Page 7 of The Senator's Wife

Whit always got in early so he could have a short period of quiet before the demands of the day bombarded him. He’d been in meetings since 8a.m.and was finally back in his office. He tapped the keyboard on his desk and brought up his schedule for the next two days, glancing at his watch. He had just enough time to go over material for this afternoon’s meetings before heading out for his lunch date with Sloane. Whit buzzed for his assistant.

“Linda, can you bring me the notes for the committee meeting on Friday? And a cup of coffee as well.”

“Of course, Senator. Right away,” she replied, and closed the door behind her.

He didn’t look up as he heard the door open. “Just put it on the table over there.”

“Should I lock the door first?”

His head shot up. Madelyn was standing in his office. “What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Now, is that any way to greet me?” She sauntered over to the desk. Perching on the edge, she crossed her legs, showing them off to their best advantage in a black Akris pencil skirt andmile-high Gianvito Rossi Plexi pumps. In the past, she’d modeled her designer purchases for Whit in the privacy of the suite she kept at the Salamander hotel for her rendezvous. He realized now what a colossal mistake it had been to ever get involved with her. His marriage to Peg had long been over in all but name—their relationship was a disaster. But he’d made it clear to Madelyn when he’d married Sloane that he had every intention of making his new marriage work. He’d never admitted the affair to Sloane—she wouldn’t have married him. How could he make her understand the special hell that his marriage to Peg had been? Madelyn’s attentions had been a welcome balm to his ego, a pleasant diversion from Peg’s constant criticism. He thought Madelyn viewed their relationship the same way that he did—something temporary, as they both had too much to lose if it ever became public. But the one thing he hadn’t counted on was her falling in love with him. When he’d married Sloane, she went off the deep end, threatening to tell Fred. But in the end, she’d have suffered as much as he if Fred found out. Her prenup would have left her with a fraction of the wealth she now enjoyed. So she kept quiet. But that didn’t stop her from continuing to throw herself at him at every opportunity, claiming he was the love of her life. He had to treat her with the same delicacy one would in handling dynamite. One word to either Fred or Sloane about their past could ruin him.

He sighed. She was nothing if not determined. “Madelyn, you can’t be here. I’m meeting Sloane for lunch in half an hour.”

“Change of plans, darling. Text her and cancel. You and I have important business to discuss about your next campaign strategy. Your opponent is gaining popularity. We need to put our heads together and figure out our next move.”

Whit groaned inwardly. Why did she have to show up on the day he was meeting Sloane? But Madelyn was right, they needed to figure out their next steps. He pulled out his phone and texted Sloane, telling her he had a meeting.

“Where do you want to go?” he asked.

“I’ve already made reservations at the Woodmont Grill. My driver will take us.”

Wisely, she’d chosen a restaurant in semidiscreet Bethesda instead of a place in DC. One of the things he admired about Madelyn was her impeccable political acumen. She knew what to expose, and what to hide. He picked up the phone and buzzed his assistant again. “Please reschedule my two o’clock with Congressman Belle.”

“Shall we?” He looked at Madelyn.

She licked her lips and gave him a seductive smile. “We definitely should. But first…?” Madelyn pushed him backward onto the leather chair, pulled up her skirt, and straddled him. She ground her hips into him, her cherry-red lips parted suggestively. Her mouth came down on his as she guided his hand past the low vee of her blouse until he was cupping her naked breast. He pulled his hand away.

“What the hell, Madelyn? We can’t do this.”

“Sure we can, lover. I locked the door, like always.”

“Stop,” he said as he pushed her off him and stood, straightening his tie. “I told you. I need to make this marriage work. Sloane understands that you and Fred are major supporters of my campaign and that we have legitimate reasons to interact. I don’t want to give her any reason to distrust me.”

In a flash she dropped to her knees in front of him. Before he could object, she’d nimbly undone his belt and pants. His zipper was halfway down when she looked up at him, her eyes filled with lust.

“Why did you marry her? I bet she doesn’t do this for you.”

It took every ounce of restraint for him to push her away and zip his pants. Sex with Sloane was nothing like with Madelyn, who was the consummate lover—wild, inventive, and decadent. With Sloane it was urgent but tender, not this insatiable hunger. “Enough, Madelyn. Get up.” He extended his hand to her.

She slapped his hand away and stood, her eyes slits. “You’ll regret this.”

He had to say something to appease her. “Don’t be angry. You know how much I want you, but I can’t jeopardize my position.”

She didn’t answer, but he could tell he was off the hook. For now, anyway.

As they walked outside, Whit spotted the familiar black Rolls idling at the curb on Constitution Avenue. How many times had the two of them had sex in the back seat of that car?

The driver gave a brief nod and touched two fingers to his cap. “Hello, Senator,” he said, opening the door for them.

“Hello, Derek,” Whit replied.

Madelyn slid in first, but only as far as the middle of the seat, leaving no room between them. As she ran her slender hand along his thigh, the enormous diamond she loved showing off sparkled in the sun.

Whit felt like he was balancing on the edge of a knife. It had always been easy for him to excel and rise to the top in any and all pursuits: outstanding student, star athlete, Ivy League academic scholarships, successful senator. But he knew his one weakness—women—and with Whit’s good looks and charm, they’d thrown themselves at him all his life. He was summoning all the strength he could muster to fight that weakness. What made it difficult was that he needed Fred Sawyer’s money for his next reelection campaign, and if he didn’t stroke Madelyn’s ego, she’d get her husband to pull his support. But he also couldn’t risk losing Sloane. He patted Madelyn’s hand. “Sloane is on high alert where you’re concerned. We can’t give her any reason to doubt me. It was different with Peg. Please try to understand; we’ve talked about this before.”

Madelyn sniffed, pouting. “Your wife is a snotty bitch. I can’t stand her.”

---