“Serena,” she giggled. “There is no bar. But there will be servers to take your order.”
“Oooh, posh.” Both girls erupted in snickers. She supposed it was a bit posh.
“What were you doing hiding in there?”
“How did you know I was hiding?”
“I know you. Now answer my question.”
On the way into the restaurant, Sophie gave her friend the cliff's notes version of events, ending with, “and now he's here with Alex and I'm here with...well, you.”
Raising a slender dark brow, she pursed her lips. “I'm not good enough, huh? And I came all the way here on the train. The train, Sophie. You know I hate the train.”
Serena hated any mode of public transport, but since she'd started touring by private bus with the ballet company there was never a need for a car. Now that she was at a loose end, she was rediscovering the pitfalls of planes, trains and automobiles, it seemed. “You're the best surprise I've had all week,” Sophie admitted slowly. “I don't know what I was thinking, canceling my date like this.”
“I know exactly what you were thinking, Sophie Ellis. You were thinking you didn't want to hurt Logan the way you're hurting right now, if there's a chance he still feels the same.” She pulled Sophie to a stop just inside the doors of the restaurant, quirking her lips in a smirk. “Don't move,” she demanded.
“Why?” Oh, God there was something crawling on her. She started to panic, brushing at herself with her hands.
“Stop that, you lunatic. There's nothing on you. Indulge me a moment. I'm conducting an experiment.”
“Oh, great.” The last experiment Serena had conducted using Sophie as a guinea pig had resulted in a slight green tint to her hair for two weeks – a home hair tint gone badly wrong – and her mom had pitched a fit besides.
“Do exactly as I say,” she said, a serious look on her face. “There's a hotty leaning against the corner at my four-o-clock. Smile at him.”
“How can you even see him?” she asked, finding the handsome man in question and smiling slightly.
“I have a radar for these events. Now wave a couple of fingers, flirty like.”
Feeling like a puppet, Sophie wiggled her fingers at the guy, and was rewarded with a smile and a nod, and a glass raised in return.
“Excellent,” Serena announced, moving them off into the room.
“What was that?” Confusion still riding her, she gathered an inch of her dress in an effort to stop tripping over it and followed Serena like a puppy – eagerly and without reservation.
“I told you. An experiment.”
“And the results?”
“Are encouraging.” She would say no more, no matter how Sophie pressed her, offering only a smile and a wink. “Let's grab a drink. I'm still parched. Oh, look,” she exclaimed, snagging a couple of flutes of champagne from a passing server, giving him a nod of thanks.
Chapter Eleven
Logan
“Logan? Is there something the matter?” Alex leaned in, tapping his arm, and he realized he'd been motionless, staring at the spot Sophie had stood in moments before. Scarlet silk sheathing her body like a glove, every single curve she had on display, he'd been able to tell right away that there was no way she was wearing underwear under that dress. It trailed behind her as she walked, only the very pointed toes of her black shoes peeking out with each step.
Lithe as a snake, she'd sauntered into the room, pausing on the threshold to smile at some pretty-boy across the way, wagging her fingers like they knew each other. He'd dragged his eyes all over her body, finally landing on her eyes with a smile, a nod, and a raise of his glass. Handsome bastard. Logan wanted to kill him. When Sophie walked into the crowd, the pretty-boy followed.
“No,” he replied, perhaps a bit forcefully. “I'm fine. Would you excuse me a moment?”
He watched her from behind as he approached, giggling at something the pretty-boy said, her hand resting lightly on his forearm. Logan clenched his jaw. He had no right to feel proprietary where Sophie was concerned, but hadn't he earned at least a little of her for his own?
Blinking in happy confusion, he noted the woman she'd entered with – the one he hadn't even bothered to look at – was Serena, her childhood friend. She looked good, and he found himself blessedly distracted before he did something he'd regret. “Serena.” He took her hand, kissing the knuckles lightly. “You are a vision.” He guessed the ugly duckling really had grown into a swan – having had nothing but grainy pictures in newspaper articles to compare the willowy teenager to the tall and graceful woman.
