Page 54 of Privileged (Adrenalin)

“I’m guessing he didn’t buy that either, huh?” His voice is soft, resigned.

“No. He’s staunchly protective of you,” I venture, hoping to learn why that is.

After another prolonged inhale Sloan finally speaks. “I had some bad experiences growing up. I was a lot smaller than I am now until my senior year of high school. I let myself be someone’s secret thinking I was doing them a favor when really they were just using me. Finnwatched a lot of that happen, and I think in some ways he’s more traumatized by it than I am since he couldn’t stop it.”

My head of operations and I may have gotten off to a rocky start, but hearing this makes me realize how lucky I am to have him. He’s clearly a stand-up guy.

“I’m sorry.” I kiss Sloan’s forehead since there’s little I can do about the past except acknowledge it. That includes this little hiccup with his living arrangements. “I know you didn’t want to say anything to Finn and Ally yet, but that’s not up to us anymore. I don’t want you to be surprised if they say anything.” I kiss him again, hoping that will soften the news.

“So, you told him we’re sleeping together?”

“I told him my love life isn’t any of his business. He took that as a yes.”

“How did he respond?” I feel him inhale and hold the breath.

“He accused me of being reckless with your reputation and asked if I’d stop seeing you.”

Sloan shoots up and shouts, “He did what? How dare he interfere with my life.”

“I think that was more to test me than to interfere with you.” I find his hand in the dark and give it a gentle tug, and with a tiny huff he lays back down. “Besides, he’s not wrong. Despite all the steps I took to protect your privacy all it takes is a new pattern to your routine and people will notice. I didn’t consider that until he brought it up.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“If Finn’s right, it’s only a matter of time before this thing between us isn’t just between us anymore. How do you feel about that?” Now I’m the one holding my breath. I don’t want this to end before it starts because of what other people might think.

I feel the muscles in his face move as he gnaws on his lip. “I knew it would happen eventually. And it wasn’t the town that had me worried so much as Finn and Ally. You guys didn’t get off to the greatest start, and I didn’t want them to think I was choosing you over them. I knew if they had more time, they’d see you like I do, and it sounds like they’re coming around. In a way, it’s sort of a relief they know, as long as they aren’t objecting.”

“You don’t mind being linked to me? I doubt I’ve got their blessing.”

“I think they feel less worried about you after seeing you at the bike race. And even if they aren’t sure what kind of person you are, I am.”

My breath gets stuck in my chest as the weight of his words hits me.Do I deserve that much credit?I hug him to me and place a chaste kiss on his full lips. “What about the rest of the town? You don’t mind if word spreads there?”

“Do you? It could look just as bad for you to be sleeping with an employee as it does for me to sleep with the boss.” There’s just enough light from the clock for me to see him prop his chin on top of my chest, waiting for my answer.

Unfortunately, he’s not wrong. It’s so easy to assume that as the owner I have all the power or that I’m untouchable, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. First off, there’s a Board of Directors I ultimately have to answer to, and while sleeping with an employee isn’t likely to get me fired, it’s not a good look.

Second, in a town this small reputation is everything, and oddly enough being thought of as a recluse is preferable to being thought of as someone who preys on his employees.

I had hoped taking a room at the resort would give Sloan and I time to discreetly move things forward before word got out. That way the comments could be easily diffused. Maybe they still can be sinceI’m not his direct supervisor, but admittedly the gossip wouldn’t be as scandalous if we were at the stage where we call ourselves a couple. I think we’re close—closer now that Finn and Ally know about us—but we haven’t labeled this yet, and until we do, we’re both subject to scrutiny.

I’ve never been part of a couple before. The thought used to terrify me, though it wasn’t until meeting Sloan that I understood why. Before him I felt men saw me as strictly a deep pocket to latch onto, so I avoided anything beyond sex. Sloan is different; selfless, supportive, beautiful inside and out. The idea of being with him, even spending my life with him, isn’t scary at all. In a lot of ways, it feels right. Part of me thinks he would agree, but he’s also been more sensitive to our professional conflict, and I'm trying to respect that by taking things slow. If it were up to me though, I'd have already confessed how I really feel.

“If word gets back to my father or the board then yes, it could look bad. I’m more worried about you though. I’m used to people here talking about me, most of it not good, or at the very least skeptical. I don’t care what they have to say about me, although I do care what they say about you. I don’t want people to jump to conclusions about your motives when you’ve turned down every offer I’ve made to further your career.”

“I don’t want that either.” His breath warms my chest as he lets out a heavy sigh. “My professional reputation is important to me, and it’s not something I want to jeopardize. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from Ally it’s that careers aren’t the most important things in life, which makes now a really good time to mimic her example.”

“How so?” I stroke his arm.

“You may not have picked up on this at the bike race, but the reason she’s so passionate about costumes is because she lovesfashion. She wanted to work for a design house and maybe even create her own clothing line, and the ideal location for that is New York or L.A. There aren’t any ski resorts in those cities, so if she pursued that career, she’d have to give up Finn.”

“You’re not saying you’d give up physical therapy, are you?” I try to keep my body from going stiff. While I can envision a future with Sloan, I’d never want him to give up his dreams on my account.

“Of course not. And Ally didn’t give up fashion, she just pivoted to purchasing clothes instead of making them. She sells them from her boutique on Main Street. She still makes her own items too, just on a smaller scale. It wasn’texactlythe career she envisioned, although her life overall is what she wanted, and she’s happy.”

“That’s great for Ally, although I still don’t see what that has to do with you.”

Sloan traces his fingertip over my chest, almost like he’s writing his words before he says them.

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