Fire & Desire (Hero Series) (19 page)

“Grrrgh….” Trevor growled through clenched teeth. Everything in
him wanted to explode. He couldn’t take another moment of the fierce pleasure
of her mouth. He wanted to bury himself between her legs. Needed his entire
length buried deep inside of her. Grabbing Tiffany by the shoulders, he pulled
her away from his sensitive member and tossed her onto her back. Wasting no
time in spreading her legs wide and pulling her knees over his shoulders, he mounted
her.

Tiffany let out a passionate scream and arched her hips to meet
him.

One, two, three thrusts, Trevor slammed into her tight wetness. He
squeezed his eyes shut, overwhelmed by the building pleasure as it blinded him.
He was trapped in the pure blackness of ecstasy. He knew he was near his
breaking point. Tiffany had become an astute pupil in the last few weeks. Her
talented mouth had him hovering on the edge. Knowing he was being rough but
refusing to be insensitive, Trevor began to slow his pace.

“Harder…don’t stop,” she pleaded.

Trevor opened his eyes and gazed down at Tiffany who was caught in
the throes of sexual bliss, arms stretched over her head, hands flattened
against his footboard, held ensnared as deeply as himself.

Giving into her demands, he leaned forward, pressing his chest
against the back of her thighs for the ultimate advantage to drive deep inside
of her.

Bearing down, Trevor warred with his patience and his need to
release. Sweat rolled down his back, his body tensed as every muscle quaked
with the desire to climax.

Balanced on the summit of completion, he felt Tiffany’s body
shudder and seize his manhood in a pulsating vise grip as she reached her peak.
Trevor let go; restrained ecstasy caused pain-filled pleasure to slam into his
abdomen as he tumbled over the edge.

~ML~

“So Mrs. Wayne, how long do you want to continue with this
date-like relationship?”

Eyes closed, he rested naked on his back. Tiffany’s body was
nestled alongside his on her stomach. The plush softness of her breasts lay
cushioned against the inside of his bicep. His arm wrapped down around her
waist as his fingers drew lazy circles across her bare bottom cheeks.

Trevor loved the after sex moment when the entire world was quiet,
and all that mattered was him and Tiffany.

She stretched out on her stomach, legs bent at the knee, ankles
crossed and heels pointing toward the ceiling, with her chin propped in her
palm as a single finger lightly traced his jawline.

“Are you bored, Mr. Wayne?” she teased.

Trevor could feel the slight rocking of the bed as Tiffany
continued to swing her elevated feet through the air.

Trevor’s sleepy grin spread across his face. “Never that. Just
wanted to know when you’d be willing to wear my ring.”

“What ring?” Tiffany’s legs stopped mid swing.

Trevor used his free hand to draw the velvet box from under the
pillow, placing it on his chest. “This one.” Looking at her, he saw her eyes
were round as saucers, mouth gaped, speechless. Trevor’s heart began to sink.
Maybe
she isn’t ready to go public yet.
“Are you going to open it?”

Her hands trembled as she reached out and lifted the lid. She drew
in a deep breath as her gaze rested on the two-carat emerald cut diamond with
baguettes down the sides, accompanied by his and her wedding bands.

Her eyes shone as they filled with moisture. “Trevor…” she
whispered.

“Tiffany, for my, Tiffany.” Trevor swallowed down the lump of
emotion in his throat so he could speak without croaking. “Marry me, Tiffany.”

“We already are.”

“For real, officially and sober. In front of God, family and
friends.”

Tears spilled from her eyes and the pattern of her words wavered.
“Yes. Yes. When?”

Trevor brought her face down to his and rewarded her reply with a
kiss. “How about we set the date for after the elections?”

“That’s almost a year away,” Tiffany shrieked.

Trevor stroked her hair. “I know, but we’ve been keeping the
secret this long. A little longer won’t matter as long as we are together.
Besides, just like you, I don’t want anything to overshadow your father’s
chances at the Senate seat. I’m a registered voter, you know? I have to look
out for my party’s interest.”

“You’re wonderful is what you are.” Tiffany leaned toward him,
preparing to show him what she thought of his considerate nature.

Nineteen

“We’ve got problems.” Her father met them at the door of the
Governor’s Mansion Sunday night.

“What kind of problems?” Tiffany stepped into the house, kissing
her father on the cheek.

Trevor and the governor gave each other a manly embrace, starting
with a handshake and ending with a fierce pat on the back. It amazed her how
close the two had become in such a short time.

“Let’s go into the office.” Her father led the way.

The last time they had been in her father’s office was over two
weeks ago, but all she could think about as they walked was the heated
interlude. Trevor winked, obviously remembering their making up, causing heat
to rise in her cheeks.

Tiffany barely noticed Wallace standing over by the window as a
silent sentinel.

“Have a seat.” Her father directed them to the two standard office
chairs on the other side of his desk. He slid into his leather bond captain’s
chair behind the desk, and then held up an envelope. “We have a problem on our
hands,” he said, flat and void of emotion.

