The scent is everywhere. I can taste it on my tongue.
"The allegations." My voice comes out steadier than I expected. Some professional instinct kicking in, maybe. "Aren't personal. They're factual. Your family has been engaged in corrupt practices for three generations. The documents prove it."
Carter's jaw tightens. When he speaks, his voice is low and rough, nothing like the polished politician from the press conferences. "They prove nothing. You have successfully created a new conspiracy theory."
He leans forward, and the movement brings him closer to me. The scent intensifies. I have to fight the urge to lean in, to close the distance, to bury my face in the curve of his neck. "There's nothing illegal about any of it."
"Then why hide it? Why the shell companies?"
"My family has been in public life for sixty years. We're entitled to keep our personal finances private."
"Not when those 'private' things involve funneling money to influence government decisions."
We're leaning toward each other now. I don't remember deciding to move, but suddenly there's only two feet between us, then eighteen inches. I can see the individual threads of silver in his tie. I can see the faint shadow of stubble along his jaw. I can see his pupils dilating further as my scent hits him, and I watch his nostrils flare as he breathes me in.
"You don't know anything about my family," Carter says, low and sharp. His voice has dropped into a register that makes something in my core sit up and pay attention. "You spend a few months digging through our lives, and you still don't understand who we are or what we've done for this country."
"I understand exactly what you've done. That's why I wrote the story."
Something dangerous flashes in Carter's eyes. His scent spikes—sharper, more aggressive—and my body responds instantly, a fresh wave of slick that I pray to God isn't visible through my pants.
"Careful," he says, and the word is almost a growl.
"Or what? You'll sue me? Go ahead. It’d be an expensive mistake.”
Glass makes a small sound that might be a laugh quickly suppressed. He's loving this. The ratings for this episode are going to be astronomical.
We're practically nose to nose now. I don't know how that happened. I don't know when I stopped thinking about the cameras and the audience and the millions of people watching. All I know is that Carter Crane is right there, inches away, and his scent is filling my lungs, and I want—
I want—
"When this all falls apart—when the investigations find nothing and the public moves on—you'll be exactly where you started. Nowhere." Carter says. He spits the words like they taste bad, but his voice cracks on the last syllable.
"We'll see," I say quietly. "We'll certainly see which one of us is telling the truth."
Something shifts in Carter's expression. We stop talking.
I don't know how long it lasts. Seconds, maybe. It feels like hours. We're just staring at each other, breathing each other's air.
The studio is completely silent. I've forgotten Glass. Forgotten the cameras. Forgotten everything except the gray-blue of Carter's eyes and the scent of him wrapping around me like a promise.
His gaze drops to my mouth.
My lips part.
"Gentlemen." Glass's voice shatters the moment like a hammer through glass. "I think we've given our viewers quite a lot to think about tonight."
I jerk backward so fast I almost fall out of my chair. Carter does the same, putting distance between us like the proximity was physically painful. My heart is pounding so hard I can feel it in my throat.
Glass wraps up the segment smoothly, but I barely hear him. I'm too busy trying to remember how to breathe. I’m trying not to look at Carter and trying to process the fact that I just had some kind of primal mating display on national television.
The red light on the camera blinks off.
"Well," Glass says, leaning back in his chair with a satisfied smile. "That was certainly something."
I can't speak. I'm shaking and I need to get out of this studio before I do something I'll regret. I stand, fumbling with my microphone clip.
"Mr. Dean." Carter's voice stops me.
