Solace (Devastation Trilogy Book 2) Read online

  Table of Contents

  Description

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Also by the Author

  Dedication

  Author's Note

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Preview: Governor (Governor Trilogy 1)

  About the Author

  He doesn’t know how to give in…

  I’m in way over my head. I’m waiting for someone to point a finger at me and call me an imposter.

  I don’t belong here.

  Yet I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be.

  I don’t know what the hell this is between us, but even while I hate it, I crave it, like a damn drug.

  I need it.

  I need them.

  And I’ll do whatever it takes to stay here, even if it means giving up who I am.

  Solace

  Devastation Trilogy - 2

  Lesli Richardson

  http://www.LesliRichardson.com

  Solace

  Devastation Trilogy Book 2

  Copyright © 2019 by Lesli Richardson

  First E-book Publication: April, 2019

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This work may not be reproduced, transmitted, or distributed in any form or by any means currently available or available in the future, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, for free or for sale, without express written permission from the publisher and author.

  Distributing copies of this e-book to others is a violation of international copyright law and infringes the rights of the legal copyright holder. This e-book may not be shared, copied, sold, given away, offered as a contest prize, or otherwise distributed to anyone other than the original purchaser. Distributing this e-book as part of any collection, or with any type of resale permission, is also strictly forbidden and a violation of copyright law.

  This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real people, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  This is my livelihood. PLEASE do NOT share, upload, or otherwise distribute this book. When people buy my books, it pays my bills. Please don’t steal from me. If you want me to keep bringing you more stories, I need to be able to pay my bills. Thank you.

  http://www.LesliRichardson.com

  Also by the Author

  Please sign up for my author newsletter, where I post info about both my Lesli Richardson and Tymber Dalton pen names, and never miss a new release or update:

  http://eepurl.com/cXKR7v

  Writing as Lesli Richardson:

  The Bleacke Shifter Series:

  1) Bleacke’s Geek

  2) Geek Chic

  3) A Bleacke Wind

  4) Bleacke Spirit

  5) A Bleacke Christmas

  6) Geek-Speak (Coming Mid-2019)

  7) Bleacke Expectations (Coming Mid-2019)

  The Great Turning Series:

  1) The Great Turning

  2) The Great Turning: Into the Turn

  3) The Great Turning: Future Ages

  Governor Trilogy:

  1) Governor

  2) Lieutenant

  3) Chief

  Determination Trilogy:

  1) Dignity

  2) Diligence

  3) Desire

  Devastation Trilogy:

  1) Dirge

  2) Solace

  3) Release

  Of Boardwalks and Bison

  Cross Country Chaos

  Poly

  Jailmates (Maxim Colonies 1)

  Farborn (Maxim Colonies 2)

  Lesli Richardson is better known by her more prolific Tymber Dalton pen name. Please check out her website for more info on all her titles under both her pen names, including full book and series listings, trivia, character information, and more.

  http://www.tymberdalton.com

  Honest reviews are greatly appreciated and can help boost a book’s rankings on retail sites. Thank you!

  Dedication

  For Hubby, and for Sir. He knows why.

  Author's Note

  Politics are messy, nasty, sexy, brutal, funny, impossibly complex, and a lot of fun to write about. (Mostly because they’re messy, nasty, sexy, brutal, funny, and impossibly complex.)

  Since the focus of this trilogy isn’t the politics so much as it is the people, I’ve taken certain liberties and simplified a few things here and there.

  But the kinky shit is absolutely realistic.

  The Devastation Trilogy is a spin-off set in the same world as the books in the Governor Trilogy, Determination Trilogy, and others. It is a standalone trilogy that can be read separately.

  It is suggested the books in the Devastation Trilogy be read in order:

  Dirge

  Solace

  Release

  Chapter One

  My name is Declan Ronald Howard. I’m twenty-nine years old, have a law degree, and my official job title and duties for most of the past two years are deputy chief of staff to the governor of Tennessee, George Samson Forrester.

  My unofficial job can basically be summed up as fucktoy for both the governor and for his long-time friend and chief of staff, Casey-Marie Blaine.

  By day, I’m quickly mastering how to work my way through the machinations of our state government’s particular—some would say peculiar—way of doing things.

  By night, I’m either on my knees—or hands and knees, or back—doing peculiar things for George. That is, when I’m not doing them for Casey-Marie—who’s also my direct-report boss—and doing my best to keep her satisfied.

  Relationship status?

  Complicated.

  Which is a massive fricking understatement.

  Workplace harassment? Sexual harassment?

