by H. M. Ward
Sophie shakes her head. “No, and I never said he could. What’s going on with you and him, Sky? Sometimes you get this look in your eye, like you might chop off his head, and other times, well—”
“There are no other times.”
“I’m your best friend, Sky. You can tell me.”
I don’t want to. I don’t want to admit it to myself. Nick played me last night. It’s the second time I was stunned by his warm lips and hot hands. The thing is, I know it’s all an act, but my heart seems to have missed that memo. “He’s attractive, that’s all. Besides, you never answered my question.”
“You never answered mine.” Sophie sits up and looks at me, her hands on her knees. The bed dips where she sits as she waits for me to mirror her. I do and look her in the eye. It’s what we did when we were younger. It’s the truth stance. You can’t lie when you sit that way, feet tucked under your butt, and eye to eye with your bestie. “Do you like him?”
“Yes,” I grudgingly bite off the word. “Do you love Steven?”
She smiles slowly. “Yes. He’s quiet compared to you, Sky. That’s all. He isn’t like anyone I’ve ever known. Isn’t that what your husband is supposed to be?”
I nod. “You’re right.” I take her hands, “And I’m glad.”
“About Nick?”
“There’s nothing to tell. He used me.”
Sophie drops my hands and blurts out, “Oh my God! You had sex with him!”
“No! He kissed me.” My voice warbles and I look away.
“Oh no, Sky…” The way she says my name makes me look up. “You love him.”
“I do not! He’s just getting to me. It hurts because he doesn’t think of me that way. That’s all.”
Her eyes sweep my neck. “Where’s your kiss?” She means the thimble that’s usually on a chain around my neck. I didn’t put it back on after Nick gave it back to me. It seemed like a good time to stop dreaming that the right guy would come along. It happens for some people, just not me.
“I took it off.” I don’t explain and start to get up, but Sophie yanks my arm back.
“We are not done yet. You’ve worn that since you were twelve years old. Every day. Why’d you take it off?” Sophie stares me down, but I can’t tell her. “Sky, say it. I won’t judge.”
“I gave it to him. He gave it back. He calls me Wendybird.” Sophie’s jaw drops. She gets it. I stand and stomp around the room, not understanding why he locked me inside last night. My eyes sting like I might cry.
I blurt out, “I thought he understood me and I know he’s at least read that book. He knew the thimble was a kiss and he gave it back. And when he kissed me for real, I could barely breathe. My heart beat up when his beat down. I noticed. Everything was perfect, but he’s a player and I’m not. It’s one-sided, Soph. Don’t read into it, please. You’ll only make it harder for me.”
“What do you mean?”
I cringe. “Your cousin’s bet…”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“Nick and I have a second bet going.” I stare blankly as I talk, my eyes slipping over the closet doors and their golden pulls. “I bet some things I shouldn’t have.” My heart beats faster thinking about it.
“What’d you bet?”
Turning, I look her in the eye and cringe. “Me.”
Sophie’s eyes turn into basketballs as she gasps. “Why would you? How could you do that? I mean, are you insane? You like him, so you bet against yourself so you can sleep with him? What the hell is wrong with you?” I’ve never seen her this mad.
“I don’t know, Sophie. I just know that when Nick is around, I feel more alive. I feel this pull to him. It’s like he’s a magnet and I’m a piece of scrap metal. I can’t stay away from him. His voice makes me warm and happy—at least, when he’s not pretending to be his usual, asshole self.”
“So, the guy who sang like a fool so you could get your shot—you love that guy?”
I nod. “Yeah, but he’s buried under mountains of Ferro pride and power. That guy is a shadow. He’s not real.”
“Is this a Peter Pan metaphor?” Sophie blinks at me and her brow scrunches as she tries to figure it out.
“No, Soph. It’s a real life problem. How do you fall in love with someone you barely know, a person who’s hardly there anymore?”
Sophie’s big eyes are filled with remorse. She shakes her head and her dark hair falls over her shoulder. “I don’t know, Sky.”
