Page 19 of Just My Luck

Sloane was wearing a thin, floaty dress that hugged her curves and nipped in at the waist, accentuating the soft lines of her body. I shoved my hands into my pockets.

“Hi.” Her lips were painted bright red. Again.

I couldn’t speak, so I only stared.

Meatball turned, and his jaw unhinged when he saw her. “Hey, Sloane. What’s up?” The grin on his face had me second-guessing that raise, and instead I wanted to fire his ass on the spot.

“Hi, Meatball. Think you can give me a minute with the boss?” She tossed her head in my direction, and my blood warmed.

Meatball wiped his hands across his jeans. “Sure thing. I think I’ll take my lunch.” He patted my back as he walked by, and I stared at him as he left me alone with Sloane in the back.

Her hazel eyes blinked up at me. I was at a complete loss for words. I finally landed on a grumbled “You’re not on the schedule today.”

Her white smile widened, and a soft laugh pushed through her lips. “I’m aware of that.”

“Is there something else you need?” My teeth ground together.

Please don’t let her quit.

“Actually, yes.” Her hips swayed as she moved forward and leaned against my desk. Her ass crumpled a few papers and my fists tightened. “I have a business proposition for you.”

My brow creased. “Business?”

“Yes, a mutually beneficial business arrangement, if you will.” Her lips rolled inward as she nodded. She held up a finger. “But first I need to come clean.”

An image of a hot, dirty Sloane flashed through my mind. I could imagine with perfect clarity what her ass would look like if I bent her over my desk and hiked her dress up. My fingertips could graze up the backs of her thighs before disappearing between her legs.

I adjusted my stance and ignored the magnetic pull toward her.

“A while ago I accidentally overheard you on the phone.” I straightened, ready to argue over the invasion of my privacy, but she stopped me. “Now, before you interrupt, it was definitely an accident. But I heard you say something about wanting to buy out your dad but being unable to. You may not know this, but I have money...” She shrugged. “Kind of.”

My eyes narrowed. I didn’t like where this conversation was going. My aspirations for the brewery were supposed to be secret. “Kind of?”

“My father did very well in California, and when he passed away, some of that money went into a trust fund for me.” She lightly scoffed. “A lot of money, actually.”

“Okay . . .”

“I would like to invest in Abel’s Brewery.” Her hands went wide in ata-da!gesture that was altogether very Sloane-like. I tried not to smile.

My frown deepened as I let her words roll around in my head. “Invest?” There had to be a catch. None of it made any sense.

“Yes.” She smiled and brushed her hand against her collarbone. “I will provide the money you need to buy out your dad and remain a silent partner. The brewery would still be yours.”

The brewery would be mine.

The thought alone sent a bolt of energy coursing through me. Still, things weren’t adding up. “What’s in it for you?”

Sloane’s eyes flicked sideways. “Well... there’s a tiny issue with accessing the trust.”

I gritted my teeth and sighed. “What’s atinyissue?”

“In order to access the money, I have to incur asignificant life event.” Her eyes rolled and her fingers formed air quotes to emphasize how inconvenient she found that particular clause. “That could be marriage. Unless you want to have a baby...”

She scoffed at the last part, but I nearly choked. A feral part of me went wild at the idea of making a baby with Sloane. A man like me had no business being a father and quickly trampled the mere thought. My shoulders tensed.

Sloane’s hands went up. “I was kidding.” She laughed. “Oh my god, I was kidding.”

In a slow, slinky movement, Sloane stepped forward. Her eyes were locked on mine as she crowded my space. Awareness crackled under my skin, and my cock went hard in anticipation. She was so close I could feel her breath brush across my neck.

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