MISTAKEN - The Complete First Season (19 page)

My face remained flat. I didn't think I wanted to hear another thing she had to say. "No. What?"

She chuckled and pointed over at me again. "That was the funniest thing I've heard in a while."

"Super." I picked up the straw from my drink and twirled it around the lemon in the glass. I pressed my lips together and wished I could be anywhere but in this bar with a cackling drunk woman.

She pointed her index finger at me again and lifted a single eyebrow. The alcohol was starting to affect her. "I like you. So I'm going to do something for you, Jenna."

"Oh yeah?" I stirred the lemon around and around the inside of the glass and stared down at it again.

She pulled her bag onto her lap and fished around in it. She pulled out a small, brown rectangular package from its depths. She slid the box across the table to me. "Here. For you. Against my better judgment."

T
he thought
of not having any choices in my life was killing me. Hadn't I chosen Daniel? Maybe that was why he had to fake his suicide—because my family hadn't chosen him back.

I had housekeeping remove all but a small bouquet from my room. I tossed the unopened envelope and the unopened package onto the desk next to it and sat down on the bed. I stared at the items on the desk. I looked at the flowers and thought about Daniel. I had loved him once; I was sure of that. The brown, unassuming package represented Brandon. I thought I loved him and I was sure that I could. But it didn't matter. I couldn't have either of them, no matter what my heart said. There were greater forces at work than love. Forces I had never and would never understand.

When I woke up the next morning, I looked at the items again and I considered opening them. I knew it wouldn't matter, no matter what was in either of them. The pang in my chest wasn't for either man. It was for my lost freedom, freedom I had never had but hadn't known was missing. I picked up the small package and the envelope and shoved them in my bag. Maybe I'd deal with what was inside of them later. Or maybe not at all.

I walked onto the campaign bus and looked for my missing assistant, Emma. I'd only seen her twice in the week or so that I'd been in Iowa. Will kept her occupied most of the time in the sleeping room in the back of the bus. I was certain that there was no sleeping going on back there, not by the sounds that made their way to me.

My schedule for the day was on my little desk by the window at the front of the bus. I glanced it over—another county fair and a dinner that night. At least I hadn't worn a suit that day, just a simple navy wrap around dress. The days grew a little too warm walking around the outdoor fairs. I did have to admit that they were charming, and I loved being able to talk to the people that were there.

I watched the scenery go past us on the way there. It still amazed me how different it was here than in California, or even in D.C. There was something beautiful about the gentle rolling hills and the crops that covered them in this rural part of the state.

Will and Emma emerged from the rear of the bus just as we pulled up to the entrance of the fair. She was a cute, young woman with long blonde hair, maybe eighteen or nineteen. She didn't even glance at me; she just held onto Will's arm and stared straight ahead. I was almost certain he had told her not to acknowledge me. Whatever.

He raised an eyebrow at me when he finally looked over at me, and gave me a little nod. "Mornin'."

I raised an eyebrow in response and gave my head a little shake of contempt in return. "Yep."

He chuckled. "No need to be jealous, baby. I'm just sowing my wild oats before I'm tied down to you for life."

I pursed my lips and nodded slowly. "Right." I turned my gaze to Emma. "Did you know you were a wild oat?"

She just stared straight ahead, though I thought I saw her lips turn up a little. She didn't say a word.

He cocked his head to the side. "I'll use her today. I don't know why no one's hired me an assistant yet."

"I'm sure you'll use her. I don't think it's an assistant you need, though. If you hire a woman and use her
that
way, there's a different name for her, you know. It's not 'assistant.'"

He glared down at me. "Stop being such a bitch, Jenna. Once we're married, then you can have a say in who I fuck. Until then, mind your own damned business."

Emma glared over at me then, too. I guess calling her a prostitute brought her out of her shell. "Yeah." I think it was the first time I'd even heard her speak.

I raised my hands up in a surrendering gesture. "Whatever. You kids have fun out there."

His lips curled into a sneer. "Fuck you."

I turned my lips up into the sweetest smile I could muster. "Unlikely, Will. Very, very unlikely."

He flicked his eyebrows up, then twisted his face into an evil grin. "We'll see about that later." He flicked his eyebrows up again and led Emma off the bus.

I somehow made it through the day without thinking too much about any of the men in my life. I did a town hall meeting during the day and met with dozens of voters, encouraging them to vote in the straw poll next month. At the end of the day, one of the promoters led me through a large exhibition hall where the scent of hay filled the air. One side of the hall had prize winning vegetables like a giant pumpkin that probably weighed five hundred pounds. The items were displayed on large bales of hay, the source of the clean scent. My eyes began to water before long and then I began to sneeze. This was the third fair we'd been to, and I still hadn't thought to get any allergy medicine, even though I knew full well about my hay allergy.

