The Claiming of Sadie Graves (12 page)

My hands are shaking.

I wash myself off, rinsing the traces of Lucas from my lower body. I brush my teeth again, splash water on my face, and get redressed. There’s a hair tie in my tunic, and I put my disheveled mane into a quick updo in an attempt to look more polished. I look at myself in the mirror. I’m paler than usual. I wish I knew where my duffle bag went, so I could put on makeup. I find a tube of lip gloss in my sweater pocket, and gratefully apply it. Anything to give me more leverage. I need to cry, need to cry with all my might.

But I’m not going to. It’s after dark. I’m
either headed to the train station and back to New York, or to my dad’s place. Either one of them will be a blessed relief from all this. I step out of the bathroom, prepared go toe-to-toe with Mr. Unpredictable.

He’s leaned up against the wall facing the bathroom door, dressed again. He
has a closed look on his face, and he swallows with difficulty. “Listen, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’m sorry, Sadie. I hurt your feelings, and I didn't mean to. Please, forgive me?” He moves toward me. “I get confused by you; I think that’s what it is. I know you’re inexperienced, but there are things about you that aren’t …like how you touched me just now. I don’t think I’ve ever been so close to coming, so fast, in my life. You’re so unbelievably sexy to me, baby. I want you, all the time. I’m not a jealous person. And,
I just got jealous
. For no reason. You’re bringing out feelings in me that I don’t like, along with the ones that I do. ”

Tears push wetly out of the corners of my eyes. How can I explain to him how messed up I am? I just…can’t. If he knows, it will be the end of an
ything between us. Who would sign up to get involved with me?

I know the answer.
No one.

“This Life”

Mandalay,
Empathy

I’m about to make up an excuse for leaving when I hear a booming voice call Lucas’ name from downstairs. It’s loud, and one hundred percent male.

“Lucas Sutton! Get your ass down here!”

We both pause.

He looks at me with a smile. “My dad”, he says. “I have no idea what he’s doing here. Come downstairs, Sadie. I want you to meet him, and he definitely needs to meet you.” Lucas moves closer, in my personal space. “We’ll figure all this out, baby. I want to.
Really
want to.” He leans in and brushes my glossed lips with his. I pull back, slightly.
Oh, you can hurt me. I can’t do this and survive,
I think.

I decide to go downstairs, make nice with Mr. Sutton senior, and get out of this place
as quickly as possible afterward. Hopefully with both my pride and my baggage, intact. This is it. I’m done.

Bain Sutton is at the bottom of the stairs. He’s wearing a navy blue suit, and he looks expensive and in charge. Everything about him is perfect, from his gleaming shoes to his haircut.
Wow. Runs in the family,
I muse. Lucas precedes me down the stairs and I see his father react to my presence very subtly. He’s surprised to see a woman coming from Lucas’ private floor. I file this away mentally for future consideration.

Lucas lopes elegantly down both risers of steps, and shakes his father’s hand when he’s reached the floor
below. I follow him, hesitating. Both of them look up to me as I hit the top of the last riser. I’m not sure who to look toward, so I look down - better to be sure I don’t trip and fall. I take the last ten stairs. When I look up they’re just looking away from each other, and something has passed between them. I have no idea what it means.

The older man clears his throat and says, “It looks like there are introductions that need to be made.”

Lucas smiles. “Dad, this is Sadie Graves. She’s the lingerie designer I told you about on Friday, working with Anna Rosenstein. Funny enough, she’s also close with Teddy Thomas’ wife, Emma. Small world.”

He inclines his head toward me. “Sadie, this is my father, Bain Sutton. He’ll be working with Anna to secure the lingerie line for Sutton Shield. I’ve told him about your designs, but not about us.” 

My eyes widen.
There is no us,
my brain says softly. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sutton. I’ve heard Anna speak of you before.” I don’t acknowledge Lucas’ last comment. I look into Bain’s black eyes, and smile. He relaxes and takes my hand. “Lucas is impressed with your talent, Sadie. I’m glad to meet you in person. I have an appointment with Anna on Tuesday, to discuss working together. Will you be sitting in?”

