He stares as me for a while, and then says, “She cares about you. That’s the only reason I let you inside her apartment.”
I swallow hard. “That’s why I’m here. I care about her as well.” I run a hand through my hair. “I’ve never had a woman on my mind so much.” My frown deepens and my eyes are drawn to Ryan when he laughs.
“Yeah, tell me about it.” Shaking his head, he gets to his feet. “Don’t make me regret leaving you here.” He tugs on his boots and with one last glance toward Sofia’s room and then me, he leaves and I’m left wondering what the heck to do.
I could sleep on the couch and wait until she finds me in the morning, or I can go and talk to her now. Get what I have to say off my chest, not that I’m sure of what to say so that she’ll forgive me for embarrassing her.
An hour goes by and I’m still awake and sitting in the same chair that Ryan left me in, and I think it’s time I slip into bed beside her. If I have her tangled in the sheets with me then she can’t escape and refuse to listen. With that plan in my mind, I kick my shoes off, drape my blazer over the chair arm, yank the tie completely free of my neck, and move toward her bedroom.
The door creaks as I slip inside. Moonlight streams through her bedroom windows and casts a soft shadow over her, sleeping on the bed. My heart aches at the sight and I do what I’ve wanted all evening and climb into the bed beside her.
“Ryan?” She whispers in a sleepy voice. “What are you doing?”
“It’s not Ryan,” I admit, hoping like hell she doesn’t scream the building down.
She stills beneath the soft covers, so I push forward. “I’m sorry, something I seem to be saying a lot to you. However, I am really sorry for earlier. I’ve never been one for drawing attention to myself, and when you kissed me, at first I didn’t know who it was. I hadn’t been expecting to see you there, Sofia. You took me by surprise and I reacted badly.” I caress her soft cheek with a finger, catching a tear. “I would never be ashamed to be seen with you. In fact, I’d be the luckiest man in the room to have you on my arm, and next time—if you give me a chance—I’m going to prove it to you.”
“You keep hurting me Shane. It has to stop. I don’t want to wake up every morning wondering if this is the day when you’re going to hurt me again. I can’t live like that.”
I give up and tug her completely into my arms. “Veronica wasn’t actually with me. She’d attached herself to me not five minutes before.” I kiss the top of her head. “Sleep on what I’ve told you and we’ll talk in the morning.”
“You’re going to stay?”
“Unless you ask me to leave.”
“I’m comfortable with you here. I shouldn’t be after everything, but I am. You mean something to me.”
My heart pounds. “You mean something to me as well, Sofia.” I kiss her brow. “I’ll hold you while you sleep.”
Eventually her breathing evens out and I’m left wondering about what I’m going to do. I want nothing more than to keep Sofia with me, and especially to stop screwing up. But heck if I know how to do a relationship. The only relationships I’ve ever witnessed have been those that my mother has had over the years. She isn’t the example I want to follow. She’s also the one person I want to keep away from Sofia. My mother has made it clear about how she feels about ‘the baker’ so nothing good would come out of that meeting.
Sofia feels perfect against me while she sleeps, and I’m hoping this really is the start of something with her. Because I realize at the thought of losing her that she’s gotten under my skin and, I want her for as long as I can have her. Hopefully I won’t ever have to give her back.
11
Sofia
Waking to an early morning sunrise, I sigh softly against Shane’s chest. The early hours of the morning come back to me and I’m sad. I wonder what it had been like for Shane having to raise his sister. How hard it must have been to keep food on the table. What damage had his mother caused with her leaving?
I snuggle more deeply against Shane and hear a deep rumble in his chest as he wakes and realizes where he is. Part of me is wondering if he’ll freak and leave, but the other half, the one that wants so much with this man, hopes he stays and proves to me that the weekend we spent together wasn’t a fluke—that he wants to be with me in this way. I want to believe in him.