I smiled at the promoter and asked if we could move to a different hall. He obliged and we moved to a nearby hall that had homemade goods on long tables. I stopped in front of the quilt display and admired the stitching of the items. I dabbed at my eyes and tried to read some of the cards that were attached to the displays.

A little girl tugged at the hem of my dress. I looked down and smiled at her. She was only seven or eight and was grinning from ear to ear, her eyes bright and wide with curiosity. "You're Miss Davis!"

I returned her smile. "I am." I sniffled, still trying to recover from the hay in the previous building. "What's your name?"

"Anna." She pointed an index finger at the quilt in front of me. "I made that!" It was the quilt I had been admiring, a gorgeous blue and red blanket with fine detailing. A blue ribbon was attached to the bottom corner.

I pointed to the ribbon and sniffled again. "You made that yourself? And won a ribbon, too?"

She bobbed her head up and down. "I did! My mom helped me thread the needles, though."

I chuckled a little and patted the top of her head. "That's okay. I need help threading needles, too. And I sure can't sew like that."

Her mom had been standing behind her. She extended her hand to me and I shook it. "We're big fans of your family." Her smile seemed sincere. "You have our vote."

I returned her smile and cocked my head. "Thank you." It was the first time I even thought about the fact that she—like lots of people before her—had said what fans they were of my
family
. Not just my dad. Maybe I really was naive for never having thought about it.

Anna threw her arms around me and squeezed my waist. I was a bit taken aback, but I returned her hug and patted her head again. "It was really nice to meet you, Anna. Keep sewing; you're really talented." I meant it and I grinned down at her.

She looked up at me, beaming. "I will, Miss Davis!"

The promoter tapped me on the shoulder and led me out the side door. He turned to me. "A journalist from the
Des Moines Register
would like to do an interview. Is it too late?"

I shrugged. I didn't really care if Will had to wait for a while. It wasn't like he didn't have things—or someone—to keep himself entertained on the bus, anyway. "No, it's fine. They really came all the way out here to do an interview? Don't they know I'm staying in Des Moines?"

The guy shrugged at me. "I don't know. I just got the request."

"Sure, it's fine. I think we were done anyway, right?"

He nodded and pointed off to another building. "The office is over there."

We walked over to the building in the distance and my eyes started watering again. The hay in the air was killing me. I sniffled and willed the waterworks to stop. I knew I had to get some allergy medicine before I went to bed that night. I sneezed a couple of times into the crook of my arm on the walk there.

The promoter led me to a closed door and my guard took his stand near the door. I nodded at him and opened the door.

The man had his back to the door, but I could see the side of his head and recognized him as soon as I saw him. His black curls had been trimmed and he had his glasses on. He was sitting at the table, reading something. The hairs on my arms stood on end and I felt the familiar electrical current run through my body. My stomach fluttered in response.

I sniffled and Brandon turned his head to look at me. I sniffled again. "I did tell you how sexy I think those glasses are, right?"

H
e tossed
his glasses onto the table and stood up. His gaze bore into my eyes for only a moment before he had me pinned against the wall. His lips crushed against mine and he slid his arms around my waist, pulling me into him. The scent of him overpowered me and I felt my knees weaken. His hips ground against me and I could feel how much he wanted me.

I sucked in a jagged breath before pressing my body back against his. My hands slid up his chest, and I felt the outline of his muscles through his shirt, sending a rush of adrenaline through me. His hand slid up my back and tangled into my hair, pulling me even closer to him. A hand ran down my back and around to my hips, finding the hem of my dress, his hand skimming my thigh. The feeling of his touch on my skin sent a fire raging through me. His hand found the top of my panties and he slid his hand down, finding the already wet slit between my legs. I let out a tiny moan as his fingers slid easily inside me. He brought me crashing to a climax almost instantly. I tore my lips from his, burying my head into his shoulder to try to muffle my cries of ecstasy.

I moved my hands down to his muscular ass and pulled him against me. His lips found mine again, urging me, insistent. I slid my hands around to the front of his pants and unbuttoned them. He lifted me up in his arms, one hand under my ass holding me up to meet his height. He pulled my panties aside and slid his hard cock inside of me in an instant. I wrapped my thighs around him, demanding his full length. He obliged and my body pulsed in response, hardening him even further.

He buried his head in my hair as he rocked against me, pushing me into the wall, harder and harder. He whispered into my ear. "Christ, Jen, you are so fucking beautiful." He kissed the side of my head, his breaths uneven. His rhythmic rocking sent unabashed joy radiating from my core through my entire body. It was all I could do to keep myself from crying out in my euphoria.

I felt myself rising to the pinnacle of pleasure again. Waves of bliss washed over me and he thrust into me, deeper than I imagined possible. My hips rocked into him again and again and tremors of pleasure consumed us both. He groaned softly into my hair as his own pleasure overtook him. I bit my lip hard to keep myself from moaning loudly as my back arched from my intense climax.

