More Than Hate You (More Than Words)

“Tomorrow morning, I’ll announce that I’m replacing Shane as CEO.” And if I have my way, Sloan will be my VP of Finance.

There’s just one catch…

“You have balls, buddy. I knew that, but…damn. That’s great work, going to the mat for Stratus. Remind your asshole of a boss to give you an obscene raise.”

“I plan to.” I manage to laugh along. What else can I do when I’m painfully aware I didn’t do this for Evan or the company we built together? Sure, it benefits us—a lot.

But I’m uncomfortably aware I did this for Sloan.

“I’ve had our attorneys working on the contract verbiage since we talked last. It should be ready by tonight. I’m sure we’ll have a little negotiating to do…”

“We will. The old man insists on paying us off in a year.” And getting us the hell out of his business.

It will be too late by then, at least for his vision of Reservoir.

It’s Sloan I’m worried about. What if I can’t win her over?

Evan scoffs. “With the balance sheet you showed me? Good luck with that. What else can we do on this end to support you?”

I’m more than vaguely aware that I haven’t been honest with Evan yet about what I’m getting out of the deal. Truth is, I don’t know what my best friend and boss would say. But I’m going to make sure he can’t undo my scheming before he finds out.

Yeah, that sounds shitty, but I’ve earned something for me, right? Don’t I get a reward for all my effort?

Just in case Evan disagrees, I have some spin ready to go. After all, the structure of this deal will definitely serve his best interests at the end of the day. Evan will get richer. Even Bruce Rawson is likely to wind up happy…eventually.

That’s great, but I’m focused on my prize.

Sloan.

After one momentous stop along the way, I emerge from the hired car in front of her building, take a deep breath, and strap in for one hell of a bumpy ride.

I let myself into Sloan’s place with the key I swiped from her ring and find her in the kitchen, heating a can of soup. At my entrance, she looks up, startled and a little wary.

“You came back?”

The surprise in her voice chafes me. Does she think that because her biological family has blown her off, no one cares enough to stay? Or is she really saying that, despite all my assurances earlier, she doesn’t believe me because she still doesn’t trust me?

Probably both.

And what I’m about to say won’t make anything better.

“Yes. I just met with Bruce Rawson.” And after getting a firsthand look at his attitude, I won’t be encouraging her connection with Daddy ever again.

She pales. “You what?”

“He called me and demanded a face-to-face.”

Her wariness turns to tension. “Why?”

“Let’s sit.” I take her elbow to guide her to the nearby table.

Sloan jerks away. “I’m capable of finding a chair if I’m in the mood to take a load off. But you telling me to sit, like I need to brace myself, worries me. What happened? Don’t sugarcoat.”

“I wasn’t going to.” I eye her steaming soup. “Is that really what you want for dinner? Why don’t you let me take you out? Isn’t there a good steakhouse around the corner?”

And maybe if we have this conversation in public, she won’t bite my head off, at least not right away.

“I don’t have time for that. I need to work on my résumé, so tell me what you have to say now.”