Chapter 10

Chapter 10

I lay in bed, partially propped up against the headboard by pillows as I flicked absently through the newspaper.

I knew that I could have just used my iPad to read the news, but there was something so comforting about the crinkle of the paper as you turned it and the black smudges left on your fingers.

It reminded me of when I was a child, when things were much more simple. No heavy burden of responsibility or the paranoia of someone breathing down your neck and watching your every move to see if you'd fuck up.

It was a simple pleasure, reading the paper, and not one that I was willing to give up.

I felt Yoda climbing up my leg, and I wondered just how he got on the bed as he wiggled his way under the newspaper and attempted to climb up my chest, his paws digging into my skin.

I hissed and picked him up by the scruff of his neck while he squirmed in my grip, his beady little eyes looking at me pleadingly as he let out a small whimper.

I rolled my eyes at him, wondering why Isabella insisted on leaving him with me while she went to her Pilates class.

"What do you want?" I asked, laying him on my stomach, and he responded by letting his tongue hang out of his mouth and wagging his tail. I sighed, knowing that I wasn't likely going to get any more time to myself unless I gave him some attention.

I placed him down on the floor as I got up, padding toward my closet to put on something more than just the boxer briefs I had thrown on after my shower.

I put on a lavender shirt with a few buttons undone and no tie to show that I was relaxed and a pair of jeans that Tanya insisted that I buy because they made my ass look great. My hair was in a complete disarray, but there was nothing short of wax that could hold it down, and I wasn't trying to impress anyone today.

I grabbed my black sports coat and RayBans before grabbing the dog's leash. Realizing that he was getting a walk, Yoda started bounding around my feet, weaving in and out of my legs in his excitement until I managed to hold him still enough to clip the leash onto his collar.

I sighed as he tried to pull me along behind him in his excitement to get outside, and I was quick to put a stop to that behavior. It seemed that my dominant tone did not just work on people because he sat and peered up at me expectantly when I used it.

I wasn't sure if he actually understood a word I had said, but he knew who was the master here, and he submitted rather graciously.

The wind whipped as I stepped out of my apartment building, and I pulled my coat closer together, heading toward the nearby park. Sadly, to get to the park, I had to pass a popular celebrity hangout., which was teeming with paparazzi as they tried to take photos through the windows.

I tried to look invisible, but it didn't seem to work because one particularly bored paparazzo caught sight of me and started waving at me like crazy, his gangly arms moving through the air.

"Mr. Senator! Mr. Senator!" he yelled, getting the attention of a few others. Most stayed to try and get a peek at whoever was in there, but a few took an interest in me and buzzed around me like flies as I ducked my head, shielding my face away from the bright lights of the cameras. Yoda seemed to love the attention and started yapping at them as they surrounded me, firing questions and looking for that scoop that would pay for their new car or whatever the fuck they wanted.

"Mr. Senator, are you going to serve another term in public office?"

"Mr. Senator, is that your dog? What is its name?"

"Mr. Senator, are the rumors of you running for presidency true?"

"Mr. Senator! Mr. Senator!"

It all started to blur together as they shouted, and their cameras flashed at me. I smiled graciously, reminding myself that without the media, I wouldn't be where I was today as I tried to push through them.

"I'm just trying to have a nice, peaceful walk, guys," I said, hinting to the fact that they were disturbing me. They backed off a little, allowing me room to walk without becoming claustrophobic, but still firing questions at me.

"Mr. Senator, is there a woman in your life?"

"Mr. Senator, are the rumors that you're gay true?"

"Guys, come on," I said, trying to hold onto my patience. "If there is anything you want to know, contact my publicist. I have not made any plans at the moment, and I am just planning to enjoy the rest of my run in public office. Who knows what will happen after that? "

They seemed somewhat placated by the information I gave them and moved back, only lingering in the background for a few more shots. It wasn't too difficult to ignore them, and they eventually went off to find someone interesting to hound.

I'd have to tell Tanya to contact my publicist about this, so that they didn't release any unflattering pictures of me and claim that the stress of being in public office was, apparently, too much for me.