“Thank you, Logan. You were e'er the charmer, if I remember correctly.” She smiled, never taking her eyes off Sophie for too long. “And you look well.”
“Thank you, I just came over to say hello,” he found himself lying, his eyes drawn to the back of Sophie's head as she flicked her hair. It was tumbling down her back in waves and he found he had to clench his fists in order to stop himself reaching for the softness of it.
“Really?” she winked, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “Your secret is safe with me.”
At his quizzical look, she raised a brow and tipped her chin in the direction of Sophie, who was still busy giggling at the pretty-boy, having apparently not even taken notice of his arrival. Discretion was the better part of valor, or so he'd read somewhere. With a nod of admission, he turned on his heel and walked back to his own date, who was sulking by a potted plant. “Apologies,” he muttered, affording her a wide smile, taking a small measure of pleasure in the brightening of her eyes. “I had to say hello to an old friend.”
“Is that her, then?” she asked, with a predatory gleam in her eye.
“Is that who?” Head tipped in query he followed her gaze back to Serena who had joined in the discussion with Sophie and the handsome stranger.
“The girl who's stolen your heart?” She laid a hand on his arm. “I'm very observant, Logan and I've noticed that you're very reserved with anyone other than your stepsister. I figure there's a girl in your past who broke your heart.”
“You are observant,” he confirmed. Not half as observant as she liked to think though, and he thanked God for that small mercy.
“She's beautiful,” Alex offered.
“She is,” he replied, tracking Sophie's movements. She reached behind her, deftly lifting a flute from a server's dainty tray. The line of her body extended, and he got an eyeful of her in profile, her breasts pressing tightly against the material of her dress.
“And she came alone.”
“Did she?” He had wondered where Dale was. The muscular blond hadn't been lurking around as he'd expected.
“Yes. I think so.” She leaned against his side, not fitting him as well as Sophie always had. He refused to put an arm around her shoulder as she seemed to want him to. “Would you like some free advice?”
“I don't know,” he replied, looking down at her elfin features. “Would I?”
“Yes,” she smiled. “I might even take my own advice, some day. It's pretty good.”
He laughed, wrapping an arm around her shoulder after all. Her body language informed him of the change in her. She wasn't interested anymore. “Go on, then.”
“If you want her, go and get her. Believe me, if she doesn't want you, there are plenty who would, and besides, wouldn't you rather know? For sure? For once and for all?”
Did he dare? What if she told him to take a hike? Would it be any worse than the limbo they were existing in right now? He thought not. Perhaps Alexis was right. He would rather know than always wonder 'what if'. They were the questions that kept him awake at night.
“You're right,” he told her, hugging her to him for a moment. “And if you speak from experience, why in the hell are you still here?”
She shrugged, moving out from under his arm. “I said I might take my own advice, some day. Today is not that day. Now scoot. I want to powder my nose,” she laughed. “I'm sure I'll find some mischief to get into i
n your absence.”
He had no doubt.
~
Sophie
She was hyper-aware of his every move. Serena needn't have bothered telling her he was coming over. She felt it. His presence was like air to her, and the absence of it was torturing her. “Do not turn around. Do not speak to him. Experiment number two.”
Shaking her head, she wondered how she was going to feign ignorance of him when he would be less than a few feet from her. Damn Serena and her experiments. Nodding once in acquiescence, she continued her less-than-riveting discussion with Nathaniel Gaines, playboy and millionaire. Serena quietly moved forward, a smile tugging at her lips as she raised a hand in greeting.
“Serena,” she heard him say. “You are a vision.”
“Thank you, Logan. You were e'er the charmer, if I remember correctly. And you look well.”
Well? Understatement of the year. He looked like every dessert she'd ever ordered, all rolled into one scrumptious dish.
