Sophia Sasson - The Senator's Daughter

“When is the senator expected back?”

Alex tapped on his BlackBerry. “He’s on the ground in Cairo. He’ll video call with you at eight tonight. Crista will get you set up.”

Kat glanced at her watch. “I can only stay for two hours. I need to get home to take care of something.”

Alex looked up. “Kat, most everyone here works well into the evening. You want full access, you can’t expect to work nine-to-five...let alone just popping in when it suits you.” He began to study a sheaf of papers.

Crista took her elbow. “Let’s leave Mr. Crankypants to deal with his work.”

He didn’t acknowledge them as they walked out, and something pinched in Kat’s chest. What did she expect? He was running a major campaign and a ton of staff reported to him. Why should she feel entitled to special treatment from him? She was looking for the man she’d gotten to know back at her house, the one who rescued her mother from the talons of the reporters. Maybe what she thought had been a glimpse of the real Alex was really an aberration. After all, she had plenty of experience with men who could turn on the charm when needed.

Once out of earshot, Crista whispered to her, “He’ll be leaving soon and I’ll get you the senator’s call information. You can take it from home.”

From home? Where her mother was?

She shook her head. “I want to do my share. I’ll go home, then come back for the call.” Kat had to make sure her mother took her evening pills, but she didn’t want to upset her when she spoke with the senator.

Crista leaned forward. “I think it’s great you take care of your mom like that.”

Kat gave her a thin smile. Does everyone here know about Mom?

Crista led Kat around tables overflowing with campaign signs and papers, introducing her to the staff. To their credit, they kept the gawking to a minimum and welcomed her warmly. The place was packed with people bustling about. There were only two offices, one for Alex and one for her father. Cubicles covered most of the floor. In the center of the large space was a long conference table littered with signs. She stole several glances at Alex. He was almost always surrounded by people. The place was buzzing with energy.

He led her into a cube. “And this is Nathan Callahan. He works on defense stuff.”

Nathan swiveled in his chair, pinning her with bright blue eyes. “I hear you’ll be observing.”

“I hope to do more than just observe. I’d like to participate and be helpful. I’ve analyzed a lot of the senator’s policies.”

Crista squeezed into the little cube. “Nathan is working on some policy briefs for the IED bill.” She gave Nathan a meaningful look but he avoided her gaze. “The people back in DC, they staff the Appropriations Committee, which is really interesting work. They use Nathan’s analyses to advise the senator.”

“What do you specialize in?” Nathan asked.

Pressed between the cube wall and Crista, Kat felt claustrophobic. Everyone seemed a little too comfortable with physical proximity. “I keep abreast of all issues, but I have a particular interest in military policy.”

Nathan quirked an eyebrow. “Interest, huh? Well, I have six years of experience—” Before he could say more, Crista shot him a searing look.

“Why don’t you send Kat the briefing materials you have on the IED bill.”

He frowned. “Those are internal. Have you checked with Alex?”

“The senator wants her to have full access.”

Nathan opened his mouth in obvious protest, but Crista stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder. “Nathan, trust me—the senator wants this.”

Nathan’s face softened. Kat suppressed a smile at the puppy-dog look in his eyes. Crista stepped out of the cube and Kat was behind her in a flash.

“Have you spoken to my...the senator today?” Kat asked.

Crista shook her head. “Alex talked to him about the deal you made and the senator sent me an email.” She stopped and Kat almost ran into her. Crista pulled her to the wall as if the extra foot would give them even a modicum of privacy. “The senator has a lot of respect for Alex,” she whispered. “But when he wants something done without a lot of argument, he’ll email me and ask me to take care of it.”

What did that even mean? Kat wanted to ask more, but Alex was storming toward them. He had taken off his suit jacket and loosened his tie. She straightened and felt Crista melting into the background, her ever-present BlackBerry back in her hands.

Alex stopped mere inches away from her, and she resisted the urge to back away. She met his gaze evenly, waiting for whatever it was that had him grinding his teeth.

“Did you talk to anyone on the way here this morning?” he thundered.

Kat straightened. “You know very well I wouldn’t. What’s this about?”

“The story about you writing a book on your father got leaked.”

Kat’s stomach bottomed out. He loomed over her and she sucked in a breath, immediately regretting it. His scent assaulted her senses, a spicy deodorant and the clean smell of soap. For some unfathomable reason, her body seemed to welcome his closeness. After Colin, she’d wanted nothing more than to lash out at every man that got within touching distance, so why wasn’t she pushing Alex away?

“I didn’t even tell my mother about our deal. She thinks I’m here to take care of paperwork.” Her voice was squeakier than she wanted.

His gaze flicked behind her shoulder, and then he lowered his head and whispered, “Kat, if this is about sabotaging the senator’s campaign...”

She stepped back. “Why would I do that?”

He opened his mouth then closed it, obviously rethinking whatever he’d been about to say. She leaned in. “I’m not a seasoned politician—I don’t play games. What you see is what you get from me.”

He stared at her, his brown eyes at once expressive and shuttered, as if he was processing and then denying what he knew to be true.

“Then how did the media get hold of the story?”

“It must have been Dean Gladstone.”

He frowned and muttered something under his breath.

“What is it?”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “I don’t have time to deal with this today.” For a moment, he looked weary. “I need you to fix this.”

Without thinking, she put a hand on his arm. “How?”

His eyes softened into pools of milk chocolate. They were mesmerizing. When he spoke, his voice was warm. “Give a statement to the media that you want to get to know your father. They’re loving the fact that you’re at campaign headquarters.”

She retracted her hand. It didn’t take him long, did it? “No,” she said simply, her fury threatening to erupt like a volcano. She could sense people surreptitiously watching them while pretending to be on their phones or studying their computer screens.

“What? You wouldn’t be lying—that’s part of the reason you’re here, isn’t it?”

She flinched at his harsh tone. “Alex, I told you, no media jaunts. That was our deal,” she said quietly.

“But...”

“Right now, it’s the book story. In another hour it’ll be something else. Once I step into the limelight, I’ll never get out. If you can’t respect the deal we made just hours ago, then it’s best I leave and we don’t speak again.”

“Why are you so afraid of the media?”

She crossed her arms. She didn’t owe him anything. He tapped on his BlackBerry then turned it toward her. His voice was soft.

“Is it because of this?”

She looked down and recoiled. It was a picture of her from three years ago, talking to the police and paramedics. She was front and center, holding a compress to her cheek; Colin was in the background with a bandage on his head. A freelance photographer had come by after he heard her 911 call on the police scanners. He sold the photo to the newspapers. The story only appeared in the local daily, but it had been enough to get her fired. How had Alex found it? She’d paid a lawyer to get a court order for the newspaper to remove it from their online archives.