Free Campaign For Seduction by Ann Christopher Page A

may be grateful, Senator, but your supporters are concerned. You’ve heard the protesters and seen the signs at some of the rallies. Some of this stuff is very nasty and very threatening. Why not take the secret service protection if it’s available?”
    “Well, again, Liza, I have my security team—”
    “A team that isn’t in the business of protecting a presidential candidate or managing the sorts of crowds you’ve been drawing, Senator.”
    “Listen, Liza—” his pleasant smile never wavered although she saw the hard glint of anger deep in his dark eyes “—no one’s more interested in keeping me alive than I am. I’m very well protected, and my team is the best in the world. Down the road we may revisit the issue, but for now I’m satisfied.”
    “Ask him about the Waverly issue,” Takashi hissed in her earpiece. “See if he’ll say anything else about his personal life.”
    Liza pulled her earpiece out and left it dangling on her shoulder, effectively hanging up on her producer. Takashi would throw a temper tantrum later, but she didn’t care. There was no way she could be detached and professional while asking the senator about his personal life on camera. Sorry.
    She wrapped up the interview by asking him about the latest economic news, and then her time was up. The second they finished, they stood, dropped the fake smiles and stalked away from each other as fast as they could.
    Just as the senator’s staff began to buzz among themselves again after being quiet while the camera was rolling, Takashi marched up, looking furious.
    “What the hell was that?” He took off the headset through which he’d been speaking to Liza while she was on air. “Why didn’t you ask him about Waverly?”
    “I was wondering the same thing,” said the senator, who’d silently reappeared at her shoulder. Liza winced and hoped she could get away without another confrontation, but no dice. “Can I borrow Liza for a minute, Takashi?”
    “Keep her.” With a last, withering look, Takashi walked off.
    Her heart sinking, Liza braced herself and faced the senator. If only Adena or someone would rush over and demand some of his time, but no, everyone was busy for the moment, scurrying around like busy little bees determined to produce a gallon of honey each before noon, and Liza was on her own.
    “Why didn’t you ask me about that actress, Liza?”
    Uh-oh. The predatory glint in his eye set Liza’s nerves on edge and didn’t match his benign voice. She tossed her head in what she hoped was an offhand gesture that discouraged further questions. “It would be tacky.”
    His lip curled without amusement. “Tacky? Really? It wasn’t because you were jealous and didn’t trust yourself with the topic?”

Chapter 7
    Chapter 7
    T he moment stretched until the silence became awkward and, finally, painful. It was hard to laugh gaily when what Liza really wanted to do was scratch his eyes out, but she tried.
    “I don’t do jealousy, Senator. And I need to get back—”
    “Because,” he said, plowing resolutely ahead, “I’m not seeing anyone.”
    He wasn’t? Really? She worked to keep her expression blank and disinterested.
    “How sad for you, Senator.”
    He ignored this. “Are you? Seeing anyone?”
    Luckily, she had a standard answer for this question. “I don’t do relationships.”
    The predatory light in his eyes intensified. So did an unmistakable look of satisfaction.
    “You’d do the right relationship.”
    Just like that he made her hot and bothered again, with flushed skin and squirmy belly. More disgusted with herself than she was with him, she gave him a pitying look and a condescending pat on the arm.
    “The right relationship? Do you believe in Santa, too, Senator?”
    An irritated red flush crept over his face.
    “If there’s nothing else…”
    “There is one more thing, Liza.” A muscle ticked in his hard jaw. “Don’t they teach you something about being impartial in journalism