Page 35 of The Bonventi Rise

"Not pretending? The kiss? What was that?" I ask, surprising even myself. It must be the adrenaline coursing through me from that reporter's question.

Marco gets flustered again, and he clenches his hands into fists. I notice he does that from time to time.

"The kiss was?—"

"You guys need to see this," Sarah says, running over with her phone open.

Sarah holds her phone between Marco and me, and I lean in close, my heart still racing from our interrupted conversation about that kiss.

"Holy shit," I whisper as I watch the video play.

"Look at the comments," Sarah says, her voice breathless with excitement. I take her phone and scroll through the comments, Marco close to me, looking at the phone.

"OMG, did you see how he defended her? That's husband material right there."

"Protect your woman like Marco protects his!"

"Marco Bonventi is the hero we didn't know we needed."

"Alina Carter is so lucky. I'd kill for a man like that."

"This is the kind of leadership we need in the Senate. Someone who stands up for what's right."

"The way he looks at her though... I'm dying! #CoupleGoals"

Marco's hand finds the small of my back as he leans in closer to read, his breath warm against my neck. The touch sends electricity through me, and I have to force myself to focus on the phone screen.

"It's going viral," Sarah says excitedly. "Look at these numbers!"

The video's view count is climbing by the thousands. Each refresh brings a flood of new notifications, hearts, and shares.Young voters are particularly vocal, praising Marco's protective instincts and condemning the reporter's tactics.

Marco's brooding, protective act has turned him into a modern-day knight in shining armor, and I'm the damsel he's saving.

"This is..." I trail off, watching another surge of notifications pop up.

"Perfect," Marco finishes, his voice low and intimate near my ear. "Sometimes the best moments aren't planned, Firefly."

I turn to look at him, and for a moment, I can't see anything except the intensity in his dark eyes. The way he's looking at me makes me weak.

"The young demographic is eating this up," Sarah continues, oblivious to the tension between us. "Your approval ratings with voters under thirty just shot up by double digits."

I force myself to look back at the phone, trying to ignore how Marco's thumb is now gently running along my lower back where his hand still remains.

More comments flood in:

"A real man stands up for his woman! Marco Bonventi for Senate!"

"The way she looked at him after thoughThat's not fake!"

That last comment makes my cheeks burn because they're right—it wasn't fake. None of this is anymore, and that terrifies me more than any reporter's questions.

"Should I have our team boost this?" Sarah asks.

I nod, finding my professional voice again. "Yes, but let's wait. Let it spread organically first. We don't want it looking manufactured."

"Got it, boss." Sarah hurries off, already typing on her phone.

I turn back to face Marco, ready to maybe admit something I know might be reckless.