Page 92 of A Dangerous Proposal

“How did it go?” Her voice was cautious.

His throat tightened.

He didn’t want to tell her yet.

Not now.

Not when she looked so soft in the dim light, her platinum blonde hair spilling over her shoulder—calm and trusting, because he’d made her a promise.

Alex wanted just a few more moments of peace before he shattered it.

“I didn’t think you’d still be up,” he said ignoring the question.

She tilted her head slightly, watching him.

“Morning sickness is destroying Cami, so I’m trying to handle more.”

Alex nodded, walking toward the bar, and poured himself a drink. “I heard the last episode.”

Madison blinked, clearly surprised. “It just came out this morning.”

He lowered himself onto the couch beside her. “It’s interesting.”

It was.

The way she and Cami methodically laid out each episode, dissecting the evidence with thoughtful analysis, wasimpressive. But that wasn’t the real reason he had gone back and listened to every single episode she’d ever recorded.

It was her voice.

The way it wrapped around him, burrowing into his veins—He couldn’t explain it.

How many other men listened for the same reason?

The thought made his blood run hot, irrational anger curling low in his stomach.

“What are you scowling about?” She shifted slightly, her arm brushing his as her sweet smell filled his nose. Heat shot through him, unwanted and entirely out of place. Alex reached out and brushed her hair away from her face before he could stop himself.

She stilled under his touch, her lips parting slightly. “Your brother wasn’t angry?”

The words were a bucket of icy water over his skin, and he sat back, rubbing a hand down his face.

Madison tensed. “What happened? Is he upset he wasn’t invited?”

“Not exactly.” Alex pushed to his feet, stalking toward the bar.

It pissed him off that Mikhail had put him in this position, particularly when things had been working so well between him and Madison. He lifted the bottle of vodka toward her, offering, but she shook her head.

“You’re making me nervous, Alex.”

“Don’t be.” He poured another drink, not meeting her eyes. He took a sip, the vodka doing little to ease the weight in his chest. “It just turns out there are some complications regarding my plans for Felix.”

“Complications?” Her frown deepened. She unfolded her legs and sat up straight.

“Mikhail has put limits on what I can do,” Alex explained. “There is a connection between them.”

Silence.

Madison’s fingers tightened on her knees. “the Senator knows your brother?”

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