Page 34 of Married to the SEAL
This was a side of Grace he hadn’t seen before. The businesswoman, the politician, and he was impressed.
By the time Matteo made it to his seat near the front of the auditorium, he was downright curious to hear what she had to say. Would she be mild-mannered and polite, or would she surprise him yet again?
A couple behind him was talking.
“I don’t care what the media says. He scares me.”
“Clearly, he is not being upfront about his plans for the future or his relationship with Russia. I’m just not sure Vasile is the answer.”
“I know. He’s getting old. Did you see him on the news last week? He’s not looking so good, either. I wonder if he’s sick.”
The man clucked his tongue. “I wish he was younger. You’d think they could come up with a better candidate who didn’t have one foot in the grave to fight Trane.”
“You’re still going to vote for him, aren’t you?”
“I’m not sure.”
The lights in the theater went down, and the couple stopped talking, but their comments bounced around in Matteo’s head for the next hour. He knew Vasile wasn’t well—even less well than he appeared in public, since at the house he was without makeup.
Grace was more than holding her own, clearly grabbing the audience’s attention while she went over her father’s plans if he was elected to another term. But from where Matteo was sitting, Grace was the one who was shining.
“I can speak to my father’s ideals because I share them. We all share them. We want to live in a free and independent state. We want our children to grow up knowing they are safe in a land that can defend itself from the hostile intentions hidden in an otherwise beautiful world.
“Because make no mistake, there are those with hostile intentions toward our country and if we do not actively resist the propaganda that is being fed to us as if it were truth, we will find ourselves living in a place we don’t recognize with ideals we can’t support.
“Victor Trane advocates for those in charge of our country to listen to the changes being suggested by Russia. Just listen. Let me ask you a question. Do you really believe all he wants you to do is hear them out? Of course not. His loyalty lies with Russia, and if he is elected, he will give control of our country to them.”
Applause erupted all around him, the crowd instantly on their feet. Grace had issued a battle cry that had resonated with every person in that room. Matteo could feel it.
“Now there’s someone I could vote for,” came the voice of the woman behind him.
Matteo furrowed his brow. Did Grace want to follow in her father’s footsteps into politics? He let his mind wander, considering the possibility.
What do you care? You’re not going to be here anyway.
That was true. Any future for Grace would not include him, and she would be a single mother—at least until she met someone she truly wanted to marry. Considering the situation with her father and the whole reason Matteo was here, he knew that would hurt her chances of succeeding in that arena.
He made his way backstage, rounding the corner of a long hallway to see Grace shaking hands with the throng of people who were clearly giving her congratulations.
She was glowing, and Matteo’s breath caught in his chest. He already knew she was beautiful, but now he’d seen inside her to her intelligence, wit, and sharp mind. Grace Vasile was the whole package, and he had the uncanny feeling he was looking at someone who would become an important figure in history.
She caught sight of him and smiled, making several heads turn in his direction to see who the lucky man was.
It’s her husband, of course.
Yes, no one here would find it strange that he was looking at her with such pride and admiration. Even if they noticed the spark of attraction that grew into a steady flame as he approached, it was all completely normal for a newly married couple.
He didn’t need to mask the attraction he felt for her, didn’t need to tear his stare away from the high color in her perfectly sculpted cheeks.
His body tingled with wanting her. He opened his arms and kissed her on the lips. “That was fantastic, honey.”
“Thank you.”
The flash of a camera went off.
His hand lingered on her, dropping to the small of her back when he moved to stand beside her. The final congratulations were made hastily, and then they were alone.
She turned to face him. “Thank you for doing that.”
