Midnight (McKenna Chronicles Book 1) (19 page)

A
pounding rhythm ensues, fast and hard, in and out. On and on we join together.
I claw at his shoulders, damp with sweat, and wrap my arms around his neck and
head until he’s buried in the crook of my shoulder. His breath pushes against
my skin, following the pattern of his hips.

     
Bracing his hands on the wall, he presses me against it. I’m forced to accept
the sheer power of his thrusts, take him in, taking in every delicious detail.
The weight of his body, his heady scent and the silk glide of him as he slides
in and out . . .

     
“Come on, baby,” he growls in my ear.

     
Pushing harder, faster, he takes me higher, higher, until the vibration is a
full tremor. Every thought, all of the hurt, each worry is left behind as I
lose myself in the frenetic pace. I don’t hold back; I can’t hold back. I tilt
my hips and he hits me in that perfect spot. It sends me off, clutched by an
orgasm so mind numbing I’m consumed by it—lost in Colin and what he does to me.

“Oh,
Christ,” his harsh whisper heats my neck. He pushes on, thrusting twice more
before he moans. Stilling between my thighs, his release pulses into me.

Colin’s
breath comes in short bursts, my fingers running through his hair and legs
wrapped around him. After long moments, he moves to find my eyes while holding
still inside me. I’m ashamed of my lewd behavior so I try to turn away, but
he's not deterred.

“Look
at me.” It's a soft command. With his body still pulsing in me, a reminder of
what I just shared with him, I do as he asks.

“I’m
so sorry. I need you to believe that because it’s the truth, Charlie.” He leans
his forehead to mine. Our breathing slows together. “I want to be with you. I
have to work through the emotions that brings with it, and I need to do it
without hurting you. Last night was a big lesson for me.” His eyes hold a hint
of sadness, yet they're filled with determination. “Please forgive me. It won’t
happen again, I promise you.”

“I
want to believe you,” I whisper, not sure I can.

“I’m
asking you to give me a second chance.”

I
know immediately I want to be with him, to give whatever this is another chance
to work. “I may be a fool, but I do. I forgive you.” I say it because it’s the
truth. He grips me so tightly I can barely breathe, clutching me against him.
This is new territory for both of us, and we’ll have to work together to figure
it out. I move to kiss his lips softly, tasting a bit of blood on his bottom
lip; I suck on it, hoping to soothe him.

“Sorry
about that.”

He
laughs, kissing me again. “I quite deserved it, baby.”

He
hugs me to him, at the same time as pulling out of me. I bury my head in his
shoulder, dropping my legs from around his waist. Holding tightly around his neck,
my feet don’t touch the ground.

We
hold each other like this for a long while, enjoying the tranquility of being
together. Finally he moves to the bed, dropping us down so he’s lying on top of
me. He left his pants by the door, now only wearing a T-shirt. I loosen my
arms, lazily running my fingers over his back, remembering the dips and
contours while he nuzzles my neck.

“Don’t
you have a meeting this morning?” I ask on my way to complete distraction.

He
glances at the clock. “I have exactly twenty minutes before I need to leave,
and I know exactly how I’d like to spend it.” He pushes between my legs and I
laugh, sinking my hands into his silken hair.

~

Colin
left a few hours ago to attend a fundraiser. I decided to pass on the event to
work. I've begun writing periodical articles I'll send off to Sonja Bates for
publishing in the various magazines she manages; I hope to have one run each
month to continue connecting Colin to diverse populations.

After
all of the intense emotions and physical intimacy with Colin over the last
twenty-four hours, I couldn’t be sure I’d be responsible enough to keep my
hands off of him, so staying at the hotel was the smart approach. I smile
wistfully at myself, running my hands over my neck, down my chest, hugging my stomach.
Oh, the places he has been . . .

A
car is waiting at three to take me back to the airport where Colin, Evan and
the Montgomerys will come directly after the event. Ms. Brenner greets me
warmly as I board, bringing me a hot cup of coffee almost as soon as I slide
into one of the plush leather recliners at the front of the plane.

The
warmth from the coffee spreads deliciously through the chill that’s taken hold
from the arctic blast holding up-state New York hostage.