His arms tighten around me and my heart settles into a gentle rhythm. Shane moves us so that we’re lying on our sides and I’m completely wrapped up in him. Our legs are intertwined, and our arms are around each other. Our bodies press together and every part of his hardness is against my softness. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this content before.
We’d slept in the same bed and just held each other, nothing more and nothing less, and it was amazing.
“I’m not going anywhere, Sofia,” Shane whispers, looking directly into my eyes. He smiles softly. “I’d be surprised if you didn’t expect me to run again, but I’m not.” He sighs, and guides my head back into the curve of his shoulder. “We’re going to talk over breakfast and you, my beautiful girl, are going to help me be a better boyfriend.” He smirks. “Boyfriend, or lover—which do you prefer?”
I kiss his chest and peek up at him. “I prefer boyfriend. I haven’t had one before.”
“Boyfriend it is.” The serious look on his face wipes the joy from mine. “I haven’t had a girlfriend before either.” He brushes a finger along my lips, and I feel his body react when a slight breathless gasp leaves my mouth. “I want you with me for my sister’s wedding, and whatever else that entails. Then afterwards, we’re going to spend time together away from everyone and let our relationship develop in a way that I’m not going to screw up.” He smirks. “Call me on it if I do. Wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, you tell me, and trust me when I say the only woman I want is you. I won’t stray, Sofia.”
“I think we need to start from the beginning with no sex.”
He stills and groans, the evidence of his arousal pressing against my thigh. “Are you teasing me?”
He wishes. “No. I’m serious. We are going to get to know each other with dates. I don’t expect wining and dining, but any outing is classed as a date. So a picnic, the museum, the coast.” I push myself up and look into Shane’s eyes. “I want to spend time with you, and maybe if we do it this way, you won’t feel pressured, and maybe you’ll be more relaxed and accepting.”
His eyes search mine while he thinks about what I’ve said and then a slight curve reaches his mouth. “I’d like to spend any time I can with you, Sofia…and as much as it’s going to pain me, I’m totally okay with the no sex.”
Teasing, I press against him. “Are you sure about that?”
“God, woman!” He slams his eyes shut and rolls to his back, not caring that his erection is visibly hard and thick behind his zipper. “You’re going to kill me.” He smiles, giving me a sidelong look. “But you’re worth it, and I’d love to spend time with you anyway I can.”
“Then let’s start with breakfast.” I lean forward and kiss his lips, hovering and before I can change my mind I admit, “I just want you Shane. You already know that you have the power to hurt me. So that should give you an idea as to just how much I care about you.”
“I’ve never been so tangled up in a woman before, so the fact that I keep coming back to you, should tell you just how much I care about you.” He cups the nape of my neck and brings me closer to his waiting lips. “I’m falling in love with you,” he whispers against my lips before capturing my surprise in his mouth.
My whole body melts into his as my need to get closer to him overwhelms me. I roll on top of his hard and aroused body, regretting telling him no sex when I feel how thick and pulsing his penis is. Me wiggling around isn’t helping him any. I moan and gasp when his large hands clamp on my bottom, preventing me from moving.
Shane pulls his mouth from mine, his breathing heavy. “Stop moving on me.” He closes his eyes. “Breakfast.” He gently moves me to my side
of the bed and slowly moves into a sitting position. “I’m going to head home to eat and shower otherwise I’m going to be having you for breakfast.” He winces, getting to his feet as he rearranges the bulge in his pants. “After work, I’m going to take you on our first date.” He quickly leans in and slaps a kiss to my lips. “Dress warmly.” He heads toward the bedroom door and says over his shoulder, “And no, we’re not going on a picnic.”
The door closes and moments later I hear the apartment door click into place. I fall back into the pillows with a smile on my face, until of course I glance at the time on my phone, which gets me moving.
12
Shane
Sofia has followed my instruction of dressing warm and I’m almost sorry that her curves are covered in denim, a sweater and a thick warm jacket. She even has a white beanie on the top of her head to keep the cold of the evening from her ears. I’m glad she’s prepared because although I haven’t arranged a picnic, I have arranged something that involves the outdoors. The weather has started getting colder as we move toward winter, so I’m just hoping she enjoys the surprise I’ve arranged.
