Grinning, Raven licked his hard nipple and rolled over, lying flat on his back. The moon was beautiful as it beamed down on them through the skylight.
"I love you, Mica. I never said that to anyone before. Without you, I won’t survive. Don’t let me down, don’t let me go. There’s much to accomplish yet, for me. I want to keep rising. I want to keep being the best warrior I can be. And I want to be the best lover and mate for you. I was scared to commit, scared you’d never understand me, but I know different now."
Raven stopped speaking as he heard his master in is head. “Congratulations to you and Mica. Sounds like a wild kingdom out here, brother. We are behind you. Per sempre.”
Raven smiled to himself as he answered, “Grazie, boss-man.” Turning to Mica he informed him. "Boss-man says congrats."
Mica laughed. "You know this is the weirdest fucked up coven of all time, right? I mean, my breathing is barely back to normal and the east coast already knows we consummated our union."
Raven grinned. "Welcome to Medici. And we might be fucked up, but we fucking rock! I know you’re not used to it, but boss-man and my lady take care of us. We take care of each other. It’s what we do best. When we say familia, we mean it. I’m proud everyone knows. Are you ashamed of us?"
Mica rolled over on top of him and cradled his face in his hands. "I’m never ashamed of you, warrior. You make me proud, and I’m proud to call you mine."
"The feeling is mutual. So, shut up, kiss me and since we have the night off, I’m ready for round two. See if you can keep up, old man!"
25
It was the night of the annual White House Correspondents dinner, the night where the D.C. power players rubbed shoulders with the Hollywood glitterati and members of the Press. It was a purely social event, raising funds to award scholarships to young, upcoming journalist, but really more about being seen.
Alec was in a tux and Rissa was wearing a floor length gown that glistened under the light. She could hold her own with any of the A-list starlets who floated through the room. Alec kept his eye on President Ashton. If Rissa was going to approach him, she’d need to make her way through the crowd during the cocktail hour. Once the dinner started, the President would be swept away to the dais at the front of the room. They each had a drink in their hand, one neither of them could drink, as they pretended to sip and mingle with the crowd. As Alec inched closer to the President, he bent his head to Rissa. "It's now or never, darling. Why don't you work your magic?"
She smiled as she turned to Alec. "Time to turn on the charm.”
Kissing him softly on the cheek, she casually made her way closer to Ashton, nodding at a few familiar faces as she went. The First Lady was occupied with other guests when Rissa saw she’d caught the President’s eye. Locking eyes with him, she watched the smile that slowly crept up the corners of his mouth and she nodded and cocked her head to the side, letting her hair fall over her shoulder. Taking a deep breath, she approached him and watched as he turned in her direction.
The President had a smile plastered on his face and shook the hand of every person that approached. He felt tired already, and the evening was just getting started. The First Lady had moved to the other side of the room, as she also worked the crowd, giving them both maximum exposure. He had to give her credit, while they rarely slept together any longer, she enjoyed the perks his power brought, and she remained a valuable asset. She knew how to handle herself with the press, and the public adored her motherly, if somewhat matronly, image. Ashton looked up to see the object of his erotic fantasies approaching and immediately got a boner. He chuckled to himself. He hadn't felt that kind of attraction since he was a frat boy at Yale. He was careful not to look overly interested as the lovely Mrs. Canton slinked up beside him and slipped her arm into his. She was a clever politician's wife too. She knew to make the gesture look friendly, and not overtly sexy.
"And how is the lovely Mrs. Canton this evening? I must say, you outshine any of the movie stars here tonight."
"Well, I do thank you for the compliment, Mr. President. You look rather dapper yourself. But you always cut a handsome figure. I like powerful, distinguished looking men. Power and control can be a wonderful aphrodisiac. I’m rather bored, but we must do our duty, as is the way of the world in Washington."
Sliding her fingers casually along the lapel of his tailored tuxedo, Rissa was mindful of the press. "I’m sure this evening is much the same for you, but then again, it must be an exciting time if you’re going to run for reelection." Licking her lips softly, her smile was brilliant yet sexy. That’s it Rissa, reel him in slow and easy.
He placed his hand over hers as it rested on his arm. “Yes, I'm afraid campaigning is inevitable. It takes so much time, not to mention the fund-raising. But I still have a lot to accomplish before I give up my seat in the Oval Office, so it’s unavoidable, I'm afraid. But I hear the talk on the Hill too. I know your husband is thinking he’ll throw his own hat in the ring someday, and wouldn't you make a delightful First Lady. My dear, I think you’d outshine the legacy of Jackie Kennedy."
Rissa dramatically threw her hand across her heart and blushed. Leaning in closer to him, she whispered in a breathy voice. "Oh John, you do know how to make a lady blush."
Leaning back, Rissa cocked her head to the side and watched his eyes slide over her low-cut designer gown. "Alec may throw his hat in the ring when he’s ready, and of course, I’ll be right by his side. But then, we all know that schedule will pull him even further from me. But your wife is quite adept in doing her job as First Lady. You’re a lucky man, Mr. President."
Ashton basked under her attention. "Yes, well, we all make sacrifices to get what we want, don't we? You know, if you’d like a private tour of the White House some evening, I’d be more than happy to oblige. The First Lady will be on a press junket, promoting her preschool educational programs for the next few weeks. I’d love some company, and you can see firsthand how it might feel to be First Lady."
Well, haven’t we made a great impression this evening? Our ticket inside! "Oh, that would be such an honor. I’d love that very much, John. To walk in the footsteps of Jacqueline Kennedy would be so exciting." Biting her lip, she beamed a smile at him. "I’ll accept that invitation.”
Reaching into her small beaded handbag, she withdrew a business card and laid it inside his palm. "My personal number is on the card. I very much look forward to seeing you."
The President discreetly palmed the card and slid it into his pants pocket. Alec had been surreptitiously watching the interplay between Rissa and the President as he maintained a conversation with his colleagues. It looked like Rissa had closed the deal, so he moved in their direction, and slid his hand onto the small of her back, bending to lightly kiss her cheek.
"There you are, my darling. We mustn't monopolize the President's time. He has a lot of guests to greet tonight."
Alec extended his hand to the President. "And the best of luck to you, Mr. President, on the upcoming campaign. We need to make sure our party stays in power, so you will have my full support."
The President took his hand and felt the strong grip of the young Senator from Connecticut. He didn’t need an enemy in Canton, so he’d have to be discreet. "Thank you, Alec. You’ve always been a strong advocate for my policies, and I appreciate your support. Now, if the two of you will excuse me, I do need to shake a few more hands tonight."