In the span of one night, Jenny had gone from being someone he refused to touch to the woman he refused to stay away from.

The high-speed train wasn’t getting him there fast enough, and despite all the campaign calls and emails he could do, he let his mind wander. Tassels and Tangos. What was that about anyway?

His campaign consultant called again. It had to be the tenth call in a row. He growled, not wanting to take it, but did. “Yeah, McIntyre here.”

“You’re in New York?”

“Almost.”

“What about your fundraiser tonight with—”

“I canceled that.”

“I know you canceled it. Any particular reason why, or should I worry you’ve lost your mind six weeks out from Election Day?”

Asher laughed. “You’re the second person in as many days to tell me I’ve lost my mind.”

“Not funny.”

“I’ll make it up. I swear.”

“This is why you pay me the big bucks. Already worked that out for you. All you have to do is make an appearance at some swanky dinner tonight at some fancy New York City restaurant. Try to smile at the big donor’s very pretty daughter a few times, and we’re good.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “We aren’t anything. I’m done with the arm candy.”

“I didn’t say you were her date tonight. I’m saying that her big-money daddy wants you two to meet, and he was hosting the fundraiser in DC that you’ve decided to skip. So there isn’t much to discuss here, Congressman. Make the guy happy.”

Asher growled to himself. Election Day loomed. He couldn’t afford rookie mistakes, and pissing off a major donor was amateur. “Fine. Done.”

He hung up the phone. It rang again. But it was Jenny.

“Asher?”

The giant pressure leaning on his chest melted at the sound of his name rolling off her tongue. “Hey, sweetheart.”

“I got the part,” she nearly screamed into the phone. “They gave it to me.”

“You earned it.”

“I earned it.” She made an excited noise, and he was pretty sure that Ricky was jumping up and down with her.

Only Ricky could pull a move like this one. Such a chameleon. One of the toughest brutes Asher had ever met. That man could morph into any role he chose.

“Guess what?”

She giggled at something in the background. “What? Tell me.”

“I’m on my way to see you.”

“Really?”

The excitement in her voice was so genuine, it reminded him of how she was the opposite of every manufactured meeting, date, interview that he’d dealt with lately. “Really.”

“Oh, but they’re starting right away with costume and publicity shots. I have a whole schedule of things to do this afternoon.”

“I have a way of being invited to places I don’t need to be. No one really tells me no. So, I’ll be there. Don’t worry.” The perks of being the up-and-coming senator—it should all go according to plan.