Page 43 of Games We Play
Ayla fired some vocal fry in her boss’s direction as Sloan walked out the door, “Le-gen-dare-eeeee!” Her voice returned to normal right before Sloan could no longer hear her. “If her assistants quit, I’m going to work for her!”
I’d like to see you try.Sloan marched down the private access stairs that led from her quarters to the main floor of the penthouse. One of the cleaning maids looked up from her window washing and scrubbed harder than before. Another had never vacuumed so hard in her life.Who are they trying to impress? I don’t pay them. Not directly.Sloan was on her way to the kitchen, because she heard that the chef had it in his head to make venison for dinner, and Sloan had long decided to no longer eat baby animals. She’d get around to not eating the adult ones at some point, but hey, one step at a time!
“There you are!”
Aaron’s voice was like nails down a chalkboard. Groaning, she pivoted in her boots and faced her business partner coming out of his office by the main reception room.
“Can I help you?” Sloan said with one of her signature sighs. She needed to make sure this man knew that she didnotwant to entertain him. “I thought you were busy using our plane to fly around the world and bed whatever woman would have you.”
“No, no, that’s you.” Aaron was infuriatingly casual without his jacket or tie on. Rolled up sleeves, too? Who was he trying to turn on? Not Sloan. She’d rather choke than see that terrible tattoo of the Chinese character for “willful” on his arm. “I recently got back from the west coast. I’m flying out again in the morning for Miami. Sorry. Know you’re dying to get back to Portland for your rainy-day pussy.”
Sloan scoffed.I’ll not deign that with a response.“Is there something you wanted?”
“We both know what I want, Maggie.”
“Yes, and you’re never going to get it, so try again.”
His smirk punctured their awkward silence.Stop trying to intimidate me, you smegma-covered louse.“It’s about your meeting with Mann-Garrett the other day. I got the minutes from Ayla and, while I have to say you did excellent work securing those investments, I’m wondering about the missing ten minutes after the end of the meeting.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Well, the meeting coordinator says you spoke with Mister… excuse me,MissMann until 1:40 PM, but the minutes ended at 1:28. So, what in the world could you possibly have to talk about with someone like Erica Mann?”
Sloan forced her cheesiest smile. “Girl talk,” she said, imitating Ayla’s vocal fry. “You wouldn’t understand.”
“Uh huh. On that note,” Aaron turned around, as if intent to go back into his office, “I got to see your newest lover in Portland this morning. I have to say, she’s not the type I thought you would go for, physically, but then I saw her in action.” He sucked his breath between his teeth. “Let me know if you two break up, Maggie. Might have to take her on for my own girlfriend.”
He closed the door to his office before she could respond.You bastard.That was his game, wasn’t it? Drop that bomb and walk off as if he didn’t know what he had done. How classic of Aaron Giles.
“You didwhat?” she shouted at the closed door. “Aaron, get back out here!”
Of course, he wouldn’t. That would convenience her, and he would never allow that. He was the man who once said that everything was fair in love and lust, right? Made sense that he would pull this shit whenever she exerted an ounce of independence.
“You’re one of the most unlikeable people I’ve ever met.”
Sloan ran back up to her quarters and sequestered herself in her room. Her phone was in her hand before she could calm down from the renewed fury burning in the marrow of her bones.
You know who made me so unlikeable?She brought up her chat log with Leah and typed as quickly as she could.You know who made me become the stone-cold bitch everyone thinks I am? WhoIthink I am?
She reread her message before sending it.
That bastard. The man I’m leaving as soon as I can.
Sloan had never been more reassured that she was doing the right thing. Soon, she would call in the favors her money bought, and she would be free. Free! A concept she had slowly been achieving for the past few years, but had never been so close to tasting.
The thing that had pushed her toward the final steps? Steps she had been putting off because it wasn’t yet “the right time?”
Leah. Meeting up with her three times had been enough to make Sloan realize she needed to cut the fucking cord and be her own woman in the business world once again.
But not before she got back at him a few more times. What good was sloughing him off unless she made her point very. Damn. Clear?
“I’m not coming to Portland this weekend,”she had texted Leah.“Instead, I’m bringing you to Chicago. I have big plans for us.”Those plans would begin with stealing the keys to a place Sloan rarely frequented those days.
Suppose she better head over there right now and make sure it was suitable for entertaining company. God only knew what had been done to it in the year since Sloan last stepped across the threshold.
Chapter 15
Leah had never flown First Class before. Not even when she and a bridal party went to Vegas for a weekend bachelorette party.
