But many of the volunteers working for Josh’s campaign were college students, and with the scent of their first political victory in the air, their excitement was hard to contain.
While the campaign steamrolled toward Election Day, Fiona was not without concerns. There’d been no further threats against Josh, which was good news, but neither had she made much headway in the kidnapping investigation. If anyone in Josh’s campaign, including Josh himself, was involved, they were keeping a very low profile.
But during her second week with the campaign, Fiona got her first break. Two things happened which made her wonder if someone close to Josh was trying to get rid of her.
The first incident happened in Boulder. Josh was to address a group of local businessmen, and there’d been some revisions to his speech. He’d asked Fiona to grab the final draft for him from his hotel suite, but somehow the folders had gotten switched and she’d given him a previous draft. Just seconds into the speech, Josh had realized the error and had had to ad lib much of his talk.
The second incident had occurred in Steamboat Springs. Josh was scheduled to visit a fifth grade class at a local elementary school, but before they’d left the hotel, Fiona had taken a call from the superintendent advising them that a last-minute change was necessary because of problems at the original school. When they arrived at the second location, the principal was completely caught off guard. It was an awkward situation, but again, Josh handled it with polished aplomb.
After that, Fiona began to think that someone was deliberately setting her up. Whether the gaslighting had anything to do with the threat against Josh or little Schyler’s kidnapping, she had no idea. For all she knew, the incidents could be unrelated. She could very well be dealing with two separate crimes and three separate suspects, which meant that a complex investigation had just gotten a hell of a lot more complicated.
* * *
FIONA WALKED into the glittering ballroom of the Carlisle Hotel in Aspen, her gaze immediately searching the crowd for Josh. This was an important night for him. It was a fund-raising event masked as a formal reception for his closest friends and most generous donors. A way to say thank-you for their contributions while subtly reminding them that the race was still far from won, and their support—monetarily and otherwise—was needed now more than ever.
All the Langworthys were in attendance, and since Josh’s mother and sister, Evelyn and Marilyn, were staying in the family condo, Josh and Fiona had gotten suites at the Carlisle, which had given Fiona a little more time to prepare for the evening.
Colleen had ponied up for a new dress, which Fiona had purchased at an exclusive boutique in Aspen. The sales clerk had assured her that the silk jersey halter top was the perfect dress for her figure. “Really shows off your assets. And it looks good from the front, too,” he’d quipped. After that, there was no way Fiona could resist, and she’d even let him talk her into a pair of four-inch heels that made her feel positively willowy if not a bit wobbly.
She continued to scan the ballroom until she finally spotted Josh. He was talking to his mother and sister, and when he saw Fiona, he excused himself and headed across the room toward her.
His mother whirled to see who had caught her son’s attention, and when she saw Fiona, her blue eyes narrowed in cold disapproval. Fiona had only met Evelyn Langworthy once since the engagement announcement, and like her daughter, Evelyn had made no secret of the way she felt about Fiona. She and Marilyn both seemed to think Fiona was a gold-digging opportunist out to seduce Josh for his money.
The idea of her as a femme fatale was so ludicrous to Fiona that she could almost find it amusing if she didn’t suspect that Marilyn or Evelyn or both might have been behind the incidents in Boulder and Steamboat Springs. She wouldn’t put it past either of them to try and make her look foolish and incompetent in Josh’s eyes.
As he made his way toward her, Fiona saw Evelyn whip around and furiously whisper something to her daughter. Marilyn nodded, her frigid gaze still on Fiona.
And then she forgot about both mother and daughter because Josh was suddenly there in front of her, and Fiona found it difficult to breathe. He put his hands on her arms and bent to touch his lips to hers. It was an action that Fiona should have been used to by now. He did it every time they were in public. But she still went all weak in the knees when he kissed her, when he touched her, and her stomach fluttered at the mere sight of him. Certain men were born to wear a tuxedo, and Josh was one of them. And he always smelled so good. Fiona closed her eyes, drinking in the delicious scent of him.
