Page 39 of All Yours

“You love the Halloween party,” I said, pulling into a space near the door.

“Yeah,” she said with a shrug. “Maybe I don’t go this year.”

“Because of what happened?” I asked, reaching over the center console and grabbing her chilly hand.

“Well, yeah…” she stared out of the truck window, not making eye contact. “I’m living on less than borrowed time at this point. Any minute, my identity is going to be plastered all over the gossip columns, and the world as I’ve built it is ending.”

“I’ll protect you. Me, Lauren, Adrian, and Camden, we all have your back.” I rubbed warmth into her hand.

“I don’t know that anyone can protect me from what Sebastian did putting this book out there.”

“Who gives a crap about that fucker and his last fifteen minutes?”

“All the people who bought that book and made him a bestselling author, that’s who.”

“Screw them too. Think of it as an owning who you were situation and saying, but this is who I am now. You were a child then. Now you’re an amazing woman who’s reinvented yourself and built the life you want.”

“Almost,” she whispered.

“What does that mean?”

She shook her head. “It means I’m awkward, and I don’t know a thing about men or romance. I just make it all up for my books. And I’ve resorted to a fake romance for the public, should my identity come out. It’s pathetic.”

The fake romance part stung as we sat in my truck holding hands. And I had a semi hard on from holding her hand. If I thought too much about her against me in bed that morning wearing that thin cotton nightshirt, I’d get a full hard-on. “You’re better than you think you are.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Are you kidding me? You’re gorgeous, funny, and smart.” And don’t have to resort to fake romance.

Pink spread across her cheeks, and she bit back a sheepish smile. “You’re just saying that.”

“Have you ever known me to bullshit anyone?”

She shook her head.

“Then don’t let that dipshit ruin your life again. You have so much more than that now.” Me, damn it. You have me.

Sloane smiled. “Let’s get some coffee.” She leaned over the console, kissed me on the cheek, and slid from the truck.

I slid my fingertips across my cheek. What the hell was that?

Ten hours later, I was bone tired, but back at Lou’s for the Halloween party an hour late. After Sloane had picked out her new door and I’d pulled a guy to help me with the install and rebuilding the doorframe. Then, I’d had to return to the Commons jobsite and to the office for some paperwork.

I pushed through the door and surveilled the scene of fake cobwebs and orange and black Halloween décor with people dressed in costume. Adrian had removed some tables from the bar area for mingling. Tables remained along the periphery and in the dining room. A buffet line filled the dining room. I scanned the room for my friends. What was Sloane dressed as? I’d disappoint her, dressed as an exhausted contractor for the third year in a row.

“Dude, you’re gonna need a luggage cart for those bags under your eyes.” Camden slapped me on the back. Someone had wrapped him in toilet paper.

“I didn’t get much sleep,” I said, scanning the room.

“So, I heard.” He grinned.

“What did you hear?” Where was Sloane?

“That you spent the night in Sloane’s bed after someone broke in.”

I nodded. That part was true.

“And that you still didn’t seal the deal.” He rolled his eyes and took a swig of his beer.

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