Page 43 of Something Just Like This

Vibrations shook the room and her body. The crowd held thousands of faces, with endless cameras along the edges and lights trained on the podium. The giant sign read LAKE FOR NEW YORK in red and blue above it all.

She dragged in a breath and tried to take it all in. Jonathan's hand found the small of her back. "You good?" he asked in her ear.

"Yes."

His gaze probed hers. Within those blue depths lay a calm focus and pure love that wrapped around her like a hug. "Alyssa."

"Ninety percent yes. Ten percent might faint."

"You will not faint. You've never fainted in your life."

"There's always tonight."

His hand pressed warmer against her back. "I've got you," he said. "Every second. I've got you."

She believed him. They’d walk this new chapter together. There would be ups and downs, but Alyssa knew this man was her heart, and that together, it would all be okay.

She straightened her spine. “Ready.”

The crowd roared when he walked out. She stayed one step behind, the way she'd always positioned herself — and then Jonathan stopped. Turning, he extended his hand, and she took it. They walked to the podium side by side.

His speech was exactly four minutes and twelve seconds. His deep voice mesmerized the crowd, and she repeated each word in her head as he soke them. Until he hit a section she didn’t remember.

"I want to thank the people who made this possible," he said. "The voters of this state who gave me their trust — I will earn it every day. My team, who ran a campaign I'm proud of. My daughter Chloe, who is too brave for her own good and has her mother's heart." His voice caught for half a beat. Recovered. "And the woman standing beside me. Who showed up every single morning and taught me that the courage to choose something, even when it's terrifying, is the thing that makes it worth having."

Applause broke out but she barely heard it. Jonathan turned his head and looked directly at her.

"I wake up every day grateful that she chose me," he said.

Oh, my God. She was going to cry and ruin her makeup.

She choked it back, cracked open in front of everyone, and let herself relish the moment.

All of it. The cameras and the crowd and her ring catching the stage lights. His voice wrapping around her, clear and sure. Chloe appeared at her left, slipped a hand into hers, and squeezed.

Alyssa squeezed back.

"For New York," Jonathan said, his voice booming through the ballroom, "let's get to work."

The crowd roared.

Her mind reached for a silly fact to recite that always helped ground her, but standing here between the two people she loved the most, Alyssa realized she didn’t need a fact.

She needed something just like this.

epilogue

One year later

She raised her champagne glass and tipped it to his. The slight clink had a merry sound that went perfectly with the roaring fire in the background. Their schedule had been hectic, and it was nice to finally enjoy some quiet time together.

She studied his bare-chested form, sprawled out on the rug in front of the fireplace. Hair tousled, gleaming blue-black in the flickering light, golden skin stretched over glorious muscles. He was propped up on his elbow, a satisfied grin on his face. Her belly dipped, and once again, she had to remind herself that he was all hers. Every delicious, masculine inch of him.

“Have I told you lately I think you’re hot?” she asked curiously.

A low laugh rumbled in his chest. Her gaze raked over tight abs and the dark line that arrowed straight down to disappear under his jeans. She’d never thought of herself as a sexual person, but when he was near, her body practically lit up on command.

All the time.