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“Alyssa.” He caressed her name, his smile warm as if only for her. “Thank goodness. I apologize, ladies, but I need a few minutes alone with my able assistant.”
The pair smiled at her and happily drifted off. He handed her the chardonnay, his gaze holding hers. “I won.”
She waited, taking a sip as the chattering crowd seemed to drop away for a few precious moments. “How?”
His lower lip tugged. “Does it matter? Will you grant my favor?”
“Depends on what it is,” she retorted, enjoying their banter. She nibbled on her crab cake. “I won’t do anything illegal.”
He looked delighted by her answer. “Even if I promised you clemency?”
“You can’t, you don’t have that type of power.”
“I will when I’m governor.”
“Then if it’s an illegal activity, you can wait to collect until after you win the election.”
He laughed out loud. Lord, he was sexy when he did that. The creases around his eyes deepened, and his white teeth flashed, and she wished she could make him laugh all day long, just for her pleasure. Instead, she ate her cheese and crackers, knowing their time alone was about to end. The music was in full swing, an array of gentle pop and slow songs, and the dance floor was full of couples taking advantage of the gorgeous, romantic atmosphere before the official speeches and awards were given out.
His voice softened, and he lowered his head toward her. “I think you already know what I want to ask, Alyssa.”
She stilled, took another sip of her wine, then slammed him back with her gaze. “I’m not ready to answer yet.”
He gave a tight nod. She watched him struggle for his next words, seeming to sift through some to pick the perfect ones for their rapidly decreasing time limit. “It’s your favorite song.”
She blinked. “What?”
His head jerked toward the dance floor. “The Chainsmokers. That’s the concert you went to recently, right?”
He remembered. She’d gone with a few women from work who’d scored tickets, but in the darkened auditorium, with the creative and emotional lyrics ringing in her ears, she’d been alone with her heart and soul open, the music taking her somewhere else. “Yes.”
“What’s this called?”
The music took her back to the time they’d played this. And how she’d thought of him. “Something Just Like This. But they collaborated on this song with Coldplay.”
“One of my favorite bands. They seem to make an incredible team.” He slowly held out his hand. “Dance with me.”
She tried to speak, but no words came out. Her heart pounded ridiculously fast. “No, Jonathan, we can’t. People may talk.”
A gentle smile curved his mouth. “Just one dance, Alyssa. And then we’ll get back to safety and dazzle the crowds and the press and pretend we’re not dying to touch each other. We’ll lie and say this is just about work and not emotions I haven’t felt in over five years. I want to hold you for a little while and pretend you’re mine in front of all these people. Can you do that? As my favor?”
A shudder wracked her. Alyssa knew she had to say no. It was dangerous to put herself on a public dance floor, vulnerable to the crowd’s stare. Everyone would see how she really felt about the mayor, and it would all blow up. But, unbelievably, her heart won the battle.
She took his hand and followed him to a small empty space in the center of the floor.
His arm slipped around her waist, and one hand enclosed hers. They held a respectable distance between their bodies as he began to move, but his blue eyes blistered with pure heat. Her fingers curled into his shoulder, the meaty muscle under his sleek suit jacket clenching under her grip. Her bare legs brushed against his pants. The dress that had seemed like decent armor before melted like newspaper under flame, her body warming and softening with every step they took around the floor. Somehow, she had enough brain matter left to nod at other dancers, making it look as if the dance were a nice gesture from the mayor instead of the sexual inferno rising between them.
The Chainsmokers sang about not needing a superhero to love, and Jonathan kept an easy smile on his face like the dance meant nothing but a social nicety, but she knew it was so much more when he looked at her. The fierce plea was there. If she said yes, he’d pull her close, bury his face in her hair, and let the world do as it may. They’d be plastered on page six, she’d be hounded by the press, and he’d have endless closed-door meetings with the governor and Mia’s PR team about how badly he’d handled coming out with his assistant.
For one moment, Alyssa wished she were a different type of woman. One who took risks and was adventurous at heart. But she wasn’t. She was a rule follower, saw too much of the big picture and the statistics of disaster, and refused to take the leap.
For one moment, she became that woman. She leaned in close, studying Jonathan’s perfect chiseled jaw, strong brow, and fierce eyes. She breathed him in, relished the blistering body heat pulsing through his shirt, practically heard the rapid beat of his heart. His carved lips were pure temptation, and now she knew how good they felt whispering over hers, his tongue plunging into her mouth, his masculine taste better than the sweet taffy she’d obsessed over as a child.
He whispered her name.
She stepped back.
The music stopped.
