by Lori Wilde
Mike said nothing, just allowed her to talk. This had been a long time coming, and obviously, the emotional catharsis was something she needed.
“See,” she said, “when Mom met my dad, they had this instant chemical reaction.” She snapped her fingers. “Fireworks.”
“Like us.”
“Like us,” she echoed.
“And you were afraid because we have such a strong connection that I was like your dad?” Mike asked.
“I know it sounds crazy, but after listening to years of warning from my mother, I saw intense sexual attraction as a bad thing. I told myself my relationships would be calm and safe, based on mutual respect and honesty, not on some explosive chemical reaction.”
“That explains a lot about you.”
“You changed everything,” she said.
“I did?”
“The way I feel when I’m with you blows me away.”
Mike groped for both her hands, brought them to his lips, and kissed her knuckles one by one. “I feel it, too, sweetheart.”
“Do you? Do you really?”
“You can’t tell?”
“You wouldn’t lie to me, would you, Mike? I couldn’t bear it if I found out you’d lied to me.”
“Oh, Sophia.”
He had lied to her! How could he explain his charade?
“Where are you going when you leave Rascal?” she asked. “Will you come back to visit your father?”
“I don’t have to leave,” he said, feeling the quicksand of falsehoods dragging him down deeper. “I could stay. If you want me.”
“What are you saying, Mike? That we could have a future together, you and I?” Sophia’s heart thudded hopefully. Could it be true? The possibility swelled inside her. At long last. A man to love who loved her back.
“I want you, Sophia, more than I’ve ever wanted any woman.” Mike tucked her into the circle of his arms and pressed his forehead against hers. The bond between them was a physical thing—strong, unbreakable.
Sophia reached out and ran her palm along his jawline. She caressed his dear face, enjoying the sensation of his beard stubble against her skin.
“Dear Mike, can you stop your roaming for me? Can you give up your carefree lifestyle? I have to know. Do your feelings for me run deep enough to keep you home with me at night?”
“What if I said yes, Sophia? What if I told you I was tired of wandering long before I met you, and one taste of your sweet lips had thoroughly convinced me that there was no other woman on the face of the earth for me?”
“Do you mean it?” Her voice trembled with hope.
“Could you give up your dream of marrying your boss? Or do I have to be rich to win you?”
“Mike, I never wanted money.”
And that was true! Riches had been Jannette’s dream for her future. All Sophia had ever wanted was someone she could count on. She wanted what all her friends had found—true and lasting love. Hot, sizzling chemistry was a terrific side benefit, but what Sophia sorely needed from a man was a life partner who would cherish her in good times, and the bad.
“Be honest with me, Sophia. If it’s Rex Barrington you want, then have the guts to tell me. If it’s money you need to be happy, please let me know.”
“I am being honest with you, Mike. I do need a husband who has a steady job. A life partner I can count on. But I don’t need a fancy car or chic clothes. I don’t need expensive jewelry and a big house or lavish trips to make me happy. Working for Rex has taught me that lesson more than anything else could have.”
“What about those doodles on your notepad? Rex Michael Barrington’s name? What about the things you told Amber?” The tone of his voice hardened.
Sophia frowned. Had she said something wrong? “I had a crush on Rex. I thought I wanted to marry him because he was kind to me.”
“That was it? You’d base a marriage on just money and kindness?”
“Among other things.”
“Like what?”
“Mom would have been pleased for me to marry him.”
“Why were you willing to marry a man you didn’t have chemistry with to please your mother?”
“I thought Rex and I could grow into a passionate relationship. He’s well established. He has plans and goals. I thought that’s what I needed—a real go-getter. But the longer I’m his assistant, the more I see what an empty life he leads.”
“Empty life?” He sounded shocked.
“His life has no real meaning. It’s filled with tight schedules, constant problems, and little else.”
“But Sophia, Rex Barrington’s a busy guy. He’s got lots of employees depending on his leadership. I mean you can’t have it both ways. If he’s a high achiever, he will not have a lot of time to spend with a family.”
“That’s what I realize. He doesn’t stop and smell the roses. I feel sorry for him. He doesn’t have a girlfriend, and I don’t think he’s even got many buddies. I mean, not like you. Everyone at Barrington loves you.”
“They do?”
“How could they not? You think about other people. You smile, you’re interested. You pitch in without even being asked to help. You really care about people. From what I can figure out, Rex is only interested in making more money. From what I can tell, he’s an empty shell of a man.”
14
Rex winced. Ouch!
The portrait Sophia had painted of him was not flattering. But she was right. His life had become empty, and he needed her to help him fill it up again. How he wished he could see her face, to watch her eyes when he said what he was about to say.
“Sophia,” he whispered.
“Yes, Mike?”
He took a deep breath. “I’d do anything to win your heart. To prove you can trust me.”
“Even give up your rambling ways?”
“Yes.”
“Could we date a while, take it slow, really get to know each other?”
“I’d like that very much.”
“You’ll be perfectly honest with me?”
“Oh, Sophia...” He had to tell her everything.