She’s a unique woman and that’s why I’ve come up with this idea for the evening.
Her gasp of surprise and smile on her beautiful face is worth everything as she jumps from the car when the footman opens the door. I follow her out and manage to catch her hand, pulling her into the shelter of my body. “You like this surprise?” I nuzzle into her neck, my lips cold against the warmth of her skin.
“I haven’t been in a horse drawn carriage for years.” She turns fully against me and throws her arms around my neck. “Not since my sixteenth birthday,” she grins, “that was the last time I rode in one.”
“I’m here to make all your dreams come true.” I grin and usher her into the carriage. I settle beside her, and pull her against the heat of my body, the blankets covering our lap. “Are you ready?”
“Oh, yes!” Sofia rests her head against my shoulder and searches my gaze. “You are a romantic man, Shane Fletcher.”
I feel heat spreading onto my face and cough to clear the embarrassment in my throat. “Maybe.”
Sofia laughs and reaches up to kiss me quickly. “Oh yes you are! I can’t believe you went to all this trouble for me,” she says softly. “I’ll never forget tonight, I hope you know that.”
Somewhere in the region of my heart, I feel heat swelling and bursting outwards. I never imagined myself with anyone. Now, I can’t imagine myself without Sofia McKenzie in my life. My nerves are still inside of me at the fact that she could hurt me, badly. However, once I realized how different Sofia is to the other girls I’ve known, I realized that I do have a heart to give, and I want to give it to her—to my beautiful Sofia.
“Thank you, Shane,” she whispers. “This is an amazing night and I’m so happy that I’m not upset because of you anymore.”
With a regretful sigh, I admit, “I never wanted to upset you in the first place.” I kiss the top of her head. “But, we’re going forward from here on out. No looking back…please.”
“A fresh start.”
“Hmm, just remember that when you’re my plus one at the pre-wedding dinner, and wedding…my family are not easy to get along with.”
“All you need to do is keep my hand in yours and I’ll be able to handle anything, and anyone.” Sofia kisses my jaw as I turn to caress her upturned face.
“I’ll be right by your side.” I kiss her nose. “Tell me what you did today,” I ask, and then add, “Not because it’s something to talk about but because I’m genuinely interested in what you did.”
“You’re melting my heart, you know that right?”
“You’ve already melted mine.” I press her closer and smile to myself at the joy that reaches her eyes at my words. “You were about to tell me what you’ve been doing all day.”
“Hmm, well, if you must know I spent a great deal of time thinking about you. So I basically went around smiling all day.”
Chuckling, I say, “You have a beautiful smile.”
“Marissa thought so too, she kept asking me why I was smiling. I told her that my boyfriend was planning something for the evening. Luckily, a customer came in and distracted her. But yeah, I smiled all day because of you. It didn’t help that I also remembered the feel of you against me in my bed.”
Groaning, I try and ignore the pulse in my jeans. “Can we talk about baking, or something other than touching?”
“I bet if I climb on your lap now, that I’ll find you aroused, and that you’d press right where I need you,” she drifts off, her breath whispering over my skin while I struggle to catch my own.
I grab her hand and shove it under the blankets and into my lap, moaning when her fingers tighten around the rigid length of my cock. “You were right.”
“I usually am.” She slides her hand in a caress over my length, her fingers rubbing my aching balls, squished between my legs and the denim. “You feel really good.”
I grunt in response.
“I know I said no sex, but maybe I can continue to touch you like this…get you off in a slow orgasm as we’re in the carriage.” Her whispering into my ear sends goose bumps snaking down my spine. She nibbles on the lobe and every single blood cell runs straight to my cock. I’m so hard and swollen that I can’t think straight. I desperately want to finish in her hand. We could get arrested for indecent exposure or something along those lines.
