Page 46 of Loving Her Enemy

Halayna sat up. “Sloane, that’s awesome. I thought you said it would be a couple of months before a decision was made.”

“Yeah, that’s what we thought too. I don’t have all the details regarding next steps, but we’ll do a conference call with him once you and I are back from our vacation.”

Sloane had already told her how the Japanese businessman had been under the impression that Sloane was married, thanks to Reece. Which was one of the reasons for the marriage of convenience idea, and why Sloane had wanted to get married immediately.

Halayna settled back against him as he explained more about the project that they’d be collaborating on, and she was fascinated. Sloane had his hands in so many different businesses, she didn’t know how he kept everything straight.

“How do you feel about traveling to Japan with me in a couple of weeks?” he asked.

Halayna leaned her head back to look at him and grinned. “I would love that.”

They had already agreed she’d travel with him whenever she could. Once she started her own business, she wasn’t sure what her flexibility would be like. In the meantime, she was looking forward to visiting as many places as possible.

“It’s times like this, when I close a deal or a big opportunity comes my way, I think of my paternal grandfather. He would’ve been so proud by this news,” Sloane said absently as he ran his hand up and down Halayna’s side.

“Bristol used to talk about him all the time and was devastated when he passed away. I remember her saying she didn’t know what would’ve happened to you and her had it not been for him.”

“Yeah, he was the best. Since our parents couldn’t be bothered with us, we spent a lot of time with him. Especially since my grandmother had passed away years earlier. He often mentioned that she was the best thing that ever happened to him, and she would’ve loved knowing he had me and Bristol to fill the void.

“Before Bristol was born, he had started teaching me about finance and real estate,” Sloane chuckled. “I might’ve been about eight or nine and loved math. I was anxious to learn any and everything, and he was a patient teacher. It wasn’t long before he had me making my first investment in the stock market.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, he’s the one who taught me how to make money, even though the trust fund he had set up for me would last a lifetime. I remember after Bristol was born, he told me to always look after my sister because my parents would probably ignore her. She was a surprise addition to the family, and since they tried to stick me with nannies, he figured they’d do the same to her. Which was why he had us at his house as often as possible.”

Halayna remembered Bristol saying something similar. Considering they didn’t have a normal upbringing, they were some of the kindest and most generous people Halayna knew.

“By the way, when we get back to Atlanta, we have appointments to tour three laboratories,” Sloane said after taking a swig of his beer, then setting it back down on the table. “Since I don’t know what type of equipment or environment you need to make perfume, I had my guy find places of various sizes.”

As he told her what little he knew about the properties, Halayna’s heart swelled. They’d only been married a few days and already he was acting like a supportive husband. One would think they’d been a couple for years.

If she didn’t know any better, she’d think Sloane was trying to get her to fall in love with him. Because whenever he did stuff like this for her, he chipped away at the wall she’d built around her heart.

Nobody, except for her father, had ever catered to her needs and desires. No one had ever taken such good care of her, and she wasn’t sure how to feel about any of this. Yes, Sloane had promised to help make her dream a reality, but he was already going beyond the call of duty as a husband.

A light breeze had her shivering, and she snuggled even closer to him. Now that the sun had set, the temperature had dropped. It wasn’t cold, wearing only a tank top and shorts, it was just a little chilly.

“Sit up for a minute,” Sloane said.

When she did, he went to a chest that held several throws. Pulling out a multi-colored one, he returned to the lounger. As he covered her up, a few additional solar-powered lights came on and lit up the pool area.

“Thank you,” she said when he settled next to her again and put his arm around her. “Also, thanks for reaching out to a real estate agent. I know you said you’d help me any way you could regarding getting my perfumes produced, but I don’t expect you to do everything, Sloane.”

“Sweetheart, I don’t mind since I have an agent I use for finding me properties.” He shrugged. “I figured I’d mention to him what you were looking for. But tell me if I’ve overstepped, and I’ll back off. I’m just used to taking charge.”

“I know, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me. I just need you to know that I’m not helpless. Yes, I’ve made some poor decisions as it relates to Owen, but I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I know how to do research and look for a lab. With that said, though, I appreciate you. I know your help is coming from a good place. You never hesitate to help those you care about, and I’m glad I’m one of those individuals.”

He kissed the top of her head. “There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you, especially since you’re my wife.”

She almost added temporarily, but she kept her mouth shut. Over the last few days, she’d had to keep reminding herself that their marriage was real. She needed to live in the moment and not worry about what would happen in five years.

“How about I let you know when I need your help with something?” she said.

She didn’t want to get too dependent on him, knowing this arrangement was temporary. The more she did on her own, the easier it would be to transition back into her single woman life. Still, it felt good to know she had someone by her side who she could depend on.

“Okay,” Sloane said, “As long as you remember I’m here for you, I’ll back off until you ask for my help.”

Halayna gave him a lingering kiss. “Thank you.”