“He told me that he’s here to crush me. He’s not going to stop stealing my customers until he drives me out of business.” I glance up at her. “But he didn’t do your lingerie shoot?”
“No. On that note, I think we better make sure you win that bet and take some pictures before everyone wakes up.” Sophie smiles and grabs her wedding night lingerie.
“Really?” I try not to smile.
“Yeah, anything you want. You have to win this bet. I assume you get something worthwhile if you win.”
“He closes his shop and jumps off the bridge of his choice.” I grin and glance out the window. The sun is rising.
Sophie laughs, “And you’ll be there to take a picture.”
“Exactly.”
CHAPTER 24
The light is perfect and Sophie is cooperating more freely than I’d ever dreamed. We get the typical bedroom shots out of the way in no time. When she agrees to go outside, I know I’ll nail this. I’m a little bit worried about using the older camera body and lens, but my better one is trash.
Sophie looks beautiful in her white wedding lingerie. She had a real corset imported from England with steel boning. In other words, think Golden Age of Hollywood, knock out, stunningly beautiful. I lit the room that way even though old-fashioned lighting is considered harsh now. One light in a dim room, highlighting Sophie in that cream-colored corset, lace-topped thigh-highs, satin heels, and a sheer robe that trails the floor. I have her hold onto the bedpost and walk around the room like I’m not there. When she’s looking at the bed, I call her name, and her dark eyes go wide as she glances up at me. “Yeah?”
It’s a photographer’s trick. Saying someone’s name makes their eyes widen and the direct light showcases her pretty irises. I’m going to make some of the images black and white. She looks like a movie star from the forties.
“Okay, that’s about it, unless there’s something else you wanted.”
“Actually, I do. I want you to win. We are heading to the cove now. Just give me a second to change.” Sophie tries to pull the metal tabs on the front of the corset, but it’s too tight.
“Hold on.” I unlace her and she disappears into the bathroom. When she comes back out she’s wearing a silky cream-colored piece of lingerie. The front dips down low, like to her belly button, and there’s no back – just pieces of string. The satin on the bodice flares into a skirt with a slit that goes way up to the top of her thigh where I can see a single garter. She’s removed the rest of her stuff—no stockings, no heels, and from what it looks like, no bottoms. She offers an awkward smile. “I know you wanted moonlight, but the sun isn’t very high yet. Will this work?”
“Yes!” I’m so excited that I literally squeal. It’s contagious because Sophie responds with giggles. She grabs her coat and I take a few towels before we leave the room. It’s still early and hardly anyone is moving around yet. The halls are empty, but we don’t want to risk running into anyone in the elevator. We sneak to the stairwell, trying to reach the shore unnoticed.
That’s when I hear his voice, Nick’s. He’s on the landing below. The carpeting muffles the sound, so he doesn’t know we’re there.
“I know and I am.” He speaks firmly, but I have the clear distinction that someone is talking down to him. Silence and then, “Nothing will change and it’s already done, just make sure she doesn’t find out.” He sighs and I peer over the railing. He’s wearing the clothes he had on last night. They’re rumpled like he slept in them. Nick runs one hand over his head and growls into his p
hone, “I said I can do this and I have. This is the final nail. I told you I could do it, so you better hold up your end of the deal.” I back away from the railing when he ends the call.
Nick is sitting on a step and staring at the wall. It seems like this is the last place he wants to be, and right now, this is the last place Sophie wants to be, but it’s too late. Nick stretches, sighs and looks straight up—our eyes lock.
He was talking about me. He had to be. Even so, I can’t shake this feeling that something’s off. Nick is all business and always has been. I decide that I’m going to act like nothing’s happening. I take Sophie’s hand and drag her reluctantly past him. I expect him to pelt me with questions, but he doesn’t.
When I brush past him, Nick is still sitting on the step. He reaches for my hand, stopping me. “Sophie, can you give us a minute?”
“No, she can’t.” I pull away and all the magical qualities of his touch fade. It’s the worst feeling in the world.
Nick doesn’t move. “I’m sorry about last night and I’m glad you weren’t hurt. I never thought you’d go out the window.”