Oh, I doubt that
. I’ll probably be fired by then.
“Probably not, Mr. Sutton. I have a huge shipment to get to our sewers that day, for the ready-to-wear collection. I hope it goes well for Sutton Shield. It would really help Anna to get additional exposure. Working for her is probably the best thing I’ve ever done; she has a unique sensibility and she’s very shrewd.” I pause, but can’t seem to stop myself. “I don’t want to get caught in a tug-of-war over this lingerie line, and Anna’s success is very important to me. I trust you’ll be respectful of her?”

Bain smiles, but he looks thoughtful. “I’ll do my best, Miss Graves. Anna’s been around a long time, and her best work is
…being done by you now. I can’t sugarcoat that. Nevertheless, I have plenty of carrots to get her on board with Sutton Shield.” He pauses.

“The only thing that might obscure her success is her ego – something I notice you haven’t cultivated.” He smiles. “I’m sure that quality is
impressive to my son.” He looks at Lucas, raising his eyebrows.

Lucas throws his head back in a laugh. “You nailed it, Dad.” He grabs my hand, and kisses my open palm before closing it and letting go. “Are you hungry? Marisol made chicken and dumplings, and I know how much you love her cooking.”   

“I’d love nothing better, but I’m having dinner with the ambassador to China tonight, to talk about imports and tariffs. It just got scheduled, or I would have invited you, son. It looks like you’re otherwise engaged, though.” He grins, moving toward Lucas. They pat each other on the back and discuss meetings scheduled for the next few days. As they move toward the front door, I hang back, letting them talk in privacy. Lucas mentions something to Bain about Violet Emery, and he shakes his head. Both of them look pensive, but Lucas has an arch expression on his face and Bain nods with acceptance. There are more quiet discussions, and then Bain stalks back to my side. I look at him; so much like his son it’s uncanny. I know exactly what Lucas will look like when he’s older. He tilts his head and looks at me with artless curiosity. “Sadie, I have the feeling we’ll meet again very soon. Be kind to my son, hmm?” He chuckles, and presses my hand with his. I look at him, confused, but he’s headed toward the exit.

Lucas walks back to me
as his father closes the front door behind him. Through the window, I see two huge bodyguards walking the CEO of Sutton Shield back to his car. Geez.
Is that a Bentley?
I almost laugh; the thought is so over the top.  The all fold into the silver car and ease into the darkness. Lucas and I stand there for a few seconds. “So, that was your dad” I manage to blurt out.

“Yes. And he was very impressed with you”, Lucas says mildly.

“How in the world can you tell?” I ask with real interest.

“He never once looked at your chest”, Lucas smiles.

And for the first time since I’ve met him, I know with absolute certainty that Lucas Sutton is telling me the truth.

“
So, you said you were leaving”, Lucas says softly. “Is that true?”

I nod. “We both have things to do tomorrow. I’ve let my fat
her down by not keeping my word, and I’ll have to deal with that later. I’m going back to the station now. I just need my duffel and my handbag. I’ll call a taxi to take me there.” I pull out my cell, and press the button for the internet, to find a reliable taxi service.

“So you’re saying the reason you let your father down was me?” Lucas asks.

“Um, yes. You asked me to text him and put him off, saying you had plans for us. I didn’t realize at the time what your plans were, but I do now. Look, I realize you don’t have any respect for me – it’s even more apparent after this afternoon – so today is the last time I’m ever going to see you. Get me my things, and let me get back to New York.” My face is set. I’m trying to exude confidence
. I hope it’s working.

“Sadie. I made you angry. Shit. I’m sorry. Please forgive me? What can I do to make this right?”

“Nothing, Lucas. Stop trying to claim me. I was ruined years before I ever got to New York. Just give me my things, and let me leave. I’d hate to call 911 and say you’re holding me here”, I say with intensity. I’m bluffing, but he doesn’t need to know that.

