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  He gave an easy laugh, though he knew she wouldn’t be fooled. “The commissioner and I do not have a beef, we were merely behind locked doors for a discussion. I agree and support him wholeheartedly on his decision to do a thorough investigation but keep Mr. Billings active.”

  “Even though you vowed to get the dirty cops off the street?” she asked shrewdly. She was petite but packed a punch with her wildly curly hair, trim figure, and dark eyes that always held a shark-like intensity.

  He treated her to a full glance, his gloved hand gripping the door handle. “Internal affairs will do their job, and if Billings is deemed culpable, the commissioner and I will handle it together.”

  “By pressing charges?”

  His smile faded. His previous job as the district attorney was a slippery slope. He’d been able to view things blacker and whiter in that position. But mayor? Yeah, he’d learned early on there were many shades of gray, and it had nothing to do with a good romance novel.

  “Yes, if necessary, we will most definitely prosecute. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

  He shut the door as politely as possible and hurried to his corner of the world, greeting people as he walked, his mind furiously going over the implications of his push/pull with the head of police and the million other problems buzzing around in his head like angry bees.

  He got stopped a few more times before he finally made it to his inner sanctum. Alyssa followed him in as he threw his briefcase on the littered table. “You have thirty minutes before your next meeting,” she said crisply, opening his closet and displaying a few freshly pressed white shirts and jackets she always kept on hand. “I have the new agenda for the town hall meeting ready for approval. Here are your messages.”

  He already knew they were ranked by most shit-worthy, and she took care of everything else. He quickly sifted through them, re-arranging meetings and addressing hot buttons of concern as he tore off his damp, wrinkled jacket before deciding that his shirt should go, too. Alyssa kept battering commands and questions at him, her back politely turned as usual.

  “Thanks for the head’s up on Tim’s anniversary,” he managed to interrupt. “How do you know all this stuff?”

  “It’s my job. Keeping a schedule is simple. Most people enjoy sharing dates of joy.” As usual, she brushed off any type of compliment he tried to give her. He’d learned early on that her sense of accomplishment came from her own high standards and not anyone else’s. She rattled on. “Mia said the Billings story has the potential to blow. I scheduled a call for her to go over the details so she can direct the social media campaign in the right direction.”

  “Yeah, well, Delaney torpedoed me on my way in. Seems she knows I had words with the commissioner about this. I don’t know why he wants to protect Billings so hard. There’s been soft proof floating around a while, and it’s time I nail the guy and make him an example. For God’s sake, there’s enough dirt and drugs in my city without my police force contributing.” The NYPD was stellar, and he was damn proud of their amazing accomplishments. He supported them, cheered them, and tried to protect most of them from the crap people who wanted to use or exploit them for political agendas. But Billings was just bad news—the exception rather than the rule. He needed to take care of it.

  Her gaze swung around, almond eyes wide behind her glasses. “How’d Diana find out? She got a mole on the inside finally?”

  He couldn’t help the half-grin that lifted his lips. “Probably. Or she went to Best Buy and planted one of those recording devices instead.”

  “Well, fuckety fuck. I’d better schedule another sweep of our offices just in case.”

  She uttered the curse with such a brisk, no-nonsense air, he couldn’t help bursting out in laughter. He caught the gleam of amusement in her eyes before her gaze seemed to change, stuck like a piece of gum on the bottom of a shoe, stubborn and clingy and refusing to budge.

  She was staring at his bare chest.

  His breath stilled. The air seemed to singe with heat and grow heavy between them. A sudden surge of awareness that had never been there before filled the space—or at least, one that had never been recognized. Her pale cheeks turned pink, and her lips parted slightly as if it were hard for her to draw in a breath. For endless seconds, he stood locked to the floor, afraid to move away from the shimmering heat in her gaze as it touched on his nakedness. Her perusal swept over his shoulders, moved down to his pecs, and settled at the line above his belt buckle. He felt himself grow hard from the visual caress and clenched his teeth as he struggled for control.

  But, God, he wanted her to look up. Right at him. Deep into his eyes so he could finally see if there was something there that she was desperately fighting, too. Needed to know he wasn’t alone in this sudden, crazed need for her.

  She turned back around. Her voice never faltered. “Fifteen minutes left. By the way, the Make-A-Wish foundation fundraiser is this Friday.”

  He pushed away the disappointment that crashed through him at her obvious disinterest. He was nuts. She didn’t feel anything toward him except a mild interest in his physique, a flickering appreciation from a female toward a male who took care of his body and stayed fit. Nothing more. Nothing less. He shrugged on his shirt and quickly buttoned it up. “You know I can’t go. I have to show up and do my part for the damn political fundraiser for Devons.”

  “Devons sorely lacks political appeal,” she recited primly.

  “Devons is an idiot, and we all know it. But for now, he’s my idiot, and better that than our combatant.” He slid on his jacket and straightened his tie. “I’m forced to go and play nice for my party. Anyway, you said you’d go in my place to represent the office.”

  “And I will, but the Hope for Heroes organization is part of the fundraiser, dedicated to pediatric cancer research. Cameron’s making an appearance. He’s out of the hospital.”