I turn and look first at him and then back at Sophie. “There are some people who are worth jumping for.”
He offers a weak smile. “I suppose there are.” He stands, dusts off his pants, and adds, “And I’m done with pranks. Again, I’m sorry.”
No! What is he doing? He can’t act sweet one second and stoic the next. I’m starting to gnash my teeth, but Sophie grabs my arm. “Come on, Sky.”
I nod and follow her out, ranting non-stop about Nick. I must have said his name forty times by the time we reach the cove. “Sophie.” I whine her name like I’m twelve again. “What do I do with him?”
She smiles in a very un-Sophie-like manner, all sultry, and says, “Kick his ass and then take it from there.” Sophie’s dark hair hangs down her back and looks black against her pale skin. “So, should I dive in or what?”
Grinning, I reply, “I have a few ideas. How much skin do you want to show?”
“Whatever you think works. Let’s go. I’m freezing.”
“All the better for sexy pictures, my dear.”
We shoot in the early morning light. I expect Nick to come, but he doesn’t. I promised I wouldn’t shoot without him. I’m wondering if that makes the bet messed up. If he doesn’t shoot boudoir pictures of Sophie, then, while judging, she’d know these were all mine. I say what I’m thinking and she puts her hands on her hips and gives me the duh face. “So, we’re cheating?”
“No, just bending things in your favor—just a little bit.” I raise a brow at her. “Okay, a lot. You’re going to win. Period. I’m picking one of these.”
“You realize you have to display the winning picture in the lobby, right?”
Sophie’s brows come together. “What? When did you say that?”
“I didn’t. Your ass faced cousin did.” Sophie’s smile falls. “Well, then these might be a little revealing for that.”
“I’d do it just to piss off my mom.”
Sophie laughs, “You totally would, but I don’t think I could. Mr. Stevens—uh, Dad—will never look at me the same way again.” My face burns and I look away before she notices.
“So, do you want to do this last part or not?”
“I don’t do halfsies.” Sophie slips off the rock and into the water. Her gown sticks to her porcelain skin and becomes completely transparent.
I tell her what to do and she does it. Sophie hugs the rock, climbs on the rock, lays on the rock, and then floats by me with a serene smile on her face. The red lips, black hair, blue water, and golden sunlight make it completely perfect. And that piece of lingerie, being totally sheer, makes the shot sexy as hell. I wish I had a picture of me like this. Sophie looks like a goddess—I’ll have to ask Amy which one. That’s the picture, though, the best one I’ll take, and no one will see it because of what water does to white. But that’s what makes it sensual. If she hadn’t been clothed, it wouldn’t have the same effect. The image is sublime and totally perfect.
I pull my friend out of the cold water and wrap her in towels. She hands me her wet nightgown and asks me to have the hotel have it cleaned and back in her room by tonight. “Done.”
As we walk up to the path together, Sophie says, “Don’t sleep with him. It’s one thing if you lose the bet—which was the stupidest bet ever—but it’s another to give him your heart, you know? Don’t do it, Sky.” She’s worried about me. I can see it in her eyes and I don’t want today to be about me at all. I’ve been selfish as it is. She’s getting married tonight and I’ve been blathering about me all morning.
“I won’t.” I give her a hug and hurry her inside, but the lie burns my tongue. I didn’t mean to fib, but it’s one of those things that you realize is false only after you say it. Nick already has my heart. He took it when he gave me that kiss.
CHAPTER 25
I’m running late. The bride’s brunch is going to start in less than an hour and I’m not dressed yet. Nick is still in the shower. Banging on the door, I yell, “Hurry up! I need to get in there, too!”
“I slept on mud because of you. Wait your turn.” His voice is sharp, so I back away and pad over to the dresser. He’s left a watch that cost more than my car, his wallet, and the change from his pocket, all spread over the smooth surface. I can’t help it. I pick up the coins one by one and flip them over, looking for a double-sided coin.
