Page 53 of Treason's Temptation
“Rumors of Navie’s past association with Lorenzo Strathmore are swirling. Then there’s Thandie Moyo, who claims to be your ex, stating she was with you recently. Intimately. Are you concerned that this compromises the integrity of your platform?”
The heat from Treason’s irritation had me looking for the nearest vent. He was fuming, and while I wanted answers about Thandie, too, I had to take over.
“Treason is a public servant, but I am not. I’m actually an incredibly private person. I needed time to adjust and make sure I could handle this before goingpublic. You don’t invite every man you date to meet the family. You feel him out first, right?” Tamera laughed but looked like the type to take a nigga home on the first link.
“A very wise and handsome man once told meeverything isn’t for everyone’s eyes and ears.I think it’s important to keep some things in life for yourself. Our relationship is one of them.”
Impressed that I’d recalled what he told me in his bathroom, Treason leaned forward with a perfectly timed kiss as Tamera tossed out another question.
“Thandie Moyo was quoted as saying the relationship announcement blindsided her. For the people at home, what was your relationship status with Miss Moyo?”
“I can’t answer that on daytime television, but if it were all that, she’d be here,” he said, bluntly catching Tamera off guard.
My eyes ballooned quickly, covering his mouth. I had learned the signs - his lips pressed thin, slightly curled at the corner in a cold smirk, with that damn predatory gaze that forced mystomach to turn over. That face told me he was no longer a savvy politician but a man who didn’t tolerate disrespect.
“Miss Moyo was asked if she thought the relationship was genuine, and she replied,Genuine? I think it’s convenient, and sometimes convenient can feel real until it isn’t. What do you have to say about that?”
I turned to Treason, wearing a smile that reminded him to behave.
“The boss said I have to tone it down, but Thandie is speaking her peace. I just wouldn’t call it mine. We were seeing each other.Past tense,but she’s good at PR. I’m not trippin’ off anything said about me, but when it comes to Navie, I don’t play like that.”
I hated him for making me revel in his open admiration. His arm draped around me, gently rubbing my arm, was the cherry on top. Then again, there’s a thin line between love and hate, and right now I felt both coursing through my veins.
“Assembly hopeful, community activist, and now protective boyfriend?” Her tone danced somewhere between respect and flirtation. “You were very vocal about how the arrest was mishandled.”
Treason's smile didn’t falter. “They had nothing but the words of an anonymous tip. That should be the headline that people are upset about. Not my relationship.”
Damn, he was good.
“Any truth to the rumors about Lorenzo Strathmore Jr.?” She asked, leaving no fuckin’ stone unturned.
My mind was congested with anger and fear at hearing his name. I wasn’t even sure how my smile was holding up. Sensing the shift, Treason pulled me closer.
“We don’t live in the past. She’s in good hands now. We’re looking forward to the future, together.” He stole a kiss as a diversion to whisper in my ear, “Breathe, Blue. I got you.”
They delivered an encrypted message, encouraging me to speak up.
“I’m happy. The only man I’m concerned with is the one right here.”
“I heard that. We have been flooded with questions from the moment we announced your appearance. The people want answers, and have been threatening me if I don’t get them,” she laughed playfully, tapping my leg before continuing, “We’ve all seen the chemistry between you two. Tell us, how did it start? Was it love at first sight, or more like, Who's this person interrupting my life?”
Fallon drilled the answer into our heads. Each time we repeated, meeting at an education reform summit, it felt less authentic.
Calling an audible, I replied, “We met at the Avery West African Art Museum. I was minding my business and enjoying the local art wing when one piece caught my attention. I was talking to someone else, and the next thing I knew, Treason was standing next to me, likeactually,” I replied, mimicking his baritone voice that made him laugh harder than he wanted to.
“We have to give a shout-out to the artist who’s responsible for this love story. Who was it?”
That was the danger of deviating from the script. The crowd was eating it up, but I didn’t have an answer for Tamera’s question.
“I can’t remember. It was a while ago and turned into a long night,” I lied, with a coy smile to sell it.
Treason refused to let me be the only chef in the kitchen, adding his own flair to the story.
“She can’t remember because she was too busy pretending to look at it, praying I would walk over.”
“I was not!”
His brows hiked, “Okay, Blue.”
