Nick knew that, for the moment, Anna needed to let the emotions that overwhelmed her play out, so he didn’t try to get her to talk to him on the quick ride back to the estate, even if the sound of the tears that choked her up was making concentration difficult.

He hated seeing her so upset, especially since he knew that this display was probably costing her a lot. Anna didn’t seem like a woman who easily cried.

The empty quiet of the house as they walked inside was a welcome change from the night’s revelries. In continued silence, they climbed the stairs and headed toward their rooms.

This night wasn’t going exactly how he’d planned. He had hoped to bank on the romantic ambiance of the night’s venue, maybe find that tree again that she had thought so magical.

“Thank you for getting me out of there,” she said as they reached her door, the first time she’d spoken since leaving the restaurant. She slid his jacket off and handed it back to him. “And thank you for this.”

He tucked it under his arm. “Of course.”

She opened her door, appearing like she was ready to disappear inside and withdraw into her solitude and sadness for the night, something he couldn’t let happen.

“Wait. Anna. Tell me what happened. Maybe talking about it will make you feel better.”

“There isn’t much to say. I got overwhelmed with emotion and I’m embarrassed about the whole thing. Nothing that a good night’s sleep won’t solve.”

“Come on. You and I both know that there’s no chance you’re going to go in there and instantly fall to sleep. Not when you have so much on your mind. Have I ever told you what an excellent listener I am?”

She hesitated, as if considering letting him in.

“Besides, I didn’t get to tell you about my chat with Dax earlier.”

That seemed to have done the trick. And trick was what it was since there really wasn’t much to tell. But he was inside, meaning he’d earned the chance to spend a little more time with her.

Anna crossed the room to the window and sank onto the small chaise that looked like a match to the one in his room. He sat on the corner of the bed. “So what exactly happened?” he asked softly. “When I left the table, you seemed to be doing okay.” His mind latched on to a possibility he hadn’t considered before. “It wasn’t my mother, was it? Did she say something to you?” A string of curses crossed his mind at what the woman could have said that would bring the type of reaction he’d witnessed. She didn’t learn, and if she—

“No. It wasn’t her. I met my aunt Lenore.” She smiled, trying to sound happy, but her tone was strained. “After all these years believing I had no family who loved me or wanted to know me, it turned out that maybe I was wrong.”

Nick knew Lenore, she’d been at the engagement party when she’d seemed harmless enough. Pretty and charming—very much like her niece—but he’d clearly gotten that wrong if, on meeting her, Anna was like this. “What did she say to you?”

“She told me how much she had wanted to know me, but because of my parents’ selfish reasons, she didn’t get a chance. Those are my words.”

There was an edge of bitterness in her tone, and he waited patiently for her to continue.

She stood abruptly, pacing in front of him. “For all these years, my entire life, Malcolm was all too happy to wash his hands of the responsibility for me. Just when I had accepted that and moved on, he goes and dies, leaving a letter to Janie asking her to reach out to me. What the heck is up with that? I mean, if you’re going to pretend someone doesn’t exist their entire life and that person has now adjusted to that, you don’t mess with the status quo and try to build something that’s probably too late. And don’t get me started on my mother.” Anna paused, pulling at her hair for a minute. “Rachel, who always had to have her independence. To hell with what the cost of that independence would be on her daughter, a daughter who was left to her own devices for most of her life. She thought it would toughen me up and help me realize I didn’t need anyone but myself. She didn’t care if I spent every Thanksgiving alone in front of the TV with a pizza delivered from around the corner, or my birthday staring at a handwritten note offering me a rain check for dinner when she got back from Zimbabwe. No one ever asked me what I wanted.”

“What do you want, Anna?” he asked calmly.

She stopped, her eyes wild as they settled on him, and she seemed to catch her breath. “I just want to be someone’s first choice for once. For someone not to take the easy way out of getting to know me because they were given permission not to. For someone to choose to cut their trip short to be there for my birthday because they thought that, maybe, I was more important. All I want is for someone to actually choose…me. Put me first.”

