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Breathless from the rush, I slid into the open backseat of the town car and we headed to Lei’s Her part of New York was a lot different froe distance away that could’ve been another world We crossed the East River with the sun still hanging in the sky, the light’s reflection on the water broken by an industrious towboat

It amazed me that I’d once believed Jax could fit in here I had come to associate hiine him anywhere else

Excepthim there

I WAS CONSIDERING how best to finagle information out of Ian Pembry when the car pulled to a stop in front of Lei’s apart

I’d seen her dress earlier, but it had a whole new ireen and Grecian in design, it glided over her y body as she exited her apart with a sown showed off her flawless pale skin and emphasized the red of her lips, while a beautiful jeweled clip accented the silver strands at her right temple

She settled on the seat beside ht her tension

"You okay?" I asked

"Sure"

We were quiet as we took the short ride to the heliport, both of us lost in our own thoughts Turning a corner,park and the boisterous furry bodies running wild and free inside it Their playful exuberance and undisguised pleasure made me smile, despite the somber turn my reflections had taken all day

I hated to ad ht the request had come from the heart I had believed it was personal, that he truly wanted to connect with uess I’d always expected too much from Jax When it came to him, my instincts were seriously faulty

By the ti into the air, my attention had turned outward to Lei She stared out theas the ground dropped farther away, laying the city out for us in a spectacular blanket of setting-sun-drenched concrete and sparkling glass I followed suit, absorbing the panorama The entire day had been reflective ofwith Lei My family had a microscopic view of the world and they liked it I’d alanted soer, a vieith a ?" I asked

She shook her head "Ian’sI expect we’ll be ed"

AROUND EIGHT O’CLOCK I founde boarded a private jet at the airport and increasing exponentially when the flight attendant advised us of our destination

"He’s outdone hi horeet us

The restaurateur looked iray hair slicked back He greetedthe back of my hand, then turned his blue eyes onto Lei

"You’re toying with one ofimpassively as he lifted her hand to his mouth "You never used to be cruel"

"I used to have a heart," he drawled, "and then soaze darted between the two, trying to read the vibrating tension between the played and that everyone understood the rules but me

Fine If I kept my mouth shut and my ears open, I could catch up

Ian turned and offered me his arm "Shall we?"

He led lance back at her proved she did so regally, her head held high on that long neck I envied Light spilled out of the open double doors and liers in steady waves behind us It was an a party and I hadn’t even crossed the threshold

"I trust the flights were pleasant," he said

I glanced at hi me too carefully "Yes, thank you"

"Have you been to DC before?"

"My first time"

"Ah" He smiled, and I could see a hint of his char the weekend I have a town house in Georgetown You’re welcome to use it"

"That’s kind of you"

Laughing, he unlinked our arh the doors before him "I hope you’ll say resses, Miss Rossi I’d like to get to know you, especially since both Jackson and Lei have taken such an interest in you"

My steps slohen I sahat looked to be a receiving line "What is this event?"

"A private fund-raiser," he murmured near my ear

I suddenly understood what Lei had e?"

A through the receiving line went quickly, with brisk handshakes frohtly warroo practiced set through and accept a glass of cha waiter I was even happier to see Chad, who looked as uncohtened when he saw us, familiar faces in an unfamiliar crowd, and he headed our way

"I took the liberty of pairing Chad with you, Lei," Ian said, his gaze sliding over her

I searched the room for Jax I didn’t see hi around the ballroom we’d been shown to A ballroom, for God’s sake, in someone’s house

Who lived like this?

I sed a large gulp of the cool wine in lass Jax lived like this The sleek businessman I’d seen at Savor fit in here, but not the lover I’d known

You only thought you knew hier beneath the collar of his dress shirt "Can you believe this? I just overnor of Louisiana And he kneho I aet it

"How do politics and the food-service industry e bedfellows, I adlass and swapped it for a fresh one as a waiter walked by "But everyone eats"

"Not everyone votes," Lei said, catching her own glass

"You were always reed "What about you, Gianna? I can call you Gianna, can’t I? Do you exercise your right to vote?"

"Isn’t politics one of those topics it’s wiser not to discuss?" I eyed a passing tray of hors d’oeuvres and realized my nerves were too shot to even consider food

"Why don’t we dance instead?" he suggested

Figuring it reed Chad took ne and downed it

"I’ll warn you that I’reat dancer," I told Ian as he ledI’d taken a few classes to build my confidence, but I never had a chance to dance formally outside of the studio and little ti beyond the basic steps I had definitely never danced to a live orchestra before

"Just followme close

We blended into the few couples on the floor

I was so focused on not stepping on his feet that I didn’t say anything for the first minute or so