The crowd moved toward his suite of offices in the Hart Building for the reception the Virginia Democrats were throwing in his honor. Nick went against the flow to find Sam as he continued to accept congratulations. He saw her at the end of the line, tagging along behind her father and his fiancée Celia as they headed to the elevator. Reaching for Sam’s hand, Nick held her back.

“We’ll be right there,” he said to Skip and Celia.

“Take your time, Senator,” Skip said, the half of his face that wasn’t paralyzed lifting into a grin.

“That sounds so weird,” Nick said to Sam when they were alone.

She reached up to brush a stray lock of hair off his forehead. “You’d better get used to it.”

Moved by her loving gesture, he still wanted to pinch himself when he realized he could touch her, be with her, sleep with her and love her every day after six years of dreaming about her. The one who’d gotten away was back in his life, and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to keep her there. “Are you all right?”

“Sure,” she said. “Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You’re a little pale.”

“Am I?”

“Uh-huh. Are you still worried about all this?”

She looked up at him with those light blue eyes that betrayed her every emotion. “No.”

“Liar,” he said, smiling as he leaned in to kiss her.

She tried to pull back from him, but he resisted. “You can’t do that here,” she said. “You’re a senator now.”

He glanced around at the deserted rotunda. “Who’s looking?” Tipping his head, he brushed his lips over hers and was gratified to feel some of the resistance leave her shoulders.

“Do I have to call you Senator now?” she asked with a glint in her eye.

“Only in bed.”

Her cheeks flamed with color. “Why do you have to say that stuff?”

“Because it flusters you.”

“It does not.”

“Liar.”

She poked his ribs, making him laugh.

A throat was cleared behind them. They turned to find Nick’s communications director, Trevor Donnelly, waiting for him. Nick had retained all of John O’Connor’s staff, including the perpetually frazzled, mop-topped Donnelly.

“Um, excuse me, Senator, but the media is waiting to have a word with you, and the president and first lady were looking for you in the office. They have to get going.”

“I’ll be right there.”

“Should I, ah, wait?” Trevor asked.

“No, go on ahead.”

With an awkward nod, Trevor left them.

“It has to be weird to them,” Nick said, watching him go. “Two weeks ago, I was a staffer too. Now they have to call me Senator.”

“There’ll be some adjustments, but you’ll make it work.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. I hope you’re right.”

“You’d better go. The president’s waiting for you.”