Sofia had to get back to the congressional hearing but everything was going wrong. She looked desperately at the camera in the journalist's hand.
“Please delete them,” she said.
“Delete them?!” He frowned incredulously. “They're priceless! Sofia Jordan, the left’s notoriously outspoken congresswoman has a coke habit? This is gold!”
Sofia gazed at him helplessly. They were facing each other on a staircase at Capitol Hill. Five minutes earlier, nerves had hit and she'd snuck out of the ongoing hearing for a tiny bump before her turn to speak. But the journalist had arrived at the most incriminating moment and now everything she’d worked for felt balanced on a cliff edge.
“It's a one-off,” she said weakly.
He laughed. “Tell the papers that.”
Sofia stared. One moment of carelessness threatened to ruin everything. She’d never been the most confident speaker, and up against criminals and billionaires, she always needed something to enhance her underlying confidence. It wasn’t like she got high. She just got higher.
Footsteps approached from the stairs below and she hurriedly pulled the journalist into a nearby bathroom. The pass around his neck read Trent Coleman.
“Please, Trent. I need you to delete them.”
He looked at her. He was tall, and dark-haired. His eyes went over her speculatively, lingering on her legs. There was enough hunger in his expression to make her insides clench.
“I want to,” he conceded. “You’re a breath of fresh air here, y’know? Young and smart and on it. I like you.”
She blinked. “You do?”
“Yeah,” He was looking at her mouth. “I do. Inside out.”
“So delete them,” Sofia implored, stepping closer to him. “Please.”
His gaze dragged down her body again. His eyes darkened.
“Give me a reason,” he said and he set the camera down.
Their eyes met for a long moment. Sofia thought of all the outraged things she should say. But he could ruin her effortlessly. She reached past him and locked the bathroom door. She was unsure of her next move, but he kissed her before she could act, shoving her hard against the door. She gasped, her head spinning as his mouth explored hers.
His tongue was firm and sweeping. His hand dropped to her lower back, urging her body into his. She moaned against his lips, her thoughts a whirlwind. She should have hated him. But she could feel him growing hard and it thrilled her. She kissed him back. He groaned, shoving her harder against the door.
His hands went to her waist and he broke the kiss, spinning her around to face the door. Yanking her skirt up around her hips, he pressed down on the small of her back so she was presented to him. He stepped back and she felt him looking at her. She wanted to hide.
“You’re incredible,” he growled. He touched between her legs, pushing her lacy underwear aside to stroke her so skilfully she already felt on the edge of bliss. “You’re fucking perfection, Sofia. How can you be this perfect?”