Devastated and betrayed weren’t strong enough words to describe what she had felt, and the worst part? Owen had disappeared off the face of the earth. She couldn’t find him. She would hire a P.I. if she could afford it, but months after he disappeared, the company she worked for got bought out, and she lost her job.
Halayna shook her head. How was this her life? How had she gone from living a comfortable, fulfilling existence to barely having enough money to buy groceries?
Losing that job had been the final nail in her proverbial coffin. She no longer had the desire to care about anything, and instead of building her career, she had settled for part-time gigs. She hadn’t been mentally ready to commit to long-term employment but needed something to help keep the lights on at her apartment until she got herself together. But then, she was hit by a car, and that brought her to her knees, literally.
The memory had her shivering, and her gaze dropped to the brace on her left wrist. Though the last few months had felt hopeless, the accident might’ve been a blessing in disguise. Had she not been on the verge of giving up, she might not have let Bristol talk her into moving to Atlanta.
If Halayna was honest with herself, she could admit her friend had saved her life. She wasn’t sure what she would’ve done if she had left the hospital and gone back to her lonely apartment.
“Okay, enough.” She had to stop this. No more looking back. Only forward.
She stood, set her sun hat on the seat, and removed the red sarong from around her waist, leaving her in a one-piece swimsuit. Though it was a little big on her now, it fit better than the other one she had brought with her. This one also made her feel pretty. The low-cut neckline, the strategically placed cutouts, and the high-cut legs helped show off her best assets.
As she strolled barefoot to the pool, she thought about the resumes she had sent out that morning. The plan was to find a job, then an apartment, and then she’d work her ass off until she saved up some money. She was determined to start her dream business—a perfume company—and finally start using her chemistry degree again.
She dipped her toe into the water and dragged her feet back and forth, glad the water wasn’t as cold as she had feared.
“Who the hell are…”
Halayna startled at the deep baritone and jerked around, and she gasped when her gaze landed on Sloane.
No.
He wasn’t supposed to be there. He was supposed to be on the other side of the world, or in California, or something. Not in Georgia. Not at the house.
Unease clawed through her as he stared at her with those sexy, whisky-colored eyes. Looking at her as if seeing her for the first time.
Was she looking at him the same way? Like she couldn’t believe he was standing there? Because that’s exactly what she was feeling. It had been almost two years since she’d last seen him, shortly before she and Owen got engaged. That seemed like a lifetime ago, and yet, Sloane was as fine as she remembered.
The man had always been handsome, but even more so now with a light scruff on his cheeks and chin, and his deep brown skin gleaming under the sunlight.
And that body… Good Lord. The way his light-blue polo shirt stretched across his wide chest and molded over solid muscle made him drool-worthy, and…
“Halayna?” Her name came out of his mouth in a whisper, like he was still surprised to see her standing in front of him.
Suddenly self-conscious, with the way his eyebrows dipped into a frown after his gaze swept up and down her body, she tugged on the shoulder straps of her swimsuit. Why did she care what he thought of her? He was nobody.
At least that’s what she told herself, but deep down, his opinion of her mattered. Which only pissed her off. It started the first time she met him—her freshman year of college. When he helped Bristol move into their dorm room, Halayna had come face-to-face with the most alluring man she’d ever seen in her life.
They’d had contact off and on over the years since then, but she mostly tried to keep her distance from the intimidating man.
Sloane took a step forward, jarring Halayna out of her thoughts, and she took a step back.
“Stop!” he yelled.
But the command came a second too late. Halayna started falling backwards. Her heart leaped into her throat as her arms windmilled like propellers on a crop duster seconds before she crashed into the water.
Omigodomigod.
The initial shock of falling into the pool had her flailing her limbs until she righted herself. Then she kicked and swam toward the surface, but before she could get her head above water, a large body practically landed on top of her.
Panicked, she moved her legs and arms, trying to swim away, but Sloane had a firm grasp around her waist. He might’ve thought he was helping her, but the stupid jerk was weighing her down.
When she finally reached the surface, she coughed and sputtered out water while swatting at Sloane. “Let go of me!” she screamed until he released her, and she grabbed the edge of the pool.
“Are you okay?” he panted next to her.
Before she could respond, the door to the house flew open, and Bristol and Hershel ran toward the pool.
“What’s going on out here?”
“Halayna!”
They said at the same time, their voices piercing the air.
Before Halayna realized what was happening, Hershel had gripped her beneath her armpits, and Sloane’s beefy arms were wrapped around her legs. She was lifted out of the water as if she weighed nothing. The moment her feet touched the pool deck, Bristol came at her.
“Oh my God! Are you okay?” she asked, wrapping a huge towel around Halayna and holding her tightly.
Halayna coughed a couple of times and shivered while nodding. As she pushed her long, dark hair back and out of her eyes, she swung around and glared at Sloane. He was dripping wet while wiping his large hand down his face.
“What the hell is wrong with you? What were you thinking landing on top of me? You could’ve killed me!”
“I was thinking I didn’t know if you could swim!” he snapped back, his angry eyes boring into her. “You shouldn’t have been that close to the edge of the pool while you were gawking at me.”
“Gawking? Gawking at you?” she snapped. “You wish!”
“I guess it’s safe to say you’re both okay,” Hershel said, drying his hands on another towel.
“Why are you even here?” Bristol asked her brother, her arm tight around Halayna as if she was afraid she’d collapse. “And when did you get here?”
“I’m fine. Thanks for caring,” Sloane said, glaring at his sister as he accepted the towel Hershel offered him.
“Of course I care,” Bristol snarled. “I’m just shocked to see you. I thought you were in the UK.”
He dried his face and wrapped the towel around his shoulders. “Change of plans, and since I knew you were in town, I came home. And you…” he pointed at Halayna, “I almost didn’t recognize you. What happened to your arm, and why the hell are you so skinny?”
Halayna gasped, then shook out of her friend’s hold. “Ugh! You’re still…you’re still…” she growled at Sloane, struggling to find the words to best describe him as he stood there soaked and looking like a wet dream. “You’re still an asshole!”
She snatched her sun hat and sarong from the lounger, shoved her feet into her flip-flops and stormed away. Sloane Davidson might be fine as hell, but he was still a clueless jerk.
I gotta get out of here. No way was she staying in that house if his gorgeous ass was back in town. His mansion might be huge, but the entire state of Georgia wasn’t big enough for the both of them.