Page 25 of Loving Her Enemy

Already, he was feeling protective of her, but Bristol made him realize he’d always been protective of Halayna.

“What’s on your mind?” Reece asked, pulling Sloane out of his thoughts.

When Sloane glanced at his friend, Reece was typing away on his phone. It hadn’t gone unnoticed how the guy had been texting more than usual today.

“Nothing. What about you? What are you up to? You’ve been distracted for much of the morning,” Sloane said as the driver pulled up to the office building.

“I could say the same for you,” Reece shot back as he shoved his phone into the inside pocket of his suit jacket. “Does your ornery mood these last few days have anything to do with the beautiful Halayna not giving you an answer yet?”

Sloane had told Reece about the proposal, minus his moment of weakness when he kissed Halayna. His friend had been surprised but also pleased that Sloane was moving forward with his suggestion.

“I’m not ornery,” he grumbled and climbed from the car and headed into the building. Sloane ignored Reece’s laughter and left his friend behind.

He hated feeling like this. Like he wasn’t in control. Like he was on the verge of getting everything he wanted but it hinged on the decision of someone else. What he needed to do was forget about Halayna for now and focus on business. Something he could control.

Reece caught up to him, and they took the elevator up to the top floor of the office building. Sloane cleared his mind of Halayna and did a mental run-through of the things on his to-do list. According to the email he had received from his executive assistant, two of his meetings had been canceled for the afternoon. Though that was unusual, he was glad to know he had an afternoon free to catch up on some paperwork.

“When will Lindsay be back in the office?” Reece asked as they exited the elevator.

“Monday. Why?”

“Just wondering when I’ll be able to stop being your lackey. I don’t know how she puts up with your moods because, right now, I feel like I need a two-week vacation from dealing with you.”

Sloane couldn’t help the laughter bubbling inside of him. Though he missed his personal assistant, it had been fun bossing Reece around.

As Sloane strolled down the hallway that led to his and Reece’s office, he greeted a few of their employees as he passed. Sloane had other offices around the world, but Atlanta was their base of operations.

When they reached their suite of offices, the executive assistant, who sat behind a curved desk, stood and greeted them.

“Hey, Sabrina. Any messages?” Sloane asked.

“Only two, and I sent those directly to your voicemail.” She handed him a file folder. “That’s the information you requested I pull regarding the property in Nashville.”

Once she caught him up to date on a couple of other items, Sloane left her and Reece in the reception area. As he strolled into his office, he skimmed the items in the folder, then set it on his desk.

He had just sat in his leather desk chair when Reece strolled in, closing the door behind him. “Did you get the email from Watanebe’s assistant, regarding the networking mixer they’re hosting in a few weeks?”

Sloane nodded. “Yeah, I did.”

The invitation was for him and a plus one, and Sloane would love it if he could take his wife. Assuming he’d have one by then. He had only weeks to convince Halayna to accept his proposal.

Reece stood near the window, glancing down at the traffic on Peachtree Street. “I have a feeling he’ll probably decide by then who he’s planning to collaborate with, and it can be you. And in you, I mean us.”

That’s what Sloane was thinking. Watanebe might even announce it during the event. Being chosen to collaborate with the businessman would be an incredible opportunity. Sloane loved the idea of creating more jobs in the U.S., which would happen if the deal went through. He also liked the idea of pooling resources and enhancing the rate of product development.

“I think you’re right and…”

The office door burst open at the same time he heard Sabrina saying, “You can’t go in there!”

When Sloane saw who it was, he growled and dropped back in his seat, and he was fairly sure he heard Reece mumble a curse.

“Too late, I’m in,” Marcella, an old family friend, said when she darted into the office as if she had every right to be there.

A frantic Sabrina was right behind her. “I’m sorry Mr. Davidson. I’m not sure how she got past security, and when I told her to stop, she—”

“I got past security, you twit, because I had business in another part of the building. And I guess if you weren’t sitting back twiddling your thumbs, you would’ve seen me before it was too late. But it doesn’t matter since I don’t need permission to stop by and see an old, special friend.”

“Actually, you do,” Reece said coldly before Sloane could respond. The chill in his tone would’ve made any other woman take a few steps back.