Chapter Seventeen
Sean
After the police finished questioning us, Jeri flagged a cab, and we went back to my condo. Never in my life had I imagined I’d be a target of someone so intent on killing me simply because I tried to be a voice to those who currently had none.
“Let’s go to my truck downstairs so I can get my guns. I’m sorry to bring them into your home knowing you don’t really approve, but there’s no fucking way anyone’s getting to you. They’ll have to be bulletproof.”
We went through the lobby where Adriana and Marco were sitting behind the desk. “Good evening, Mr. Fitzpatrick.” We waved to both of them before we boarded the elevator to the garage.
“You thought about what kind of car you’re gonna get?” Jericho’s hand touched the small of my back, sending a flash of lightning up my spine through my suit coat.
“Not a fancy German car, for sure.” I hadn’t thought twice about a vehicle since my BMW was blown to smithereens. Maybe it would be better if I used a car service? I had a fear of going into garages of late.
The elevator stopped on the bottom floor, where my two dedicated parking spots were located. “Stay here in the shadows. I’ll only be a minute,” Jericho ordered, touching my shoulder as we stepped off the elevator. I nodded.
Even with all the bullshit happening around us, I could watch the man walk away all day long. The way those Wranglers hugged his ass was unbelievable. My dick got hard in an instant, and I had to wonder if he had any idea what he did to me. The man was magnificent.
Jericho returned a moment later with a leather shotgun case and his shirt untucked. “Let’s get upstairs. We can get a food delivery unless you’ve gone to the grocery store since you returned to your condo.”
I chuckled as we got back on the elevator. I slid my key into the slot and pressed the button for my floor. “Why’d you untuck your shirt?”
He smiled and turned around, lifting the hem to show me his handgun. “Ah. Don’t shoot yourself in the ass. It’s too perfect.”
The tips of Jericho’s ears turned red under the brim of his cowboy hat. “Got it. We need to have a talk.”
Those six words made me nervous. “I need to call Senator Collins first, then I’m all yours for whatever you’ve got in mind.”
I let us inside, seeing Jeri’s duffel was under the console by the door, so I picked it up and carried it back to my room.
I quickly took off my suit coat and draped it over the chair in the corner, pulling out my cell phone to look up the number for Leslie Collins in my contacts list. I listened to her cell ring.
“Hello, Sean. I was just watching the news, and I was surprised to learn that someone shot at you in front of Crépuscule. You’ve gotten yourself between some serious crosshairs.”
There wasn’t a trace of her usual Alabama accent, fueling the rumors that she attended an elite boarding school in Switzerland during her teens. Her homespun campaign rhetoric was a steaming pile of horseshit.
“Yes, well, as I told you when we sat down to talk earlier, the ultra conservatives are pulling out all the stops. They want my head on a spike in front of the Capitol building to shut me up. I have Senator Rowe locked in to vote against the bill, but only if you’ll vote with her.
I have the Dems on board, along with two of your Republican male counterparts. I need you two to vote with the Dems.”
Leslie sighed heavily, which didn’t sound good.
“Senator, you aren’t running again until 2028. So much shit will have happened between now and then that the vote you cast right now will fall way down the list of things that your constituents will remember about you.”
She’d just won her seat in 2022, so she had time to put the vote behind her if she ran again in 2028. She was the one Congresswoman Chu had suggested we go after, and that was exactly what I was doing.
“Leslie, I can help you weather this storm coming your way when news of Harmon’s affair breaks, and you know it will. Nothing stays secret very long in Washington. You’ve seen it just like me.”
Her gasp told me she needed my help more than she knew. “How did you find out?” The quiver in her voice signaled she was extremely vulnerable and more unscrupulous people would pounce on her in her current predicament. I would too, but not for personal reasons.
“Senator, there’s very little that happens in this town that I don’t hear. Now, do we have a deal?” I crossed my fingers and looked up at the ceiling in my condo. It didn’t look nearly as inviting as Jeri’s slightly dingy bedroom ceiling in Davidsonville.
“You’d better call me on Friday morning and free up some time in your schedule to meet with me. My divorce attorney is going to file the papers against the cheating bastard on Monday.”
“You have my word.” I pumped my arm in the air in victory.
“Okay. I’ll vote with the Dems. I’ll see you Friday morning at eight. I’ll get breakfast brought in.”
“I’ll be there. Think about switching party affiliations to serve the remainder of your term as an Independent, Senator. I think the flexibility to vote your conscience would suit you much better. I’ll see you on Friday.”
Ending the call, I did a little victory dance down the hallway to where Jeri was waiting with a tumbler with two ice cubes and what I hoped was vodka. “Sounds like congratulations are in order."
I leaned forward and pecked his lips as I took the drink. What I didn’t expect was for him to grab me around the waist and kiss me passionately. I backed up, and he didn’t let go. When I got to the end table by my couch, I put the drink down. I found something I wanted more than the liquor.
After a few minutes of our tongues chasing each other from my mouth to his, he pulled back, ending the kiss. “I don’t want to throw cold water on this, but do you see any way we could give this more of a try? Are you only interested in me because I can keep you alive?”
Now, I needed that drink. I picked it up and glugged it down.
