Courting Gossip. Kimberly Dean

closer. His hands were warm.

      His voice turned raspy. ‘I wasn’t looking where I was going.’

      She was.

      Genieve looked up at his handsome, boyish face. ‘Goodnight, Brody,’ she said softly.

      His gaze got heavy, and his grip tightened on her waist. ‘Goodnight, Jenny.’

      Between her legs, she felt a soft after-pulse. OK, maybe she didn’t dislike it that much when he called her that.

      With her defences down, she threw caution to the wind. Impulsively, she rose on tiptoe. His eyes flared. Before he could pull back or she could think better, she brushed her mouth over his.

      And felt satisfaction unfurl in her belly like warm caramel.

      Oh, damn. His mouth was as warm as his hands.

      She went back for another taste and felt the hands at her waist slide down and spread wide over her hips. Their mouths fitted together as she kissed him slowly and soundly. Delight gushed through her when his lips moved against hers.

      Her body melted, but she made herself pull away before anything could ruin the moment. Business conflicts, regret, intruding cameramen…‘Thank you for rescuing me,’ she whispered.

      She pulled away, trailing her hand over his, before walking into the bedroom and sliding between the covers. She rested her head against the pillow, but before she closed her eyes she saw him standing in the doorway, lit by the light in the bathroom. He hadn’t moved from where she’d left him, and his arms hung limply at his sides.

      But she fell asleep with a smile on her face when she saw his fingers tapping away.

      Maybe she got to him after all, just a little bit.

      * * *

      Brody leaned his hips against a desk in Senator Gunderson’s office and folded his arms across his chest. He was in the Russell Senate Office Building with Samuel and his aides, preparing for what could be the most important five minutes of the senator’s career. He looked over the players one by one. It was very important that they got this right.

      ‘More gauze,’ he said when the senator’s assistant stopped wrapping her boss’s arm. What was her name again? Mary? Molly? He needed to figure it out. They all had to work together on this. ‘It’s not about actually treating the wound, it’s for the cameras.’

      The senator’s injury hadn’t even broken the skin. It was a bruise. No matter how much it hurt or didn’t hurt, it would act as evidence that the senator had been attacked. The problem was that bruises didn’t show up as well on camera as a big, ugly bandage. They needed to tell a story as quickly and simply as possible.

      It was all about getting the voting public on their side first.

      He nodded in approval when the woman wrapped Gunderson’s arm from his wrist all the way to his elbow. ‘That’s good. Samuel, get rid of the cufflink and keep that shirtsleeve rolled up. It will make it easier for the cameras to see what you endured.’

      ‘Thank you, Maggie,’ the senator said. He pulled on his jacket and straightened the collar.

      Maggie, right.

      ‘You’re skipping the trolley today,’ Brody continued. He’d mapped out everything in the overnight hours. Back in the early 1900s when the House and Senate staffing had overrun their space in the Capitol, office buildings had gone up around the grounds. They were all within walking distance, but each of the seven buildings was also connected to the Capitol by an underground trolley system. It let politicians get to and from their offices quickly for votes and meetings. It also helped them avoid inclement weather or crowds, but that wasn’t the strategy for the day. Gunderson would not be going into hiding. ‘You want to be interviewed. You know the reporters on the Senate beat. Find one who likes you if you can, but don’t be obvious about it. You’re on your way to work, to represent your constituents to the best of your ability.’

      ‘As I always do,’ the senator said. He pulled at one sleeve, but didn’t seem sure what to do with the other covering the bandage.

      ‘Right,’ Brody said dryly. ‘The press is aware that you were involved in an incident at the Emissary Hotel last night. You know what to do. Take control of the interview. Play up your injury, express your outrage, stress that you were attacked – you and your girlfriend.’

      At that, the senator’s head swung up. ‘How is Genieve?’ he asked.

      ‘She’s fine.’ Brody looked at his watch and pushed away from the desk. ‘It’s time to get moving.’

      The assistants scattered to collect their things. Brody sized up the senator to make sure he looked victimised yet strong and stately. Gunderson’s silver hair looked perfect as always, but there were dark circles beneath his blue eyes. His late night showed, but that could play to their advantage.

      ‘Where did you take her?’ Gunderson asked as he accepted a folder from his assistant with the bowtie. It contained his schedule for the day, along with notes he would rely on heavily. Brody had already looked it over. This one interview was the only one Gunderson was doing on the day. He’d made sure his time was fully booked otherwise.

      ‘Somewhere safe,’ Brody said.

      That was all Gunderson was going to get out of him, even though his thoughts immediately went to the bed in his guest bedroom. Jenny had still been sleeping when he’d left. She hadn’t even bothered to close the bedroom door. He didn’t know if that was a sign of trust or if she just felt safe. Probably neither. She’d fallen asleep as soon as her head had hit the pillow.

      Right after she’d kissed him and revved his brain into fifth gear.

      Brody shook off the searing memory. He needed to stay on task – and so did the senator.

      That’s why he wasn’t going to tell him that his contract with the escort was over. He’d made Samuel hand over his signed copy before dawn this morning. Brody could feel it burning a hole in his pocket. He could barely stand waiting to put a lighter to it, but he hadn’t broken the news to Gunderson yet. The old man would put up a fight. He wouldn’t want to give up his cherry redhead, and it would show on camera. Better to let the victimised-couple story play for now. The longer he kept the bad news away from Gunderson, the better he’d perform.

      Brody knew some people didn’t like the way he worked, but he got results.

      And Samuel’s days with Jenny were over.

      ‘Everybody ready?’ he asked.

      Gunderson straightened his tie and lifted his chin. ‘Absolutely. These rogue reporters will not best me. We have laws. I help make them.’

      ‘Yes, you do, sir.’ Brody turned to the assistants. ‘And you two know your part in this?’

      ‘We get him out if the interview starts to turn bad,’ the male assistant said. He glanced at his boss. ‘You do have a hearing at nine thirty, Senator.’

      Brody looked at the other assistant, but she dipped her head and stared at the load of papers in her arms. He frowned. If she had a problem covering for the senator’s illicit activities, he needed to know now. ‘Maggie?’

      When she lifted her face, her cheeks were flushed. ‘It’s so embarrassing what they did.’

      ‘And wrong.’ He nodded. Feminine disgust at the invasion of privacy would only help their cause.

      He slipped on his sunglasses and gestured to the door. ‘Shall we?’

      Soon the trio was headed out of the office building and across Constitution Avenue to Capitol Hill. Brody broke away from the group and followed at a distance. He was strictly a behind-the-scenes player, despite his slip in judgement last night. He adjusted his sunglasses. It was a nice day for a walk, if a person wasn’t working on less than three hours of sleep. The sky was blue, and the setting was perfect for a camera shot of the Capitol.

      His