The diamond glittered brilliantly on her left hand as he tucked her arm through his. “Get ready,” he murmured. “We’re in for a long night, by the looks of it. There are a lot of people here who want to meet you.”
“Who want to meet Josh Langworthy’s infamous fiancée, you mean.”
“The way you look tonight, you could just stand on the podium and the donations would come pouring in.”
Fiona warmed to the light flirtation in spite of herself. She was a woman after all. And Josh was an expert at bringing out the feminine side of her, not to mention all those deep, dark fantasies….
The ballroom was a sea of black, which was why Fiona had chosen to wear the dark color as well. She could easily blend in with the crowd if she needed to. Nell, on the other hand, had donned a red beaded gown that drew men to her side like a beacon.
When she saw Josh and Fiona, she parted the crowd of admirers and moved toward them. Entangling her arm with Josh’s, she gave Fiona a brilliant smile. “You don’t mind if I steal Josh away for a few minutes, do you? There’re some people he needs to speak with.”
“No, of course not.” But Fiona found that she did mind. She watched as they moved across the floor and began to chat with a group of high rollers, all the while, Nell never relinquishing her grasp on Josh’s arm. She clung to him almost obsessively, but Fiona had to admit, they made a striking couple. Tall, elegant, sophisticated.
A new dress, no matter how expensive, was never going to put Fiona in the same league as Nell McKenna. Not that she even wanted to be. She was happy with who she was and proud of where she’d come from.
But during the past two weeks, Fiona had sometimes found herself too caught up in the fantasy. She’d wondered, on more than one occasion, what it would be like to have a man like Josh fall hopelessly in love with her for real.
“You don’t need to worry about Nell, you know.”
Fiona turned in surprise. She hadn’t even noticed the woman’s approach.
But if she hadn’t heard her voice, Fiona might not have recognized her. Dana looked so different tonight. She was dressed in a long-sleeve, form-fitting black dress that was very flattering to her slim figure. Her hair was different, too. Rather than lying flat against her head, she’d spiked it up a bit, and even the thick-rimmed glasses made her look hip and cool. Very un-Dana-like.
“Wow,” Fiona said. “You look great. I hardly recognized you.”
“Not my usual dowdy self, you mean,” Dana said dryly.
“I didn’t mean that at all. You just look so different.” When Dana didn’t respond, Fiona said, “You were saying something about Nell?”
Dana frowned slightly, her gaze moving across the room to where Nell and Josh stood arm in arm. “I never noticed until tonight how much she reminds me of someone I went to college with.”
That wasn’t what she’d said earlier, but the comment interested Fiona just the same. “Really?”
Dana turned with an anxious smile. “Will you excuse me, Fiona? I see someone I need to speak with.”
“Sure.”
An odd little conversation, Fiona thought as she watched Dana disappear into the crowd. She had the distinct feeling that Dana had approached her for a reason, maybe to share some information about Nell, but had changed her mind at the last minute.
Intrigued by the thought, Fiona wandered through the crowd searching for Dana until an arm wrapped around her wa
ist and she looked up to find Josh smiling down at her. Without a word, he whisked her through one of the French doors and onto a lovely stone terrace draped with hundreds of tiny white fairy lights.
“Brrr.” Fiona shivered. “It’s freezing outside. What are we doing out here?”
Josh took off his jacket and wrapped it around her shoulders. “I thought we needed a moment alone.”
Fiona gazed up at him. “Why?”
“Because if you really were my fiancée…” using the lapels of his coat, he tugged her toward him “…I’d want to do this…”
He bent and kissed her before Fiona had time to protest. Not that she would have. She’d wanted him to kiss her all night.
“This isn’t a good idea,” she murmured, when he finally pulled away.
“Sure it is. If anyone looks out, they’ll think we’re hot for each other, just the way an engaged couple should be.”