  He stilled. Cameron was a six-year-old boy fighting leukemia who had always wanted to be a firefighter. Jonathan had met him in the hospital with the fire chief and worked with the foundation to give the boy a full day at the local firehouse, riding on the truck and joining the guys for a big homemade dinner the chief had cooked. The boy’s fierce strength and smile, along with his mop of curly red hair, had charmed Jonathan from the first. He began visiting Cameron regularly, and when he started to hear about the low funding for childhood cancer compared to other causes, he got more involved. “How’s he doing?”

  One of Alyssa’s rare smiles curved her lips. His chest tightened with the beauty of it. “Much better. He’ll be saying a few words, though. I figured you should know in case you decide to change plans. Ten minutes left.”

  He groaned, torn. “I’ll get my ass handed to me if I don’t show, Alyssa. Especially now that I’m running for governor.”

  She lifted a brow. “I know. I’m not trying to talk you out of anything. Just giving you the full itinerary of information for you to make a final decision.”

  He glared. Re-dressed, he strode to his desk and skimmed through the newest agendas, ignoring the furiously blinking phone lines, his fat inbox, and the endless tasks he had to get through before he could call it a day. “There’s no other decision to make. I can’t back out on Devons. It’ll look bad.”

  “Of course, I understand completely.”

  “I know you hate going to these things alone, but I need you to cover for me.”

  She nodded. “Done. One minute. Oh, and I’m not going alone.”

  He clenched his fingers around the file and stared at her. “What?”

  She pivoted on her sensible heel and headed to the door. He heard her talk into the earpiece permanently attached to her ear. “They’re waiting in the conference room.”

  “Alyssa.”

  Did he shout, or was his tone ridiculously high? It’s just she never brought dates to these functions, not once since he’d known her. She’d told him over and over that work functions were for work, not pleasure. Had a man finally changed her min
d?

  Someone who wasn’t him?

  “Yes, Mr. Mayor?”

  He practically gripped the edge of the desk in his need not to pounce across the room and begin flinging personal, inappropriate questions at her. “Do I know him? I mean, is he from the office, helping you out?”

  She hesitated. He felt like a damn puppy, begging to know that she wasn’t really attached. And for what? So he could declare his intentions to be the man she needed? The man to fuck her and protect her and care for her in the way he’d been fantasizing about?

  If he hadn’t been so focused on every nuance of her expression, he would have missed the regret flickering across her profile—the tightness of her lip, the determined set of her shoulders. Finally, she spoke, her voice a tad huskier than normal. “No. I have a date. But don’t worry, I won’t let it affect the job. Time’s up.”

  She left.

  Chapter Four

  Alyssa worked her way through the elegant crowd, stopping to chat up various people, both those whom she knew and ones she hoped to know better. The event was being held at the New York City Library, a big, splashy party meant to draw out the best of the city’s upper crust in order to help terminally ill children achieve their lifelong wishes.

  Because, for most of them, life was too heartbreakingly short.

  He should have been here.

  Disappointment flickered through her even as she swatted it aside like a gnat. Jonathan was a strong advocate of Make-A-Wish and pediatric cancer research foundations, using his platform to raise awareness and to help. Since his wife had died of breast cancer, Alyssa had expected him to take up that specific cause, or rescue animals like his daughter. Although it seemed he tried to support as many important charities as possible, this was where his heart lay—along with helping the city’s homeless.

  She didn’t know why, and maybe there were no solid reasons. Yet another mystery surrounding Jonathan Lake. Of course, she had no right to hope he’d change his plans when he needed to schmooze and secure as many power players as possible. Unfortunately, they’d both learned that equaled voters. Politics had many slimy underground tunnels hidden beneath polished smiles and endless promises, but she’d found there were good people too, usually caught in the web. The strong ones survived and kept their platform as pure as possible, yet mastered the art of compromise. Jonathan could have turned bitter, or even worse, apathetic. Instead, the more obstacles he faced, the harder he seemed to fight for his ideals.

  Another reason she’d begun to fall so hard for him.

  Alyssa plucked a glass of champagne from a tray and glanced up at her escort. “Shall we make our way to the left or the right?”

  Paul grinned. “Haven’t you learned yet? You start in the middle.”

  She smiled back. She’d sat next to him at one of those boring recognition breakfasts and ended up enjoying his easy-going manner and humor. He was older but attractive, with sparkling brown eyes, salt and pepper hair, and a meaty, muscled body she appreciated. He’d been asking her out for a while now, but she’d always felt something more akin to friendship than attraction. Still, she needed to try. Especially after the incident.

  She’d looked.

  Broken her cardinal rule. Never see him naked. She was used to him changing clothes in a flash while she was in the office, but not once had she glimpsed even a shred of bare skin. They were ruthlessly careful to never cross the line, especially since neither of them appreciated office gossip. But this time, his laugh had charmed her like Medusa, and when she’d looked, she’d been turned to stone.

  The memory of his glorious, chiseled chest on full display made a shudder wrack her body. The perfect dusting of dark, crisp hair trailing down in a magic line that disappeared under the belt of his pants. The bunch of biceps and strong line of a shoulder she ached to sink her teeth into. He’d stood before her, thighs braced apart, on full display, frozen in stillness as if he sensed the sudden surge of heat between them. The idea that he suspected she was hot for him made her cheeks burn. She’d done the only thing possible.

