"You're kidding me, right?" Toby set his briefcase on Knox's desk and flipped it open. "At least she warned me about what she was about to do. You just … I think I'm going to need a raise."
"I'm thinking more along the lines of a severance package. The campaign is over, Tobster. Rex pretty well saw to that."
"Actually, we're not blaming here. We're giving credit."
Knox and Chloe exchanged glances. "What the hell are you talking about?"
Toby withdrew a sheet of paper from his briefcase. "People are going wild for you. I'm pretty sure you've won over every woman in the state. Hell, I bet Jackson's own wife is wet for you after that performance."
"Charlie Jackson's wife?" Chloe asked.
Knox shot her a sideways glance. "I don't think he means that literally." To Toby, he said, "That was not a performance."
"Call it what you want. You're polling over eighty percent."
Knox's jaw dropped. "Favorable?"
"Of course favorable. Would I have stood in your flower bed and risked voyeurism charges over bad news?"
Chloe glared. "How long did you stand there?"
"Voyeurs peep for sexual gratification," Knox said. "It would be significantly less awkward if you would just say you peeped."
"I can assure you that was not the highlight of my day. And you two are completely missing the point."
"To the contrary, I had a most excellent point going until I saw your face in my bedroom window."
Toby shook his head. "Is this who I'm going to be dealing with from now on?"
"Wait a minute." Knox held up a hand. "Who said anything about moving forward?"
"What the hell are you talking about?" Toby asked. "The election is yours to lose. Eighty percent is unheard of."
"I don't think-"
She put her hand on his arm. "Don't be an ass, Knox. Didn't you say you wanted to restore honor to your family name?"
"I think the damage is pretty well irreparable at this point."
"If that's true, why are you leading the polls?" She looked to Toby. "It's not irreparable, is it?"
Toby almost smiled. "There's plenty of time to reduce Rex to a footnote."
Chloe's breath caught. If she had one regret, it was that her story had ruined Knox's odds of winning the election. Could he really still have a chance?
Knox turned to Chloe. "What do you think? Are you still up for the job of a senator's wife?"
Toby snorted. "Are you kidding me? She's a piranha. Not only can she handle it, she'll clear the pool."
She snorted. "Is that a compliment?"
"It's as close to one as you're going to get from him," Knox said.
"I think it's a yes," she said. "However, you might need to try a little harder to get your point across." She cocked her head toward Toby. "You know … without him in the window."
"Do I need to hear this?"
"No, and you shouldn't watch, either," said Knox. "If you'll excuse us, I need to go drill my point into my wife."
"You're going to make me nauseous. What about the race?"
"It's a yes." Chloe said.
Toby snapped shut his briefcase. "I'm going to need a bonus for this," he muttered, heading for the door.
"I think I'm about to hit a hundred percent approval rating," Knox called after him.
"You don't get that until after you're elected. And never at a hundred percent." Toby offered a wave-one lacking in eye contact-and let himself out of the house.
"We'll see about that," Knox called to the closed door. Then to Chloe, "What do you think?"
"I think you better keep your approval rating between us."
He pulled her into his arms. "You want to know what I think about approval ratings?"
She poked a finger to his chest. "A great deal, hence your marriage."
He laughed. "That was then. Now there's only one person's approval that matters, and that is my wife's."
She thought him joking at first, but all traces of humor had slipped from his face. She traced a fingertip over his lips. Drank in the sincerity in his eyes. Felt the hard planes of his body and the strength of arms he promised would never again let go.
"Only me, huh?"
"Always."
"Then I approve. Always."
"In that case, Mrs. Hamilton, I think it's safe to say I've already won."