"So your father really stepped down for his family?"
"That's what he says." Knox's tightly indifferent tone suggested anything but indifference.
She thought better of asking him to elaborate. "And you want his seat?"
"I do. And I have a good chance. Despite the scandal, my father carries a good portion of the state, and the polls indicate his constituents think favorably of my taking his place."
"Polls, already?" She rolled her eyes. "It sure doesn't take long for the vultures to circle."
"We had some lead time before the news broke, which is how I know the fact I'm single and have a playboy reputation could hurt the campaign."
She winced inwardly over the playboy part-the last thing she needed was the reminder she was just another smudge on his otherwise impeccably polished headboard. "So, what do you want from me? A signed affidavit attesting to your fidelity?"
He leaned back in his chair and gave her what had to be his best podium appraisal. "I ended things between us because I didn't want you to get hurt."
She snorted. "Gotta say that didn't work out so well. I'm over it now-or I was until you came at me with the bald avenger-but your selfless dissolution of our relationship wouldn't win you the character vote. If you don't believe me, put that in your poll."
Pinning her down with a hard look, he said, "Dammit, Chloe. I get it. But I need you to get it. I didn't want to draw you into this life."
"Nice chivalry," she said, her voice heavy with sarcasm. "Did it ever occur to you to let me make my own decision? I'm a reporter, remember? I make a living off the ugly side of life, from which you're so gallantly trying to protect me." She froze, his words sinking in. "You didn't want to? Past tense?"
"My campaign manager has decided I need a wife."
She blinked.
"He was ready to fabricate a relationship, but I drew a line. I'm not going to lie for votes."
She forced a laugh. "Are you sure you're cut out to be a politician?"
He ignored the jab. "I have a proposition for you. A business arrangement. Mutually beneficial, of course."
Her eye twitched. "You have boatloads of money. Privilege. Connections. I'm from the wrong side of the tracks and-judging by the way you left me-completely disposable. What could you possibly need from me?"
He looked at her so long her insides started to quake. Finally, he said, "I want you to be my wife."
The room jolted into silence. After several seconds, the drone of a distant airplane broke through the fuzz in her head. She looked down at the dress he'd provided, then back up again. "What?"
"I can do the Senate job, and I can do it well. I can restore honor to the family name. The race is mine to lose, but like I said, I need a wife."
She took a deep breath that did nothing to steady her churning heart. "And what, exactly, is in this for me?"
But even as she asked, she knew. Access. Access to a story that, if her suspicions proved true, would tear Rex Hamilton's reputation to shreds and possibly land him in jail.
And Knox hadn't a clue.
"Networking," he said. "You'd be on my arm at every major function in this town … including the ones closed to the press."
Even as the implication of his words sank in, her mind spun. Her job-her integrity as a reporter-meant everything to her. With newsprint losing favor in the shifting digital landscape, where competition was fierce and freelancers worked for a portion of her pay, job security was a myth. She wasn't willing to stoop to tabloid reporting to keep her name on the front page, but a legitimate story, exposing one of the Washington elite? She'd grab it in a heartbeat. And this … this had the potential to be so much more. She strongly suspected Rex had pushed through approval on a project that should never have seen the light of day. As a direct result, her grandmother was on the verge of losing the farmhouse Chloe's grandfather had built with his own hands, and a huge swath of environmentally sensitive wetlands were endangered. If she accepted Knox's offer, she'd be in an unparalleled position to prove it.
But marriage? Marriage should matter. Knox hadn't professed his undying love, and there had been no mention of his inability to live without her. Sure, the sex between them was incredible, but by marrying him, would she give up her chance at something real? Her heart ached for love at first sight or happily-ever-after or whatever fairy tale Disney was selling these days-all things he hadn't mentioned, let alone promised her. She had everything to gain, but at what cost?
Either way, marrying Knox could be the biggest break of her life.
He watched her expectantly, the question in his eyes genuine. It wasn't a politician who stood before her, but a man.
A man who offered her almost everything.
Almost.
She took a deep breath. "No."
Chapter Five
Knox's heart plummeted to the ground beneath his feet. "No?"
Chloe was looking at him with disgust, as if he'd flattened a kitten. "That's right. No. As in, you've got to be kidding me."
"Actually, I'm serious." Also a little stunned. Granted, his wasn't exactly the type of proposal girls dreamed of their whole lives. In fact, he wasn't sure he'd actually popped the question, at least not in the traditional sense. He certainly hadn't left a dent in the carpet with his knee. But he'd been sincere, and that ought to count for something.
"How did you foresee this playing out?" She jumped to her feet. "As you've just so eloquently pointed out, I'm a lowly reporter. Not only am I not from your esteemed social class, but in my professional capacity, I'm the Hamiltons' sworn enemy."
"I think you might be overstating that a bit," he said mildly. He kept his seat, letting her tower over him.
"You just hinged your entire offer on the fact that I need you to gain access."
"You're missing the point."
"You're missing one, too. I'm a real person, and I'm not going to spend the rest of my life-or any portion thereof-playing a part. Not for my career and not for yours." She paused long enough to take a breath. Long enough for his gaze to travel the length of her body and back. Twice. She didn't miss the fact. "Find another fake wife," she snapped.
"There is no one else."
Five words. That was all it took to douse the fire and soften the rigid fury that had risen like some sort of atomic plume. She worried her bottom lip. Looked away, then found his eyes again. "What do you mean there's no one else? Perhaps you haven't noticed, but the line gave way to a mob when you became DC's ‘Most Eligible Bachelor.'"
"I think that might be a slight exaggeration, but it doesn't matter. I don't want a fake wife. I don't care how long the line is or how sizable the purported mob. I only want you."
She sank onto the chair she'd vacated. "But you don't love me."
He shifted, suddenly uncomfortable. Entirely too aware of a vulnerability he couldn't afford. "I don't do love."
"But you're okay with sex?"
He almost laughed. Almost. Because with her sitting there, her hair falling in those long, soft waves and that blue dress a lot more dangerous on her than it had been on the rack, he couldn't imagine anyone looking at her and not being okay with sex. It had to be a trick question. And, dammit, he was hard anyway.
He followed her gaze to his groin.
She didn't wait for his answer.
She had it.
"I want to be respected, Knox. As a reporter. As a woman. And I'm not going to get that with an arranged marriage and a husband who puts me fourth, somewhere after politics and interns and … sex."
He shifted, hoping to disguise some of his interest in the sex part. But truth be told, he couldn't remember the last time someone had come at him so furiously. It set fire to his blood. Her eyes snapped furiously like branches in a storm, and it thrilled him. She thrilled him.
And she wasn't walking away, despite what he figured to be a damn good exit line.
Maybe he had her after all.
He stood, moved closer. She didn't retreat. Not even when he thought she should have. "Let me make this perfectly clear," he said. "I wouldn't do this with anyone else. I mean that."
She swallowed. "Considering I'm the last person you should be asking, I kind of believe you."
Had she smiled? He watched the corner of her mouth, hoping the brief sign would reappear, but the tilt of her lips remained neutral. "I am not asking for a fake relationship," he said softly. "I'm not asking for something short-term. And I'm not having sex with the interns."
Eyes rolled to the heavens, she said, "Where have we all heard that before?"
He pressed his lips, trying to avoid a smile. "I will have sex with you and only you. Any and every chance I get. And for the record, I hardly think it's fair I get blamed for the fact we can't seem to get near a bed without setting fire to it."