feet away he heard Vivian’s ragged intake of breath.
“Absolutely not!”
The furious look she threw Ziara definitively answered his questions—the woman he’d held in his arms, who clung so tightly to her professionalism that she would turn away from the inferno they created together, had stood her ground. Or rather, his ground. She’d kept his secret, despite the risk of losing the career Vivian held in the palm of her hand.
Now—if he didn’t succeed, he wouldn’t just lose the company. Ziara would lose everything she’d worked so hard to achieve.
Sloan and Patrick holed up in his office for most of the afternoon while Ziara practically collapsed at her desk. Work was beyond her for the first time in her life.
As if in slow motion, she relived Vivian turning until her accusing eyes met Ziara’s. She knew Vivian would forever hold her responsible for not telling her about the lingerie line the day before. Her stomach clenched as the ramifications of her actions hit her. When Vivian turned and left without a word, Ziara had said her final goodbyes to the position she’d worked so hard to attain.
Vivian would never give it to someone she couldn’t trust.
But would Sloan believe her now if Ziara came to him with the truth? She’d been trying all day to find the right time to tell him about Vivian’s threat, but each time she’d hesitated. They’d maintained a strictly professional attitude toward each other that she’d been afraid to upset. That balance was so fragile. What would happen if she brought up such a personal subject?
“Wish me luck, sweet cheeks,” Patrick said, sweeping by her toward the suite doors. “I’m off to face Mutt and Jeff.”
She frowned, her strained emotions too heavy to hide. “Their names are Robert and Anthony.”
He leaned against the doorframe. “It was just a joke.”
“I know. But Robert and Anthony are going to have a difficult time adjusting to this. They’ve devoted many years to this company. Joking might not be the way to go.”
A light grin tugged his lips. “I can take a hint. Just remember, I’m making the best of a situation they created.”
Hoping her expression told him she understood, she nodded and watched him slip out the door. Then she dropped her head into her hands as the roller coaster of emotions of the past few days—heck, the past few hours—got the better of her.
She’d lost so much—her direction, her focus—and for what? Where would she go from here? Once Sloan got through the fall show she’d have to leave. But how could she find a job that would mean as much to her as this one?
“Ziara.”
She heard Sloan’s husky voice at the same moment that his heated palm cupped the back of her neck. She sensed him kneeling beside her chair, but she couldn’t bring herself to raise her head, because she knew her face would be an open book at the moment.
“Ziara,” he tried again. “Are you okay?”
No, she wanted to cry. Instead, she wiped the emotion from her face as she would tears, then sat up straight. She nodded shortly. “Yes. I’m just tired.”
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