There were zero traces of distress or sleeplessness on him. Zero signs of having broken up in the last twenty-four hours.
The last time she’d looked into the mirror in her purse, she’d looked like a cockroach the sewers had spat out in disgust.
Don’t compare.
Whatever. He could look as dapper as he liked. She wasn’t going to be petty. Alex had more experience with crisis than her, in any case.
“Thank you all for gathering here.” He bowed his head slightly.
Kat’s entire being trembled at the timbre of his voice.
Alex flung her a brief glance before starting. Her pulse sped into an unbroken allegro.
It was stupid to build castles in the air based on one single look from him, but she was already painting the walls of her imaginary castle’s bedroom. That one look meant so much to her. Ignoring her in a roomful of people would have been easy. But he’d looked at her. Like she meant something.
Had she somehow broken through to him? Was he going to forgive her?
Hope danced around and made her feel lighter than she’d felt in hours. Life seemed brighter.
The noise quietened down when he started to speak. With reluctant strokes, Kat forced herself to jot down his words, even though she had her recorder running. Writing would help her avoid looking at him.
And as long as she didn’t look at him, she would be fine.
Alex drew in a firm blast of air.
“Good morning, my name’s Alex Summer, Democratic candidate for the city of New York. I’m here to confirm the accuracy of the article that appeared in the New York Times on the twenty-fourth of September.” For effect, he allowed a few quiet beats to roll by. He had no piece of paper, no pre-written speech, but he knew what he wanted to say.
Having rehearsed this in his head for years, Alex had always imagined a sense of shame, the heavy weight of failure, accompanying this speech.
But today, his chin wasn’t down. It was up.
And in that moment he understood her. He understood the freedom and strength that came from aligning yourself with your values. He stepped into Kat’s shoes and imagined himself in her situation. And he imagined himself doing what she had done, because he would have done that, too.
The thud of a camera falling anchored his floating mind.
Buckling down to the task ahead of him, Alex said, “Everything written about me is factually accurate. My birth name was Cole Granger. I changed my name in the year 1988. I was adjudicated for illegal possession of drugs in ’87. I admit to my wrongdoings completely and apologize deeply to everyone who was harmed by my actions.”
Not one of the journalists looked impressed by his honesty. Despite coming to the conclusion that admitting everything would be the best course of action, Alex found himself doubting his course of action. And then the dreaded question popped out of the blue:
“Will you be dropping out of the race?”
Keeping his chin up, Alex mustered confidence. “No, I will continue running.”
At this, shocked gasps came.
“I’m deeply regretful for the mistakes I made in my youth, but I’ve atoned for them. I’ve served my entire term in detention and completed all the hours of community service I was ordered to. In fact, I give this experience the credit for making me a better and more responsible person and for motivating me to serve the public.”
Alex replenished his dry mouth with some saliva.
“I understand that this incident could cause people to question my integrity and character, but as a representative of the people, I’ve always abided by the highest standards of conduct and will continue to do so. I will continue to fight for the middle class, better education and jobs. In my many terms as a congressman, I’ve fulfilled the promises I made to my constituents and I will do so in the future as well. I believe I have the right skills to take the job of the city’s mayor and I hope my supporters will continue to support me.”
Jane flapped her hands, a signal that he was on the wrong line of thought.
“My voting record demonstrates my consistently strong stance against guns, crime and drugs and this will not change. Moreover, I’ve served this state faithfully for the last fourteen years, despite my past. I hope the people of New York will focus on the results I’ve achieved, rather than my background. I ask for forgiveness, compassion and understanding regarding my childhood.”
Boy, it was liberating to finally have that out in the world. After years of living with a heavy rock on his chest, he was finally free.
Slanting his head back, Alex scanned for response. The reporters were busy, scribbling details with their necks bent. Only one person was looking at him.
She had green eyes which were moist and red, dry lips that were trembling. Her eyebrows furrowed and stretched repeatedly, as she tried to suppress cries. Her skin was red and flaky, her red hair unkempt and lying flat against her jaw.
Even in this state, she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.
And Alex decided that he wasn’t done with his speech. He’d apologized to the public, but he hadn’t apologized to her yet.
He hated that he’d made Kat cry. She might look pretty with tears, but she didn’t deserve them.
“There’s one more thing I need to mention.” The mic amplified his voice. “None of this would’ve happened if not for Ms. Cullen of the New York Times.”
“What’re you doing?” Jane mouthed, gesturing him to shut up but Alex pressed on.
“When I think of a vibrant democracy, I think of the public getting access to the information that they need in order to effectively participate in the political process. To accomplish that, we need journalists who have the freedom to write what they have to. I understand that this might not always be in favor of those in power, but it’s vital for a healthy democracy. And so I must thank Ms. Cullen for doing what she did.”
Jane was making a chopping motion with her fingers.
“It was a brave decision, especially as she’s my girlfriend.” He gave a nervous chuckle. “But like any good reporter, she put her duty first.”
Some of the journalists looked aghast at this admission.
“What?” Jane looked like she could faint any moment now.
This was why he needed press secretaries and PR—he sucked at impromptu speeches.
