Page 51 of Flirting With Forever
“Get in, and we’ll talk about it.”
“I said no.”
“Doesn’t work like that, Sloane.” He narrowed his gaze. “How long have you been sleeping with your boss?”
She flinched. “Leave him out of this.”
“Come with me, and I will.”
“I told you I’m not going anywhere with?—”
“Something wrong out here?” a deep male voice called out from behind her.
She whirled around and found a tall, broad and rugged looking forty-something man jogging down the last few steps of his home. He had that salt-and-pepper, silver-fox thing going on in the best way, though given he had more pepper than salt, she’d guess he’d prematurely grayed.
“You okay, miss?” the man asked Sloane before shifting his attention over to Noah.
“How are you doing today?” Noah called out, still in the car. He lifted his hand in a wave and smiled, looking every bit the polished businessman their father required. “Sorry about the disturbance. My sister is having a moment, and I came to offer her a ride home. Holidays, you know?”
Having a moment?
A huff left her as Sloane bristled, feeling very much like a porcupine about to throw quills. “I don’t want a ride. You can go.”
She felt more than saw the older man move closer to her and with a quick glance up, she took in his bulky muscles. He was no couch potato. And the closer he got, the bigger he seemed, putting Noah’s leaner gym muscles to shame.
“You heard her. She doesn’t want a ride, so you can move on.”
“Sloane.”
Noah infused every ounce of frustration, impatience, and threat into her name despite the low, fake-calm way he said it. She shook her head and didn’t budge, though her pulse galloped, and every breath seemed harder to take in than the one before it.
She watched the way Noah’s gaze shifted to the homeowner, who now stood with his arms crossed over his chest, pecs and biceps bulging against the confines of his form-fitting T-shirt. Noah could probably hold his own with a normal man, but this guy? “Leave, Noah. We have nothing to discuss.”
Noah bit out a curse and shook his head at her as he shoved the car into gear.
“This isn’t over.”
“It is for now,” the man beside her said with a growl. “Now leave before I call my cop friends and tell them I just heard you threaten her.”
Sloane couldn’t stop the trembling taking over her body, an internal earthquake ten-plus in magnitude. She felt frozen, hands fisted at her sides. Cold.
She should’ve stayed home. Inside. Safe.
Home? Her mind argued. Safe?
She had neither. A home or safety. Not as long as her father and brothers held all the cards.
She shook her head at herself. She should’ve left town already. Left town as planned. If she had, she might not have been too far ahead of Noah’s arrival, but she still would have been a step ahead at least.
“Tonight, Sloane. The bar at the Lachlan Hotel. 6 p.m. Otherwise I’m on your doorstep.”
Tires squealed as Noah drove away, but it wasn’t until he was out of sight that she felt comfortable enough to take a normal breath.
“Was that guy really your brother?” the stranger asked.
A high-pitched laugh left her before she could squelch it. “Unfortunately, yes. We are…estranged.”
“Sounds complicated.”