  Oh, we’re waaay beyond that. We left that in the dust about a hundred miles behind us.

  That was not a complaint, if you were wondering.

  I don’t honestly know what I’m feeling about it all.

  That I’m not fighting any of this, and that I’m even craving some of it—okay, most of it—confuses the hell out of me.

  For starters, I’m straight.

  At least, before all this started, I would have insisted I’m straight.

  So how did I get…here?

  I can’t answer that, because it wasn’t a straight line.

  No pun intended.

  But the turning point was the night a few weeks ago when Casey decided to take me in hand in her office instead of waiting to go someplace private, and George walked in on us.

  Want to know something else?

  I’m nearly certain she did it deliberately. That she staged it that way. There’s some sort of weird emotional dance going on between the two of them, George and Casey. Like neither of them can admit their feelings to the other and, somehow, I’ve become the chew toy between these two Alpha dogs. A chew toy that they use to make love through.

  Okay, maybe not making love, because it’d be more like rage sex.

  They leave angry, secret lo
ve notes to each other in my flesh.

  Everything tells me this is a dangerous rocket sled heading straight for disaster—personally, professionally, and politically.

  Yet every time I’ve been offered the opportunity to get off the ride…

  I’ve chosen to stay.

  Begged to stay.

  What does that say about me? That I won’t give in or give up?

  For most of my life, especially my adult life, I’ve felt like an imposter. A faker. Growing up, people told me I’d never be anyone, never do anything worthwhile with my life. Never amount to anything.

  That people like me weren’t worthy.

  Does the situation I currently find myself in make every horrible thing people have told me…correct?

  What else does it say that I have a sinking suspicion the only thing standing between Governor George Forrester and true insanity is…well, me?

  Furthermore…

  What does it say about me that I’m reluctantly forced to admit I’m not only liking a lot of things I previously never thought I would ever want to try, but that I’m eagerly looking forward to some of them?

  Okay, most of them. Fuck.

  I certainly accepted this job feeling like an imposter. Like they made a mistake putting any level of trust in me. That by giving me any responsibility meant they were making a huge mistake. I basically took the job because Casey and I were already secretly involved with each other, and she told me I was now her deputy chief of staff.

  Now?

  Maybe I do hate some of what we do. I hate it when George takes out his anger on me.

  I hate that there are things inside him I don’t know if I can help him heal.

  I hate that he lost the love of his life. But if what we do together in any way helps him, then why should I feel guilty about that?

  And I’m starting to crave…things.

  I’m starting to crave Him.

  That should fricking terrify the hell out of me, yet part of me wants it even more because of that terror.

  Because despite the terror there is a level of safety I feel, even if Casey is worried for me and threatens to quit and take me with her if George doesn’t toe her line.

  Months ago, I would have followed her to the ends of the earth and back without hesitation.

  Now?

  I’m pretty sure if she tried to leave and order me to go with her that I’d have to tell her no. That would also break my heart, because I love her.

  What’s more? I don’t want her to leave. I want her to stay. I want to convince her she can trust George, too.

  Which is weird because they’ve known each other for literally most of my life. George was married to Casey’s best friend. He’s seventeen years older than me, and she’s fifteen years older than me.

  I know she wants him. I can see the hunger in her eyes when she watches us together.

  I can see the desire in his eyes when he watches her with me, or even just at work, when he thinks neither of us are paying attention.

  I want the best of both worlds.

  I’m a greedy, masochistic slut, apparently.

  Except I have a feeling that the pain both of them are wrapped in might destroy all three of us if it’s allowed to get out of hand.

  That’s why I have to be careful. I need to figure out how to heal George privately, while publicly pretending he’s only my boss. Especially during his re-election bid for governor.

  I can’t be a distraction.

  I can’t be anything but his deeply buried dirty secret.

  I have to learn how to walk that high-wire, and it’s all on-the-job training.

  I cannot fail, because our state needs him.

  His children need him.

  And Casey needs him, because when Ellen died, Casey lost her best friend.

  I need him.

  Need, or crave, I’m not sure which.

  Maybe both. The two aren’t mutually exclusive.

  Either way, I’ll let him seek solace in my flesh, because it’s all I have to give. And I’m not giving in or giving up on him, or on her.

  Hopefully, we won’t all be consumed by the flames of his insanity in the process.

  * * * *

  Right now, we’re still a little ways out from the primary election filing deadline. The GOP hasn’t fronted anyone to run against George yet, and no candidates have bucked the state party and stepped up to challenge his assumed incumbency. Which is a damned good thing.

