Three hours, twelve calls, and a couple of panicked emails later, I was screwed. Colin was screwed. The entire mall project was screwed. I’d dropped the ball, and there was only one way I could see to possibly keep the project moving on target so Colin didn’t lose hundreds of thousands of dollars as his crews sat idle.
I needed to fly to China. Immediately.
But first, I had one more call to make. One favor to ask. I dialed hesitantly, knowing there was a chance my one true friend in the industry wouldn’t be able to help. But I had to try.
“Jane Hatfield.” Her voice was as clipped as ever, her words direct. No soft, friendly greeting like one might expect.
“It’s Sloane McLaren. I have a proposition for you.”
“I don’t even get a hello? A how you doing? Straight to business for the first call you’ve blessed me with in weeks?”
“Jane.” I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. “I screwed up, and I need your help to fix it.”
There was a pause, a longer silence than I’d been prepared for, but Jane never disappointed. “Is the screw-up business or personal?”
“Both.”
“Fucking A, Sloane.” The sound of a door closing came through the line. “What did you do? Tell me you didn’t sleep with your boss?”
Yep, no bullshit from Jane. “I—”
“You did. You motherfucking did. Number one rule of being a woman in this industry is don’t fuck the boss. You taught me that after the whole Robinson debacle, and now here you are, needing me to save your hide. Talk about turning full circle.”
“I know. Trust me, I know. But I can’t take it back.” Colin’s sleepy smile came to mind, memories of his hand holding mine on our carriage ride. His sweet words late at night when we were alone in bed and close to sleep. “I wouldn’t want to.”
“Oh, Sloane. Did you fall for him?”
My answer was immediate and sincere. “Yes, I did. Completely.”
“Then you’re a bigger idiot than I thought.”
“Jane, please.” I took a deep breath, trying hard to ignore her judgment. Jane had a right to be bitter, but Colin wasn’t Robinson. Not by a long shot. “You’re the only person I can trust to handle this. I need your help.”
Jane fell silent, and when she spoke again, her voice was nowhere near as firm. “It’s Christmas Eve.”
“I know, and you live an hour away from where the job is stationed.”
“Where’s that?”
“Temperance Falls. The island. Do you know it?”
Jane huffed a sarcastic sort of snort. “Everyone around here knows it.”
“Will you come?”
“I’m already packing.”
I threw my fist in the air, biting back a whoop as I tried to stay calm and professional. “I’ll email you the address and project details.” Colin’s smile danced in front of my memories again, making my stomach clench with something akin to guilt and stealing away the relief I felt at Jane’s acceptance. He was going to hate me. “And Jane?”
“Yeah?”
I hated doubting Colin’s focus, but I had to make sure she understood. He’d need kid gloves for a bit, someone to put up with him. “He’s going to be cranky I left, but I have to get on a plane to save the project. Try not to push him too hard.”
Jane snorted. “Fine. I’ll baby your lover’s sour mood while you’re away.”
“One last thing—”
“What? What now?”
I lowered my voice, sincerity my only goal. “Thank you.”
“You owe me.”
“I do. I really do.”
“Go save the world, McLaren. I’ll pick up the pieces you leave behind. Merry fucking Christmas.”
When she hung up, I stared at my phone for a good minute, trying to see a way to explain this to Colin without him telling me I didn’t need to go. He wouldn’t like it, wouldn’t want me in China and away from him, especially for Christmas, but this was for the best. I couldn’t do my job while spending so much time in his bed, which meant things needed to change. I had goals and dreams to be met, and he had a project he’d invested a fortune into. The timing was wrong for us, that was all.
But timing was everything in my world, and holidays were often missed.
Within five minutes, I had a flight, a hotel, and a plan in place to keep the project on track. I’d need to borrow Colin’s private jet, the one sitting at the Temperance Falls airport, to get to an international airport, but he’d understand. Thankfully, the pilot was easily reached and said he could be ready in time. I didn’t ask him not to tell Colin because that felt dishonest, but I certainly hoped he’d keep my plans to himself until we were in the air. I’d flown with him a number of times before without issue—I assumed this would appear like any other situation to him.
Travel plans locked in, I moved quickly through my last tasks so I’d have time to swing by my place and grab my jump bag. I typed up notes for Jane, set up an admin access for her on my office computer, and did everything I could to make the transition smooth from me to her.
Taking the time I felt the final task deserved, I handwrote a letter, wanting something personal to leave for Colin. Needing him to know I took the time to really think about him before I left. Not that those thoughts would dissuade me.