I brought my hand to his face; the stubble on his chin scraped my hand as I traced it against his jaw. I ran my fingers into his silky curls and my hand stopped against the small on the back of his neck. I rested my head against his chest and let out a little sigh of satisfaction, my breath beginning to return to me.

He barely pulled away, fastening himself with one hand as he continued to hold me up against the wall, his own jagged breathing slowly returning to normal. He turned my head so that I was forced to meet his gaze. He looked down at me, still breathless. "God, I missed you, Jen."

It was difficult to hold myself up with my wobbly knees and I pressed myself against the wall, one hand trying to hold onto anything that would keep me upright, the other clutching his chest. I could only just get out a whisper. "What are you doing here?"

He set me gently to the floor and snaked his arms around my waist, keeping me from losing my balance. "Seeing you." He tilted his head and stared into my eyes. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

I tore my gaze away from his and watched my finger trace the outline of the muscles across the top of his shirt. "Not exactly. But yes." I glanced over his shoulder and looked around the small office. "But how are you here?" The fluttering I felt in my stomach at that moment wasn't just from seeing him, but from knowing I couldn't see him. I sniffled again and I felt a tear trail down my cheek. Damned allergies.

"Are you crying?" He swiped the tear from my cheek with his thumb, then traced my cheekbone down to cup the side of my face.

I closed my eyes and nuzzled into his warm hand. "No." I sniffled again and opened my eyes, straightening my head.

He gave me a tender smile. "You missed me, too." His look grew more serious. “You’re not sorry we just did this, are you? It was presumptuous…”

I put a finger on his lips to quiet him. “I’m not sorry.”

He looked into my eyes for a long moment. He reached up and caressed my cheek with his index finger, then dropped his hand back to my waist. "You have no idea how much I've missed you."

I sniffled. "God, I’ve missed you, too.”

Another tear ran down my cheek and he brushed it away again with a thumb, resting his hand against my face for what seemed like an eternity. He said nothing that time, only giving me a knowing smile. His hand snaked back around my waist.

“I'm not crying. Allergies." I couldn't help the stupid grin that came to my face. The combination of just having had multiple mind blowing orgasms and seeing him might have been enough to move me to tears, but I was telling the truth when I said that the tears were only an allergic reaction. At least, I thought that was where they were coming from.

"Oh, that explains it then." He pulled me closer to him and gave my cheek a gentle kiss, his lips barely brushing against my skin. "It's too bad, though. I think I would have liked thinking that being with me could move you to tears."

I slapped at his shoulder and he released my waist from his grip with a chuckle. I smoothed my dress down and increased the distance between us. I couldn't think anything close to a sane thought with him that close to me, my lust filled hormones more in control than my brain cells. "How did you get here?"

He sat back down in the chair he had been in. "They make these little things called airplanes. Fantastic invention."

I made a face and shook my head at him. "No, I mean how are you here right now? The guard, you know, and you have to clear these interviews…"

He interrupted, narrowing his gaze with a mocking grin. "You don't think I can get credentials to do an interview?"

My lips pressed into a smile. "I didn't say that."

"I think I'm a pretty talented interviewer, Jen." He tilted his head to the side and gave me one of his silly grins that told me he still had his mind on other things that under normal circumstances required a bed. "You see, I have this way of bringing out the best in my interview subjects."

I nodded, my lips pursed, still swollen from his eager kisses. "I guess I don't even need to imagine now." I felt my cheeks redden thinking about what I had just done with this man. I took the seat adjacent to his, but too far away for him to touch me. He was dangerous for my sensibilities. Too dangerous. I looked into his blue eyes, trying not to lose myself in them this time. "So."

He grinned when he met my gaze, knowing full well that he already won. I was already lost. "So."

I tilted my head and tried to keep the heat from rising again in my cheeks. "How'd you get past the bodyguards? Seriously?"

He turned his hands up. "What? I told you I'm a credentialed journalist. Do you really want to see my credentials again right now?" He gave me a suggestive wink and I knew what he meant. He leaned toward me, resting his elbow on the table. His voice lowered. "Because, Jen, I can show them to you again if you want." He pressed down on the table, checking to see how stable it was. "Seems pretty sturdy." He looked up at me, a glimmer in his eyes.

I gave my head a little shake and felt a blush stain my cheeks an even brighter red. "You're crazy."

He threw his head back and laughed. "Crazy for you. Did I tell you I missed you?"

"You may have mentioned it." I shifted in my seat, still feeling him between my legs. I didn't think it was possible, but my cheeks felt even hotter when I saw that he noticed my uncomfortable shifting. I looked away, tapping my fingers on the table and pressing my lips together. I tried to still my jagged breathing. My voice lowered to almost a whisper. "I didn't think I'd see you again." I managed to look back over to him.

I saw his face fall a bit. "I suppose if some people had their way, I wouldn't have."