“I find you unbelievable.”
“Why?”
“For the sake of your kid, you really don’t have the ability to put our differences aside?”
There wasn’t anyone I protected more than Abbi. The mere mention of her had my chest pounding. “I know you didn’t just say that to me.” My hands dropped.
“Knowing this is what Ellie wants is all that matters to me. The way I feel about you isinsignificant.”
“To you, maybe. But protecting my daughter from you is high on my priority list.”
He pounded his chest. “Fuck. That’s a low blow, especially coming from a ruthless shark like you.”
“She doesn’t need to be around assholes.”
“You know, Sophie”—he shifted his weight—“I’m a really good dad, and I’m actually a really nice guy, if you only took a second to get to know me.”
“That’s the last thing I want.”
“But if you did, I think you’d be surprised.”
“I have zero desire to be surprised by you or to be anywhere near you. In fact, I can’t wait until this case is settled so I never have to see you again.”
“Our daughters are best friends. You’re going to be seeing plenty of me.”
The smile was back, and my blood wasn’t just boiling; it was roaring.
“Maybe I’ll start taking her to gymnastics class myself just so I can make you suffer.”
“Like I said, you’re an asshole.”
“Who lives to get under your skin.”
I shook my head and took a step forward. “I knew you were enjoying this. Dickhead.”
As I moved around him and walked toward the entrance, I heard, “Have her come over, Sophie. You can come with her. We can sit in the living room and try not to murder one another while the girls play upstairs.”
I glared at him. “Not a chance.”
As soon as I entered the ballroom, I went to the closest bar and ordered a filthy martini, tucking my purse under my arm so I could hold the glass with both hands the moment the bartender gave it to me. And once he did, I immediately brought it to my lips.
“Looks like you could use that,” Troy said, appearing out of nowhere.
“I’m telling you …” I took another sip. “That man doesn’t just get under my skin. He burrows and then lights me on fire.”
Troy chuckled. “I’m assuming we’re talking about Colson?”
I let out a long, pent-up breath. “Yep.”
“He went outside to call his daughter and say good night to her.” There was such kindness and patience in Troy’s bright blue eyes. “Is that where you just ran into him?”
I nodded.
“You know, if you just let up a little, he’ll be out of your life.”
“Troy, don’t you start with me too. I’ve barely recovered from that asshole.” I ran my hand through my curls, tightening on my roots.
“Hear me out, all right?” He waited for me to acknowledge him before he continued, “I’m submitting our final offer tomorrow. Trust me when I say, it’s more than fair. Every time we go back and forth, our clients are incurring more costs. We’ve complied with everything you asked for, and we’re coming to the table with something really substantial. I understand that, at this point, you just want to bury the dude. That’s fair. But let’s agree that we’ve exhausted this and it’s time to settle. Both parties will be extremely happy with what they’re getting.”
