When Passion Flares (The Dark Horse Trilogy Book 2) by Cynthia Dane

need to enjoy the time we get together. Let’s not… well, yeah. Dark horse or not, Payne is probably up to something. I don’t know what, though. He knows that I support him so I don’t think he would go out of his way to alienate me like that. Maybe it’s a warning that he knows, but he doesn’t want other people finding out. I like to think he has a good heart…”
    Kerri snorted. “Then you have a lot more faith in politicians than I do. He may have a ‘good heart,’ but that doesn’t mean he won’t play dirty. You said so yourself, a would-be dark horse will have to pull out all of the stops in order to win. God, I hate politics. No matter what form they take, they are the freakin’ worst. You know what I want in life?” She squeezed her boyfriend’s hand. “I want to get as far away from politics as possible. My dream is to live my adult life without having to worry about this business. Because that’s what it is. Being in politics is running a business. A brand. You sell yourself so you can get power and authority, but what do you do with it? Do you actually make changes? Change policies for the better? What is the better? Just because you think something is good for the people, doesn’t mean you’re right or that they’ll want it. You could be doing the right thing, but if the public hates it, they’ll spit you out before they can feel any positive effects. Take my father for instance. I don’t agree with him most of the time, but he has had good ideas. Like when he tried to get preschool funding throughout the state. You know, he fought tooth and nail to make it happen. But the voters threw a fit because it meant raising taxes. So he gave up after two years of fighting. He’s not even using it as a platform this year. I was so ashamed in him, but I understand why he did it. I saw it firsthand. God, sorry. I’m so burned up, if you couldn’t tell.”
    Hunter released the tension in their handholding. “I see your point. I don’t know if I have a lot of faith in him, but I don’t think he wants to hurt us. Say what you will about him, but I trust him more than I do either of our fathers, no offense.”
    “None taken.”
    With their wine now depleted, Hunter called in their private server and had him bring in dessert. “It’s on me,” Hunter said, as Kerri began to object. “Let me spoil my Juliet for a little while longer. Let’s forget about Joshua Payne, the election, and what happens in our families.”
    Kerri snorted. “You call me your Juliet and then talk about our families.”
    “It’s very topical.”
    “Too true. Did you know that there is a famous French musical based on that play? It’s beautiful. I had the opportunity to see it in its original version when I studied abroad in France for a semester. It was breathtaking. I’d love to see it again someday.”
    Their dessert arrived, and the two of them picked up their tiny dessert forks so they could enjoy the flavors. “I’ll take you. Italy, France, wherever you want to go. When this is over, I’ll take you away somewhere.”
    Kerri smiled at him, but it was not with good humor or vigor. What I would give to make her happy. Rarely in his life had Hunter ever felt the need to cheer up such a woman. With his previous girlfriends, all he had to do was throw some money their way or show them the lavish life of a politician’s son. Sometimes being Hunter Hall was enough for those women. But Kerri was not impressed with any of that. What she needed went deeper than trinkets, dinners, and even lovemaking. She needed freedom. She needed to no longer be a prisoner of her family’s.
    After their time in the restaurant was over, Hunter took his girlfriend to a hotel on the far side of town. At first he wasn’t sure if she would be open to sex – Kerri looked out the window of their hotel room, her frown lines deep and her pondering eyes searching for an answer to her problems. Hunter did not concern himself with her