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Mia seemed to still, cranking her head around to stare. “What did you say?”

“Jonathan. He’s sweet.”

Alyssa fought a blush at the woman’s searing gaze, as if her inner secrets and soul had been dragged out and revealed. “Jonathan Lake is not sweet. He’s stubborn, loyal, and a visionary. He’s an amazing, supportive father. He’s one of the best businessmen I’ve met. But girlfriend, he’s not sweet.”

Alyssa blinked, trying to extract herself from this without giving herself away. “Of course you’re right. Not sure where that adjective sprang from.”

Mia sighed. “Oh, babe, I think you know. You poor thing. You’re in love with him.”

Cheeks burning, cursing herself for acting juvenile when she barely broke a sweat in a room full of high-powered men barking at each other like the world depended on their next decision, she forced a laugh. “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve worked with the mayor for almost three years now. Sometimes people get the wrong idea.”

Mia snorted. “I should have known something was going on. I’ve never seen Jonathan so happy. At first, I thought it was the run for governor, or being in a great place with Chloe, but I sensed something bigger. I can’t believe I missed it during all those meetings we spent together. The way he looks at you when he thinks no one’s watching. The way he smiles with his whole being when you hang with Chloe. He finally found the right woman after all this time. He found you.”

“I’m not the right woman,” she said automatically. “I’m not his type.”

“You are exactly his type. Jonathan bores way too easily. With you, he’ll be lucky if he ever knows what will happen next.”

Enough. She couldn’t stand another person misjudging who she was and thinking Jonathan and she were a perfect fit. “Listen to me! I may be good at my job, but when I’m done, I want to be home. Alone with my books and music and TV. I don’t even have an animal, that’s how isolated I like to be. I hate people. I am not even close to being suited for that man.”

“Why?” Mia asked curiously. “What type of man do you really think he is?”

“He’s dynamic and opinionated and larger than life. He runs a city, and soon, he’ll run a state. He loves being around people, and at the top of his game. He’s an adventurer. After a month of living together, he’d realize how boring I really am.”

Mia’s face gentled, and she reached out to grasp Alyssa’s hand. She startled at the intimate, supportive touch, not understanding what was about to happen. She’d rarely had many friends throughout her life. “Babe, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize how scared you are. Boy, I don’t blame you. I fricking freaked out when Ethan and I were falling for each other, and we had a lot of obstacles to work on, but I need you to hear this and truly listen to me. I’ve known Jonathan for a long time, and I’ve never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you. He’s at peace. He smiles. His energy is different. You’ve worked for him for a while, do you really think he doesn’t realize who you are? You’re using the image of him to protect yourself because then you won’t get hurt. Pretty typical stuff, right off the therapist’s couch.”

Alyssa sifted through every word, trying to dig deep and see if there was any truth to it. “My main concern is his career, Mia. You know, you’re his publicist. He doesn’t need any scandal, and sex with his assistant constitutes a problem. The press will be all over it. I can’t let our relationship cost him the election.”

Mia cocked her head and frowned. “He’s widowed, and it’s been five years. He’s allowed to date, even in the public eye. I think it may even boost his image. Women secretly worry he’s a big player behind the scenes.”

Alyssa took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes. Frustration simmered. “I’m his executive assistant. I accompany him to all public functions. I run his office and calendar. I’m with him behind most closed-door meetings. With the #metoo movement in full swing, he could catch a lot of heat, and we can’t risk it.”

Mia tapped her finger against her lip, considering. “I see your point, but it has nothing to do with #metoo because he never pressured you, discriminated against, or did things you didn’t want. You both chose, as grown adults, to dive into a relationship. Will it be easy? Hell, no. Can we make it work? Yes. Because I know how to spin everything. I have boots on the ground, contacts at all papers, and on social media sites. If we get ahead of it before there are any leaks, I can perform magic.” Her attitude should have been smug, but it was all kick-ass confidence. Alyssa’s respect for Mia went up a thousand notches. She loved a woman who knew she was good at her job and not afraid to tell the world. Too many women had learned along the way to soften their successes, explain things away, making it easy for the outside world to steal their power.

No more. No woman should feel ashamed to own her talents. She saw the same fire in Chloe, an assurance that she could do anything with enough work and determination. It was special, and unfortunately, still too rare. But she was hopeful the next generation would follow the path through.

“Unless something else is holding you back.” Mia peered into her face as if digging for the real truth. Then her golden eyes softened with sympathy Alyssa didn’t understand. “Oh, I get it. It’s not really about Jonathan or the election. It’s about you.”

She gasped. “Excuse me? This has nothing to do with me, other than putting my career at risk, which I don’t want to lose.”

“No, believe me, I know how difficult it’d be, but I’ve seen Jonathan fight for something he wants, and he’s fierce. Protective. He’ll do what needs to be done, and so will I. But this is about you not wanting to be in the spotlight. I don’t blame you, Alyssa. A political partner is a bitch to deal with, so it’s better if you realize you can’t handle it now before you break his heart.”

Her jaw dropped. “Me, break his heart? I’m doing this to protect him because I care. I couldn’t live with myself if he lost the election because of a sex scandal with his office partner.”

“It’s not about sex, it’s about love. A relationship. You’ll date in the public eye. We’ll make an announcement, control how we want the world to find out, and deal with some fallout. Mostly, I think it’ll be great for ratings. But you will have a hard time.” Her voice strengthened. “You need to believe in yourself and him and know you can stand together even when it’s tough. I’m crazy about you, Alyssa. I think you were meant to be with Jonathan, but maybe that’s just not a life you can handle.”

The words were vicious, tearing at her like tiny, sharp jabs that drew blood. She caught her breath, but Mia kept her direct stare, and she realized she wasn’t trying to be mean. She was just telling the truth.

Dear God, she was right.

All this time, her real fear was being dragged out into the public eye and mocked. Just like she’d spent her entire life dealing with parents who poked and jabbed and tried to get her to be an actress when all she wanted to do was sit with her books. Pushed her into the spotlight in large groups of people, waiting for her to perform, whether it be conversation, a joke, or an interesting anecdote. All until she ventured deep inside herself where she couldn’t be reached or hurt. She’d sought out assistant positions her entire life, comfortable in the role, enjoying working behind the scenes to reach perfection. It was where she excelled. But this would mean stepping out into a whole different role.

The mayor’s girlfriend.

The realization slammed hard, throwing her into doubt. She’d been spinning excuses to keep Jonathan away, citing everything but her own secret fear.

Could she handle a life in the public eye with this man?

Or was it too high of a price to pay?