Page 7 of Loving Her Enemy

Sloane nodded. The women were pissed at him, but if either of them found out how he’d gotten Owen out of Halayna’s life for good, neither would speak to him again.

“What do you want to do?” Hershel asked.

Sloane glanced at his friend. “I want you to find out everything you can about Halayna Tanaka.”

Once Sloane learned exactly what he was dealing with, he’d go from there. Halayna could be mad all she wanted, but he was going to do whatever he could to help her. Even if it made her hate him even more.

Chapter Four

After the quickest shower in history, Halayna dressed in a T-shirt, cut-off denim shorts that were a little too big, and comfortable sandals. She was getting out of there as quickly as she could. She didn’t have much money, but she could swing a hotel room for a few days until she regrouped.

But with her hand and wrist throbbing even with the brace on, every movement seemed to take twice as long. It didn’t help that the apparatus was soaking wet. Damn Sloane. If he hadn’t scared her, she wouldn’t have fallen into the pool, and it wouldn’t have gotten wet.

Why’d he have to ruin everything by showing up? All she needed was a few months with no distractions to get back on her feet. And Sloane Davidson was the biggest distraction that ever existed. Not just because he got on her nerves and made her want to strangle him. No, it was because he was one of the sexiest men in the world. At least according to People Magazine.

Good thing she hadn’t noticed. Otherwise, she’d be obsessed with thinking about his gorgeous face, wide chest, and muscular body. His upper body had been chiseled to perfection based on what she’d seen in the way his shirt had molded over solid muscle. Then there were his long legs that seemed to go on forever, and those firm thighs that looked as if he could…

“Oh, for the love of God,” she ground out through gritted teeth. What the heck was she doing? She shouldn’t have noticed any of that.

How had he managed to get even better looking than she remembered? She’d been taking a break from men, but clearly, she was still attracted to them if the way her body had come alive with Sloane’s nearness.

But then he had to open his big mouth.

Why are you so skinny?

Though she had taken offense to his words, he hadn’t spoken them maliciously. There’d been a hardness in his tone, but she had seen the concern in his eyes. Those intense, dark eyes–her weakness where he was concerned. If that weren’t enough, he had naturally long eyelashes that women would pay good money to have, and they just added to his handsomeness.

Halayna growled in frustration. “Don’t even go there.” She had to stay focused, and right now, she needed to hurry.

Once she put her damp hair into a messy bun on top of her head, Halayna rushed into the walk-in closet. It was right off the bathroom and together, they were bigger than her New York apartment.

Grabbing one of the suitcases, she carried it into the bedroom, then went back for another. One by one, she laid them open on the bed, along with her backpack.

Leaving wasn’t going to be easy, but Halayna had no choice. No way would she stay in Sloane’s gigantic home with him there. Right now, she didn’t have the mental or emotional capacity to put up with him and his know-it-all attitude.

As she emptied the draws and started filling the suitcases, she recalled him warning her that Owen was no good. If only she had listened, her life wouldn’t be a mess. The situation was worse than anyone knew, including Bristol.

Her friend had no idea that Owen had lost most of Halayna’s inheritance. Halayna hadn’t known the state of her finances until after he broke off their engagement. Most people thought she’d been distraught because of the wedding that never happened. But the hard truth—she’d found out the man she loved had lost most of the money her father had left her.

A growing anger swirled inside of Halayna, and she slammed a pair of shorts into the suitcase, then stomped over to the glass, double doors leading out to a private balcony. Sucking in a deep breath, she released it slowly and immediately the tension in her body fell away.

The luxurious suite Bristol had put her in had been like a healing balm for her tattered nerves. The space was light and airy with a cream and tan color scheme that calmed her. The king-size bed and large sitting area had provided such comfort, giving her an opportunity to relax and regroup. More peace had settled over her in the last few days than she’d felt in years, and leaving would be like having to start over.

Halayna stared out over the flower gardens filled with hydrangeas, roses, and a host of other gorgeous flowers in the massive yard. The property sat on almost ten acres, and the balcony had been her sanctuary. The perfect place to sit back and dream of the life she wanted. The life she thought she’d been on her way to getting.

She would never be as wealthy as Sloane or even Bristol, and she didn’t need to be. But the feeling of hopelessness and inferiority was real, and she hated this helplessness. Like she didn’t measure up and couldn’t get her act together.

Her dad had given her a good, stable life, and she had wanted for nothing. That had still been the case when she’d gone off to college. Getting her undergrad in less than four years, she went right to work in a research lab and even managed to save a substantial amount of money. She’d been determined to use her chemistry degree to create perfumes.

Maybe it was time to pivot. She couldn’t give up on her dream of building a perfume empire but first, she needed to restore her confidence. Right now, she didn’t trust her judgment in any aspect of her life, especially when it came to men. So that’s where she needed to start—trusting that she could again make good decisions.

Halayna also needed a financial miracle, but until that happened, she’d start small and find a job. Her savings were almost non-existent, and she’d have to start over, but at least with employment she could regain some of her independence.

Yeah, that’s what I’ll do.

And instead of feeling like a failure for not being able to start her business, she’d start with creating more fragrances. That was something she could do without a ton of money.

Energized by her new plan, she continued packing. When she had filled one of the suitcases, a knock sounded on the door.