Scandalous(14)

They weren’t going into this as strangers, which was a plus. They had more chemistry than they knew what to do with and a lifetime of Finn family gatherings to draw from. But they only had tonight to get their stories straight and get physically comfortable enough that they didn’t tense up every time their hands touched.

It was a tough job, but somebody had to do him.

It. Somebody had to do it.





Chapter Four




Tasha slipped on her shorts and the soft jersey she’d had since high school, glancing at herself in the mirror above the dresser. Her unconfined breasts strained against the worn fabric but she made no effort to slouch or conceal them. She was proud of her curves and the effect they had on men. She took in her wild curls and the heritage visible in her features. As her grandmother was fond of saying, she’d gotten all the best parts of the mix. A Puerto Rican-Irish goddess of color with green eyes and golden brown skin.

She was used to her body turning heads. On the street and at the club, men saw her and thought about sex. Jeremy called it the “Jessica Rabbit Effect”. He said it was her proportions. Large breasts and a round backside combined with a narrow waist was—artistically speaking—the golden ratio of brick-house-hotness.

Tasha smiled. Of course, Jeremy wasn’t particularly objective and, according to all the latest fashion magazines, he was also completely wrong. Bigger behinds were back in style this season, but that wouldn’t last and she couldn’t care less. Whatever the trend, she was who she was, without diet or artifice. What you couldn’t change, you had to embrace. Getting people to pay attention to her other qualities—especially after they learned about her extra-curricular activities at the club—was always the real challenge.

Those normal preconceptions would help with her upcoming role. Burke would see exactly what he needed to—that she was nothing like the women Senator Finn took to grand openings or museum fundraisers. The pale, slender waifs who ran mega-charities or opened hospitals in impoverished villages in Africa. The actresses with porcelain skin who had three degrees and a shelf full of awards and still managed to donate half their salaries to helping the homeless relocate to energy efficient, vegan-approved housing that was completely recyclable.

She made a face at her reflection when she felt a prickle of jealousy. How could she blame him for going out with women like that? She would date most of them if they asked.

Still, there was never a whisper of indecent behavior in Stephen’s personal life. He was always the perfect gentleman and he was never seen with the same woman twice. It made it hard for the gossips to link him with anyone, which Tasha thought was probably the point. More frustratingly for them, Stephen went to several events without any date at all or with a few members of his family in tow. And she only knew that because it was always a topic of conversation on the local news.

Why was Senator Finn still single?

In the same magazine that had listed him as one of the city’s most eligible bachelors, an article pondering his sexuality and the reason for his lack of partner had also been front and center. He’d been elected to two consecutive terms in landslide victories, but there was still a petition floating around town about his needing to get married and start a family to truly represent his constituent’s values. They didn’t seem to care whether he married a man or a woman, as long as he settled down.

Stephen always smiled during interviews when questions about his personal life came up. His stock answer was, “My father gave me three good pieces of advice—never make a decision until I have all the facts, never ask someone to do something I’m not willing to do myself, and make sure to marry the right one the first time so I don’t have to do it again.”

It was a good answer. A charming answer. But it didn’t satisfy everyone.

Tasha shook her head. Her mind was wandering to a place she had no desire to go. This was not the night to think about Stephen getting married to someone who’d be an asset to his goals for higher office. This was the night she was going to get him to mentally and sexually unwind enough to be ready for their masquerade.

For four days she would be the one on his arm and in his bed. She didn’t want to consider why that pleased her so damn much, but she couldn’t deny that it did.





She found him downstairs setting two aluminum platters on hot pads in the center of the dining table. The scene was so domestic the butterflies in her stomach came back with a vengeance.

“That smells delicious.”

Stephen glanced up with a pleased smile, as if he’d cooked it himself. “It’s the lasagna from Ruby’s.”