Pulse Points. Mary Baxter Lynn

      Five

       T anner stood at the window of his campaign headquarters and stared down at the morning traffic. Even though it was early, the streets were alive and bustling. Horns were honking and people gathered on various corners waiting for the lights to change. Rushmore was one of the few small cities whose downtown area had maintained its vitality both for business and commerce.

      Frowning suddenly, Tanner wiped a gathering of sweat off his forehead. The air-conditioning in the building, or rather the lack of it, left a lot to be desired.

      Otherwise, the place was perfect. His campaign manager, Irene Sullivan, had searched long and hard for the right location. The big lofty area had more than ample room for the volunteers to gather, as well as a place to house the loads of campaign materials.

      However, his race for the senate wasn’t what dominated his mind today. Since he’d seen Kasey, he had been reveling in his good fortune.

      Still, he cautioned himself not to get too confident. Or excited. He hadn’t pulled his plan off yet. Kasey had to cooperate. Considering her circumstances, he felt she would.

      But again, he put the brakes on, reminding himself that she’d rather not have anything to do with him. Although she had been polite at the cemetery, she’d held herself as aloof as a block of ice.

      His confidence eroded at the same time his stomach rebelled against the amount of coffee he’d put into it. Yet he was charged. He was a man on a mission and ready to get with it. Tanner peered at his watch. Irene was due any moment for a strategy session, then he was off to see Kasey.

      His stomach roiled, but for a different reason. He should leave well enough alone. To try and resurrect the past even if it was to right an old wrong was never a good idea.

      Yep, he should just sidestep that hornet’s nest. He had enough going on in his life without taking on added responsibility for someone who detested him. A smirk altered his lips. The truth was, she probably didn’t give a damn about him one way or the other.

      She hadn’t rebuffed him, though, hadn’t even told him not to show up at her office. But that final look she had given him said it all. For a split second, he had seen the naked vulnerability behind those eyes.

      For the most part, though, she had been cool under fire. He’d have to give her credit for that. But he wondered what she’d thought. Was she remembering that night? Even now, he could still smell her sweet skin, taste it, see her moist, swollen lips…

      Shit.

      Thoughts like that would get him in serious trouble; they would jeopardize any good he attempted to do. But it was going to be hard to keep his distance, pretend they had no past, even if nearly two decades separated them. A lifetime, yet no time at all, now that he’d seen her again.

      Time had been most kind to her. She wore her chestnut hair in that just-out-of-bed style men found so appealing. He was no exception. The dusting of freckles across her nose and cheeks was still visible and still a turn-on. She now had tiny wrinkles at the corners of her dark blue eyes, giving her heart-shaped face added dimension and character. Her body now had generous curves—the body of a woman who had had a baby.

      While not classically beautiful, she had a quality that was more enduring, more enticing. She had class, an asset he felt still eluded him.

      Tanner smothered a sigh, reminding himself that winning the senate seat should command his undivided attention, not a woman from his past who was off-limits to him.

      “Did you tie one on last night?”

      Both Irene’s appearance and raspy voice suddenly grated on his nerves. But when he swung around, he smiled. “Morning to you, too. And no, I didn’t tie one on, though I feel like I did.”

      She raised her eyebrows before quipping, “You look it, too.” She walked over to the tiny coffee bar and reached for a cup on the counter.

      He watched the swing of her hips in the short, tight skirt that matched her jacket. No doubt, Irene was attractive with auburn hair and brown eyes. But that attraction was in a bold sort of way that was often enhanced by the overzealous use of makeup. She was in her thirties, divorced, and a part-time paralegal. She was smart, ambitious, and like Jack said, ballsy.

      Once she had her coffee in hand, she sat down at the glass-topped table and pinned him with her eyes. “Want me to give you a quick massage? Sure would get the kinks out of your shoulders.”

      Tanner quirked an eyebrow. “I’ll pass.”

      Irene shrugged, but he could tell she didn’t like his rebuff. He swallowed another sigh. He knew she wanted more from him than he was prepared to give. So far, he’d managed to keep the line drawn in the sand. Becoming romantically entangled with her would be hazardous to his career and his emotions. Any day, though, he expected Irene to try to cross that imaginary line. He didn’t know what he’d do, but for now he wasn’t going to worry about it. Other things were far more pressing.

      “So what’s on your mind?” Irene asked, angling her head. “A change in today’s plans, I’m guessing. Otherwise I wouldn’t be here.”

      “I’d forgotten how well you know me.”

      “Not as well as I’d like.”

      Tanner shot her a warning glance.

      She laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not about to jump your bones.”

      “I fail to see the humor in that.” His tone was short.

      “Lighten up, okay?” Her eyes sparked. “Until you come around, I’m happy jumping someone else’s bones.”

      He ignored that last statement, though he fought the urge to throttle her. If she wasn’t so good at her job, he might have fired her on the spot. But she was good and without her strategy expertise, he doubted he would cross the finish line a winner.

      “So again, what’s up?” Irene peered at her watch. “I should be on my way to Dallas even as we speak. In case you’ve forgotten, I’m due at Randolph’s at noon.”

      “You won’t be going.”

      “I won’t?”

      “The Randolph Agency is no longer working for me.”

      Her jaw went slack. “Why not?”

      “I fired them.”

      “You what?” she demanded on a gasp.

      “You