The Marriage Agenda(31)

Everyone froze. Silence, at last.

And she was too annoyed to be nervous.

It was now or never.

"As you have doubtlessly heard," she announced, "Senator Rex Hamilton  was exposed this morning for a number of crimes that took place while he  was in office. I am not here to discuss those details, all of which  you'll find in today's edition of the Washington Tribune." She paused,  trying to keep the emotion from her voice. "I am here to tell you how  the story broke."

At least a dozen cameras stared blankly at her. No one said a word.

Chloe cleared her throat. "Once the illegal activity stemming from  Senator Hamilton's office was confirmed, I did write the story. But when  I got to the end, I couldn't give it to the paper. I couldn't do that  to … my husband. I couldn't, but he could. Knox broke the story to the  press. Not me."

She took a deep breath. "The fact that Knox found the story and sent it  in himself will tell you everything you need to know about his  character. He believes in the truth so much, he was willing to sacrifice  his career. I once told him he was too honest to be a politician, but I  think he's proven exactly the opposite. An honest politician is exactly  what we all need. That's exactly the man you want representing you in  office."

Her words were met with silence. She'd said what she needed to say, and  she thought this was the part where they'd start yelling questions at  her. That's what happened to everyone else, at least. This was  just … awkward.

Then a voice rang out. "Do you have any proof Mr. Hamilton did this?"

"She doesn't need it." The answer came from behind her. She turned,  shocked at the sound of Knox's voice. "Ms. Lochlan is correct. I sent  the story to her editor."

He didn't spare her a glance as he addressed the crowd, which had  quickly forgotten her. A small uproar sounded as the assembled reporters  all tried to talk over one another. Him, they shouted questions at.

Knox silenced them with a raised palm that worked every bit as well as  her deafening whistle. "My father isn't above the law. You put your  trust in him, and he abused the privilege of his office. Maybe he'll  talk his way out of it, or maybe he'll find himself in a jail cell, but  the bottom line is the public had a right to know."         

     



 

A bunch of questions were shouted, but one came through more clearly than the rest. "You intentionally exposed your father?"

Knox nodded, once again holding out his hands to draw silence. "Yes, but  he's also my senator. What you saw was not idle gossip. It is confirmed  fact, and once I knew what had been going on, I had two choices: expose  it or be a part of the cover-up. I refuse to do the latter."

Chloe's heart sank. She hadn't realized it, but she'd put him exactly in  that position. She'd just wanted to give him a chance to prepare for  the inevitable, but what she had actually done was give him an  impossible choice-one that had ruined his dreams of restoring honor to  the family name. Even if he won that or any other election, the Hamilton  name would for a long time be remembered not for greatness, but for  scandal.

She had done that to him.

Knox, I'm so sorry.

Every eye in the place was glued on him. Every eye but hers. She had cost him everything he wanted, and for what?

"There's something else."

Knox sounded so serious, she had to look at him. "For several months  last year, I was in a relationship with an incredible woman. She was  everything I could ask for. Beautiful-stunning, actually-but she was  also smart and funny … and not the least bit concerned with my last name.  When you grow up as a Hamilton in that mansion on the hill, that's not  the kind of thing you ever think you'll find. You don't even know to  wish for it."

Chloe drew her hand to her chest. Pressed it tightly so it wouldn't tremble. What are you doing, Knox?

"And yet there it was. There she was. This woman, so pure hearted. A  woman without an agenda, if you can believe that." He smiled, his remark  drawing laughter from the crowd. "I had everything … and I pushed her  away. I said it was because I didn't believe in love, but what I was too  stupid to admit was that I already knew love."

Chloe shook from head to toe.

He looked at her. "I pushed her away, and still I wouldn't admit why.  Then my father's affair broke, and it was my chance to step up and  follow my own dreams. To follow not in my father's footsteps, but my  grandfather's. It was from him I learned what it means to be a good man  and a great leader, and I wanted to honor that legacy. I wanted to make a  difference. To restore honor to the Hamilton name."

