Page 49 of Capitol Matters

Anticipation swelled in my chest and escaped as a breathy whine. I reached to the button fly of my tight leather pants, ready to unfasten them until Nash’s hand cupped the back of my neck and forced me forward. I stretched onto tiptoes as he pinned my face cheek-down against the cold copper counter and shoved my pants past my knees.

The sounds of shuffling, adjusting, and Nash spitting into his hand caused my pulse to spike. I nipped at my lip ring and grabbed the counter’s edge.

I didn’t tell him I’d been wound up half the night after being groped and ogled by Lover Boy. No need to confess that I’d come here more for him than the drinks. And I definitely wasn’t about to admit that I preferredNash’s lumberjack aesthetic to any floofy-haired news personality.

“You want it?” he asked.

“God, yes.” I rushed to respond.

I exhaled as his cock eased into me, then groaned at the gradual stretch and give. He inched deeper until he was fully inside. My thoughts swirled, and sensation spiked in a sort of painful pleasure I couldn’t equate to anything else.

“You’re gorgeous, you know that?” Nash said, brushing his thumb across the base of my skull.

“Shut up and fuck me,” I replied, but it was hard to sound annoyed with the smile pulling at my lips.

Nash didn’t buy it, as proven by his laugh and whispered response. “Whatever you want.”

When I arrived atwork Tuesday morning, Holland was waiting for me. I made it on time, despite a last-minute scramble to find something professional to wear. Last night’s outfit had been salvaged by the addition of an old corduroy jacket I found in the back of Nash’s closet. Salvaged being a gracious term because, besides looking ridiculous paired with black and leather, the coat had been tailored for Nash’s broad shoulders and robust torso, and I was swimming in it.

Thankfully, Holland didn’t comment on my wardrobe as she led the way to her office. Tagging along after her while studying the curve of her waist in a skimming pinstripe minidress fulfilled a ‘called to the principal’s office’ fantasy I only now realized I had.

The first thing that struck me about Holland’s office was the darkness. The overhead light stayed black, and it took my eyes a moment to adjust as I scanned the space. My father had a similar setup during his career as a leadinvestigator, so I was familiar with the fixtures. A desk and chair faced seats for up to two visitors and was flanked by bookcases on the back wall. Unlike Maximus’s shelves, which were brimming with curiosities, Holland’s were bare. It gave me little to look at but her as she settled into the seat across from me.

Judging by the pace she’d set getting here, I assumed she’d be in as big a hurry to start our conversation. Instead, she smoothed her hands across a bare spot on the desktop, taking a moment to organize her thoughts.

“How’s your shoulder?” I nodded toward it.

She pressed her fingers to the healing wound. “Much better, thank you.”

We fell into quiet again. My least favorite state of being.

Between shots last night, I’d decided if Holland cut me loose from Capitol duty, I could always barback at the Bitters’ End. MyCocktailsgame was on point, and all the booze I could guzzle was certainly a perk.

Holland cleared her throat. “I’ve had some time to consider the events of the other day, and I feel I owe you an apology.”

My jaw fell slack. “You’re kidding.” Unprepared as I had been to face her, I was even less ready for that.

The investigator lifted her hand, putting me on pause as she explained. “While your methods were unconventional, I believe you acted in the best interests of the Capitol. I also believe you protected me, and that the situation may have escalated further without your intervention.”

Disbelief bubbled into an abrupt laugh. I had a wittycomeback loaded and ready to fire, but Holland’s next statement wiped it from my mind.

“I also spoke with my father,” she said.

Had he told her about my assignment? Would it complicate things if he had? Or dash Holland’s hopes about me turning my life around? She could hardly blame me for following orders. She was such a conformist she would probably think it was the best thing I’d done yet.

The investigator continued, “He had several thoughts about your role in Capitol business, and we agree that treating you like a civilian is not the best use of your skills.”

And I’d thought Ripley was being a smartass saying the same thing.

“These are challenging times,” Holland said. “The city is in shambles, and we’re operating with bare essentials. We need what help we can get and, you were right, it would be foolish not to accept yours.”

Could the ease of last night’s abduction have carried over into today? I’d all but given up on seeing eye to eye with the strait-laced investigator, but there might have been hope for us yet.

Still, her explanation raised more questions than it answered, so I asked, “What does all that mean for me?”

“Essentially, that next time we’re called to a crime in progress, I’m not going to leave you in the car.”

A knock at the door stirred Holland from her chair. She excused herself and stepped out, cracking the door wide enough that I glimpsed Tobin, Vesper, and Felix clustered in the walkway.

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