Executive Pursuit

CHAPTER THREE

In three weeks, Penelope Hart will quit her job as the White House Social Secretary. Which means the president's son has three weeks to make his move. He's waited for years, and nothing will get in his way.

"You will get that job," he assured her. "But a better question is-is that job what you want to do?"

"I think so. I've had my dream job. Now that it's over, I feel like I'm graduating college again and having to make this huge decision about my life. I'm not quite sure what I should do next. Teaching at the Jefferson Academy may not be as important as working in the White House, but it's a prestigious job. Few things can measure up to what I have now. But I still want to make a difference."

Kellan nodded. "I know what you mean. So many of the people I graduated from law school with were out to make money. Very few of them were going into criminal defense, like I was. But I wanted to help people. I want to help kids, mostly."

Penelope couldn't keep her eyebrows from going up. She hadn't heard anything about Kellan's dreams before. In college, he'd been in the pre-law program, but she'd assumed he would go into politics like his father. "Really? Your mother hasn't mentioned anything about it."

"I suppose she wouldn't. Representing inner-city teenaged criminals for pennies isn't as glamorous as she would like my career to be. But I know where those kids are coming from. I got myself into quite a few messes before we met, but fortunately I had the money and the contacts to get me back on my feet. Most kids don't have that. I want to help them. To rehabilitate them, so if they do go to jail, they come out ready to be productive members of society. I don't want them spinning through some revolving door that sends them right back to prison."

"That's great, Kellan. If your mother isn't proud of you for that, there's something wrong with her."

They moved over to the living room seating area, settling next to one another on the plush, brown leather couch. Kellan set his wine down on the coffee table and turned to Penelope. "My list of crimes is too hard for her to forget. Luckily, I no longer care about what my mother thinks. I got over that a long time ago. I'm twenty-six and ready to start living my life the way I want to."

He looked at Penelope intently as he spoke, leaving no question in her mind that the life he wanted to live had her in it. At least for tonight. It sent a hot flush rushing through her whole body. Suddenly, her velvet gown was far too warm.

His hand moved to her knee, stroking her skin through the soft fabric. "I've waited so long to touch you again, Penelope. Once I start, I don't intend to stop anytime soon. So if you have any reservations, say something now."

Penelope had plenty of reservations. But she couldn't put any of them into words while he was touching her. All she could think of was how good it would feel if his hand glided higher up her thigh...if he unzipped her gown...

The truth was that she had been wanting him all this time just as badly as he'd wanted her. It had pained her to tell him their college romance had to end for the sake of her career. Then, her dreams and her future had been more important than matters of the heart. But now, he was all she could think about. Kellan was no longer courting trouble, and her boss was soon to be nothing more than a line on her resume.

She moved quickly, bringing her lips to his before she could stop herself. Kellan reacted just as fast, leaning in to caress her face with both hands and draw her even nearer. As his tongue glided along hers, his fingers drifted into her hair. He plucked a few bobby pins and the whole twist collapsed into curls around her shoulders. Tossing the pins aside, he rubbed the silky strands between his fingertips and groaned against her mouth.