Chapter 15
Fifteen
SLOANE
There was relief in confessing my story to Walker.
To have him at my back. To have Monroe and alongside her, Brodan.
For the first time, I felt like Callie and I might make it through whatever crap Nathan threw our way.
It was selfish, but I was also relieved to hand over the burden of watching my back to Walker.
To let him look into Nathan. To trust him to protect me and my daughter.
My burden was to keep it from Callie. I didn’t want her to know unless it was absolutely necessary, and I didn’t think, right now, there was any need to tell her that her dad might be tormenting me.
Instead, I could shove the fear to the back of my mind and concentrate on living my life. Yes, Callie was tailed by a member of the Ardnoch security team whenever she wasn’t with Walker and me, and Walker was my constant companion these days … but I wasn’t really complaining about the latter.
I’d made up my mind about Walker Ironside and, for once, I wanted to be young, free, and a little selfish.
I wanted Walker in my bed, and I was determined to make that happen.
These feelings I had for him, this sexual chemistry I now knew had to go both ways because of its intensity, was the best distraction from the scary possibility that Nathan was back in our lives.
Callie was happy and oblivious.
We were protected.
Nothing else had happened since the rat.
Life was moving along as well as it could with this hovering over me.
It was time to take what I wanted.
When my mind wasn’t on Callie or my baking or the thought of what Walker might discover about Nathan, I was thinking about how to seduce my bodyguard.
Thus, I was distracted. But apparently, I was making it obvious because Frannie complained as we walked down the halls toward the staff elevator. “All my jokes are falling on deaf ears. Where are you this week, lass, because you’re certainly not here?”
I opened my mouth to respond with a vague answer but was interrupted.
“Sloane.”
We turned to see Aria climbing the stairs onto our floor, her green eyes fixed on me. “Frannie, you can go on. I need a word with Sloane.”
My coworker nodded and pushed our cart onto the elevator as I turned fully to face Aria.
She gave me a small smile and waited for the doors to close on Frannie before speaking.
“A member complained of a leaky faucet in the bathroom of a suite, so I’m on my way to check it out.”
“Is that your job?”
“No. But maintenance is denying said leak, so management”—she gestured to herself—“has been dragged into it. Anyway, how are you? I spoke to Mr. Ironside, and I know he’s looking into Andros, but you should know my father will be too. He wants nothing coming out about Allegra.”
“Of course. He’s not … upset that Walker’s looking into things, is he?”
Aria shook her head. “He’s glad someone is looking out for you. As am I.”
“Thank you.”
“I know it’s none of my business, but are you two …?”
I gave her a rueful smile and shook my head.
Not for want of trying. It had been a week since I told Walker my story.
I’d spent any chance I had with him making it clear I was his for the taking.
Touching him whenever the opportunity arose.
Bringing him coffee at work, tea in the afternoons.
And, as always, showering him with baked goods.
And nothing.
Nada.
Aria gave me a small, knowing smile. “I can see he might be a tough nut to crack.”
“The toughest. But I imagine someone might have fun trying.”
She laughed loudly, and I was a little surprised by her amusement. Aria was usually so contained.
“Well, wonders never cease,” a voice cut through our moment.
Aria turned as I looked past her to see North Hunter striding up the stairs toward us. The Scottish actor hadn’t been around since my encounter with Hoffman, and this was the first time I’d seen him since.
His gaze fixed on Aria as he came to a stop beside her. “I didn’t know you could crack a smile, never mind laugh.”
Aria shocked me by sneering at the member. “Oh. You’re back. Yippee for us.”
I covered a snort, pressing my lips together tightly to smother it.
North Hunter had dark blond hair and intense, light gray eyes that could pierce right through you.
He was an actor mostly known for playing a serial killer in a huge thriller drama that won a ton of awards.
But before that, he’d been typecast as the cocky, playboy Scot in more lighthearted movies because he was freaking gorgeous.
His intensity, however, suited serious acting better.
Right now, all of his smolder focused on Aria. “I informed you I was arriving.”
“I must have bleached that information from my brain in the hopes it wasn’t true.”
What on earth?
He narrowed his eyes. “Aren’t you supposed to be hospitable as the hospitality manager?”
“Aren’t you supposed to be charming as a Scot?”
North flashed her a wicked smile. “I can be charming if motivated.”
“You mean, if someone’s paying you?”
His smile dropped, and he glowered at her.
Aria glowered right back.
Tension so thick sparked between them, I felt like a spare. What had happened between them to cause such sizzling dislike?