When everything was complete, I looked over my desk. Double-checking I wasn’t forgetting anything. I’d made sure Business Colin wouldn’t be too inconvenienced by my departure by hiring Jane and making sure all the pieces of his enterprise would keep moving as expected. Business Colin would be fine. Personal Colin? The man I’d been slowly falling in love with over the past two weeks?
I didn’t know if he’d ever forgive me.
The progress at the mixed-use facility was much slower than I wanted—than was necessary. So much of what the contractors could do hinged on the arrival of the steel needed to be able to move forward with the upper-level build—where the compact, affordable apartments for the residents of Temperance Falls would be. We’d be offering single- or double-sized, the smaller perfect for a college student or a recent graduate, or even an executive working on the island for a limited amount of time. The double units would be available for anyone seeking a bit more space.
I needed an update from Sloane on when the steel would be arriving and adjust for any timing delays, should that be necessary. I was paying a pretty penny to get this fast-tracked. We’d already sold several units on blueprints alone, and I would not allow their move-in dates to be pushed back. That wasn’t the kind of business I ran.
Those thoughts were pushed to the back of my head when I spotted a sleek Lexus SUV in front of the mansion—Marla, the personal shopper I’d hired while on the island. Thank fuck I’d had the foresight to keep her on retainer in the event I’d need her at the drop of a hat. When she was getting paid as much as she was, she had no problem taking a quick drive to the island from the city with thousands of dollars of clothing in her trunk.
“Special evening planned?” she asked as she stepped from her car. She smiled, her hand outstretched to greet me. Her blond hair, streaked with gray, was pulled back into a tight bun, the laugh lines around her face showing a life well lived.
“Just dinner.” I shook her hand before moving to take the boxes from the back of her car.
“Mhmm…” She shot me a smile as she grabbed a couple shopping bags, then hit a button on her key fob to close the back end. “Well, whoever the lovely lady is, she’s a lucky woman. What I wouldn’t give to have Stanley surprise me with an evening out and have enough thought to get me clothing options… It’s so romantic.”
“Well, tell your husband to up his game, then. That poor bastard’s going to lose the best thing that ever happened to him if he doesn’t watch it.”
She laughed, shaking her head as she followed me inside. The office wing was on the other side of the estate, so I wasn’t concerned with Sloane hearing us.
“You can just set the bags down over there. I’ll get them brought up to my room.”
“Of course. And you let me know how it all goes. Give me a call, and I’ll swing by to pick up the pieces she didn’t care for—if there are any, of course.” With a wink and a smile, she left, waving over her shoulder as she closed the front door behind her.
After running the boxes and shopping bags up to my bedroom, I made my way to the office wing. It was after five, but I should’ve known I’d have to pry Sloane from her desk. God knew she wouldn’t leave willingly. The hallway was silent, not even the tapping of her fingers on the keyboard of her laptop. Actually, everything was silent. The house was positively still.
The lamp on her desk illuminated the room enough so I could see she wasn’t in it. She hadn’t been upstairs, either. And the kitchen had been dark on my way down. Where the hell was she?
I walked into the space, going to her desk to see if she’d left her iPad behind—it was her lifeline, and she wouldn’t go anywhere without it. But it was gone. Instead, a lone piece of paper, folded once, sat in the middle of her desk. I picked it up and unfolded it, my brow creasing as I read.
* * *
Colin,
I failed at following up on the steel shipment, which could delay the entire build. I take complete responsibility for my error and fully intend to correct it. I’ve brought on a trusted associate to manage the project from Temperance Falls while I head to China to sort out the manufacturing issues. Her name is Jane, and she should be at the mansion before the end of the evening.
I care deeply for you, but our personal relationship cannot affect our professional one. Due to the changes in our situation, I feel it is only appropriate that I terminate our agreement effective the moment I verify the steel is on the water.
Sincerely,
Sloane McLaren
* * *
Oh, fuck no. She thought because she made a mistake—true, a mistake that could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but a mistake nonetheless—she not only couldn’t work for me, but she couldn’t be with me anymore?
I pulled out my phone and dialed my pilot, even as I hurried out of the mansion and to my car.
“Good evening, Mr. Huntley. What can I do for you?” he asked. “I’ve got Ms. McLaren scheduled to leave in fifteen.”
“If you want to keep your job, the wheels of that jet don’t leave the runway before I get there. I’m on my way.”
I didn’t wait for his response before ending the call and tossing my phone in the passenger’s seat, speeding my way toward Temperance Falls airport. If Sloane thought she was involved with the kind of man who sat around and let things happen to him, she hadn’t been paying attention.
I fought for what I wanted. And I always, always got it.