The Senator's Daughter. Sophia Sasson
Come on the campaign trail. Take some pictures with the senator so he can show that he’s getting to know his newfound daughter. Your mother said she wants him to claim you, and he’s willing to do that. In return, you can spend time learning about him for your book.”
She stared at him. His eyes were pleading and she could feel herself melting. Alex was a trained liar. This whole situation was his fault. If he hadn’t put pressure on them to lie, maybe her mother wouldn’t have made that impulsive statement. But... She had a chance to find out once and for all why her father had left, and to get some answers to questions that had haunted her life. Maybe it was time she learned to use her situation to her advantage rather than curl up and wait for others to determine her fate.
“I can’t leave my mother.”
“Our campaign headquarters are in Richmond, just an hour from here. The senator uses it as a base to travel through the state. I can situate you there.”
“Is that where you work out of?”
“I split my time between Richmond and DC.”
An unwelcome pulse of disappointment went through her. She ignored it. His not being around was a good thing.
“I have two conditions.”
He lifted a brow, his lips pressing together. “I’m not sure I can meet them.”
“Then I am sure I’ll be slamming the door in your face in a few minutes.”
A vein bulged in his neck and she felt her nerves spark as she took in the curve of his neck and jawline.
“Let me hear it.”
She focused her attention back on the matter at hand. “First, no media. You can take some posed pictures of me and circulate them, with my approval, but I don’t want to be in front of the cameras like I was just now.”
He steepled his fingers and tapped them against each other. Kat found herself getting distracted by the way his fingers moved. “It’ll be faster to take the attention off you if you give a statement to the media. They hound people who avoid them.”
She shook her head. “I won’t do it. That’s nonnegotiable. Posed photos only.”
He looked down before meeting her gaze, and Kat had the distinct impression she was making a deal with the devil. “I think I can manage that. What’s the other condition?”
“I want full access to the senator and to campaign decisions.”
He opened his mouth to protest but she held up her hand.
“I will sign a limited confidentiality clause and allow you to review my final manuscript before it goes to the publisher. Review it for factual accuracy, not to change my analysis.”
His eyes locked onto hers. She didn’t blink.
“That’s the only way I’ll do it.”
“I guess there’s no way the book can be published before the November elections.”
She bit her lip. Under normal circumstances, he’d be right. It took at least nine to twelve months to bring a book to publication, but she wasn’t writing a commercial book. She should tell him about the inside track Dean Gladstone had.
“You’ve got yourself a deal.” He held out his hand.
She hesitated before taking it. Was she doing the right thing? Reluctantly, she grasped his hand, surprised at the roughness in his firm grip. He smiled, and she found herself staring at the way his lips moved, the way they curved, the contrast of their pinkness against his golden skin. Her body warmed from her hair to her toes.
This is going to be disastrous.
KAT KNEW WHAT to expect from campaign headquarters, but no intellectual knowledge could have prepared her for the in-your-face chaos that greeted her. Flashbulbs exploded in her face as she stepped from her car onto the sidewalk. Alex was there in a flash, shielding her and passing reporters with a firm “Wait for the press briefing.”
Alex thought it best to come to headquarters right from the house to draw the media away from her mother. They walked through a set of glass doors and staffers from every corner of the warehouse-like space came rushing toward her. She instinctively stepped back...and bumped right into the solid mass that was Alex. His hands went around her shoulders, steadying her. He lifted one arm and extended it, palm out. The rush of people stopped barely a foot from her. Questions and introductions were hurled at breakneck speed. Alex shooed them away and steered her over to a glass-walled office in one corner. She sank into a guest chair as Alex waved to someone.
Kat turned to see a petite redhead with black-framed glasses walk in.
“Kat, this is Crista Jordyn. She’s—”
Crista held out her hand. “I do all the real work around here while Alex runs around looking good.”
Alex rolled his eyes good-naturedly. “Crista will introduce you around the office and find you a computer station. I have to go to DC.”
Kat stomped on the flare of disappointment. It was a good thing he wouldn’t be around, as she had enough to worry about between meeting her father and researching a book. The last thing she needed was to get distracted by Alex.
“When is the senator expected back?”
Alex tapped on his BlackBerry. “He’s on the ground in Cairo. He’ll video call with you at eight tonight. Crista will get you set up.”
Kat glanced at her watch. “I can only stay for two hours. I need to get home to take care of something.”
Alex looked up. “Kat, most everyone here works well into the evening. You want full access, you can’t expect to work nine-to-five...let alone just popping in when it suits you.” He began to study a sheaf of papers.
Crista took her elbow. “Let’s leave Mr. Crankypants to deal with his work.”
He didn’t acknowledge them as they walked out, and something pinched in Kat’s chest. What did she expect? He was running a major campaign and a ton of staff reported to him. Why should she feel entitled to special treatment from him? She was looking for the man she’d gotten to know back at her house, the one who rescued her mother from the talons of the reporters. Maybe what she thought had been a glimpse of the real Alex was really an aberration. After all, she had plenty of experience with men who could turn on the charm when needed.
Once out of earshot, Crista whispered to her, “He’ll be leaving soon and I’ll get you the senator’s call information. You can take it from home.”
From home? Where her mother was?
She shook her head. “I want to do my share. I’ll go home, then come back for the call.” Kat had to make sure her mother took her evening pills, but she didn’t want to upset her when she spoke with the senator.
Crista leaned forward. “I think it’s great you take care of your mom like that.”
Kat gave her a thin smile. Does everyone here know about Mom?
Crista led Kat around tables overflowing with campaign signs and papers, introducing her to the staff. To their credit, they kept the gawking to a minimum and welcomed her warmly. The place was packed with people bustling about. There were only two offices, one for Alex and one for her father. Cubicles covered most of the floor. In the center of the large space was a long conference table littered with signs. She stole several glances at Alex. He was almost always surrounded by people. The place was buzzing with energy.
He led her into a cube. “And this is Nathan Callahan. He works on defense stuff.”
Nathan swiveled in his chair, pinning her with bright blue eyes. “I hear you’ll be observing.”
“I