“Okay, fine. So let’s say you get him to agree to the ten days. You should take advantage of the time and relax, Christian. Catch up on some sleep, sit on the beach, and get some sun. I wouldn’t recommend trying anything new, because the point of this break is to let go of this anxiety.”
“I hate that word.”
Reaching out, she placed a hand over his and gently squeezed. “I’m sure you do. And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that you’re dealing with this.”
He studied her. Yesterday, when he’d finally seen her up close, she was makeup-free and she’d been beautiful. There was a small patch of freckles on the bridge of her nose and cheeks, and her hair—even up in a ponytail—looked long and luxurious.
The woman sitting beside him was breathtaking. Her hair was longer than he’d imagined and more fiery in color, with a riotous mass of curls. Her emerald eyes were wide, with the longest lashes, which looked natural. And her lips? Well…last night they had been mildly tempting, but today, painted with a red that almost matched her hair, she was a combination of Irish rose and temptress.
Which was probably the last thing he needed right now.
Knowing he could sit there and look at her until it bordered on inappropriate, he turned his hand over and squeezed hers. “Thanks. Unfortunately, there’s no one to blame for this but me. I did this to myself.”
“What do you mean?”
The first thing that hit him was that Sophie didn’t move her hand away. Here they were, virtually strangers, yet he’d reached out to her for comfort more times today than he could count. Wasn’t that odd? A little uncharacteristic of him?
“Christian?” she prompted.
“Oh…uh, I mean that I’ve turned into a bit of a workaholic who clearly has some issues with control,” he said with a self-deprecating laugh. “Erin pretty much told me that my staff has been looking for more responsibility and I’ve been hoarding the work.”
“Yikes,” she said with a small laugh. “You must really hoard, because most employees don’t go looking for more work.”
That had him laughing with her. “It was a little bit of a surprise for me to hear. No one’s said a word about it to me.”
He now realized why that was—he’d never made himself available to listen.
Sure, he’d known that most of the staff wasn’t happy with the way he was doing things, but Christian always figured it was simply because he wasn’t doing everything the same way his predecessor—his cousin Ryder—had. So he’d always blown off any comments and chalked it up to people just not liking change.
But basically, it would seem it was him they didn’t like.
And with good reason.
The thing was, he hadn’t always been this way. Back in London—at the office he had launched—Christian had a great relationship with everyone on staff. He could remember sitting in the open office space and working together as equals. Not once had he shut anyone down or thought twice about sharing the workload. Unfortunately, while he had thought he was doing a great job and being an amazing boss, he was being lied to and taken advantage of by the people he’d trusted the most.
And damn, that sting of betrayal still hurt.
“Hey,” Sophie said softly. “Where’d you go?”
Blinking, he focused on her. “What?”
She smiled and her gaze seemed to see right through him. “You seemed to go off somewhere in your own head. You okay?”
Why deny it? With a shrug, he said, “Right now? Not so much. A lot has happened today.”
She nodded with understanding and pulled her hand from his. “I should probably go so you can rest. You mentioned several times today how you hadn’t slept well. Maybe now that you’re home and know that you don’t have anything pressing to do, you’ll be able to relax and get some sleep.”
“Maybe.” The thing was, he wasn’t tired anymore. “You mentioned something about lunch,” he said, hoping he sounded interested enough for her to want to stick around. Her smile was slow and a little shy and Christian had to admit, he liked the light flush on her cheeks.
“I did,” she agreed. “Would you like me to go and get something, or do you have something here we can make and maybe eat out on the deck?”
If there was one thing he tended to do, it was keep a fully stocked refrigerator. At least, fully stocked with the makings for sandwiches and quick meals. “I’m sure we can find something here we can have,” he said, standing. “I’m not much of a cook, but I enjoy eating.”
Laughing, she joined him by the refrigerator. “Okay, let’s see what we can do!”
Then something happened that hadn’t happened in a long time.
He was relaxing.
Seriously relaxing.
As in, he could feel the tension easing from his body in a way it never had before.
And why? Because he was standing in his kitchen making sandwiches with a beautiful woman. Together they worked to make a simple meal, and the entire time, Sophie talked about her move to San Diego from her hometown in Kansas. She mentioned the culture shock of going from the Midwest to living on the coast and how she couldn’t believe how much higher the cost of living was in California.
“How much did you research before you decided to move?” he asked, piling his sandwich high with thinly sliced turkey breast.
“I’ll admit, not nearly enough. All I knew was that I wanted to see the ocean and live as close to it as I could.” Moving around him, Sophie took out the fixings for a salad to share. “You know, most of what you have here in your refrigerator is pretty healthy. The cold cuts are going to be a big no-no for you since they’re so high in sodium, but considering it was all we had to work with, I think this one last time should be okay.”
Frowning, Christian stared hard at his sandwich. “One last time? Seriously? What am I supposed to eat for lunch?”
