loosen up. You look like a hog on the way to the slaughterhouse."
His last comment hit her like a slap in the face. Heat rose in Julia cheeks as she trailed Adam onto the empty dance floor. By the time he turned back to her, she was ready to explode with fury. Adam owed her common courtesy, at the very least. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but at that very moment the band struck up Strauss's "Emperor Waltz".
Adam took her into his arms. His hands were warm on her waist, his eyes intent on her face, and she needed to concentrate on the steps to keep up with him. She took a deep breath to stem the tide of her anger as he whirled her about the dance floor with easy, impersonal skill. Again, Julia realized, he was performing for the cameras.
The knowledge only fueled her rage. How could she ever have admired this arrogant, selfish, pretentious, manipulative. . .she ran out of adjectives, but her fury felt good, clean and raw enough to chase away her anxiety as she danced with Adam in front of so many strangers.
Adam lowered his mouth to her ear again. "You haven't told anyone about our deal, have you?"
"I promised I wouldn't," Julia snapped.
Adam caught the anger in her voice. He couldn't miss it. He pulled away, but his smile never faltered. He was too slick for that, too poised to betray his surprise. For the rest of the dance, he left Julia to her thoughts.
No, she'd told no one about her agreement with Adam. Despite the buzz in the office after the announcement, only Valerie had tried to intrude on Julia's privacy. The others regarded her with interest and a little awe. Julia suspected that they hadn't wanted to risk offending the boss's bride-to-be. It saddened her to realize that she would never find close friends among her office mates, but it was one more price she would have to pay for accepting Adam's proposal.
The dance ended. Adam bent to kiss her. At the last moment, Julia turned her head so that his lips landed on her right cheek instead of her lips. Pleasure skittered through her body anyway as his mouth blazed a fiery path to her ear. Her pleasure ended abruptly, however, when Adam hissed three furious words. "Smile, damn it!"
Julia obeyed, treating the crowd to a false but dazzling smile as Adam led her from the dance floor. Her smile was genuine, though, as she waved to Danny, her mother, and her three brothers. They looked a bit dazzled themselves. "See you tomorrow," she mouthed in her son's direction. He nodded, apparently not upset about spending the night with his grandmother and uncles in a hotel.
Adam dragged her from the ballroom and through the hotel lobby, where Phil waited. He beamed at them. "Congratulations, kids. You're booked into the honeymoon suite at the best hotel in town, but don't get used to it -- we're back on the road again tomorrow morning, after the strategy meeting. Adam, you've got that fund-raising dinner and two speeches down south. Julia and Danny will go along, of course."
"Thanks Phil." Adam dropped Julia's hand and took her arm in his steel grip as he led her toward the double doors leading outside. "Keep smiling," he told Julia, under his breath. They stepped out into the night together and braved another gauntlet of reporters and photographers on the way to their black stretch limousine. The chill October air raised goose bumps on Julia's bare arms. Fragments of shouted questions drifted to her ears.
"Senator Carmichael, where did you meet. . .."
". . . how long have you known. . . ."
"Is it true that. . . ."
". . .because of your reputation. . ."
". . .for the publicity. . . ."
"Julia, what do you think of. . . ."
Adam merely grinned and waved. Julia lifted her chin and tried to look like a woman who'd just married the man she loved. She wasn't half the actor Adam was, but she hoped she'd pulled it off -- despite the fact that love was the very last thing she felt for Adam just now.
He helped her into the limo, then slid in himself. Silently, he raised
His last comment hit her like a slap in the face. Heat rose in Julia cheeks as she trailed Adam onto the empty dance floor. By the time he turned back to her, she was ready to explode with fury. Adam owed her common courtesy, at the very least. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but at that very moment the band struck up Strauss's "Emperor Waltz".
Adam took her into his arms. His hands were warm on her waist, his eyes intent on her face, and she needed to concentrate on the steps to keep up with him. She took a deep breath to stem the tide of her anger as he whirled her about the dance floor with easy, impersonal skill. Again, Julia realized, he was performing for the cameras.
The knowledge only fueled her rage. How could she ever have admired this arrogant, selfish, pretentious, manipulative. . .she ran out of adjectives, but her fury felt good, clean and raw enough to chase away her anxiety as she danced with Adam in front of so many strangers.
Adam lowered his mouth to her ear again. "You haven't told anyone about our deal, have you?"
"I promised I wouldn't," Julia snapped.
Adam caught the anger in her voice. He couldn't miss it. He pulled away, but his smile never faltered. He was too slick for that, too poised to betray his surprise. For the rest of the dance, he left Julia to her thoughts.
No, she'd told no one about her agreement with Adam. Despite the buzz in the office after the announcement, only Valerie had tried to intrude on Julia's privacy. The others regarded her with interest and a little awe. Julia suspected that they hadn't wanted to risk offending the boss's bride-to-be. It saddened her to realize that she would never find close friends among her office mates, but it was one more price she would have to pay for accepting Adam's proposal.
The dance ended. Adam bent to kiss her. At the last moment, Julia turned her head so that his lips landed on her right cheek instead of her lips. Pleasure skittered through her body anyway as his mouth blazed a fiery path to her ear. Her pleasure ended abruptly, however, when Adam hissed three furious words. "Smile, damn it!"
Julia obeyed, treating the crowd to a false but dazzling smile as Adam led her from the dance floor. Her smile was genuine, though, as she waved to Danny, her mother, and her three brothers. They looked a bit dazzled themselves. "See you tomorrow," she mouthed in her son's direction. He nodded, apparently not upset about spending the night with his grandmother and uncles in a hotel.
Adam dragged her from the ballroom and through the hotel lobby, where Phil waited. He beamed at them. "Congratulations, kids. You're booked into the honeymoon suite at the best hotel in town, but don't get used to it -- we're back on the road again tomorrow morning, after the strategy meeting. Adam, you've got that fund-raising dinner and two speeches down south. Julia and Danny will go along, of course."
"Thanks Phil." Adam dropped Julia's hand and took her arm in his steel grip as he led her toward the double doors leading outside. "Keep smiling," he told Julia, under his breath. They stepped out into the night together and braved another gauntlet of reporters and photographers on the way to their black stretch limousine. The chill October air raised goose bumps on Julia's bare arms. Fragments of shouted questions drifted to her ears.
"Senator Carmichael, where did you meet. . .."
". . . how long have you known. . . ."
"Is it true that. . . ."
". . .because of your reputation. . ."
". . .for the publicity. . . ."
"Julia, what do you think of. . . ."
Adam merely grinned and waved. Julia lifted her chin and tried to look like a woman who'd just married the man she loved. She wasn't half the actor Adam was, but she hoped she'd pulled it off -- despite the fact that love was the very last thing she felt for Adam just now.
He helped her into the limo, then slid in himself. Silently, he raised
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