time to think about why she didn’t have better answers to Colin’s questions, why her body felt like it was on fire when he touched her, and why it had never felt that way when Tom touched her.
Until then, she needed to make sure it didn’t happen again.
Colin watched Becca’s whole body stiffen as she took in the scene before them. He didn’t blame her. He’d grown up in this world. He should have been used to it by now.
He wasn’t.
Part of the reason he’d joined the military was to get away from all this.
He would rather take a dull saw to his good leg than suffer through another evening filled with mind-numbing cocktail party chitchat. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to support his father. He liked his father. He respected his father.
In the past four years as governor, his father had done some good things for the state and a lot of good things for veterans, despite his own public objections to the wars. But no matter how decent the man behind the name on the ticket was, there was always a certain amount of pandering, posturing, and saying whatever the public needed to hear to get the vote.
In the end, everything in politics came down to winning.
When he spotted the two men heading toward them, heirs to the largest casino chain in Maryland, he moved closer to Becca. They thought that since their father had made a sizeable donation to the veterans’ center they deserved something in return. He knew the names of every single person in this room, and what each one hoped to gain in return for their support. It was only a matter of time before more people spotted him and they were swarmed.
Feeling an unexpected surge of protectiveness, he placed his hand on the small of Becca’s back. She flinched at the contact and immediately shifted two steps to the right. Interesting, he thought, letting his hand drop back to his side. So he wasn’t the only one who felt something when he touched her.
It had caught him off guard when he’d grabbed her arm out on the street earlier to keep her from falling. He’d liked the way her skin had felt in his hands—soft, warm, and feminine. He’d liked the way she’d smelled, like honeysuckle and vanilla. And he’d liked the way her pupils had dilated slightly, making her brown eyes appear darker and more mysterious.
What he did not like was the way she’d answered his questions about her fiancé.
After what Annie had told him two days ago, he’d begun to recall a few passing comments that some of the other islanders had made about Tom over the winter. Once he’d taken the time to think about it, he’d remembered that even Ryan Callahan had gone uncharacteristically quiet whenever Tom’s name had been mentioned. Ryan was one of the most easygoing people Colin had ever met. If Ryan had a problem with Becca’s fiancé, there had to be something wrong with the guy.
Which left him with one question: if none of her friends liked him, why was Becca marrying him?
“Colin.” His stepmother swept through the crowd, her blond hair pulled back in a sophisticated knot, a pair of diamond studs winking at her ears. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She lifted up onto her toes, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Your father’s running late and there’s a man at the bar who wants to talk to him about funding for the new medical center in Calvert County.”
“I can talk to him. What’s his name?”
“Don O’Brien.”
He turned back to Becca. “Want to head up to the bar with me? Grab a drink before my father gets here?”
“Sure.” She looked hesitantly at his stepmother.
Right, Colin thought, not everyone was used to meeting the First Lady of Maryland. “Becca, this is my stepmother, Natalie Foley. Natalie, this is Becca Haddaway.”
Becca smiled shyly, offering her hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mrs. Foley.”
Natalie Foley was rarely caught off guard. After a lifetime of working the same political scene—first as the daughter of a judge,
Until then, she needed to make sure it didn’t happen again.
Colin watched Becca’s whole body stiffen as she took in the scene before them. He didn’t blame her. He’d grown up in this world. He should have been used to it by now.
He wasn’t.
Part of the reason he’d joined the military was to get away from all this.
He would rather take a dull saw to his good leg than suffer through another evening filled with mind-numbing cocktail party chitchat. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to support his father. He liked his father. He respected his father.
In the past four years as governor, his father had done some good things for the state and a lot of good things for veterans, despite his own public objections to the wars. But no matter how decent the man behind the name on the ticket was, there was always a certain amount of pandering, posturing, and saying whatever the public needed to hear to get the vote.
In the end, everything in politics came down to winning.
When he spotted the two men heading toward them, heirs to the largest casino chain in Maryland, he moved closer to Becca. They thought that since their father had made a sizeable donation to the veterans’ center they deserved something in return. He knew the names of every single person in this room, and what each one hoped to gain in return for their support. It was only a matter of time before more people spotted him and they were swarmed.
Feeling an unexpected surge of protectiveness, he placed his hand on the small of Becca’s back. She flinched at the contact and immediately shifted two steps to the right. Interesting, he thought, letting his hand drop back to his side. So he wasn’t the only one who felt something when he touched her.
It had caught him off guard when he’d grabbed her arm out on the street earlier to keep her from falling. He’d liked the way her skin had felt in his hands—soft, warm, and feminine. He’d liked the way she’d smelled, like honeysuckle and vanilla. And he’d liked the way her pupils had dilated slightly, making her brown eyes appear darker and more mysterious.
What he did not like was the way she’d answered his questions about her fiancé.
After what Annie had told him two days ago, he’d begun to recall a few passing comments that some of the other islanders had made about Tom over the winter. Once he’d taken the time to think about it, he’d remembered that even Ryan Callahan had gone uncharacteristically quiet whenever Tom’s name had been mentioned. Ryan was one of the most easygoing people Colin had ever met. If Ryan had a problem with Becca’s fiancé, there had to be something wrong with the guy.
Which left him with one question: if none of her friends liked him, why was Becca marrying him?
“Colin.” His stepmother swept through the crowd, her blond hair pulled back in a sophisticated knot, a pair of diamond studs winking at her ears. “I’m so glad you’re here.” She lifted up onto her toes, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek. “Your father’s running late and there’s a man at the bar who wants to talk to him about funding for the new medical center in Calvert County.”
“I can talk to him. What’s his name?”
“Don O’Brien.”
He turned back to Becca. “Want to head up to the bar with me? Grab a drink before my father gets here?”
“Sure.” She looked hesitantly at his stepmother.
Right, Colin thought, not everyone was used to meeting the First Lady of Maryland. “Becca, this is my stepmother, Natalie Foley. Natalie, this is Becca Haddaway.”
Becca smiled shyly, offering her hand. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mrs. Foley.”
Natalie Foley was rarely caught off guard. After a lifetime of working the same political scene—first as the daughter of a judge,
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