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Panic claws up my spine. “I can’t wait that long.”

“Is it an emergency?”

“Yes,” I say, then I remember I’m standing in the White House. “No.”

He frowns. “Which is it, ma’am?”

The thought of being denied escape fills me with horror. “Please, I really… really need to leave. I think I may be coming down with something.”

Concern streaks through his frown. “Okay. Come with me.”

Relief pours through me. I’m walking down what I think is the west corridor when an arm slides around my waist.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Mason blazes in my ear.

“Get your fucking arm off me,” I whisper-scream.

The usher stops and turns. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes—”

“No, my girlfriend’s recovering from the flu. She just needs somewhere quiet to catch her breath. Can we go somewhere?”

“Of course, Mr. Sinclair. If you’ll follow me.”

I glance at Mason and see the warning in his eyes. I want to throw the mother of all tantrums, but I’m in the fucking White House, so I bite my tongue and follow the usher.

“This should do it, I hope. Can I get you two anything? A glass of water?”

“No, thanks. She just needs a minute.”

I keep my head down so the usher doesn’t see how livid I am. The moment he shuts the door behind him, my head jerks up.

“Yourgirlfriend? You can say that with a straight face when your ex-wife,the woman you came here with,is just down the corridor?”

Mason strides toward me, looking far too dashing in his tuxedo. “Calm down, Keely?—”

“Do not tell me to calm down! Play your cruel games with her all you want, but I will not let you drag me into this.”

“Are you finished?”

“No, I fucking well am not! Why did you do it? For some sort of cheap thrill?” I exhale shakily, feeling pain from head to toe. “Actually, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know. All I want is to get out of here.”

“No.”

“What the fuck do you meanno?”

His eyes gleam at the torrent of swearing, and I cock my eyebrow at him. “I mean you won’t leave this room until you hear me out. We have twenty minutes. Shall we talk first, or get your punishment out of the way?”

My face flames in anger, but my heart flip-flops like a foolish thing in my chest. “Lay a hand on me and I’ll kick your fucking ass.”

He nods solemnly. “Talk first then.”

“Yeah, talk to yourself. Leave me the fuck out of it. I’m leaving.” I reach for the door handle. His hand captures mine a second later.

He crowds me with a wall of heat and muscle, and I helplessly breathe him in, inhaling the scent I’ve missed more than I want to admit.

“I didn’t bring Cassieinsteadof you. I brought Cassie so she could meet the woman I’m in love with,” he says next to my ear.