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you hiding—” She paused, scowled. “Wait. You told my sister not to come, didn’t you?”
    Matthew dropped his arm to his side. Damn it, he’d never realized he had a “tell” sign. Why hadn’t he or his campaign manager picked up on that before? At least Ashley had alerted him so he could make a conscious effort to avoid it in the future.
    Meanwhile, he had to deal with a fired-up female. “Her husband and I thought it would be safer for her to stay out of the mob outside.”
    “You and David decided? You two have been as busy as your campaign manager.” She scooped up her overnight tote bag.
    “I’ll take a cab.”
    Matthew eased the canvas sack from her hand before she could hitch the thing over her shoulder. “Don’t be ridiculous. My car is parked right by the back exit.”
    Her eyes battled with him for at least a three count before she finally sighed. “Fine. The sooner we go the sooner this will be past us.”
    A short ride down the elevator later, he opened the service entrance—and found four photographers poised and ready. He shielded Ashley as best he could and hustled her into his car. More pictures of the two of them wouldn’t help matters, but better he be there to move this along than having her face them alone.
    He plowed past a particularly snap-happy press hound and slid into the driver’s side of his Lexus, closing the door carefully, but firmly after him.
    Ashley sagged in her seat. “God, you’re right. I didn’t realize it would be this bad.”
    “Bad?” He gunned the gas pedal. “I hate to tell you, but we got off easy, and they’re not going to give up anytime soon.
    They will pry into every aspect of your private life.”
    Her face paled, but she sat up straighter. “I guess I’ll just have to invest in some dark glasses and really cool hats.”
    He admired her spunk, even more so because he knew how much harder this was for her than it would be for others. “The press isn’t going to leave you alone. They’ve been trying to marry me off for years.”
    “I’m tough,” she said with only a small quiver in her voice. “I can wait it out.”
    Except she shouldn’t have to. This was his fault and he should be the one bearing the fallout. Not her.
    Then the answer came to him in a sweep of inspiration as smooth as the luxury car’s glide along the four-lane road. Hadn’t he already noted how much easier managing the media would be for her with him by her side? He knew the perfect way to keep her close and tamp down the negative gossip.
    Decision made, he didn’t question further, merely forged ahead. “There’s a simpler way to make this die down faster.”
    “And that would be?” She swiped her palms over her jeans again and again, her frayed nerves all the more obvious with each passing palmetto and pine tree.
    Stopping for a traffic light, he hitched his arm along the seat behind her head and pinned her with his most persuasive gaze.
    “We’ll get engaged.”
    “Engaged?” Her eyes went wide and she jerked away from the brush of his arm as if scorched. “You’ve got to be kidding.
    Don’t you think getting married to pacify the press is a little extreme?”
    Marriage. The word stabbed through him like a well-sharpened blade. He absolutely agreed with her point about staying clear of the altar.
    The light turned green and he welcomed the chance to shift his eyes back to the road. “It won’t go that far. Once the buzz dies down and they focus on the issues again, you and I will quietly break up. We can simply turn the tables and state that the pressure from so much media attention put a strain on our relationship.”
    Yeah, the idea of lying chafed more than a little since he considered his ethics to be of the utmost importance. But right now, only one thing dominated his thoughts.
    Keeping Ashley’s reputation from suffering for his mistake.
    RICH MAN’S FAKE FIANCEE
    9
    CATHERINE MANN
    SILHOUETTE DESIRE 1878
    THE LANDIS BROTHERS
    He would have to