Another tear slipped from her cheek, and his heart tightened at the thought that anyone would think she wasn’t worthy of being their number one.

He stood, walking slowly toward her until he was close enough to wipe the tear from her face with his thumb. Close enough that when her eyes shut at the touch, he could wrap her into his arms, holding her close to him, letting her know without words that he would be there for her.

He wasn’t going anywhere.

A calming energy fell over him as he accepted this truth. Knowing with certainty that in the space of a few days, this woman had become the person he was meant to be there for. Meant to love.

Anna stayed rigid in his arms for another moment before finally accepting the comfort he was offering. Her body slowly softened and she melted into him. Trusting him.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry that anyone ever made you feel like you weren’t important. That you weren’t the most precious thing in their life. Because you are worthy of having someone love you like that. Someone who appreciates how wonderful you are. Someone who can see everything you have to offer them.”

“Yeah? Like what?” she asked, her face buried against him and making it hard to hear her words.

He smiled. “Well, for one, your biting but infectious charm.”

He felt her smile against his shoulder. “Go on.”

“You have a smile that lights up the area around you and makes a man think he’s staring at an angel.”

She chuckled now. “An angel. Right.”

“I’m just repeating what Lorenzo said,” he teased, reminding her of the old Italian’s words. “Let’s see. What else… You’re also persistent in getting what you want.”

“And that’s a good thing?”

“It is. I know that when you set your sights on something, you’ll never give up. Then there are the more obvious traits that right now, holding you this close to me, are becoming harder for me not to be aware of.” Like the softness of her breasts that he’d already been appreciating all night as they pushed up against the slinky black number she wore. “Have I told you yet just how amazing you look in that dress?”

This time she pulled away and laughed as she met his gaze. “Always a one-track mind.”

“I told you it’s my soundtrack playing softly in the background. Lately, though, only when I’m around you.”

And bam. Like that, the humor of the moment dissipated and they were left staring at each other, her blue eyes wide with understanding and something even better.

Mutual desire.

Her gaze dropped to his mouth, which was probably a mistake since he’d barely been holding on to his control before, but with her pressed against him like this, staring at him like she wanted to feel his lips against hers, he felt the last vestige of control slip away.

Greedily, he dipped his head to taste the sweet softness of her mouth, to tease her tongue with his until she opened her mouth more fully to his. Her back arched up as if she was trying to get closer to him, and he took a few steps back until they reached the wall, somewhere he could lean against that would support them both from the deluge of emotions and passion making him as weak as it was strong.

Only it wasn’t enough. For either of them.

“Anna.” He waited until she opened her eyes and focused on him. The smoky gaze of passion nearly undid him. “Before we get more carried away, I want you to tell me that this is what you want, because God knows that you are all I want. Not just tonight either. So I need you to know that if we do this, I’m not going to let you walk back out of my life like the other guys in your life. I’m sticking around. Forever.”

Her breath hitched, and she stared at him in surprise.

“Anna. You’re the most incredibly maddening and exciting woman I’ve ever known. You have a bad habit of getting under my skin and not letting go. Not now, and not ten years ago.”

She reached up to slide her hand through his hair, as if in disbelief that he was standing here now, telling her these things. “I think I’ve always wanted this. Always wanted you, too.”

“Then if you’re on board with this,” he said and smiled, “with us, I’m going to show you in excruciating detail exactly how beautiful and wonderful you are.”

“Promise?” she asked, returning his smile, which was the sign he’d been waiting for.

Taking care not rush the moment, he slipped his fingers under the straps of her dress and slid the gauzy material down inch by inch. Her hands joined his, her need and anticipation matching his, until they were standing together with nothing between them but hope and excitement and always that little bit of fear.

This was what he’d been waiting for his entire life.

This moment. This woman. This night.

And he proceeded to show her just that, in painfully slow and toe-curling movement that made the waiting all worthwhile.

