Breaking Free (Breaking Free #1)

by Cara Dee

  Like fathers and daughters? Tennyson didn’t say that out loud, of course, but it still reminded him of how little Sophie had. Success was nothing if you didn’t have anyone to share it with, blood-related or not.

  "Do you want more privacy, or can I crash here for a while?"

  Sophie hugged her legs to her chest and smiled at Max. "You can always crash here."

  Fuck, he wanted to kiss her.

  A slight breeze swept through Sophie's brown hair, and she was laughing at something Max did. He'd flipped over his bowl, Tennyson noticed, quick to look back at Sophie. She'd never been more gorgeous to him than right this minute. There was barely any makeup to cover her natural beauty, she had the most adorable laugh, her body was filling out, she was dressed for comfort, and she looked genuinely happy.

  While she was occupied grinning at Max, Tennyson took out his phone and snapped off a photo of her.

  "Did you just take a photo of me?" Sophie widened her eyes. "My hair's a mess, I'm not wearing any makeup, and—"

  "That’s exactly why." Reaching up, he brushed away a wavy tendril from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "You're so beautiful, baby."

  The pink that spread across her cheeks only made her even more stunning.

  *

  By the time dinner was ready, there weren't many clouds left in the sky, and everyone brought the food down to the beach to enjoy the sunset. Tennyson and Noah got a fire started while bowls and plates of salads, meats, baked potatoes, and sides were passed around.

  Sophie tended to Max first, tying him to the piece of driftwood Tennyson sat down in front of, and then she plopped down with her own plate right next to Tennyson.

  He liked that more than he could say, having her close.

  "It's really gorgeous up here," Mom commented, looking out over the beach.

  "I don’t know why we don’t spend the night," Noah said.

  "Because we have meetings tomorrow," Steph reminded him with a chuckle.

  "Yeah, but not until the late afternoon," Noah pointed out.

  In the end, they all agreed they might as well stay. Tennyson's mother complained a little, saying they left all their stuff at the hotel this morning, but one night wasn’t going to kill her.

  "Here you go." Sophie picked up her half of a grilled corn on the cob and dropped it on Tennyson's plate. She licked the melted butter off her fingers. "Did you want this, too?" She poked at the Italian sausage on her plate.

  "Oh yeah, bring it over." On one of their publicity dates, they'd gone to a steakhouse and learned exactly what the other liked and disliked. It was his turn now, and he got rid of the foil pack of grilled vegetables he didn’t particularly like and the honey-glazed ribs he hated. "And, for you."

  How people could add sweetness to marinade, he'd never understand. It could ruin a perfectly good steak, but Sophie loved it, so it ended up on her plate instead.

  "That’s just…foul," he muttered.

  She made yummy noises at him, which was fucking adorable.

  Tennyson grinned then took a swig of his beer and observed their friends and family. Everyone was caught up in private conversations…except for his mother. Of-fucking-course she'd noticed Tennyson and Sophie's exchange.

  Mom arched a brow at him but didn’t say anything, diverting her focus to the food instead.

  It irritated him like hell. He was a grown man, for chrissakes. He'd led his own life since he went off to college.

  "Who did the stuffed mushrooms?" Noah perked up.

  "We did." Brooklyn waved a hand between herself and Sophie.

  "Fucking amazing," Noah said with his mouth full.

  Dad glanced over at Noah's plate. "You don’t have any meat on your plate, boy."

  "I'm a vegetarian." Noah shrugged.

  "LA people." Dad shook his head.

  Tennyson and Ash shared smirks, and if one of them didn’t change the topic soon, Dad would force "back in the day" tales on them all.

  "Is shop talk allowed?" Asher asked their mother.

  "I suppose." She didn’t usually allow talk about film during dinner because it could get heated fast, but she didn’t want to listen to her husband's war stories, either. After forty-five years together, she'd heard them all—more than once.

  "Great." Asher flashed a smirk and zeroed in on Sophie, which caused Tennyson's spine to stiffen. It was instinctual; he'd grown fiercely protective of her, and he didn’t quite know where his family stood yet. And that was only on the topic of simple friendship. "Before I flew up here, I saw your big scene with Claire, Sophie."

