All of Me (All Series Book 2)

by Ann, Natalie

  “You and Alec are pretty thorough, aren’t you?”

  Again, was that meant to be a loaded question? He tested the water. “I don’t know about Alec, but I am.” She blushed, actually blushed. The cool, collected and sophisticated Sophia Mansfield just blushed like a schoolgirl.

  “Well, if we’re done here…” she said trailing off, meeting his stare.

  They weren’t nearly as done as she thought. He lifted his hand and traced his knuckle down the side of her face. He had to touch her. He couldn’t be this close to her and not. Not now, not with them both single. For a brief moment she leaned into his touch, then stopped and took a step back.

  “Phil, we can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “That night was a mistake. We both had too much to drink and got carried away. Let’s forget it ever happened and go back to the way things were.”

  “Yeah, we both had too much to drink and got carried away. No, we aren’t going back to the way things were before. There is no way to do that now.”

  “I don’t see why we can’t.”

  “We can’t because I will never forget that night. You would be lying to yourself and to me if you say you can forget it.”

  She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and composed her features. Then opened them up and looked at him almost pleading. “Phil, I don’t want to ruin our friendship. It’s too valuable to me. Your whole family is. Let’s not make this any more complicated than it is.”

  He bent down and pressed his lips to hers, heard her sigh, felt the sway of her body, the moment where she let go, and he deepened the kiss even more. No way. He would never forget the way she felt in his arms. He lifted his head, looked down at the glazed look in her green eyes, the slight flush on her cheeks, then watched as she stepped back quickly.

  He walked away, opened the front door, turned and waited until her green eyes met his brown ones. “It’s already complicated. I’ve waited long enough.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You’re smart. Figure it out.” He turned and quietly shut the door behind him.

  Related

  “Kaitlin, what a pleasant surprise,” Sophia said a few hours later when she opened her front door.

  “I wanted to stop over and see how you were settling in,” Kaitlin said, lifting her arms, “and bring you a housewarming gift.”

  Sophia reached forward and took the plant out of Kaitlin’s hands, then eyed the gift bag. “Is that what I hope it is?”

  “Chocolate almond biscotti, your favorite.”

  “It’s so good to be close by again. I can’t tell you how I’ve missed those.” She grabbed them greedily, opened the bag and took a sniff. “These are fresh. Did you make them this morning?”

  “Of course.” She followed Sophia into the sunroom and took notice of the more than a dozen plants already lining the walls, perfectly arranged to get the proper amount of sun. “Oops, guess I wasn’t the only one who thought about a plant.”

  “There is always room for more green growing things,” Sophia said warmly. Everyone knew Sophia loved houseplants. She seemed to have the magical touch with them.

  “These weren’t at my house, so they all have to be new. Who sent them?”

  Turning to the right, Sophia gestured. “On this wall we have my mother’s.” Then turning to the left. “And over here, my father’s.”

  “Ah, competition again. Looks like your dad won. I count seven. Who sends an odd number like that?”

  Sophia chuckled. “My father, knowing that my mother never would.”

  “And you even separated them on different ends of the room,” Kaitlin said, amused.

  “It’s the only way they can get along,” Sophia replied, chuckling. “Let’s go sit and have some biscotti. Do you want some coffee or tea?”

  “Water is good. And only one biscotti for me. I refuse to gain more weight than necessary.”

  “You better get that thought out of your head. You’re carrying twins. You know you will gain more, Kaitlin.”

  “I know. I just don’t want to go back to that chubby kid I used to be,” she said, running a hand lovingly around her little belly.

  “There is no way you will. You know that. You’re too disciplined. Just stay away from the sweets. More for me this way,” Sophia said, reaching into the bag and pulling out two of the rich chocolate treats.

  “I don’t understand how you can eat like you do and never worry. Your curves always stay in the right places, too,” Kaitlin said, pouting.

  “Good metabolism, lots of water, and you know I do yoga every day. Other than that, I really don’t eat as much as you think. I’m too busy at work to eat more than a yogurt for lunch. Then too tired at night to eat more than a bowl of cereal half the time. It’s hard to gain any weight that way,” she said, taking a healthy bite of her biscotti while her coffee brewed.

  “Enough about your perfect body,” Kaitlin said. “What do you think of the house? Are you settling in okay?”

  Sophia chuckled. Her body was anything but perfect. In her eyes, her hips were too wide, her chest too big—though not as big as Kaitlin’s—and she was too short at five foot four. But she had a tiny waist and a toned body, so she could pull off her curves just right. “The house is perfect. And I’m all unpacked and settled in.”

  There was no way she was telling Kaitlin she stayed up past midnight each night to get it all put away. She couldn’t stand the clutter and the boxes, but working as much as she had been with the tax season coming to an end, she’d had no other choice.

  “I knew you would love it. Actually the sunroom was the deciding factor for me. Once I saw that, I was confident this was the place for you,” Kaitlin said, opening up her bottle of water and taking a sip.

  “Speaking of the house. Why didn’t you tell me your brothers were my landlords?”

  “I didn’t think it mattered. Plus, I sort of figured you would have known. How else would I have found a place so fast?” she said, adding a sly grin.

