Chapter 12

“Well, um, so how’s this gonna work?” Irina finally broke the quiet after a slow sip of coffee. “I mean, I’ve never...”

“Me, uh, neither,” shot from Laura.

When her fist twitched, tightening on my forearm, Irina caught the motion. After a lengthy exhale that had both mine and Laura’s gazes drop to her chest, those sharp cheeks darkened. When I coughed, both looked at me.

“Let’s start easy. Where you from, Irina?” After flashing a grin I hoped was less shaky than I felt, I lifted a mug to my lips.

“Um, well.” A nervous chuckle escaped her. “Not Chinese. Not directly. Vietnam. Got here by way of Cebu in the Philippines. Dad was in the Air Force. I’m a mutt.”

As she took another sip, her dark eyes flicked between Laura and me. Still assessing. When she lowered the mug, one more slow sigh left her.

“You know what I do. It’s a lot of travel, but we’re based here in the DC area. Fly from Reagan. And, um”—she smacked her lips and scanned Laura before finding me again—”is it true? About you both? And your, um, occupation, Deke?”

Why’d I thought she wouldn’t have heard by then? The story was plastered across all the news shows. With Laura’s fingers crushing my arm, I nodded.

“Yes. I mean about my job. And, no, I met Laura after her divorce.” As Laura glanced at me, I cleared my throat. “Um, when did you find out?”

“After”—she looked at Laura—”your ex, um, gave that interview.” Although she started to lift her mug, it shook in her hands. “Look, this was weird enough, but I’m not sure ... Maybe, I should—”

“No,” Laura whispered before scanning the nearby tables, all empty, and leaning towards Irina. “You came here knowing who I am. And wanting to meet Deke, right?”

“Um, yes.” She gulped. “Should I call you Congresswoman?”

“No, it’s Laura.” She shot a grin, the impish one, at me before returning to Irina. “Or slut for Deke.”

While I’d tensed, expecting a reaction, Irina only gave Laura’s body a quick scan. After locking onto the choker, she nodded before taking another sip. The trembling had stopped, and when she met my gaze, the beginning of a smile appeared on her face.

“Fine, yes. I’m, uh, curious. And, um, here. So now what? I mean”—she drifted her dark eyes back to Laura—”it’s been a while, um...” She chewed on her lower lip. “I had a roommate in college. Cute. And uh, one thing led to another.”

“Had a boyfriend, too, right?” Laura said.

How’d she picked up on that? Then again, Irina’s gaze was once more wandering toward me as she sipped. When she nodded, my entire body pulsed.

“Yes, I did.” Although her cheeks darkened further, she chuckled. “But he didn’t need to know everything, did he?”

“Um, no,” Laura responded. “Kinda similar to me. Cousin. Older. She, um...” Suddenly shaky, her voice lowered. “Well, at first, she, uh, used me. Needed to get off, you know.”

“Um-hmm, of course she did,” Irina replied before taking another sip.

As her dark eyes bored into Laura, whose fingers were again shaking on my arm, a lightbulb exploded in my mind. At Laura’s loud gulp as she turned to me, I managed a smile.

Once a slut, always a slut. One more secret uncovered. But Irina was no slut. No, she’d owned one, though. When Laura noted my expression, her fist tightened as she returned to Irina.

“I, uh, like the dress, Irina. It’s, um, very pretty.”

“I can tell,” she snorted before nodding towards the sharp points poking through Laura’s bandeau top.

When Irina shifted to me, there was a swirl of emotion in those dark pools. Though short, the silence was profound as she took a lengthy drink. But after she’d leaned across the small table, a grin widened on her shiny lips.

“Okay, let’s do this.” After a swift glance at Laura, she faced me. “I’m intrigued, Deke. I’d like to meet again.”

“Me, uh, too,” slipped from Laura in a shaky whisper.

My response? I could only nod as visions of a possible future with both of them sped through my melting mind. When I scanned Laura’s beautiful brown eyes, I gulped. Her imagination was racing as well.

Then reality hit. First, we all acknowledged the shitstorm effect. How and when to meet without an audience. Also, we traveled a lot. With the House about to end its session, Laura was jammed all week long. Plus, Irina was flying.

“Looks like I’m the homebody,” I muttered, before draining the last of my coffee.

“Hmm, what about next weekend?” As Irina spoke, her slender fingers twirled in those shiny black curls. The whole time she’d been splitting her gaze between Laura and me.

“No can do,” I replied, shaking my head. “Got a client. Chicago. Party’s Saturday night, so I’ve got an early flight out. Back, um, Monday.”

“That’s our last week in session.We’re having a helluva budget battle.” Laura sighed. Her hand had not left my arm the whole time. “I, um, leave for Colorado on Thursday, right after we finish.”

When Irina focused on me, Laura’s fingers again crushed my arm.

“Um, I’m off to Vancouver on that Tuesday. Back Friday though.” I glanced at Laura.

“Well, um...” She looked at Irina. “I’d, uh, invited Deke to stay with me out there. On the down low, but, um...” Those shiny brown pools returned to me. “The first weekend is usually with mom and the boys. Monday and Tuesday are office days. Local, but I’ll, uh, be busy.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I mumbled. So much for simply stopping by on the way back from Canada. “Listen to us. It’s like launching a Moon shot.” With a grin I did not feel, I glanced at both. “I want this to work. Let’s stop trying so hard. Irina, I’ll call you. Laura, I’ll catch a flight out to—”

“You don’t have to spend the money, baby,” Laura said, while removing her hand at last. As she stretched her fingers, she gulped. “I can wait.”

“No, you can’t.”

Rather than add that the aroma of her need was flooding my nostrils, I slid a hand along her spine. Even as those wondrous, sharp-tipped tits arched, she pressed back into my palm. Her glimmering brown pools flared. Nope, she couldn’t wait.

“I might, um ... I dunno...” Irina’s voice faltered as she watched us.

Every sweep of my fingers, dragging on the rear of the tight strip of pink material, was pulling soft whimpers from Laura. God, how her eyes blazed. The difference was she was flicking them between me and Irina.

At long last, I pulled my hand from Laura and sighed. “I’m just gonna say it. I want you both. But Irina, we’ve just met, and if you think this will be too—”