  Tennyson narrowed his eyes at his brother. After he'd picked them up at the airport this morning and then dropped off their bags at the hotel, Ash had told Tennyson he was impressed. He'd even told Sophie that himself, something Tennyson hadn't counted on Ash to admit.

  "I have two scripts for you," Asher told her. "They're smaller productions I'm in charge of, and we need to fill one part by the end of next week. You would be great for both, I think."

  Well. That took an interesting turn.

  "I, um…" Sophie was at a loss for words.

  Tennyson gave his brother a nod in thanks, and Asher dipped his chin in return.

  "Read them," Ash requested. "Let me know as soon as you can."

  "Of course. Thank you, Asher," Sophie answered, visibly humbled.

  *

  It was past midnight when Tennyson got a minute alone with Ash. Everyone had gone off to bed, but Tennyson knew his brother always smoked a cigar after turning off the lights at home. Being here made no difference, and Tennyson stepped out on the patio and sat down in one of the loungers next to Ash's.

  "I had a feeling you'd track me down."

  "Can you blame me?" Tennyson chuckled quietly and stole the cigar, taking a few puffs from it. "You've gone from having no expectations whatsoever to offering her two parts."

  Asher nodded once and accepted the cigar again. "Truthfully? I fucked up. I misjudged her."

  "Most people have." Tennyson gazed out over the ocean. In the darkness, he could only see the white foam of the waves that crashed in. "I did the same. What changed it for you—the last scene?"

  "At first, yeah." Asher nodded slowly. "Don’t get me wrong, she's done a great job the entire film. Otherwise, she would've been replaced by now. But she wasn’t really given a challenge until this scene." That was true, which Tennyson had pointed out to others in the past. Sophie had mostly been playing herself. "And she blew everyone's mind at the studio. You should've seen Peter." Ash laughed. "That bastard was shocked."

  "Did he say anything about her performance?" Tennyson hoped there was a chance Peter Pierce could step up and be there for Sophie, though he doubted it.

  "No."

  Figured.

  "Was there a second of all?" Tennyson asked. "You said it was the scene—at first."

  "Oh. Yes, meeting her." Asher shot him a rueful grin. "She's a doll. Maybe an immature one, but she'll get there. She's great with Max."

  Tennyson nodded and looked down at the ground, smiling to himself. "That she is. Though, I wouldn’t call her immature. Naïve—she's young." So young. "But she's got a good head on her shoulders. She just got her priorities wrong for a while."

  Asher hummed. "And you two are only friends?"

  Tennyson gave Asher a sideways look, only to glance away and sigh heavily. He didn’t have to lie to his brother, but he didn’t know what to say. Of course he and Sophie weren't only friends, though whatever they had was temporary.

  The shell must break before the bird can fly, the quote said, and Tennyson believed in it. Sophie was right on the edge of that cliff, ready to disembark. He wouldn’t stand in the way, nor hold her back.

  "Is it serious?" Ash asked quietly.

  Too serious for how briefly Tennyson would have her, he wanted to say. He'd been in denial regarding the depth of his feelings for her, but he'd deal with that on his own. At times, it felt as if she were his, and it was bittersweet. Th
eir differences hadn't changed, after all. They were going in opposite directions once this film was wrapped.

  "For the moment," he answered eventually. "I'd rather not talk about it."

  Asher inclined his head in understanding. "Got it. I'll ask about Brooklyn instead. Is she single?"

  Tennyson was grateful for the change of topic, and he cracked a wry grin at his brother. "A single mother." He knew Ash had never wanted children.

  Sure enough, Asher winced. "She doesn’t look old enough to be away from her child. Thirty, tops."

  Tennyson wasn’t sure how old Brooklyn was, but he knew her daughter was living with Brooklyn's mother during this production. "I believe Maliah is around ten." Standing up, he clapped Asher on the shoulder. "I'm off to bed. Thanks for the talk, little brother."

  Back in the house, Tennyson walked silently across the darkened living room, knowing Noah and Steph were occupying the two couches. The guest room down here was where Tennyson's parents slept, and then there were three more rooms upstairs. Sophie and Brooklyn had offered to share, and Tennyson had been okay with that until his parents had called it a night.

