Dusk (Dangerous Web #1) - Aleatha Romig Page 0,53

took a small step backward. “You’re welcome to come in.” When he didn’t answer, I added, “It’s your place.”

“No, Lorna, it’s Reid’s...and yours. Don’t ever confuse that again.”

Unsure how to respond, I nodded.

“Come upstairs.” He turned toward the elevators.

My feet remained planted to the floor beneath them. When he looked back, I struggled for a response.

“Lorna.”

“Mr. Sparrow, maybe when Reid gets back here? Or I could call him.”

He let out a long sigh and came back toward me. “I’m not your enemy.”

I was back between the door and jamb. It wasn’t as reassuring as my brother on one side and my husband on the other, but it was all I had. “No, sir. You’re not and I know that. I meant what I said before; thank you for the wedding. It was more than I could have imagined.”

“I’m not good at some things,” he said.

It was a small bit of humility, more than I’d ever heard or seen from him in the past. Sterling Sparrow was always in control, always the one with the answers. He didn’t apologize because in his eyes he was always right. This admission might have seemed insignificant to others, but not to me. In this short time, I recognized it for the monumental statement it was.

“I’d like to talk to you in my office upstairs. Can you do that?” He waited and finally added. “Please.”

I looked down at my sock-covered feet and when I looked up, I nodded. “Yes, I can. If you don’t mind, I’ll put on some shoes and be right up.”

Without another word, he nodded and headed toward the elevator.

Closing the door, with my nerves already in tatters, I contemplated what he wanted to say. Resigned to my commitment to follow him, I hurried toward our bedroom closet in search of footwear. As I slipped my feet into a pair of flats, I decided whatever it was that he wanted to say, I could rule out another attempt to persuade me to leave, but then again, I couldn’t be sure of anything.

When I stepped back into the common area, the envelope he’d held was lying on one of the sofas. My name was still on the outside as it had been when I first saw it. Shaking my head, I picked it up and stuffed it in the back pocket of my blue jeans.

I pushed the button for the elevator and waited, too nervous to give the near future too much thought. I could text Reid and tell him where I was going, where I’d been invited, but somehow that felt like a violation of whatever trust Mr. Sparrow had bestowed to me. If Mr. Sparrow had wanted Reid with me, he wouldn’t have come to the apartment when he knew Reid was gone.

Once inside the elevator, I pushed the P. It was the button that would take me to Mr. Sparrow’s penthouse. While the apartment floor had been divided into three apartments for Mason, Patrick, and Reid, there were two floors above that made up the penthouse. In the few months I’d been here, I jokingly referred to it to Reid as Sparrow’s castle in the sky.

The entire penthouse was sleek and lavish with modern yet rich decor. The feel was light and open, not ostentatious as it could be, but elegant yet comfortable. His decorator must have convinced him that the floor-to-ceiling windows were the correct focal point. Everything was top of the line, from the appliances in the kitchen, to the fixtures throughout and the artwork upon the walls. While I’d seen most of the first floor, I had never entered his private office. I did, however, know where it was located.

The elevator stopped and the doors opened to a hallway. I stepped out onto the marble floor and looked both directions. If I went to the left, the hallway would take me to the front of the apartment, the location of the main entry that no one used. It would also take me to the large staircase leading to the second floor. If I continued on, I’d find a large kitchen, sitting rooms, a dining room, and more.

Taking a breath, I turned right. Despite the elegant sconces upon the walls that illuminated my path with warm golden light, my skin chilled. The small hairs on my arms stood to attention, and my steps slowed as I approached the partially closed door.

Taking a deep breath, I lifted my hand to knock. Before I could, I was bid entrance.

“Come in,