Page 14 of A Man of Power

Montgomery steps back and looks at Harriet.

“And will they be here today?”

She nods. “Press were alerted that some teenagers were pulling a prank by defiling some things around the building today. It’s all been handled.”

Sebastian gives Harriet a look that says, “back off.” She does with a nod and steps back toward me.

“As you can see, my staff and I have this situation under control, Father,” he hisses.

“Very good. Have Harriet debrief Theresa on any updates. I have a bill hearing now,” he says and steps toward the door, but not before turning around. “And, Sebastian, call your mother. She has someone for you to meet.”

Sebastian glares at his dad who joins a woman in the hallway and proceeds toward the Capitol building. I watch Sebastian’s nostrils flare before he turns to Harriet. “Do not step in between us again. He needs to know where I stand on things.”

Harriet glowers as she puts her hands on her hips. “He needs to trust you to do the right thing.”

Sighing, Sebastian runs a hand through his hair. “Just…let it go. Understood?”

Harriet puts her arms down and looks at him. “Fine, but I don’t like this attitude.” I wonder how she worked for Montgomery for so long if she doesn’t like him. This family is so strange.

Sebastian then turns to me. “Come on, you and I are going to work from my house today. I can’t focus with all of this.” He motions around us. “We need to have a solid game plan before that White House meeting.”

All I know is that the president’s office organized a meeting between opponents and a few co-sponsors on a transportation bill related to shipping routes, containers, and vessels. We are a co-sponsor, so naturally, Sebastian probably wants us to look well-versed on all the issues at the meeting in hopes of potentially changing a mind or two. And, I also think his friendship with Conner Sterling weighs heavily on his decision to sponsor the bill.

“We’ll be at my house working, if you need us, Harriet,” he says as he motions for me to follow him out of the conference room. I see Harriet studying him and then me. I’m not sure how to read the look on her face. Is she mad? Is she disapproving? Shit, is this not appropriate? Would she wring my neck if she found out he walked me to my door the other night?

My brain swirls with what-ifs as Sebastian leads me to his car.

As we drive out of the city, he’s quiet and I’m not sure how to read his silence, so I spend the drive watching the scenery change from the asphalt, concrete, and monuments in parks to a leafy suburban area. When he pulls up to a gated entrance at a street, Kensington Place, my eyebrows rise. But nothing prepares me for the opulent homes that are barely visible from the street as we drive down it. I know the Norths are well-to-do. I read an article once about Sebastian’s great-grandfather. He made millions in the railways in the early nineteen hundreds. That allowed his son to go to law school and later run for the U.S. Senate, and then his son, and now Sebastian. But his family is in no way as wealthy as Conner Sterling’s billionaire dad. I wonder if his other friends are this rich.

Sebastian pulls up to a house that looks like an English manor home. Its large stone and brick façade are beautiful. The yard, strike that, grounds are immaculately sculpted. Does he live here alone? Maybe I’ve misread Sebastian and he has a girlfriend? I haven’t seen anything to indicate that he’s dating anyone, but this is too much house for one person.

Sebastian beats me to the car door once again. He has it open before I can protest and holds out a hand to me. I accept it, relishing the feel of his large, warm hand against mine.

“Come on. Let’s get some coffee and you can debrief me on the research that I know you have already done,” he states as I follow him through a garage door, down a hallway, and into a magnificent kitchen.

As he makes us coffee, I look around, taking in the white cabinets and dark countertops, the copper vent over the stove, and the window with potted herbs sitting on the ledge. It doesn’t feel like him, or maybe it does, and I really don’t know this man at all.

“How long have you lived here?” I ask as I run a finger over the black granite countertop.

“Three years,” he says. His back is to me, and I watch him. He’s in control. He’s always in control. Power surrounds him like an aura. He turns and hands me a mug. It’s a beautiful mug, handmade.

“This mug is gorgeous,” I state.

He just nods and walks toward an open door. I follow him inside. It’s an office. He motions to a small conference table. “Have a seat. Let’s figure out our strategy for tomorrow.”

I sit and pull out my laptop. We spend the entire day working. Besides us, the only sound in the house is from a cuckoo clock that I can’t see, but I can hear it chime every hour. It’s a strange noise that I only recognize because my grandparents have one in their house. I want to ask about it. I want to ask about the mug and how he came to live here. But I refrain from becoming too personal. The less I know, the better. Or at least that’s what I tell myself.

Chapter7

Sebastian

I shakehands with Aaron Beacher as our meeting ends. He didn’t need to be here, but I know he felt obligated as my pledge brother. Our bond is…well, he’s following the vow we all agreed to many years ago.

“Also, I’d love to hear your thoughts on Confervo. I’m in some campaign fundraising talks with them,” I say quietly.

“Sure, give me a call. I don’t know much about them. They did give money to Jason’s last campaign,” he says.

I start to reply but I’m distracted for the eightieth time as Alexis brushes against me while turning to say goodbye to a fellow staffer. Her floral scent fills my nostrils. I have to stop thinking about her. She’s quickly becoming a distraction. And now that I’ve had her at my home, I keep jerking off to visions of her naked on my island, my desk, my bed. I need to focus on my campaign, and instead, I’ve spent the last day dealing with vandalism and a woman so enticing she has me blowing my load in the shower like a teenager.

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