Smoke and Sin Read online

He had no doubt Gus was with Liz. If Liz was stuck and miserable, then Gus would be right beside her, plotting workarounds and revenge.

  “Sure they did. It was all coincidence,” Zack complained. “Now they’ve moved to the theater room. Apparently one of my Secret Service guys got an early Blu-ray of that thing all the girls want to watch. Do you think that was coincidental, too?”

  So Gus was sitting in a cozy, dark room with the man of her choice, watching a film that had been dubbed by some critics as a bare step above porn. His first instinct was to stride right in that room and drag her the hell out.

  But under what pretext? She’d followed his rules. She was safe and sound right where he’d left her, while he’d done exactly what she’d accused him of doing the night before: dating someone else. Of course, he hadn’t considered it a date, but after careful reflection and numerous attempts at evading Darcy’s grabby hands, he realized Gus had a point.

  Did he have any right to barge in and interrupt her? That was his instinct, urged on by his hunger to possess her. Roman wanted her away from Kemp right now so he could set firm boundaries…and have her all to himself. But what would that accomplish except pissing her off, especially since he couldn’t offer her anything more than his devotion in bed? Even that was dangerous until he, Zack, and the others figured out what complicated web of international espionage they were embroiled in.

  And if they did put an end to the suspense and murder? What could he offer Gus then, besides great sex when she wanted some? He couldn’t see them working long term. What had changed? Sure, they were older. But wiser? He wasn’t convinced. They were still incendiary, still prone to argue as much as fuck.

  He didn’t know if he could live like that.

  “What’s going on in that brain of yours, Roman?” Zack tugged at his bowtie as they were ushered into the house.

  He knew what should be going on—the negotiations that would begin tomorrow. He should be plotting and maneuvering, doing his utmost to make the absolute best deal possible. He needed to go over the plans for a transatlantic pipeline that could mean billions for the US and be a nice chunk of Zack’s enduring legacy.

  Instead he was thinking about a woman.

  “Maybe we should leave Liz and Gus in peace.” Roman wasn’t sure he could handle it if she looked at him again like he was a monster.

  Yeah, and maybe you’re being a coward.

  Zack glanced at the stairs that led to the recreation rooms, and his jaw firmed. “I think I would like to see that film.”

  “The only thing you’re going to accomplish is to rile her more. Unless you’re willing to truly talk to her, tell her what’s going on, you should leave her alone.”

  Zack turned, his eyes heated. “What are you trying to say? You think I should walk away and let her revenge fuck a glorified security guard assigned to my detail?”

  “He’s hardly a security guard who’d be working the local mall. He’s a Secret Service agent, and I seriously doubt it would be a revenge fuck. That’s not Liz’s style.” But he might not say the same thing of Gus. She was more than capable of extracting her pound of flesh, and if she found the experience pleasurable, so much the better.

  He and Gus were so very alike.

  “I don’t give a damn. I won’t have it. She needs to trust me.” Eschewing all further conversation, he started up the stairs.

  Roman hesitated. What should he do? Would Gus be any less annoyed with him if he gave her space tonight? Or would he simply be crushed if he woke to discover that she hadn’t slept alone the night before?

  He stood there, feeling paralyzed. Finally, he realized that he had no idea how to handle Gus. He never had. Was it even possible to handle her? How wise was it to try? How stupid was it not to?

  Maybe the better question was, did he intend to simply stand by and watch her play around with some younger guy?

  Hell, no. But even if he and Gus really tried to make a go of it, even if they could make it work, how did he commit? Roman wasn’t sure what he would be doing in a few years. Sure, he would throw himself into Zack’s reelection campaign, followed hopefully by a second term…and then what? After Zack left office, Roman would be closing in on fifty with no job. Sure, he’d have achieved all his goals, but he had no idea where life would take him next. Or where he’d want to go.

