A/N: Sorry for the delay in updating! My muse was being a bit annoying. But here it is at last :) Special thanks to Elize, who pointed me to an inspiring dancing scene from another show.

This story is turning out longer than I'd expected it to in the beginning, but I'm having a blast writing it.

Also: wow. 90 reviews. I'm stunned. Thank you all very much, I love reading everyone's thoughts!

Alicia tried not to be too obvious about stretching her neck in an attempt to see where Peter was. They'd been headed back towards their table from the dance floor when they ran into the head of some education committee and his wife. Peter had offered to get everyone a drink as soon as introductions were out of the way. That was ten minutes ago, and she hadn't seen him since.

Which meant she was now stuck listening to seemingly endless stories about pets and grandchildren. These people were the kind of couple that finished each other's sentences, so Alicia couldn't get a word in. She was just about to get rude and interrupt a story that had it all—a labradoodle, the tooth fairy and the cutest grandson in the world!—by saying she needed to go to the ladies room, when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Alicia, there you are."

"Oh—John. Um, hi."

John put his hand in the small of her back as he came to stand beside her. It seemed to burn right through the silk of her dress, making her stomach flutter. "I'm sorry, but I have to steal this lovely lady away from you now." He flashed a charming smile at the older couple.

"What are you doing?" Alicia muttered as he guided her back to the dance floor without waiting for a reply.

"What I've wanted to do all night." He pulled her closer and took her hand in the basic dancing position. Right on cue, the band started playing a slow dance song. He leaned in, making her heart speed up as she breathed in his scent. "You look beautiful," he whispered, and the sensation of his breath on her cheek sent a shiver down her spine.

"John…" She created some distance between them when all she wanted to do was melt into him. "I don't think this is a good idea."

"Really? It feels like a great idea." He was right. It did feel great. That's what made it a bad idea in the first place.

Alicia knew she needed to break the spell, before she would do something stupid—like kiss him in the middle of a crowded ballroom… Realizing she was staring at his mouth, she made herself look away—and saw Ashley walking towards the bar. The sight of the blonde, who had been very openly flirting with John every chance she got, provided exactly the cold shower Alicia needed.

"Ashley seems—nice," she lied, looking back at John.

"You think so?"

"Well, she's very… friendly."

"I guess." He sighed. "She annoys the hell out of me, actually."

"Really? Then why are you dating her?"

"I'm not. Not really. Just for tonight." He sighed. "I mean…" His voice trailed off, as if he was unsure how to explain his relationship to Ashley.

"John, you don't have to explain. It's okay." Alicia averted her gaze as her mind replayed his words from their phone conversation. It was just a one-night stand. No big deal… Apparently, it really wasn't a big deal to him. Her eyes shot back to his face when he muttered a curse. "What's wrong?"

"Your dress."

She glanced down, checking for tears or stains, anything out of the ordinary, but her dress looked as it always had. She looked at him again with raised eyebrows. "What about it?"

"It makes me want to…" He faltered and she felt his hand on her back tighten as an almost pained expression flashed on his face. "It makes it hard for me to think straight."

"Oh," Alicia breathed. Her pulse started racing as she watched his gaze drop to her mouth. Somewhere in the back of her mind it registered that the song ended and the band announced they were going to take a break, but it didn't seem to matter.

What mattered was that John was going to kiss her. Right here, where everyone could see them. She knew she should stop him, but…

"I'd like my wife back now, Elfman." Peter spoke softly, but the steely undertone in his voice was hard to miss.

§§§

For a brief moment, John wanted to go ahead and kiss Alicia anyway. But she tensed up in his arms at the sound of Peter's voice, breaking the spell. Then she stepped back, and he let her go. He took a deep breath as common sense kicked in again. Her campaign was over, he wasn't her campaign manager anymore, but neither of them could afford to get caught up in a scandal at this point. And, as Peter had just reminded him, she was married.

"Relax, Peter. It was just a dance," Alicia said, exasperation in her voice. Looking back at John, she smiled. "Thanks, John. I'll see you later." It sounded like a promise.

John ignored Peter's deepening frown and his own growing urge to punch the man in the face and smiled back at her. "Anytime," he said.

"Johnny, I've been looking all over for you!" Ashley flung herself at him, nearly knocking him over, from behind. "Come on, I need you to buy me another drink," she slurred as she stepped between him and Alicia. "The bartender won't let me have anymore! Can you believe that?"

"Well, maybe you've had enough then," he muttered, peeling her arms from around his neck. Looking up, he saw Peter put his hand on Alicia's back, herding her towards the exit of the ballroom. She shook off his hand and looked back at John and Ashley, a frown on her face.

"You could just say thank you. I just saved your ass." The slur was gone from Ashley's voice, the pout had vanished from her face. "Flor-prick looked about ready to punch you."

"I didn't need your help. And stop throwing yourself at me. I'm not interested," John said. Her constant flirting had been a pain in the ass all night.

Ashley chuckled. "I know, that was very clear. And don't worry. You have nothing to fear from me. I told you—I'm taken."

"Right. The mystery guy you're dating." John rolled his eyes.

She gave him an odd look, then sighed. "Who said it was a guy?" she asked.

"What?"

"I'm dating a woman. I'm gay. Now pick your jaw up from the floor and buy me a drink." It was her turn to roll her eyes when she saw his frown. "I'm not drunk, John. But you can buy me a mineral water if that makes you feel more comfortable."