* * *

The morning sun hadn’t yet crept into her room when Anna slowly came awake, aware of the man next to her. Instead of the gripping cold fear that often happened when she found herself in the position of being with a guy that she might have feelings for, Anna didn’t feel fear. Or regret. Or an insatiable need to creep out of bed and sneak away before things got too real.

So this was what it was like. To love someone. To know they matched that love with their own even if the words hadn’t been spoken. He’d said enough with every touch and whisper of adoration.

Her heart was full as she turned her head to watch him sleep for a few more minutes.

She would stay here like this forever if she could, but there were other things she had to finish before the start of the day, like a certain story she’d promised would be in her editor’s mailbox by the end of the night.

Leaning down, she kissed Nick’s soft lips, lingering over them for a second.

His eyes opened slowly to stare at her, and a languid smile tugged on his lips. “Morning. What time is it?”

“Time for me to get the finishing touches finalized on that feature story of a certain up-and-coming state senator.”

Nick stretched his arms overhead and then quickly wrapped them around her, flipping her over to her back. “Are you sure you want to bury yourself in something as dry and boring as that? I can think of something infinitely more interesting we can bury ourselves in,” he said, nuzzling against her throat.

She let him kiss her, enjoying the feeling of his weight on top of her, the delicious feeling of his arms surrounding her, his lips expertly moving to that area under her ear that made everything slip away—

No. She needed a clear head.

She laughed and pushed him away. “You are not going to distract me. Not this time. I have work to do.”

He grinned. “It was worth a try.”

She watched him dress without trying to hide her appreciation as he pulled his clothes on. “I guess it’s probably best that I sneak away to my own room before someone catches us and gets the house buzzing about something other than the wedding.

That’s right, it was today. “Wait, didn’t you tell me you had a chat with Dax? He was still planning on telling Janie everything, right?”

“He was, which means that I probably should get out there and ready for whatever the day brings us.” Fully clothed, he sat back on the bed and leaned over, cupping his hand behind her head to pull her in for another kiss. “Meet me in my room in an hour. We can go down to breakfast together, unless you need more time for your story.”

“An hour is fine. I’m just tying up a few things.”

He stood again and crossed the room, turning at the door to look at her. “All right. Just remember. You’re not getting rid of me now. You’re stuck with me. Forever.”

She didn’t know what was more surprising to her. That he’d said it…or that she believed him.

* * *

There was the sound of pounding. Nonstop pounding.

Nick groaned and rolled over, trying to drown out the sound. It took him another moment to realize that the sound was coming from his door, and another second to realize that someone wasn’t going to stop pounding before he threw his covers off and sat up.

Shit. He’d meant to close his eyes for a minute after his shower but he must have fallen asleep.

Anna.

Immediately, the last remnants of fatigue disappeared. He grabbed his pants and slid them on and picked up a tee shirt, which he pulled over his head as he answered the door. “I hope that you— Mother.” He closed his eyes and counted to three, forcing himself to be patient with the woman standing pristinely dressed as always in navy tailored slacks and a white blouse. “Please tell me you’re not here to give me another lecture about my responsibilities.”

“Do you really not know what’s going on?” Kathryn St. Claire asked, pushing her way in without waiting for an invitation. “What on earth do you pay your communications people for at that office of yours? They should have had a hold on this by now.”

He yawned and took a moment to glance out at the hallway to see if Anna was on her way, but the hall was silent since most rational people were still in bed sleeping. “Slow down,” he said and shut his door behind him. “What’s this morning’s crisis?”

“Why don’t you read the headlines yourself.” She held her phone out to him.

With reluctance, especially as he caught the look on his mother’s face—angry, no doubt, but also gloating—he took her phone and scanned the screen, noting it came from The Daily Rundown’s breaking news section posted thirty minutes ago.

Rumors of Affairs rock the St. Claire family.

What the hell? He sat down on the bed as he read through the sludge.