I cleared my throat, and North seemed reluctant to drag his eyes off Aria’s face. Recognition lit them. “Sloane … right?”
“Right.”
He straightened, his brow furrowed. “How are you doing?”
“Much better. I’m actually glad that I ran into you, Mr. Hunter. I never got a chance to thank you.”
“It was my pleasure.” There was an attractive growl to his words. “I hope Lachlan nails Hoffman’s balls to the wall.”
“And then skins him alive,” Aria muttered.
North cut her a look. “Bloodthirsty wee thing, aren’t you?”
“I’ve never been called ‘wee’ in my life, Mr. Hunter, and we both know it.” She looked at me. “Keep me posted, and I’ll do the same,” she said, referring to Nathan.
I nodded. “I will.”
Then she brushed past North without another word.
The actor turned his head to watch her go, and, if I was not mistaken, his eyes were on her curvy ass. When Aria disappeared, he looked back at me. “She’s a tough nut to crack.”
I tried not to laugh at him using the same phrase Aria had used regarding Walker.
Anticipation fluttered in my belly as I strode out of the staff entrance toward Walker’s SUV. I’d started paying attention to what I was wearing on trips back and forth to work and taking my hair out of its ponytail once my shift was over.
Today I wore yoga pants that did excellent things for my butt and a sweater that hung off one shoulder. I’d fluffed out my hair before leaving the staff room and pinched my cheeks to add a flush of color.
Walker leaned against the Range Rover, arms crossed, long legs crossed at the ankle, and for the millionth time since we met, I longed to climb that man.
I didn’t know why Walker was so against my advances. My instinct told me it was because he was allergic to commitment and he thought I wanted more. I was trying to show him through my actions that I didn’t.
Grinning as I approached him, I watched his eyes flicker down my body and back up again.
A thrill ran through me at the slight heat that filled his expression before he banked it.
I’d noticed a shift in Walker. There were times I caught him looking at me in a way a man looked at a woman he wanted.
His eyes would linger on my breasts or my mouth.
Yup, I was pretty sure he wanted me too. I hadn’t been certain before, but now I was.
“Good day?” I asked with cheer as he pushed off the vehicle.
“Usual. You?”
I nodded as he opened the passenger door for me like a gentleman. “Thanks.”
Once he was in the driver’s seat, I told him about the encounter with North. “It was good to finally say thank you. He and Aria seem to have issues, though. Do you know what that’s about?”
Walker shook his head. “No clue. He seems like a decent guy. He offered me a job.”
My heart practically stopped. “Oh?”
“I turned it down. I like it in Ardnoch.”
More relief than was healthy flooded me.
I reached over and placed a hand on his thigh. “Good. We’d miss you around here.”
Walker glanced down at my hand as I slowly removed it … but he didn’t respond.
Stubborn, stubborn man.
“How’s Callie’s tae kwon do classes coming along?” he asked instead.
“Good. She’s still loving it.” I pulled down the mirror above my head as I stared at my roots. I had dark blond hair with lighter blond highlights, and they were growing out on me. “My hair is not. I’m using what extra I have, including my salon money, on the classes. Does it look bad?”
Walker shot me a quick glance. “You look fine. I told you I’d mentor her.”
I look fine.
Ugh.
“We’re good. But thanks. Better my hair than Callie’s ability to defend herself. Plus, she’s getting extreme enjoyment from whooping Lewis’s butt.”
Walker’s lips twitched.
I wanted to kiss those lips until we couldn’t breathe.
“Do you want to come in for tea before I go see Monroe and Lennox?” I asked a little while later as we drove onto Castle Street.
“I have to get back to the estate.” He frowned. “Is Jamie taking you to see them?”
“Brodan’s picking me up in an hour. He cleared it with Jamie,” I explained, trying not to be disappointed by Walker’s rejection. “I haven’t seen Roe in a while, and I’m feeling like a terrible friend.”
“You’re not a terrible friend. Is Jamie watching you until then?”
“I’ll be fine for an hour,” I insisted as we slowed to a stop outside the cottage.
Walker gave me a cool look as he switched off the engine. “I’ll call Jamie to come watch over you. Is Brodan bringing you home?”
“Yeah. We’ll collect Callie from Regan’s after dinner.”
He nodded and then stared at me. Wanting me out of his SUV.
As anyone could see, my seduction of this stubborn Scot was going so well.
Smiling through my frustration, I leaned across the console and pressed a quick kiss to Walker’s cheek. “Thanks for watching over us.” Then I slipped from the car before he could scowl me out of it.