Page 27 of Raising His Baby (The Sartoris 2)

“You got that right. I’m his m

amma, and I always will be. Now let me go, Romy.”

He hesitated.

“Please.”

He released her, and she couldn’t get up fast enough to put distance between them. She felt his eyes on her, taking in every part of her. This time she could read his thoughts. He still wanted her even after spending half the night in bed together. She wasn’t going to lie to herself and say she didn’t feel the same way, but sleeping with Romy complicated things—especially her emotions.

She cleared her throat and turned away from him to walk over to the bed. He wouldn’t get the satisfaction of knowing he was right about her ankle. The truth was, it had been feeling much better lately. Her fight with Ezio had wrenched it some, but she knew it would be fine since the sprain wasn’t that bad from the beginning.

“So we’re clear?” she said. “I’m raising Arron, and you’re not taking me to court over him?”

He hesitated, and her stomach knotted. She knew what he would say before he said it. The last few days had taught her a lot about the Sartoris.

“I want you to sign over custody of him to me.”

Her heart sank. She didn’t have money for a decent lawyer, and all the threats they made were probably true anyway. The courts would give him custody even if she fought him.

“My request has nothing to do with whether I trust you.”

She dropped onto the side of the bed. “Doesn’t it?”

“I want him to have my name. To do that, I have to adopt him. The smoothest transition is for you to sign over custody.”

She had no idea if he was lying or just making assumptions or telling her the truth. “I could make it difficult for you.”

His gaze narrowed, not with anger but speculation. The funny thing was none of what he was saying was spoken with the spite his brother had spewed. Romy stated the facts in an almost kind tone of voice. It didn’t stop her from wanting to smack him, but she didn’t have the energy to get up off the bed.

“Is that what’s best for him?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes and felt a bought of tears coming on again. If she just signed Arron over, it was giving up all rights to him. Why hadn’t she thought all this through before she came into contact with this family? Charlize never intended to tell Romy about the baby, and Sonya assumed much of that decision had to do with Romy probably not wanting a child he didn’t plan with some random ex-lover. If her sister thought that, they were both wrong about him. From the first moment Romy latched on to Arron and wouldn’t let go.

“I want some assurances,” she said. “In writing.”

His eyebrows rose. “Like?”

She clenched her hands into fists at her sides. “Like rights to be his mamma, even if you get married.”

“That’s unusual. The courts—”

“Don’t even start with that. Whatever you put in a contract will work. I want joint custody.”

“No.”

She stood. Her ankle ached, and she sat down again. “Why not? You said you want me to raise him.”

“You will, as long as you wish to…and we’re amiable.”

If she only had fingernails to scratch his eyes out. “Amiable? You mean as long as I let you in my bed?”

That shocked him. “No! What I meant was as long as you don’t purposely counter every decision I make regarding my son.”

She cringed at his use of “my son,” but up until it was established that he was Arron’s father, she’d done the same thing. “So we’re back to me being nothing more than a nanny. I don’t have a say at all.”

“You are very important, Sonya. You’ve raised Arron up until now, and I know very little of caring for a baby. I’m not an ogre, and generally, I’m not the domineering type. I have no wish to control your every decision, even when it comes to Arron. From what I’ve seen, I believe you love him very much, and you’ll do what you feel is best for him.”

“I hear a but in there.”

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