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Books by Brenda Jackson
One T here has to be another way for a woman to have fun, Olivia Jeffries thought as she glanced around at everyone attending the Firemen’s Masquerade Ball, an annual charity event held in downtown Atlanta. Already she was gearing up for a boring evening. It wouldn’t have been so bad if she hadn’t arrived from Paris just yesterday, after being summoned home by her father. That meant she had to drop everything, including plans to drive through the countryside of the Seine Valley to complete the painting she had started months ago. Returning to Atlanta had required her to take a leave of absence from her job as an art curator at the Louvre. But when Orin Jeffries called, she hadn’t hesitated to drop everything. After all, he was only the greatest dad in the entire world. He had wanted her home after making the decision to run for public office, saying it was important that she was there not only for his first fund-raiser but also for the duration of his campaign. There would be a number
Two O livia was grateful that no one seemed to pay her any attention when she walked into the huge lobby of the Saxon. It had always been her dream to spend a night in what had to be one of the most elegant hotels ever built. It was more stylish and extravagant than she had expected. There were only a few Saxons scattered about the country, in the major cities, and all had a reputation of providing top-quality service. When she stepped onto the elevator that would carry her to the sixteenth floor, she couldn’t help but again wonder about the man behind the mask and the connections he seemed to have. Reservations were hard to get because the hotel was booked far in advance, even as much as a year. As she stepped out of the elevator and walked down the spacious hall, she studied the decor. Everything had a touch of elegance and class. With an artist’s eye, she absorbed every fine detail of not only the rich and luxurious-looking carpet on the floor but also of the beautiful framed portra
Three “S o, Libby, how was the party?” Olivia, who had been so entrenched in the memories of the night before, hadn’t noticed her father standing at the bottom of the stairs. She glanced down at him and smiled. “It was simply wonderful.” He didn’t need to know that she was speaking not of the party per se but of the intimate party she’d gone to at the Saxon Hotel, with her mystery man. It had been just before six in the morning when she slipped into her father’s home, and knowing he was an early riser, she had dashed up the stairs and showered. She had also put in a call to Terrence, leaving a message on his cell phone that it was okay to delete the text message she had sent to him the night before. And then she had climbed into bed. By the time her head had hit the pillow in her own bed, she had heard her father moving around. She had enjoyed the best sleep in years. She had awakened to a hungry stomach, and the last person she had expected to meet when she took the stairs to go pilla
Four B rent had given his speech a thumbs-up, so Reggie felt confident it would go over well. He walked around the luncheon reception, greeting all those who had arrived to attend the forum. This would be the first of several gatherings designed to give voters a chance to learn each candidate’s agenda. He had met Orin Jeffries when he’d first arrived and thought the older man was a likable guy. A number of his family members were present and a number of his friends as well. These were people who believed in him, supported him and were counting on him to make changes to some of the present policies. A career in politics had been the last thing on his mind and had never been his heart’s desire, until recently. He’d become outraged at the present senators’ refusal to recognize the state’s need for an additional college. More and more young people were making the decision to acquire higher learning, and the lower tuition costs of state universities compared to private universities were a k
Five O livia found that every time she lifted her fork to her mouth, her gaze would automatically drift to the next table, the one where Reggie Westmoreland was sitting. And each time, unerringly, their gazes would meet. After their introduction, she had excused herself to the senator, smiling and saying she needed to go to the ladies’ room. Once there she had taken a deep breath. It was a wonder she hadn’t passed out. With his mask in place, Reggie Westmoreland had been handsome. Without his mask, he took her breath away. While standing in front of him, she’d had to tamp down her emotions and the sensations flowing through her. His eyes were very dark, almost chocolate, and their shape, which she had been denied seeing on Saturday night, was almond, beneath thick brows. It had taken everything in her power to force her muscles to relax. And when he had taken her hand and kissed the back of it before walking off, she’d thought she would swoon right then and there. “Libby, are you okay?
