Page 24 of Dirty Secret

With my hands on my hips, I shook my head. "What is this about, Dad? Do you know her?"

Stiffening his back, my dad tilted his head. "Don't tell me you don't recognize Senator John White and Senator Sophia H. White's daughter?"

The air in my father's room seemed to evaporate. I gulped for oxygen but the more I tried to breathe, the dizzier I felt.

A senator's daughter? It wasn't much of a surprise that she came from money but knowing Heidi had that type of family caused bile to rise in the back of my throat.

Her life revolved around the political elite who would lie to your face if you promised them money or a vote. My father spent most of his life avoiding them. Living in Washington DC, a person was always within a mile of a politician. But my dad refused any job that came from a politician because of what happened to his friends.

A few of his plumber buddies got caught up in scandals with politicians. They believed they landed a sweet government contract only to find out the politician was using them to gain favors or funnel money or any number of shady deals.

"How was I supposed to know she was a senator's daughter? Everyone in this whole town is at least six degrees from a politician."

My father held up a finger. "Heidi White is one degree away. One, Max."

I clawed at the back of my neck. "And I tried to swindle her for twenty thousand dollars."

No wonder it didn't seem to faze Heidi when I admitted I lied to get money from her. She probably thought that was normal.

My father's hand gripped my arm. "You need to end this. Pass her off to someone else. How about Jackson Plumbing? He always was an asshole. If a scandal happens to occur with that guy, no one would care. Half the guys I know are counting down the days until his retirement next year. They're going to throw a big party . . . he's just not invited."

I nodded, processing everything. Heidi's sweet, kind, and sexy and, gah, I was angry for believing I didn't deserve her. Twenty thousand dollars was probably nothing to her. She said she could only afford her home because of her inheritance from her grandfather. Maybe that was a lie. Make me believe she could relate to me by scrounging and saving.

"Listen, I'll go downstairs and invite the kids to take a walk with me to the ice cream place on Mt. Pleasant. I'll tell Heidi that you need to speak with her. When she comes up here, explain how another job that you promised a while back came up. Give her Jackson's number. Tell her you'll put in a good word and get her a discount."

"Jackson would never give her or anyone else a discount,"

My dad smiled. "She doesn't need to know that. Anyway, she'll be happy because she’ll think she's getting a discount. You don't have to deal with anyone related to a senator. It's a win-win."

After releasing a deep breath, I agreed. Slapping me on my back, my father turned and left the room.

I assessed the past week. Was there any time when I was with her that it felt like she was pretending, to come across down-to-earth instead of someone from the power-hungry, political elite? My answer came in the form of a chuckle.

The memories of Heidi's attempts at help and her immature, ridiculous jokes had me baffled. Like when she tried to loosen a bolt and ended up hitting her forehead with a wrench. She was goofy, clumsy, awkward, and utterly adorable. That woman didn't seem like a corrupt politician's daughter.

The bedroom door opened, and a slight gust of air brushed my skin. Heidi was standing there, and my cock twitched in confusion. I wanted to scream, "Why," and kiss her all at the same time.

"Your father said you needed to speak with me?"

I tried to open my mouth, I really did, but her sweet scent knocked the breath from my lungs.

"Oh, I think I know. I mentioned how I had been watching you too." Heidi's eyes dipped to the floor as her cheeks reddened.

"That's not—"

She stepped forward, taking a healthy breath of air. All thought of telling her I couldn't see her again slipped from my mind as her fingers entangled mine.

"I noticed you walk by my home on the sidewalk a few months ago. I had been painting my porch and looked up to find you strolling by on the sidewalk. You didn't see me, but I certainly saw you."

Her thumb circled over my palm. The crimson of her cheeks spread to her chest.

"Ever since, I couldn't help but stare when I saw you in the neighborhood," Heidi bit her lip lifting her eyes to mine, "especially when I peeked out my windows."

I noticed her lips. They were a deeper red and glistened as her tongue peeked out for a brief moment. That sweet cinnamon scent did things to me—it made me twitch beneath my jeans.

Maybe it wasn't Heidi's inviting smell or her rosy cheeks, but every tiny little thing she did since the moment I walked into her home that moved my hands until I held her head.

The questions about her family could wait. Making my father happy didn't need to happen right this second. And finding out if she had lied to me too, well, that wasn't urgent.

What did demand immediately attention? My cock.

My lips brushed hers. They were softer than I remembered but still inviting. Heidi's lips tasted like her cookies, so plump and delectable. I knew I needed to push this woman as far from me as possible, but my brain was short-circuiting. Somewhere between Heidi standing in the doorway, her chest heaving from climbing the steps, and when she took hold of my hand, my father's words became dust.

I lifted my head to see the mess I made and found her dark gaze lost on my mouth. She whimpered, and I knew there was no going back.

My teeth nipped at her bottom lip until she opened once again. When she did, I plundered and devastated, and my hand fell to her ass to get my fill. Her squeak dissolved into a husky moan.

No excuses. No what-ifs. No questions about her life or mine. Only me lifting Heidi until she wrapped her legs around my waist. I stumbled and felt my way out of my father's room and down the hall until I knew when I let go, she would fall back onto my bed.

When her golden hair fanned over my navy sheets and her eyes were wild with anticipation, only then did I explain why I needed her. "I'm about to get dirty with you, Heidi."

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