See You at the Show (34 page)

It was the first time Angus had seen her in the flesh and he was a little taken aback, if he was honest.
 
She truly was an incredible looking young woman.

“Elegance indeed,” he said, his eyes looking her slowly up and down, from her long, slim legs to her striking blue eyes.
 

Daniel threw him a look and ignored the comment, finishing his drink and putting the empty glass down, going over to Stevie.

She smiled at him as he walked towards her, more than relieved to see him.
 
The whole atmosphere was weird tonight; she’d sensed it the second she’d walked in the room, but one look at Daniel and she felt her own tension ease.
 
She’d been in some full-on situations in her time but this was beyond anything.
 
Her world was so full of rules and instructions these days and the only reason she was towing the line was because of Daniel.
 
Because she loved him.
 
If she didn’t feel the way she did she would have backed away from this months ago because it was stifling.
 
But every snatched second with him, it was worth it.
 
It was worth it all.

He looked really handsome tonight too, in that public-schoolboy kind of way, but there was that underlying sexiness he carried with him that she knew was there, an edge the wider world didn’t see.
 
She noticed he’d had his hair cut since this morning, shorter than it had been before, and he had stubble on his chin, and it only made him look sexier.
 

He took her hand and leaned in towards her, speaking with his mouth close to her ear.
 
“Come on, we’re going to the bedroom.”

She didn’t question him, she just let him lead her away from everyone else, closing the bedroom door behind them.
 
And before the door had even clicked shut he’d pushed her up against the wall, his hand still holding tightly onto hers as he kissed her hard, the relief of just having her there overwhelming.

“Ok,” she breathed, somewhat taken aback by that out-of-character greeting.
 
“What have you done with Daniel Madison?
 
Because he has
never
said hello like
that
before?”

He rested his forehead against hers, sliding an arm around her waist.
 
“I’m so uptight, Stevie.”

“Understandable, baby.
 
It’s been one of those days, huh?”

He laughed, letting his hand wander down from the small of her back.
 
“You could say that.
 
And then
you
walk through the door, looking like this…”

She smiled as she pressed herself against him.
 
“You really
are
pleased to see me, aren’t you, Mr. Madison?”

He started kissing her neck, his hand sliding up underneath her dress.
 
“Jesus, Stevie, you’re...”

“Wearing no underwear.
 
I know.”
 
She stroked his rough chin, kissing him slowly.
 
“I slipped them off in the car on the way here.
 
Gave those guys in the front something to think about, had their attention more than I usually do.”
 
She kissed him again, a little harder and a little deeper.
 
“I just thought I’d make it easier for you.”

He couldn’t help smiling too.
 
“It doesn’t bother you that there’s a roomful of people out there?”

“Hey, believe me, I’ve fucked in places a lot more public than this.”

Sometimes the way she spoke still had the ability to make him flinch, but at the same time it turned him on.
 
Especially at times like this when it didn’t matter what the circumstances were, it was too late to turn back.
 
His real-life rock chick was here and he needed her more than he ever had done before.
 

He pushed her dress up over her hips, holding her tightly as he thrust straight into her, and the immediate feeling of calm he felt when he touched her like this was incredible.
 
When he was a part of her it was almost as if she took over and passed all that bravado and confidence that she carried with her over to him.
 
She made him feel different and he loved her for it.
 
He didn’t care that she was screaming out his name, that she was making it obvious what was going on, he didn’t care about any of that because she was giving him the ride of his life on the night of his life and his head was spinning with it all.
 
He was responding with every shout she made, pushing harder and harder into her until the earth-shattering climax happened in a blur of heavy breathing and rough kisses, both of them worn out from the exertion.

“Jesus, Daniel, you’re fucking incredible when the stress is on!
 
Where the hell did that come from?”

He rested both palms of his hands on the wall, either side of her, his head down for a second as he tried to catch his breath.
 
Then he looked at her, smiling.
 
“Do you see what you do to me?”

“You wanted me in your life, baby.
 
You
hunted
me
down, remember?”

He kissed her gently, pulling her against him.
 
“And I don’t regret a single thing...I could just look at you all night, do you know that?”

She played with the collar of his shirt, his tie loose around his neck.
 
“Yeah, well, you’re gonna be kind of busy soon, aren’t you?”
 
She looked up at him, suddenly feeling very fragile, very vulnerable, and she didn’t like it.
 
That feeling of being weak and out of control wasn’t one she took to easily.
 
It usually made her run from the situation; she had done in the past.
 
But she couldn’t run from this.
 
“Am I going to lose you, Daniel?”

“Hey, don’t talk like that.
 
No.
 
Of course you’re not going to lose me.”

“Even when you’re Mr. Hot-Shot Prime Minister?”

He smiled, stroking her shoulder, kissing it quickly.
 
“I haven’t got the job yet, sweetheart.”

“You will.”
 
She ran her fingers over his rough chin, kissing his top lip, then his bottom lip, then his mouth full-on.
 
“And you’re gonna be the sexiest Prime Minister this country’s ever seen.”

He smiled again, taking her hand in his and holding it tight.
 
