Page 50 of Finding Lord Landry

“Alright,” I said, addressing the room. “My answer is no. I am not ready to consider a role in Parliament at this time. As the son of the Earl of Davencourt, I hold a deep respect for the role of hereditary peers in the House of Lords and the centuries-old traditions they represent. Serving in this capacity is a noble responsibility, and I have immense admiration for my father’s dedication and service over the years. His tireless work and steadfast commitment to the House of Lords have set an extraordinary standard, and I do not feel that I would be able to live up to the expectations of his incredible reputation by acting too quickly. Will that do for a statement?”

Everyone, including Kenji, stared at me. Nan’s face held an expression of resignation that made my hands clammy.

Kenji stood up and faced me. “Well said… husband.”

He was so close, so mind-blowingly beautiful, it was impossible to think. “Well, you were the one who said the thing about the cards.”

Kenji’s hand slid into mine as he turned back to the team at the table. “I need to speak to Lan… Ev… Lord… my husband, for a moment in private.” He turned to Cora and tilted his head at the door. “You’re coming, too.”

I clung to his hand, knowing it was all for show and wanting to wring every possible moment from the experience before he dropped it like a hot potato in the hallway. But once we were out of the office, he continued to hold it until Cora had led the three of us into the privacy of my office and closed the door.

Then he dropped it and returned to the familiar Kenji who was all about business strategy. “I need to know what Jim Winthrop said. What exactly are you on the hook for?”

“Why did you say we were married?” I shot back, suddenly feeling like I could speak freely. “I had it all settled. They offered us the perfect out, and you were free! All you had to do was go back to the States, and you wouldn’t have had to deal with any of this shit. What the fuck, Kenji? Why did you do it?”

“Because… because…” He narrowed his dark, glittering eyes at me. “Because I couldn’t leave you to your own devices in the middle of a PR crisis, could I? Are you insane?”

“Maybe,” I breathed.

Honestly? I felt like it. What had happened to him “coordinating” things with Nan remotely?

My life was spinning wildly out of control, and all I could think about was the way Kenji’s smooth skin felt against the pads of my fingers. The way his hair tasted when I kissed the back of his head as I pressed my cock deep inside him from behind. The small rush I felt whenever I called his phone to find out what ringtone he’d assigned me. The way I felt when he’d brushed his lips against mine and let out the faintest whimper of surrender.

“Kenji’s right,” Cora said matter-of-factly, reminding me of her presence in the room.

“He usually is,” I agreed, trying to shake myself out of my obsession.

“No, but, like, this is perfect,” she continued. “He’ll be next to you for all of these public events with the Winthrops and can…” Her eyes flicked to Kenji.

“Manage me,” I said drily.

“I mean… kinda,” Cora said with a guilty shrug.

“You do realize we’re not married,” I stated. “But the entire Crisis Team seems to think we are. Does that not wave red flags and clang noisy sirens to you?”

Kenji propped his hip on the edge of my desk. “I made a judgment call. It’s not ideal, but we’re going with it. When the interest in our story dies down, we can let it slip that the ‘wedding’ was never official or legal or whatever but that we’d simply had a ceremony among close friends. People will be disappointed, and then they’ll move on.”

“Until Landry decides to serve in Parliament,” Cora pointed out.

“I’m not doing that. And even if I wanted to, I wouldn’t get elected.”

Cora huffed out a laugh. “You forget that what Teddy Baines wants, Teddy Baines gets. If he wants you in that spot, he’ll find a way to make it happen.”

Kenji didn’t say anything.

Cora looked between the two of us and sighed. “Fine, we’ll punt that. First, we need to decide if you’re Landry or Everett.”

“Everett,” Kenji said at the same time I said, “Landry.”

His choice was hurtful. As if he wanted me to be someone I wasn’t. Someone he didn’t know.

“Landry,” I repeated with a growl, piercing him with my glare. He could take over my life in a lot of ways, but not this. He couldn’t tell me who I wasif he was going to get it wrong.

“Cora,” Kenji said in a lighter tone, as if there wasn’t a stew of noxious tension in the room. “Would you mind terribly if Lord Hawling and I take a break for a couple of hours? I’m afraid the jet lag is getting the best of me, and I need to lie down.”

Lord Hawling?Fuck.

Cora bit her lip to keep from grinning. “’Course not. Take all the time you need.”

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