It’s
not long before Colin and Evan climb aboard. My skin tingles when I see Colin,
his tie loose at his neck. He looks hot, hair disheveled from the wind, a
sensual half-smile touching his lips.

He
whispers in greeting. “Charlie.” It’s his most seductive, intense tone, so low
only I can hear him. Lord, I think I’m going to combust right here in the open
confines of the plane, witnessed by Evan and Ms. Brenner. More formally, he
says, “Charlie, would you please meet me in the conference room. I have a few
questions for you about your article.”

Oh,
I’m surprised.
Given Evan’s initial reaction to it I thought he would like
it.

Evan
shrugs, whispering, “He’s been in a bad mood all day, Charlie. Good luck.” He
shakes his head half-heartedly while slipping into his seat. I turn, following
Colin into the conference room with a sudden burst of apprehension.

“Close
the door behind you,” he says sternly. I tense at his tone. His back is to me
as he strips his suit jacket off, broad shoulders sliding free from the wool.
Turning, he faces me while pulling the knot of his tie completely free, leaving
it to hang on either side of his chest. His fingers open the first two buttons
of his shirt, exposing his neck.

I
stare, unmoving, as he takes his time to get to me. I can’t tell his mood; his
eyes are dark, mysterious even.

“So,
it remains to be seen if I’m a good fit for the White House?” he asks,
reiterating a statement from my article.

I
shake my head. “You’ve taken that out of context,” I exhale quickly. “Did you
read through the whole thing? I . . .” But before I can continue he’s before
me, one hand snaking into my hair, the other on my lower back, pulling me into
his hard length. My thoughts scramble into incoherence as his lips find mine in
a passionate, beseeching kiss. I inhale sharply, the perfect opportunity for
his tongue to dive into my mouth. My hands roam up his chest, feeling their way
slowly, feathering over the muscles in his neck, memorizing the planes of his
cheekbones, gliding into his hair to pull it gently. I moan, and he squeezes my
butt with his hand. I grin into his mouth. He does it again, and this time I
giggle.

I
pull my head back to look at him with a silly smile on my face. His is a mirror
of mine, and he kisses me quickly once more, swatting my butt as he does.

“Tell
me really, do you like my article?”

Colin’s
face remains jubilant. “I do, Charlie. It’s very well written, a very honest
representation of me,” he says as his hand caresses my face. I tip my head up
to him, searching his eyes to determine the level of sincerity within.

“You
don’t believe me?”

 “I
do. I want you to like it. It means a lot to me that you do,” I say in all
honesty. I feel like a schoolgirl looking to her teacher for praise.

“Charlie,
you have an amazing ability to very quickly assess right and wrong, understand
your prey and write a descriptive, honest portrait so your audience is held
captive,” he says proudly. I beam at him. Wow, I never got that kind of
feedback from my professors.

“Geez,
thanks. But I guess you’re a little bias toward the author,” I say as I
seductively move my hips into him, grinding playfully on his leg.

Colin’s
eyes close as I do this, his mouth parting. I lean further into him, the bulge
tucked into his very expensive wool slacks pressing into my belly. He inhales
sharply, opening his darkened eyes to stare at me. His fingers wind into my
loose, wavy hair, holding me still, his other hand circling my waist, as he
stoops down so his pelvis is equal to mine, lifting me off of the floor. He
flexes his growing erection into the apex of my thighs, pressing and rubbing,
arousing in the most delicious way.

“Oh,”
I moan, as he does it again. I’m wet, my body pulsing as we continue our slow,
sensual rhythm.

“Colin,”
I whisper with need.

“I
know, baby, you feel so good."

 “Kiss
me, please.”

Leaning
down, with hooded eyes, his tongue traces my lips. Just as he’s about to delve
into me, the pilot's voice sounds through the overhead speaker, imploring us to
take our seats and buckle up. I groan loudly into his mouth, closing my eyes
and relaxing against him in defeat.

Colin
laughs. Wrapping his arms around me in a warm hug, he squeezes and kisses my
hair, inhaling deeply.

“We
have all night, baby,” he promises. Dropping his arms, he leads me back into
the belly of the plane.

