Page 50 of Her Wild Coast Promise

“Fair enough, but if these friends start up on you, it could get ugly.”

I sway with her, my hands resting gently on her hips. “What could they possibly say now? It’s old news.”

Cora sighs. “One of them did a reaction video pretending to be you and her in bed and you are having problems…staying, um…engaged.”

My neck heats. “Shit. That’s…”

“It’s unnecessary drama, but after tonight, I’m getting the vibe that nothing is too low for her.”

“For the record, I do not have a problem in that…area.”

“Seth, you don’t have to—”

“I do, actually,” I say as my blood pounds in my temples.Happy to prove it sometimeis on the tip of my tongue, but I manage to keep my words locked behind my teeth. I shake my head to get my thinking back on track. “Promise me we are going to rise above this twisted gossip garbage and focus on what actually matters.”

“Of course we are.” Cora gives me a serious glance. “But I wasn’t kidding earlier when I said we need to be ready, and I have some ideas.”

“What does that mean?”

“I’m monitoring her social networks, recruiting volunteers for a phone and email campaign, and lastly, I’m going to dig into her connections. Campaign finances. Maybe she’s broken a few rules.”

I give her a warning glance. “That sounds daunting.”

“You hired me to help you win, correct?”

It pains me to agree because I’m pretty sure she’s going to use it as leverage. “Correct.”

She lets me twirl her one last time as the song ends. “Then trust me to do my job.”

Finally,Cora says we’ve schmoozed enough and can make our exit. I help her into her coat, then we stroll back through the hotel, the lobby respectfully dimmed now that it’s almost midnight. Outside, I hand my ticket to the valet, who hurries off into the night.

The thick, damp air is refreshing compared to the stuffy ballroom, and I inhale my first full breath in hours.

“The underwear I had in my desk drawer went missing,” Cora says, breaking the night’s thick quiet. “I don’t know how they ended up on my boss’s lamp. I think it was some kind of prank. Or maybe not? I’m not sure. I wish the circumstances were different, but I can’t change it. I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry that it happened to you,” I say, stepping close, so we’re facing each other. “Who would pull a prank like that? It doesn’t sound funny to me.”

She gives me a resigned shrug. “I think some of my coworkers wanted me gone.”

I cradle her shoulders and give her a gentle squeeze. “I wish I had been there to rescue you.”

“I rescued myself,” she says in a lighter tone.

I love her independence, yet I’m having a hard time accepting that some jerk played this prank on her and got away with it. If she was mine—I grimace, but thankfully she doesn’t notice.

She’s not mine.

I release a hard sigh.

Cora shivers against my hold. “I never would have agreed to run your campaign if I thought that disaster would come back to bite us in the ass.”

“Come on. Do you think the people in there” —I tilt my head at the party still raging inside the hotel behind us— “would care if they somehow heard this story? Number one, it’s not relevant, and two, would they even believe it? Three, I highly doubt she has proof.”

Cora releases a huff, creating a cloud of condensation that warms the space between us. “Okay, maybe you’re right.”

“I think we stay focused on the issues that are important to this community.”

Cora leans back to look up at me. “For tonight, I agree. We should celebrate this for the win it is. Fighting dirty can wait until tomorrow.”

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