  Sophie knew better now, though. She was in Tennyson's bed, where he wanted her, as he crept inside the room and calmed Max down.

  "Yeah, it's just me, buddy," he whispered, patting his head. The room was dark, though the moonlight was enough for Tennyson to see Sophie's sleeping form in the bed.

  Or was she asleep? She wasn’t making her cute sleeping noises, so when he slipped under the covers in only boxer briefs, he kissed her gorgeous face and smirked.

  "I know you're awake."

  She pressed her lips together to hide her smile, but it broke free after a few seconds and she pounced on him. "Hi." She settled on top of him, her hair fanning out like a curtain around their faces.

  "Hi, beautiful girl." He moved his hands down her deliciously naked body. Only a flimsy thong was in the way. "How come you're not dressed? I might take it as an invitation."

  "Sorry, I already have plans." Sophie grinned salaciously and began kissing his chest. "Unless you wanna sleep…?"

  "Fuck that," he grunted. Never in his life had he felt more sexually worshiped than when Sophie sucked him off, and it was an act she initiated often and seemed to like.

  Hell, sex with Sophie in general was out of this world. Unlike previous experiences. Satisfying beyond words. She let him be rough—even encouraged it—and she made him feel younger.

  "Mmm…" Sophie hummed as she settled between his thighs and nuzzled the ridge of his thickening cock through his underwear. "These are in the way." She slipped her fingers beneath the waistband, and Tennyson lifted his ass off the mattress so she could pull them down.

  Pushing himself up on his elbows, he stared at her hungrily. "Mother of Christ." A hiss passed through his lips as she licked the underside of his erection. "Don’t tease me. Put me in that pretty little mouth of yours."

  She smiled and gathered her hair over one shoulder so it wouldn’t be in the way. "Right away, sir."

  His eyes fell closed momentarily when she slowly sucked him into her warm, wet mouth. Jesus fuckin'… Again, out of this world. Her tongue swirled around his cock, getting him wetter.

  "Perfect," he exhaled. He got physically weaker, but he wanted to see, so he folded one arm under his head. His other hand found the back of her head, and he wove his fingers into her silky hair, gently guiding her up and down his cock. "Perfect, perfect…" He didn’t care he was getting repetitive. His vocabulary had checked out.

  Parting his legs a bit more, he gave her room to move better. She moaned softly and sucked him harder, at the same time cupping his balls and massaging them gently.

  Pleasure pooled in his gut, spreading warmth through his body and tensing his muscles.

  "Almost there," he groaned, panting. "You want it, baby?"

  That innocent blink, pouty lips tightening around his cock, and eager nod always did it. She fucking knew it too, the dirty little girl.

  Tennyson felt his orgasm rolling through him and he couldn’t help but rock deeper into her mouth. With both hands in her hair now, he slid his cock along her tongue and pushed the head into the tightness of her throat.

  Sophie relaxed her throat.

  "Ah, fuck." The groan fell from Tennyson's lips right before his body seized up. His come rushed up his shaft and shot out in three pulses, and Sophie swallowing around him drew a final release from him before he collapsed, completely spent.

  Sophie licked him clean and then crawled up his body, dropping kisses here and there that made him shiver violently. By sheer will, he managed to lift his arms and wrap them around her.

  "Give me your sweet pussy," he whispered, nuzzling her bare shoulder. "I need a taste."

  Sophie hummed. "It's out of service, I'm afraid." She lifted her head and quirked a smirk at him. "That time of the month, but try again in a few days."

  Tennyson chuckled drowsily and pulled the top sheet over them. It was warm enough without a blanket. "Fair enough, although I'll probably try sooner." He carefully rolled them a little so they were on their sides, and then he slipped his arm under Sophie's pillow. "Anything I can do, though? Do you get cramps?"

  "I'm fine." She smiled before a yawn escaped. "I took an Advil earlier." Snuggling close, she let out a sigh of contentment and closed her eyes. "I'm glad you wanted me in your room, Tennyson."

  Tennyson kissed her on the forehead and stroked her cheek. "Me, too."

  He was in deep shit, wasn’t he?

  Chapter 18

  "It was good finally meeting you, Sophie."

