An Innocent, a Seduction, a Secret

Edie had elected not to have Sebastio in the doctor’s office with her the following morning, but when she emerged the doctor came with her to meet him. He confirmed that Edie was indeed in the very early stages of pregnancy. About three weeks. As he said this to Sebastio Edie felt her cheeks grow hot, realising that they must have conceived that first time they’d made love.

Sebastio’s reaction to the doctor was as stony-faced as it had been to her for the past twenty-four hours. He just said, ‘Okay, let’s go.’

In the car on the way back to the apartment Edie said tautly, ‘I did not pretend to be a virgin and this baby is yours.’

Sebastio looked at her and for a second she thought she saw a flicker of emotion before it disappeared. She knew this news was as much of a shock to him as it was to her, but right now she wasn’t in any mood to compensate for his shock. Or his distrust.

When they got back to the apartment Edie went straight to her room and packed her bag, leaving behind everything Sebastio had given her. She just wanted to leave this place now. Go back to familiar surroundings, lick her wounds and think about what she was going to do. How she was going to cope. She wasn’t prepared to put up with Sebastio’s cold condemnation a moment longer.

When she came out he was standing at the window. He turned around and frowned. ‘Where do you think you’re going?’

‘I’m going home.’

‘I’m not returning to London until next week. I have meetings lined up here.’

‘That’s got nothing to do with me, Sebastio. We can talk about things when you come to London, but right now I’m leaving.’

She turned and walked to the door, but a hand landed on it right in front of her face. ‘How do you think you’re going to get there?’

She stepped back and looked fixedly at the door. ‘I’ll get a cab to the airport and take the next flight to England. There’s bound to be one soon.’

‘Don’t be ridiculous. You could be waiting for two days. You’ll stay here until I leave and we can go together.’

She looked at him. ‘Am I a prisoner now?’

‘Of course not. But you are pregnant with my baby—’ He sounded exasperated.

‘Oh, so you’re willing to concede that much now?’ Edie realised how on edge she was when she heard the jeering tone in her voice. She’d never spoken to anyone like this before.

Sebastio said nothing for a long moment and then, ‘You really want to go home right now? Today?’

She nodded. Not trusting herself to speak.

Sebastio took his hand from the door and said coolly, ‘Then I will organise it for you. Just give me ten minutes.’

Within twenty minutes Edie was in the back of his car heading towards the private airfield where his plane was waiting. Sebastio sat beside her,

drumming his fingers on his thigh. It only made her tension increase.

When they got to the airfield he took her suitcase on board and said, ‘Paolo and the staff will see you safely home. I will return in a few days. I have arranged for you to be taken directly to my apartment.’

Edie opened her mouth to object, but Sebastio put up a hand.

‘Please, do not argue with me. Until we discuss what is going to happen you are under my protection. This isn’t just about us any more.’

Edie swallowed a ball of emotion. There never had been an us.

It just went to show how little Sebastio had cared for her that he found it so easy to cast her aside. Anger welled up, drowning the other dangerous emotions. She couldn’t believe she’d allowed herself to hope for anything in those fleeting moments when she’d thought she’d seen something in his eyes. Yet she could still feel the ever-present awareness and sexual tension simmering between them in spite of everything.

It galvanised her into saying, ‘What about us...?’

‘Everything is different now.’

‘Because I’m not some disposable lover any more? Because I’ve had the temerity to fall pregnant?’

‘I told you right from the start that I was not interested in commitment or a relationship. You were under no illusions.’

He was so cold he scared Edie, but she refused to let him see it. ‘I know. But sometimes things happen outside of our control...’