“I just came over to say hello,” he told her. He'd come over to say hello to Serena while ignoring her? Great.
Straining to hear whatever Serena leaned forward to say, Sophie found herself caught off guard when Nathaniel laughed. Shit, she was supposed to be paying attention to what he was saying. She giggled, somewhat nervously, and had to consciously straighten her back when Logan walked away without even speaking to her.
Thinking him quite rude, she glanced at Serena, who mouthed “later” and gave a suggestive wag of her eyebrows. She would have thought he'd at least say hello, but she guessed he was still pissed with her for not telling him the truth yesterday. Just not running out had been momentous enough. Last time, she'd dropped out of his life for over a year. You'd think he'd be happy about that, but no, he was ignoring her. Again.
Feeling dejected, she grabbed another drink and upended it. “I'm sure Sophie would like to dance?” Serena suggested, pushing her forward and snatching her empty glass.
Nathaniel grinned and held out an arm. “It would be my pleasure,” he informed them both with a small bow.
Throwing a desperate look over her shoulder at her friend, she noticed Logan pause in his forward stride. He'd been heading right for her. She would happily kill Serena as soon as this dance was over, she decided. As Nathaniel danced and twirled her to the musical strains of a waltz, she found herself actively seeking out Logan's whereabouts. He'd disappeared. More likely than not, he'd followed Alex to wherever it was she'd disappeared to. Disappointment settling, she decided he'd only been coming forward to wish them a good evening and to leave.
It was her own damn fault. She should have said something yesterday, but even if she had planned to, the kiss she'd witnessed would have given her second thoughts. Who was she to mess up whatever connection he'd made with Alexis? Who was she kidding? He'd never had a serious relationship in his life, and she doubted he was going to start with Alex. But even so, the thought of him tumbling into bed with her, perhaps giving her the same treatment she knew he was capable of...
She felt sick to her stomach, her imagination supplying flashes of images she'd rather not think about too closely. The feel of his mouth, the smell of his neck. The private smile and the filthy words. They were hers. No, they were Alex's tonight. “Excuse me,” she said, disentangling herself from the playboy's arms. “I must visit the ladies room.” Casting Serena a scathing look, she narrowed her eyes. “You're quite a good dancer.”
“Thank you, Sophie,” he replied, eyes glued to the front of her dress. Ugh. “I've been classically trained, you know.”
“Oh really?” A glint in her eye that would have sent Logan running for cover, she dragged him over to Serena. “Serena's a ballet dancer.”
“Oh yes?” He scanned her from head to toe, interest igniting.
“Oh, yes. Well, she used to be,” she paused dramatically while Serena sent her a dangerous look. “Now she's a burlesque dancer.”
While Nathaniel looked upon Serena with new interest, she made her excuses and moved off in search of the ladies room, and some much needed moments alone.
Sitting on the lid of the toilet, she was reminded of the last time she'd hidden out in the bathroom to avoid Logan – if only for a moment. She'd been sixteen, he'd been eighteen, and they'd both been besotted with each other on first sight. The more things change, the more they stay the same, she thought to herself. Here she was, a decade later, still hiding out from her stepbrother in public bathrooms.
Heels clicked on the floor, bringing her out of her daydream. It was time to head back inside. She pulled open the door of the stall and washed her hands, even though she hadn't used the toilet. Anything to forestall her reentry to the party.
“Sophie?” a voice inquired.
“Yes? Do I know you?” she asked of the same beautiful curvy woman Logan had arrived in the company of.
“No,” she admitted, dragging her gaze from Sophie's feet to the top of her head. “But I feel like I know you. I've heard so much about you.”
Sophie laughed self-consciously. “All good, I hope.”
“Not remotely.” She cocked her pretty head to one side, considering. “I'm Jan. Perhaps you've heard of me.”
