When Chemistry Wins (The Dark Horse Trilogy Book 1) (7 page)

Hunter collapsed onto her, his breaths panting into her ear as he alternated kissing her face and pushing into the pillow. Kerri’s legs remained in the air; Hunter remained inside of her.

The rest of their date, if it could be called that, was spent in each other’s arms as they talked about themselves in the soft voices of budding love.
No, don’t call it that.
Kerri wasn’t stupid. She knew this was a fling – a very good fling – and did not want to find herself trapped in heartbreak. But as they admitted toward the end of their liaison, to continue this relationship could only end in one extreme or another: they would be together in bliss forever, or they would crash and burn once the world found out their betrayals to their families.

“I’m not saying we should jump into being exclusive and that you should call me your boyfriend,” Hunter said, his arms wrapped around Kerri as they made that bed their own. “I’m not going to deny the position we’re in regarding who we are. But if we were any other people in the world, I wouldn’t think twice about asking you to seriously go out with me.”

My mother would probably call that courting.
Kerri tried not to laugh, although the endorphins flooding her body wanted her to laugh gleefully about everything. “At this point all we can do is sneak around. As fun as that is, if we get caught…”

“We’ll take it one step at a time.” Hunter rolled onto Kerri, careful to not suffocate her but trying to smother her in affection.
What a doll.
Damn those endorphins, making Kerri giggle into her pillow as her heart opened itself to the idea of romance. “Let’s not get bogged down in the details right now.” He nipped her earlobe, his favorite thing to do. “I’d much rather get bogged down in what makes you tick.”

“I see.” Kerri inhaled his scent: sweat, sex, and aftershave. The bitter side of her would say that was the typical man, but the other side – the one willing to fall in love – decided that was the scent she loved most. “I can give you a demonstration of what makes me tick right now.”

“Haven’t you done that a few times already?”

“I may have, but you’re still asking, so…”

Hunter kissed her forehead. “I’m a terrible pupil. You need to show me many times.”

A heavy pause filled the hotel room as Kerri considered those implications. “I will,” she decided. She would start by teaching Hunter how to excite her with one look, one word, and one kiss. It would make dealing with the downsides of this illicit relationship easier to bear.

Chapter 5

In an open field forty miles north into the countryside, where time stopped thirty years ago, Joshua Payne stood on a platform and told the fine folks of the state’s smallest county why they should vote for him. He did not have a large turnout.

Hunter was there, sitting in the last row of folding chairs decorated with red, white, and blue streamers leading up to the platform. Most of the people who did attend were those who lived and worked in town, not the farmers who had already made up their minds about who to vote for. They were in a county set in their ways, and every other yard and section of fence had a sign asking people to vote for the same candidate. The other candidate’s name was verboten, unless the farmers felt like making fun of him.

Few people had heard of Joshua Payne outside of incidental stories on the evening news. Most men and women around those parts didn’t care about third party candidates – hell, most people in the
state
didn’t. That’s one thing Hunter admired about Joshua. Even though he knew he was running in distant third, he didn’t let it get to him. He stood up on that platform and spoke with the same fervor as either main party candidate would. He was going to change the state for the better. Lower taxes while still finding the money to boost schools, infrastructure, and health care. Find a healthy balance between government programs and letting people make their own decisions.
The same thing everyone promises, but he actually believes it.
Terrence liked to espouse the words of freedom fighters, CEOs, and damned hippies alike. He was all talk. Hunter knew his father well enough to know everything was carefully calculated and written for him. What were his opinions? Hunter didn’t know anymore.

The rally – if it could be called that – ended with polite applause and a few people going up to the platform to shake his hand and talk to him about local and statewide politics. Hunter hung back, enjoying the sunshine and the cool breeze… and his sweet memories of Kerri, the woman he couldn’t shake from his head.

It had been three days since they last saw each other, but the phone bills were adding up. She told Hunter to call her late, near midnight sometimes, since that was the only time she knew she could be completely alone in her room without any disturbances or nosy questions from her mother. Kerri told him this because she wanted to talk to him. Since that lovely afternoon in the hotel room, Hunter had called her every night, since she wasn’t sure if anyone in her family looked at her phone bill.

Their conversations ranged from trivial, to serious, to utterly absurd. In the span of ten minutes they would go from the latest episode of a TV show they both liked to political conundrums. Sometimes they shared ridiculous stories they read on the internet, as if they were two bored college students putting off homework. For Hunter he wanted to hear that deep voice Kerri projected when she laughed. He hoped she was as attracted to him as he was to her.

Figuring out where they would go in the future was the hardest part.
And what if we fall in love?
Too late. Hunter already had fantasies of bringing his lovely new girlfriend home to Mom and Dad to have dinner and banter.

Except he couldn’t bring her home. She was a secret, a mystery to his parents.

Hunter checked his text messages and sighed to see that he had none. At least not from Kerri. He didn’t count the spam he got from his father.

Within a half hour, most of the people had dissipated from the rally. Volunteers began cleaning up the chairs, the platform, and the decorations. A large breeze rolled through, rattling the streamers as they spiraled into the blue sky and threatened to enter a neighboring farmer’s crops. Two women chased them down with panicked shouts, and Hunter saw his opportunity to approach the Independent candidate.

He was talking with someone else in a suit. Perhaps his campaign manager. The moment he turned around, however, Hunter was in front of him with hand extended.

“Good afternoon, sir,” Hunter said. “My name is Hunter Hall, and I’m a big fan of yours.”

Both Joshua and his campaign manager looked at Hunter as if he were a monster come to lop off their heads. “Hall?” they asked in unison. “As in Terrence Hall’s son?” Joshua finished.

“Yes. May we talk in private?”

