Page 101 of Reputation (Tempt)

“What about you?” I asked, annoyed that she kept acting like this was somehow solely my problem or my fault. “Or Jasper. Or Graham. Any one of you could have your own children instead of relying on Knox and me.”

“I’m sorry—” Emerson interjected. “But I don’t understand. Can’t you just sell the company if there’s no one left in the family who’s able or willing to run it?”

“We—”

Sloan cut me off. “That’s a family secret.”

“AndEmerson’sfamily,” I insisted.

Sloan shook her head, glaring at me as if to silence me. Before I could protest Sloan’s statement or answer Emerson’s question, there was a knock at the door. Jackson peeked his head in.

“Hey, Queen B,” Jackson said to Brooklyn. “The car’s ready.”

I turned to Brooklyn. “Where are you going?”

“We—”she grinned “—are going on a kayaking tour.”

I groaned. Seriously? I was exhausted from our filming schedule. And the idea of kayaking in the hot sun after a long day of work sounded awful.

But my attention snagged on Sloan. Her eyes were wide, and she was looking at Jackson as if she’d seen a ghost. When I turned back to Jackson, he was stiff, his expression shuttered.

“Come on, Dad.” Brooklyn tugged on my hand, distracting me from whatever the hell was going on between Jackson and Sloan. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. “It’s going to be so cool. Emmy researched it, and it looks amazing. We’ll learn all about biodiversity and the mangroves. And we’ll get to watch the sun set from the water.”

She was so excited, I found it impossible to say no.

“Fine,” I sighed. “Let me get changed.”

“Yay!” Brooklyn jumped up from the couch and ran off to her room.

“My room’s just down the hall,” Sloan said, hooking her thumb over her shoulder. “I’ll be back in ten.”

“Sounds good,” I said, knowing I needed to get up. Get moving. Before I fell asleep on the couch.

Once everyone had left, Emerson straddled my lap. “You okay?”

“I’m exhausted,” I admitted, unable to pretend any longer. My role was emotionally demanding, and I was still running the studio while acting in the film. The work never stopped.

Emerson started massaging my temples, my scalp. I groaned, dropping my head forward, resting it against her chest. “God, that feels amazing.”

“Good.” I could hear the smile in her voice. She kept massaging my scalp and neck, and little by little, my body relaxed.

“What’s up with Sloan and Jackson?” Emerson eventually asked, careful to keep her voice low as she kissed her way down my neck.

“I don’t know.” I glanced toward Brooklyn’s room, confirming the door was still closed. “But I was wondering the same thing.”

“Do you think your family sent her to check up on us?” she whispered.

“I doubt it,” I said. “Knowing Sloan, she took it upon herself. She’s very protective of Brooklyn.”

“I know. I can respect that.”

“Did she give any indication of how long she’s staying?” I asked, knowing we didn’t have much time before Sloan or Brooklyn returned.

She shook her head. “Not a clue. I mean, she did say she ‘popped over’ on her way to Singapore. But she doesn’t seem to be in any rush to leave.”

I nodded. I didn’t say it, but we both knew Sloan’s visit could complicate things. Hell, I already resented the intrusion on my time with Emerson. We only had a week left until we went home—went back to being friends or whatever we were. And the last thing I wanted was to share our precious alone time.

“How did it go today?” Emerson asked.

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