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Parker watched it happen like a train wreck She could feel hi nervously under the table and bu hi her hand on his knee, but that only seemed to make it worse

Garrett and Parker had spoke briefly on the ride over about what to expect during dinner Parker told him as many details about Fernandez’s personality as she could in the short drive Obviously he hadn’t listened to the one about how he did not like to discuss business during dinner

The last course was finally over and cleared and waiters began wandering around serving coffee to those anted it

Garrett wondered if he should try again, but Parker sensed what he was thinking and shot him dirty look and shook her head no

Before Garrett could decide if he wanted to defy her and just go with his gut, his thoughts were interrupted by Fernandez

"So, Mr Miller," he spoke loudly enough for their end of the table to hear and quiet down "Tell us, how long have you and the lovely Mrs Miller been aze from Parker’s and looked across the table at Fernandez

They had only discussed this briefly on the way over and had decided to just stick to the truth as much as possible The idea of that was funny to Garrett He could sit right here next to Parker and spill all of his secrets and nothing he said would be taken seriously by her

"We’ve been married for about six months," Garrett told him

Parker cleared her throat next to hione by the date that her and Milo were supposed to be married She did tell hih so they wouldn’t get tripped up He probably assuh the date was soet

"Ahhhhh, needs," Fernandez said with a smile while those seated closest to Garrett and Parker nodded their heads and smiled in happiness for them All of a sudden, all eyes on their half of the table were on them

"When did you know you were in love with your beautiful wife?" Fernandez asked

Garrett looked at Parker when he answered

"The first o," he replied honestly Garrett’s tone of voice immediately softened as he spoke

Parker searched his eyes and sed past the lump in her throat She so desperately wanted to believe what he said was true and not just soh

Fernandez reached over and took his wife’s hand, placing it on the table and clasping her fingers with his in a show of affection

"Love is a blessing which one can only hope for I can see that the two of you have been tre dinner I’ve noticed the way you look at one another It bringscouple soup with the President’s words She felt stripped bare and like everyone at the table, including Garrett, could see right through her Garrett finally broke froain

"It’s a shame you have to hen you should be on a ind honey the love of one another"

Garrett mirrored the President’s previous action and reached for Parker’s hand, placing it on the table in between theently to calh his earlier anxiousness had transferred into her

"It’s quite alright, Mr President My wife and I enjoy our work and are just grateful we are perether e do it," Garrett told him with a smile

There were hted smiles aimed in their direction

"Is it not an Alass signifying the husband and wife should kiss?" the Vice President’s wife asked excitedly

Her question was hs of pleasure from those around her

Parker and Garrett sat stoically at the table while news traveled down to the other end Neither one of the to eat them alive at the mention of the word kiss

Before Parker could excuse herself to the ladies’ roo sound began at the opposite end of the table Pretty soon, all forty guests joined in, including the President, as they picked up whatever piece of silveras closest and began tapping thelasses, and coffee cups

The noise becaed roohed in Garrett and Parker’s direction while they continued clanging their glasses

Parker took a deep breath and turned to face Garrett, realizing they were going to have to do it They were husband and wife after all; it should be no big deal to give him a little kiss

Garrett and Parker had kissed in a friendly ratulations, or soht brush of the lips This would be the saers

Garrett tried to keep the look of fear off of his face as soon as the clanging started He’d alanted to kiss Parker; he’d drea Parker The few chaste, friendly kisses they’d shared over the years were never enough for hi this in front of all these people was not good He wanted to be alone when he kissed her Preferably in a bed, naked

Without giving it a second thought, Parker leaned over and placed a quick kiss against Garrett’s lips and then pulled away, srateful Parker took the initiative because he probably would have sat there all night thinking about being in bed with her

Unfortunately, the clanging didn’t stop and the cheering grew louder

"Come now, show all of us old, ed loudly over the noise with a raise of his hands, indicating the crowd should cheer louder

They couldn’t act shy or like they’d never done it before They needed to act quickly or it would start to look suspicious Parker felt like a fool fordeal about this She was CIAShe’d had to kiss a few men over the years and pretend they were involved and it was always no big deal

Garrett and Parker turned back to face each other at the same time Garrett stared at her lips and felt his heart speed up He took his hand and slid it around to the back of her neck and pulled her forward until they were a breath apart

The noise around them disappeared and all Parker could see, feel, and hear, was Garrett

He angled his head and closed the gap, connecting his lips to Parker’s Garrett slid his tongue against her lips, wordlessly asking for entrance She iue pushed gently into hersoftly on it at the sah her body when their tongues collided Garrett pushed and pulled, slid and swirled his tongue through her mouth, until she had to reach up and clutch the hair on the back of his head to steady herself She knew kissing Garrett would be the breaking point for her, but she had no idea it would affect her like this She wanted to crawl onto his lap andbetween her legs until she came Parker didn’t care as at the table or where she was His kiss was lighting her on fire, and she couldn’t stop the moan that she breathed into Garrett’s mouth