Stepping away quickly, he says, “I’m going to do a perimeter check before locking up, okay?” I simply nod, still plastered to the wall, unable to form words right now.

Never has a man made me weak in the knees with just words. The confident, unwavering look in his eyes as he stalked me, the way his thick, muscular arms surrounded me, and the sound of his deep, sexy voice all reduced me to nothing more than a puddle in my panties.

Dear God, I’m in trouble.

What I wouldn’t give to have just one night with Alex to get him out of my system. I’ll bet he can satisfy a woman in every way imaginable. At that thought, I’m immediately consumed with guilt for having such impure thoughts. I might not be happy in my marriage, but I am still married. Plus, if Cal ever found out I had cheated, I would lose everything. That’s the way the prenuptial agreement was drafted. If I commit adultery, I forfeit my right to anything and everything that we owned together.

I know I could make it on my own. I have a four-year college degree I can always fall back on. I’m not worried about me should something happen to my marriage. Unfortunately, I’m not the only one I have to think about in this equation. And I know without a doubt, that I wouldn’t be able to take care of all the responsibilities I have on my own. I need Cal’s help with this or one of the people I love most will suffer and possibly die.

And that’s one burden I’m not willing to accept.

I HEAR MY phone ringing in the other room, so I rush over to answer it before it goes to voicemail. “Hello, dear,” I answer, seeing that it’s Cal.

“Elizabeth, I’m on my way home with Aaron. He’s going to go over the schedule with the both of us for the next couple weeks, okay?” Cal says. It’s been a about a month since Cal announced his candidacy and the tour across America will begin soon.

“Oh, okay.” I’m a little surprised that I’m being briefed on the schedule, and it must show in my voice judging by Cal’s next question.

“Is that a problem?”

“I’m just never included in your business affairs.” My teeth clamp down on my tongue and I wish I could take those words back.

“Excuse me?” He’s calm, but the icy chill isn’t lost on me. “Do you have an issue with the way I handle business, Elizabeth?” Even though I can’t see him, I can picture the anger flashing in his eyes and disapproval oozing off of him. I feel like a child being scolded.

“No, Cal. I actually prefer it your way. You know how I get bored with constant talk of politics.” I hold my breath hoping my attempt to brush off my mistake works. Luckily for me, it does.

“That’s what I thought. I’ll see you in a little while.” With that, he hangs up the phone. My cover up may have placated him, but I could still detect a faint amount of anger. I’m sure I’ll hear about this later.

Walking toward the front of the house, I go in search of Alex to let him know Cal and Aaron will be here soon. I find him sitting in one of the chairs in the formal sitting room with a newspaper in hand. He looks over the paper, the only thing visible are his piercing blue eyes, when he hears me approach.

“Hey, Cal and Aaron will be here in a bit.”

“Okay, I’ll call off the dogs,” he says as he pulls the newspaper away from his face, ending his statement with a wink. That one simple act is so damn disarming, and I don’t know why. As soon as he does it, all working functions in my brain cease to exist. I’ve given the effect he has on me a bit of thought lately, mostly at night when I’m lying in bed and unable to sleep. No man has ever done something as simple as wink and immobilize me. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s not the wink that does it, but the man behind it. Every single thing he does causes a reaction from me, and it’s both exciting and terrifying at the same time. I offer him a smile and turn to go back into the living room. I need to put some distance between the two of us before Cal gets home or I won’t be able to get into character and play the perfect wife.

Thirty minutes later, and I hear the front door open. “Good afternoon, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Zimmerman,” I hear Alex greet Cal and Aaron.

“Mr. Matthews,” Cal replies curtly before making his entrance into the living room where I am seated.

“Hello, love.” Standing from the couch, I make my way over to Cal to greet him with a small kiss.

“Hi, let’s have a seat. We have a lot to go over in a short amount of time.” I nod in acknowledgment and we all take our seats around the coffee table.

“So,” Aaron begins, “your lives are about to get hectic. We’re going to start touring the country Monday and making several stops in the battleground states. Elizabeth,” he looks at me before continuing, “you’ll be accompanying him to just about every speaking obligation he has. It’s important to show a solid front, to show that you support his efforts to become president one-hundred-percent. Traveling everywhere with him will portray that. Okay?” I nod my understanding and he continues. “Every first lady has chosen a cause that she campaigned for. Is there anything in particular you feel passionate about? A particular fundraiser or topic you want to bring awareness to?”

At first my only response is to blink. I’ve never been given a choice of any significance since I met Cal. And now I get to pick any topic I want to support on a national stage. I’m almost a little giddy if I’m telling the truth. Finally, I get to take a stand for something important and show what I’m passionate about. Once I’m over the shock, my answer is really simple.

“Education. That was my major in college, and I feel it’s an important topic that needs addressing. Our current system is failing our young people, and I’d love to try to make a difference.” I surprise myself with the amount of conviction, confidence, and determination that comes out of me. However, it’s short-lived when Aaron’s shoulders sag and he starts shaking his head back and forth.

“We need something everyone can get behind, and education is a hot button topic. People have their opinions on how it should be reformed, and we want to stay away from taking a definite stance on that. We need union support so we can’t upset the teacher’s unions, but we don’t want people to see us as only working for them either. It’s a very delicate topic and we can’t afford any missteps leading up to the election.”

“But this is something I have knowledge in. My degree is in that field and I graduated at the top of my class. If I hadn’t met Cal, I’d be teaching right now.” Well, I don’t know about that last sentence. I love kids and I would’ve loved teaching, but my goal was always to find a well-off man to marry. It’s the one thing ingrained in my mind, then life happened and it became a necessity and my reality.

Cal starts laughing uncontrollably beside me “I can take a class in anatomy, but that doesn’t make me a doctor. You’ve never taught a day in your life, Elizabeth. How good could your suggestions be?” The condescending laughter from Cal and Aaron that follows cements my humiliation. “Can you imagine?” Cal asks, looking at Aaron. “So, Elizabeth,” he says in a game-show host kind of way, “how long have you been teaching? Oh, that’s right, never!” Laughter ensues from the two of them, neither being able to catch their breath long enough to say a word. Feeling extremely small, I look down at my lap avoiding eye contact with both of them, my cheeks heating from my embarrassment. More than anything, I’m mad at myself. How could I ever let myself believe that I contribute some kind of value to my marriage and his career? I’m mad that I got carried away and felt the briefest amount of excitement at feeling like an equal, when in reality I know that I’m anything but. I’ve always been nothing more than eye candy, a pretty face and supportive woman to hang on the arm of an accomplished man. I don’t need to worry though, because I always have Cal to remind me of my place in this life.