Page 18 of Logan (The Valeur Billionaires #1)

“There, now you have room next to me.” She pats the seat beside her, and one couple sits down in a similar pose. The man first, and the woman on his lap. “You’re also willing to squeeze in a bit for Mark and Jessica, right?” Valentina asks me and smiles.

“Yes, of course,” I say through gritted teeth.

Sloane’s eyes are wide as she looks at me, silently asking for approval. I nod, and she rises and sits on my knees, trying to touch me as little as possible.

Mark and Jessica sit in the empty chair next to me, with her on his lap.

“See, there’s room for everyone. And it’s even more fun like this, isn’t it?” Valentina cheers and winks at me. Wolfson laughs.

Sloane is so stiff on the edge of my knees that she looks almost rigid. I peek at Valentina who’s cuddling with her husband and currently seems to be nibbling his ear. They touch constantly. The other couples are in a similar state.

There’s no way he won’t notice the fakeness the second he looks our way for more than half a second.

“Lean on me,” I whisper in Sloane’s ear, holding my breath and wrapping my arms around her, pulling her to me until she’s resting against me. Her muscles tense. “I’m sorry. It has to look convincing.”

She nods, a subtle movement letting me know she understands. She relaxes, allowing herself to sink into my embrace. I’m afraid to breathe, to move, to touch her.

The rose scent of her hair hits my nose, her soft body on mine, her ass rubbing against my cock when she moves, her bare thighs drawing my eyes like a magnet.

Focus, Logan. You’re here to work.

They chatter about clothes, music, and the latest gossip about the royal family. Their conversation goes over my head as I only try to pay attention if they switch to a topic that’s relevant to me.

How am I supposed to convince Wolfson to sell me his cameras in a conversation about clothes?

Fuck.

But unlike me, Sloane thrives. She joins in the conversation, gesturing with her hands, and the group at the table seems to listen to her with interest. Maybe that will be enough?

Maybe she’ll win Valentina over. I don’t understand what any of this has to do with our deal, but Cora insisted this is the way.

“Ooh, what a great song! You coming to dance?” The woman sitting beside me jumps up.

“Yes. Let’s dance.” Valentina leaps to her feet as well.

“I don’t dance,” I say, refusing to join them.

Valentina’s face falls, and she sits back down.

“You can go dance without me. I don’t mind,” I hurry to say when I read Wolfson’s expression. He clearly doesn’t like seeing his wife disappointed, and I can’t be the one responsible for that.

“Yeah?” She turns to Sloane again. “Do you want to dance?”

Sloane nods, and in a second, the girls disappear from the table and move to the dance floor. Sloane sinuously twists her body to the beat of the music.

The air thickens, and the music seems to slow as I watch her, her fingers painting invisible lines above her and the colorful lights dyeing her skin. She moves in an almost hypnotic rhythm as if the music flows directly into her veins. The sight is almost erotic.

“You’re captivated too. ”

“What?” I shake myself out of the trance I was in and turn to Wolfson, who’s watching me with interest.

“You’ve fallen hard, too,” he says, nodding toward the dance floor, alluding to Sloane and Valentina.

“No—”

“It’s okay. I know how it feels. The realization that you care more about her than yourself. It took me time to understand it. I resisted that feeling, just like you at first. But I like my life better now. She gives me flavor. Purpose.”

I try not to roll my eyes and, instead, stretch my lips into an understanding smile.

I find purpose in my work. Not in a woman.

“At our previous meeting, I thought you were aloof and unfeeling. I’m glad to find I was wrong. It was a good idea to move the meeting here. Valentina was right.” He raises his glass to me.

Fuck. Is he saying what I think he’s saying?

“Cheers.” He downs his drink, and I take the opportunity while he’s not looking to pour mine into the small potted plant in the center of the table. I don’t drink during work meetings, and I don’t get drunk in public. Too risky.

The women return flushed from dancing. Sloane’s skin glistens with a thin layer of sweat, and she looks almost radiant. Stunning.

She plops down on my knees with less care this time. The drinks are making her lose her inhibitions. Her scent hits me again, roses with a woman’s sweet sweat. An arousing scent.

I bite the inside of my cheek.

Wolfson orders another bottle of vodka, and some colorful cocktails are served to the table. Sloane reaches out and grabs one of them .

I think that’s her fourth already.

“Maybe you should stop here, babe,” I say.

“Maybe you shouldn’t tell me what to do, babe ?” she answers back, narrowing her eyes.

