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Jesus, I could kill Teddy for fucking this up.Who goes and falls in love with the granddaughter of the CEO of the company we’re trying to takeover?
There’s a gentle knock at the door interrupting me from my distracting thoughts. When it opens, Sutton’s voice fills the room as she asks, “Are you coming to bed?”
I don’t look up, instead I continue reading over the document and making a note to check with finance on the accuracy of the figures provided by Dew and Olsen. “Not yet.”
Sutton pauses, and I know she wants to ask more about Savannah. Getting a text message when we were pulling away from the hotel and then me ignoring her calls has given her plenty of time to think over possible scenarios, I’m sure.
“I need to get this done.” For the first time since she knocked, I look up from the papers in front of me. “I know you must have a million questions, and I will explain but, please, let me finish this.”
She steps into the room, closing the door behind her. Dropping my pen on the table, an exasperated sigh leaves my lips as I lean back in my chair and wait for her to speak.
“I know you have work to do, but you at least owe me an explanation, Noah. Why did you ignore my calls and texts?”
My mind whirls, searching for an answer to her question. It’s a simple enough question, but at the same time, it’s not.
Do I know why I ignored her? No.
Do I want to hurt her more than I obviously have already? Of course not.
I know that I should have responded, but I just didn’t want to get into an argument about something that was going to happen. This is something that should be spoken about in person. Just not right now.
“I’m sorry, I should have answered you. It was wrong of me to not respond.”
She folds her arms across her chest as she leans back against the door. “I have no issue with her staying here, but why is she?”
“Jack called me. He was worried about her, and I said I would help.”
“And you didn’t think to call me? To check if I was okay with her staying inourhome?”
‘No’, is my immediate response. My heart pounds as my stomach drops at the silent admission. I’m not that much of an asshole, am I?
Holding my hands up, I reply, “I’m sorry. I should have asked you first, but I owed him and couldn’t say no.”
Her brow furrows, and I immediately regret my word choice. “So what Jack wants is more important than whether or not I feel comfortable living with a woman you have a history with?”
“I don’t have a history with her, Sutton. Other than her being my best friend’s kid sister, Savannah means nothing to me.”Liar.
She studies me for a moment before she shakes her head and pushes away from the door. “I guess it’s only for one night.”
Scrubbing a hand across my forehead, I sigh heavily. “I think it will be longer than that.”
The corner of her mouth lifts. “She doesn’t seem to think so.”
Smoothing down my beard, I reply, “If having her in the apartment makes you feel uncomfortable, I can put her up in a hotel. But I can’t let her go back to the place she was staying. It wasn’t safe.”
Sutton thinks about it for a moment, and I know her well enough to know that she won’t let Savannah live in a hotel when we have a perfectly good guest room.
“She can stay for now, but don’t take that to mean I’m happy for her to stay forever.”
Nodding, I pick up my pen again. “Thank you. And for what it’s worth, I am sorry. The second she outstays her welcome I’ll move her into a hotel.”
“Okay. I’m going to bed.”
I can feel her gaze linger on me, but I don’t lift my head to meet her eyes. She walks out of the room, softly closing the door behind her.
It was a mistake to bring Savannah back into my life. If I don’t handle this carefully—by keeping Savannah safe but at a distance—it could all blow up in my face and ruin the longest relationship I’ve ever had.
Allowing myself a moment of reflection, I replay the moment I saw her again after so many years. She still packs a punch with her dark gingerbread hair, striking dark blue eyes, petite features and curves that drag you in.
