Page 49 of An Impossible Love
Lucas sat down heavily in his chair, staring at her unhappily. “Is this something to do with Zach’s death? Did you come back too soon?”
“Lucas, I’m in love with Orin Bennett and he with me.” There it was—out in the open. Lucas sighed and rubbed his eyes.
“God, Emmy.”
“I know.”
They sat in silence for a while. “You must have had help sneaking around the White House.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Care to share names?”
“No, sir.”
Lucas’s mouth twitched. “Good girl,” he said quietly. He leaned forward on his desk. “You’ll be assigned off the detail, but still with access, so to speak. I’ll tell my superiors that you’ve shown an aptitude for investigation and wished to be reassigned so you can concentrate on the threats to the president. That, at least, will be true.” He smiled at her. “Thank you, Emmy. Really, I had no idea and you could have kept this secret for months. I appreciate your honesty.”
Emmy walked out of Lucas’s office and went to her own. Duke was in there, and he looked surprised to see her. “Hey, I didn’t think you were on today.”
She closed the door behind her. “Duke… I just told Lucas.”
“What the hell?” Duke looked alarmed, but she waved him down.
“I didn’t tell him anything about you, don’t worry. But he knows about me and the president.”
“And Lucas makes five.” Duke sat back in his chair, shaking his head. “In all honesty, Em, how do you and Bennett expect to keep this to yourselves?”
“As long as we can. Until things are… resolved one way or the other.”
She hated the pitying look she could see in Duke’s eyes. “Baby girl… you know how this is going to end. Is it all worth it?”
Emmy met his gaze steadily and nodded. “Yes, Duke…heis.”
Later that morning, Orin was in the Oval with Moxie, Kevin, and Issa, discussing a speech Orin was to give to a room full of business leaders later in the week. As Moxie spoke, detailing the reasons for the speech, Orin found his mind drifting yet again. In this morning’s security briefing, Lucas Harper had told him that Max Neal had gone so far underground that it was hard to believe they’d ever find him.
“Of course, this means we’re having to change your security arrangements. One of the reasons, anyway.”
Orin had looked up at that, saw the look in Lucas’s eyes, and nodded. “Emmy told me that she’d spoken to you.”
“Your relationship is none of my business, sir—”
“—no.”
“—but my agent’s welfare is. I hope you have both considered the implications of your continued, um, assignations.”
Orin couldn’t hide his grin then. “Assignations, Lucas?”
To his credit, Lucas smiled. “Sorry, sir. I’m just looking out for my agent.”
As he turned to go, Orin called him back. “Lucas… thank you for not firing Emmy. She deserves better.”
“Yes, sir. She does.”
Whether Lucas meant that as a reprimand or not, Orin took it to heart. When, that evening, Emmy came to the Lincoln Bedroom, he kissed her, then searched her eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Sure. Why? Something happen?”
Orin smiled down at her. “Just wondering. Lucas told me he knew today.”