It was amazing how many headlines there had been over the years since I was elected that revolved around me being unfit for Senator. My young age had fed most of the fodder for them, having first been elected at only thirty-one, becoming one of the youngest Senators in history.

My election had come as a surprise to many, and the other candidates made it a point to say that it was because of my looks, not my policies or beliefs to the people.

There had even been stories of me sleeping with Congressman Aaron Dawfinch's, who for some reason preferred to be called Aro, wife, stealing his plans for changes in the public office, and passing them off as my own.

I refuted every accusation that was flung at me, learning to thicken my skin against them, and not react when the media would toss a new one at me. If some of them didn't piss me off so much, I swear I would have laughed at the ridiculousness of them.

It was almost frightening the way they attacked me, picking at my flesh like hungry vultures, digging and searching for every sordid piece of my past.

I won't lie and say that they were all like that because I got as much good publicity as I got bad, but the bad always seemed to stick out more harshly than the good, trying to burrow its way under my skin.

It was one of the best days of my life when I was elected, the resentment of not wanting to have taken that path dropping away from my shoulders like an unwanted cloak.

I had been proud of myself that day, so filled with hope and plans for the future that I was somewhat stunned at what I found behind the pretty painted smiles of the politicians, lawyers, and government officials.

I knew of some of the things that went on behind the backs of the everyday people, but the very magnitude of it was astounding. Under the table, deals went on without people so much as blinking an eye. If you couldn't get the results you wanted legally, then you worked something out illegally and hid it.

It was in the seat of public office that I realized just how much I had to hide. The unrelenting search for information made even the deepest, darkest secrets and skeletons locked away in the back of the closet, collecting dust, hard to hide and disguise.

You almost became two separate people, one that gave to the public freely, and one that hid every personal bit of information about yourself.

It was hard finding a balance between the two while trying to still trying to be me, especially when I had just left another failed relationship with a woman who would have rather I slapped her around the face than submit to my every whim-something that I was honestly tempted to do on more than one occasion.

Thankfully, the time alone had given me space to work out just why every relationship had always taken a nosedive. It wasn't that I was a hard man to live with; I just liked things done a certain way...my way.

I've always had somewhat of a strong personality, and it seemed to have spread into every corner of my life. I had lived-from the age of six to eighteen-between my boarding school in England and my grandparents house in Tuscany. Both places contrasted greatly from the other. Boarding school was a strict place full of rules, curfews, and punishments if the first two weren't followed.

My grandparent's house had been a place of almost complete freedom, and I learned all about love and family. I even lost my virginity over there to a girl living in the apartment next to ours at sixteen.

Those two places did have one thing in common though: they both made me feel that how I acted was completely normal, acceptable, approved even.

School taught me that you had to be confident and forceful to get what you wanted in life, and my grandparents accepted me, knowing that every little quirk was just how I was.

It was only in college when I realized that not everybody appreciated being told what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Add to that, I was a Cullen, and most people tended to avoid me, citing me the teacher's pet because I was smart and focused.

I had no reason to waste my time partying and getting so drunk that you couldn't even remember what you had done. You could even say that I was a little stuffy in college, and having spent most of my childhood in England where they were much more reserved than people in America had something to do with it.

Then, I met Tanya, the beautiful Russian exchange student.

We ended up doing a project together, and it was the start of our friendship.

She was very blunt and to the point, telling me right away that she was a lesbian and wouldn't sleep with me, and I responded by saying that if that was the message she was sending, then maybe she shouldn't wear such a low cut top so that I couldn't see half her tits spilling out of it.

I can still remember our college days together. How we would spend evenings getting drunk and sometimes even smoking a blunt together, getting up late and almost missing our morning classes.

I wouldn't describe those days as wild because we kept things quiet, never doing anything incriminating outside of hers or mine apartment, but they were memorable, and they gave me another little piece of myself.

So, after the break up a few months after my election, I started writing a journal, mostly, just filling it with random thoughts and feelings, and then reading it back to find out just how my mind worked.

I felt like I was in a hole with no way out, no answers to the questions that seemed to constantly plague me. I could feel myself slipping through the cracks as I adapted and evolved for my run in office, and it somewhat scared me.

