Page 82 of The Spare
And it fell just as quickly. “Oh.” His eyes were suddenly lost in thought.
“I’m not going to take it.” I assured him. I hadn’t actually decided that I wouldn’t take it, but I didn’t want it. If I was completely honest with myself, I didn’t think I cared much for managing partner in general. Getting caught up in the next goal was blinding at times. “I’m going to use it as a bargaining chip. London was never something I wanted.”
He still looked down at his pint and watched as the beads of condensation tracked slowly down the glass. “Only if that’s what you want.” He sighed and mustered a smile. “You need to stop worrying about me.”
That was easier said than done. After everything we had faced together, we felt responsible for each other. “It would be me alone here, a fancy job and nothing else. That’s never what I wanted.”
“Yeah?” Relief entered his tone, and his shoulders relaxed.
I nodded. “And I haven’t told Marcus about it.”
“He doesn’t love Henry and me nearly as much as he loves you,” he replied off-handedly. “He’d just move here.”
Love.My heart skipped.
CHAPTER41
Marcus
Igot back from Zurich last night and went straight to Sloan’s place. Xander was still in town for another day, and I knew she was still upset I didn’t spend much time with him. She didn’t show it, though, and we ignored it when I got back last night.
It wasn’t worth all the tension. My meeting with the CEO of the Swiss biotech was useless. He was dead set against selling his company, and it left me at square one. Normally, I would have spent the next few weeks figuring out a way to force his hand, but right now, all I wanted was to show Sloan that Iwastrying to put her first and be as open with her as I could be.
When I woke up that morning, I was alone. A few minutes later, I found her downstairs. She stood in front of the stove, her hair pulled up in a messy bun, giving me access to that enticing spot on her neck.
“I thought you didn’t cook.” I groaned. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I breathed her in. She leaned back into me, and I kissed the spot on her neck that usually got her to stop her task and give me the attention I craved.
No luck.
I trailed a few kisses up her neck and stopped at her earlobe.
She laughed softly as her breath shallowed. I looked forward to weekends with Sloan. She had cured me of my inability to sleep past dawn. The promise of being wrapped between her legs when she woke was too enticing to pass up.
“She does for me.” Xander’s loud voice rang through the kitchen. I took a moment to enjoy Sloan’s body against mine before turning to see my brother sitting at the end of the kitchen island, smiling.
“When did you get here?” I asked.
“Right around the time you were feeling up my best friend.”
“I don’t cook for Xander, he just happens to be around when I cook.” Sloan handed him a plate with an omelet on it.
“Same difference.” Xander smiled smugly. “Sloan’s got you sleeping in?”
“I was tired.” I grinned despite myself.
“Eww.” Xander didn’t look up from his plate. “You know, normally the new boyfriend tries to impress me.”
Before I could respond, Sloan interjected. “Whatever this is,” she said, wagging her finger from Xander to me, “I can hear you, and I don’t like it.”
We finished having breakfast before Sloan left for a spa day with Penelope. Sloan wanted to give Xander and me some time together.
I figured we could use the day to catch a soccer match.
We got to the stadium and settled in one of the suites. I realized how long it had been since we did something fun together, just the two of us. I figured he’d love to take in a match. He’d been playing soccer since he could walk and became a D1 forward, who quickly became a college star.
He lived for the sport until our parents died. After that, the commitment of it all seemed to put him off. He watched matches but never played.
“So…” He kicked his feet onto an empty recliner at his side, flicked his hair aside, and smiled. “How are things?”
