anxious to ask questions and take photos of the businessman who’d made the shelter possible.
That’s when Nathan noticed the woman following a few steps behind Sloane, and recognized her from the nightclub. According to Nicole, her name was Gwen and she was Sloane’s assistant.
Wearing a pale blue silk blouse tucked into a slim black skirt and modest heels, she appeared professional, polished, and in control, but it was the subtle longing in her eyes when she glanced at her boss that told Nathan she harbored unrequited feelings toward Sloane. She also seemed very protective of him.
As Sloane neared, the reporters crowded up to the waist-high barrier separating them from the man of the day, shoving Nicole right up front in the process. Nathan caught her startled expression as Sloane looked directly at her, but his gaze didn’t linger, nor was there any hint of recognition on his face.
Relief poured through Nathan, and he didn’t miss the irony in the older man’s reactions, or lack of them. When she was dressed as a real woman and looking more her age, Sloane wasn’t interested in Nicole.
She quickly looked away and jotted down notes on her pad as Sloane fielded questions from the media, but it was Gwen who studied Nicole much too intently for Nathan’s liking.
Finished with the reporters, Sloane moved on, but Gwen did not. Instead, the assistant stepped up to where Nicole was still standing, prompting Nathan to head in that same direction to distract Gwen if necessary.
Nicole turned away from Gwen to leave, but before she could escape, the other woman grabbed her arm and halted her attempt, forcing her to pivot back around. Nicole remained calm and collected, and even stared at Gwen as though she’d never met the other woman before. A convincing performance, but the whole situation still had Nathan on edge.
He swore beneath his breath and came up behind Gwen just in time to hear her ask Nicole, “Do I know you from somewhere?”
Realizing if he interrupted now he’d likely raise more suspicion, Nathan decided to trust Nicole to handle the confrontation without his help. He knew she’d seen him, but she made no outward reaction that might give his presence away.
Nicole smiled at Gwen, her gaze steady behind the dark frames of her glasses and her facial features convincingly blank. “I don’t think so,” she said, her voice different than Nathan had ever heard before. Her tone was cool and direct, and a bit raspier, too. “But I’m a reporter, so you might have seen me at other events Mr. Sloane has attended. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get to my next appointment.”
Nicole’s explanation made perfect sense, but as the older woman watched Nicole walk away, her uncertain frown warned Nathan that Gwen was still skeptical.
Disaster averted for now, Nathan lengthened his stride to catch up to Sloane, who was heading toward a black Town Car parked on the curb with a uniformed man holding the back door open for him.
“Preston!” Nathan called out before Sloane could slip inside the vehicle.
The other man turned around, his brows rising in surprise. “Alex. Nice to see you here.”
Nathan forced a smile. “I just wanted to stop by and offer my support.”
“I appreciate that. I’ve been meaning to get in touch with you after our chat on Saturday.” Sloane checked the gold Rolex watch strapped to his wrist before glancing back at Nathan. “I’ve got a meeting across town, but if you’d like to join me, we can talk on the way over and then my driver can bring you back for your car.”
Nathan wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity for more face time with Sloane. “That would be great.”
They both settled into the back of the Town Car. Once the driver pulled away from the curb, Sloane pressed a button on the console and a mini wet bar appeared in front of them. He reached for a bottle of Chivas Regal and poured a few inches of the expensive liquor into a short crystal glass.
“Care for a drink?” he asked Nathan.
He shook his head. “No, I’m good. Thanks.”
Sloane took a sip of the Scotch, savoring the smooth, rich flavor for a moment before redirecting his attention to Nathan. “Have you thought any more about the discussion we had at Bliss on Saturday night?”
Nathan knew exactly what Sloane was getting at, and he appreciated the man’s direct approach since Nathan had no desire to engage in idle chitchat with the man. For Nathan, this was all about business-getting into Sloane’s estate and getting Angela out, as quickly and safely as possible.
“Actually, I have given your proposition some thought,” Nathan said. He watched as a spark of excitement ignited in Sloane’s gaze, and knew it was because of Nicole. With effort, he tamped down the slow burn of anger rising in the back of his throat. “I’m thinking we might be able to come to some kind of agreement, as long as I can find a girl who meets my criteria. I prefer blondes, and none of the girls at the nightclub grabbed my interest.”
Sloane finished the rest of the Scotch in one long drink, set the empty glass on the wet bar, then met Nathan’s gaze once again. “Tell you what. I’m having a small, intimate get-together at my estate this weekend. Why don’t you come and bring Nikki and we’ll see what we can find for you. I’m sure there will be someone there to your liking.”
Nathan didn’t want to seem overeager and remained quiet long enough to let Sloane believe he was considering the offer. The Town Car slowed, and Nathan had to make a commitment.
“All right,” he finally said. “Nikki and I will be there.”
“Excellent.” Sloane gave him a satisfied smile. “How does Nikki feel about a trade?”
Refusing to think about Sloane touching Nicole, Nathan kept up the pretense of a man who had his woman under his control. “Don’t worry about Nikki. She’ll do whatever I ask her to.”
“That’s my kind of girl,” Sloane murmured, just as his driver opened the door for him to exit. “I’ll have my assistant, Gwen, contact you by cell phone with the address of the estate, and I’ll see you and Nikki Friday afternoon.”
Sloane stepped from the vehicle, and Nathan waited until the door slammed shut after him before exhaling a deep, tension-filled breath of air.
There were
Chapter Fourteen
Nicole pushed open the glass door leading into the offices of
As much as she wasn’t looking forward to attending the biweekly, mandatory editorial meeting that morning, she was glad to be out of Nathan’s apartment for a few hours. She hated being cooped up so much, and with the two of them heading off to Sloane’s estate tomorrow afternoon for what was likely to be a very intense weekend, Nicole welcomed the chance to relax and be herself among co-workers and friends.
She smiled and said a cheerful hello to the receptionist, then made her way through a maze of bland gray partitions until she reached Michelle’s small cubicle, which was located right next to Nicole’s. While her friend had opted to personalize her little makeshift office with pictures of her fiance Robert, flowers and knickknacks, Nicole’s looked barren in comparison. There was a standard desk and a docking station for her laptop computer, but nothing else to indicate the alcove was anything other than a temporary work space.
For the most part, Nicole preferred to research and write her features outside the main office, and luckily her assignments didn’t require she spend a whole lot of time in her cramped cubicle. And in this wonderful day and age of sending in her articles via e-mail attachments, as she’d done with her online dating feature and the commentary on Preston Sloane’s involvement with the new women’s shelter, she only needed to be present for any required meetings.
Nicole waited for Michelle to finish the call she was on. As soon as she hung up, Nicole stepped forward with her offering. “Hey, girlfriend. I brought you some liquid fortitude for the editorial meeting.”
Michelle spun around in her chair, her eyes bright with gratitude. “You are a
Closing her eyes, she moaned her pleasure as she savored the coffee drink, and Nicole laughed at her friend’s