I had Tanya to thank for pulling me out of my funk and sending me to Dr. Brandon.

Not only did Dr. Brandon help me figure what I wanted sexually, she helped me figure out how to balance the rest of my life so that I could still be me without giving too much. She helped me solidify my resolve to keep my race clean, even with the pressure to cave on all sides.

I spent a year in therapy with her before deciding that I was strong enough to make it alone. I knew that there were still cracks in my armor, and that everyone had some sort of weakness that could bring them to their knees. I learned how to hide those weaknesses so deeply that even Indiana Jones himself couldn't find them.

I headed back to my apartment once Yoda grew tired, thankful for the time alone with my thoughts. Sorting through the tangled mess of my mind was no easy task, but the fresh air had helped immensely.

I felt a tiredness inside me though, one that surpassed the physical and headed into the mental and emotional. I knew that there was a price to pay for hiding myself so deeply, but I also knew that until my term was over, I had no choice.

I could never fully, publicly, state my sexual preferences-Senator or not-without causing some sort of media storm. It took its toll on me, and I was thankful to have my Bellezza there to soothe and wash away the grime of the day's work from my body until I felt like I was me again.

Without her and the relief she willingly gave me by just submitting to me-unquestioningly and completely-I dreaded to think how I might have ended up.

...

"Bellezza, we should go over our lists so that we can draw up the contract," I told her, laying our respective lists of things we did and did not want in our relationship on the coffee table. We had each looked over the other's list, and I was pleased to see that we were both on the same wavelength with our wants. It made this whole process much more smoother and easier.

Yes, there were still things that we had to go over before we could draw up the contract-hence me wanting to get it done now while I had the time-but, hopefully, we could work out the kinks in a timely manner.

I looked over at her to see her sprawled on the couch, her eyes clued to the TV, ignoring me.

"Isabella," I said, louder this time, and she sighed, glancing over in my direction, annoyed.

"What?" she groused, giving me attitude as she arched an eyebrow.

"I was talking to you," I said, trying to hold onto my patience, which she had been pushing all afternoon.

"Whatever," she muttered; rolling her eyes, and turned her focus back to the TV.

I drew in a sharp breath through my noise, and closed my eyes, counting to ten, in hopes that I could control my temper. I knew exactly what she was doing, and I would be damned before I let her win this little game she had set up. As with every relationship, she was feeling me out, testing the boundaries, seeing how far she could push me before I snapped.

I knew this was required, but if she thought for one moment that I would go easy on her because of it, then she had another thing coming. I detested sass and attitude, and I was going to teach her that acting like a brat would only result in punishment.

I stood up and moved in front of the TV, blocking her view of it.

"Hey!" she protested, but I ignored her.

"You have five seconds to give me your undivided attention before I take you over my lap and spank you," I told her evenly, my gaze locked with hers to show just how serious I was. She scowled up at me for a moment before scoffing and turning her face away, refusing to give in.

"One," I murmured, holding up a finger while she bore imaginary holes in the wall with her eyes.

"Two." A finger joined the first.

She shifted a bit, but stubbornly refused to falter even for a moment.

"Three." Another finger rose.

Her teeth embedded themselves in her bottom lip, and her eyes darted toward the hallway as she most likely went over the plan of her escape.

"Four." I was running low on both fingers and patience now, and she had better hope that those legs were quick.

She moved forwards, settling at the edge of the couch as she prepared to make a break for it.

"Five." The last finger on my hand shot up.

The word was barely out of my mouth before she shot off the couch and dashed for the hallway, but I was prepared for her. She had barely gotten across the room before I grasped her around the waist and picked her off the ground. I knew I needed to act fast before her instincts kicked in and she did more than just wiggle in my arms.

She screeched, struggling against my grip, kicking her legs out in protest, as I hoisted her up over my shoulder and strode toward my bathroom. One of my hands grasped her waist, while the other took hold of her ankles, making it harder for her to try and kick at me.

She squirmed, beating her fists against my back and shrieking as I stepped into the shower, both of us fully clothed.

