Even now, she felt the heavy weight of someone's stare and turned around to see if anyone watched her.

She was about to give up on her search when her gaze landed on the broad shoulders of a familiar frame.

Over the rim of his glass, Carter caught her gaze and sent her a wink.

What is he doing here?

Warmth spread in her stomach and traveled south. His dominating presence and charismatic smile snagged more than one attractive woman's attention as they walked by. The suit had a tailored fit that made department store suits appear rumpled and old.

Though most of the men wore bow ties, Carter kept it simple with navy blue. Very patriotic.

Carter went back to talking with the group he was standing with before he shook one man's hand and started walking toward her.

Several eyes followed him as he made his way to her side.

Once there, he leaned down and kissed her cheek as if it were a normal greeting for them both. "Sorry I'm late," he said a little louder than Eliza expected.

"Late?" she whispered. "I didn't know you were coming."

"Really?" He removed a glass of wine from a passing waiter's tray as he spoke. "I'm sure I mentioned it last night."

"I'm sure you didn't."

"Must have slipped my mind."

Sure it did. Eliza sipped her wine, not meaning to, and watched Carter wave to a guest across the room. What was he up to?

"Aren't you flying out of town tomorrow?"

"First thing in the morning."

"How many hours sleep did you manage last night?" He appeared more rested than the previous night, but not by much.

"A few."

"A few? You're going to get sick if you keep this up."

Carter lifted his eyebrows and flashed his Hollywood smile. "Is that concern in your voice?"

Was it?

"No...yes."

Amusement passed his lips.

"Oh, stop. Of course I'm concerned. Illness spreads and we do run in the same circles." Her excuse was lame, but it would have to do. Instead of waiting for Carter to laugh in her face, she attempted to turn away.

He managed to capture her around her waist and slid his hand to the small of her back. "C'mon, I have some people I want you to meet."

"I'm here for work," she said as he directed her across the room.

"So am I."

Walking away would have made a scene, so Eliza kept to his side and ignored the comfortable position of Carter's fingers pressing against the small of her back. When they arrived at a gathering of men drinking and laughing, Carter's hand didn't move. In fact, he moved even farther into Eliza's personal space.

"Gentlemen," Carter interrupted the conversation. "I'd like you to meet a friend of mine. Eliza Havens, this is..." Carter rolled of several names, all of which she should have remembered but promptly forgot.

Carter proudly stated that Eliza was part of a firm titled under acquisitions and mergers. He didn't elaborate on any details and derailed any personal questions about the two of them. The men were polite and appeared enamored by anything Carter had to say. Very little politics were discussed and most of it only scratched the surface of the current events plaguing the state. Carter told the others that they were attempting to enjoy a night off without deep debate. Of course, if the men wanted to join him at a campaign function there was one planned at the end of the month to help raise funds. He'd talk politics in depth at that time.

As the conversation dried up, Carter moved Eliza to another set of people and repeated his introductions.

Within half an hour, her drink was gone and another one was in her hand.

Carter's palm sat firmly on her back with his fingers often squeezing her side when one of the men in the group let his eyes linger on her cleavage for more than a second.

Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Gwen working the room. Something she really should be doing.

Instead of letting Carter's nearness distract her, Eliza attempted to remember the names and marital status of the people Carter was introducing her.

Stenberg, a lawyer, probably in his sixties. He lifted his drink to his lips and Eliza saw the gold band.

Next.

McKinney, an investor of some sort. No ring. Had to be in his seventies. "Mr. McKinney was it?"

"That's right." He had a slight Irish lit to his voice.

"Is your wife here, or does she stay away from these affairs?"

Carter nudged her side, and she nudged him back.

"No wife I'm afraid."

Carter kept the conversation light. "McKinney and I are the bachelors on the block."

Stenberg sighed. "McKinney might not have a stunning woman on his arm like you, Billings, but that doesn't make him a bachelor."