  That was true, and Sophia felt even more like a fool for not realizing that herself. What was done was done, and she really did love the ranch house. “I received the new tenant tour today. You can imagine my surprise when your brother showed up.”

  “Alec probably laughed at you if he noticed your shock.”

  “It was Phil,” Sophia said, looking away and busying herself with her coffee.

  “Really?” Kaitlin said, surprised. “He must have lost a bet. Alec almost always does the new tenant walk-through. Though honestly, Phil has changed. Or I should say Phil is back to the brother I remembered from years ago. So maybe he offered.”

  Interesting, Sophia mused, but pushed that thought aside. Since Kaitlin brought it up, maybe she could find out a few things. “Changed, how so?”

  “He’s warmer now. He always was, don’t get me wrong. But he seems lighter, almost happier than I’ve seen him in a long time. For the last few years he spent very little time with family alone. Linda always had to be by his side and he almost always left miserable. I really don’t know how or why he stayed with her so long when he seemed so unhappy.”

  “What did happen between them?” She hated asking, but she really wanted to know. Besides, she hadn’t seen any of the side Kaitlin just described over the last few years, at least directed at her.

  The handful of times she saw Phil each year he was always warm and lighthearted. Friendly, teasing, and flirting with her. Even considerate and gentlemanly. Always rushing ahead and opening a door for her, or offering to get her something or giving her a helping hand. It was sweet and something she hadn’t been used to from the men she’d dated in the past.

  But when she had been around him with Linda close by, in those instances he didn’t have much to say. She figured Linda was jealous and it was best to keep the peace.

  “I’m not sure exactly. We all saw the writing on the wall toward the end. They were so happy in the beginning, it seemed. But after a year she started
to pressure him to move in together. He never did. They stayed at each other’s houses plenty, but he would never commit. I found it odd and I think she did too. I mean at that point they were both over thirty. Why wait? If it’s not right or not working out, move on.”

  “True. But maybe he still wasn’t sure,” Sophia interjected.

  “Possibly. But the more time that went on, the more pressure Linda put on him. The more she pressured him, the more he pulled away. There were a few periods we thought for sure Phil was going to end things, but then nothing happened. No one really asked. But little by little our family was growing tired of her antics and her jealousy—the tight rein she kept on him.”

  “What was the final straw?”

  “I honestly don’t know. I hate to think I had something to do with it.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, Phil ended things with her shortly before my engagement to Ryan. A few weeks prior to their breakup, they stopped at my parents’ house one night when I was having doubts about Ryan. She said a few things I never expected her to say. My mother lost her temper and I had never seen Phil so angry before.”

  “What did Linda say?” Sophia asked, interested. She couldn’t imagine Isabel losing her temper over anything. Isabel Harper had her rules for her house, but other than that, she was one of the most laid-back mothers Sophia had ever come in contact with.

  Not to mention Phil getting angry. Never. Sophia wasn’t sure he had it in him either. He was so much like his mother. Always so nurturing of others. Putting them first and giving more than he ever took.

  Kaitlin waved her hand. “It doesn’t matter. Either way, shortly after, Phil told her to get all her things out of his house and that was it.”

  Sophia thought back to what Phil had said earlier this morning, that he had waited long enough. She truly didn’t know what he meant by it. But suddenly, based on what Kaitlin was saying, she realized right around the time Phil broke up with Linda, she had found out about her promotion to partner. And that she would be relocating to Saratoga.

  She wasn’t sure it was related, but part of her had a feeling it might be. If that was true, it was even worse in Sophia’s eyes. She didn’t want to be the rebound girl to begin with, but now she wondered if she might be the reason he ended his relationship.

  ***

  .

  “Good, you’re both here,” Sean Callahan, Harper Construction’s CFO, said to both Phil and Alec.

  Alec turned away from Phil’s desk where they were going over construction designs. “What’s up?”

  “I just got off the phone with Franklin Associates and they want to file an extension for our taxes,” he said in annoyance.

  “And that is bad?” Phil asked. He truly didn’t know. All that number stuff was beyond him. He knew the basics, read all the profit and loss reports, suffered through meetings on balance sheets and cash flows, but taxes were well beyond his scope of understanding. That was what Sean was paid for.

  “Yes, it’s bad, well, in my eyes. I gave them everything they needed in early February. There is no reason for the extension. I hate having anything filed late and I’ve been hounding them for weeks.”

  “Anything we can do about it?” Alec asked.

  Sean crossed his arms in front of him. “I’m going to make a few calls to the partners and get some answers. But I really think we should consider changing firms. Besides, I told both of you that I think we need to start having independent audits. With as big as Harper’s is getting, it looks good to show we are not only fiscally sound, but responsible on top of it.”

  “Makes sense,” Alec said. “But if you get them to file on time, can they do the audit? Or would you prefer to walk away from them?”

  “I think we should walk away. I’m going to put pressure on them to get the taxes filed first, maybe threaten to take our business elsewhere and see if it makes a difference. The question is, do I have your approval to shop around for other firms?”

