Fire & Desire (Hero Series) by Yvette Hines, Monique Lamont Page B

back door. “I guess we both
win.” Then he was gone once again, still without leaving any type of contact
information.
    Tiffany laid her face in her hands, wanting to scream at how far
she had let things go again.
    “Tiff, are you okay?”
    Hearing Josephine, Tiffany looked up.
    “Wow, Tiffany. You must be coming down with something. Your face
is all flushed.”
    “I’m not feeling like myself. Do you mind making my excuses to
everyone? I’m going to lie down for a bit.” It was not a complete lie. She was
becoming sick at the thought of not being able to control her response to
Trevor.
    “You know I don’t mind. I’ll get a few of the girls to help me
straighten up, then I’ll lock the door when I leave. You just get some rest.”
    “Make sure you check the side doors for me, Jo.” The thought of
Trevor coming back sent shivers down her spine.
    After her friend responded and exited the room, Tiffany gathered
her papers and escaped through the same door Trevor had entered moments before.

Five
     
    “So, Dad, what’s on the agenda for this month? On my calendar at
the moment, I have a few meetings I need to attend for the local Breast Cancer
Society’s fall fundraiser. Also, I told Jo I would spend a couple of days this
month with her to plan for next quarter’s scheduling. Other than those things,
I’m all yours.”
    Sitting in the dining room at the Governor’s Mansion, Tiffany
looked across the dinner table at her father, who sat intently listening to her
as he sliced his roast into small edible bits.
    Tiffany smiled as she observed him because she realized she
modeled his meticulous nature. Rarely a break in their routines, it was her
predictable gene.
    Tonight was no exception. It was the first Sunday of the month.
She and her father were having dinner as usual. Throughout the dinner, they
discussed what functions she would need to attend with him and what engagements
he was hosting that needed planning.
    At times, Tiffany secretly wished she were more like her mother,
spontaneous and adventurous. Her mother had loved trying new things all the
time; she’d liked living on the edge.
    It made her wonder what had even brought her parents together
since they were so different in their approaches to life. However, she knew as
free spirited as her mother had been, nothing had surpassed her loyalty and
devotion to her family.
    Her mother had passed away due to breast cancer, and that was one
of the reasons she gave so much time to the local chapter of the Breast Cancer
Society.
    When she was not working with her father, she worked with her best
friend, Josephine, in the consulting business they had opened two years ago.
The company’s business had steadily climbed since its beginning. But she knew,
if she had more time to put into it, the business could go a lot further.
Because of her social responsibilities in assisting her father in his term as governor,
it made it hard to give it her complete focus. She was thankful for her
business partner.
    Often, Tiffany thought, if it were not for Josephine, the company
would have sunk by now.
    “Well, turtledove,” the governor began, using the nickname he had
called her since she was a little girl, “this month is rather hectic. I’ll be
out of town for most of it, but there are still four or five dinner parties
where I’m expected to show face. On this Saturday evening, sorry for the short
notice, but Tracie, the senator’s daughter, is getting married, and it’s her
engagement party.”
    Tiffany looked up from her plate. “Oh, so Robert Sterling finally
proposed to her?”
    “Evidently.”
    “Why wasn’t it in the papers?”
    “Manning Senior told me they just wanted it to be a small private
affair, with family and close friends. The short amount of time people had to
prepare, the better chance they hoped the press wouldn’t show up.”
    “I understand. It’s amazing she has been dating him since high
school. It makes you wonder what took him so