And I ruined it.

He gave a short laugh-a heartbreaking, self-depreciating sound-and  turned back to the reporters. "All I needed, it seemed, was a wife.  Someone whose presence in my life would convince the world I was stable  and ready to take seriously my ambitions. Originally I said no, I would  not orchestrate a marriage for the sake of appearances. I would take my  chances. Stand on my own merit. Refuse to live a lie. But then I  remembered this woman. The truth is, I hadn't forgotten her. Not for a  minute. So I asked her to marry me. But I couldn't say I loved her, so I  pointed out the obvious, which was if she got close to me, she'd get  close to a story-not a bad offer for one of the Washington Tribune's  best reporters. I never expected the story would hit so close to home,  but it did. And despite the fact that being the reporter behind that  story would have made her career, she didn't hit send. She saved it. She  saved me, but she deserved more. She deserves recognition for that  story."

He paused and looked at her intently before turning back to his audience.

"When I asked Chloe Lochlan to marry me-Chloe, and no one else-it was  because I didn't want a pretend wife. I didn't want to live a lie. But  in doing so, I told the greatest lie of them all. I told her I couldn't  love her."

Knox had everyone in attendance completely transfixed by his words. Not a soul moved. Chloe wasn't sure she could draw breath.

"A woman like her deserves so much more than any man can give, and I'm  the last one who should have the chance, but she believed in me once, so  I hope that counts for something." He grinned sheepishly, breaking some  of the tension. "I'm afraid I also missed one of the finer points of a  proposal, so if you'll allow me … " Knox stepped away from the microphone  and reached in his pocket, pulling out a small box. The type rings came  in. Then, in front of the entire world, he lowered himself to one knee  and opened the box to reveal a stunning diamond solitaire.

The style he'd said was real-the kind he said she might one day get from a man who loved her.

"Chloe," he said, "I've aspired to be a lot of things in my life, but  there's only one that's ever really mattered. I want to be your  husband-the kind you deserve. I know this is a bit awkward, considering  we're already married, but I love you. I love you so damned much it  hurts, but nothing has ever felt so right. I don't want to live my life  without you. Will you let me be a real husband to you? Will you let me  love you?"         

     



 

She blinked. She had to be dreaming. She thought a thousand questions, but there was only one answer. "Yes."

Flashes went off like crazy, reminding her they had a huge audience, but the only thing that mattered was Knox. He loved her.

He stood and slid the ring on her finger, having to turn the diamond to  the side so it would fit next to the three on her other engagement band  "We'll have to figure this out later," he said, laughing.

"I can't believe you did this," she whispered. "You just gave up everything."

He turned away from the prying eyes and ears of the crowd. "No, Chloe. I  didn't give up anything. I gained everything." He kissed her softly.  "Everything. And I think we need to go home right now. But if it's okay,  we have a stop to make."

"Why? You think we need to resuscitate Toby?"

"Probably, but that's not what I meant." With a wave to the reporters  he'd driven into fits, he took her hand and led her outside and to his  car. "I want to stop by the florist. I think it's past time I buy my  wife some flowers."

Chloe rolled her eyes as he opened her door. "They don't sell flower  bushes at the florist. I think you're going to need to go to a garden  center for that."

He shook his head. "Nah, I think I'm going to splurge on a bouquet. Do you have a favorite?"

"Daisies."

Twenty minutes later, Knox emerged from a florist with a huge bouquet of cut daisies in one hand.

And a potted miniature rosebush in the other.

 …

Knox had taken make-up sex to new levels. Other than answering the door  for the pizza they'd ordered, they'd spent the whole day in bed. She  probably couldn't walk if she had to, but she didn't really have a need.  Everything she wanted was right there. "Do you think we can make a  daily thing of this? Maybe get it on to your schedule?"