The Tycoon's Baby Revelation - Elizabeth Lennox Page 0,27

groaned, shaking his head as he grabbed another piece of broccoli with his chopsticks. “I don’t know how you can eat that stuff,” he grumbled, as he pressed a few more keys on his computer. “But I’m grateful for your help, so eat away. Trevitech stocks went down twenty percent because of their last product launch.”

Sloane smiled down at her plate. Josh, in tune with every aspect of her personality, caught the flash of amusement. “What?”

She looked back up at him, startled by his question. “What?”

He waved his chopsticks at her. “You made a face.”

Her eyes widened in feigned innocence. “I made no face.”

“You did. What was the face for?”

She laughed, looking down at her unhealthy but delicious Chinese food. “You’re imagining things.”

He leaned back, watching her closely with those scary green eyes of his. Those eyes saw everything. Sloane was just tired and punchy enough that she didn’t care.

“I’m not. I never imagine. What was that look?” he demanded, taking another piece of steamed broccoli.

She shrugged, put her chopsticks down, and flipped the page on her report. “Six months ago, you predicted that Trivitech would go down by nineteen percent because of their current product launch.”

He nodded slowly. “And?”

She grinned, not bothering to lift her eyes again. “And…you were wrong.”

There was a long silence as he contemplated her smug expression. His initial instinct was to pull her over his knee and spank her for being so smug. And impertinent. But damn, he loved her teasing tone. She was usually so serious and business-like. Yeah, he admired the hell out of her for her work ethic, but…well, he liked her.

Not that he would do anything about his attraction to her. First of all, he remembered his interview with her that first day eight years ago. She’d very firmly told him that she had zero desire to be in his bed. And also, she was a damn good assistant. Better than even he could have predicted. He’d seen it in her eyes that first day. That hungry, desperate determination to succeed had been vibrating through her. Over the years, she’d proven herself over and over again. He would never diminish her success by suggesting anything other than a professional relationship.

Although, he’d been playing with an idea for the past year. Something that would make her more of an equal than a subordinate. And the more he thought about it, the more he thought the idea had merit.

And because he’d usually gone with his instincts and been proven right over and over again, he made the decision at that moment. The fact that she remembered one of his predictions from six months ago only confirmed how involved she was with the success of every aspect of his company.

“By the way, I’m making you a partner in the firm,” he announced, then watched for her reaction.

Josh wasn’t disappointed. Sloane’s gorgeous blue eyes stared at him, the reddish-orange sauce dripping from the momentarily forgotten battered shrimp held aloft with her chopsticks.

“I’m sorry?” she blurted out finally.

He shrugged. “I’m making you a partner. You’ve been with me from the beginning and have done an excellent job here. You’re an integral part of the company and a large reason for the success. So, I’m making you a partner.”

With that, he turned back to his computer. “We need to shift some of these stocks in the Montegro Fund. It’s not performing well enough yet.”

Sloane continued to stare at Josh, not sure that she’d heard him correctly. A partner? He was making her a partner? What did that even mean?

But since he started throwing instructions to her, she needed to focus on those and figure out the meaning to his other comment later.

A half hour later, he sighed and stretched his arms over his head wearily. “Okay, that’s enough for today,” he said, leaning back against the sofa. “You look exhausted. Why don’t you go out and sit by the pool with your sisters for a while?” Josh stood up and began gathering up the papers.

It was almost dinner time, but she was reluctant to leave him, knowing that he’d keep working if she left. “I’m fine,” she replied, not wanting him to think she couldn’t keep up with his schedule.

“Why don’t you date?” he asked softly.

When Sloane turned, she found him leaning a shoulder against the wall. He looked amazingly virile in khaki slacks and a loose shirt, the muscles of his forearms drawing her gaze. She noticed the tanned column of his neck and his broad