I closed the shower door behind us and placed her back on her feet. I yanked her flush against my chest, winding an arm around her to make her stay put, as I reached around her and switched the shower on, sending ice-cold water down on us.

She screamed at the top of her lungs and tried to get around me, but I clamped my hands down on her upper arms and held her still until she finally stopped fighting me and slumped against my chest, all the fight in her evaporating.

"Stop, please," she begged weakly, shivering under the cold spray of the water. "I-I'll be good. Just…please stop."

I slowly turned the heat up so that lukewarm water came out, not wanting her to catch a cold, but also not wanting to warm her up too quickly. I sighed as she started sniffling against my chest, trying to hold onto my conviction while my heart softened and urged me to comfort her and wipe away the tears that I feared were gathering.

I tugged her out of the shower once she had warmed up and dried her roughly over her clothes before leading her into my study, sloshing the whole way in our wet clothes.

Once we were in my office with the door firmly closed behind us, I dragged a wooden chair with a tall back and no arms into the center of the room and pointed to it. "Sit," I ordered, and she meekly shuffled over to it and sat down, her head bent submissively as her hair hung limply around her face, shielding it from my view.

I moved over to my desk and pulled out some ropes that I had purchased to practice tying knots in hopes of tying Isabella up. I had not thought that I would be using them for the first time under such circumstances, but everything had its time and purpose.

I swept my wet hair out of my eyes and pushed my sodden shirt sleeves up my arms as I walked back over to her.

"We are going to do a trust and honesty exercise," I told her, pulling her arms through the gaps in the back of the chair and tying the rope around her wrists in a Fisherman's Loop. If she tried to wiggle out of the rope, it would only tighten, eventually cutting off her circulation.

I moved around to her front and grasped one of her ankles in my hands, pressing it against the leg of the chair as I used the same knot I had before to restrain her. I did the same with the other ankle before stepping back and shrugging out of my shirt and slacks, leaving me in my underwear.

"Now, my Bellezza, you are going to be a good girl and explain to me why you are acting like a little brat today," I told her sternly. She opened her mouth to protest, and I quirked an eyebrow, silently asking her if she really wanted to be arguing right now. She snapped her mouth closed and bent her head, trying to burrow further into her seat, curling in on herself to become as small as possible.

"You realize that until you tell me all that I need to hear, you will not be moving out of that chair," I informed her harshly when she stayed silent.

"I'm sorry, Papi," she finally whispered, sniffling, and I crouched down in front of her, nudging her chin up with my hand so that I could look into her watery eyes.

"Talk to me," I murmured softly. "It's just you and me here, Bellezza. You can be honest with me."

She inhaled a shaky breath, trying to fight the tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks.

"You're leaving," she whispered, and it was with those two words that everything fell into place. I knew that when I had told her earlier in the week that I had to go to D.C., she had taken it much too well, almost acting like it she didn't mind.

It had only been a matter of time before she finally broke down, and it made me realize that her defiance, which I had previously brushed off as her testing me, was also her putting up walls.

She was trying to distance herself from me so that when-if-I didn't come back, it wouldn't hurt as much.

I stayed silent after her confession, knowing that she had more to say, and just needed the room to say it.

"What if something happens to you? You could get hurt or worse. Wha-what if you find someone else, someone better, while you're over there? I know, to you, that it probably sounds stupid, but what am I supposed to do without you? "

I could tell that she was getting slightly hysterical so I placed a finger over her lips to shush her so that I could reassure her and put her insecurities to rest.

"Bellezza, nothing you said sounded in the least bit stupid. Your insecurities are not stupid, and I can understand where they are coming from," I soothed, brushing away a few stray tears that had fallen with the pad of my thumb.

"I can't tell you that nothing will happen to me because I refuse to lie to you. In a world with so many uncertainties, it isn't feasible for me to make a promise like that, knowing that I can't know for sure what the future holds. Just know that I will do everything in my power to get back to you, no matter where I am, no matter what has happened."