Nick comes out, shrouded in steam, with only a towel around his waist. His dark hair is tousled and his chest is perfect. It leads up into a perfect pair of shoulders and down into a firm waist. Each ab is defined like he does sit-ups all day long. How can he look like that? Nick notices my wandering gaze. “Soon, Sky. Just wait.” He winks at me with that Ferro grin and I want to kick him.
I toss his change at his chest. “Jackass.”
“Flirt.”
“Bastard.”
“Siren.” That one makes me flinch. God, the words he chooses are too much. They’re exactly what I want to hear.
I step closer to him and smell his aftershave. The scent could make me orgasmic. What is that? Pheromones of Ferro? “Rat bastard.”
He smiles softly and looks down at me. “You said that already.”
“No I didn’t. It’s an entirely different level of bastard. You’re king of the bastards.”
He maintains eye contact and leans so close to my mouth that our lips brush, “It’s good to be king.”
I shove his chest. “Of all the stupid things to say.”
He grabs my waist and pulls me close. “I’m a guy, Sky. I have balls, not breasts. What’d you think I was going to say? That you’re my shadow and I had no idea how lost I was without it? Do you think I’ll ask you to sew it on so we can fly away together? Is that what you want to hear?” Holy shit. It feels like he sucker punched me in the stomach. I tear myself away, refusing to show how much his words affect me. Nick watches me with those cold blue eyes. His gaze narrows as he reaches for his shirt. “I’m not that guy, stop looking at me like I am.”
Screw it. I’m saying whatever I want. “You don’t know who you are, so I can look at you however I damn well please. Right now, this look means I’m disgusted.”
“Disgusted? Really?”
“Truly. You act like you’re this giant asshole, but I don’t understand why. To what means? Why do you think you have to be somebody else?”
“I don’t. This is me.” He jabs his thumb into his chest.
I’m wasting time fighting with him, but I don’t want to stop. Shaking my head, I lower my lashes to the floor. “No, it’s not, but you’re right about one thing. You have no shadow, no anchor holding you down so that when the darkness comes you’re totally fucked.”
“There’s no such thing as a soul.”
“Yes, there is. There’s good and evil, right and wrong. You’re still young enough to decide what kind of man you want to be. You don’t have to become your father. No one is holdi
ng a gun to your head.”
Nick’s shoulders stiffen and he stops breathing. Bull’s-eye. I hit the man’s sore spot and he’s refusing to acknowledge it. “You have no idea what kind of man I am or what kind of hell I had to go through to get here.”
“I’m sure, poor little rich boy who doesn’t have to pay rent.”
“It’s not like that.” He grabs my arm and pulls me toward him. “Don’t assume you know me, because you don’t. If I rip your business to shreds it’s because you were too weak to fight back, so don’t blame me when the whole thing falls apart.”
My mouth is hanging open when he stops talking. I storm into the bathroom, slam the door and crank on the water. When I stand in front of the mirror, I grab the porcelain sink firmly with both hands and look at myself. I’m not weak. Is he serious? Is that why he was able to crush me so easily? I don’t want to be that kind of person, the type who cuts off her competition’s head based on speculation. He still thinks I’m a snob because I tossed him out the first day we met. I can see it on his face. Why is he holding onto that? Is that why he’s doing this to me?
My eyes glance down to the sink. As I reach for my toothbrush, I see a silver coin. I lift it and look at one side. Tails. Then I flip it over and slap it down on my palm. Heart racing, I peer under my hand. I don’t want to look. Please tell me that he’s not that kind of man. My gut is screaming that he isn’t, but his actions don’t mesh. At the same time, everything he does is inconsistent. Nick Ferro is a walking, talking enigma. He seems kind, but cheating with something like this is wrong. This means he doesn’t care about me at all, that he’s been playing me the entire time—kiss by kiss—until I’m so distracted he can blindside me. If this is a double-sided coin, I cringe, not wanting to bear the thought. It means I can’t trust myself, that I was totally wrong about him and his character. I already know he’s playing hardball, but there’s a difference between playing for keeps and cheating. Please, let it be a normal coin. Slowly, I lift my hand away and stare at the shiny object.