“Legislative affairs for the junior senator from Hawaii, communications for the senior senator from Florida. Oh, and director of the Columbus office for the senior senator from Ohio.” With a teasing smile, he added, “What do you think about living in Columbus?”

She curled up her nose. “Is there anything that wouldn’t be a major step down?”

“Nope. But that’s how it works in politics. Your fortunes as a staffer are tied up in who you work for. If they go up, you go up. If they flame out, so do you.”

“Or if they die…”

“Exactly.”

“So what’re you going to do?”

“I’ve got some money put away, and there’s that money coming from John, too, so I’m not going to make any hasty decisions. In fact, it might be time for a change.”

“What kind of change?”

“I used to toy with the idea of going to law school. It’s probably too late now, but I still think about it.”

“If it’s what you want, you should do it.”

Nick chuckled as he tweaked her nose. “So you’d be willing to put up with a professional student for a couple of years?”

“Whatever makes you happy makes me happy.”

He shifted so he was on top of her. “You make me happy.”

Sam’s arms curled around his neck to bring him in for a kiss full of love and promise. She wrapped her long legs around his hips and arched her back, seeking him.

As Nick slid into her, he was so overwhelmed by love for her it took his breath away. Trying to get a hold of his emotions, he stayed still for a long moment until she began to wiggle under him, asking for more. What had earlier been frenetic was now slow and dreamy. He leaned in to kiss her, managing to hang on to his control until she gripped his ass to keep him inside her when she climaxed.

“Sam,” he gasped as he pushed into her one last time, unable to believe they had managed to top perfection.

Chapter 34

Sam was trying to shake off the sex-induced stupor and open her eyes to go back to work when her phone rang. Checking the caller ID, she saw it was Gonzo. “What’ve you got?”

“A bloodbath,” he said. “They’re both dead.”

Giving herself a second to absorb the news, she said, “How?”

“Noel was shot twice in the head at close range. Just like the other one, she was tied to the bed and tortured.”

“I’m on my way.” Sam sat up and started pulling on clothes.

“What’s wrong?” Nick mumbled, half asleep.

“Noel and Natalie Jordan were murdered in their house.”

He gasped. “Oh my God.”

“I’ve got to get over there.”

Reaching for his jeans, he said, “I’ll come with you.”

“No! There’s no need. Peter’s locked up, and I have to work.”