Page 52 of Dirty Grovel

17

SUTTON

Steam is rising from the table in curling tendrils when Oleg stalks in, his face wiped clean of emotion.

“Sutton, I need to see you in my office immediately.”

I glance at Jesse, whose frown matches mine. “We just put dinner on the?—”

“Immediately,” he barks before twisting around and sauntering away.

Jesse sighs. “Go on; it sounds important.”

“Yeah, whenhehas something to say, it’s always important,” I mutter under my breath as I follow Oleg to his office.

He’s already in boss mode when I enter, perched behind his mahogany desk, fingers steepled together.

“Sit.”

I plop down in a chair, my annoyance tempered by everything I’ve seen today. The man sitting in front of me now is galaxies away from the mischievous, smiling pirate he had once been.I can see new dimensions in the thick walls of steel he’s built around himself.

The scars on his face are a constant reminder of just how much those walls cost him.

“We have a lot to discuss,” he starts.

“About what exactly?”

“Our baby.” I raise my eyebrows but he charges ahead. “I think you should give birth in Florida. I’ll have a team of doctors ready and they can move to whatever hospital you choose to have the baby in. Of course, I have a shortlist of hospitals I prefer, but I’ll leave that choice up to you.”

I gawk at him but he doesn’t seem to register my shock. “We will need to come to a custody agreement. I’ll put you in touch with my attorneys so that you can communicate your needs to them.”

He pulls out his iPad and starts tapping on the screen. “I’ll also have to change my will and arrange a family meeting. This will mean a change of succession… which might have unforeseen consequences, but I can handle that.”

It doesn’t even feel like he’s talking to me.

It’s more like he’s talking and I just happen to be sitting in front of him.

“I also believe it might be in the child’s best interests for us to live together after the birth.” He doesn’t even pause for my gasp. “But of course, I understand you might have other ideas. I’m willing to hear them out.”

He taps on his tablet one more time. Then his eyes settle on me, flaring.

“I thought this was supposed to be a discussion,” I say. “Not a monologue.”

“There’s a lot to get through.”

“Except you forgot the most important point.”

He looks back down at his tablet and keeps fussing at the screen. “No, I believe I’ve covered everything.”

Rising to my feet, I shake my head. Then I snatch his tablet away. “Let me show you what you’ve missed.”

He gets to his feet, too, but he makes no attempt to take the tablet back. He stands silently and watches as I type in capital letters onto his screen in the biggest font I can find.

“There,” I say curtly, passing his tablet back to him. “That’s what you’ve forgotten. Read it out loud.”

Oleg looks down at his screen and I can see the words I’ve typed reflected back in his eyes.

I AM SORRY.

---