LITMIR.BIZ

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though, she was crying hysterically, demanding her mother.

      “Evie, what’s wrong, sweetie?” Delia stood, taking her daughter into her arms.

      “Your mother says she feels warm.” Richard Bennett said. “We were going to offer to take her home with us, but she’s insistent that she wants her mama.”

      “It’s okay. Thanks, Dad.” Delia kissed the girl’s face and she seemed to immediately calm down. She leaned over and kissed Sloane’s cheek. “Sorry about this, hon. We’ll take up this conversation later. How long will you be in town?”

      “I’ll probably head back to Nashville tomorrow, but don’t worry about me. We’ll talk later. Just take care of Evie.”

      Sloane watched as Delia and Mr. Bennett made their way through the crowd. She sighed, eyeing her half-finished glass of bourbon punch.

      With Delia gone, she felt alone—even in a room filled with people she’d known her entire life. Her family and the Abbotts didn’t run in the same circles. She just happened to have hit it off with Blake Abbott and his cousin Delia Bennett when they were in grade school. Blake was preoccupied, and Delia was on her way home with little Evie.

      There was no reason to stay.

      Sloane gulped the rest of her drink, returning the glass to the table with a thud. She stood, bumping into a solid expanse of muscle.

       Benji.

      He gripped her waist to steady her.

      “Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” She took what she hoped was a subtle step backward. Just out of his reach, but still close enough to savor his provocative scent.

      “It was my bad.” Benji revealed the sheepish smile that had been his trademark as a kid. He rubbed a hand over his dark brush waves.

      Sloane couldn’t help smiling, remembering how obsessed Benji had been with perfecting them.

      “It was good seeing you again, Benji.” Sloane turned to leave, but he placed his strong hand on her arm.

      “You’re not leaving already, are you? I’ve been patiently waiting for a chance to catch up with you. My sister has been monopolizing your time all evening.”

      “You know how we are when we get together.” Sloane smiled. “Not much has changed. We’re still basically those same two giggling teenage girls.”

      “I’d say a lot has changed.” Benji’s heated gaze drifted down the length of her body, before returning to meet hers.

      “I guess you’re right.” Sloane cleared her throat.

      Some things certainly had changed.

      Benji had always had a crush on her. There was nothing unusual about a little boy having a crush on his older sister’s best friend. Back then, she’d thought it sweet. But Benji Bennett wasn’t a little boy anymore. He was a grown-ass man and a fine one at that.

      What she saw in his intense dark brown eyes wasn’t the misguided admiration of a little boy. It was lust, plain and simple. The same feeling that crawled up her spine and made her heart beat faster.

      His confident smile indicated that he could sense her attraction to him.

       Pull it together, sister. This is little Benji Bennett you’re gawking at here.

      Benji had gone to college in Seattle, where he still lived. He’d started his own tech company in his junior year. A company he’d just sold for more than two billion dollars, according to Delia.

      Benjamin Bennett was a catch by anyone’s standards—even before you factored in his healthy bank account. But he was her best friend’s little brother. And though he was all grown up now, he was just a kid, compared to her.

      Flirting with Benji would start tongues wagging all over Magnolia Lake. Not that she cared what they thought of her. But her mother and grandfather still lived here. So did Delia, for most of the year. If the whole town started talking, it would make things uncomfortable for the people she loved.

      Sloane tore her gaze from his and scanned the room. “I’d better go.”

      “Don’t go. Please. Just one dance.” Benji held up a finger, his eyes warm and pleading, his smile sexy and sweet. Then he extended his hand. The same one she’d held when she’d helped him across the street on the way to school when he was five.

      Sloane looked at him, then glanced around the space as she nibbled her bottom lip, her heart racing. No one was paying attention to them. The other guests were wrapped up in their own conversations and enjoying the open bar, courtesy of the Abbotts, owners of King’s Finest Distillery.

      “I guess one dance won’t hurt.” She placed her hand in his much larger one and let him lead her onto the dance floor.

      Benji walked to the center of the dance floor and held her in his arms. He swayed to Jeffrey Osborne’s smooth vocals on L.T.D.’s “Love Ballad.”

      “God, your parents loved this song. They played it so much that your sister and I hated it. Which is a shame, because it’s a pretty perfect song.”

      “It is,” he agreed. “You still working for the record company in Nashville?”

      “I am. I love what I do, but I’ve got my eye on a spot on the management team.”

      “You’re the most determined girl I’ve ever known.” Benji smiled. “If you’ve set your sights on it, it’s as good as done.”

      “Is that a nice way of calling me stubborn?” It was a familiar put-down from the older folks in town.

      “No.” His tone was apologetic. “I hated when people said that about you.” He sighed softly. “I liked that you were determined. You wanted to move to Nashville and work in the music industry, and that’s exactly what you did. I’d say your determination has served you well.”

      Warmth filled Sloane’s chest. Benji had grown up to be extremely wealthy and incredibly handsome, but at his core, he was the same sweet, thoughtful guy she’d always known. His gift for making her smile was still intact.

      “Thanks, Benj. That means a lot.” Sloane was slightly unnerved by his intense gaze. “Which reminds me, I haven’t congratulated you on your big deal.” She was eager to turn the conversation away from her. “I should be asking for your autograph. Never met a billionaire before.”

      The muscles of Benji’s back tensed beneath her fingertips and the light in his eyes dimmed. “I’m the same guy I was before I signed the big deal, Sloane. The same guy I’ve always been.”

      “I didn’t mean anything by it.” She’d only meant to tease him, but she’d struck a nerve instead.

      “I know you didn’t.” He sighed. “I’m just a little fed up with people treating me differently. You wouldn’t believe how many obscure business ideas I’ve been pitched tonight.”

      She hadn’t considered that there might be a downside to becoming a multibillionaire. But for her, never having to worry about how she’d pay second mortgages on her condo and their family farm would outweigh the disadvantages. “I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with that.”

      “Don’t apologize. You’re just about the only unattached woman in the room who doesn’t see me as a golden lottery ticket.” He nodded toward the gaggle of women in the corner of the room, whispering to one another and staring at him. “Not one of them would’ve given me the time of day back then. Their only interest in me was whether I could hook them up with one of my wealthy cousins. Now they’ve been stalking me all night. But you—I had to beg you to dance with me.”

      A knot tightened in her stomach. She had a good job and owned a cute little condo that she was slowly renovating in one of the hottest neighborhoods in Nashville. But she was in debt up to her eyeballs. Not because she was a frivolous spender addicted to retail

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