“Yes, Mike,” she said. “It’s you I want. Somewhere inside me, I’ve always known it was you from the moment I started working at Barrington. Nobody has ever moved me with just one hot glance. But you did.”
Then Sophia kissed him, and he flew straight to heaven.
Sophia had passed his test. She’d chosen poor handyman Mike over rich Rex Barrington. She’d followed her heart instead of her head. She was not like Erica, who’d only been interested in his money. Sophia Shepherd wanted him.
Or did she?
Sophia thought she was getting Mike the handyman. That’s who she wanted. The sexy, rugged, motorcycle-riding Mike, not Rex, the stuffy, workaholic corporate executive. Doubt gripped him again.
“Mike,” she whispered huskily, “hold me.”
He could not resist her. They melted together. Right there on the floor of the elevator. Neither able to control themselves.
Joy beat through Sophia’s heart. Mike wants me.
She buried her head into the curve of his neck and licked his salty skin.
Her desire for this man hit her like a punch. She wanted him. Here. Now. In the dark and damn the consequences.
Mike plunged his fingers through her hair.
She raised her head and met his lips once more. They burned. Fiery, feverish with wanting. She could feel it in the tension of his corded arm muscles, could taste his love for her on his tongue.
Sophia ached to see his face, to stare into those green eyes and watch her love for him reflected at her.
Mike groaned low in his throat, and it startled Sophia to hear herself making mewling sounds. She sounded like Shu-Shu did when she stroked and petted her.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered. “Gorgeous.”
“You can’t even see me.” Sophia giggled, wrapping both arms around his neck and clinging to him.
“I know what you look like. In
that sexy little outfit you wore to the company picnic, you blew my mind.”
“You’re silly.”
“Silly over you.” He kissed the tip of her nose.
“I want you, Mike.”
“You’ve got me, Sophia. Forever.”
“You really mean that?”
“More than anything.”
“I’ve just got to know that you’re telling me the truth, that if you make love to me, it’s not the biggest mistake of my life.”
“Sophia, I will not make love to you. Not in a stalled elevator with no lights.”
“Why not?”
“Believe me, it’s not because I don’t want to, but our first time should be special.”
“This is special,” she insisted.
“I don’t have any... er... protection.”
“A guy like you? According to the office rumors, you’re always prepared for sexual adventures.”
“The office rumors are wrong, Sophia.” His tone turned serious. “I don’t give myself away lightly.”
Another thrill raced through her. So, Mike was not as free and easy with his love as others would have had her believe. She really was special to him.
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t have some fun.” Softly, slowly, he kissed her again. While his lips kept her mouth busy, his hands were doing some exploring of their own. He tugged her blouse from the waistband of her skirt and slipped his hand inside.
When his hot palm touched her bare belly, Sophia hissed in air through clenched teeth. “Oh, Mike.”
“Oh, Mike, yes, or oh, Mike, no?” he asked.
“Yes,” she whimpered, and her temperature shot to the ceiling.
“That’s my woman.” His fingers caressed. They kneaded and teased. His knuckles gently grazed across her stomach until Sophia thought she’d go insane from sensation. He barely touched her, and yet her nerve endings hummed. Fine hairs all over her body stood at attention, and a field of goosebumps sprouted over her arms and legs.
Did he do everything this slowly, this deliberately?
The darkness was a cover for her modesty, and Sophia appreciated that, but the lack of light was also a hindrance. She wanted to see Mike. His expression, the sparkle in his green eyes, his knowing grin, that thatch of thick, dark hair.
His fingers found the hook on her bra and quickly went about setting her free. He was just as gentle with her breasts. Soon, Sophia was wriggling against him, begging for more, awash in pleasure.
Her body was completely pliant under his caring touch. The intense throbbing between her thighs swelled until it engulfed her entire being in a power unlike anything she’d experienced.
He unzipped her skirt. His hand delved lower, his fingers tracing a path from her navel to the waistband of her panties.
Arching her back, she quivered against his touch, eager to see just how far he would go.
“Mike,” she whimpered. “Mike.”
He caressed the outside of her panties, the silken material separating her aching pelvis from his fingers. She wanted more. More!
“Yes, Sophia,” he whispered. “Yes.”
And it felt so right. So good. So perfect.
His lips crushed hers, his kisses growing harder, firmer, his own desire escalating as she grew more excited.
She tore at his shirt. Buttons popped and scattered across the elevator with a flat sound as they hit.
“Sophia,” he groaned, “what are you doing?”
“Getting even,” she replied, splaying her hands across his chest.
“No,” he said and wrapped his fist around her hand. “Please. I don’t know how much
longer I can control myself.”
“Tough,” she replied and playfully nipped his bottom lip. Sophia breathed deeply, inhaling the scent of love. It was on them, between them, in them. It seeped from their pores and mingled as an exotic perfume of their own blending.
“Sophia,” he said, moving abruptly to a sitting position. He grasped both her shoulders in his hands, his fingers digging into her skin. “We must stop this.”
“Why?” she whispered, getting on her knees to nuzzle his neck. “I want you, and you want me. What’s wrong with us showing that love?”