  On the other hand, did he want to be that sad fuck who had sacrificed any shred of a personal life to make his professional dreams a reality? The older he got, the more he thought about family, about a wife and kids, about a future that wasn’t purely political. He’d always thought of those guys as dumb fuckers with kids hanging all over them. Now… Connor and Lara were actively trying to get pregnant, and he suspected Gabe and Everly wouldn’t be far behind. Dax was already talking about having a family with Holland. Hell, even though Mad wasn’t with them anymore, he’d have a kid running around in the world soon.

  Did he really want to spend his entire life clawing his way through politics, assuring Zack’s presidential legacy while leaving nothing personal as his own?

  The question slammed him between the eyes.

  Roman frowned. His child didn’t have to grow up the way he did. He could choose a different path, right? He didn’t have to send his kid away to some boarding school. He could settle down close to his friends and they could be his family of choice. Yeah, that sounded great…but he couldn’t see himself having a family with anyone except the only woman he actually wanted. The one who drove him crazy.

  Speaking of Gus, he spotted her sneaking down the stairs. She must have missed Zack as he’d headed up. He almost called out to her, but she stopped to give a worried glance over her shoulder. Even more curiously, she flattened her body against the wall next.

  As though trying not to be seen. As though she was up to something.

  Roman sidestepped to his left, ducking behind one of the graceful columns that dotted the mansion. She couldn’t see him from this vantage point, but he could watch her through the large mirror on his right.

  Maybe she was sneaking back to her room because she was sick of spending all her time with an overly muscled himbo who couldn’t form more than a few sentences without interjecting the word “bro.” If so, he might follow her, see if he could persuade her to talk to him. Not in possessive anger, but to apologize for the night before.

  He waited, expecting her to turn down the second floor corridor that led to the wing she shared with Liz, Gabe and Everly, as well as Connor and Lara.

  Instead, she looked around carefully before heading down. On light feet, he followed just enough to see her turn again to creep down to the lower level.

  Where Matthew Kemp’s room was located.

  Fuck. All thoughts of not being a possessive caveman evaporated. What the hell did she think she was doing? He’d turned down a very willing, decent-looking woman earlier because it was the professional thing to do. Also because he wasn’t that into Darcy, and he’d been scared at the thought of how many arms she might have hidden under her clothes. But he was going with the professional argument. He was both good at his job and a patriot, too, damn it.

  Roman waited a moment and followed her down, sticking to the side of the staircase where the likelihood of his footsteps causing a telltale creaking was the least. He turned down the hall in time to see her slip into one of the small rooms the agents shared and quietly shut the door behind her. He didn’t remember offhand, but he’d bet that one belonged to Matthew Kemp.

  Frozen, he stared at the solid wooden surface. What would happen if he opened it, just barged in and stared? Would he see her in that asshole’s arms, offering up her gorgeous body to a guy who couldn’t possibly appreciate it because he was far too uncomplicated to understand her? Roman had a vision of the jerk kissing her, running his hands all over her bare curves.

  Logic and reason flew straight out the window. Rage took over.

  He yanked the knob and flung the door wide open, sending it crashing against the wall.
<
br />   “Augustine!”

  He heard her gasp from another part of the room. Not the bathroom, since that was down the hall. No, she was in the closet.

  Roman scowled. What the hell was she doing there? A million and one kinky scenarios ran through his head. He wanted to take Kemp apart in numerous and violent ways. He wouldn’t even have to do it himself. His connections were far better than that fucker’s. He could have the agent labeled a traitor and renditioned someplace nasty where he would be tortured by artisans who excelled at their craft. Only the best for Gus’s boy toy. The best waterboarding. The best beatings. The best of everything for his ass.

  But in that moment, Roman was looking forward to personally getting his hands on Kemp and making him pay.

  He marched to the closet and wrenched the door open to find Gus staring down at her phone. Her face was pale, her eyes a bit wild. He could only guess that her fling of the moment was in the dark corner, waiting for her.

  In some ways, that made him even angrier.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Roman damn well knew the answer, but he was going to make her admit out loud that she was seducing Kemp in order to shove a knife in his own back.

  And what would he say if she told him she was screwing Kemp because he had a really big dick and was good in bed?

