Chapter 82
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Blair woke up to Roman’s fingers drawing lazy circles on her bare shoulder. For about three seconds, she let herself sink into the warmth of his body against hers, the way his breath tickled her neck. Then reality crashed back down like a brick. Shit, she couldn’t just stay here.
Last night. The dinner. Luca. Sutton’s secret burning a hole in her chest.
“Morning,” Roman murmured, his voice still deep with sleep.
“Hey.” She tried to slip out of bed, but his arm tightened around her waist.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Shower. We have work.”
“We also have that conversation I promised you.” His voice had lost that sleepy edge. Now it was all business. Dangerous business.
Blair’s stomach twisted. She’d been hoping, stupidly she knew, that maybe he’d forgotten. Or at least decided to let it slide. But Roman didn’t forget anything, and he sure as hell didn’t let things slide.
“Roman, I really don’t—”
“Nope.” He sat up, running a hand through his hair, watching her. “You used sex to distract me last night. Which, don’t get me wrong, worked like a fucking charm. But now it’s morning, and I still want answers. Something happened last night to upset Sutton and got you spitting mad.”
Blair finally managed to wiggle free and padded over to their dresser. Her reflection in the mirror was telling–she was wearing a deer–in–headlights expression that screamed ‘I’m hiding something massive.
“There’s nothing to tell you,” she said, pulling out clothes at random.
Roman glared at her. “Right. And I’m the Pope.”
Really? Because I’m sure there’s a sin about the way you make love.” With that, she headed into the bathroom. She could
his eyes on her all the way. It made her feel like she was under a microscope. Shit, she hated keeping things from him.
enty minutes later, they were in the kitchen. Roman moved around, making breakfast. Jenny, his housekeeper, was off siting her daughter, so for the next week or so, they had the place to themselves. Roman had cleaners come in during the day. Shame really, because the buffer of another person would have been nice. She watched him, waiting for him to start interrogating her because she knew it was going to come.
He only waited until they had finished their meal before bringing it up again while they cleaned the kitchen.
“So,” he said, not looking at her. “Sutton seemed pretty upset when she left last night.”
Blair should have known he wouldn’t let it go. “She wasn’t feeling well.”
“Uh–huh. Please, Blair, I’m asking because I care.”
“She’s fine. I’m fine.”
Roman finally turned around, leaning against the counter with his arms crossed. “Really?”
“She got sick. People get sick.” Shit, he looked hot–and angry. But that didn’t stop her from heating under his gaze.
“Do they?” His eyes narrowed. “Or did someone say something to her?”
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16:21 Wed, 18 Jun
Chapter 82
Blair’s heart was beating so fast she was pretty sure he could hear it. She wasn’t very good at hiding things or how she was feeling. “Nobody said anything to anyone.” No one had said anything. So she wasn’t lying about that. “You’re worrying about. nothing.”
“Am I?” He pushed off the counter and moved closer to her. “Then explain to me why you’ve been lying to my face for the past twelve hours.”
“I haven’t been lying… If someone said something, I would tell you.”
“Blair.” Her name was a warning. Low and quiet and absolutely not fucking around. “Don’t make this worse than it already is.”
She put her tea towel down on the counter. “We need to leave for work.”
“We need to finish this conversation.”
“You have meetings today, a lot of meetings.” Blair hoped that would get them moving and off this conversation.
“I don’t give a shit about my meetings.”
“Well, I do. We have responsibilities.”
Roman laughed, but it was sharp and bitter. “Responsibilities. Right. Like the responsibility to be honest with the person you’re supposed to be building a life with?”
That hit like a slap. Blair grabbed her purse and keys, suddenly desperate to get out of this kitchen, out of this conversation.
“It’s Friday,” she said. “We have the weekend to talk.” Shit, she hoped she came up with something by then.
“When then? I want the truth. Because one of the things we promised each other was no more secrets. I feel like you’re keeping secrets.”
But she couldn’t tell him. Not yet. Not until she talked to Sutton and figured out what the hell they were going to do.
The car ride was tense. Roman’s jaw was set in that stubborn line that meant he was pissed but trying to control it. His hands gripped the steering wheel. The silence felt like a living thing, pressing down on her from all sides.
Blair was staring out the window, trying to think of literally anything that might get her out of this mess, when her phone
rang.
Sutton.
“Hey,” Blair answered, probably a little too eagerly.
“Blair.” Sutton’s voice was high and shaky. Panicked, “Oh my God, Blair, I think I might actually throw up.”
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Blair sat up straighter, immediately worried about her sister.
“No, I’m not okay, I’m at work and… fuck, what am I going to do? He’s here.”
“Who’s here… I mean there?“”
“The new owner. Remember, I told you he was supposed to come by this week? Well, he did. Early, Like, eight AM early, and Blair…” Sutton’s voice cracked. “It’s him.”
Blair could hear the panic in her sister’s voice. It made her blood turn to ice. “Him? Who’s him?”
“Luca…”
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16:22 Wed, 18
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Chapter 82
The words hit Blair like a freight train. Her entire body felt the shock of it, her hand tightening on the phone.
Next to her, Roman glanced over, clearly picking up on her sudden panic.
“What?” Blair whispered, still not sure if she had heard right.
“The new owner of Cyber10,” Sutton said, and Blair could hear her pacing and the sound of her voice echoing. “It’s Luca. He’s here right now. I can’t fucking breathe. I literally cannot breathe. Why is this happening to me?”
Blair’s mind was racing. Luca owned the company where Sutton worked–Cyber10. Had Roman known?
“Oh shit,” Blair breathed.
“Yeah. Oh shit, is right. He doesn’t know it’s me yet–I mean, I was able to get away. Go to the restroom.”
That explained the echo. “Do you need me?” Blair interrupted. “I can come. I can be there in twenty minutes.”
“No.” Sutton’s voice was firm despite the panic. “No, this is my mess. I have to deal with it. I just… I needed to tell someone. I needed you to know in case this all goes to hell. It’s just a lot, Blair. I can’t see him and his wife together… It would-” She broke off.
“Sutton-”
“I have to go. I’ll call you later.”
The line went dead.
Blair stared at her phone, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. What should she do?
Roman was watching her now, not even pretending to focus on driving.
“Blair?” His voice seemed to come from somewhere far away. “What the hell was that about?”
She looked at him. Really looked at him. At the concern in his dark eyes, the way his forehead was creased with worry. He loved her. He deserved to know the truth. There was no secret to keep now–the cat was well and truly out of the bag.
And Sutton… Sutton was about to face the father of her baby, whether she was ready or not.
“Pull over,” Blair said quietly.
“What?”
“Pull over: Now… Please.”
Roman immediately signaled and pulled into a parking lot, putting the car in park before turning to face her fully. “Blair, you’re scaring me. What’s going on? Is Sutton okay?”
She took a shaky breath. “You know Sutton’s baby’s father isn’t in her life, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, he…” She stopped, not sure how to say it, and worried about Sutton.
“Where are you going with this?” Roman asked when she didn’t continue right away.
“Sutton works at Cyber10.”
“I know that.” Roman’s face was completely blank, but she could see the wheels turning. He was connecting the dots. Recognition dawned slowly in his eyes. “No.” Like he couldn’t quite believe it.
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Een you bough Cybery high
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Roman were complowly will for a bog hepe wared at her, his face cycbng through confusion, shock, and understanding
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