Free ROMANCING THE BULLDOG by Mallory Monroe

faces,” Carl said, fast tiring of the rivalry for Jason’s
    attention that existed between DeeDee and Stephen, a rivalry that was played out, at varying
    degrees, every single day. “We want our campaign to be flawless this time. We want a
    cakewalk back into office, with no surprises, especially since the Democrats will probably be
    united.”
    “Whomever they put up against Jace will lose by a landslide,” Dexter said.
    “I agree,” Carl said. “He should lose and we should win by that same landslide, which is
    what we have got to win by if we have any hopes of getting the attention of those big wigs in
    Tallahassee who’ll finally see our boss for what he is: the future governor of this fine state.
    Now is that clear enough, Jace? No more picking up ‘hood rats, and especially not Hamp
    Morgan’s daughter, no more talking down the Norris Amendment, no more taking this
    upcoming election for granted.”
    Jason sat down and leaned back in his chair. There was an interminable wait as his staff
    stared at him. Finally he spoke. “She’s not a ‘hood rat,” he said, and DeeDee fumed.

    FIVE

    The door to Liz’s office flew open and Shameika entered with a stunned look on her face.
    Liz, who was at the file cabinet rummaging through a stack of thick files, standing bare feet,
    didn’t look back at her assistant.
    “Boss,” Shameika said as soon as she entered, but Liz, without looking back, interrupted
    her.
    “I can’t find the Hemming file,” Liz said, her reading glasses perched on her nose. “Milo
    wants a spreadsheet on all of our counseling clients, but Hemming’s is missing. I’ve searched
    all of our outlay---”
    “Boss,” Shameika said again, and she said it so heartfelt that Liz was forced to turn away
    from the file cabinet and look at her.
    What she saw caused her to immediately show concern. “What’s the matter with you?” she
    asked her secretary.
    “You have a visitor.”
    Liz frowned. “So I have a visitor. So what?”
    “Your visitor,” Shameika said and then had to pause before continuing, “is the mayor.”
    A pause came over Liz too, but for very different reasons. “The mayor?” she finally said.
    “The mayor!” Shameika shouted out. “Why in this wide world would Jason Rascone want
    to see you?”
    Why indeed, Liz thought to say. “I won’t find out if you don’t send him in,” she said
    instead, as calmly as she could.
    “But the mayor, Boss? And he said your name like he knows you like that. ‘I’m here to
    see Elizabeth,’ he said. Elizabeth. Not Miss Morgan. Not the lady who runs this joint. But
    Elizabeth.”
    Liz looked at Shameika. “And?”
    “I can’t stand him, don’t get me wrong, he’s Mr. Conservative, after all. And a
    Republican ! But the man is good looking, girl. That man is fine!”
    “Meika,” Liz said.”
    Shameika began leaving. “I know, I know. Go get him. All right already.”
    After Shameika left, Liz just stood there feeling a little shaken. She didn’t know if she could
    face him again. Not after yesterday. Not after the way she allowed him to be so intimate with
    her. What was wrong with her anyway, letting him touch all on her and feel her up the same
    way she let him ten years ago? It didn’t go as far as it went a decade ago, but that was only
    because she was so sore. But twice they were together and twice she allowed him to see every
    inch of her body. And she still didn’t understand why. What was it about him that made her
    so . . . so . . . comfortable?
    But instead of letting it be, instead of going his way and forgetting that he’d ever laid eyes on
    her again, he decided to come to her office. Was it because some reporter had found out that
    he’d been in a house in the hood , as his aide called it, and he wanted to make sure she wasn’t
    the one who spilled the beans? He was wasting his time if he would even think that.
    Yet, a part of Liz had fond memories of yesterday. She couldn’t stop thinking about