“There’s something I must tell you, Sophia. Something that might make a difference in the way you feel about me.”
“Mike?” Her voice trembled. “What’s wrong? Are you in some kind of trouble?”
“No. Listen, I feel like a coward, telling you now, in the dark without being able to see your face, but you must hear me out. Because after you do, I’m afraid you won’t want me anymore.”
“What is it?”
His tone scared her. A bubble of fear formed inside Sophia, pressing hard against her rib cage. What could Mike possibly have done that would affect the way she felt about him? A hundred terrible scenarios raced through her head.
Did he use drugs? Did he have a gambling problem? Had he fathered a child and abandoned it? Suddenly, Sophia realized how very little she knew about this man she loved so fiercely.
“Mike,” she mumbled, “you’re scaring me.”
He took a deep breath. His sigh echoed off the metal walls. “I’m just going to come right out and say it.”
She groped for his hand. “Whatever problem you’ve got, Mike, we’ll work through it. I’m here for you. I will not withdraw my love simply because you’ve got a problem.”
“Do you mean it, Sophia?”
“Yes.”
“You say that now....”
“I’m serious. Please, please just don’t lie to me.”
“That’s exactly the problem, Sophia.”
“What do you mean?” Alarm spread through her, rattling the foundation of her self-confidence.
“I’ve been lying to everyone.”
“Everyone?” True fear gripped her now. “What are you talking about?”
“I’m not who you think I am.”
Confusion clouded her mind, cooling her passion. “Who are you?”
“I’m a liar and worse.”
“Worse?” She clasped a hand to her chest. Oh no, oh no, oh no.
“I’m a spy.”
A spy? Sophia furrowed her brow. “I don’t understand. Do you mean like espionage?”
“More like corporate recognizance.”
Huh? Had the bottom dropped out of the elevator? Was she free-falling through nothingness? What was happening? One minute she was in utopia, kissing the man she loved, the next minute he was telling her that he was a spy.
“Who are you?” she asked softly.
“Sophia, you really haven’t guessed by now?”
“No.” She had no idea what he was talking about, but all her senses were tingling.
“Think about it, Sophia. Who do I sound like?” His voice suddenly changed. Gone was the slow, seductive drawl of Mike the handyman and in its place was the firm, commanding tones of Rex Michael Barrington.
“Oh, no!” she gasped and plastered a palm across her mouth.
“Yes,” he said grimly. “I’m your boss.”
Mike had lied to her!
No, not Mike, Rex.
The ramifications sledgehammered Sophia. Over the past several months that she had been working for Rex, thinking he was in Brazil, he’d been right here under her nose the whole time.
Watching her. Leading her on. Spying on her.
He’d seen her romantic doodles. He’d heard her tell Amber she wanted to marry him. She’d told him she felt sorry for Rex and the empty life he led.
Shame burned her cheeks. This was so embarrassing.
Well, hadn’t he asked for it by hiding his true identity? By sneaking around, hadn’t
Rex laid himself open to hearing unflattering things? She had no reason to be ashamed.
Other memories flashed through her mind. The motorcycle ride, the night he’d stayed late with her and they’d ordered pizza. How he’d told her he was coming to the company picnic and had instead shown u
p as Mike. How they’d competed in the three-legged race together. How they’d waited at the hospital for the birth for Amber and Heath’s baby.
Of all the audacity! Was everything about him a lie?
Anger replaced her chagrin. He was unbelievable.
Still, she did not want to it to be true. Yes, she’d thought they resembled each other, but there were a lot of differences too. “But your hair is almost black, and Rex’s hair is—”
“Dyed it.”
“Your eyes are green, his are brown.”
“Colored contacts.”
“Your nose isn’t the same as his. Don’t tell me you had plastic surgery just to spy on your employees.”
“The picture on the website is ten years old. My nose got shattered in an oil field accident a few years back.”
“So, it is true.”
“Yes, Sophia, but that doesn’t change my feelings for you. The question is, does it change your feelings for me?”
“You... you’re...” Sophia sputtered, unable to think of a word to describe his underhanded behavior.
Suddenly, the elevator lights came on, blinding them.
Sophia blinked. She was still on her knees, clutching both hands into tight fists at her sides.
Mike.
No, Rex was sitting inches in front of her, his hair mussed, the buttons missing from his shirt, her lipstick imprinted on his cheek and chin.
“I’m sorry, Sophia,” he murmured. “I never meant for things to turn out this way.” He got to his feet and held out his hand to help her up.
Feeling betrayed, Sophia pushed aside his hand and staggered to her feet. An apology would not right his wrong, nor mend her broken heart. In her book, Rex had committed the ultimate sin. He had lied about who he was. Just as her father had lied to her mother. How could she ever trust this man again?
Sophia gulped and glanced away. She couldn’t bear to look at him. Didn’t dare consider that she had almost made love to him in the elevator. If he hadn’t stopped it.... Her mother had been right. Men weren’t to be trusted.
And Rex Barrington was the lowest of them all.
She panted. Her blouse was still unbuttoned. Her bra hung unhooked, and her skirt twisted. With trembling hands, she tamed her wild clothing.