4. Charlotte

Charlotte

Cigars, whiskey, vetiver, sandalwood and something pungent and decidedly male. These were the scents her mind catalogued as Charlotte’s mind groggily rose to the surface.

“Are you back with me, sweetheart?” a voice rumbled quietly.

Something moved beneath her, and then gentle fingers stroked across her face. Drowsily, she turned her head toward them, encouraging more soft touches. Her mother had done this when she was a child, especially when she was upset. Holding her tight and gently stroking her face as she soothed away the pain.

“You’re not my mother,” she said, rubbing her cheek against the large palm now resting against it.

“I should certainly hope not,” the male replied.

He shifted again, making Charlotte realise she was draped across his lap. The notion was startling enough that reality came crashing back to her. Opening her eyes, she found what she now expected — the president’s tawny gaze staring worriedly at her, as her left cheek rested against his shoulder, and her right one was cupped by his hand.

The jacket he was wearing was the source of many of the scents, the cigars and whiskey strongest, although faint enough that she knew he hadn’t had either today.

“You should get that dry-cleaned,” she murmured, at the same time he spoke.

“Have you eaten today?”

The cross purposes of their comments silenced them both, but the president recovered first.

“I’m going to take that as a no. While I appreciate the advice, I don’t think you meant to say it aloud, nor to snuggle into me so sweetly, my cat doesn’t want to let you go.”

That last comment certainly made her brain sit up and pay attention. She was indeed draped across his lap as he sat at the edge of her own tub chair. His right arm was behind her, holding her up, and the left one mostly held her to his side, while he still stroked her face gently.

“I — No, sir,” she mumbled, embarrassed.

“Please, forgive my familiarity,” he apologised, slowly bringing her upright, yet still holding her on his lap. “I had only enough time to catch you and sit before we both fell. You were only out a minute or two, and I was just assessing your condition to see whether I needed to call for help, when your eyes began to flutter open.”

“There is no need to apologise, I’m the one who freaked out and shut down,” she replied, a nervous half giggle slipping past her lips before Charlotte could stop it.

He smiled indulgently at her. “As you said, it’s been a day, and if you haven’t eaten, it’s a wonder you’ve lasted this long.”

“I had a protein shake this morning, and a coffee while I waited for your car.”

“I see,” he said darkly, then sighed. “My cat is demanding we take you out to the food and hand feed you until the colour comes back to your cheeks.”

“But?” she asked, before she could stop herself.

“But I can’t take you into that room until I have your answer, because it changes everything if you say yes,” he replied. “I know it’s not fair, but I need you to say yes, Charlotte.”

“There’s no other way? You can’t find someone more qualified? I mean, I have the inside knowledge to steer them around most things, and I even write the speeches. There’s not a lot they could do wrong, given the announcement was only this morning and Grace already fucked that up.”

“There’s more to it, but until it goes public, I can’t share it with you. Suffice to say, what we need right now is a united front, a seamless transition, and a degree of competency and professionalism that only someone intimately familiar with the role could provide. There is a crisis, Charlotte, and we need you to hit the ground running.”

A crisis? Already? “From Grace?” she wriggled uncomfortably, trying to get him to let her go, but he only held her tighter. “And do we need to discuss this with me sitting in your lap?”

The gold in his gaze became more pronounced, the pupils flaring larger and larger, while Leonard’s dark hair lightened and grew longer. It was clear his lion was agitated and close to the surface.

“You’re not going anywhere right now, I’m afraid. He’s feeling rather protective of you. I would also recommend not moving around so much either, you’re grinding against parts of my anatomy that are also feeling rather possessive.”

Charlotte had already felt the firm length at her hip, the very reason she’d wanted to stand in the first place. Yet it wasn’t that so much that caught her attention. “Did you just refer to your penis as its own entity?” she asked, incredulous.

The dark smile that twisted his lips only made her heart beat faster. “Well, I’m certainly not in control there, and it has been known to overtake my cognitive processes from time to time.”

That moment right there went to the top of the list of improbable events of the day. She was sitting on the president’s lap discussing his penis while it hardened against her. Her mind was spiralling again, chanting ‘what the fuck’ at her over and over again, until it slipped quietly past her lips.

She was sitting in his lap, so even if Leonard didn’t have superior hearing, there was no way he could have missed it. The smile curled a little higher, making her heart flutter, but whether it was in fear or interest, she couldn’t tell.