“Josh—”
But she never finished her thought because he was kissing her again, and Fiona, God help her, couldn’t resist him. He threaded his fingers through her hair as his tongue invaded her mouth, making her sigh deeply as she relaxed into the kiss.
When they broke apart, they were both breathing hard. Somehow they’d moved back into the shadows, and Fiona leaned weakly against a stone wall. Josh propped one hand over her as he bent to kiss her again, then trailed a finger down her throat.
“What are we doing?” Fiona asked on a ragged breath.
“Pretending to be in love.”
But suddenly, it didn’t seem so much like pretense. Fiona had a bad feeling that when all this was over, someone was going to be badly hurt, and she was pretty sure it was going to be her.
“Come upstairs with me,” Josh whispered.
“We can’t just leave. There’re a lot of important people inside. They’ll be expecting a speech from you.”
“Fine. I’ll say a few words, and then make my excuses. I had a long day today. I have to get up early tomorrow. Whatever. I’ll be waiting for you upstairs.”
“Josh, no. I can’t. I have an assignment to carry out and you have an election to win. We can’t… afford…to be…” she closed her eyes as he began kissing her neck “…distracted…”
“I’m already distracted. You’re making me crazy.”
“We’d better go back inside.” Somehow Fiona summoned the willpower to push him away. “Look. I see Nell at the door. I think she’s looking for you.”
He murmured something Fiona didn’t quite catch, but he released her and stepped back. “Okay. We’ll go in. I’ll do my duty, and then later…I’ll be waiting for you in my suite.”
“I’m not coming to your suite, Josh.”
He curled a strand of hair around one finger. “That’s up to you. But I’ll be waiting just the same.”
* * *
FIONA TOLD HERSELF that she wouldn’t go to Josh’s room that night. And then when she found herself outside his door, she told herself she wouldn’t knock. And then as her hand lifted, she told herself she’d only come to let him know that…she wasn’t coming.
When he opened the door, Fiona’s breath left her in a painful rush, along with her resolve. He’d removed his jacket and tie, and his shirt was untucked from his trousers and partly unbuttoned. He looked rumpled and sexy, as if he’d been waiting for her in bed.
“I didn’t think you were coming,” he said in a voice that melted Fiona’s knees.
“I wasn’t. I’m not. I just came to tell you that…”
And then somehow, before she could get all the words out, she was inside his suite, kicking the door closed with one of her new high heels as she flung herself into Josh’s arms. His mouth claimed hers instantly as he picked her up and hauled her against him. Fiona’s arms came around his neck, her legs around his waist as he pressed her back against the wall and they kissed as if there were no tomorrow.
They left a trail of clothing from the front door back to the bedroom. By the time they were settled beneath the covers, Fiona’s body was in flames.
Josh didn’t just know how to kiss, he knew where to touch her, what to say to make her writhe in ecstasy. He turned her, lifting her hair to kiss the back of her neck and then trailed his lips down her spine as his hands circled around her, cupping her breasts, skimming her waist, her hips, the insides of her thighs.
Fiona’s breath came rapid and hard. She felt deliciously close to the edge as she arched her back and turned her head for Josh’s kiss.
And then he was inside her, setting a furious rhythm as he drew her against him. Their bodies were hot, slick, straining. It was the way sex should be, Fiona thought. Out of control. Wild and messy.
Just the way she had known it would be with Josh.
As the first shudders pulsed through her, he held her close, whispered things in her ear, and made her feel as if she were the only woman in the world….
CHAPTER NINE
WHEN FIONA AWAKENED the next morning, Josh had already gotten up, showered and dressed. She could hear him moving about in the next room, ordering coffee from room service, turning on the TV.
She headed for the bathroom and took a quick shower, then slipped on one of the hotel robes hanging on the back of the door. Her clothes, for all she knew, were still scattered about the suite, and, morning after or not, she had no intention of walking out stark naked to retrieve them.