  Phil looked at Alec. He wanted to suggest Sophia, but wouldn’t. He didn’t think it should come from him. She was prideful and he didn’t want her to think he was showing favoritism. But if it came from Alec, then it wouldn’t be so bad in his mind. “Sure, you can look around and let us know what you come up with. If you need one of us to call Franklin’s let me know.”

  “Before I make any calls or shop around for a new firm, do you guys know of anyone? I’m not as familiar with the area as you are.”

  Phil stared harder at Alec, willing him to say it. Where was that twin-bond thing when he needed it? They had it enough as kids. One of them would think something and the other one seemed to understand.

  “Oh, hey. How about Sophia?” Alec said, looking at Phil.

  Phil resisted rolling his eyes. He didn’t think his brother was that slow.

  “Who’s Sophia,” Sean asked.

  “Our sister’s best friend. She’s a CPA and just relocated here as a partner to run her firm’s newest location. I don’t remember the name of the firm, though.”

  “The Wells Group,” Phil supplied.

  “Sounds good,” Sean said. “With your permission, if I don’t get anywhere with Franklin today, I’ll give her a call and see if by some stroke of luck she can get everything filed in the next week before the deadline. Then I’ll talk to her about auditing the business on top of it.”

  Separate

  Sophia laid her head on the desk. Figures. Seven days till April fifteenth and she gets a call from the CFO of Harper Construction explaining their situation and all but begging her to get everything filed on time. She tried to assure him that filing an extension wasn’t a big deal, but she understood his frustration on top of it.

  There was no way she could say no. First off, the Harpers were family to her, and family helped each other. Second of all, when Sean mentioned they were looking for a new firm to contract with full-time—one to audit and possibly take on more services—Sophia couldn’t turn down the coup that just dropped in her lap.

  She would have never used her family connection to score Harper Construction. That wasn’t how she operated. But she couldn’t help being thrilled that it all fell in her lap this way.

  Client meetings were part of her job. Trying to find new clients and bring in more business—she excelled at that. She knew that was one of the reasons she made partner at only thirty years old. She’d had a knack for garnering new business.

  She was comfortable in those settings. Marketing was fun to her. She stood by their services and was proud of The Wells Group. Having her choice of firms when she graduated from Stanford, she went with the one that conformed to her style the best. And she’d been happy with them as employers. It was a good fit.

  After moving around as much as she had growing up, she’d learned to adjust to any setting. Learned to understand the people around her and earn their trust.

  She always found it amusing that whatever school she happened to be at, she ended up in the popular group with very little effort on her part. She always suspected it was mainly her name that got her there, but she used it to her benefit.

  Frankly, she could have done without all the cattiness of those girls back then. Like any popular group, once they found their target they started their routine of torture on some unfortunate girl, whether she didn’t dress nice enough for them, or she wasn’t pretty enough, or maybe they were jealous of her. Sophia always ended up befriending those poor tortured girls, earning their trust, and turning them into something they wanted to be.

  It was a talent she had. She could take anyone, the shiest most awkward-looking and dressing girl and turn her into something spectacular. She enjoyed it and used those talents in her career.

  Being able to relate to just about anyone, get along with anyone and adapt to her surroundings had done her well in her life and her profession. As much of a perfectionist she was, she could be flexible. In the end she found most people enjoyed being around her for those characteristics.

>   It was odd, really. She became so adaptable as a product of her upbringing. She never wanted the emotional upheaval that always went on in her house. Being agreeable seemed to work at those times.

  As an adult she modified being agreeable to work in her favor and get her the end results she was striving for. Oftentimes, helping others in the end as well. She enjoyed the challenge it brought, turning something around to benefit everyone.

  Matter of fact, that was how she met Kaitlin in the first place. She’d had many neighbors in Manhattan, but Kaitlin was a walking mess when she met her.

  She was never so happy for the day they ran into each other in the hallway. Kaitlin was standing there in a plaid jumper and penny loafers. Sophia had all she could do not to burst out laughing.

  That was the start of the best and longest friendship she’d ever had.

  And thoughts of Kaitlin brought her mind right back to Phil. That was also the start of an odyssey over the man she would find herself falling in love with and thinking she could never have.

  ***

  “Phil, hold up. Do you have a minute?” Sean yelled as Phil was walking out the door.

  Turning, he asked, “Sure, what do you need?”

  “Can we go back to my office? I’ve got some papers for you to look over.”

  Phil sighed. He hated accounting, but he knew it was part of the business. So he followed Sean back to his office and prepared to suffer through it. He lifted his hand for the papers that Sean handed him. “What is it?”

  “It’s the contract for The Wells Group. I spoke with Sophia Mansfield yesterday morning after I met with you and Alec.”

  “You didn’t get anywhere with Franklin, I’m assuming?” Not that Phil cared, but he felt he better ask and not give away any sign of his personal feelings toward Sophia.

  “No. They said they couldn’t do it. I even threatened to go elsewhere and they tried to backpedal, but in the end, they said they were too busy. I talked with Sophia—of the very sexy voice—and she said if I got everything she needed to her by the end of the day she would take a look and let me know.”