up nicely yourself.” I smirked.
His mouth curled at the edges. “I’m always up for a good scrubbing.”
“Is something happening tonight? Remind me.”
“Can’t believe it. Years in the making.”
“You’re so calm.”
“We did everything we could.” He brightened. “We had you, our secret weapon.”
“You know, you’re his secret weapon in all this, Damien. The loyal son, willing to give everything up for your dad.”
“I have my limits.” He looked over at me. “Some things are too precious to lose.”
I smiled. “They really are.”
He sighed. “Ready to join the family?”
We strolled down the hallway and paused by the front door, as though rallying our courage to leave the house and go watch history unfold.
He glanced at his phone. “We’ll soon hear about votes coming in from Florida.”
“Exciting. How’s everyone holding up?”
“As well as can be expected, considering the pressure.”
“How about you?” I fiddled with his already neat tie. “You’re the only one I care about.”
“I’m glad you’re with me.”
“Now that you’ve tasted the edge of power, Damien Godman, are you craving it for yourself?”
“I fit the profile. Grumpy bastard with an egocentric personality.”
“Yes, but with the right woman by your side to remind you of what’s important.”
He gave me a knowing look. “What’s so important?”
“This—” Reaching behind my skirt, I unfastened the catch.
It fell to the floor, pooling around my feet, showing off my lacy thong and black stockings. I unbuttoned my blouse flirtatiously.
Before us was the door that would lead out to the waiting car. Behind us, the red door that led to his room of pleasure waited.
His jaw went slack as he took in my half-dressed state. “Well, you’ve got my vote.”
“Want to lead the way?”
He moved toward me swiftly and shoved me back against the wall, cornering me there. “What you’re inferring is that you want to make us late, Ms. Bardot. That you’re willing to seduce me so that I forget how important today is.”
“Well, yes. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
He stepped back abruptly. “I will have to fuck you hard for this.”
“As a punishment?”
“I will be showing you what happens to very bad girls who blow off elections.”
“These things always take time. We have hours to go before the final decision.”
“Indeed.” He threaded his fingers through mine and pulled me along the hallway toward the red door. Together we descended the steps into his dungeon.
He paused in the center of the room, looking thoughtful. “I know I promised to never talk of it, but…”
“Go on.”
“Maybe we should clear something up?”
Easing my blouse open, I said. “I’m listening.”
“We should talk about the elephant in the room.”
My gaze moved to his groin.
“Not that.” He rolled his eyes.
“What then?”
“Pandora’s fucking box?” He pressed his point with his hands sweeping through the air. “Pandora’s Box!”
“I had thought about that, yes.”
“What are you going to do with all that power?”
“Harness it.” I paused, thinking. “I may delete it all. Haven’t decided.”
“Think of the careers you’ll save. Your father is going to be the Foreign Secretary for the U.S.”
“Your reputation was also my priority.” I flashed him a cheeky look. “And your father’s, too, I suppose.”
“You’re my everything. You know that, right?”
“Show me what I mean to you,” I purred the words as I peeled off my blouse.
Damien was on me fast, nudging me backward toward the bed and shoving me onto it. Leaning low, he tugged at my panties, ripping them off and burying his head into my sex, causing me to moan as his mouth possessed a sacred part of me.
“You taste amazing,” he said gruffly, moving up my body and lifting my arms so that he’d pinned me against the bed. “Pandora Godman…it’s got quite a ring to it.”
“Tell me you’ll love me forever, Damien.”
He squeezed his eyes shut for a beat. “I have a confession.”
“Am I going to like it?”
“I married you the day I met you. You were distracted with the hem of your dress, and that glass of champagne you spilt on me, and the canapés you couldn’t seem to get enough of—”
“Hey!”
“Then I brought in the marching band and we had a ceremony right there at your debutante ball, ten seconds after we met. You don’t remember?”
“I thought you hated me back then.”
“I knew then that if I gave my heart to you, I’d never get it back. It scared me.”
“What changed?”
“You stole my heart anyway, Pandora. Like a burst of light that chased away my shadows. You broke down my defenses and proved love always wins.”
He let my wrists go.
Leaning up, I pressed my mouth to his and kissed him leisurely, feeling his lips soften against mine. I cupped his face with affection. “Let’s promise to always be there for each other. No matter what life throws at us.”
“Think of what you and I can achieve together as equals, as husband and wife. Best friends. Lovers. Soul mates. Give me the chance to prove it to you. To stand between you and the world and stop it from ever hurting you again—or at least try. I want to marry you.”
“You’ve already asked me, remember?” I whispered.
“That was the old Pandora. I’m talking to Pandora 2. 0. The woman who altered the course of history.”
“It’s still a yes.” I brushed my fingertips through his hair. “Let’s make this world a better place.”
“You already have,” he whispered, as his lips crushed mine.
And sometimes, I mused, being a little late is still fashionably early.
Especially when making history.
MAXIMUM DARE
PERVADE LONDON and PERVADE MONTEGO BAY
&
PERFUME GIRL
&
THE ENTHRALL SESSIONS:
ENTHRALL, ENTHRALL HER, ENTHRALL HIM, CAMERON’S CONTROL, CAMERON’S CONTRACT, RICHARD’S REIGN, ENTHRALL SECRETS, and ENTHRALL CLIMAX
&
THE ICON TRILOGY from Harlequin:
THE CHASE, THE GAME, and THE PRIZE
vanessafewings.com
USA Today Bestselling Author Vanessa Fewings writes both contemporary romance and dark erotic suspense novels. She can be found on her Facebook Fan Page and in The Romance Lounge, Instagram, Twitter and Goodreads.
She enjoys connecting with fans all around the world.