  “We need to get out of here.” She shouldered past him, grabbed his arm, and gave him a frantic tug toward the door.

  Because Kemp was still in the closest? Roman refused to go anywhere until he said a few words to the asshole. “You’re” and “fired” came to mind. He wouldn’t give a damn about the inevitable lawsuit. He could handle that. He’d gone to Yale Law School, after all. He could certainly fire one dipshit who behaved unprofessionally on a critical visit abroad.

  “Kemp, get your ass out here,” he growled.

  Gus tugged at him again, putting her whole body into it and clutching her cell with her free hand. “We have to go now!”

  Oh, hell no. He wasn’t leaving without letting this prick know the score.

  Damn, Roman hated to go into a fight unprepared. What did he know about the guy so he could use the information against him? Sure Kemp had clearance to protect the president, but what if he was part of the deep state? Or a traitor working with a foreign government to bring his own down? Maybe this guy was getting close to Gus because she was Dax’s sister? Yes. That was the way to spin this. Gus was too important to the president to allow her to fall under the influence of someone they couldn’t trust.

  For a moment, Roman feared he wasn’t making sense…but that moment was fleeting. His brain wasn’t in charge. Nope, his cock was.

  And his cock was pissed.

  He pulled away from Gus and thrust his head into the closet, peering into the shadows. “Do you even understand how unprof—”

  But no one was inside. Certainly he didn’t see anyone panting and half dressed with his junk hanging out. He only saw a row of neatly hung suits and loafers.

  Suddenly, Gus shoved him into the closet. He gaped at her as she killed the dim light inside and shut the door with a barely audible click. The only illumination was the screen of her phone. He could see her face in the ghostly light.

  “Get in the corner and be quiet,” she whispered. “Please, Roman. Please. He’s coming and he can’t find us here.”

  Kemp? Didn’t she want him here with her? Undressing her? Pleasuring her? Roman would have thought so…but the quiver in Gus’s voice said no. If not, what was she doing here? He had a million questions, but then he heard the bedroom door open. Gus shut off her phone, wrapping them in darkness.

  She backed up against him, and he could feel her shiver. He edged to the other side of the closet, finding a little extra space so he could pull her deeper into shadow. Obviously, she wasn’t pulling some prank. Had she been scheduled to meet Kemp here? Roman wondered if his sudden appearance had thrown her plans for seduction for a loop.

  Maybe she didn’t want her lover to see her with him. On second thought, no. Gus would simply tell Roman—or anyone who butted in—that she and her guy were going to have hot sexy time and they should get lost pronto. But Gus would never willingly hide her desire.

  Gus was hiding now. She was scared.

  He wrapped his arms around her and whispered, “Get behind me.”

  She shrank back against him, rolling her head onto his chest. “Stay quiet.”

  “Hey, I’ve got a minute. I thought I’d touch base.” Matthew’s voice was clear and strong on the other side of the closet door.

  She stiffened and strained against his hold, working to get closer to the sliver of light filtering through the cracks. Holy hell, she was trying to listen in. Was she trying to see if her latest fling was cheating? Otherwise committed?

  “Yes, everything seems fairly normal except for the fight with the woman,” Kemp muttered. “I believe so. He knows something. I don’t know what, but he’s definitely keeping her out of the loop. He’s nervous. Something spooked the hell out of him a few months ago. He went somewhere in DC on a secret meeting and when he came back, I noticed the change.”

  Now Roman was listening—and listening hard. Who the hell was Kemp spilling these details to?

  What the hell had Gus gotten herself into?

  “Yes. I’ve got it all set up. Something different this time. Keep ’em on their toes.” A long pause followed, and Roman could hear the shuffle of Kemp’s feet as he paced. “You know I will. And I’ll get the information to you as soon as possible. I think I’ve identified who I need to talk to and who I need to take out. Yes, we’re getting close. I’ll know more after I return from my trip to the countryside. Everything will be quiet until then. I’ve made sure of it. You’re going to owe me everything you promised very soon.” He chuckled. “I’ll hold you to that. And no promises on the other thing. She’s pretty delicious. If I can get my hands on her, it might be worth it.” There was a low groan. “Yeah, I hear you. Fine. I’ll do my job. Spoilsport. I’ll call in after I get back to London.”

