people like my parents, people like Bernard, are so successful at it is because humans want to trust. To connect. To love.” She touched his arm. “I wanted you to know that none of this was your fault. And I’m so happy to see that your ability to love and trust and connect wasn’t stolen from you by Bernard. That gives me hope.”
Henry hugged her. I could see her face, and the look she was giving me was pure excitement.
“Thank you,” he said. “And I hope you come work for Codex. Actually, one year ago Abe approached me here, gave me his business card. Told me I’d make one hell of a private detective.”
“Is that so?” she said.
“It is,” he said. “He changed my life forever. But you already know that about Abe.” Henry nodded behind him. “I’m going to take one more walk around. Meet you at the front?”
The minute Henry left us, I knew what I needed to do. “You are magnificent, truly.”
Sloane was giving me that captivating smile while her hair blew softly in the breeze. I felt in my jacket pocket for a business card, the memories of doing this for Henry were so strong and emotional. I hadn’t anticipated how much one man could change in twelve months.
Her smile turned sly. She held a business card that said Codex between two fingers. “Do you think I’d make one hell of a private detective or what?”
I kissed her—hot, hungry, urgent. “If Henry and Delilah work together, and Sam and Freya work together, there’s not one fucking reason why I can’t work with my gorgeous, charming, sticky-fingered girlfriend.”
She tapped the card against her chin. “So, to be clear, you’re offering me a job?” She examined it closely, then studied me. “And I’m your… girlfriend?”
“Yes, god, yes, I’m offering you a job,” I said. “And also please be my girlfriend.”
“This morning, what we talked about, being with each other after all of this,” she said. “You meant it.”
It wasn’t a question. It never had been.
“I meant it,” I said. “I will break the speed limit driving to see you in New York. Do not doubt it. We can split the time between each city. I will figure out how to make it work if you don’t want to move to Philadelphia. Or even if you do want to move but don’t want to work with me and my taco-obsessed team of detectives. Anything for you. I will do anything—”
This time it was Sloane who kissed me, a kiss full of possibility, of fate. A kiss full of our future.
“I meant what I said too,” she whispered. “My house isn’t a home. You would make my life feel like home. We’ve only known each other a week, I know this is chaos, but I refuse to sidestep my feelings for you, Abe. I like you. More than I’ve ever liked anyone.” Her hand found a spot directly over my heart, palm pressed down. “Trust is hard for me. I promise not to give up. I’m still here.”
I interlaced our fingers over my heart. “And I’m not going anywhere.”
Her teasing smile reappeared. “And we’re two workaholics who have promised each other to have more spontaneous fun. We can’t do that if I’m living two hours away from you, now can we?”
“How many cooking classes do you want to take? I’ll sign up for every damn one on the flight home.”
Her laughter was unfiltered joy. “Not cooking. I’d like to see you on a dance floor, Abraham. Tango lessons.”
“I’m a man of many secret talents, as you know,” I said, kissing right below her ear.
Sloane held up the business card again. “My business is important to me, Abe. I built it on my own but I… I liked working with a team.”
“Perhaps you could consider a merger?” I asked.
She hummed beneath her breath. “Less my boss, more my business partner.”
“Equal footing,” I said. “I like that even better.”
Her eyes searched mine. “So do I, actually. My only suggestion being Freya told me you had a strict PDA policy for the office. And I’ve never known you to keep your hands to yourself, Mr. Royal.”
I didn’t even try and hide my happiness. “I’ll begin revising our personnel policies immediately.”
51
Sloane
Three months later
Philadelphia, PA
I was wearing a pink crown and a sash that said Birthday Girl—although it wasn’t even close to my birthday. But, according to Freya, we needed a formal coronation—her words—celebrating my official start as a private detective working at Codex.