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Off the Record KA Linde 35290K 2023-09-01

She turned the water on cold in the shohen she got home and washed her workout off of her skin She didn’t normally like cold showers, but it had been so hot outside that it was the only thing she could stomach at theridiculous about the whole thing Maybe she and Brady could start whatever they were about to start and everything would be fine If only she could stop obsessing in his absence It had to be the reporter side of her co to fit the facts into the puzzle The truth was that there weren’t many details to consider, just a whole hell of a lot of hypotheticals To move forward, she needed to push past the hypothetical and settle in on what she did know Accept those facts and move forward

So what did she know?

Brady wanted her He wanted her badly enough to risk continuing to see her when it had the potential to hurt both of their careers if they got caught

She really wanted Brady If the fact that she couldn’t get hih a black-and-white h to prove that, then she didn’t knoould

Yes, well…that was it That was all she knew

That was all she needed to know

Liz stepped out of her shorapped a towel around her wet body, and grabbed her phone off of the counter

"Hello, Senator Maxwell’s office," a wo to keep her voice strong "I’?"

Liz took a deep breath "Sandy Carmichael"

Chapter 13

SURPRISE GETAWAY

Liz couldn’t have been on hold for more than a couple ing up Maybe he wouldn’t actually answer anyway But inevitably she had decided against it She had h with it, and she wasn’t going to back out now

She heard rustling on the other end and straightened in her seat He couldn’t see her, but it didn’t matter

"Ms Carmichael, what a pleasant surprise," Brady answered

Liz swooned in her seat She had already forgotten how his deep voice affected her Even when he was talking to her as if she was a reporter and not…well, whatever she was, it was still very attractive

"Brady," she reat to hear fron voice He cleared his throat and all but whispered into the phone, "Givefro roo to find privacy Was this what it would always be like?

"Hey," he said, losing the can-coated speech for histo hear fro to There’s a difference I alant to hear from you," he said s flattered "With that attitude, how did you expect me to wait?"

"I didn’t," he said She wondered if he was sht about the way his eyes looked down upon her deviously It s

"I want to see you," she breathed into the line

"Yeah, I think you "

"I know you said it was your terms I know you said that it was only when you were free…" she trailed off

"And you agreed," he growled into the phone "Are you backing out?"

"No," she answered hastily "Quite the contrary I want you to be free now"

She couldn’t believe she had blurted it out It hat she was thinking, but she usually kept her thoughts reserved Still, it wasn’t a lie She had gone a long time without him She knew she had work to catch up on, the paper to do research for, and a portfolio she needed to compile for her professor, but she couldn’t concentrate on any of that when he was on herbecause I’m a very busy person"

"I know you are I follow your can schedule," she said

He chuckled softly into the phone "I’m sure you do"

"Brady, it’s been teeks That kiss in the auditoriuh foron with the she had to push forith head-on If she hesitated tooused, and she couldn’t think about that She was getting out of it what she could, and what she wanted was Brady