time.
That ledger in her head would never balance. She owed Cass for taking a chance on her and she’d gladly bury herself in Fyra’s numbers until the day she died, if necessary.
But that didn’t mean Alex forgave the interruption.
“What was so important?” she muttered as soon as the door to the powder room closed, affording them a measure of privacy. “I was dancing.”
Cass raised her perfectly penciled eyebrows. “Yes, you were. But Gage and I are ready to go.”
“Already?” Alex had caught a ride with them since Gage had insisted there was plenty of room in his chauffeured town car. On the drive over, she’d been contemplating how she would get home when she sneaked out early from the party. She’d been sure attending Phillip’s shindig would go down as the worst idea she’d ever had. Funny how that had turned out.
“It’s midnight.” Cassandra pointed at the ornate wall clock for emphasis. “We have a son who can’t tell time and will be up at 6:00 a.m.”
Dismayed, Alex stared at the clock, willing it to be a few hours earlier. The hands didn’t change position. Why did it have to be midnight? This night should never end because in the morning, she’d go back to being invisible.
“You just hired a nanny,” Alex reminded Cass with a touch of desperate logic. “Can’t she get up with Robbie?”
This was a bizarre conversation. Robbie was Gage Branson’s son from a previous relationship and never would Alex have taken Cass for the type to willingly enter a relationship with a single father. But she and Gage were deliriously happy. It was so optimistic of them to fall in love despite all the complications. Alex hoped they’d defy the odds and have a long, happy life together.
Cass shook her head with a laugh. “I like to get up with him when I can, since Gage and I still live in different cities for the time being. If you want to stay, just say so and catch a cab later.”
That was Cassandra. A problem solver. “I can’t stay.”
Fyra’s newest shade of lipstick appeared from the depths of Cass’s sparkly bag. She slicked it over her lips and puckered before asking, “Why not?”
Because the thought of staying without the safety net of her friend induced a swirly feeling in Alex’s stomach that could easily turn into full-blown panic. This was a party. The place where Alex was the least comfortable.
And while she’d danced with Phillip, she still had no idea how he intended the evening to end. What if she’d misread his signals? It wasn’t like she had a lot of practice.
Then there was the soft gush inside every time he laughed at one of her jokes or did something gallant. Those were things she could never get enough of. The fact that she liked them so much was probably the best reason of all to disentangle herself before things progressed. When a man got that far under her skin so quickly, it could only lead to trouble.
“Phillip and I have no business getting involved,” Alex explained lamely.
“Honey, you and Phillip are already involved.” Cass accompanied the word with exaggerated air quotes, an impressive feat considering she still had the tube of lipstick in her hand. “Whether you like it or not. He is the whole reason you came. You like Phillip and want to see where it goes. Right? Otherwise, why did I spend all that time coaxing you into that dress?”
Alex could hear herself being ridiculous. “I do like Phillip, but—”
“Is this about your mom again? Because, honey, she’s not you. Just because your dad was a weasel doesn’t mean all men are.”
Alex closed her mouth. Yeah, her parents’ divorce had a lot to do with her caution, but Cass never seemed to understand how deeply it had hurt Alex. How it had driven so many of her decisions, then and now. After all, Alex had a juvenile arrest record thanks to a pathetic attempt to get back at her parents for splitting up. Later, after her mom had patiently straightened Alex out, she’d realized things weren’t as black-and-white as she’d assumed. That was why it never paid to get emotional over a relationship. Love was too messy and complicated.
It was much better to fade into the woodwork and focus on the numbers parading across Fyra’s balance sheet.
A wave of sensation sloshed through her stomach. Definitely panic.
“Do you want to stay?” Cass asked point-blank. There was no mistaking what she was really asking.
Staying meant she was giving Phillip the green light. He’d been eyeing her all night like a gentleman, never pushing her, but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that the senator wanted more than a dance. Alex was being silly even questioning that.
If it had been anyone other than Cass, she’d lie. “I do. But I’m not—”
“Yes, you are.” Firmly, Cass took Alex by the shoulders. In heels, she and Cass were almost the same height. “You’re making this too hard. No one is asking you to marry him. This is about right now, that man and what you want. Go after him.”
Alex’s insides settled a bit.
It sounded so simple. Don’t worry about things she couldn’t control and just enjoy the attention of a man she’d been salivating over for weeks. Don’t assume he cared about anything other than sex—better yet, make it hot enough that he lost all interest in anything other than how good they could make each other feel. What would be the harm in a brief fling with a man she had a not-so-secret crush on? The magic didn’t have to end at midnight.
A shiver rocked her shoulders. It had been a long time since she’d had sex that didn’t require batteries, and Phillip would do just fine as reintroduction to the pleasures of a flesh-and-blood man. After all, he was a prime member of the species.
“Tell Gage I said good-night,” Alex said decisively. “I have a senator to seduce.”
* * *
Alex had been gone for five minutes and already a line of people had formed with Important, Pressing Matters to discuss with Phillip. One of those people was his father, whom he hadn’t seen outside of Washington in over a week. Rarely did their paths cross anyway since his dad was a member of the House. They’d been discussing a secret energy project, but frankly, he couldn’t concentrate on anything Congressman Robert Edgewood was saying as Phillip strained for a glimpse of the woman whose company he wasn’t nearly finished enjoying.
That shimmering dress appeared in his peripheral vision. About time. A humming sense of anticipation kicked up, the same sense he’d had all evening as he immersed himself in Alexandra Meer. What had started out as a way to get to know her better had grown into something more. Something with teeth, which had clamped onto him.
He extracted himself from his dad with a very polite “Excuse me.”
He drew up beside Alex, far too close. All of the other guests vanished. He tilted his head toward her ear and the scent of sweet pears made him hungry. Would it be awful if he tasted her?
He resisted. Barely. This woman had been in his arms all night, exactly what he’d needed to quit dwelling on Gina, and now he wanted Alex back against him, even if all they did was more socially approved dancing. He liked being around her, liked the way she made
