“Good night, Noelle.”
Chapter Two
The three weeks since Tom’s suggestion that
they meet for the holidays seemed to alternate between flying by
and crawling along at a snail’s pace. Every day lasted an eternity.
However, now that the day they would meet had actually arrived,
Noelle felt completely ill-prepared.
She’d driven from New York to Washington D.C.
with Ross and Julia and she had to admit having her family come
with her had been a godsend. They’d had such a fun time, talking,
laughing, and singing Christmas carols Noelle had forgotten her
nervousness until this moment. They’d gone to check into their
hotel room and she’d been left to her own devices in the swanky
penthouse suite Tom had reserved for her.
Tom had called to say he had checked in and
was on his way over. Apparently, he’d reserved the other penthouse
suite on the floor. She couldn’t believe he’d basically booked the
entire floor of a five star hotel.
She checked her face in the mirror once more
when she heard a knock on the door. She took a deep breath and
crossed the room. Flinging the door open with her heart racing, she
watched Evan Thomas Rhodes, President-elect, enter her room.
“Noelle?” he asked, his voice betraying his
discomfort. She could only imagine what emotions he saw flying
across her face. Anger, excitement, disappointment, amazement,
fear, relief, happiness.
“Shit,” she whispered when she finally found
her voice. “You’re a Republican.”
He grinned and took a step toward her. Before
she could retreat or consider what he was doing, he placed his
hands gently on both sides of her face. “And you’re beautiful.”
She didn’t have time to utter a protest.
Hell, she didn’t have time to open her mouth before his lips
descended on hers. She returned the kiss without a moment’s
hesitation. This is what she’d hoped for, prayed for, waited for.
The fact he had just won the election and would be President of the
United States in twenty-seven days ceased to matter the second his
lips touched hers.
She reached up to run her fingers through his
light brown hair, losing herself in the joy of finally meeting her
best friend. For several moments, they remained connected, touching
each other, sharing the same air until reality crashed in on her
and she pulled away.
“What the hell is going on?”
He gave her a crooked grin, guilt suffusing
his features. “I was afraid it wouldn’t be quite this easy. I don’t
suppose we could just carry on with the kissing?”
“You’re the President,” she said before
inanely adding, “of the freaking United States.”
“Not yet,” he replied and she raised her
eyebrows at the preposterousness of his comment.
“Tom,” she started before catching herself.
“I mean Evan—”
“No,” he interrupted. “It’s Tom. Always Tom
to you. Noelle, if you’ll just give me a minute to explain—”
“I think it’ll take more than a minute,
Running Man,” she interjected.
“I suppose it will.” He shrugged and
responded to her comment regarding his screen name. “Dammit, I feel
like I’ve been running forever.”
“And here I thought you picked that name
because you were an Arnold fan, not because you were running for
office.”
He laughed. “Well…”
She groaned. “Oh, hell, Arnold’s a Republican
too.”
“Noelle,” he said, “before we get into any of
this hard stuff, I want to ask you a question.”
“Okay.”
“Why did you come here this weekend?”
She was taken aback for a moment, and then
she considered her answer. “I wanted to meet you, be with you.”
He moved closer, pulling her toward him with
firm hands on her hips. “Be with me how?”
Her gaze drifted to his lips and she knew the
answer he was searching for. She raised her hands to his handsome
face and smiled. “If you’re asking me if I was considering having
sex with you, I was.”
He chuckled before leaning down to kiss her
again. She suspected
Chapter Two
The three weeks since Tom’s suggestion that
they meet for the holidays seemed to alternate between flying by
and crawling along at a snail’s pace. Every day lasted an eternity.
However, now that the day they would meet had actually arrived,
Noelle felt completely ill-prepared.
She’d driven from New York to Washington D.C.
with Ross and Julia and she had to admit having her family come
with her had been a godsend. They’d had such a fun time, talking,
laughing, and singing Christmas carols Noelle had forgotten her
nervousness until this moment. They’d gone to check into their
hotel room and she’d been left to her own devices in the swanky
penthouse suite Tom had reserved for her.
Tom had called to say he had checked in and
was on his way over. Apparently, he’d reserved the other penthouse
suite on the floor. She couldn’t believe he’d basically booked the
entire floor of a five star hotel.
She checked her face in the mirror once more
when she heard a knock on the door. She took a deep breath and
crossed the room. Flinging the door open with her heart racing, she
watched Evan Thomas Rhodes, President-elect, enter her room.
“Noelle?” he asked, his voice betraying his
discomfort. She could only imagine what emotions he saw flying
across her face. Anger, excitement, disappointment, amazement,
fear, relief, happiness.
“Shit,” she whispered when she finally found
her voice. “You’re a Republican.”
He grinned and took a step toward her. Before
she could retreat or consider what he was doing, he placed his
hands gently on both sides of her face. “And you’re beautiful.”
She didn’t have time to utter a protest.
Hell, she didn’t have time to open her mouth before his lips
descended on hers. She returned the kiss without a moment’s
hesitation. This is what she’d hoped for, prayed for, waited for.
The fact he had just won the election and would be President of the
United States in twenty-seven days ceased to matter the second his
lips touched hers.
She reached up to run her fingers through his
light brown hair, losing herself in the joy of finally meeting her
best friend. For several moments, they remained connected, touching
each other, sharing the same air until reality crashed in on her
and she pulled away.
“What the hell is going on?”
He gave her a crooked grin, guilt suffusing
his features. “I was afraid it wouldn’t be quite this easy. I don’t
suppose we could just carry on with the kissing?”
“You’re the President,” she said before
inanely adding, “of the freaking United States.”
“Not yet,” he replied and she raised her
eyebrows at the preposterousness of his comment.
“Tom,” she started before catching herself.
“I mean Evan—”
“No,” he interrupted. “It’s Tom. Always Tom
to you. Noelle, if you’ll just give me a minute to explain—”
“I think it’ll take more than a minute,
Running Man,” she interjected.
“I suppose it will.” He shrugged and
responded to her comment regarding his screen name. “Dammit, I feel
like I’ve been running forever.”
“And here I thought you picked that name
because you were an Arnold fan, not because you were running for
office.”
He laughed. “Well…”
She groaned. “Oh, hell, Arnold’s a Republican
too.”
“Noelle,” he said, “before we get into any of
this hard stuff, I want to ask you a question.”
“Okay.”
“Why did you come here this weekend?”
She was taken aback for a moment, and then
she considered her answer. “I wanted to meet you, be with you.”
He moved closer, pulling her toward him with
firm hands on her hips. “Be with me how?”
Her gaze drifted to his lips and she knew the
answer he was searching for. She raised her hands to his handsome
face and smiled. “If you’re asking me if I was considering having
sex with you, I was.”
He chuckled before leaning down to kiss her
again. She suspected
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