Page 53 of Privileged (Adrenalin)

“Sloan’s led me to believe the people in this town aren’t malicious with their gossip. Won’t that give him some degree of protection?”

“Things don’t have to be malicious to be damaging.”

Now it’s me who leans my head against the chair. “I see your point. What do you suggest?”

“Stop seeing him?” Finn lifts his head to give me a hopeful look.

I return it with my most intimidating stare. “No chance.”

“If this is about sex…”

“It isn’t,” I cut him off. “I wouldn’t put Sloan’s reputation at risk for just sex. Or mine.”

“Are you saying it’s more than that?” Finn narrows his gaze, making me feel like I need permission from my employee to date myother employee. But I’m not going to have this conversation with him before I’ve had it with Sloan, especially since I don’t have a good answer.

There’s more than sex between us, of that I’m sure. We haven’t had a dull conversation yet, and everything seems better somehow when he’s around. I like that feeling. What I can’t say is whether there’s a future between us, which is what Finn’s really asking. I think there’s potential for one, and I want to explore that. I'm excited to. I wouldn’thave suggested he move into the building if I wasn’t. Our professional circumstances make that difficult though.

“I’m saying I’m not the type of person to take mixing business and pleasure lightly. Anything beyond that is our business, and he can share it with you if he wants.” I hope that satisfies him, even if it’s not what he wants to hear.

“None of this will affect his job?”

“I have no intention of influencing Sloan’s career, good or bad, if that’s what you’re asking.” I hold my hands up to show they’re empty, hoping that will convince him I’ve got nothing to hide.

“It is.” He watches me closely.

“I will do everything in my power to keep our personal interests separate from his career.” I offer my hand, realizing only afterward that gesture is more commonplace in the business world my father lives in than it would be here. Finn takes it all the same.

“Don’t hurt him.” He punctuates his firm grip.

“I won’t.”

I only hope this conversation doesn’t do exactly that when I tell him about it.

***

The room is too dark to make out Sloan’s profile, but I know he’s there when the bed dips slightly, and his familiar lavender scent drifts over me.

“You showered?” My voice is thick with sleep as I pull him into my side.

“I smelled like fries and pizza.” His damp hair makes me shiver slightly as he lays his head on my chest, though the heat from his skin quickly erases the chill.

“I didn’t hear the water running.”

He slides his arm around my waist. “I showered in my room so I wouldn’t wake you.”

“If I was concerned about that I wouldn’t have told you to come here after work.”

“Since I have this nice room a few floors down I figured I might as well use it.” He plants a chaste kiss on my pec.

“About that room,” I sigh heavily, wishing I didn’t have to bring this up now. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time to do it earlier, and he needs to know. “Finn didn’t buy the employee housing experiment excuse.”

His body goes stiff beside me. “How do you know that?”

I run my fingers over his arm to relax him. “He told me. During our meeting today he brought up employee housing and asked if I was aware of what it looked like to give you a room in the hotel.”

“What did you say?” He lets out a measured breath.

“That on paper there’s no way to connect you to me, so there shouldn’t be any speculation about us or the room.”

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