McKinney tossed his head back and laughed. "My last divorce wasn't my doing. No matter how the media painted it."

"The media does have a way of mucking things up, don't they?" Eliza asked while making a mental note to keep McKinney on her Alliance radar.

From that encounter on, Carter attempted to stop Eliza from probing the personal life of the guests by asking about a man's wife or a woman's husband. The ones where he didn't mention a significant other gave Eliza the information she needed.

Eliza placed her empty glass on a tray and shook her head.

Carter excused them and led her toward a lighted doorway to the outside patio.

"Where are we going?"

"You look like you need some air."

She did. The fact that he noticed made her heart skip an extra beat.

The air outside was still warm with a slight breeze coming in from the east. "Feels like a Santa Ana setting in."

"As long as it doesn't produce any fires."

Summer, wind, and fires were a constant in Southern California. More than earthquakes.

"I think we'll be okay."

Carter stopped by the edge of a pole and reluctantly let his arm drop to his side. "You're a natural in there. Do you and Samantha come to these things a lot?"

"Samantha used to do this all the time. Before Blake. I've been solo for most of the last two years. With Gwen coming on, it should ease up the number of these that I'll have to attend."

"Does it work? I mean, do you just ask if the men are single and ask if they're interested in a dating service?"

"I'm much more subtle. Most of our clients are referrals. But it doesn't hurt to mingle and find new ones."

"I guess it's not very different from getting set up in college."

"Only our clients all have something to offer and something to gain."

Carter thought about how Samantha and Blake's marriage started out as an arrangement and ended up with a happily ever after.

He glanced and caught Eliza watching him.

"What?"

"Why are you really here, Carter? And don't tell me it's to work. You haven't talked politics all evening."

He stepped away from the pillar he was leaning against and took a step closer to her. "You're right. I'm not here for my quest for office."

Instinct told her to move back, but she kept her feet planted in place.

"Why then?"

"For you. I knew if I'd asked to join you tonight you probably would have said no."

"I don't need a bodyguard."

"See. I knew you'd say that. I didn't want to come as a bodyguard. I wanted to come as your date."

Her mouth dried up, and her jaw slacked like a guppy out of water.

"My date?"

"Right."

"Why?"

Carter wove one of his hands around her waist and moved closer. "I think about you all the time. Have for a while."

"Really?" All of her one-word answers were starting to annoy even her.

Carter just smiled and moved in with calculated ease.

"Really. So what do you say, Eliza...can I ask you out on a date? Dinner? Maybe a movie?"

Dinner and a movie? Oh man, when was the last time she'd done that?

But this was Carter standing way inside her personal space, heating her body with his.

"Do you have time for dinner and a movie?"

"I'll make time if you say yes."

Eliza forced her eyes away from his, but they rested on his chest. His very big, very firm, yummy chest. "I don't know, Carter. We don't have a long history of getting along."

"We seem to be doing okay tonight."

"We're in a crowded room."

"Restaurants are crowded...movie theaters, too."

She laughed. "I don't know."

Carter lifted her chin and stared into her eyes. His fingers trailed along her jaw with one simple stroke that fired all of her senses and surged energy down her spine.

"It's dinner. We both eat. And I could use a real night off."

Eliza fixated on his lips and felt the tip of her tongue sneak out of her mouth to moisten hers.

Carter sucked in a quick breath.

He was dangerously close. Close enough for her to absorb the masculine scent of his cologne, the very fragrance that lingered on her skin after their one brief intimate moment.

"Have dinner with me, Eliza." The deep tenor of his voice rumbled in his chest.

"Dinner? I can do dinner."

A sly smile lifted his lips and he moved even closer. His kiss hovered close and she moved closer.

"I want to kiss you," he said, stroking her chin with one hand and keeping her tucked into his side with the other.

Eliza gave a tiny nod and waited for him to make good on his remark.

"But I think I'll wait." His words registered even though he didn't move away.