He finished his speech to a round of applause and made his way off the stage and down into the ballroom to chat with the crowd . . . and to find someone to introduce him to Olivia. It would help if he positioned himself by her table . . . like so.

He didn’t have long to wait.

“Senator, can I introduce you to Olivia Monroe?” The board president had his hand on Olivia’s shoulder. “She’s an old friend of mine and a fantastic attorney who just moved to L.A., and I’m trying to convince her to join our board. I know she could be a wonderful asset to us.”

She’s a fantastic . . . attorney? But she’d said she was an accountant.

He kept the bland, professional smile on his face and shook her hand.

“Ms. Monroe, it’s so nice to meet you. What law firm are you with?”

Her smile turned wry for just a split second. Ah yes, she remembered that she’d told him she was an accountant.

“My own,” she said. He saw the pride in her eyes. “Monroe and Spencer. A friend and I started it last month.”

Well, she had moved to L.A. for work; that part had been true.

“Congratulations,” he said. “And welcome to Los Angeles.”

Olivia smiled at him, then glanced over at the executive director.

“Thank you. It’s very exciting but also very busy. Which is why, as I told Bruce here, I might be too swamped to join the board for a while, but I’ll be thrilled to be involved in any way I can.”

Bruce shook his head.

“I was hoping the senator here would be able to convince you to join the board, but I understand.”

She looked back at Max. She had on a gray pantsuit with a blue blouse and black high heels—the kind of standard outfit he was used to seeing women in. So why did it look so special on her? Why was that row of buttons on her blouse—buttoned high enough so they almost, but didn’t, show more of her curves underneath—so enticing?

“I was excited to hear about all of your programs with teenagers,” she said. “And, Senator, I’m thrilled about your bill to demolish the school-to-prison pipeline.”

Yes, yes, right, he was here to talk about his criminal justice reform bill, the entire reason he’d run for the Senate in the first place.

“I’m so glad to hear that,” he said. “It’s by far my biggest priority in Washington.”

Bruce beamed at Max.

“We’re thrilled about your bill as well, Senator.” He glanced around the room and jumped. “Oh! Gloria is here, wonderful! Let me bring her over to meet you, just stay right here!”

He scurried away, and Max and Olivia were finally left alone.

“So you’re an accountant, huh?” he said under his breath.

She shook her head, but with a smile on her face.

“I’m sorry I lied to you about that. But my God, the things people say when you tell them you’re a lawyer! Sometimes I can’t deal with one more stupid lawyer joke.”

He’d been thinking about this woman for weeks; he couldn’t believe he’d actually found her again. And that she was just as gorgeous and funny as he’d remembered.

“Well, I certainly understand that.”

She laughed. He liked how he could tell that was a real laugh, not an “I’m talking to a senator, better make him feel good about himself” kind of laugh.

At least, he hoped so. He thought he was still able to distinguish between the two.

“A while ago I started coming up with different jobs to tell cabdrivers, bartenders, and . . .” She glanced up at him with that grin again. “Friendly strangers sitting next to you at bars. Accountant is a good one, because no one ever asks questions.” She shook her head. “Well, except for you. But then, I didn’t realize at the time that I was lying to my senator.”

He laughed.

“Sorry for ruining it for you. I can’t help it if my job makes me have questions about things most people don’t care about.” He lowered his voice. “Accountant or attorney, I’m glad we ran into each other again. I wondered . . .”

“Senator.” Andy was by his side again. “Apologies for the interruption, but we’re already running late to the event with Congresswoman Watson.”

He held in a sigh. Andy was going to swoop him off to the next event, and he absolutely wouldn’t get another second to talk to Olivia Monroe without at least three people surrounding them. Oh great, now there were four. Honestly, it was a miracle they’d gotten about sixty seconds alone; he had to be grateful for that.

“Yes, of course. Ms. Monroe, it was a pleasure to meet you today.”

Her bland professional smile matched his.

“Likewise, Senator.”

They shook hands. He wished he could hold on to her hand longer, but he forced himself to let go.

He turned to leave, just as Bruce raced over with someone else to introduce him to. Yes, he was very thankful he’d had that brief time alone with Olivia Monroe. Especially because now he knew not only her name but where she worked.

Olivia turned back to her table to grab her purse with a smile still on her face. When she’d seen that senator Max Powell was going to be the keynote speaker for this luncheon, she wondered if he would remember her; that was, if he even noticed her in the crowd. And then, in the middle of his speech, he’d looked straight at her, and she could tell from his very unpolitician-like grin that he’d recognized her.