A Win-Win Proposition (Case Brothers 2)

Convinced he would act on his threat, she picked up her abandoned bowl of melted ice cream and dumped it over her head. She bit her lip to hold back a yelp as the sticky, cold liquid drenched her head and trickled beneath the neckline of her dress. She’d ruined her beautiful new dress, but the shock on Sebastian’s face almost made up for the loss.

“Have you lost your mind?” he demanded.

“I lost it four years ago when I came to work for you.” A hysterical giggle bubbled up, quickly followed by a ragged sob. Only Sebastian brought out such crazy impulses. The years she’d spent tempering her wild nature might never have been for all the control she exhibited around him.

“Go shower and change, I’ll call and let everyone know we’re going to be late.”

She shook her head. Three chocolate drops stained his beautiful suit. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”

“Fine.” His expression hardened to granite. “Just answer one simple question before I go. Is the baby mine?”

A crazy sort of calm settled over her. She felt disconnected from her bedroom and from Sebastian. Chip had turned on her like this. She’d believed he cared about her. She’d trusted him and fifteen years later the pain remained fresh.

But her feelings for Sebastian weren’t a teenage crush. She loved him with everything in her and he’d accused her of something horrible.

“Yes,” she whispered, a hollow shell waiting to be filled with agony. “The baby’s yours. But after this, I’ll never be.”

Eleven

Missy’s pronouncement droned in Sebastian’s ears like a dirge as he drove to his parents’ house. She’d never be his. That’s where she was wrong. If she was pregnant with his child, she was going to find out that mere words would not get him to back off. He just needed a little time to regain control over his emotions.

Finding out that she was pregnant and that she’d intended to keep the truth from him roused every negative attitude he’d ever had about relationships. How many times had Chandra pulled some stunt when she wanted his attention? Too many to count.

But Missy wasn’t his ex-wife. He’d been wrong to paint the two women with the same brush. Missy wouldn’t deceive him into marrying her by passing another man’s child off as his. No, quite the opposite. He wouldn’t put it past her to lie to him in some misguided attempt to make things easier for him.

The child she carried was his. In his gut he’d known the truth before the question had surged out of him. He never should have let past mistakes ruin his future happiness.

Cursing, Sebastian stomped on the brakes and stopped inches from Max’s car parked halfway up his parents’ circular driveway. Distracted driving wasn’t like him. But since that first night in Las Vegas, much of his behavior had become unrecognizable.

A collection of familiar cars were parked all around. The party was under way. He was one of the last to arrive. Sebastian listened to the engine cool, keenly aware of the empty passenger seat. This is not how he’d imagined the evening going.

Inside, his mother was the first to greet him.

“Happy birthday.” He kissed her cheek and slipped her gift into her hand. “Sorry I’m late.”

“Where’s Missy?”

“She’s not coming.”

“Why not?”

Sebastian grimaced. “It’s complicated.”

“There you are.” His father joined them in the foyer. “Where’s your date?”

“Not coming.” Sebastian had been too busy dwelling on his troubles with Missy to concoct a decent excuse for her absence.

“That’s odd. When I spoke to her this afternoon, she was looking forward to it.”

“She changed her mind,” he said, hoping his bland tone would prevent further questions.

“That’s not like Missy,” his mother chimed in.

“Not at all,” Brandon agreed. “What happened?”

“Nothing.” Feeling ganged up on, Sebastian tried to turn the conversation away from him. “Looks like you have a houseful. Am I the last to arrive?”

“We’re still waiting on Trent and Amy,” Susan said, referring to her husband’s brother and sister-in-law. “Come have a glass of champagne and say hello to everyone.”