Six “I know your favorite color is lavender, but tell me something else about Olivia Jeffries, and before you ask, I want to know everything,” Reggie said as he sat in the chair at the table while Olivia sat across from him, on the love seat, with her feet curled beneath her. They were both sipping wine and trying to rekindle that comfort zone between them. Chase had been kind enough to take their food order and had indicated that he would be serving dinner to them shortly. He had given them a bottle of wine, two wineglasses, a tablecloth and eating utensils. Together, the two of them had set the table. Reggie wondered if being here with him reminded her of how intimate things had been between them on Saturday night. They had shared dinner then, but only after spending hours making love, to the point where they were famished. “I’m the baby in the family,” she said, smiling. “I have two older brothers.” “And I know the Holy Terror is one of them,” Reggie said, grinning. “He went to scho
Seven “I see you had a guest for dinner last night, Dad.” Olivia watched her father actually blush across the breakfast table and thought it was kind of cute that he seemed a little embarrassed. “Ahh, yes, Cathy stopped by, and I invited her to stay for dinner.” “Oh, and why did she come by? Are the two of you working on another speech?” “No, no,” her father was quick to say. “She thought I wasn’t in a good mood after yesterday’s luncheon and wanted to cheer me up. She stopped by the bakery and brought me my favorite Danish. I thought that was kind of her.” “I think so, too, but then Cathy is a kind person. I like her.” Her father lifted a brow. “Do you really?” Olivia looked over at him. She could tell her response was important to him. “Yes, and I always have. Over the years I thought she was not only a good secretary to you but a nice person, too. When I was younger and was dealing with a lot of girl stuff, I would often call Cathy.” Her father looked surprised. “You did?” “Yes. Com
Eight “C athy will be calling you later today, Libby.” Olivia lifted her gaze from her cereal bowl to glance over at her father, with a questioning look on her face. “For what reason?” “To schedule all those fund-raisers that you and I will need to attend over the next couple of weeks, beginning this Saturday.” Panic shot through Olivia. “Not this Saturday night, I hope.” Her father quirked a thick brow. “No, it’s Saturday midday at the home of Darwin Walker and his wife.” She nodded. Darwin and Terrence used to play together for the Miami Dolphins. Last year Darwin, who, like Terrence, had retired from the NFL, moved to Atlanta after accepting a coaching position with the Falcons. “And why are you concerned about Saturday night? Do you have plans or something?” Orin asked. Olivia swallowed. She hated lying to her father, but there was no way she could tell him the truth. Running for political office had made him somewhat unreasonable, especially when it came to Reggie. She was convinc
Nine T he following week Olivia kept busy by attending several functions with her father. She had decided not to discuss her conversation with Cathy with him. Instead, she would meet with her brothers and get their take on the matter when they came to town later that week. She had to catch her breath whenever she thought of the times she and Reggie had spent together, especially on Saturday night. On Wednesday he had called and asked her to have a midday snack with him at Chase’s Place. It was then that she had met Chase’s wife, Jessica, who was expecting the couple’s first child. Jessica, who liked to bake, had treated her to a batch of brownies, which had been delicious. Olivia wondered what Reggie had told Chase and Jessica about their relationship, and if they knew that she was the daughter of his opponent in the Senate race. Olivia couldn’t help but note over the past few days that her father seemed excited about this weekend. He would have his three children home to attend the hu
Ten “Y ou’ve been rather quiet, Libby. Aren’t you glad to see us?” Olivia glanced over at Duan and forced a smile. “Yes. I missed you guys.” “And we missed you,” Terrence said, coming to join them at the breakfast table. “So why haven’t you been your usual chipper self the past couple of days?” She sighed, thinking there was no way she could tell her brothers what was really bothering her. But she could tell them what Cathy had shared with her. “I’m fine. I’m just in a funky mood right now. It will pass soon,” she said. Her brothers had flown in yesterday for the barbecue to be held that afternoon. It was an event she wasn’t looking forward to, because she knew that Reggie would be there. It would be hard to see him and not want to be with him. “There is something I need to talk to you two about while Dad is at campaign headquarters. It’s something that Cathy told me, and it might explain why Dad decided to run for the Senate.” Duan raised a brow. “What?” She then told her brothers eve
Epilogue
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