Tiffany couldn’t help feeling a little nervous. Her heartbeat
began to accelerate. Whatever was in that envelope had to involve her and
Trevor; her thoughts began to race. She looked past the object in her father’s
hand at him. “How bad is it? Did someone get a picture of Trevor and me at the
celebration party?”

Without comment, he tilted the envelope across the table. Trevor
took it and pulled out the contents from the opening. Pictures and a white
sheet of paper came sliding out.

Tiffany gasped.

“Aww, hell!” Trevor shouted in disbelief.

Tiffany sat beside Trevor, unmoving, unwilling to touch the
pictures. Where she sat next to him, she could clearly see each shot as the
photographer had captured her and Trevor’s drunken marriage at the “Eternal
Bliss” wedding chapel. She looked liquor happy as she smiled and wrapped her
arms around Trevor as if he were her final lifeline. No dragging, kicking or screaming
photos; she was there willingly.

“One hundred fifty thousand dollars in one week, or the pictures
go to print.
Governor covers up daughter’s drunken wedding.
” Trevor blew
out air in a whistle after he finished reading the computer-generated note.

Tiffany shook her head in dismay. “I’m sorry, Daddy. Exactly what
I didn’t want to happen, did.”

Her father raised his hand up. “I’m just glad I knew about this
before I got these pictures.”

Tiffany had to remember to thank Trevor because, while she was
trying to keep the relationship under wraps and attempted to end it, he had
done the honorable thing and told her father.

“When was the envelope sent to you? Do you know who’s responsible
for them?” Trevor placed the pictures and note on the desk.

“Yes. We call him Eddie the Weasel. He is a sleazy reporter who
freelances between several tabloids; whichever will pay him the most will get
the story. When the messenger dropped it off, he said it was a gift from ‘The
Weasel.’”

“So what’s our plan of action?” Trevor took a hold of her hand and
squeezed it.

A united front.
It warmed her heart to have him next to her in this fight.

“That was my question to you two. Where does your relationship
stand?” Her father glanced down briefly at their linked hands.

Tiffany spoke first. “We’d planned to get married. Rather renew
our vows after the elections. We were going to start dating publicly now to
give everyone a chance to adjust to seeing us together.” Tiffany’s free hand
idly played with the engagement ring tucked underneath her blouse on a gold
chain.

“That would have been a great idea. A few people already commented
on the two of you at the celebration party, believing it was the first time you
had met. But now that the pictures confirm otherwise, it could get ugly.”

“So what do you deem to be our best option?” Trevor asked. “I’m
sure there have been a few ideas running through your mind since you received
this packet.”

Trevor’s thumb began to make steady circles on the back of her
hand. Glancing up at his face, she could see the slight creases in his
forehead, an indication to her that his mind was considering possibilities of
its own.

Her father’s chair squeaked as he leaned back. “I’ve dealt with
The Weasel before, so I’ll handle him. But just in case he’s working with
someone else, or is double dipping his hand, we’re going to need to act
quickly.”

“In what way?” Tiffany sat forward in her chair.

“You and Trevor need to announce your marriage. Soon.”

Tiffany grinned and squeezed Trevor’s hand. “Great. Trevor and I
already have rings.

We’ll throw a dinner party—”

“More public than that.” Her father cut her off. “A press
conference.”

“Is a press conference really necessary?” Trevor asked.

“Yes, it is,” Wallace, the silent mountain, spoke up.

Three sets of eyes turned to him over by the window.

He continued, “You need something public. In a big way.”

“Hit the media before he does,” her father confirmed. “Even tell
the press that you ran off to Vegas to get married on the spur of the moment.”

“The ultimate romantic gesture,” Trevor finished.

“Exactly.” Wallace moved forward and stood behind her father.

Trevor sat silent, looking down toward the floor, tapping his leg.
Tiffany and the others in the room watched him. She wondered what was going
through his mind.
It is a little late for second thoughts. That train has already
left the station.

Her father was the first to question him. “Trevor, do you have a
problem with my solution to this situation?” Her father’s tone was heavy.

Glancing up, Trevor looked directly at her father. “No, sir. I
realize this is a mess I got myself and you all into, and we have to do what we
can to solve the problem.” Trevor emitted a heavy sigh. “Since the press
release comes out early next week about Heritage and Computer Bytes, that would
be a great excuse for why we kept it a secret. We didn’t want that knowledge to
sway the board at Heritage since you and Patterson are friends.”

“That’s great.” Her father slapped his hand down on the desk and
chuckled. “The last thing we need is them using that angle and thinking
something shady may have been going on. Quick thinking, son.”

Tiffany saw the glimmer of light that appeared in Trevor’s eyes at
the endearment her father tagged onto the end of his declaration.
Son
.
That word meant something to Trevor. She knew he’d lost both of his parents by
the time he’d graduated college. Neither of them had lived to witness his
success. There was his aunt, but it was something about the approval of a
parent that just couldn’t be replaced.

“Thanks.” Trevor’s voice sounded thick and strained.

The issue resolved for the time being, her father rose from his
desk. “Now, let’s go have that dinner.”

As they exited the office, Tiffany hung back. When her father and
Wallace turned the corner to the dining room, she grabbed Trevor’s hand.

“What’s up, honey?”