While I’ve been trying to get myself under control, Sofia has snuck a hand into my jeans by opening the zipper. My button is still fastened. I feel her fingers pressing and stroking through the thin barrier of my briefs until I curse, arching into her touch when she reaches bare flesh. She shoves the front of my briefs down until my cock is free and in her hand.
“We can’t,” I mumble, pleasure rushing through my blood. “God, Sofia.”
“I know. I should never have started this here.” She wiggles onto my lap, making sure the blanket stays around our waists. “I want you to come on me, just like this.” Before her words fully register, she’s shoved my dick up her sweater. The base of me rubs against her denim clad pussy while the head and tip press against the soft skin of her belly. The soft knit of her sweater causes a delicious friction, and it’s all too much. I’m too excited.
“Come on my belly,” Sofia whispers pressing against me as her lips find and cling to mine. The kiss is beyond heated. The taste of her does things to my body that I can no longer control as my cock throbs, the heat in my balls erupts and my release shoots along my hard shaft, jerking in heady pulses as I come all over her silky smooth belly. I grunt and groan into her mouth, my hands shaking on her back as my release slows to steady pulses.
Sofia lifts her mouth from mine, her eyes full of arousal. “That was unbelievable.”
“That was…wow…a first for me.” I close my eyes and gaze up at the stars in the cold clear night while I feel Sofia putting me away and zipping me back up. “I’m sticky,” she whispers, “and wet.” Her last words penetrate my fuzzy brain just as she moves and sits back beside me.
“I can’t even think how to respond right now.”
She grins and cuddles up with me. “That’s all right, because I got the response I wanted out of you.”
“I want my mouth between your legs.”
She groans.
“If we were alone, I’d have you sitting on my face,” I continue. “Your breasts bared and swinging above me as I fucked you with my tongue.”
Sofia wiggles. “My panties are soaked.”
“Perhaps we shouldn’t have started this in public,” I suggest, trying to pull myself together. I cup Sofia’s pretty face in my hands and rest my forehead against hers. “I want you badly. I want to return the favor because you blew my mind. But you know something, I’m glad you asked to do it this way. It’s a new experience for me and I’m enjoying thinking up what we can do together that doesn’t involve me being inside of you.”
Sofia s
ighs. “I guess I blew it, huh? I can still feel how I made you come.”
She’s going to be the death of me. I close my eyes and settle her against my chest while the carriage pulls us through the park in Lexington. The woman has my fragile heart and I don’t ever want her to give it back. I don’t think I’d survive that.
13
Sofia
The week has flown by and I’m now flying around trying to put the final touches to Monica’s wedding cake. It’s my favorite design to date, with the silver and grey fine detail. It’s elegant and gives me butterflies in my belly. Talking about butterflies, I check that the small silver ones I made earlier today have dried on top of the chocolate brûlée I’m made for after the dinner. The dinner I’m supposed to be on my way to, where Shane is waiting for me.
I’m his date tonight and already my feet are killing me in the high heels I’m wearing. My shoes are my favorite pair, in a deep red wine color to match my lace dress. The dress stops just above my knee and is fitted to my curves, making the most of my breasts. I know it’s going to be a hit with Shane—if I ever get there.
“Sofia, we have to leave now,” Paul, one of the hired helpers for the wedding dinner urges me. Also the one designated to drive the van with the desserts.
“Okay, let me put the cake away, and then we’ll leave.” I breathe heavily. “I think I’ll come in early tomorrow.”
Paul shakes his head. “It’s finished, Sofia.” He gives me a sidelong glance. “Why are you getting worked up over this one?”
“I’m not really.”
He coughs.
“Maybe I am. I just don’t want anything to go wrong. It has to be perfect.”
“It is. You’re usually more confident than this.”
“I guess.” I wrap my arm around my stomach and breathe, letting the tension drain from my body.
McKenzie Cousins Box Set 3 Page 6