I let out a long breath, steeling myself as I continued. "You are important to me. Scratch that, you are the most important person in my life at the moment. I'm not just with you for the great sex you know we have. I'm with you for the fact that you need me as much as I need you. When I'm with you, I feel like I don't have to edit parts of myself out and you accept me just the way I am. You give me more than any other woman has ever given me because of that, and it makes you more special than them. It makes you unique."

Her eyes widened with my words, and she looked at me from under her eyelashes, almost bashfully. "You mean that?" she asked hesitantly like she was afraid that I would take it back.

"Every word." I confirmed, and I was pleased to see the corners of her mouth turn up slightly as she slowly relaxed her tense muscles.

"I'm sorry that I've been all over the place. You deserve better, Papi," she said sincerely as she nuzzled the hand that I had raised to cup her cheek.

"Once you get your feet firmly planted on the ground, it'll get better," I assured her, and she sighed, her eyelids fluttering.

"It's has been eating away at me since you first told me, and I've been trying to be strong, but I'm so scared. You're the best thing going on in my life, and I can't bear to think of you gone. God, I sound so lame right now."

I knew the last bit was part of her defense mechanism that told her that she was fine on her own and didn't need to talk about how she felt, and I was quick to correct her.

"You don't sound lame, at all. There is nothing wrong with talking about how you feel, and I should have known that you were taking the news of my departure too well and got you to talk about this much earlier. We could have saved a lot of time and energy if I was doing my job right, and I hope you can forgive me for that," I said earnestly.

She simply stared at me for a long moment, blinking, before a timid smile spread across her face.

"Thank you. Yes, you're forgiven, there isn't anything to forgive," she said, her red-rimmed eyes shining.

"How do men like you even exist?" she asked absently, sounding overwhelmed.

I leaned forward, brushing her hair out of her eyes, and captured her lips in mine, reassuring her that I was, indeed, real. Her mouth was soft, but cooler than mine, and I decided that it was time to get her out of her wet clothes and into my bed to warm up.

I pulled back and moved around her, loosening the ropes holding her down before picking her up in my arms and bringing her into my room. I sat her down on the edge of the bed and tugged on the end of her t-shirt, silently asking her to raise her hands so that I could discard it. She lifted her arms up, and I peeled it away from her body before letting drop on the floor.

"Lie back," I instructed softly as I unbuttoned her shorts, and she fell back against the bed, lifting her hips up so that I pull the rest of her clothes off. Once she was naked, I pulled off my boxers and climbed on the bed next to her. She looked up at me, her eyes wide and wondering, needing reassurance that I was as much as hers as she was mine.

I jerked my head toward the headboard, and she scrambled to lie among the pillows, her body bare and open for me.

She didn't shy away from me as she spread her legs, opening her body up so that my eyes could feast on every inch of it. I didn't rush as I laved her body with kisses, from her ankle to her hip, without giving into the temptation of tasting her pussy, knowing that right now, that was not what she needed. I moved my kisses higher up her body, brushing my lips over the soft skin of her stomach and over her ribs before licking a lone trail between her breasts.

She hummed and sighed under my gentle ministrations and tugged on my hair, urging me to lift my mouth to hers.

I glided my hands over her spread thighs, settling between them as my mouth caressed hers. No words were needed as I positioned myself at her entrance and slid easily into her, groaning at how right she felt wrapped around me. She gasped against my mouth, her eyelids fluttering in barely contained pleasure as I filled her.

I hitched one of her legs over my hip as I started moving in slow, measured thrusts, basking in the way she felt so wet and hot.

The feel of heaven with the heat of hell.

She hitched her other leg around my hip, crossing her ankles together so that I could go deeper inside me, her lips were desperate as they moved against mine, her hands digging into my back, seeking to touch and share as much as possible.

"Don't leave me, Papi," she murmured as her soft lips moved down to my neck, and I gripped her tighter against me, arching my neck to give her more access.

"Shhh, I'm right here, my Bellezza." I soothed. I pushed her damp hair out of her eyes and looked deep in them, trying to convey to her everything that I had been saying to her earlier.

I flipped us over, placing her on top, giving her the freedom she needed to realize that I was right here, and it would take a lot more than her emotions being all over the place to chase me away.