“Trevor, I didn’t want to say anything to my dad. But I think
Christopher might be behind this reporter.”

“Why?” Trevor’s eyes were dark, intense, and he took on an ominous
tone.

“During my father’s annual barbecue, Christopher and I got into
a…” Tiffany searched her mental thesaurus for the perfect word, “…verbal
altercation, shall we say. He made a few threats I thought were empty. But in
light of what is going on now. I think he may have something to do with it.”

“Did he touch you?” Trevor stepped to her, his shoulders drawn up
tight, tension evident in the clenching of his jaw.

Territorial, protective,
echoed in Tiffany’s head. A warm sensation spread over her body.

“No.”

Trevor looked at her, his eyes searching, as if he were attempting
to discover if she concealed the truth from him. Satisfied, he leaned forward,
embraced her and placed a quick kiss on the side of her forehead. “I’ll take
care of it.”

“Trevor—”

“Don’t worry; it’s my job to look out for your welfare.” Wrapping
his arm around her, he nudged her forward. “Now, let’s get in the dining room
before your father sends Wallace after us.”

Tiffany laughed. “We definitely don’t want that.”

~ML~

Everything was set and planned. At the end of the week, Wallace
would notify specific members of the press and inform them that there would be
an impromptu announcement by the governor and his family. They would be
contacted at the last moment so as not to tip off Eddie the Weasel.

Trevor had confidence that the governor and Wallace would
orchestrate the conference exactly the way they wanted it to go, but it was his
job to take care of Manning.

It was time for him and Manning to have a man-to-man talk.

“You’ve really sunk to a new low, Wayne,” Manning said when he
walked into the underground parking garage and spotted Trevor leaning against
his own car, with his feet crossed on the broad yellow line that separated
their cars. “Stalking, is that your profession now?”

“Ferreting out rodents, more like it.” Trevor didn’t change his
nonchalant pose. The muscles in his shoulders burned with restrained tension,
and his hands itched with the urge to wrap themselves around Manning’s throat.

Manning’s nostrils flared. “Well, I wish I had time to quibble
with you, but I’m a busy man. Nothing you would know anything about.” Manning
headed for his driver’s side door.

Trevor blocked his entrance. “I’ll be out of your way in a moment.
I have a few things to discuss with you, first.”

Manning stopped dead in his tracks. “Don’t take me for a sucker, Wayne.
Last time you got in a lucky punch. I’ve beaten guys bigger than you at the
boxing club for play.”

Straightening his posture, Trevor stood facing Manning. “Give me
another reason. Any reason to beat you until you have to find a new hole to
breathe through,” Trevor barked at the other man.

Trevor could hear the grinding of Manning’s teeth and witnessed
his eyes pulling in at the corners as the other man gave him a fierce assessing
look.

“Back off,” Manning spit out.

“You got it wrong, buddy boy. It’s you and your lackey that are
going to back off.”

Trevor jabbed his finger into Manning’s sternum. He drew a small
bit of pleasure from seeing the other man wince. Not as much as he would, had
he hit him.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” Manning tried to get
around him. “Playing on dangerous ground, Wayne. Watch your back. Because
you’re headed for a rude awakening.”

Bucking toward Manning, Trevor saw him flinch regardless of his
verbal bravado. Trevor still remembered the joy from the last time he and
Manning had an encounter, and he’d punched and laid him flat. But it was times
like this he had to restrain himself and be the bigger man.

Shoving Manning against his Corvette, Trevor walked past him. Out
of the corner of his eye, Trevor caught sight of a pink piece of paper as it
fluttered from Manning’s suit jacket pocket. With a bit of prestidigitation,
Trevor reached out, scissoring it between two fingers and palmed it. Feeling
the prickle of the slip of paper as it stabbed at the inside of his palm,
Trevor glanced down.

In the blink of an eye, Trevor looked down at the mini sized note.
“North West, now” was the only thing written in block style angry strokes. In
that same blink, he expertly flipped it over to the plain back to make sure he
wasn’t missing anything else.

Pivoting around, Trevor held the slip out to Manning. “You
dropped—”

Manning turned from his car and snatched the paper from Trevor as
anger flushed his face, practically turning his yellow complexion burgundy.
“Stay out of my
damn
business!” he roared.

Lifting both palms up in a “no harm, no foul” gesture, Trevor
leaned back against his own car. He folded his arms across his chest to hide
the clenching of his fists because he would have liked nothing better than to
beat the man to a pulp, but in situations like this, restraint always worked
best.

Trevor said, in a low deadly tone, “Stay away from Tiffany, and
that includes your secret pet, too. You
lost
Manning; stand up and take
it like a man for once.”

Manning’s face pinched in a sneer. Opening his car door he yelled,
“Tiffany made a mistake by getting involved with the likes of you, Wayne. But
I’m going to be the one who bails her out of it. Then her and her father’s debt
of gratitude will be owed to me for cleansing them from the likes of you.”

Trevor scrunched his brow, tilting his head in confusion. He never
understood people who held onto something that wanted to be free. “Why would
you go through so much trouble to maliciously attain someone, who doesn’t want
you?”