  A long sigh resounded, followed by the slide of a drawer opening. The twisted sounds of metal and plastic being smashed filled the air next.

  Gus smothered a gasp. Kemp was destroying something, probably that phone. Damn.

  A moment later, they heard the efficient click of a magazine sliding into a gun. She stiffened, and Roman wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her back against him as quietly as he could. He didn’t have a gun, didn’t carry one, but now he saw the benefits. His heart thudded wildly as he realized this might be a fight he couldn’t win. If Matthew Kemp opened the closet and found them here, Roman could do nothing to protect Gus except step in front of her and offer to die first. Kemp was highly trained and heavily armed.

  Gus trembled in his arms. Roman held his breath.

  A moment later, the sliver of light filtering inside the small space shuttered. They heard the bedroom door open and close again.

  He held her for another long moment as he listened for the sound of Kemp’s footsteps fading in the distance.

  Finally, they were alone.

  Roman dragged a calming breath in and released her.

  Gus flipped the overhead light on and turned to him. “What are you doing down here?”

  He felt his eyes narrow at her tone. “You’re asking me that question? No, baby. I want to know what the hell you were doing, searching a Secret Service agent’s room and eavesdropping on his phone call. And I want to know right now.”

  Because Augustine wasn’t worried about whether her lover had someone on the side. She was spying. He had to find out how deep she was in.

  When he took her hand and reached for the doorknob, she resisted with a forced chuckle and her head held high. “You’re imagining things, Roman. I was just looking for something I left here the other night.”

  Ah, her queenly pose. How many times had he seen her use that very tactic when she was in a corner? She wouldn’t back down, merely send whatev
er fool chose to question her a haughty look and say something cutting in that how-dare-you-question-me tone. This was how she’d become such a popular surrogate for Zack on the news shows. She could stare down and tear down even the best argument from her most able opponents.

  Roman shook his head at her because if she was going to play the queen, he would show her who the damn king was. He wasn’t allowing her the upper hand now. “No, Gus. You have two seconds to tell me what’s going on.”

  She held his gaze with a little shrug, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “If you have to know, I lost my best thong in Matthew’s room last night. I was looking for it.”

  She was lying. Connor had sworn to him that he’d walked Gus back to her room last night, then waited until she had shut her door and turned out the lights. He’d hung around another few minutes to be absolutely certain she’d gone to sleep. What she hadn’t done was sneak out to have a little nookie with Kemp at four a.m., especially when Gates was lying in the twin bed beside his.

  If Roman couldn’t get answers out of her, he would get them from the only other person who could shed some light. “All right, then. You keep looking, baby. Maybe Kemp will help you, though I don’t know why you didn’t ask him when he was here a few minutes ago. But if you’ve got this under control, I’ve got something else to do.”

  He opened the closet door and strode out.

  She followed right behind him. “Roman, let it alone. This is none of your business.”

  He glanced down at the nearby trashcan. Nothing there except a couple of tissues. So where had he taken the remnants of the phone he’d destroyed? Roman knew damn well what he’d heard. Kemp had smashed that device, then probably taken the SIM card with him. Little wonder. Based on that conversation, the man was up to no good where the country—and Gus—were concerned.

  But Roman had to hand it to the agent; he was good. He hadn’t left a single trace of the device behind.

  He pulled out his phone, ready to call Zack. They would need to advise Connor, develop a strategy. He wanted a quiet interrogation, and that meant keeping the Agency and the FBI out of this. Until he could prove what was going on, Roman refused to bring in anyone he couldn’t absolutely trust. They could say Connor had been promoted and was now filling the role of the president’s acting advisor on sensitive security matters. It was good to be chief of staff. He could make up jobs on the fly.