Fatal Diversion (The Keeper's Series #4) - Stephanie St. Klaire Page 0,15

Ms. Stone,” Mercy said.

“Please, no. No with the Ms. Stone.”

“What is that all about, anyway?”

“You don’t want to know.”

9

“You know I’m not really your girlfriend, right?” Dillon said as she and Ransom walked the halls from the residence to the Oval Office.

“Well, I heard on the news you were, so it must be true,” Ransom teased. “In fact, I saw that we’re engaged and possibly already married.”

“Married?” Dillon choked on the water she was sipping. “Um…I’d say that’s a bit premature. A LOT bit…premature.”

Ransom tossed his head back and let out a deep boisterous laugh, something she hadn’t heard before. “Premature, maybe, but I’m working on it.”

Dillon stopped walking, frozen in place, wondering if remaining undercover at this point was wise. “Working on it? M-Married?”

Ransom met her where she stood and turned to face her. “Why, Ms. Stone, you suddenly look a little pale. You feeling alright?”

“I’m fine,” she said. “It’s you who might be delusional. You sure you didn’t hit your head during the explosion?”

“Nah, I know how to take a fall and protect the noggin.” Ransom tapped his head.

“Noggin? Now you’re starting to sound a little country. Your Montana roots are showing, cowboy.”

“I think I found your weakness. Maybe even your greatest fear.”

“Fear?”

“Marriage,” Ransom said. “I’m all for marriage, just not now. Not at this stage of life. Even having a girlfriend, real or otherwise, has proven a dangerous game. Love is a dangerous game. Add the White House to the mix and it’s downright fatal.”

“I’m not afraid of marriage. Someday. And not because some pretty boy with an entourage and his own personal paparazzi told me to. I’m afraid you’re reading things wrong and moving too fast in a direction I don’t see this going. We only just met, sir.”

“Ah. We’re back to sir, Ms. Stone. Don’t you believe in love at first sight?” he asked. “My mother is a committed believer. She called me this morning after seeing our love affair unfold on her favorite entertainment news channel.”

“Oh my gosh. Your mother?” Dillon shrieked. This had gone too far if the Wyatt matriarch was now involved and planning a wedding. “Please tell me you told her the truth.”

“I did, but she didn’t believe me. She said we were meant to be and just didn’t know it yet. And that she can’t help the facts presented. Whatever that means.”

Dillon began to pace. This was definitely out of control, and too many people stood to be hurt if they figured out what was really going on and who she was or why she was there. “Okay. I’ll tell her. Certainly, hearing it from me would do some good to get her to understand…”

Ransom chuckled once again as he reached to tuck a rogue strand of hair behind her ear. “Good luck. It’ll just make her love you more. My mother is a devoted romance novel junky and believes those books give her insight. She saw what she saw, is what she said.”

“Ransom! You can’t let her think… Or the rest of the world think…”

With his hands on her shoulders to calm her, he dipped down to meet her gaze at her level. “Hey. You called me Ransom.”

“Don’t get used to it. It was a moment of…”

“Weakness?” His brows waggled.

“Hysteria, more likely.”

“It’s okay. I’m mostly just messing with you. My mother believes whatever she’s going to believe, but she could meet a total stranger in Texas and suddenly think she found the wife for one of her sons in Montana.”

Dillon laughed at the idea. “She takes her books seriously, then.”

“Very.” He paused. “I am fully aware of your feelings, or lack thereof – for now – but I do enjoy your presence. You’re the one person around here who doesn’t give in to my every whim, fall for that cowboy charm, or take a single thing I say or do seriously. You see me for exactly who I am and nothing more. A cowboy from Montana.”

“Except that marriage thing. I didn’t see that coming, nor do I support your mother’s theories on the matter.”

“Okay, except for that. I just like to get under your skin a little bit. My time with you, albeit short, has been a fun challenge and a nice escape from what really happens around here. I knew it would be hard work, but I didn’t know just how hard. And I don’t mean the day-to-day policy building and representing the people. I mean the savage bullshit that happens around here in the name of politics