Multiple sources have confirmed that the late US Senator Richard St. Claire engaged in several long-term affairs during his marriage to Kathryn St. Claire, and it appears that his youngest son, Dax St. Claire, who is to be married today to millionaire heiress Janie Van Hollins, is following in his father’s footsteps as new sources point to the younger’s indiscretions while dating Ms. Van Hollins.

The clincher of the story was in the next paragraph.

Will these rumors threaten Nick St. Claire’s state senate campaign that he was scheduled to announce next week?

It felt like someone had kicked him in the gut and, when he’d fallen to the ground, given him a couple more kicks for good measure. Everything that was being said, about Janie and Dax, his impending campaign, his parents…none of this was common knowledge. He scrolled back up to read the byline.

Staff writer. He felt a moment’s relief despite the dark cloud festering overhead.

“I told you that getting mixed up with that woman again was going to bring you nothing but grief, Nicholas,” his mother continued. She was leaning against the wall by the window, her arms folded in front of her. “Now she’s about to destroy everything that your father has built, your political legacy, not to mention Dax’s marriage, to further her own career.”

“Mother, we have no idea where this story came from. There are any number of people who could have shared this. Anyone here—”

“How many people here know the details about your father’s infidelity? Or that Sara and Dax once had an affair? Or about your upcoming campaign? Are you telling me that Anna didn’t know about these things?”

He clenched his teeth together. “It’s possible that Sara knew all these things. Your calling her the other day was like waving a red flag in front of her that something was going on, politically speaking. It wouldn’t have been too hard for her to make the right calls and figure it out.”

“And why would Sara do that? What would she gain?” Kathryn asked calmly. “Right now, if anyone stood to look the worse here, it’s Sara for sleeping with her best friend’s guy and jeopardizing that friendship.”

“If it’s not Sara, there must be another possibility.”

“Face it, Nicholas. There’s only one person who knew all those details and who had the most to gain.”

He tried to fight the sinking feeling in his gut, a sinking he’d felt so many time before. Each time denying what was in front of him until the evidence became clear.

Not just with Sara. There was Kristie, his first high school girlfriend who had, it turned out, been dating him while angling for a spot as an intern at his dad’s office to pump up her Princeton college application. There was Tanya, his college girlfriend who was trying to get her fashion blog off the ground and hoped that the attention she got from dating Nick would catapult her to success. There had been a few other posers, women and men, who’d tried to use a romance or friendship with him to further their own interests.

But Anna? She wasn’t like everyone else. She was different.

There had to be another explanation.

Okay, he could think this through. Rationally. Objectively. What would Anna have to gain? She would have to know that running this story would ruin any chance she had at having a relationship with not just him, but with Janie, too.

Then again, she’d come into this week with one purpose: to get the story that would save her career. Maybe even make it. And the story he’d been prepared to give her would have saved it, but this one…definitely could make it.

His mother seemed to sense his inner battle and softened her posture as she came to stand next to him, placing her hand on his shoulder. “I know this isn’t easy for you, and it’s not going to be easy for Dax. We need to stick together, keep our heads up, and limit our interaction with the press until after today’s ceremony that I can only pray will go on as scheduled. Then, first thing Monday, we’ll talk tactics and what kind of official statement we want to give.”

“I should go and check on Dax and see if he knows about all of this yet,” Nick said, his voice sounding calmer than he felt. But with the calmness, there was numbness, too. Something he welcomed until he could clear the fog in his brain. “Hopefully he did what he set out to do last night and told Janie everything about him and Sara, and this story won’t be a shock to Janie.”

His mother walked to the door and opened it. “If that young woman knows what’s good for her, she’ll have left the house and saved us all from a painful and unnecessary confrontation.”

Left? Nick looked at the time. It was already twenty minutes past the time Anna was supposed to have come and met him. Had she left, hoping to avoid a confrontation?

No, he wouldn’t jump to conclusions. He couldn’t. Not after everything they’d come to mean to each other, after everything they’d promised each other. She couldn’t have been faking all of that.

For the time being, he’d try and do damage control. Make sure there was still a wedding.

Then he’d deal with Anna.