“She wasn’t swayed by her emotions. She checked the facts and she did the right thing. She’s a strong woman. I applaud her for that. I also love her for that.”
Like an arrow, his gaze darted to Kat among the crowd—so did everybody else’s.
But Kat’s forehead was bent to the level of her knees and she showed no intention of raising it. Alex didn’t know if it was because she was overwhelmed or because she was embarrassed. He hoped it was the first.
“She’s shy.” He tried to infuse humor into the situation, but it looked like a desperate attempt.
What was wrong? Wasn’t Kat happy? Wasn’t she proud to be his girlfriend? Or was she worried about what people might think of her once he became a disgraced politician?
While he was distracted, Jane wrestled the microphone from him. “Please strike that last minute from the record. Mr. Summer is confused. He doesn’t know what he’s saying. The stress is getting to him. As his PR representative, I assure you that Mr. Summer and Ms. Cullen do not share an intimate relationship of any kind.”
“I know who I love, Jane,” Alex argued. Arguing with his PR woman around swarms of reporters probably wasn’t the smartest move, but he wanted Kat to know how much she meant to him.
“That’s all he has to say.” Jane shut him up with a murderous glare and seized the spotlight. “We only have time for two questions. I’ll be answering all questions.”
Kat waited for the room to clear. Stuck to her seat, she couldn’t move the pen in her hand.
What the fuck had just happened?
She wasn’t sure, because she’d been in shock and crying. But whatever she’d snatched throug
h her blurry eyes was too marvelous to believe.
Alex had announced to the whole world that she was his girlfriend. Then he’d thanked her. And then he’d said he loved her—twice. That, by the way, was going to be tomorrow’s headline.
Goodness, this was like a TV soap. How could such a declaration of love ever happen in real life? And how could it happen to her?
It was way over the top. It was crazy. Crazier still was the fact that Alex had actually gone through with something like this. Kat would never have pegged him as the grand-gesture type. He was the most serious, playing-it-safe politician she knew.
“Ma’am, can you leave? We have to clean up for the real-estate summit at one-thirty.” A Hispanic member of the hotel’s staff gave her an impatient stare.
Startled, Kat realized that she was the only one in the room now, except the hotel staff. Haphazardly stuffing everything into her bag (a big bag had all sorts of advantages), she flew past the door frantically.
Her phone beeped with an alert.
Interview with Caine at 1 pm.
One pm? She was late already. Speeding up, Kat didn’t look ahead, just charged.
Air wheezed in her lungs when she bumped into someone. She skittered back, almost knocking herself to the ground.
“Kat.” Alex calling her name, so close—that scent, that face, that gaze, that presence she’d missed so much.
Emotionally vulnerable as she was, she started bawling. “W-Why did you do that? Do you know it’s going to be in the news? We’re both going to be on the front page!”
“I wasn’t going to do it. But then I looked at you and I knew I had to. Shit. Are you angry?” He laid his thumbs under her eyes and wiped away her tears.
She didn’t say anything. Words would cut their time short, push them apart, and she’d rather stay this close to him forever.
Alex’s tone was remorseful as he glided his breath over her skin. “I’m sorry. I thought you were comfortable with everybody knowing about us.”
“B-But… we broke up.” Her words were a muffled slur.
He cocooned her fingers between his. “My reaction yesterday was immature. It was motivated by anger, hatred and fear. I wasn’t thinking at all. I automatically assumed the worst—that you’d slept with me for a story.” Kat tried to interrupt, but he sealed her lips by placing a finger over it. “I know, darling. I know you didn’t do that. It wasn’t malice that made you write the story; it was your conscience. I understand that now.”
Moist eyelashes fluttering, Kat nodded. “I’m so… sorry. It must’ve been horrible to find that out in the morning after we had… you know… I should’ve told you what I was planning to do, but I was scared… how you’d react. I didn’t want you to dissuade me from going through with it.”
“I won’t lie.” Alex swiped back a lock of hair from her forehead. “It was horrible. I was mad at you for hours. But who can blame you for doing your job?”
Up to this point, she’d loved him. But now she respected him, too. Not everybody had the strength to brush aside their self-interest and see the big picture. It took a rare kind of person to do that.
Touching her shoulder carefully, Alex encroached upon her personal space. “So now that it’s all done, are we back together?”
Kat inhaled his essence. “I’ve changed my mind about you.”
His face went pale as the wall behind them. “What?”
“I think I’m going to vote for you, after all.” Kat teased his jaw.
The sigh that rolled off him was so long, he must’ve emptied his lungs entirely. “I swear, my heart stopped for a second there.”
Kat was exhilarated when he folded his arms around her and squeezed her so tight her body began to hurt. Physical hurt was nothing in comparison to the degree of pain she’d survived yesterday.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard all week.”
“I love you, Alex.” Her chest swelled with emotion. “Please forgive me for hurting you.”
“Forgiven.”
“Just like that? No drama?”
She’d never, ever expected it to go so smoothly. This should have been a tense, tearful, ugly screamfest. Instead here they were, rubbing their lips against each other’s and being lovey-dovey.
