Liz sighed heavily, not even able to hold it in. “Clay Maxwell.”

His smile only brightened. Was she smiling? No way. She wasn’t happy to see him. He was just another reminder—

Liz stopped herself and focused on the present . . . like how to get far away from this situation.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time,” he said.

“If you missed me, Clay, you could have just called,” she said with a nonchalant shrug. Clay had never used the number he had begged her for back at Brady’s fund-raising gala late last summer. For some reason, besides the blonde bimbo he called his girlfriend standing behind her, it wasn’t a surprise.

Clay chuckled at her comment, and opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off. Her last thought had made her painfully aware of exactly where she was. Andrea could come over any second, and Liz didn’t want to deal with her. Not to mention Hayden could walk up. How was she supposed to explain all of this?

“We’re in the way,” Liz said, walking into a corner on the other side of a wall from Andrea. She didn’t know what to do about Hayden, but she had to eliminate her problems one at a time.

“Already hauling me off to a corner alone.”

Liz shook her head. “What are you doing here? I wouldn’t have guessed that you were into art.”

“Andrea’s a big fan of the artist. She keeps buying her work,” Clay said with a shrug. “What are you doing here? I haven’t seen you since Hilton Head. I thought you were going to be my date for the primary after-party, but you never showed.”

Liz swallowed hard. Shit. She could not handle this right now. Not after just seeing Brady on TV and having a mental breakdown in the bathroom. She needed to keep the banter light and move away from the topic of Brady. But then again, all they had ever talked about was Brady.

“You were probably there with your girlfriend anyway. Hardly matters.” Clay opened his mouth for what Liz assumed was going to be another arrogant remark, but she kept going. “Anyway, I happen to know the artist. She’s my boyfriend’s sister.”

“Ohhh,” Clay said with that same knowing smirk. “Is that why I haven’t seen you at any of Brady’s events?”

“Something like that,” she said noncommittally.

“Is the boyfriend here now?” he asked, his eyes searching the room for the prime suspect. “I’d love to meet the guy who is going to be knocking down my door after I take you home with me.”

Liz bit her lip and laughed softly at Clay. It was strange to feel as if she had missed him and his antics, when she hadn’t ever really spent all that much time with him. But staring into his handsome face, she realized that she definitely had missed him. It made her stomach clench and roll at the life she had given up.

“So full of yourself,” she murmured.

“Oh, come on. You’ve been dying to get in my bed since the first time we met.”

“The first time I met you I was having a panic attack.”

Brady had just given a speech at a Fourth of July festival and Liz had suddenly realized how much he meant to her, how much the campaign meant to Brady, and that he had won her vote. The feeling had overwhelmed her and Clay had found her, though she hadn’t known he was Brady’s brother at the time.

“I did say you were dying,” Clay said, reaching out for her hand. She took a step back, letting his hand just barely graze her before retreating out of arm’s distance.

“You never cease to amaze me.” Her tone was light. It wasn’t as if she was actually angry that he was here. She just needed to get away before Hayden came looking for her.

“I’ve heard that before.”

Liz rolled her eyes. As cocky as they came, and yet she still hadn’t walked away.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to your girlfriend,” Liz said, the emphasis on girlfriend.

“Are you really going to turn me down again?” he asked, stepping closer to her once more.

“One day you’ll get the hint.”

“But not today,” Clay said with a smirk.

“There you are, Lizzie,” Hayden said from behind her.

Her face fell. She had been so close to leaving, but not close enough.

And the way Clay was looking at her just then spoke volumes. He knew that something was up, or at the very least that she didn’t want to be seen with him. She could punch him for that smug look, and she just hoped he kept his goddamn mouth closed.

Hayden wrapped an arm around her shoulders and planted a kiss on her lips. Huh. Was he showing signs of jealousy? Oh, it was so cute on him.

“Who’s your friend?” Hayden asked.

“This is Clay,” Liz said.

Hayden stuck his hand out in introduction. “Nice to meet you. I’m Hayden Lane.”

“Clay Maxwell,” Clay said, shaking Hayden’s hand firmly.

Hayden looked back and forth between Clay and Liz in surprise at the name. Liz bit her tongue. She would let him figure it out, and hope he didn’t ask her questions later about how she personally knew Clay Maxwell.

“Maxwell. Like Senator Brady Maxwell’s brother?”

“Ah. Representative Maxwell,” Clay corrected.

Oh, so now he was going to defend his brother?

“Well, it’s great to have you here,” Hayden said, producing that smile that always won everyone over.

“Thanks. You’re the brother of the artist, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right. Jamie is wandering about here somewhere,” Hayden said. He glanced around the room as if thinking about her would make her materialize before his eyes. And that was when it hit her: Hayden had stopped the jealous-boyfriend act as soon as he realized that Clay was potentially influential.

“I’m sure my girlfriend would love to meet her,” Clay said.

“I’d be happy to introduce the two,” Hayden responded.

And that was how Liz’s night turned torturous. She could see written all over Clay’s devious face that he was going to use the opportunity to stick close by.

They located Andrea, who didn’t seem to remember Liz from that chance encounter on Hilton Head back in August. That was lucky. Then they went to find Jamie, who was incredibly excited to finally meet her favorite fan. Apparently they had been chatting back and forth between the curator of the gallery who had procured Jamie’s artwork for Andrea.