  "You too, Asher." She shook his hand and smiled. "I'll probably let you know tonight about the scripts."

  The only thing that held her back from screaming yes was that she did have some limits. But as long as the roles didn’t require anything freaky, she was pretty damn sure she was in the clear and officially free of her dad's clutches.

  "I'm looking forward to it." Asher sent her a wink and then went over to assist Tennyson with packing up their SUV.

  The Wrights were heading back to Vancouver early because Karen and Griffin had a flight back to Oregon to catch, but Sophie and the others were staying until lunch. They wanted to take advantage of the beach—and the sun that had decided to come out today.

  "Sophie, dear." Karen stepped out of the house and grasped Sophie's hand in both of hers. "I left the rest of the apple pies in the fridge."

  "Thank you, Mrs. Wright," Sophie replied.

  She didn’t really know where to place this woman.

  "Of course." Karen patted her hand. "How many weeks are left until you're done here in Vancouver?"

  "Um, about three."

  Karen nodded and released Sophie. "Perhaps I can convince my sons to visit once production is over. They rarely come home these days, though I suspect Tennyson's reason is more related to Tricia than us. She still lives in Oregon."

  "Tricia," Sophie stated. Something akin to dread crept up her spine. "You mean Tennyson's ex-girlfriend?"

  "He told you about her?" Karen seemed surprised, and of course Tennyson hadn't told Sophie. She'd learned that off the internet. "That man is so stubborn, I'm telling you. Since you and Tennyson have grown close during your little publicity romance, maybe you could talk to him."

  Sophie had a feeling she was about to find out just where to place Karen. "What would I talk to him about, exactly?"

  "That he needs to stop living in denial, naturally," Karen answered. "They had such a good relationship, and they still love each other. But you know men—they get cold feet."

  Sophie chuckled shakily and wished the ground could swallow her whole.

  "Unless…" Karen tilted her head. "Is there something between you and my son I should know about?"

  "No." Sophie forced a smile. "It's just for show, Mrs. Wright."

  "Good. Very good." Karen seemed satisfied by that, and she gave Sophie's shoulder a gentle squeeze. "He deserves someone who can rea
lly be there for him and isn't too busy growing up. Someone perfect."

  Ouch. That comment hit where it hurt, and it was so directly aimed at Sophie that she didn’t have the energy to pretend she didn’t get it.

  "I'll never be perfect," she said quietly. "I just want to be good." She swallowed against the emotions that welled up. "It was nice seeing you, but I should take Max for a walk."

  She pivoted and headed inside, barely making it into the bathroom before she burst into tears.

  *

  For the rest of the day, she was numb.

  Karen's comment wasn’t supposed to tear through Sophie that painfully, but it did. God, it did. Which made her retreat into herself in an attempt to clear her thoughts. Was she in love with Tennyson? Had it gone that far?

  Whether or not she had fallen, she had to put herself first. It was long overdue. After twenty-one years on this planet, she still couldn’t take care of herself. If she wanted to grow up and be the kind of woman people looked up to, the kind of woman who was strong enough to help others, she couldn’t afford to lose herself in a man.

  But as they got back to the set in the early afternoon, the thought of losing Tennyson—even though she didn’t actually have him—caused a physical pain that had her running for privacy in her trailer so she could break down yet again.

  Tennyson thankfully had meetings, so Sophie didn’t have to worry about any interruptions.

  She waited for the heartache to ease, but it fucking didn’t. Eventually, she had to face others, and to anyone who asked if something was wrong, she blamed cramps.

  It was an excuse she milked for all it was worth for the following three goddamn days.

  Sophie got lost in work as filming began again, and all her alone time was spent going back and forth. It was Tennyson's mother who didn’t approve of her, not Tennyson himself. It was Karen who'd been a bitch, not Tennyson. But, on the other hand, didn’t Tennyson deserve better than some ex-party princess who'd spent a fortune on poison?

  Regardless, it was useless to worry about. What they had was temporary.

  The day came when Sophie had to stop blaming her period and PMS, so her acting skills took over. She buried her fears and clung to every word Tennyson said, loved him at night, and sometimes she got so caught up in their fairy tale that she forgot reality.