“You too, Dom.”
Then he was gone.
And sure enough, when I lay down later that night and drifted to sleep, I had nothing but sweet dreams.
Chapter Fifteen
Dominic
The unexpected sound of a throat clearing made me jerk my head up from the work I’d been absorbed in. I’d been so busy working on the Arizona deal that I’d barely had time to come up for air the past several days. The only communication I’d had with Sophia was through texts and a handful of minutes here and there in passing. Needless to say, I was getting sick of it. I missed her like crazy, but work was work. I was just hoping the deal would close soon and all the overtime I’d been working would come to a stop.
Lola waltzed into my office with a look on her face I’d seen all too often growing up. It was a look my mother perfected and taught her only daughter—pure determination.
I tipped my chin in acknowledgment. “Shorty.”
“What are you doing?” she demanded, taking a seat across from me and crossing her arms and legs, haughtily.
“Uh….” I scanned my desk, so loaded with paperwork I could barely see the wooden surface beneath. “Working?”
Her face scrunched in an angry pout. “You know she’s been talking to those guys from the contest for almost two weeks, right?”
I didn’t need a mirror to know my expression had grown dark. “And whose fault is that?”
She threw her hands up in exasperation. “I was trying to get you to move your ass! I thought you’d get the lead out if you were afraid there was competition!”
“Real brilliant thinking you did there, little sister,” I snarled through gritted teeth. “Christ, you’re just as bad as Ma.”
She actually had the nerve to gasp in offense. “Take that back!”
I leaned back in my chair with a heavy sigh and ran my fingers through my hair, suddenly feeling even more tired than I had five minutes before. “Why are you here, Lola?”
“Maybe because I want my big brother to have the same kind of happiness I have with Grayson, and I know exactly who could give that to him. I guess I’m just selfish like that.”
Oh yeah, she was most definitely just like Ma. I rolled my eyes and replied, “Oh, don’t act so self-righteous. It doesn’t look good on you.”
She huffed and tossed her head back. “Okay, fine. So part of it’s that I still really want Sophia as a sister. But you keep cocking it all up.”
My eyebrows shot into my hairline. “Cocking it up? You go British without telling me, babe?”
Lola snatched a pen off my desk and tossed it in the general vicinity of my head. “You know what I mean. Why aren’t you making your move?”
Well isn’t that interesting? I knew those three women basically shared everything with each other. To know Sophia hadn’t said a word about our time together spoke volumes—I just wasn’t sure if it was good or bad. Instead of inquiring further, I simply said, “Slow and steady wins the race.”
She snorted her disdain. “Yeah? Well it could also mean you end up dead last.” She leaned forward to stress her point. “Or not even in the race at all.”
My curiosity was piqued, to say the least. Maybe Lola’s intel on those other assholes could help me out. “She say anything to you about those guys?”
“Pfft. No,” she grunted unhappily. “She’s being tightlipped about it, real sketchy. Daphne and I don’t hear about any of them until she does her weekly updates on air, and she’s only had one so far.”
Well shit.
“Look, just leave this thing with Sophia and me to Sophia and me. I don’t need you sticking your nose in it and screwing shit up for me. Just let me handle it, okay?”
“In order to handle it, you’d actually have to do something.”
She wasn’t letting up. It was the Abbatelli in her. So I said the only thing I could that would get her the hell off my back. “Stay out of it or I’m going to tell Ma you’ve been talking to me about how much you want a baby.”
She sucked in an affronted breath and harshly whispered, “You wouldn’t.”
I propped my elbows on the desk and narrowed my gaze on her. My threat to get our nosey, overprotective helicopter mom involved wasn’t a bluff. “Oh you bet I would. Now, you going to stay out of my business?”
Standing from the chair with a petulant look on her face, she declared, “You’re a jerk,” before stomping out of my office like an unruly kid.
Ah, sisters.
I went back to work, losing track of time until a knock came on my office door. I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Jesus Christ, Lola,” I swore. “Will you just back the hell off—” I looked up and stopped dead.
“Not Lola.” Sophia grinned and held up a white paper bag. “I’m guessing she did something to set you off. I brought you lunch, if that helps.”
“You brought me lunch?”
She dipped her head at the surprise in my voice, blushing so furiously I could see it from across the room. “Well, yeah. I mean, unless you aren’t hungry.”
“No, I am,” I spoke quickly. “I am. Thank you. I guess I didn’t even realize it was lunchtime.”
She stepped farther inside and closed the door behind her. “I’m not surprised. You’ve been working kind of crazy hours lately. I haven’t….” She hesitated, sat down, and started pulling wrapped subs out of the bag, refusing to meet my eyes as she mumbled shyly, “I haven’t really seen you much the past few days.”
Fuck me, but that timid persona she was sporting was cute as hell. “I missed you too. Like fucking crazy, butterfly.” And that was the God’s honest truth.
The smile she graced me with was so goddamned brilliant it nearly blinded me. She passed one of the sandwiches to me and started unwrapping her own. “So, what did your sister do this time?”
