Page 198 of Cashmere Cruelty

And then I notice the bloody bandage around his hand. “What happened to your?—”

“Dinner.”

I blink. “Sorry, what?”

“That’s why I’m here,” he says curtly. “Dinner.”

“Dinner,” I echo.

“Yes.”

I’m speechless. Honest-to-Godspeechless.“I don’t want to have dinner with you. I don’t even want toseeyou, Matvey. After what you did, you still think I’d…?”

“What I think is that we had a deal,” Matvey says flatly. “And it involves dinner.”

I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Can’t believe this man would have the gallto…

“Get out,” I seethe. “Get out of my sight now, before I slam the door in your face.”

“You’ll find that I have a key.”

“Then I’ll just barricade you out.”

“I’ll call the concierge and have them break it down.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Yes, I can,” Matvey all but snarls. “Because this is stillmyhotel.Mypenthouse. Whether you’re in it or not.”

I let the words sink in. Not just them, but the way they were said. The way he said them. As cold as ice itself.

Then I step aside.

It’s the hardest thing in the world, to make myself do that. To force my feet to move. But Matvey’s right. No matter how angry I am, this is still hisplace. His home.

I was the fool for thinking it could ever beours.

“Then by all means,” I say, putting my customer service voice back on. “Make yourself at home, Mr. Groza.”

Something flashes in his eyes then. Something like?—

Exhaustion.

It throws me more than any part of this conversation.

All throughout dinner, I don’t take a single bite. No matter how mouth-watering the dishes, how sweet the scents, I never once touch my plate.

“Eat,” Matvey grits out eventually. “You need the strength.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“I don’t care. The baby needs it.”

Right, of course. The baby. God forbid there’s anything else to me but that.

… I have news. It’s about the induction…

I push Dr. Allan’s voice out of my mind. “I’m not feeling well right now, Matvey.”

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