Sophie’s husky laugh wrapped around him as she closed the refrigerator door with her hip. “Ooh…lots of good things—salads, fruit, lean proteins. You have far more options than you realize!”
“And no sandwiches,” he said hesitantly. “Like forever or temporarily or…”
“I’m beginning to think you have some sort of sandwich fetish.”
“No!” he quickly said, realizing that he sounded a wee bit like a crazy person about food. “It’s just that they’re so easy to make and all that other stuff sounds like I’m going to have to put in more of an effort than I’m used to.”
Patting his hand before she took their plates, she said, “I’m sure you’ll adjust.”
Leaning against the granite countertop, Christian watched the sway of her hips as she carried their lunch out to the deck.
Never had he so looked forward to a meal.
* * *
“I don’t know about this.”
“You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”
Sophie eyed Christian warily. “Like it or not, Christian, you had a pretty intense health scare today. You may not think that you’re tired, but trust me, you are.”
He quirked that dark brow at her again and she was finding it sexier each time. “And you know this…how?”
Sighing dramatically, she explained to him all the ways an event like what he’d experienced today—topped with the exhaustion from lack of sleep—was currently doing to his body without him realizing it.
“Basically, you think you’re fine, but your motor skills aren’t as sharp as they need to be, and I can’t in good conscience allow you to drive your car home from the office. I can’t.”
They were still sitting on the deck even though they had finished lunch over an hour ago. There was a light breeze coming off the water, and they had been so engrossed in their conversation that neither seemed to consider cleaning up and going inside. Now that they were talking about Christian’s well-being, however, Sophie suddenly
felt bad about monopolizing his time when he should be sleeping.
Standing up, she started clearing the table.
“I hate to break it to you, but I can call for an Uber to take me to pick up my car as soon as you leave,” he said, causing her to halt in her tracks.
“Christian, you have to trust me on this,” she said firmly. Sophie felt like she was dealing with a petulant child. “You’re already complaining about missing ten days of work, do you want to add to that when you crash your car because you fell asleep behind the wheel?”
With a snort, Christian stood and gathered the remainder of their lunch mess. “You may not believe this, but I’ve never had an accident. Ever. And I’ve driven home from the office on far less sleep than I had last night, after far more stressful days. I can practically do the drive with my eyes closed.” Clearly, he thought he had gotten the best of her because he gave a cocky grin and walked into the house.
“Surely you can call your assistant and someone can drive the car here to you,” she suggested as she followed him into the kitchen.
“No one has the keys,” he said.
Darn. She hadn’t thought of that.
As they worked together to clean up the kitchen, she wracked her brain for a solution that wouldn’t involve Christian driving today. She wasn’t stupid—she knew he needed his car tomorrow morning to get to the doctor, but that didn’t mean he had to be the one to get it. Maybe there was someone else they could call to go with her, and Christian could wait here and—
“I can hear you thinking from here,” Christian said with a laugh. “You need to let this go. I have already left my comfort zone in a dozen different ways today by letting so many people tell me what to do. This is one thing I’m not going to be swayed on.”
She didn’t know him all that well yet, but she was coming to realize that Christian Montgomery a) didn’t like to accept help, and b) pretty much liked to be in control at all times.
Typical man.
Wiping the countertop, she looked at him. “How about this, you call an Uber—”
“Thank you,” he said sweetly. “That’s what I said I was going to do.”
“Not finished,” she responded just as sweetly. “You call for an Uber and I go with you and drive your car home with you in the passenger seat.”
Now he looked at her as if she were crazy.
“What? What’s wrong with that?” she asked.
His initial response was part growl, part laughter. “What is it with you? Look, I appreciate everything you’ve done today. I was relieved not to be at the hospital alone. But I’m not your responsibility, Sophie. You’ve done far too much already and—and—”
“And?” she prompted, even though she had a feeling he was ready to show her the door.
His shoulders sagged and his expression went from amusement to neutral in the blink of an eye. “I’m not comfortable with having someone do so much for me. I’m not trying to be ungrateful, I swear. It’s just…”
One of the things Sophie prided herself in was her ability to be compassionate and know when someone had been pushed to their limit. Never did she want to be the kind of person who overstayed their welcome or went where they didn’t belong.
And obviously, she didn’t belong here.
With a curt nod, she looked around for her purse and went to pick it up. Taking her keys out, she turned to Christian and forced herself to smile. “I’m sorry.”
His eyes went wide. “You’re sorry?”
She nodded again. “I’ve been bulldozing you all afternoon, and that wasn’t very nice of me. You needed a ride home—or…to your office—and I did what I thought was best rather than taking your feelings into consideration. So, I’m sorry.”
Feeling the first sting of tears, she pulled out her sunglasses and slid them on before Christian could see that she was about to cry. With a smile she hoped looked sincere, she said, “I hope you feel better, Christian. And maybe I’ll see you around.”
