Hostile Takeover

Chapter Ten

Quinn's Friday was getting busier by the moment. Not only did she have a pile of deadlines to meet, but now she'd had a call from Byron to say that Gray had decided to call another mediation. She didn't want to see Gray again. She'd thought after their meeting on Tuesday there would be nothing left to say. Now she had to skip across town just to do his bidding. She'd have to cancel the yoga session she'd hoped to squeeze in before Kat and Summer came over to her apartment and she fully intended to let him know that she'd had to change her plans just for this. She had been momentarily tempted to be difficult and tell Byron she was unavailable, after all, her time was just as important as Gray's. But she realised by delaying this meeting, she was just prolonging the inevitable. Besides, she was just a little bit curious about what Gray wanted to discuss.

The other problem was that Gray had asked for the meeting to take place in his office, not in the neutral territory of Byron's law firm. She didn't want to return to his office, the scene of where she had found Lina naked and this just compacted her anger. She would have to face Lina all over again who would no doubt be loving every second of Quinn's discomfort. Honestly, was it any wonder she wanted to divorce him? So by the time four p.m. rolled around and she was walking down the corridor toward Gray's office doors, she was in a foul mood. But she was completely surprised to see that Gray had obviously employed a new personal assistant, one that was definitely not Gray's type.

"You must be Quinn," he said and smiled. He actually seemed genuine.

"Yes. I'm Quinn. And you are?"

"Simon, Mr. Holloway's new personal assistant."

Quinn smiled in return. Not that it mattered to her that Gray had a male personal assistant, it was too little too late. But it was interesting just the same and suddenly she felt less anxious about having to be in Gray's office. Simon led her toward the door.

"Everyone's inside waiting for you. Can I get you a coffee?"

"Um, no thanks. I'd better just get this over with."

"I understand," he said and opened the door for her.

Quinn stepped inside and looked about. It was pretty much the same, even the desk where everyone was seated waiting for her. She tried not to think about the time they'd first had sex. He'd ploughed her right here on his desk in what was one of the most explosive sexual experiences of her life. Even thinking of it now set her on fire. Her eyes were riveted to the top of the desk picturing that moment. She would give anything to not be thinking about that right now, especially when Gray and two other people were in the room with her talking about their divorce.

"Let's see if we can make this our last mediation," Byron was saying as Quinn took a seat.

"That'd be great," Gray said.

Quinn ground her teeth together. It wasn't her fault they needed to keep meeting like this. Gray had been the one to call this meeting when she'd thought they were already done. She didn't want anything from him, so why was he dragging things on?

"There is one last matter to discuss," Morgan said. "It's the issue of your wedding ring."

Quinn glared at everyone in the room. The ring. She had tossed into her bedside drawer four months ago when she'd first moved back into her apartment.

"It has been an oversight on Gray's behalf but he now requires it back."

"Why would you want the ring back?" she asked.

"Why would you want to keep it?"

"I don't really, it's just that you gave it to me."

"Well, I need it back."