Politically Incorrect by Jeanne McDonald Page B

I hear it can be quite cathartic.”
    It was a good thing I’d set the kettle down on a potholder or I might’ve dropped the damn thing. I jerked around to him, my mind whirling with what to say next. It was time for me to own up and make amends. I rounded my shoulders and straightened my back, bringing myself to my full height. “I guess we need…”
    “There’s nothing like hot water spraying down your naked body to help you unwind from a hard day. Wouldn’t you agree?” he interrupted me.
    It took only a second for me to realize that this little snot was needling me. Well, two could play that game. I collected my wits about me and returned to my task of making a cup of tea. Mug in hand, I inserted the tea infuser and poured in hot water. “Absolutely. And locking the door to the bathroom is a good way to keep from being disturbed.”
    Wrapping the chain between my fingers, I bobbed the infuser to help my brew along, careful not to look at Liam. It was bad enough I could feel him staring a hole into my back.
    “Doors are only meant to be locked if someone has something to hide.”
    “Again, I won’t argue there, but something so small should really be concealed behind a locked door.”
    Boom! There ya go. Dig the knife in a little deeper.
    I turned around to find his brow lifted and lips pursed.
    “Small?”
    I brought the cup to my lips, feeling the steam rise against my nose. “More like tiny.”
    Liam shoved off the island and moved toward me. People tried to push past him but he was solid as a wall blocking their way. Instead they simply moved around him. “Not tiny at all.”
    Through it all, I stood my ground. For the first time since last night I held the upper hand and it felt good to be back on top again. “I beg to differ.”
    Much like he had in our previous encounters, he closed the gap between us in a single stride. He took my teacup from my hands and placed it on the counter beside us. “I’d hate to argue with you, since you’re the expert and all, but on this fact, I must.”
    Without a flinch, I met his gaze, which wasn’t easy, and produced my best smile. “You’re right. I am the expert and you should trust me on this.”
    He bowed his head, his lips ghosting my ear. “Maybe the expert on politics, but this, you need a little instruction on.”
    Heat rolled through my veins. An uncontrollable shiver scampered up my spine so hard we both felt it. “That’s what I thought,” he whispered so soft it tickled my skin. Liam took a step back, giving me a chance to breathe. “Now, I need to go take a shower . My run was quite invigorating this morning.”
    In a militaristic manner, he turned on his heel and started to walk away.
    What possessed me to call after him, I wasn’t sure, but I did. He stopped but didn’t look back.
    “Elizabeth. Don’t.”
    His single warning burrowed its way deep inside me. In that one word I understood. This incident was between us and would stay that way. First impressions remained unscathed. Authority would be a tug-of-war between us. A game of sorts and this was only the first round. There was no winner or loser here. We had a draw. A draw in which we both agreed on. But next time there would be a clear winner and clear loser and the game would play out until Election Day.
    My mouth snapped shut, as he lumbered off.
    A worthy opponent .
    I reached for my cup and sucked down the bitter brew, my focus remaining on the exit where Liam had disappeared. The world returned around me, all the hustle and bustle of preparation. My stomach growled reminding me that I still hadn’t eaten. I chuckled deep in my throat and snagged a mini quiche from a passing service tray.
    It was official. William Baxter was going to be the death of me and if I wasn’t careful, he’d also be my downfall.
     

 
    “There you are. I’ve been searching all over for you. I thought you might’ve left.”
    Harper plopped down in the armchair across from me. On the table, piled