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I finally let out with a breath.
    “Were you that desperate for my apology?” His green eyes narrow in concern.
    “No, I’m thankful you felt something was weird too. Everything was fine. I mean, I thought it was fine, but then I worried I messed up.”
    “You were great. It’s this complex situation with that Carl guy. He wants something from our family that we won’t give him, but he’s willing to pursue it by pouring money into my dad’s campaign fund until we say no.”
    “What does he want?”
    Justin takes one hand away from mine, rubbing his perfect jaw. His stubble’s already thick, even after this morning’s shave. “It’s really embarrassing,” he finally says.
    I nod, not wanting to push. I have no claim on any information about his life that he doesn’t want to share. “It’s okay. I get wanting to keep embarrassing moments to yourself. Unfortunately, you’ve already witnessed many of my own.”
    He chuckles. “Okay, brace yourself. That bald guy? He wants me to be part of this college bachelor thing, dedicating my next year, as a freshman in college, to a reality show. He’s a producer.”
    My mouth flies open, and I gaze at his waiting expression. Do. Not. Laugh.
    “We’re talking calendars, photo shoots, interviews, Us Weekly.” He bites his lip, giving me his playful grin. “Not to mention the weekly show.”
    Then I burst out laughing. Whoops!
    “I’m sorry,” I gasp between breaths, covering up my mouth. “I’m not laughing.”
    “Yes, you are.” He fakes seriousness.
    “Well, come on? I mean, I get why they’d want you on a magazine cover because,” I tug at his shirt and he moves in closer, “well, you’re the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.”
    His eyes do that smoldering thing that I can’t figure out how to do back.
    “See, sexy, just like that!” I push back playfully. “No wonder your dad pounced on the special friend category. He wants you to be the next big Bachelor,” I tease.
    Justin reaches over, quickly pulling me across to his lap. His eyes grow more intense. “It never occurred to me that my dad took that guy’s proposal seriously. I forgot all about it because, one, I’d never do the show, and two, I have you.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “And from here on, I’m not letting anyone treat you like that. Dad doesn’t want me to do the show. And, more importantly, I don’t want to. I’ll talk with my dad about that special friend comment. What a load of crap.”
    My stomach turns. “But his campaign?”
    Justin shrugs. “Dad’s got other people to fund his campaign. He can still win without that funding.”
    Justin’s humoring me. The way his dad eagerly answered that guy’s questions shows that the cash would certainly help. I lift my eyebrow.
    “It doesn’t matter. You are worth more than his campaign to me.” He brushes a strand of my hair behind my ear.
    Would he really put that at risk for me? My heart skips but my stomach drops. No, that’s not right. That’s too much for him to give me. His dad has worked too hard for this.
    “No, I won’t let you hurt your dad’s campaign.” I trace his chiseled jaw, the stubble prickling my fingertips. “Not after all of everyone’s hard work. It’s only a little more than a month before election. If I have to be a special friend , I can deal with it. He needs to win. Deserves it, really. He’s got great values. I know that politics is a game. You’ve got to play to get ahead.”
    “But I never wanted you to become a pawn.”
    “Well, you’re in it, right?”
    “Yeah.” His gaze shifts down and, for a moment, I glimpse Justin’s only insecurity. He’s tied to his parents’ political life, and, with how much he clearly loves them, that’s non-negotiable.
    My fingers grace his chin. I put pressure under it lightly, until his gorgeous green eyes rise to meet my gaze. I lean in, kissing him gently before pulling away. “Like I said before, I’m game.”
     
    ***
     
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