Candidate and manager exchanged looks. After a few curt whispers, Joshua nodded, and Hunter followed him to a trailer waiting out in the parking lot.

The space was cramped, but it gave them the privacy Hunter asked for.
This man doesn’t waste a dime.
His research into Mr. Payne concluded that he lived a frugal life with his wife and two kids. They did not want for the necessities, but they did not splurge either – Joshua was good at budgeting, an important marker of a governor. He was also soft spoken but firm in his resolve. Hunter liked that in his friends, in his intellectual equals, and in his candidates. Terrence had a habit of shouting so loudly that the evening news made fun of him.

“Tell me, why does the son of Terrence Hall want to talk to me in private?” Joshua sat on a pullout sofa and gestured for Hunter to take an adjacent chair. “I’m certainly no threat to him.”

Hunter sat up straight before leaning his elbows against his knees. “My father doesn’t know I’m here. In fact, I have no interest in my father’s campaign.”

Joshua raised his eyebrows. “Go on.”

“I don’t believe that my father is cutout to be the governor of this state. I think he has a lot of passion for what he does, and he did an admirable job as a representative, but he’s not someone I would want to be governor. For everything we agree on, there is something I do not agree with. Honestly, in this whole election, the only person I think who comes even close to being the right candidate… is you.”

“Oh, good.” Joshua relaxed into the sofa with a practiced smile on his face. “For a moment there I thought you were going to say you liked Raymond Mitchell.”

Only his daughter.
Hunter could display a practiced smile as well. Like now. “I don’t let others decide my politics for me, Mr. Payne,” he said. “Quite the contrary. I’m a fan of making my own decisions. And my mind has led me to you.”

They spent a few minutes discussing the politics facing their state. Joshua was a native of the land. He amazed Hunter with his observations when it came to helping farmers stay afloat while keeping costs down and toxic chemicals out of the food supply. He agreed that the highways and state roads outside of the cities were dreadfully maintained, especially some of the biggest bridges that hadn’t been repaired in years. On social matters they agreed as well: health care, minority rights, social aid… Joshua may have been at least fifteen years older than Hunter, but he felt like his equal in a debate.
If I’ve doubted my political convictions until now, this would change everything.
Instead Hunter felt like a kid talking to his favorite celebrity.

The high had to come down at some point, however. Halfway between discussing the holdup in the state senate and what to do about Veteran’s affairs, Joshua pulled back his good humor and put on the face he used in his low-budget commercials. “As flattered as I am that you are such a fan of mine, Mr. Hall, I have to remind you that my chances are slim. I am a distant third to both your father and Governor Mitchell when it comes to the polls. I went into this knowing that I would likely lose. But I still had to do it.”

“Of course.” Hunter cleared his throat. “The Independent ticket rarely gets far.”

“Then you’ll understand if I’m still confused over this outpouring of support.”

“I would like to make a contribution to your campaign.”

“Ah.” Joshua chuckled. “Again, I am flattered. But I’m afraid it may not be enough.”

“No, but it’s something. Besides, I have another idea that may help you.”

The candidate suppressed a grin. “I’m listening.”

“My father thinks he’s going to win. Governor Mitchell thinks he’s going to win. But these campaigns are precarious, and one bad piece of information could ruin either of theirs.”

Silence filled the trailer. Within a moment, Joshua snorted, his face contorting in a strange smile that pulled at his youthful skin. “You may not support your father, but you are obviously the father of a politician. Tell me, do you know what a dark horse is?”

Hunter nodded. “Of course I do. The competitor that comes out of nowhere and wins.”

“Ha, yes.” Joshua flicked his fingers as if he were ridding himself of bad luck. “When it comes to politics, there are only a few dark horses. Rarely do they get there on their own merit. You may be a bit young to remember this, but Ross Perot was perhaps one of the biggest third party candidates in recent history. But the people who actually win? They were usually because something happened to the main two contenders.”

The smile fell off Hunter’s face.
Surely he’s not suggesting…

“One of the reasons I make a terrible candidate is that I don’t like to play dirty. Now, please don’t assume I am saying that your father plays dirty. But my old campaign managers told me that in order to succeed as a third party candidate, I had to do things that I was not comfortable doing. Sadly, this is the state of politics today.”

Hunter remained silent.

“I want what’s best for this state. That’s all I’ve ever wanted. Do I think I do the best job? Of course I do, or else I wouldn’t run. But I’m not blind.” Joshua stood up, waited for Hunter to join him, and buttoned up his jacket. “I lost this race before I threw my hat in. I’m not a dark horse. Either your father will become governor, or Mitchell will call himself that for another few years. If anything, my biggest hope is to lay the groundwork for future third party candidates. I will do my best, but I do not believe my best will lead me to the Governor’s Mansion.”

This was not the conversation Hunter expected to have, yet it gave him something to mull over when he left that afternoon. He still believed that Joshua Payne was the best person to be governor. How he was going to help make that happen remained to be seen.

“Are you crazy?” Kerri got out of bed, pulled her sweatshirt on, and went to sit in front of the mirror in the hotel room.
If I’m putting up with this mess, I’m at least gonna look good.
She grabbed her purse and fished out her eye shadow. “I can’t go against my father like that.”

Hunter sat up in bed with nothing but a sheet to cover him up. Not that Kerri cared at this point. After a solid hour in bed together, she could safely say that she was quite familiar with Mr. Hall’s body.
My father would have a stroke to know it.
That was the exact kind of thing she wanted to avoid – she may not have loved her father’s ambitions, but she still loved him and wouldn’t hurt him, if she could help it. “I’m not saying that you should betray your father. I would never ask that.” Hunter rolled onto his side. Kerri could see him propped up on his arm within the mirror.
Don’t tempt me, Incubus.
If Hunter had his way, Kerri wouldn’t be able to walk out of that hotel.