Free Rumor Has It by Cheris Hodges Page A

cup and filled it with the dark roast the café offered.
    â€œTea, huh?” he quipped.
    â€œOh, hush. It’s late and I need a jolt. This is a job for coffee.”
    If only he could tell her what he needed. He needed her in his arms, her lips pressed against his and . . . sugar. He needed sugar for his coffee. Anything other than sharing a brownie and a cup of java with Liza would be nothing but trouble. He hadn’t had a hint of scandal around his campaign and he wasn’t going to let his libido get him in a bind right now.
    â€œDo you want to grab a seat in the atrium?” he asked, thinking that sitting with her in a crowd would ease his lustful thoughts.
    â€œMy stuff is in the dining room. You can join me there,” she said.
    He nodded and held his hand out for Liza to lead the way. They crossed over to her table—which was in a secluded area of the bakery—and sat down. A few moments passed before either of them said anything.
    â€œThese brownies are amazing,” Liza said after swallowing her first bite.
    â€œThey’re famous for a reason.” As much as he knew he should’ve focused on his brownie, he couldn’t take his eyes off her lips as she munched on her treat.
    â€œI’m going to pay for this in the gym tomorrow.” She took another nibble of the brownie.
    Jackson imagined her in a spandex number doing yoga. That sent his body into overdrive. “Do you ever relax?” he asked, then took a sip of coffee. He was the one who needed to relax, his hormones in particular.
    â€œI did that in college. But after working too hard for someone else, I can’t cheat myself now.”
    â€œWhat did you do before you started your business?” he asked.
    â€œCorporate communications for a nasty bank.”
    â€œWow, corporate America, huh? I can see why that didn’t last for you.”
    She nodded and took a sip of her coffee. “Worst three years of my life.”
    â€œAnd running your own business is fun?”
    â€œDemanding, exciting, and a little scary. But at the end of the day, it’s worth it.” Jackson could hear the passion in her voice and was turned on by the sparkle in her eyes. His thoughts quickly turned to seeing her waking up in the morning, hair tousled and her lips swollen from his kisses. He sipped his coffee, forcing himself to look away.
    â€œHow did you get into politics?” she asked him, looking over her cup at him.
    â€œThought we weren’t going to talk politics, sex, or religion?”
    Did sex just drop from his lips? Liza thought as she lost herself in his emerald eyes. Sure. They didn’t have to talk about sex, but that was all she’d been thinking about since they sat down and she crossed her legs to ebb the throbbing between her thighs. Why did she want to lean across the table and lick the corner of his mouth? What in the hell was wrong with her?
    â€œYou’re right. We’re not supposed to talk about those things. I guess I’ll hear more about your story during the debate.”
    Jackson shook his head. “Liza, you can power down.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œIt’s just coffee and brownies, okay?”
    Liza smiled. “I don’t have an ‘off’ button, sorry,” she said.
    â€œIs there a ‘pause’ button, at least?” Jackson returned her smile.
    â€œNope.” Liza picked up her cup and took a big sip of her coffee. “You never know when you have to be on, so I just don’t turn off. That way, I won’t be surprised.”
    â€œYou are a woman in need of a vacation,” Jackson said, then downed his coffee.
    Heat flushed her cheeks as she thought about what she really needed. His lips on hers, his hands between her thighs and . . .
    â€œLiza?”
    Blinking, she smiled. “What?”
    â€œI think you should switch to decaf.”
    â€œWhatever. If I could have a few more hours in the day, maybe I