“I called him out on his bullshit. Nothing else. Nothing more than what I’ve always done.”
“You found another gear today, baby. It was magnificent to behold.”
Caroline smiled shyly at him. “Now you’re going to make me blush.”
“We both know it doesn’t take much.” Jack crouched down again to caress her cheek. “I know you did that for me. I appreciate your loyalty.”
“Eternally devoted, I am,” she said. “To the country, of course.”
He laughed again, a rich, booming sound that echoed over the tile. She hadn’t heard him laugh like that lately. It made her happy.
“And to you too,” she added, just to reassure him. Sometimes he needed reassurance more than she did.
“I know,” he said quietly, then smiled again. “I think my favorite part was when you told Murdock, ‘Perhaps the gentleman from Pennsylvania has forgotten that this is a congressional hearing not a political ad, and he is therefore obligated not to mislead the other committee members.’”
“Is that a direct quote?”
“I watched it several times to make sure I got it right. I also enjoyed the phrase ‘duty of candor’ and that little jab at his ethics. You exposed him as the unprepared, corrupt jackass he is.” Jack knelt down to kiss her. “You’re incredible, sweetheart.”
“You’re going to ruin your suit, darling. The tile’s all wet.”
He kept kissing her. “Ask me if I fucking care.”
A few more kisses like that and she’d forget about clothes entirely. “How are you doing?” she whispered, when they finally broke free.
He resumed his crouching position. The chlorinated water had soaked through his pants. “It’ll get better, sweetheart. I promise.”
Caroline sighed. A nice, neat sidestep. “I didn’t ask about myself, Jack. I asked about you.”
“What affects me affects you, and vice versa.”
She glared at him. He knew how much it bothered her when he avoided questions. He was a much better politician than he gave himself credit for.
“It’s been a rough few weeks,” he finally said. “It’ll get better. And you really were phenomenal today. Even Greg was impressed.”
Wasn’t that a compliment of the highest measure. Maybe Greg would give her a nice certificate to commemorate the occasion. With a gold star and everything. “Not sure that’s what the Twittersphere thought,” she grumbled, massaging the top of her head. “I’m a DINO now, in case you wanted to know. That, or a giant bitch, or the greatest politician in the history of the world.”
“Is it an even three way split?”
“I don’t know. Ask Katie.”
Jack smiled. “I’m going to go with the greatest politician angle. But even if you’re a DINO, you’re my DINO. And those nerd glasses you were wearing made you look incredibly adorable.”
She couldn’t wait for the day when his perfect vision deteriorated and he had to get bifocals. She would never, ever let him hear the end of it. “They aren’t nerd glasses,” she said. “They’re totally stylish.”
“Couldn’t get your contacts in today?”
Caroline usually tried to avoid wearing her glasses when the cameras were on, but she’d had to do a ton of reading both before and during the hearing. They made her feel much more intellectual, and a little more threatening. Kathleen often told her that Caroline’s glasses were an indication that she meant business.
“No.” She stuck her tongue out at him. “Thanks for noticing.”
Jack grinned at her again. “That condescending look you gave Murdock while you slipped them down your nose was incredibly sexy.”
“Now you’re lying through your teeth.”
“Not in the slightest. Glad to see the sexy librarian make a reappearance. I’ve missed her.”
“If my glasses slid down my nose, it was unintentional.”
He leaned down to kiss her again. “You might have to work it into your routine. I kept waiting for the porn music to start.”
“That’s a surefire way to improve C-SPAN’s ratings.”
“I’d actually prefer if the sexy librarian only makes time for me, not the men on Homeland Security.”
A hint of jealousy or maybe even fear clouded his words. He didn’t like when other people ogled her. It didn’t happen often since he was the main aesthetic draw out of the two of them. Caroline gave him a wry smile. “You’d better win, buddy. My political career is toast. And I don’t have a future as an eyewear model, either.”
Jack’s grin faded to a look of concern. “I really want you to stay away from Murdock. Even when we’re at debates or other events where both candidates are in the room.”