More Than Rivals by Mary Whitney Read Free Book Online Page A

incredulously. “What do you mean by that?”
    “Sorry. It’s a joke. Nothing really.” She looked at her watch. “We should be getting back.”
    “Wait. We have time. Why did you say that?”
    With a chuckle, she smoothed out her gaffe. “Nothing I haven’t said before to you and your staff.”
    “Is this your beef about me ignoring you?”
    “Yes.”
    “So when have you been speaking to my staff?”
    “When? Are you kidding me?”
    “No. I’m not joking.” His expression was fully honest. “What did you have to speak to my staff about this week?”
    Placing a hand on her hip, she gasped and smiled. “I have to talk to your staff all the damn time. You represent my county in the State Senate, remember?”
    “Well, sure, but I always consider the little sliver I have of Sonoma County as kind of sleepy place. Nothing much goes on here. It’s like a throw-back to another era.”
    “Do you know how offensive you’re being at the moment?” she asked with a burst of laughter.
    “Hey, didn’t you call your constituents ‘hicks’ the last time we talked?”  
    He added a wink at the end, and she desperately wanted to swat his arm for it. “That was a joke, and you know it.”
    “Maybe so.” He smiled. “I didn’t mean to be offensive either. I just meant things still work well here. I don’t hear too much about it. Obviously, I need to tell my staff to refer your calls to me because there are pressing issues here that I’m missing.”
    “Possibly.”  
    He leaned a little closer to her—not enough to raise a passerby’s eyebrows, but close enough for Lily to smell the soap he’d used that morning. His voice was teasing. “So, is that one of your talking points when you go negative on me?”  
    She stopped a smile as she shook her head because her worst fears were taking place before her eyes. He was flirting with her while talking about the campaign. It didn’t feel like he was trying to trip her up, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t happen. With a shrug, she snapped back, “It’s an honest criticism.”
    “Easily explained away.”
    “Whatever.” She narrowed her eyes and taunted him. “I won’t have to use it because I won’t need to go negative.”
    “Oh you won’t? You’re predicting you’ll win, or you think Charles is going to leave the rest of us in the dust.”
    “Either one.”
    “Is that so? Because either one applies to me as well.”
    “So cocky…” she said with a slow shake of her head.
    “Does it come off that way?” His tone changed to a more earnest one.
    “A little. And I remember your Stanford cap.”  
    His lips drew up into a smile, as he eyed her as he was calculated. After a moment, he asked, “So that negative campaign you’re going to end up running against me. You know I have the perfect response.”
    “Oh yeah, what’s that?”
    “When you say I’ve been ignoring Sonoma County, I can say that the area is represented by such accomplished and effective county supervisors like yourself that you don’t need me.”
    “Now what does that get you?”  
    “Well, I think I just got a smile from you.”
    She looked down and shook her head. “Flattery will get you nowhere with me.”
    “That’s too bad.”
    As they shared a smile, Lily once again felt that same giddy anticipation she had when he flirted with her. It was a feeling of warmth and fun, and a special excitement otherwise lost from her life. His hazel eyes lit up with mirth, like an invitation to dance with him. She took a deep breath, because she knew if she wasn’t who she was and he wasn’t who he was, she would gladly take his hand.  
    Her better—or at least her more cautious and realistic—angels fought to be heard as a small voice uttered one question inside her head. Why? Why is he doing this?
    All of Jordon’s warnings came back to her. She had nine months before the primary the following June. If she kept up this flirty banter with him for nine months, at a