling to her feet.

“Sorry.” She straightened her skirt.

He turned on Roman, happy there was a desk between them or his insistent erection would likely be noted. “Hypocrite. I know you and Gus have sex on your desk all the time.”

“But my desk wasn’t a gift from Queen Victoria to Rutherford B. Hayes.” Roman stalked into the space, nodding Elizabeth’s way. “Have you had any calls about the article Lara published today?”

“A few. No one from the mainstream media yet, but a couple of Internet sites have sent inquiries.” If it hadn’t been for the light flush of her face, no one would know she’d almost gotten shoved on Queen Victoria’s gift and taken hard and fast by the commander in chief.

His dick was pretty resolute about that happening soon, but it would have to wait. “She was just telling me she thinks you’re going to have to do an interview.”

“You and Gus,” she corrected quickly. “Gus was one of Joy’s best friends. The truth of the matter is, if Gus and the president aren’t upset about it, I don’t think the public can be. You need to keep being seen together. You and the president, as well.”

There was a plan he could get behind. “You two can join us for our coffee date.”

Roman’s brow rose. “Coffee date? We have coffee here. Gus just had a cup. Should I send some?”

For a brilliant man, he could be obtuse. “It’s a double date to get the public used to Elizabeth and I being together. She thinks we should start slowly, hence the double date and not an orgy. That comes later.”

Roman grinned. “I would never let that happen. My fiancée has already run through a bunch of you assholes. I don’t need for her to have more to compare and contrast. Sure, we’ll join you. Anything to get the story out there so it can go away quickly.”

“That’s the plan,” Elizabeth said. “I’ll go back to my office and start thinking about an official statement.”

“Elizabeth?” She was forgetting something, and he wouldn’t have it. His whole life revolved around rules and protocols. This was one he’d put in place. “He’s not the public.”

She flushed again but moved around the desk and leaned closer. “I’ll see you tonight.”

She kissed him and he watched her go, her hips swaying. The door opened and closed. Then his world seemed to dim a little.

“Damn it, Zack, you are in too deep with that woman.”

Zack stood, facing off with his best friend. “Her name is Elizabeth and if you call her ‘that woman’ again, I’ll fire you. Do I make myself plain?”

“You prove my point, Mr. President.” The title was proof that Roman was irritated with him. He never referred to him as anything but Zack when they were alone. “I came here to give you an update on a couple of things. I talked

to the VP and calmed him down.”

“Shorn’s pissed I’m keeping him out of the loop when it comes to the pipeline,” Zack explained as he moved around to the couches decorating the office. One of them, he’d discovered, was a spectacular make-out spot. He didn’t mention that to Roman, though. “He’s been taking a lot of meetings. I’m worried he’s making promises he can’t keep.”

“He’s grumbling about us taking our time, but he seems more measured and rational since we spoke.” Roman parked himself on the very spot where Zack had gotten an excellent blowjob the day before.

Zack sat across from him. “Have Dax and Holland come up with anything on him yet?”

The couple were investigating the vice president. The truth of the matter was, Wallace Shorn didn’t want the pipeline built for environmental reasons. It was a massive undertaking, and if it happened there would be compromises along the way. Nothing new there. But Wally’s record of concern for the environment was precisely why he’d been put on the ticket. Zack had needed some balance and found value in differing opinions. Simply because Shorn might do something the Russians wanted didn’t mean he was in league with them, but Roman could be a paranoid bastard.

“Nothing yet, but they have to be careful. I can’t imagine what would happen if the press found out we’re tailing our own VP,” Roman explained. “They’re looking for any connections beyond the ones we already know. Your father approved of him, right?”

“Yes, he balanced out the ticket in several ways.” He couldn’t help but remember Elizabeth had been on board with the plan. In fact, she’d been the first one to throw his name out.

“Holland wants a couple of days to watch him. But I came to talk to you about what’s happening with Mad and Sara.”