Tall, Dark_.Westmoreland! - Brenda Jackson [44]
She met his gaze, thinking that was a strange thing to say. They didn’t have a future together. At the end of two months, she would be returning to Paris.
“Come on. Let me walk you to your car,” Reggie said huskily as he placed his arms around her shoulders.
Olivia regretted that her time with Reggie was about to end and appreciated that he had been there for her when she had needed him. That meant a lot.
Nine
T he following week Olivia kept busy by attending several functions with her father. She had decided not to discuss her conversation with Cathy with him. Instead, she would meet with her brothers and get their take on the matter when they came to town later that week.
She had to catch her breath whenever she thought of the times she and Reggie had spent together, especially on Saturday night. On Wednesday he had called and asked her to have a midday snack with him at Chase’s Place. It was then that she had met Chase’s wife, Jessica, who was expecting the couple’s first child. Jessica, who liked to bake, had treated her to a batch of brownies, which had been delicious. Olivia wondered what Reggie had told Chase and Jessica about their relationship, and if they knew that she was the daughter of his opponent in the Senate race.
Olivia couldn’t help but note over the past few days that her father seemed excited about this weekend. He would have his three children home to attend the huge barbecue that was being planned for all the candidates on Saturday evening.
Tonight she would attend yet another political function with her father. All the candidates would be there. She and Reggie would have to pretend they barely knew each other. They had talked about it on Wednesday, and she knew he wasn’t overjoyed at the thought of that, but he had promised to abide by her wishes. She wasn’t crazy about them sneaking around to see each other, either, but under the circumstances, it was something they had to do.
She smiled as she continued to get dressed, thinking that sneaking around did have its benefits. It made them appreciate the time they were together, and they always found ways to put it to good use. It would be hard tonight to see him and not go over to him and claim him as hers. And a part of her felt that he was hers. Whenever they were together, he would use his mouth to stamp his brand all over her, and she would do likewise with him.
She tried not to think about the day when the campaign would finally be over and she would have to return to Paris. She was even thinking about calling the Louvre to see if she could extend her leave for a couple more weeks. She wanted to be able to be with him in the open after the election. She didn’t want to think about how he and her father would feel about each other then, depending on which one of them was victorious.
She glanced at her watch. She needed to hurry, because the last thing she wanted was to make her father late to a campaign event. Besides, although she had just seen Reggie yesterday, she was eager to see him again.
Reggie clung to his patience when he glanced at the entrance to the ballroom. He had thought about Olivia most of the day and couldn’t wait to see her. Last night he had begun missing her and wished he could have called her to ask her to meet him somewhere. This sneaking around was unpleasant, and his patience was wearing thin. He wasn’t sure he would be able to hold out for another month. Because her brothers would be arriving in town this weekend, she’d said it wouldn’t be wise for her to try to get away for a tryst at the Saxon on Saturday night, after the barbecue. The fact that Duan and Terrence Jeffries would be in town until next Wednesday meant his and Olivia’s time together would basically be nonexistent.
“And how are you doing this evening, Westmoreland?”
Reggie turned to look at Senator Reed. The one man he really didn’t care to see. “I’m fine, Senator. And yourself?” he asked, more out of politeness than a sense a caring.
“I’m doing great. I think, for