“Clay,” Brady said with a smile. It was a campaign smile. Liz could read it a mile away.

“Brady,” Clay responded. “Nice party.” He made it sound like a joke.

“Thanks. Mind taking a picture? We can do a family one later.”

“I sure hope it’s for the Christmas card,” Clay retorted.

“Christmas in July?”

“Never too early.”

“Just take the picture,” Brady said, turning to face the photographer. Brady smiled and the camera flashed.

Clay broke away from Brady as soon as it was over. “You should take one with Chris. Have you met his date?” Clay turned to include Liz and Chris into the conversation. “I think I’ve convinced her to run against you.”

“Have you? How kind,” Brady said, turning to face Liz.

Their eyes met and she stopped breathing. She wished his campaign mask would slip for a second so she could see what else was underneath that beautiful face. Why was he doing this to her?

“I hear you’re running against me. How do you intend to win?” Brady asked Liz.

“By taking out the competition, of course,” Liz said without missing a beat.

Clay snickered and Chris squeezed her arm. Brady just kept looking at her, completely unaffected.

“I do believe you would. I hope I can change your mind about running.”

“I’m sure you’d try to change my mind about a lot of things,” she said coolly.

Brady laughed and Liz tried to muster a smile, but it wasn’t without difficulty. “Liz, is it? I believe we met at the rally on the Fourth of July.”

“Indeed we did, Senator,” she said formally. “And who is your beautiful girlfriend?” Liz turned her attention to the woman at his side.

“Ah, this is my friend Amber,” he added, hastily introducing Amber to the group of people.

“Pleased to meet you,” Amber said with an overemphasized Southern drawl.

“How do you guys know each other anyway?” Clay asked.

“We met at the Miss North Carolina pageant,” Amber filled in.

“A pageant. I sure hope you beat him,” Clay said snarkily.

Amber giggled and covered her mouth. Brady shook his head. “Amber is Miss North Carolina. She won this year’s competition.”

“Is that a scholarship competition?” Liz asked, directing her attention to Amber, because she couldn’t look at Brady.

“It is!” Amber answered enthusiastically.

“It must be nice to get a scholarship just for being beautiful,” she said, taking a sip of her drink, glancing at Brady, and then setting it back down. “Excuse me. I’m not feeling well. I think I need to go sit down.”

“I’ll go with you,” Chris said. He placed his drink next to hers.

“Good luck with your election, Senator,” Liz said, smiling at him, turning, and walking away.

Chris followed close on her heels, waiting until they were at a comfortable distance from other people before speaking. “Liz, calm down. He’s not here with her. He only showed up with her. It’s not like that. He likes you. I swear. He wouldn’t have told me about you if he didn’t.”

“Chris,” Liz grumbled, “do you mind shutting up?”

“Come on. You know he’s not interested in that woman. She has nothing between her ears.”

“He’s still here with her.” She continued to walk quickly. She didn’t know where she was going…just trying to escape.

“He wouldn’t have brought anyone if he had the choice.”

“Exactly. No one or a fucking beauty queen.” She stopped and faced him, making sure no one was paying them any attention. “Not me.”

“It’s bad timing. That’s all. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Oh, please,” Liz said, shaking her head and starting to walk again. “Its having nothing to do with me is even worse.”

“Hey.” Chris grabbed her arm and forcibly stopped her from walking farther. “I’m telling you as his best friend that he likes you. Remember the other night when we were all together? He’s not like that with some dumb beauty queen. Now let’s get another drink and calm down.”

“Did you know he was bringing someone else?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said with a sigh, “but not until last night.”

“And why wasn’t I informed of this?” Liz asked testily.

“Because he thought you might back out, and he wanted you here.”

“Well, at least he knows me.”

“Come on,” he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. “Let’s get a drink.”

Liz sighed and shook her head. “No. I don’t think I can do that. I can’t stand around and watch him with her.” She brushed his hand off of her shoulder and started walking toward the door. She had fallen hard for Brady Maxwell, but he couldn’t parade that woman in front of her. He couldn’t get away with not telling her the truth, not being up front with her, when he demanded it of her.

“Liz…” Chris called, following after her. “Don’t leave.”

“I have to. He doesn’t take this seriously.”

“He’d be stupid not to take you seriously after that last comment.”

Liz shot daggers at him. “Why are you even siding with him?”

“He’s my best friend. Look, just come with me for a minute.” Chris reached out and stopped her. “Don’t leave yet.”

“Chris, come on. I’m just going to go.”

“One minute,” he pleaded.

Liz grumbled expletives softly under her breath before nodding. “Fine. Where are we going?”

“Somewhere quiet,” he said, walking toward the back wall.

“For what?”

“Just act natural.”

Liz shrugged and decided to see where he was taking her. It was better than sticking around the party and watching the stupid beauty-pageant chick follow Brady around like a lapdog.

They walked through a door on the other side of the room, which led them through a service hallway. They turned a corner and Chris jiggled the handle to the first door on the right. It twisted and pushed inward. Liz peered around him and saw that he had opened a door into a family bathroom.

“What the hell is this?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Chris looked up and down the empty hallway. “Just go inside. Brady will meet you in a minute.”

“In a bathroom?” she asked incredulously.

“Yes. Go,” he said, pointing at the door.

Liz looked at him as if he were mentally insane, but walked into the bathroom and shut the door. She felt really ridiculous. She was standing in a bathroom, for Christ’s sake. Who did this? What if Brady left her in there all night? Not that she would stay longer than like fifteen minutes…okay twenty…maybe longer.

She sighed, feeling even more ridiculous. How the hell could Brady bring someone else to this event? Why even invite Liz if he was going to flaunt someone else around in front of her the whole time? After blowing up on her about Justin and not wanting anyone else to get their hands on her, he had the audacity to show up with someone else. As if she wanted anyone to get her hands on him!

Just the thought was getting her even more riled up. And she didn’t want to calm down.

The door handle rattled as someone wrestled with the stuck knob. It popped open a second later and Brady stood silhouetted in the doorway. Alone.

Liz smiled at the sight of him. Then she remembered she was angry and wiped it away. He moved inside quickly, shut and locked the door. He took one look at her before crossing the small space, taking her face in his hands, and kissing the breath right out of her. Her eyes closed for a second as he took what was his. He was the most intoxicating substance on the planet. Their kisses were like fire scorching through a burning building—hot and destructive.

She didn’t want him to stop. She couldn’t possibly want that. She wanted to do this for the rest of eternity. Who cared if he burned a hole right through her heart?

Then she came to her senses, and she pushed him back with every ounce of force. She probably didn’t move him back more than an inch, but the shock of her stopping him made him stumble a few feet backward.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” Brady asked.