Follow Your Heart (Catalina Cove #4) - Brenda Jackson Page 0,29

“I wouldn’t want to wear out my welcome.”

“You couldn’t do that.”

“Okay, I’ll take your word for it. It would help if I had your number to call. I don’t want to just pop up.”

He took his phone out of the back pocket of his jeans and clicked it on. “What’s your number?”

She gave it to him, and he called her. “Now you have mine and I have yours.”

They had made it to her front door. “Don’t work too hard this week,” he said.

“I won’t.”

“And thanks again for dinner.” He leaned in, wanting to kiss her to appease his desire for her, but he didn’t. Instead, he placed a light peck on her cheek then stepped back. “Goodbye, Victoria.”

“Goodbye, Roman.”

Then he walked out the door.

CHAPTER NINE

“WHERE IS ROMAN, MINT?”

Mint Stover looked up and stared into Audria Wayfare’s not so happy face. How had she gotten past his personal assistant? He then recalled Tisha had left to do an errand. Most people would not have had the gall to just walk into someone’s office like Audria had just done, but then she was special...or at least, she thought so. Daughter of a high-ranking senator, he knew her to be the self-centered brat that she was. She honestly thought she was entitled to Senator Roman Malone.

Like Roman, he had tried putting up with her haughty ways, tried to reason that she could somehow be an asset to Roman instead of a liability. She was twenty-six, attractive and well-educated. But the woman could leap from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde in a moment’s flash. That wasn’t good for a man with aspirations of one day becoming president.

She had deliberately gotten her name out there with Roman, a link that the press assumed meant something. They’d even started speculation about, of all things, an engagement announcement. Then, when Roman had stopped dating her, he had effectively thrown Audria’s illusions under the bus. It was obvious she didn’t like it one damn bit.

“Senator Malone is taking a little R and R,” he said, leaning back in his chair.

“Don’t ‘Senator Malone’ me, Mint. I want to know where Roman is.”

Mint knew she had most people fooled, but he was glad Roman had seen through her facade and dismissed her. However, Mint didn’t intend to dismiss her that easily. He didn’t trust her and thought it was best to stay on her good side to keep track of what she was up to with regard to Roman.

“I can’t tell you that, since he wishes not to be disturbed. You have his number. Have you tried calling him?”

“He’s not answering my calls.”

He nodded while thinking that would tell any logical person something.

“I’m sure the only reason Roman isn’t taking my calls is because he’s busy,” she said, as if to explain why he hadn’t called her.

Busy while on vacation? Yeah right. “If you think that then why do you want to disturb him?” Mint asked her.

“Because I need to verify that I will be his date for the Capital Ball.”

He could dash her hopes now by letting her know she wasn’t, but that was something Roman needed to tell her. “I have no idea. Roman will be returning to the office in around three weeks. I suggest you contact him when he’s back.”

“It will be too late,” she said, actually stomping her foot like a bratty child. “I need to start shopping for a gown now.”

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her that it would make sense for her to shop for a gown whether or not she would be Roman’s date, if she intended to go to the ball. But he decided to keep that opinion to himself.

“Why can’t you tell me where he is, Mint?”

Evidently, she hadn’t heard him the first time. “I have strict orders not to divulge his whereabouts to anyone. He’s already told those who he wanted to know.” So in other words, if he didn’t tell you, then he didn’t want you to know. “Like I said, he doesn’t want to be disturbed, not even by me. However, if he calls in, I’ll make sure to tell him you’re trying to reach him.”

She leaned over his desk. “Daddy told me about his meeting with the majority leader and what Roman was told.”

Mint frowned. Senator Wayfare should not have told her anything. Such meetings were confidential. “And?”

“And I think it’s great and he’s going to need me to pull such a thing off. I have name recognition, and I’ve been