§§§

Alicia sank into the backseat of the limo with a sigh. Ignoring Peter, she turned her head and looked out the window. This whole evening had been a total mess. First the photographer alerting Peter she'd been talking to a reporter, then the unexpected shock of seeing John again. And to top it all off, she'd nearly kissed him. If Peter hadn't interrupted… She closed her eyes. If Peter hadn't interrupted, she would have only given him more ammunition to use against her when she finally filed for divorce. She didn't need David Lee to tell her that.

"It's him, isn't it?" Peter said, when they were halfway to her apartment.

"What?" Alicia asked. She didn't bother opening her eyes to look at him.

"Why you suddenly want to divorce me. It's because of Elfman."

She sighed. "No, Peter. It isn't." At least, not entirely. "It's because of me."

"That's not what it looked like back there."

"It was just a dance, Peter. That's what people do at a gala. They dance."

"Oh, come on, Alicia. I'm not blind!" Peter scoffed. "Did you sleep with him?"

"Are you still sleeping with Ramona?" Alicia countered, finally turning her head to look at him.

"Why do you keep bringing that up? This is not about Ramona!" The way he avoided her gaze was all the answer she needed.

"You're right, it's not," she admitted, and when he opened his mouth again, she added, "But it's not about John either. This is about me and you."

"You mean it's about you being selfish."

"Selfish?" Alicia clenched her hands together in her lap to prevent herself from slapping him. "I gave up my dreams when I married you. I have stood by you for years, even when you screwed up again and again. I let you use me in every way imaginable when it came to putting on the charade of the happy marriage. I…"

"A charade that came in handy when you suddenly decided to run for office yourself!"

"Oh, so you did one thing for me in return. One. And now I'm supposed to—what, Peter? Be forever grateful to you? Well, I won't. It was the least you could do for me, and you know it!"

The limo parked in front of her building and Alicia didn't hesitate. She grabbed the door handle, threw the door open and started to get out—only to feel Peter's hand close around her arm in an iron grip and yanking her back inside.

"Get your hands off me," she said in a low voice. She knew he would never physically harm her, no matter how bad things got between them, but she wasn't planning on just letting him manhandle her like this.

"In a minute. You listen first, and you listen good," he said, loosening his grip but not letting go completely. "I put you in office. I can just as easily get you out again. Do you understand?"

Alicia yanked her arm from his hand. "Yes, I know. You still have your damn file. Well, you know what, Peter? I don't give a…"

"The file is just the beginning," he said, leaning back. "File for divorce and you'll see. Now get the hell out."

§§§

Now that Ashley had dropped the act, she was a lot less annoying. They had gone out for some air and were now leaning on the railing of the balcony that spanned the length of the ballroom, John still reeling from her earlier revelation.

"Why haven't you told them?" he asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It's just… Not that easy." Ashley sighed and sipped from her mineral water. "When our parents died, my grandparents took me and Samantha in and they've been looking for suitable marriage candidates ever since. They believe in traditional families, you know? They can't help that, it's just… all they know. They're from a different generation." She shrugged. "I was sixteen when I started finding out who—what—I was. I was terrified. I didn't want to be different! So I pretended I was just like everyone else. It got easier after a while."

"So you're just going to… what, keep on pretending some more? At the expense of your own happiness?"

Ashley chuckled. "Look who's talking."

"Excuse me?"

"I saw the way you were looking at her when you danced, John. You love her. And yet you're here, talking to me instead of going after her."

"That's different." John looked away from her challenging gaze. "She's married."

"Oh, come on! That marriage is a joke and you know it. She knows it, too. Hell, everyone in Illinois knows it, including my grandparents! Grandma told me they don't even live together, for God's sake!" She smirked at him. "So, again, what are you still doing here?"

John thought of Alicia, alone in her apartment. In that dress. His body immediately reacted to the image, to the remembered feel of her in his arms. He'd come back to Chicago planning to stay away from her. One dance with her had shot that plan to hell. Screw the plan, he thought, draining his glass and putting it down. He wanted to be with her. Even though he knew she would never divorce Peter. I'll see you later, she'd said, and it had sounded like a promise. It was time to take her up on it.

§§§

Alicia poured herself a glass of wine, the bottle clinking softly against the glass when her hand shook a little. She should have slapped Peter when she had the chance. She put the bottle down on the counter with a bit more force than necessary, picked up the glass and drank. So he thought he could just threaten and blackmail her into not divorcing him? Well, she'd show him…

The doorbell rang, interrupting her silent rant. Taking her wineglass with her, she brusquely walked to the door and opened it to find John standing on the other side.

"What do you want?" It came out harsher than she meant, but she didn't apologize. She was too fed up with everything that had happened tonight, including the mixed signals he had been giving her all night.

"You," he stated simply.

"Really? What happened to Ashley? Was she too drunk?" Alicia drank from her wine as she challenged him with her gaze. She was in no mood to make it easy for him.

"Alicia." John took a step towards her and leaned in close, his blue eyes filled with heat. "I don't know why you're acting like this, but you better ask me to come inside."

Her mouth went dry and her heart started pounding in her ears as her breathing quickened. "Why?" she whispered.

"Because if you don't, I'll take you out here. That's how much I want you right now."

P.S.: For those of you who have been asking about Conflicted Heart, I will pick that back up after I've finished this one. I will rewrite the first couple of chapters to incorporate Alicia's point of view, because I've realized that that's what I'm missing in it.