  Pretended not to be affected and got back to business.

  Shaking her head, she refocused. “The middle it is. I need to make sure I see Cam, and the director, and a few of the mayor’s business associates. Are you sure you won’t be bored? I feel like I’m still at work.”

  He waved his hand in the air. “It’s fine. I need to do some networking myself. I’m just happy you finally accepted my invite.”

  She frowned. “Well, I technically invited you, but I’m glad, too.”

  He laughed and patted her arm. “You have a strange sense of humor. I like it.”

  Alyssa didn’t take offense. She’d heard it way too often and had been called Spock by her own parents. She never understood jokes and sucked at sarcasm, instead, attacking her views on life in ways that made sense. She simply couldn’t relate to many people and had made peace with it long ago.

  Most she didn’t like anyway.

  Switching on her public façade, she pasted a smile on her face and attacked the throng. It was a good hour later that she was able to touch base with Cam. Dressed in a mini suit and tie, his bald head only accentuated his Irish blue eyes full of a zest for life she wished the world had more of. She hugged his parents hello where they flanked him, then knelt down in front of the guest of honor.

  “Hi, Cam. You look extremely handsome tonight. How are you feeling?”

  “Today’s a good day.” His smile was all sweetness, and her heart squeezed with both pain and happiness. He’d been through so much already, and they were praying this latest round of chemo had kicked him back into remission. “Is Jonathan here?”

  She shook her head. “I’m sorry, sweetie, he couldn’t come. He had a really important meeting, but he sent me. Told me to tell you he’ll call you later and he’s proud of you.”

  He seemed to process the words. “Okay. Did you know the chief got me a real fireman’s jacket?”

  She smiled with relief, knowing at six years old, he was easily distracted. Good. He’d bonded with Jonathan, but there was enough excitement here to keep him from feeling the mayor’s lack of presence. “That’s really cool. You should have worn it with your suit.”

  His laugh said it was funny, even though she hadn’t meant it as a joke. Many people in the crowd wore gear to support Make-A-Wish and various cancer research funds. Cam looked up and, suddenly his face brightened. “Alyssa, the meeting is over!”

  “What meeting?”

  “The one Jonathan was at!” He began waving his hand in the air. She frowned, not understanding.

  “Hey, champ. Well, don’t you look like Bruce Wayne today. Not planning to fight the Joker tonight, are you?”

  The familiar, gravelly voice hit her straight in the solar plexus. She straightened, her heart beating madly against her ribcage like a bird whose flight couldn’t be contained. He’s here. She tried to pull it together, but she’d discovered that she did better when she prepped herself for his presence. She sucked at surprises.

  Jonathan tousled the kid’s hair and beamed down. Cam puffed up. “Jonathan, I got a real red fireman’s jacket!”

  “No way. How am I supposed to top what Chief gave you?” He scratched his head and tried to consider. “Don’t think I can, but at least I have this cool shirt.”

  Cam stared at his fancy, long, wool coat, currently covering Jonathan up. “What shirt?”

  He winked. “This one.” He unbuttoned his coat and flashed it open. Cam’s eyes widened, and he giggled, tugging at his father’s sleeve.

  Alyssa saw the black T-shirt with the bright red logo F--- Cancer scrawled across the front. Paired with his fancy pants and dress shoes, he should have looked ridiculous. Instead, he looked cool. He shrugged off his outerwear and gave Cam’s parents high-fives. A murmur rose from the people surrounding him, and Alyssa caught the gentling of faces as they gazed at the current mayor and Cam together.

  Bulbs flashed. It was a great moment me
ant for viewing and to increase votes. The thing was, Alyssa knew for a fact that Jonathan hadn’t done any of it for attention or the election. He’d been quietly visiting and supporting Cam and the family, along with dozens of other families he’d become close to during his research into childhood cancer. But she knew people would judge anyway, calling him out for making himself seem sympathetic to a hot cause when he’d just announced his run for governor.

  Alyssa’s mind went over Jonathan’s mantra that he consistently repeated.

  It’s not my business what other people think of me, but in this job, I have to at least be aware.

  Balance was key. Already, he’d quietly buttoned his suit jacket back up over the shirt, handing his wool coat to his bodyguard, who pawned it off to his general assistant. He chatted with Cam’s parents for a while, gave the boy a pep talk regarding the sentences he’d practiced to utter into the microphone, then turned toward her.

  His warm smile had faded, replaced by his business persona—a mix of professional yet friendly he consistently showed the world. She was used to it, but she couldn’t help it when her gaze probed, dove deep into piercing, ocean-blue eyes, and faltered.

  A flash of sizzling heat zinged back at her.

  “Where’s your date?” he asked.

  She blinked. “Around. Why are you here?”

  His shoulders lifted slightly. “Did my required time and made my appearance. Decided this was too important to miss.” His gaze narrowed. “This guy isn’t worth your time.”

  Fascinated, she leaned a few inches forward. “Why?”