Page 79 of The Man of the Hour

Sonia hesitated, then sat down carefully, crossing her legs.

“Shit, I’m sorry,” she whispered, glancing around. “I didn’t expect to see anyone in your office. I figured I’d just breeze through. Then I ran into this horse’s ass—”

Brendan grinned broadly. “That was Pete. You’re right, he is kind of a horse’s ass. Don’t worry, you did great.”

“You werewatching?”Sonia snorted, aiming a look at the door that expressed exactly what she thought of Pete. “I lied to him! What are you going to tell the Washington fucking Post the next time they send an actual reporter here and thisPeteguy lets something slip about the bumbling intern who showed up?”

“I don’t know, baby.” For some reason, Brendan was thoroughly enjoying the thought of it, all chaos and alarms. “What do you think I should tell them?”

Sonia’s brows lowered. She stretched her shoulders, looking like she was going to bust out of the fuzzy cardigan. The panther was back.

“You can tell them I’m your fuck buddy and I showed up to role-play your kinky little fantasy.”

“Fuck buddy, huh?” He raised his eyebrows.

“It’s accurate,” she insisted. “Just say ‘friend with benefits’ if you prefer the PG-13 version.”

“Is that what you are, Sonia? My friend?”

They stared at each other. Then, scooting back in her chair, she smoothed her skirt. Her posture transformed before his eyes.

“You were saying, Mr. O’Brian?” She rested her chin demurely on her hand.

He exhaled and drummed a pen on the table. If she was going to try to wriggle free like that, he’d trap her in her own game.

“Are you recording this conversation?”

Sonia blinked. “Should I be?”

“You don’t seem very well-prepared.”

She gave him an exasperated look, then caught herself. “I’m so sorry! I’m still learning. I’ll just get that set up.”

Pulling out her phone, she swiped at it, showed him the screen, and clicked the red button at the bottom.

Sweat beaded on Brendan’s forehead as blood rushed to his cock. Sonia really was making a recording — a video. He stared at his face on the screen.

“I’ll just put it here.” She took out a small stand and set the phone in it on the table. “Is that all right?”

“It’s fine, Ms. Jacobson,” he said in a strangled voice. “It’s perfect.”

This was insanity. If he let her record, he really was putting his career in Sonia’s hands. But the risk turned him on like nothing else.

And Soniaknewthat. She was reading him as closely as he read other people. Sensing his desires, learning how to fulfill them.

“Is the door locked?” she asked with an innocent expression.

“No.” Brendan held her gaze.

Locking it would only attract suspicion. It was unlikely that anyone would walk in without knocking first…but it was possible.

Sonia gave a quick nod, her words tumbling out eagerly. “I’m really hoping you’ll tell me what you hinted at when we talked on the phone. You know, that thing?”

“What thing?”

“You know…” she floundered. “That thing about, um, campaign strategy.”

Brendan coughed. “I’m not at liberty to disclose that information.”

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