~

Colin
has a much better ability to regain his composure than I do, shifting into
campaign mode instantly, asking to speak with Ella and her father, John. I have
a harder time confining my desire for this man, this hot sensual man. My face
is flushed, heart pounding as I fall into a chair next to Evan at one of the
tables, anything but graceful in my entrance. Colin is across from me on the
opposite side of the plane. He captures my gaze for a moment, gracing me with a
secret wink, a half-smile playing on his lips. I shake my head in response to
his teasing expression, my eyes glaring at him lightheartedly.

Ella
catches the tail end of our flirtation, turning her head in my direction, the
hatred boiling over her blackened eyes. I recoil from the enormity of her
resentment. I can’t look away, shocked by her horrifying stare.

Colin
turns from his conversation with John. Glancing at my face, he tenses with
concern, searching to find the source of my injury. It doesn’t take him long to
pinpoint Ella as the assailant. His face is hard. Anger laces his voice as he
calls her name. I can’t hear his retort over the roar of the engines but I can
see her shrink lower in her seat, apparently admonished and reticent.

They
begin working again. Colin glances at me, his eyes still hard from the
confrontation. He stares for a moment before engaging in conversation with
John.

I
had forgotten Evan sitting across from me, until his hand touches my forearm,
squeezing gently. I look at him, my eyes still wide.

“Don’t
worry about Ella, Charlie,” he says in a low, deep voice. “She’s very bitter
about her sister. Ella wants Colin to suffer with his grief for the rest of his
life, or be with her as his only other option.”

My
eyes grow wider at his insight. “I don’t understand,” I whisper.

“Listen,
Charlie, for reasons I won’t get into, I know Colin has got it bad for you.” A
small smile plays on his lips. “Don’t worry about Ella or John. The two of them
know how to run a campaign, and that’s why they’re here. John’s been pushing
Colin into the presidency since he started dating Abby.” I blanch at the
mention of Colin’s lost wife, a name for the ghost that haunts him. “They’ve
got a hard-on to get him into the White House. So close to the goal now,
they’re worried he’ll get distracted; that you’ll distract him.”

“I
didn’t realize it was so obvious,” I say shyly.

Evan
laughs. “Charlie, you have no idea,” he says, shaking his head, mirth evident
in his tone. My cheeks heat thoroughly; apparently I haven’t any ability to
hide my lust for Colin McKenna. I look down at my hands, wringing them together
in my lap.

“Charlie,”
Evan says again to draw my attention his way. “It’s not you; it’s him.” He
points in Colin’s direction. I look at his beautiful face, strong, chiseled
cheekbones and expressive brow, hair disheveled from our tryst in the
conference room, straight nose and full lips. My heart flutters carelessly and
he glances up. His eyes are no longer dark with anger, they’re blue, his
unusual slice of brandy in his left eye evident in the light. His gaze heats
when he catches my stare. He passes a quizzical glance toward Evan; I’m sure
he’s curious to know what we’re talking about. I break away from my connection
with Colin, turning to Evan, silently asking him to continue.

“I
haven’t seen Colin act this way since . . .” He pauses, thinking. “Well since
ever,” he says a fond smile settling on his lips. “You’re good for him,
Charlie. You hold your own with Colin. Most women go all Stepford around him.
It’s very annoying,” he says with a hint of disdain in his voice.

It’s
my turn to laugh. Evan is so down to earth and I love him for it. But his
comments are curious. “What do you mean by Stepford?”

“There’s
a lot of
yes
Colin, what can I get for you, Colin? Anything you want,
Colin
. It’s a ploy to pacify, to sink their conceited claws into him just
so they can take advantage of everything being with him brings. That’s the last
kind of woman he wants to be with.

“You’re
different; not at all overwhelmed by Colin or his career.” He looks at me, a
serious expression settling over his normally gregarious features. “The moment
Colin met you, Charlie, he was completely lost. He may not realize it yet, but
he’ll get there with time.”

I’m
shocked. I feel like I’m talking to my sister. Evan is so forthright with
information it’s startling. Giving Evan a small smile of thanks, I turn to take
a quick peek at Colin only to find his eyes trained on me, his right eyebrow
raised in question.

John
seeks his attention, and he’s taken away from me once more. Leaning my head
back in the plush leather I close my eyes, drifting into a light sleep for the
duration of the short flight. When I open them again we’ve landed at JFK International
Airport in New York City.