She knew he was right. The press would have a field day. “What do you suggest?”
“How about a honeymoon? Somewhere hot, perhaps?”
“Lying on the beach?” Sofie grimaced. “I don’t tan well.”
“I wasn’t thinking of leaving the hotel room long enough to let you tan,” he murmured, feathering kisses along her jaw. “Soon, Sofie. As soon as your mother gets here.”
As if on cue, Sofie’s mobile rang. Disentangling herself from Evan’s arms Sofie found it buried in her purse, the battery nearly dead. She hit the reply button and heard her mother’s familiar voice. “Sofie? What’s going on? I’ve just seen the news. They say Archie’s dead.”
“He is.”
Her mother went on as though Sofie had said nothing. “And who’s this Evan person? What do they mean, your boyfriend?”
Sofie went back to the arms of ‘this Evan person,’ holding her mobile against her ear. Evan kissed her forehead, and tried to nudge the mobile aside in an attempt to reach her mouth. Eventually, after a full three minutes of uninterrupted diatribe he took the phone from Sofie. “This is Evan Howell, Mrs. Adams. Your daughter has agreed to marry me, and we would love to have you at our wedding, but you’d better be quick. I’ll book you a flight and send you word. But Sofie is very tired after her ordeal, and she needs to go to bed now.”
He handed the phone back to Sofie, who listened to her subdued mother telling her to take care. She sent her love and waited for her mother to end the call, before putting the mobile on the table. She felt Evan’s hands on her shoulders, turning her around to face him. His face was tranquil. This was the face she wanted to see every morning, every night for the rest of her life.
“Me, too,” he murmured. “Only you, Sofie. Only you.” All she could see was love, but as she continued to stare at him, his expression subtly changed to something earthier. “And I meant what I said about bed. You need to rest.”
“So do you.”
He bent down and swept her up into his arms. “Then we’d better rest.” Striding up the stairs with her in his arms, he paused by the bed and then passed on to the guest room. “And I’ll make a call for a new mattress,” he added, closing the door behind them.
The End.
If You enjoyed “Chemistry of Evil”
Be Sure and Pick up “Abbatoir” by Cassie Waldar
Another book in THE SUMMONING series
Lynne Connolly Page 25