Josh had his back to her when she stepped out of the bedroom, and he didn’t turn around to greet her. He was staring at the TV as if something on the news broadcast had captured his undivided attention.
And then Fiona suddenly knew why. “…A spokesman for the Houghton campaign claims to have learned from a reliable source in the DPS that gubernatorial candidate Josh Langworthy is now the primary focus of the investigation into his nephew’s kidnapping. According to the spokesman, an undercover agent working inside the Langworthy campaign expects to gather enough evidence to convene a grand jury—”
Josh turned off the TV and turned slowly to face Fiona. “It’s you, isn’t it? You’re the agent.”
“Josh, you know why I’m here. The death threat—”
“Was a ruse. An excuse to plant you inside my campaign. And in my bed, evidently. All this time, you were after me. A gubernatorial candidate. A Langworthy. That’d be quite a feather in your cap, wouldn’t it, Fiona?”
“It wasn’t like that. I wasn’t supposed to—”
“Sleep with me?” He gave a bitter laugh. “I asked you once how far you were willing to go to convince people you were my fiancée. I guess I have my answer.”
Fiona’s face heated with anger. “That’s not fair. Last night had nothing to do with the investigation.”
He lifted a brow. “Nothing? If I’d told you I had something to do with Schyler’s kidnapping during pillow talk, you wouldn’t have used it against me?”
She closed her eyes. “Of course, I would. But you didn’t. And I’ve never really thought you had anything to do with the kidnapping.”
“But that didn’t stop you from investigating me, did it? That didn’t stop you from lying to me at every turn. I said it once and I’ll say it again.” His cold, relentless gaze met hers. “You really are good at what you do.”
* * *
THEY ARRIVED BACK in Denver late that afternoon. Josh went straight to the office along with Nell, Robert, Dana and several other close advisors to try and map out a strategy to contain the damage from Houghton’s allegations. Josh had spoken briefly to the press earlier and told them that, while he was unaware of any specific investigation involving him, he assumed it was a matter of routine and he welcomed any new evidence that would help find his nephew.
He was calm, his demeanor serious but unconcerned. He’d presented exactly the right face to the reporters and to the cameras, but just how badly the allegations had hurt his chances might not fully be known until Election Day.
And as he and his advisors worked furiously behind the scenes, he all but igno
red Fiona. The campaign was in such an uproar, she didn’t think anyone had noticed their distance, but they would soon. And then there would be yet more questions.
Meanwhile, she had her own problems. A leak in either the DPS ranks or at CC was serious business. As soon as she arrived back in Denver, she went straight to the downtown office.
* * *
“JOSH?”
He lifted his head and rubbed his eyes, realizing he must have dozed off at his desk. He glanced up. “What time is it?”
“Nearly two in the morning. Everyone else has gone home,” Dana told him.
“What are you doing still here?”
She came into his office and closed the door. “I thought you might need someone to talk to. Someone who isn’t concerned with whether you win the election or not.”
He drew a long breath and released it. “I think I’m all talked out, but thanks anyway.” He and his advisors had worked until well after midnight, trying to figure out the best way to handle the situation. Unfortunately, no matter what they did, there would be a certain number of voters who would believe Houghton’s allegations.
“That was one hell of an October surprise,” he muttered.
“Do you have any idea who the undercover agent is?” Dana asked.
Josh hesitated. “No, not really. But I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.” He ran a hand through his hair. “Why don’t you go on home. It’s been a long day. We could all use some rest.”
But instead, she came into the office and sat down. “I was just thinking about that night after Schyler disappeared. How you and I stayed up all night talking. Remember, Josh?”
“You’ve been a good friend,” he said. “But go home.”
She looked as if she wanted to say something else, then rose. “All right. I’ll see you in the morning.”
As she started for the door, Josh said, “Dana?”
When she turned, he stared at her for a moment. “You look different tonight. Or am I just tired?”
She smiled. “I lost my glasses.”
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