“With the sexiest woman by his side.”

She pulled away from him, pulling herself together, looking in the mirror to check her make-up.
 
“I need a drink.”
 
Then she turned back around, walking over to him and straightening his tie.
 
“Come on.
 
I’m sure they’re missing you out there.”

He kissed her quickly.
 
“It’ll be ok, Stevie.
 
I promise you.”

“Yeah, well, let’s just wait and see.
 
We don’t know what’s going to happen in the future, do we?”

He tilted up her chin so she was looking straight at him.
 
“I know I want you here.
 
With me.”

“I want that too, Daniel.”

He gave her one more kiss then left her alone, walking along the landing and back out into the living room.
 

Angus looked at him over the top of his reading glasses.
 
“We don’t all need to know what goes on behind the bedroom door, Daniel.”

“Don’t listen then.”
 
Daniel helped himself to another small whisky.
 

“You didn’t leave us much choice, old chap.
 
She’s a bit of a screamer that one.
 
Is that normal practise or does she just get a kick out of letting everyone know she’s screwing the next Prime Minister?”

Daniel looked at him, taking a drink but saying nothing.
 
Angus left it there.
 
Tonight wasn’t the night to aggravate Daniel Madison.

“The polls close in little over an hour, Daniel, so you might want to get yourself ready.
 
We’ll be leaving slightly earlier than planned; we want to be there when the counting begins.
 
It shouldn’t take long to get the first results in by all accounts.”

Daniel finished his drink, smiling at Stevie as she made her way into the kitchen, but not without mouthing something at him first that he got straightaway and couldn’t help laughing at.
 

“Is your head together, Daniel?
 
We need focus here.”

“I’m not five, Angus.”

“Like I said, we need focus.
 
This is a big night.
 
Probably the biggest night of your life.
 
You need to get it together.”

“I’m very much aware of how important tonight is, Angus, but at the same time that woman in there is also extremely important to me...”

“You’ve worked hard for years to get this far, Daniel.
 
You’ve known
her
five minutes.”

“And you think that matters?”

“Yes.
 
I do.”

Daniel didn’t want to get into this tonight.
 
He wasn’t in the mood and he didn’t have time.
 
“I’m going to get ready,” he said, slamming his empty glass down on the sideboard.
 
“I shouldn’t be too long.”

Angus waited until Daniel was back in the bedroom before going into the kitchen, standing at the back, watching as Stevie opened a bottle of beer and took a drink.
 

She turned to look at him, leaning back against the work top.
 
“See something you like?”

He came over, standing close to her.
 
“That cheap mouth of yours might do something for Daniel, Ms. Stone, but it doesn’t impress me.”

“Oh, this cheap mouth does a lot for Daniel alright.
 
Things you wouldn’t believe.”
 
She recognised this man.
 
He’d been by Daniel’s side every time she’d seen him on TV.
 
She hadn’t liked the look of him then, and she liked him even less now she’d finally met him.
 
She took another drink.
 
“And I wasn’t trying to impress you.
 
Whoever you are.”

“Angus Gordon.
 
Soon-to-be Deputy Prime Minister.
 
If tonight goes to plan.”

“I’d like to say I’m pleased to meet you, Mr. Gordon, but I’m getting the feeling I’d be lying.”

“He has no intention of divorcing Samantha you know.”

“I never asked him to.”

“He just needs to get you out of his system, and then we can all return to normal.”

She continued staring at him, her stomach dipping at the tone of his voice but she wasn’t going to let him get to her.
 
She’d faced worse than him in her time.
 
“With every fuck I give him he’s getting in deeper and deeper, Mr. Gordon.
 
Literally.
 
So I wouldn’t hold your breath that I’m going anywhere any time soon.”

“Smart mouth you have there, lady.”

“And wouldn’t you like to know where it’s been.”

“You don’t belong in this world, Ms. Stone.
 
I
know that,
you
know that.
 
And so does Daniel, but until he stops thinking with his dick he isn’t going to
realise
that.
 
In time though, he will.
 
And with his wife back where she belongs you’ll be nothing but a fleeting memory.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.
 
Whatever hold you have over him, it won’t last forever.
 
He’s better than that.”

“I think you’re forgetting that Daniel is the one who chased
me
, I didn’t go looking for him.”

“Then you should have walked away.”

“I’ve never really done anything I
should
have done – Angus.
 
I do what I want.”

She was a tough one, Angus had to admit she was going to be no pushover.
 
But with enough ammunition...

“You’re an undoubtedly beautiful woman, Ms. Stone.
 
But that isn’t enough.
 
I know Daniel.
 
When he becomes Prime Minister – because that’s almost a given - he’s going to change his whole way of thinking and you’ll soon be pushed into the background, believe me.
 
He won’t have time for his dirty little secret.”

“Dirtier than you could ever imagine,” she smiled, moving closer to him, so she was almost right up in his face.
 
“And your threats aren’t working, by the way.
 
Your little attempts to make me walk away now, they’re not working.
 
I’ll be here for Daniel, for as long as he wants me.”