  That’s another reason we currently have to be so freaking careful. If any hint of impropriety leaks about me and George, he’d be turfed faster than a Vol spiking the ball after a game-winning touchdown pass. And we have open primaries, just to add to the fun. George is GOP, but he’s also a RINO—Republican in Name Only.

  There’s a lot the public doesn’t know about Tennessee Governor George Forrester.

  Like he’s an atheist. That he’s a sadist. That he’s socially liberal.

  That he dresses left, prefers I keep my eyes open and look up at him while giving him a blowjob in his office, and always has me tuck him in after he’s finished.

  That he truly owns me.

  That him telling me to lock his office door when he summons me makes me immediately hard, if I’m not already hard.

  That it didn’t take many times before him summoning me to his office made me hard, whether or not I knew the summons was for business or pleasure.

  That I’m the first man he ever received a blowjob from, or fucked, and the only man he’s ever been with.

  The way his breath feels against my scalp when we snuggle in his bed after a hard play and fuck session.

  How he sounds when he whispers to me while we make love.

  All these things and countless others would scandalize the voting public of Tennessee.

  Which is why I have to remain his dirty secret.

  I honestly think if it were up to him that he’d say fuck it, openly date me, and retire from public life after losing his re-election bid.

  Casey, however, would likely wring his neck. Apparently, there were a lot of plans made long before Ellen was killed in the plane crash that nearly killed George, too. Things Ellen wanted to try to achieve as first lady when George eventually became governor.

  So many social initiatives they wanted to accomplish, education reform, voter protections, equality guarantees.

  This means I’ll remain George’s dirty little secret for the foreseeable future, because he’s dedicated to accomplishing a lot in his wife’s memory.

  You know what?

  I’m okay with that.

  Because there are people in my personal life who’d probably want to hurt or maybe even kill me—or him—if the truth comes out.

  * * * *

  Guess this is a funny place to start my tale, but, honestly? I’m not exactly sure how I got here in the first place. There were a lot of possibilities I considered for my future—including the very real one that I might not even have a future—but this path never blipped my radar.

  Hell, earning my law degree and passing the bar didn’t make the top fifty possibilities.

  I never would have done that without Casey, either.

  Never could have done that.

  There are so many things in my life I never could have achieved had Casey-Marie Blaine not crossed my path.

  There are so many things in my life I never would have done, either.

  Good, and bad.

  But what is bad, really? I think that’s mostly subjective.

  I mean, there are some things that I believe we can all reasonably agree are “bad.”

  Polio, famine, earthquakes.

  Plane crashes.

  But what about other things? Like illicit affairs, beating someone, and forced sex with your boss?

  Attorneys.

  Are they “bad?”

  Your mileage may vary.

  What if I flip the script on you and tell you that second batch of “bad” things were all performed
by consenting adults?

  Still think they’re bad?

  I mean, other than attorneys. Everyone knows we’re a…special breed.

  Even the good ones.

  Doubly so when we’re either politicians, or working in politics.

  My life could’ve gone in a lot of different directions, considering where I came from.

  Including objectively bad directions.

  Then again, considering where I am right now, maybe I’ve already gone in a bad direction.

  Maybe it’s exactly the way I want to go.

  Chapter Two

  Now

  When I awaken before dawn Saturday morning, I draw in a sharp breath because I need a moment to get my bearings. I’m not at home in my own bed. I’m not in Casey’s bed, either.

  The warm, naked body wrapped around me isn’t Casey—it’s George.

  As in Tennessee governor George Forrester.

  My boss.

  Which makes sense, because it’s his bed I currently occupy.

  Thanks to the excellent beating and fucking I received from him last night, I now ache in very pleasant ways, from head to toe, inside and out.

  Fuck, I needed that.

  Even my neck’s a little sore from where George choked me.

  Yeah, I feel the smile on my face, and the way my cock wants to harden over the memory. Ahh, breath play. I’d always wanted to try it, but Casey had said no.

  Last weekend, when I travelled to Washington, DC with George, he did it to me. The first time sort of unintentionally, and the second time definitely intentionally.

  Fuuuck, yeah. I’ve never come that hard before. New favorite thing, thank you very much.

  Unfortunately, I can’t lie here in bed with him all morning, which is what I really wish I could do. I have stuff to get done today, the first thing being I have to stop by Casey’s house on my way out of their neighborhood.

  She lives only four houses down from George. George has a fundraiser to attend tonight, and Casey and I are accompanying him. It’s formal, meaning I need to break out the tux hanging in my closet at home. I’ll bring it with me when I return later and get dressed here.