“Sophie, I…”
But she wasn’t listening. She couldn’t.
Instead, she quickly made her way to the front door and was out before Christian could stop her. It was doubtful that he’d chase after her, and still she made herself practically run to her car. She was out of the driveway and down the street before her first tear fell.
“Dammit,” she murmured, wiping the moisture from her cheeks. And the weird thing was, she had no idea why she was crying. Why was she so upset? It wasn’t like she was surprised by the turn of events. She’d known she was going to have to leave his house eventually, so…
“I just hate that he wanted me to leave,” she admitted out loud. It would have been one thing for her to call it a day and for them to part ways when they were both smiling and laughing and maybe making plans to see one another again. It was quite another to see how badly he wanted her to go and how he really didn’t want her help.
As she drove away, she tried to do the one thing that she always did—be optimistic.
Only…it wasn’t so easy this time.
Christian Montgomery was a good man; she’d known this from their initial meeting the night before. And even today, as she’d stood by his side while ER doctors poked and prodded him, he had shown a vulnerable side. Back at his home, she’d seen yet another side of him—he could be funny and charming. But at the end of the day, he clearly preferred being alone.
And that made her sad.
Sophie was alone right now and it was her choice—her temporary choice. Moving to San Diego had meant leaving all of her friends and family behind while she chose to move to a new place sight unseen: she’d driven into the city and stayed at a hotel while she looked for a place to live. That was what she’d wanted to do—see the city first before committing to a place to live. And while she didn’t regret it, her end goal was to meet people, make friends, and have the kind of life she always wanted—one that was filled with people who knew and liked her for herself, not because they felt sorry for her or for—
She muttered a curse. “Stop it,” she reminded herself.
Negative thoughts popped into her head at the oddest of times and she knew she couldn’t let them gain a foothold.
Easier said than done.
Glancing at the dashboard clock, she noted it was a little after four. She could easily go home and change and be at the beach within the hour. Maybe a couple of hours in the water would be the best way to clear her mind. At least, that had always been how it worked since she’d decided to try surfing.
With her mind made up, she felt a little lighter. Happier. Yes, the thought of catching some waves—and maybe having a little more success than last night—seemed like the perfect way to end the day.
At her apartment, Sophie quickly stripped and changed into her suit. The weather and the water were still warm enough that she didn’t need a full wetsuit—something she knew would change in the next month or so. But for now, she was more than happy to slip on bikini bottoms and the long-sleeved top. Switching her belongings from her small purse to a canvas satchel, she slid on a pair of flip-flops and set off.
There was a little more traffic as she made her way back to the beach, but she didn’t mind. She could see the ocean and knew it wouldn’t be long until her only concern was finding the perfect wave.
If only finding her perfect life could be that simple.
And what was worse was having second thoughts about going to her usual surfing spot because it was so close to Christian’s house. She didn’t want him to think she was coming to check on him or that she was making an excuse to see him again. That would be awkward. But on the other hand, the thought of finding another surfing spot and another surf shop wasn’t the least bit appealing.
“I guess I can deal with him thinking I’m a weirdo,” she murmured as she pulled up to the surf shop.
After going th
rough the motions of getting her board and making small talk with Randy, Sophie finally walked onto the sand and kept her focus on the water—refusing to look to her left toward the row of houses.
The water was a little cool tonight, but she wasn’t deterred. Over to her right, she spotted Ollie and opted to move a little further down the shore to make sure there was no repeat of last night.
And that put her almost in front of Christian’s house.
Unable to help herself, she allowed herself one glance over her shoulder and saw that the house was dark. Sighing with relief, she turned back toward the water. Hopefully, he was sleeping and not out picking up his car, or worse, not—
“Stop it,” she told herself. “He’s a grown man and he’s not your responsibility.”
It was one thing to say it and another to believe it.
With her board at her side, Sophie forced herself to clear her mind of any and all thoughts of Christian Montgomery. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. She did it another three times and when she opened her eyes and looked at the ocean, the only thing she felt was peace.
Walking out into the water, she listened to the sound of the waves and smiled as she spotted a young family whose toddler was running away from the water every time the waves came ashore. The child’s squeal of laughter was contagious, and she stood mesmerized for several moments as she watched the scene.
A particularly high wave hit her midthigh, bringing her out of her reverie and back to the present. There were waves to catch—and tonight she was determined to stay on her board. Today she’d gone after what she wanted where the job interview was concerned, and even though it didn’t seem to have done any good, it had felt great not to back down from the challenge.
Just like right now.
Climbing onto her board, she paddled out a little farther than she normally did and was rewarded with a wave that seemed to be coming especially for her. And as she made her way into position, a wide smile on her face, she couldn’t help but hope that this was a sign that things were finally going to go her way.
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