“Perhaps we should return to the topic at hand,” he said after a moment of them staring at each other.

Charlotte looked down to her hip where she could feel his pulse throbbing against her side.

Clearing his throat and swallowing, he spoke again. “I meant the other topic.”

There was another topic? Her mind was stuck on the fact his cat felt possessive, his dick was interested, and she was sitting on his lap.

“Grace’s position,” Leonard said, swallowing hard again, “while elected, has a clause that allows for her executive assistant to act in her stead, in the case of a medical emergency. Which means you could act on her behalf, vote on certain matters within the shifter government, and still represent us to the humans. They’ll make a fuss for needing to ratify your position with their own government, but there is no actual legal requirement for it. You would be introduced to the senate, your role actually closer to that of an ambassador, and you would have no right to vote, except on matters that involve shifters alone.”

Right, the job. Grace’s job. For three weeks. He wanted her to replace her boss for three weeks. There were a few problems with that.

“I’d need an assistant,” she hedged, knowing there was no room in the budget for one.

He nodded. “One will be provided. It is a temporary position, but you will still have a say in who you work with. Given you are performing this role under the duress of not being familiar in certain aspects, while also saving our collective arses from the embarrassment of being caught unprepared, I can foresee no objection to a small increase in the budget for the duration.”

“I’m also going to need a driver, and I’ll need to stay somewhere with better security,” she told him. “While my apartment is lovely, there is no way the building could withstand a toddler’s tantrum, nevermind anyone seeking to cause real trouble for our government. I’ve seen the threats Grace receives, I would not feel safe living there while doing her job.”

“Sean, Grace’s driver, will be at your disposal, as will the fortified vehicle provided for her usage. I had not anticipated your need for more secure accommodation, but I agree with your assessment.”

“We have something for visiting dignitaries from other countries, right? Surely they’re not all full and I could bunk in there for a few weeks until this is over.”

The hands holding her gripped tighter, fingers kneading her flesh unnecessarily.

“Yes, that would be the perfect solution, however—” he paused, his gaze dropping to her lap as Leonard thought something through. Finally he sighed. “You do realise you won’t ever be able to return there. Once people realise that you could be called to this role again — and they’ll ignore it if you resign, because you’ll be associated with this time period forever — it won’t be safe to live there anymore.”

“Just how big is this crisis?” she whispered, afraid.

“Big,” he said, that golden gaze slowly rising, cataloguing every inch of her body before it met her own. “It’s big, Charlotte. That’s why we need you, because your cool, calm head might be the only thing to get us through this.”

“And you can’t tell me what it is before I accept?”

He shrugged. “You’ll know all about it tonight, whether you take the job or not, but if you do, you’re going to hit the ground running.”

Which meant it was beyond massive. Whatever was going on was going to change history. For better or worse, everyone in the next room would be associated with it, and if she said yes, then her name would be one of those at the top of the list on how the shifter government handled it. After the president, and the vice-president, her face would be the most well-known.

He was right. She would never be able to return to her apartment again. She could afford something more secure, but now was not the time to go house hunting. Her people needed her, and she would answer their call.

“I’m all in,” she told him.

For a long moment they sat there, frozen in a tableau. His golden eyes searched her amber ones, seeking the reassurance that it wasn’t a joke, that she was sure.

“You need me,” Charlotte said.

Leonard’s gaze dropped to her lips as he licked his own. “I do,” he husked. “I really do.”

Her belly chose that moment to rumble embarrassingly loud, reminding them both that the world was waiting for them to emerge.

“Then you’d better take me into that room and feed me, so we can save the world together.”

Once again that dark smile curled his lips, making her wonder just what he was thinking. Instead of replying, Leonard stood, the arm that had been holding her side was now snugly beneath her knees, cradling her bridal style.

“I can walk,” she huffed at him, not wanting to arrive in the room full of predators looking weak, even if she was one herself.

While Leonard’s pupils had shrunk again, his hair was still lighter and just a little shaggier than it had been before. With the half twist on his lips, she could picture exactly how the two of them would look as he walked in, clutching her to his broad chest. If he did this, it would be a statement to everyone observing.

The triumphant male and his delicate prize. His possession. His.

“I know,” he replied, and smirked. He carried her in there anyway.