I had never had a problem with emotional women. I knew some men shied away when women cried, not knowing what to do, but, to me, crying was a release of emotion, and you were a lucky man for a woman to let you see her that vulnerable.

I groaned as she rocked her hips against mine, grinding our pelvises together. She leaned forward, placing her hands on either side of my head as her hair fell around us, creating a curtain that separated us from the world. It was just her and me, and I arched up, dragging my lips over her jaw.

"Edward," she breathed quietly, her voice small and almost frightened, reminding me just how lost and broken she was. No matter how much she tried to hide it, there were still those cracks in her heart and the little pieces of her soul that had been gouged out over the years.

I wasn't here to fix her because she didn't need fixing, I was here to help her learn, to teach her how to move on from her past and become the woman that she didn't know she could be.

"I'm right here, Bellezza," I murmured, knowing that she needed to know that she had all of me, not just Papi, but Edward as well. To me, Edward and Papi were the same with only subtle differences, but that was something she had to figure out for herself. She had to work out that she deserved affection without having to earn it, that to find herself, she needed to embrace the parts of her that she knew.

The path of self-realization was not an easy one, and having traveled it myself, I knew that it took a lot of time and patience.

I knew that my departure to Washington would be hard for her, but I also knew that it was needed for both of us.

Yes, we had been taking our relationship at a pace slower than what we were normally used to, but we still needed time apart to really think hard about where this was going, and if-somewhere down the line-we wanted more.

We needed to make decisions without being blinded by sex, and while our embargo really had not worked, the time apart would. This was our last chance to really think things through and see them clearly before we drew up the contract and sealed the deal. I needed to know if she was doing this for the right reasons. I didn't want her to settle for me, I wanted her to see me as her best option, and to choose me because she needed me.

She whimpered against my mouth as I thrust up into her, and I pulled her body down further so that I could feel the tips of her nipples sliding against my chest.

"I've got you," I murmured, feeling the heat radiating off my skin saturate hers, creating a layer of perspiration on our skin.

Sex between us had always been intense, because when you were giving into your most carnal wants and needs, there was bound to be some kind of raw ecstasy.

Lying underneath her while she rocked her hips into mine, unspoken promises lingering in the air, made me realize that I did want more than just a casual relationship with her.

I had never been a 'wear your heart on your sleeve' kind of guy, and I had built walls to protect myself from the sensitivity I knew I had inside me, but I still held insight. I had spent too many nights reflecting upon myself and wondering why I was still alone to not notice a change within myself.

I held my emotions very close to my heart, and I wasn't going to deny that I was slowly driving down the slippery slop toward feelings that were firmer and held more ground.

Isabella wasn't ready to hear these errant thoughts running around my head, and I wasn't sure if I was either. When the time was right, I would delve deeper and search through myself to find the answers, but that time wasn't now.

I cupped the firm globes of her ass in my hands and helped her move over me as I thrust up into her.

Our pace was almost lazy, only heavy breathing and sighs breaking the silence of the room.

She leaned her forehead against mine and closed her eyes, her hands placed on either side of my head. When she moved, I moved, our bodies corresponding with each other and taking their cues.

I guided her lips back to mine, and we kissed languidly, not rushing to the finish line, just taking it as it came.

"I'm close," she whispered against my lips, and I reached down between us to rub her swollen clit.

"So wet and slick," I hissed, my fingers feeling like they were burning as they touched her. She mewled, grinding down harder, her hot breath fanning out over my face as she pulled back, her eyes closing firmly. She panted heavily, her brows furrowing in concentration as she reached the edge. Her teeth found their way into her bottom lip as her walls spasmed and collapsed around me, squeezing my cock in its grip.

"Oh, Papi! Oh, Edward! Oh, yes!" she moaned softly, her body shaking against mine as I continued thrusting up into her, my cock throbbing with blood as my orgasm teetered at the edge.

"So close," I grunted, fisting the sheets on either side of me as I hardened further inside her and gave one last jerk before letting go. I pulsed, shooting hot streams of cum inside her as I groaned out her name.

