face, I walked over to Harvey. "Okay Harvey, you want to play? Let's play."
I leaned in, standing up on my tiptoes as Harvey grinned, leaning down toward me. When his lips were just a few inches from my own, my knee rocketed up, catching him cleanly in the big muscle of his right leg. It wasn't a clean shot in the balls, but it hurt like hell, I was sure of it.
Grabbing at his thigh, Harvey for the first time seemed more perplexed than turned on. Stepping in close, I pushed him back, sending him stumbling over a chair behind him and crashing into the pool. I was somewhat aware of flashbulbs going off but didn't care as Harvey got himself over to the edge of the pool, dragging himself out before standing up, dripping everywhere on the deck. I could see my mother, Donald and Jim Mason approaching, concern written on my mom's face, outrage on Jim’s.
"What the hell is going on here?"
"You need to keep your son away from any of your female campaign staff, Jim," Sebastian replied, taking me by the shoulders before I could say anything. "I saw your son here cop a feel on Cassie, and she responded by pushing him into the pool. All even, in my opinion."
Jim looked over at his son, his face clouding in anger. "We'll talk later. Donald, Amanda, I apologize for my son's misbehavior. And Cassie, I owe you an apology. I'd still like to talk with you about my campaign, but I understand if you want to turn down my offer."
Chapter 7
I had just finished peeling my cocktail dress off when I heard Sebastian knocking on my bedroom door. His two bedmates must have left already. "Come in, Sebastian," I said, pulling a robe around my shoulders. I was in no mood for having him see me naked.
"What the hell happened?" he asked, wearing just his tuxedo pants and shirt. "I leave the party for a half hour to talk with some senior partners in a local firm, and I lose track of you for hours. What went on?"
"I could ask you the same thing. When I saw you talking to those two girls before the press conference, I thought you brought them up here. They certainly looked willing."
For the first time since we met, I think I saw true hurt on Sebastian's face. I was surprised and shocked when he gaped at me for a moment before lowering his eyes, hiding his expression. "Is that really what you think this is, Cassie? That I'm just fucking you for fun, and that another woman will take your place whenever I want?"
“Well, you have sort of a reputation, and we both know that."
"Maybe, but perhaps they threw themselves at me, and I turned them down. Did you think of that? I was serious when I said that I was talking with some lawyers. It wasn't just a cover for a sexual escapade."
I don't know if it was Sebastian's words or the expression on his face, but I felt tears spring to my eyes. My lip quivered as all the frustration, fear, and emotion of the past few days ever since I’d learned I was pregnant, came loose in a knot from inside me. I would have sunk to the floor sobbing except that Sebastian caught me, carrying me in his arms to lay me on the bed, curling up against his chest as the sobs tore through me. "Shhhh. Cassie, I'm here," he whispered, his strong arms gently wrapped around my shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere."
"You say that now, but what about in four or six months?" I asked, sniffling and snorting back the tears. "When my belly is huge and I look like a cow?"
It took Sebastian a moment to register what I’d just said. Hell of a way to tell the man you love that you're pregnant. "You mean . . . How long?"
"I haven't been to the doctor yet, but I've taken four different home tests, and each of them came back positive. Sebastian, I'm pregnant. It's your baby."
In my mind, I had anticipated a thousand different reactions, from the Maury Povich "I am not the father," to running out, to laughing at me. Instead, he pulled me in closer, kissed me softly on the lips, and smiled.
"Thank you, Cassie."
I sat quietly for a moment before
I leaned in, standing up on my tiptoes as Harvey grinned, leaning down toward me. When his lips were just a few inches from my own, my knee rocketed up, catching him cleanly in the big muscle of his right leg. It wasn't a clean shot in the balls, but it hurt like hell, I was sure of it.
Grabbing at his thigh, Harvey for the first time seemed more perplexed than turned on. Stepping in close, I pushed him back, sending him stumbling over a chair behind him and crashing into the pool. I was somewhat aware of flashbulbs going off but didn't care as Harvey got himself over to the edge of the pool, dragging himself out before standing up, dripping everywhere on the deck. I could see my mother, Donald and Jim Mason approaching, concern written on my mom's face, outrage on Jim’s.
"What the hell is going on here?"
"You need to keep your son away from any of your female campaign staff, Jim," Sebastian replied, taking me by the shoulders before I could say anything. "I saw your son here cop a feel on Cassie, and she responded by pushing him into the pool. All even, in my opinion."
Jim looked over at his son, his face clouding in anger. "We'll talk later. Donald, Amanda, I apologize for my son's misbehavior. And Cassie, I owe you an apology. I'd still like to talk with you about my campaign, but I understand if you want to turn down my offer."
Chapter 7
I had just finished peeling my cocktail dress off when I heard Sebastian knocking on my bedroom door. His two bedmates must have left already. "Come in, Sebastian," I said, pulling a robe around my shoulders. I was in no mood for having him see me naked.
"What the hell happened?" he asked, wearing just his tuxedo pants and shirt. "I leave the party for a half hour to talk with some senior partners in a local firm, and I lose track of you for hours. What went on?"
"I could ask you the same thing. When I saw you talking to those two girls before the press conference, I thought you brought them up here. They certainly looked willing."
For the first time since we met, I think I saw true hurt on Sebastian's face. I was surprised and shocked when he gaped at me for a moment before lowering his eyes, hiding his expression. "Is that really what you think this is, Cassie? That I'm just fucking you for fun, and that another woman will take your place whenever I want?"
“Well, you have sort of a reputation, and we both know that."
"Maybe, but perhaps they threw themselves at me, and I turned them down. Did you think of that? I was serious when I said that I was talking with some lawyers. It wasn't just a cover for a sexual escapade."
I don't know if it was Sebastian's words or the expression on his face, but I felt tears spring to my eyes. My lip quivered as all the frustration, fear, and emotion of the past few days ever since I’d learned I was pregnant, came loose in a knot from inside me. I would have sunk to the floor sobbing except that Sebastian caught me, carrying me in his arms to lay me on the bed, curling up against his chest as the sobs tore through me. "Shhhh. Cassie, I'm here," he whispered, his strong arms gently wrapped around my shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere."
"You say that now, but what about in four or six months?" I asked, sniffling and snorting back the tears. "When my belly is huge and I look like a cow?"
It took Sebastian a moment to register what I’d just said. Hell of a way to tell the man you love that you're pregnant. "You mean . . . How long?"
"I haven't been to the doctor yet, but I've taken four different home tests, and each of them came back positive. Sebastian, I'm pregnant. It's your baby."
In my mind, I had anticipated a thousand different reactions, from the Maury Povich "I am not the father," to running out, to laughing at me. Instead, he pulled me in closer, kissed me softly on the lips, and smiled.
"Thank you, Cassie."
I sat quietly for a moment before
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