~
Logan
Logan searched the room for Sophie, not finding her anywhere. Damn, he'd lost sight of her for less than five minutes and she'd already disappeared. At least she hadn't disappeared with pretty-boy, the thought bringing a measure of peace to him. Serena was being twirled around the floor by the handsome man, looking anything but happy about it. She caught his eye, tipping her chin to the right once with a cocked brow.
He followed her gaze, seeing Sophie step out of the bathroom, her face pale, wearing a shell-shocked expression. Dread filled him as he noticed Jan step out after her, a look of satisfaction on her face. She caught his glare and looked away guiltily. What the fuck had she said? He should have known Jan would corner her at some stage during the night. He should have planned for it and kept Jan in his sights at all times, rather than worrying about what Sophie was doing with some guy on the dance floor.
He'd kill Jan for this. His mind a whirl, he approached Sophie, wanting to growl at his best friend as she slunk away in the direction of her husband. By contrast, Paul was smiling, completely oblivious as to what had gone on between his wife and Logan's stepsister. He was surrounded by a plethora of investors, bankers, accountants and geeks – totally his crowd.
“Sophie?” She continued to stand there, her face expressionless – unless you could call nothingness an expression. She was completely closed off, remote, untouchable. “Talk to me. What did Jan say?”
“Oh, what didn't she say, Logan?” She tried to push past him, but he grabbed her arm in an iron grip.
“We need to talk. I don't know what Jan told you, but you have to hear my side of things.”
“Logan,” she sighed, looking at him for the first time, aloof and obviously upset – her hands shook as she reached for his where it still gripped her. “I've heard your side of it, just now. From her.”
“Jan is a drama queen, she always has been.”
She ignored his statement, prying his fingers from her arm. He didn't want to let her go, resisting her tugs. “So, she was the girl you loved when we first met? She's very pretty.”
“Jan?” For a moment his mind went blank, struggling to think up a reason that she would think he'd been in love with his best friend. Oh, yeah. Shit, he remembered letting her believe he and Jan had some form of relationship the night of their parents' wedding. “Dance with me.”
She looked at him as though he were mad, and perhaps he was, but she was still trying to disentangle herself from his grip and he knew without a doubt, if he let her go, she would distance herself from him. Damn Jan for telling her...whatever she had. He could only assume that she'd told Sophie about the spiral of self-destruction he'd been stuck in when she'd had to come rescue him from himself.
That was none of Sophie's business. It
should have remained between him and his friend. Some friend, tattling to the other side. “Dance. With. Me.”
She gave in, putting her hand in his, and he led them to the floor. His heart beating fast and faster, he took her in his arms and felt that awesome feeling of sheer rightness. She belonged here, with him like this. It was now or never.
“Sophie, tell me what she said,” he whispered, pulling her closer so that the entire length of her body was fitted to his. It was a slow, bluesy number, perfect for slow dancing.
Sighing, she rested her head on his chest and he had had to lower his to hear the soft words that came from her lips. “She told me the story of us. Only the parts that were missing, she filled them in. How you struggled and hid your feelings all along, for my sake, because after Mom's death, I was broken.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “I did.” So far, it wasn't as bad as he'd expected. So far.
“She told me how you would call her up sometimes after speaking to me on the phone, your heart breaking and wishing you hadn't moved away. She told me you spoke to her of your own feelings for your dad after their deaths.” She sounded betrayed.
It was all true. Sometimes he had to speak to Jan, get another perspective on things. When Sophie would call him in the middle of the night, fear and heartbreak riding her body, those first few months, he would have to call Jan after, just to clear his own head.
He hadn't wanted to burden her with his pain and confusion. Although, he could see from her perspective how it had seemed like a betrayal. If she was able to open up to him, surely he should have been able to open up to her. But it wasn't as easy as that. If he'd lost his shit, Sophie would have followed his lead. Everything he'd done, he'd done to keep her from falling apart in the aftermath. “Don't be angry with me. You never wanted to hear about Jan from me, so I avoided talking about anything to do with her.”
Stepbrother, Mine Page 24