Only Alex could make making up so easy.
“After all that’s happened, how do you have the stomach for more drama?”
His laughter bled into her body, vibrating inside her.
Alex was everything she’d never known she was yearning for but had always wanted. Someone to share her interests, her life, her ups and downs with. Someone she could always trust to make the right decision. Someone who loved her wholeheartedly, even when she messed up. Someone who understood and appreciated her principles.
With him, she wouldn’t have to be afraid of facing the future, no matter how it turned out to be.
Kat rubbed the tip of his nose. “Are you free now?”
“You thinkin’ of makeup sex, too?” He gathered her into his arms.
“Actually, I had lunch in mind, but I like your idea better.”
“We did it,” Alex whispered against Kat’s ear, presenting her a bouquet of roses.
He wasn’t a roses kind of guy, but today was so special it warranted roses, champagne, fireworks and even a national holiday. “We’ve officially been together for two years and two months. That’s a new record for me.”
Kat made a show of sniffing the roses, then, leaving them on a beige armchair, she wrapped her lips over his in a passionate lip-lock, ensnaring him with her sweet taste. Alex had lost count of how many times they’d kissed in the last year alone.
And with every kiss, it just got better. Their first had been a spark of pure attraction, but this one was safety, acceptance, love. He could feel her deep love in the way her tongue swiped his, like she wanted to be connected to him forever.
Cupping her shoulders, he marveled at the sense of peace and stability her skin gave him. She was where he belonged. He’d finally found that place—the one he’d been searching for all his life—in her arms.
Pulling away, Kat lifted her nose up in the air. “That’s the kind of present you should give me on an occasion like this, not roses.”
“I thought you must be bored of kisses by now and needing something more material.” Looping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer.
It wasn’t every day that he could touch her like this or be with her physically.
Since he’d taken the helm at city hall as the mayor two years ago, his life was a train of parades, dinners, visits from international dignitaries, city hall meetings… there was a lot that went into his day. Alex enjoyed every bit of it, but the hectic schedule meant he couldn’t be with Kat as much as he should.
Since she’d refused to move in with him, worried it would disrupt her life, they lived in their own spaces—him in Gracie Mansion and her in her house. They saw each other twice a week, mostly on weekends, called each other the remaining days.
There must be some truth to the old adage ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder,’ because on those two nights that they met, he became so possessive, he refused to let go of her even for a minute. Inhaling her scent suddenly seemed like the greatest luxury. Having her in his grasp felt like he was holding the world.
Her forehead snuggled against his chest.
“I don’t need you to buy me things, Alex.” Running her lips over his jaw, she trailed them all the way down to his neck. “I want you with me. That’s all I need. I want to rest my head against you and listen to your heart.”
He glided his fingers down her auburn curls. “You can do that, but there’s something I have to give you first.”
When she saw the red velvet-covered, heart-shaped box on the table, her expression became wary. “Alex—”
“Relax. It’s not a ring,” he said, revealing a string of silver attached to a pendant with her initials inscribed on it. “I wanted to buy you something for your birthday. Thought
this would make a decent gift. Should I put it on you?”
“Definitely.” Bundling up her voluminous hair, her skin became peppered with goosebumps when his fingers met the nape of her neck. “Thank you for this. You didn’t have to, but I’m touched.”
“If you want a ring, you’ll have to wait for your next birthday.” He tapped his finger on the side of her neck playfully. Even small touches like these seemed so precious, so meaningful at times. “I’m kidding. If you want a ring, just ask for it, okay?”
“I don’t want a ring,” she repeated.
“Then ask for whatever you want.”
A throaty laugh drifted out of her, hands tightening over his waist. “When did you become so generous, Mr. Mayor? I thought you were all about budget cuts these days,” she poked, referring to the city budget he’d announced last week.
“You know how I feel about that—”
“Stop. I wasn’t criticizing you. I was trying to be funny. Guess it didn’t work,” she said. Her hands, which had been on his waist, dove south, coming to stop against the bulge in his pants. “Hurry up with the necklace. My mind’s starting to wander into the gutter.”
Having clasped the necklace, Alex closed into her face. “We have all of tonight to get dirty, sweetheart. Tomorrow morning, too. So your mind can swim and do a backstroke in the gutter.”
“You’re staying over?” she squealed like a little girl.
Alex didn’t often sleep over at her place on weekdays because he needed to turn up at work on Fridays and her place was pretty far from Gracie mansion. But tomorrow would be the first Friday in ages when he didn’t have to be somewhere early in the morning.
“I am,” he replied.
“Really? All night?”
“All night and tomorrow night as well.” Kissing the top of her head, he swept her off her feet. “We have some serious things to accomplish in that time.”
“Like what?” The naughty glint in her eye told him that she knew exactly what they were going to do.
“You know what.” Setting her body down on the couch, Alex climbed over her, caging her between his arms. She smiled at him, flushing. It had been two years but sometimes it was hard to believe that he’d found someone so brilliant. “And there’s one more thing I want to do, something we don’t do anymore.”
In my Arms Tonight (NYC Singles Book 2) Page 23