I raked a hand through my hair, tousling it more than it already was. “Nothing new, just turning into a younger version of our mother more and more every day.”
She’d just taken a bite and proceeded to choke on it, coughing uncontrollably for several seconds. “Oh God. Don’t let her hear you say that.”
“Already said it to her face.” I started laughing and she joined in. Rising from my chair, I headed to the fully stocked mini-fridge that came with my office and retrieved two bottled waters. I handed one to Sophia and leaned down to place a kiss to her forehead before moving back around my desk, unable to help myself where she was concerned.
She watched me as I sat, a look of astonishment on her face before shaking it off.
We ate in silence for a few minutes before the question nagging at my brain became too much to hold in. “How’s it going with your little contest? Find the man you’re going to spend the rest of your life with yet?” The words left a bitter taste in my mouth as they rolled off my tongue, but I had to ask. I needed to know where I stood.
“Oh, uh….” She diverted her attention, looking all around until finally landing on a spot just over my shoulder. “Um, no,” she answered several heart-stopping seconds later. “It’s nothing like that. Most of them are….” Her face scrunched up in adorable distaste. That was answer enough. But…
“And the others?”
“Friendly” was all she would supply, and then she changed the subject. “I got you something.” She leaned down and rummaged through her large purse sitting on the floor at her feet. A moment later she set a small trophy on my desk, about five inches tall.
I picked it up to read the inscription and busted out laughing. “‘I didn’t piss my pants in the haunted house.’ Really?”
“Thought you’d get a kick out of that.” She giggled. “So what’s your plan for our next night out?”
The fact that she’d brought up us spending another evening together on her own made me want to beat my chest and howl triumphantly. It told me I was further along with her than I’d expected. Fuck, that felt amazing.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head abo
ut what I’ve got in mind.” I smirked and shot her a wink. “I’ll come up with something brilliant.”
She lifted one brow and gave me a sexy, wicked little grin. “Then I’m looking forward to it.”
We finished our lunch and she left a short time later. I was still riding the high of her unexpected visit when my cell started to ring. The name on the screen turned my entire mood to shit.
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” I growled to myself as I rejected the most recent of the tons of calls I’d been getting from Chelsea daily. The phone started ringing again two seconds later.
“Are you out of your fucking mind?” I asked in lieu of “hello.” “Is that the issue here? You’re just too fucking crazy to take a hint?”
“I don’t like being ignored,” she hissed, venom in her voice.
“I’d suggest you get used to it, you spoiled, psychotic bitch, because this is the last time you’ll ever talk to me. You made your bed, now you have to lie in it. Not my problem if you’re second-guessing your decision to hitch your ass to an old, selfish bastard.”
“You’re such a—”
I cut her off mid-yell by hanging up. Then I blocked her number completely. No way in hell was I letting that woman screw up any chances I had with Sophia. I loved her more than life, and I was so close to getting her back.
Nothing and no one was going to jeopardize that.
Chapter Sixteen
Sophia
From: HarleyLover
To: Sophia
Sophia,
Before we take this any further, I think it’s wise to make sure we’re on the same page when it comes to what’s expected in a partner.
How attached to your job are you? When I imagined getting married and starting a family, I pictured my wife staying home with the kids. I feel that’s a woman’s true place. It’s the man’s job to earn for his family, so I need to know that you’d be willing to quit your little radio show if this goes anywhere…
I didn’t even finish reading the e-mail. It was just too ridiculous. It was safe to say HarleyLover wasn’t going to make the cut. And I didn’t feel the slightest bit guilty about that. What asshole told a woman her place was barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen?
So far it seemed like the only one of the five men worth talking to was BigSpoon. For a man who was little more than a stranger, I felt like he was actually turning into a friend. I trusted him. He was the only one I felt comfortable confiding in with everything that was going on in my life because he was the only one without a vested interest.
Well, other than winning that stupid contest to be my date to Lola and Grayson’s wedding. But he hadn’t said anything in the weeks we’d been talking to make me feel that he wanted more than a genuine friendship, which I was thankful for, seeing as I wasn’t sure I had more to offer.
Truth was my heart had belonged to the same person for the past fourteen years.
From: Sophia
To: BigSpoon
Subject: Advice
Dear Spoon,
I know this might sound weird, but did you really mean what you said about being friends? If so, I really need some friendly advice right now.
What’s your opinion on forgiveness? I mean, if someone hurt you, like really, really hurt you, but was trying to make things right, do you think you’d be able to forgive them?
I guess my fear is that people aren’t capable of changing no matter how hard they try. Do you think you’d ever be able to trust someone again after they betrayed you?
Your friend,
~Sophia
From: BigSpoon
To: Sophia
Re: Advice
Lovely Sophia,
To answer your question, yes. I absolutely meant what I said about being friends, and I’m always willing to offer advice or even just a shoulder to lean on if that’s what you need.
Now, as far as forgiveness goes, I’ll be honest. Telling you to forgive this person who hurt you is easier said than done. It’s hard to forget the pain when someone does you wrong. I can’t tell you whether you’d be right or wrong to forgive, but I can tell you that I truly believe, with all my heart, that a person can change.