“Are you only here to keep me alive? If that’s the only interest you have in me, that’s fine.
I’m still down to fuck. If all you see me as is a job, then let’s acknowledge it, fuck, and then you head back to your farm.
I’ll find someone else to keep me alive. ”
Jericho bristled at my stern statement. “Do you have any feelings for me aside from the fact that I have the ability to keep you alive?” He seemed a little hostile, which gave me hope he was offended by my comment and really did have feelings for me.
“You first, cowboy. I’ve learned never to show my hand until I know where I stand.”
“Fine. Yes, I have a lot of feelings for you aside from the job. Hell, I’d give the money back if I could, and I’d still lay down my life for you, Sean.
I haven’t wanted anyone as much as I want you, and it has my head spinning because it’s all happening so fast.” The sincerity in his eyes touched me deep inside.
I swallowed. “I agree that it’s fast, but I can’t deny the chemistry we have.
It’s nothing I’ve ever experienced before.
I almost can’t believe I’m saying this because I’ve always been someone with no desire to dedicate myself to one person, but I’d like us to try.
If we both want it badly enough, we’ll figure out something, right? ”
Every molecule in me prayed he was being honest and would see that I meant what I was saying. Exclusivity had never been my goal, but now, it was the only way I’d go into a serious relationship with Jeri. He was too important to me to share him with anyone.
Jeri grinned and took my hand. “Let’s seal the deal.”
I laughed and followed him down the hall to my bedroom. He pulled me onto the bed on top of him. His hands immediately found my ass, pulling me to rub against his hard cock. Oh, that was very good news for me.
“Wait. Let me brush my teeth. I don’t want to... I don’t want it to be a problem for you.” I rushed to my bathroom and brushed my teeth before gargling with non-alcohol-based mouthwash.
I returned to the bedroom, feeling stupid to ask, but... “Will you smell my breath and tell me if this will bother you?” I got closer and blew out a breath, waiting for him to say something.
“Mmmm. Minty fresh.” He pulled back on top of him, his hands sliding to my ass again, and rubbed his cock against mine.
After breathtaking kisses, I stood and reached for his belt.
It was a brown leather belt with roses and fancy scroll work tooled into the leather.
There was cream stitching along both sides, and his name was stamped on the back and painted the same cream color.
The buckle was sterling silver, outlined in a gold rope design.
“This is beautiful.” I wound it around my hand and placed it in my closet on a shelf where I kept my belts.
“My father had it made for me on my eighteenth birthday.” He frowned, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. A trip down memory lane wasn’t exactly what I hoped we were going to do.
I returned to the bed, reaching for the button on his jeans. “This okay?”
Jeri sat up and rested his head against my abs, making me wonder if he’d really ever grieved everything he lost. I knew he attended AA meetings to maintain his sobriety, and I was glad he took it seriously. He was such a wonderful guy and deserved only the best things life had to offer.
He pulled my shirt from my suit pants and started unbuttoning it, leaving soft kisses along my waistband. “You are stunning, Sean. Please, please, don’t break my heart.”
My eyes stung with tears, but I owed him the promise. “I will never intentionally do anything to hurt you, Jeri.” I bit back on professing my love. It wasn’t the time, but I wasn’t sure how much longer I could keep my mouth shut.
Jeri stood, and we quickly undressed each other. His cock was thick and cut, and my mouth watered at the sight of the weeping head. “I wanna do something first.”
I dropped to my knees and took his hard cock into my mouth, grinning at the hiss he released. I loved feedback, and when his hands wound in my hair and he began to fuck my mouth, I was on fire.
“Fuck, that feels too good. I’ve had regular tests for years. Everything was negative when I went in March.”
I stopped and scanned his gorgeous body until our eyes locked. “That’s good to know. I get tested regularly too. I always use condoms, but I’m on PrEP.”
I reached over to my nightstand and opened the drawer without looking. I grabbed a couple of condoms and tossed them on the bed while I felt around for the lube. Jeri reached over and grabbed the bottle, tossing it on the bed.
“Come up here. I’m not sure how much more of that I can take before I can’t hold back. It’s been a while for me.”
I kissed the mushroom head and stood, climbing on the bed. “How long?”
He removed his prosthetic and placed it on the floor. “Since before I lost my foot. I’ve been concentrating on other things, and I guess I was a little afraid of what a stranger would think about me missing a body part. Does it still bother you?”
God, the shame that washed over me from my initial reaction when I saw he was missing a foot. “Jeri, it doesn’t bother me at all. I’m in awe of how much you’ve overcome. You’re incredible.”
I slid across the bed as he rested against the headboard, kissing his leg near the bottom. “I’m vers, though I mostly top because I don’t trust too many people to top me. Now, how do you want me?”
“Will you ride me?”
Oh, that was perfectly fine with me. I grabbed a condom and the lube before straddling his lap. “You want me to face you or face the other way? You know, reverse cowboy?” I winked at him.
Jeri chuckled and put his hands on my ass. “As much as I love looking at this gorgeous bubble butt, I wanna be able to kiss you while you take my dick. I think, over time, we can try all the positions and even go without condoms. Let’s start like this.”
I nodded and handed him the lube. I was ready for whatever he had coming my way.