"And can he?"
"Not if I can help it."
"Good, that's what I like to hear Mr. Andrews," she purrs, moving her hand to my tie now and loosening the knot. It falls apart under her skillful touch and I get the feeling she's done this before. My mind is telling me that I should usher her out. I quickly move my body out of her reach even though there's a part of me that wants to see how this will play out.
"You keep control of Liam," she purrs, "And I'll find your money."
“And why would I need your help, Ms. Ling?” I say, trying to bring a hardened edge to my voice.
I’m going to be honest with you, okay? If that were Vivian Hawthorne standing in front of me, this wouldn’t even be a question right now. My cock would already be out, throbbing, and ready to go.
But this isn’t Vivian.
She approaches me again and this time she has my tie completely loose now; she pulls it off slowly from around my neck. The silk brushes against my face and as she leans in, one of her breasts presses against my cheek. I can smell a hint of her perfume—seductive, spicy, mysterious, and dominant. I think back to the newspaper article, and again, my mind tells me I shouldn't be doing this. I don't need help from Shanghai. I can take this on myself. Besides, I need to find Vivian Hawthorne. I need to talk to her, if it isn't too late. I gently nudge Tina away from me and say, "It won't be easy. It looks like he my have the help of Senator Hawthorne now, but I'm sure I can manage. Thank you anyways."
This only brings her closer. If it's one thing I know, this woman is persistent. She isn't letting me off the hook. She unbuttons her blouse and I get a look at her perfect breasts cupped in a red lace bra. How is this even happening? She has one hand on my pants and leans in, whispering into my ear, "Nice pants. Do you mind if I test the zipper out."
"I—uh—I don't think that's—"
But before I can finish, I feel her pulling my belt from its buckle and she grabs the zipper of my pants, pulling it down in one metallic whizzing sound. My pulse is racing. I can feel my heart hammering through my chest. It's as if she can sense it now because she unbuttons my shirt and places one hand on my bare chest.
"I do like a strong, chiseled, man," she purrs, moving her other hand back down to my exposed zipper.
I try to say something but the words are caught in my throat. "Tina, I—"
"Sshh, there's no need to say anything, Carter" she says, placing one delicate finger across my lips and I sit there, immobilized until I can wrap my head around the severity of the situation. The thrill of feeling her in such close proximity to me makes my heart leap into my throat, and I quickly step away from her.
This isn’t Vivian Hawthorne.
She’s probably sleeping with Liam; he has that effect on people, but until I know for sure, I’m not going to jump in bed with the first woman who comes knocking. And she literally came knocking.
“You’re not Vivian,” I say out loud. I don’t know why I goddamn said it out loud, okay? Don’t look at me.
But Tina’s looking. She’s giving me a strange sort of look.
“No, I’m not the Senator,” she says to me, flashing a lascivious smile. “I’m better.”
I stand there silently, wondering why I’m so incapable of movement. I’ve killed men with my bare hands before in the desert. I’ve made hundreds of millions on my own. When I’ve taken a break from work, I’ve pleased countless women and left them begging for more.
“Face it Governor,” Tina says narrowing the distance between us. “You’re going to need me as a friend in the coming fight, more than as a foe. I know it would be a very beneficial…alliance.”
Just then, I hear a familiar voice at the door.
"What's going on in here?"
I look up and see Vivian Hawthorne standing in the doorway, her blonde hair framing the concerned look etched into her face.
"This isn't what it looks like," I say, waving one hand into the air. "Nothing is happening." But just as I say this, my mind registers the compromising look of the room—the Mayor of Shanghai with her shirt unbuttoned, and to top it all off, I'm standing there with my pants partially unzipped.
Who's going to believe me?
10
Vivian
"What's going on?" I ask. It feels like I've lost my bottom jaw on the floor.
I can't help it. I probably should've closed the door and walked away, but the words tumble from my mouth instinctually. I mean, when you walk into your Governor's office, you aren't expecting to walk in on something like this. Of all the things that Carter could be caught doing right now, this tops them all. Not after…you know what? Never mind.