None of us are perfect. We all make mistakes. You have to follow your gut and make your own decision if you think you should let them back in.
I don’t know if this helps you at all, but I’m here if you need me.
Take care, sweet Sophia.
~BS
“You’re kidding!” Lola yelped into the microphone.
I’d just finished relating my latest week’s communications with the remaining contestants on air. I’d vaguely hit on my conversations with BigSpoon, not wanting to give too much away. I said what I could about the other two, considering there really hadn’t been much there, and I’d gone into detail about HarleyLover’s chauvinistic tendencies.
“Please tell me he’s out of the running,” Daphne asked.
“Oh yeah,” I answered. “Definitely out of the running.”
“Well, you heard it, guys,” Lola said. “We’re already down two contestants. I’m officially putting my money on BigSpoon as the winner. Stay tuned to see how this all plays out!”
I didn’t say it out loud, but I was pretty sure she was right. Although, I had a feeling we had two totally different ideas of what would happen with the winner. Lola probably assumed I’d end up falling madly in love, while all I was considering was a platonic date to her wedding.
“All right, guys,” I chimed in. “Time to get to today’s topic. Length or girth? Which do you think is most important?”
The entire contents of my closet were strewn across my bed, and I was still no closer at finding something to wear than I’d been an hour ago. It had been two weeks since my lunch with Dominic in his office, and he was finally able to dig himself out of all the paperwork he’d been buried under for the past month. We were going out for the evening he had planned, and even though I’d tortured him with the haunted house and scary movies, I was excited for what he had in store.
We communicated the best we could, and had had several lunch dates where I bought food for both of us and kept him company in his office. We hadn’t spoken again about the competition, not that there was much to talk about. Other than BigSpoon, the other two guys had left me underwhelmed. But I was thankful nonetheless. Talking about them didn’t feel right, like a betrayal to Dominic.
“What do you think I should wear, Lancelot?” I looked down at the little English bulldog puppy I’d gotten a week ago. All he had to offer was a small grunt of boredom before collapsing on his side for one of his many snoozes. Then he proceeded to fart his disinterest in my wardrobe selection.
“A lot of help you are, ya little fatty.” I smiled and bent to scoop him up. He was a pudgy, lazy little snort machine, and I absolutely adored him. I needed to remember to thank BigSpoon for helping me pull the trigger.
I lifted his wrinkly face to mine. “All he said was dress comfortably. Such a man thing to say. ‘Comfortable’ could mean anything.”
Lancelot gave me a soft huff in agreement—or at least I chose to believe it was in agreement.
I spent another twenty minutes fretting before finally deciding on a pair of skinny jeans and a plain white V-neck T-shirt with a hem that rested just below my hips. I chose a comfortable pair of brown suede booties with a thick heel, then accessorized with a chunky brown and gold belt that rested on my hips and some thin gold necklaces and bracelets.
I’d just finished putting the finishing touches on my appearance when a knock came at my front door. “He’s here,” I said with a touch of hysteria to an uncaring Lancelot. It felt like I was the high school wallflower being picked up by the popular quarterback for our prom. I hadn’t been this excited or nervous—or nauseous—since my first date with Dominic over fourteen years ago.
I attempted to pull in a calming breath, then headed for the door with Lancelot’s nails clacking on the hardwood floor as he followe
d down the stairs after me.
I opened the door and my ovaries practically exploded. God, he was delicious. I managed to pull my tongue back into my mouth long enough to get out a breathy “Hi,” but the sight of him dressed in a pair of perfectly fitted jeans, a thermal that hugged his muscles in all their glory, and a black leather jacket a la James Dean was burned into my retinas. All of that, coupled with his impeccably mussed hair, was enough to make any woman stupid.
“Wow, butterfly. You look amazing.” He leaned in and gently pressed a kiss to my lips before pulling away. “And who’s this?”
I squatted to pick my baby up and held him out in introduction. “Dominic, this is Lancelot. Lancelot, meet Dominic.”
My little guy’s tongue shot out and licked Dom’s chin affectionately. He laughed at Lancelot, cradling the small dog in his large arms. A man as handsome as Dominic cuddling a cute puppy? Good Lord, the sight was better than any porn I’d ever seen.
“He’s adorable,” he told me, leaning down to place my wriggly little guy back at our feet. “When did you get him?”
“About a week ago. And he’s officially the love of my life.”
“Damn, little man,” Dom said to the dog. “You’re going to be some stiff competition.”
He chuffed in response, which I took as doggie language for “You bet your ass.” I opened the coat closet right next to the front door and pulled out my favorite soft, light brown leather bomber jacket. After slipping my arms through the sleeves, I squatted to give Lancelot a kiss on his nose, grabbed my purse, and then Dominic and I stepped out so I could lock up.
“So will you finally tell me where you’re taking me?” I asked as Dominic as we buckled up.
He started up the car and gave me a sneaky grin. “Nope. It’s a secret.”
I stuck my bottom lip out in a pout and scowled at the windshield. “You know I hate surprises, right?”
Tempting Sophia Page 10