She’s flushed, and her eyes are sparkling. It’s pretty clear to me she’s a little drunk and on her way to being completely wasted. I don’t know her well, and I’m worried about what she might do. She herself said she babbles, and that’s when she’s fully sober.

I sink into the seat and try to stay focused on the conversation around us despite the boring topics. Sloane smiles and talks non-stop. I think she’s no longer fully in control of herself, and that’s bad. Very bad.

“I listened to the audiobook version of it. It’s excellent. Although Logan didn’t really like when I played him the first sex scene, the one where he denies Piper an orgasm.”

I straighten at the sound of my name. “What?”

“You remember the sex scene I played for you, babe?” Sloane turns her head to me and smiles.

Her eyes are clouded with alcohol and half-closed.

Damn, she looks sexy as hell like that. I’m pretty sure she’s already passed the point of no return, and that’s not good.

“You said you hoped he’d let her come. Remember? ”

Fuck. Yeah, I really said that.

“Orgasm denial is a thing.” Valentina leans forward on her elbows. “Have you ever tried it? If not, I recommend it. It messes with your head. One time, I came so hard from it that I think I passed out,” she says in a low voice, but I’m pretty sure she meant to be heard.

Why the hell is she sharing her bedroom experiences with us? We don’t even know each other .

I glance at Wolfson, whose fingers are unabashedly roaming his wife. He doesn’t seem bothered by her statements. In fact, I think he’s not even listening. He looks pretty horny.

“I actually tried it once,” the blonde next to me says, joining the conversation, “but it was too much for me. Mark and I are more vanilla.”

“So, how long have you known each other?” Valentina abruptly changes the subject, and I straighten. How the hell did we not coordinate our stories beforehand?

“Oh, not long,” Sloane answers, waving her hand in the air in a way that makes it clear to me she’s more inebriated than I thought. “When did you arrive in London, Logan?”

“She means my previous trip,” I interject, trying to salvage the situation. She can’t say we only met a week ago. That would be a mistake with no way back. “A few months ago. That’s when we met.”

“I thought this is your first time in London?” Valentina tilts her head.

“Yeah, we met right before he flew out, that’s how I remember the date,” Sloane slurs after apparently realizing the mistake. “Because, you know, sometimes I forget. I think my brain has melted from all the orgasms.”

God, this is headed for disaster. I have to silence her.

“Because we fuck all the time.” Sloane waves her hands. “Like rabbits, really. He’s insatiable. The first month after we met was rough. Really. Do not recommend. He gave me chafing.” She laughs.

Oh my God, what is she saying?

“You know what they say about a man with a huge dick who also knows how to use it?” Sloane leans forward .

Valentina leans in too. “What?”

“I have no idea.” Sloane giggles. “Because whoever snags one,” she pats my arm, “never lets him go.”

I close my eyes for a moment. Fuck, I have to silence her. I grab her thigh and turn her toward me.

Her eyes look huge and her cheeks are flushed, her mouth slightly open. She’s stunning and so, so drunk.

“This is bad,” I whisper. “I’m sorry, but you won’t remember any of this, anyway. You need to be quiet for a bit before you say something we’ll both regret.” And I press my lips to hers.

For a moment, she freezes, but a second later, her arms wrap around my neck, and she deepens the kiss, sending her tongue into my mouth. Her hands dig into my hair as she presses even closer, and her hard nipples rub against my chest.

I growl and take over, lightly nipping at her lower lip, and a soft moan escapes her, a moan that goes straight to my cock.

“Wow, check them out. Seriously sexy,” the blonde beside me murmurs to her boyfriend, a hint of longing in her voice. “Kiss me like that. Like you want to fuck me now.”

I really do want to fuck Sloane now . I’m not sure anymore if my kisses are meant to silence her or if I’m kissing her like this because I’m genuinely lost in the moment.

Because heck, I am.

My hard cock rubs against her crotch, and I moan again. Thank goodness for the dim lights and the cover of the table.

Sloane shifts, her knee sliding to the other side as she straddles me. Her hips rock gently, her movements subtle yet insistent, sending a rush of sensation through me.

“Damn, Logan, this feels incredible.” Her whisper breaks into a giggle. “Want to know a secret?” She leans in, her breath tickling my ear. “At dinner that night? I felt it—you’re packing. And guess what?” Her voice drops to a sultry moan. “I’m not wearing any panties.”

My hands tighten around her, reeling from her words. The urge to explore is overwhelming, yet here I am—her boss—and she’s not exactly sober.