“Are you going to dance with me, Senator? It's the only dignified way I can get my hands on you at the moment." Alan let the first wave of desire take him-a rush that blanked everyone else from his sight and hearng for one heady instant. Carefully he banked it before he rose and took her hand. "Strange how closely our minds work." After leading her to the dance floor he gathered her to him. "And how well," he murmured as their bodies melded together, "we fit."Shelby tilted her head back. "We shouldn't." Her eyes promised hot, private secrets. Her lips tempted-just parted, just curved. The hand on his shoulder moved nearer to his neck so she could brush his skin with her fingertips. "We shouldn't fit.We shouldn't understand each other.I can't quite figure out why we do.""You defy logic,Shelby.And therefore, logically,there's no reasonable answer."She laughed, pleased with the structured workings of his mine. "Oh, Alan, you're much too sensible to be argued with.""Which means you'll constantly do so.""Exactly." Still smiling,she rested her head on his shoulder. "You know me too well for my own good, Alan...and perhaps for yours. I'm in danger of adoring you."He remembered Myra had used that word to describe Shelby's feelings for her father. "I'll take the risk.Will you?”

“You look beautiful, Rena." Gently he laid a hand on the mound of her belly. His sister, he thought as wonder and pride mixed together. His baby sister. "I can't get used to it," he murmured.Serena put her hand on his. "You don't have a great deal more time to get used to it." She felt the baby move under their joined hands and grinned as Alan's gaze dropped to them. "He or she is impatient to begin." Tilting her head, she studied Alan's face. "Dad's suddenly gotten it into his head there might be two...I wonder who might have planted that seed?"His eyes smiled as he lifted them to his sister's. "It was purely a defensive maneuver.""Mmm-hmm." Turning, she held out both hands. "You must be Shelby. I'm glad you could come."Shelby felt the warmth, more carefres than Alan's, the welcome, less curious than Caine's. "So am I.I've been wanting to meet the woman who broke Alan's nose."With a muffled chuckle, Serena jerked her head toward Caine. "It was supposed to be his." She narrowed her eyes a moment as Caine dipped his hands into his pockets and grinned. "It should have been his. Come on in and meet the rest of the family," she continued as she tucked her arm through Shelby's. "God,I hope Alan prepared you.""In his own way.""If you start to feel overwhelmed, just shoot me a look. These days all I have to do is sigh to distract Dad's attention for an hour and a half.”

“Alan stopped her in the hall by slipping his arms around her waist. "I haven't done this in one hour and twenty-three mintutes." His mouth covered hers, slowly, confidently. As her lips parted and offered he took, taking the kiss just to the border, but no further, of madness. "I love you." He caught her bottom lip between his teeth, then released her mouth only to change the angle and deepen the kiss. He felt her heartbeat sprint against his, felt that long, lazy meltng of her bones he knew happened just before she went from pliant to avid. "Tonight, no matter who you dance with,think of me."Breathless,she looked up.In his eyes, she saw that banked brooding passion she could never resist. He'd overwhelm her if she let him;absorb her. He had the power.Shelby tilted her head so her lips stayed within a whisper of his. "Tonight," she said huskily, "no matter who you dance with,you'll want me." Her arms stayed around him when she rested her head on his shoulder. "And I'll know.”

“I see two people in love," he said with his gaze fixed on hers in the glass. "Two very different people who look extraordinarily well together."Shelby leaned her head on his shoulder again, unsure if she was glad or annoyed that he read her so perfectly. "He would look very good, and much more suitable, with a cool blond in a very classic black dress."Alan seemed to consider for a moment. "Do you know," he said mildly. "That's the first time I've heard you sound like a complete ass."She stared back at his image,at the faintly interested, fully reasonable expression on his face. She laughed. There seemed to be nothing else for her to do. "All right,just for that,I'm going to be every bit as dignified as you are.""God forbid," Alan muttered before he pulled her out the front door.”

“That was well-done," Alan told her later as he gave Shelby a limited tour of the house. "Was it?" Laughing,she linked her hand with his. "He's a difficult man to resist." She rose on her toes to nibble his earlobe. "So's his firstborn.""That term's to be used reverently," Alan warned her. "Personally I've always found it a pain in the-”

“I can't remember when I've spent a more...enjoyable Saturday." She sighed, then teased his tongue with hers."Since I don't intend to move for at least twenty-four hours,we'll see how you like Sunday as well.""I think I'm going to love it." She slid a hand over his shoulder. "I don't like to be pushy, Senator, but when are you going to marry me?""I thought September in Hyannis Port.""The MacGregor fortess." He saw by her eyes the idea appealed to hre. "But September's two and a half months away.""We'll make it August," he said as he nibbled at her ear. "In the meantime, you and your roommates can move in here, or we can start looking for another place. Would you like to honeymoon in Scotland?"Shelby nestled into his throat. "Yes." She tilted her head back. "In the meantime," she said slowly as her hands wandered down to his waist. "I've been wanting to tell you that there's one of your domestic policies I'm fully in favor or,Senator.""Really?" His mouth lowered to hover just above hers."You have-" she nipped at his bottom lip "-my full support.I wonder if you could just...run through the prodecure for me one more time."Alan slid a hand down her side. "It's my civic duty to make myself avaiable to all my constituents."Shelby's fingers ran up his chest to stop his jaw just before he captured her lips. "As long as it's only me, Senator." She hooked her arm around his neck. "This is the one-man one-vote system.”