His face falls. The last thing his family needs is negative publicity.
He steps to the next room and I hear him bark out orders. Within a few seconds, Edgar brings in my bags and stands at attention. Lucas explains softly: “Edgar, Miss Graves would like to return to her apartment in New York. Please accompany her home.”

Edgar moves forward to hold my elbow, and he leads me to the door to the garage. I walk past the drawing room, th
e kitchen, and past little Sadie, who’s camped out at her food bowl. I stop to scratch her ears. She’s amazingly sweet. I like her. It makes me wish I had a dog. 

I stand up from my crouched position, and get ready to walk through the garage entrance. Lucas is behind me, suddenly, big in the door frame. “
Wait”, he says softly. “Are you saying to me that what we’ve shared doesn’t mean anything? That you can walk away right now with no second thoughts?”

I pause, turning toward him.
I really could care less what Edgar hears, and he’s about to get an earful.

“Lucas, in the past 24 hours you’ve taken my virginity, been out with
at least one other woman, and questioned my sexual integrity. I think you were also intimate with me in front of your staff, in the car. So yes - I think I’m done here.” I turn away, but not before I see his eyes burning at me. He’s angry, and I sense he’s also feeling a slight bit guilty. Ugh.
I wish I were anywhere else. I hate being me right now.

Edgar holds the door open and I slide soundlessly into the limo. He tells me they’re taking me the fastest way home possible, and shuts the door without slamming it.
Available staff gets into the limo’s front seats, and we’re off.

We pull out of the brownstone’s garage, out onto the darkened street, and head off into the night.

I manage to stifle a sob, and I don’t cry.

But
the minute I’m alone, I know I will.
I hope I can hold back until then.

“Somersault”

Zero 7,
When It Falls

Twenty minutes later, we’re at the private airport hangar of Sutton Shield. Edgar opens the limo door and waits for me to get out of the car. He propels me up the staircase into the plane, and directs me to sit in one of the comfortable saddle leather seats.  He stows my handbag and duffel, and suggests I buckle my seatbelt. I comply. We wait a few minutes, while the airplane engines get up to speed and the pilot does all his checks.

Before the
exterior door closes, Lucas tops the staircase. I look down, not wanting to make eye contact with him. I’m too upset, and if I meet his eyes I may crack.

He moves right past me, and into an interior room further back in the plane. There’s
a leather duffel in his hand, but no sign of the little dog. He never acknowledges me, and I’m oddly glad.

W
e have one less reason to argue.

The aviation staff closes the door, and
prepares to take off. Edgar moves to a seat behind me. The plane taxis for several minutes and lifts with ease. In a little over an hour, I’ll be back in my own town. I’m relieved somehow. Sad? Yes. Of course. I never dreamed I’d be so physically close with someone, only to have it go south with such melodrama. Hey, let’s be honest: I knew from the first minute I saw Lucas Sutton that he was seriously out of my league. He was only playing.
And I’m a world-class idiot.

I think of his soft skin
, stroking against mine. Oh, he’s lovely
. Yes, and he’s probably got a date later tonight with some model or heiress
, I think. That makes me feel even worse. I sit quietly in my seat until we land in New York. When we do, Edgar helps me with my two bags and arranges for transport to my apartment. There’s a car waiting for me almost immediately. I look around, wondering if Lucas will appear and say something. He doesn’t . It reinforces what I already know – all that talk was meaningless. He was just amusing himself with me.

I
’m tired, almost to the point where I feel like I’m coming down with something.

I slide into the backseat of the town car, and Edgar instructs me that all fees have been paid
for my trip home. He looks menacingly at the driver, and mentions a tip has been included as well. I laugh. “Thanks, Edgar. I really appreciate what you’ve done for me today.” He nods, and says softly, “Miss Graves, you’re the first lady Mr. Sutton has ever brought to his R Street address – besides family. It’s not my place to say anything, but he’s a really good man, miss. I hope we meet again.”