Page 88 of Capitol Matters

“Rip’s a good guy,” Nash replied with a shrug. “Callsthings like he sees them.”

Which was a nice way of saying he was as blunt as a spoon.

Nash ferried the dish tub to the sink, raising his voice over the rush of the faucet. “Speaking of calling, it wouldn’t kill you to answer your damn phone. I must’ve dialed you ten times last week.”

“Twelve,” I quipped. Part of me relished that knowledge—I wasn’t used to people worrying about me.

From the back hallway, Pippa returned with a mop and rolling bucket filled with soapy water. She rounded the corner of the bar toward us, then stopped with a frown.

“Aww, Fitch, you’re tracking it everywhere!” she exclaimed.

I looked down at where my shoes had spread the pooling liquor in footprints down the length of the counter.

Nash chuckled as his sister marched forward with the mop offered out.

“Get to it.” She thrust the wooden handle into my grasp.

A curl of my fingers called the wheeled bucket to my side. Water sloshed over the side as it came to an abrupt stop. I lingered, watching as Pippa tackled the river of alcohol running along the bar and Nash rinsed and loaded glasses into a tray for the dishwasher.

His stand against Grimm didn’t necessarily carry over onto me. I had a life outside of this bar—as much as I wished I could ignore it. With four days to go till the vote, and one name left on my hit list, the relief I wantedto feel was burdened by responsibility. That, and a looming sense of dread because if Grimm truly wanted to “discipline” me, there were far worse punishments than pulling my hair or shouting insults.

Taking his ire out on my brother, for instance.

Sliding my phone from my hip pocket, I fired off a text to Donovan.

Meet me at Bitters. STAT.

Donovan and I spentthe rest of the week couch surfing at the Bitters’ End. More accurately, Donnie slept on the couch while I laid claim to half of Nash’s bed. While I enjoyed having a warm body pressed against me every night—and some lazy afternoons—my brother found the accommodations far less homey than I did.

No doubt remained. I needed to find us our own place.

I called in sick to work, then turned my phone off and wiled away three whole days watching news reels roll in. The gala remained a hot topic and gave the anchors an excuse to lambast Maximus for hosting it. But it was the plague cure that dominated public interest. Temporary clinics distributed the manufactured antidote, and citizens turned out in droves to partake. Every time I saw images of the tiny vials of clarified fluid, I imagined Ripley’s thick saliva pooled in the soda bottle and couldn’t help but snicker.

Holland took credit for the whole thing, though she did mention “assistance from a consultant” in one press conference. No matter. I didn’t want praise for what I’d decided was a foolish effort. What had it gotten me? Grimm’s anger, Holland’s, too, and no thanks at all from the prick of an investigator who owed me his life.

The Bloody Hex stayed away and so did other customers, leaving Nash dreadfully bored. Fortunately, he found me as good a distraction as any.

Friday morning, when I should have been thinking about the upcoming vote, my mind was on other things. Namely the soft slide of sheets on bare skin as Nash pushed my legs apart.

I almost dismissed it as a wet dream but, by the time he shoved my boxers past my knees, I was fully awake and aware of how damn sexy he looked with his sleep-tousled hair, enticing smile, and his body bent over mine.

“What are you doing?” I asked, cotton mouthed.

“Taking care of you,” he whispered before opening his lips around the head of my cock.

A long sigh eased out as I arched up into him. “I don’t remember asking for a wake-up call…” I trailed off as he took me deeply down his throat.

Slow, rhythmic slides built anticipation that started me squirming. His hand cupped my waist, fingers latching onto my hipbone and pinning me to the mattress.

“Nash…”

He didn’t pause for breath, but I was doing enough of that for both of us; sucking air while his head rose and fell along my member.

I wasn’t used to this kind of attention. We fooled around plenty, but I was usually the one with a dick in my mouth. It started there and ended other places that sounded tantalizing as my brain sparked with ecstasy.

“Fuck me.” I rolled my hips into him again.

Nash pulled off and wiped his lips. “Impatient already?”

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