While the sex we had just had was not harsh or carnal, I had still put the same amount of myself into it, and I felt the shivers zip down my back through my blood as the pleasure washed over me. There was nothing more intense than giving in, letting yourself have the freedom you needed to have a rich, fulfilling sex life.

It didn't matter that I hadn't fucked the living daylights out of her, or that her pussy wouldn't feel sore or abused. What mattered was that little spark that kindled between us was spreading and turning into a fire. Without it, the sex would have been good, but it wouldn't have been mind-blowing. That spark was her acceptance of who I was, and how she reacted to it.

I hadn't lied to her when I told her that she was special, unique, because she was. When you live a life without being able to give yourself to someone fully-no matter how perfect they seem for you-then you're a missing a very important part of the puzzle.

The puzzle wasn't complete without all the pieces, and that missing piece bugged you until you found it and placed it in its rightful position.

She pressed her body flush against me once she came down from her orgasm, and we lay there, our bodies sated and happy.

Her head was lying directly over my heart, and she breathed in time with its beats as it slowly calmed. I threaded a hand through her hair and stroked the soft strands, knowing how relaxing it was for her.

I let out a long breath as I rolled onto my side, her body still clutched against mine.

"I'll miss you," she finally murmured, and I placed a kiss on her hair, thankful that she had come to grips with me leaving. Underneath all the hurt and brokenness lay such a strong, beautiful woman, and it was my job to help her find that woman.

I hated that I had failed her earlier, and I vowed to make it up to her. "I'll miss you too. I'll call you every night-or at least text you-to say goodnight, and we'll Skype when I get a few minutes away from the Senate. I'll be back before you know it," I told her optimistically.

She nodded and sighed, looking up at me with sad eyes. "Just come back to me in one piece, okay?"

I lifted up her hand and kissed the fingertips. "I'll try my best. I almost wish that I could bring you along with me," I admitted, knowing that I couldn't for many reasons, one of them being that I would be working a lot of hours over there as the legislature introduced and tweaked new bills for laws while the rest of us argued over whether some of them were even worth instating or co-sponsoring.

It was a long and grueling process, but someone had to do it.

Another reason was that Isabella had a lot of things to do and work out that she could get done a lot quicker without my presence. She was already packing up her apartment, even though she still had a few weeks left on her lease, and she needed to try and ground herself more firmly into her new reality without any distractions from me.

It was something that she had to integrate into on her own; I just needed to be there on the sidelines.

She hummed and sighed again, her thoughts obviously taking her down a road that wasn't full of rainbows and sunshine.

"You know," I mused, an idea forming in my head. "When I come back, you and I are going to go on a surprise trip. Think of it as something to look forward to."

She looked up at me, surprised. "A trip? To where?" she asked curiously.

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you where we were going. This trip to D.C. is the last before Senate goes on break for the summer, so I'll whisk you away to somewhere nice and hot," I told her, and I could see the excitement building in her.

"I've never really been on a trip before," she admitted, sitting up. "Will it be far away? Are we going to Italy?"

I shook my head. "I'm not saying a word," I told her, enjoying her excitement. I found it quite contagious, and I let a smile lift up the corners of my mouth as I watched her jut out her bottom lip and bat her eyelashes at me.

"Please, Papi. Just a little hint," she begged, and I chuckled, flicking her over-exaggerated pout.

"Nope. All I'm telling you is to pack for warm weather. Oh, and bring a swimsuit."

I watched her think deeply, narrowing down the options of where we could be going. I knew how much she liked to know every single detail of what was happening around her, and-unintentionally-this was another trust exercise. She had to trust that I would do everything to make our trip good. I didn't want her worrying about trivial stuff such as ordering plane tickets and hotel reservations.

She huffed loudly, giving in without much of a fight. "Okay, Papi, you win. I'll let you keep your secret as long as you know just how much I detest being left in the dark about things," she told me, a small frown puckering up between her eyebrows. I leaned up and gave her a chaste kiss.

"Thank you, Little One. Now, get that sweet ass out of bed. We have a contract to write up."