Page 32 of A Man of Power

I glare at her as I open her car door. “Get in the fucking car, now.”

She glares back.

“Little dove, do not press me right now. You will not like the outcome, I promise you that.”

She only hesitates for a moment before getting in the car. I close the door and walk around to the driver’s side. I get in and start my car, turning to her. “Not a word. We will discuss this when I am not operating a vehicle,” I hiss angrily as I take off down the road, anger radiating off me in waves stronger than the ocean after a storm. She doesn’t acknowledge me but turns away and looks out the window as we drive past the monuments surrounding the National Mall.

Trust is not something I easily give. In fact, the number of people I truly trust I can count on one hand. Do I trust my family? No. My mother lost my trust when she turned to my father’s best friend after Kara died. The only reason they aren’t divorced would be my father’s desire to keep up appearances for his political career and my mother’s desire to be dripping in diamonds and lavish vacations to tropical islands. My father, just like his father, would sell his soul to maintain the power bestowed upon him. Kara. I trusted my sister with my life. I would have gladly given mine for hers. But in the end, death stole her from me. The angry teenager that I was, I lost trust in the medical world. And then there are my friends. I never trusted any of my friends growing up. Going to a private boarding school filled with the nation’s elites’ children doesn’t exactly create an atmosphere of trust. Conner and Aiden. I trust them with my life. The rest of my brothers, that’s more complicated. Would they sacrifice for me? Yes. Would they turn around and stab me in the back if I fall out of line? Yes. It’s not exactly a relationship built on trust.

The only sound in the car is the tires on the road. The night is eerily still in the hours before a storm is scheduled to hit.

The gate opens after scanning my plate and I pull onto Kensington Place. Alexis tenses her legs as though bracing for what’s about to come. I’ll admit, there’s a part of me that’s deeply curious about what she’s thinking, about whether I will change her mind. But first, she is going to get my full wrath because saying I’m angry, well, it’s an understatement of epic proportions.

Chapter14

Alexis

SayingI’m afraid of Sebastian North at the moment isn’t completely true, but that’s only because he has me seeing red. It’s hard to be afraid of someone when you are ready to claw their eyes out. How can he be so infuriating? He’s a walking hypocrite. He wants his cake and to eat it too. He has zero regard for how anyone else feels besides himself. I’m not going to be a pawn in his power play. If that’s what he thinks I am, he is so very wrong.

We pull up to his house and he parks the car in the garage next to two others. Why does one man have three cars? Oh wait, because he’s a pretentious, pompous asshole, that’s why. I get out of the car before he can come around to open the door. Fuck his chivalry. I walk up to a door and realize it’s locked. I feel him come up behind me, his arm reaches around to a thumbprint scanner above a keycode board, and he presses his thumb to it. The door’s lock opens and I turn the doorknob. Once inside, I walk into his kitchen.

He doesn’t stop there. He walks past me into a large great room and then straight outside. I take a deep breath. Could he possibly be more obtuse?

When I came home and told Whitney what had happened, she backed my decision to dump his ass and quit my job. Erin’s out of town visiting a cousin, but I don’t doubt she would have backed my plan as well. Whitney was less than shocked when Mr. Pompous Prick showed up at our door.

“He likes the chase, but…maybe, just maybe, there’s something more there,” she had said with a shrug. “However, if he even so much as steps over the line, hell, looks like he might, I will gladly rip his balls off for you.”

I walk outside. He’s turned on a large firepit surrounded by what looks like very comfortable single-bed-sized lounging sofas. The flames dance in the dark night sky.

“Sit,” he commands as he motions to the sofa closest to the flame.

I tentatively sit as far from him as possible; I need to keep my wits about me. I can’t have him clouding my judgment. Whatever I wanted out of this thing between us is not likely going to happen, heck, it shouldn’t happen. I need to remove myself from this equation. It’s the only way to preserve my heart.

“What happens between you and me is not up for discussion with others? Do you understand? Or shall I have a new NDA drawn up?” His words are sharp and cut me. He thinks I told Whitney everything. Damn it, Whitney. I had seen his jaw clench in anger when she spoke. And he seriously thinks the NDA I signed as part of my employment status should cover us fucking?

“I did not breach the NDA and I didn’t tell Whitney everything if that’s what has you so wrapped around the axle.”

If looks could kill, I’d be dead already.

“Fine,” he says, but the way he says it means he doesn’t trust me, not one little bit. “You are not quitting.”

I cock my head to one side. “I’m sorry, but I don’t believe you can make that decision for me. You don’t own me, Mr. Congressman.”

He walks toward me and sits, leaning back against the side of the sofa. I can see his chest rise and deflate with a deep breath. Do I affect him that greatly? I don’t have time to ponder that further because he opens his mouth to speak.

“First, you are my best staff member. I need you to stay. You have become an instrumental part of my team. And second, we both know you are no quitter. We are in the middle of figuring out something that may in fact be very important. You aren’t going to give up on it; we both know that.”

I’m not sure what infuriates me more, the fact that he thinks he knows me so well already, or that he thinks he can keep me on staff with his lame ploy that I’m his greatest staff member. Fuck him. I’ve listened and I’m done.

I stand and clench my hands into fists. “I’m done here. You had your opportunity to speak. I’m not sure why you had to drive me all the way out to bumblefuck Virginia to do it, but you did, and now, you listen to me.”

He doesn’t speak, but his jaw tightens, and I know I’ve already struck a nerve before I even speak again.

“I am not your pawn. I’m not some woman you can get your needs filled by while on what I can only assume was an unsatisfactory date. Maybe this thing between us is just a fuck fest between two adults attracted to each other, but that doesn’t mean you can treat me like your damn prostitute. If you want an escort, go hire one, Sebastian.” I throw my hands up and twirl, motioning to our opulent surroundings. “You clearly have the funds to have one on staff, at your beck and call.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me. I will get you your research on Monday because you asked me to do that prior to my resignation. Goodbye, Congressman.” I turn and begin heading toward his house, picking up my bag and reaching inside to grab my phone to call a car.

I make it not more than ten steps before I’m stopped by two strong hands on my forearms, yanking me back against him.

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