by Leanne Banks
“I’ve told her about you. She would want to know.”
Sophie stared at him. She didn’t know what to think. “Well, I’m glad I didn’t croak. It would have been terribly inconvenient given that I’m here in Chantaine.”
“Yeah,” Max said and glanced at her plate. “Stop talking and eat.”
Sophie looked at her plate and the steak seemed to have increased in size. Sighing, she took another bite. She watched Max down both beers as he consumed his meal.
“So what did you think of the palace?” he asked.
“It was very nice. The room was a little smaller than I expected, but I guess since the building is so old, that should be expected. Princess Pippa was so sweet. Being with them made me wish I had a sister, but I guess it’s a little too late to wish for that,” Sophie said.
“Really?” Max said, leaning back in his seat. “I can’t imagine wanting sisters.”
She scowled at him. “That’s because you have them,” she said.
“I didn’t know that until recently. Now it feels like I’m supposed to be a big brother family guy,” he said.
“There are worse things,” she said, sipping her water.
He glanced at her plate. “You didn’t eat half your meal.”
“I’m not hungry. You sound like a big brother,” she said. “Is that how you feel toward me? Brotherly?”
He met her eyes, clearly uncomfortable. “Not brotherly. Protective,” he said. “You and I have worked together for years. I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
Sophie laughed then took another sip of water. “Oh, my goodness. I’m starting to feel important.”
Max rolled his eyes. “Don’t go over the edge. And you’re still not eating.”
“I told you, I’m not hungry,” she grunted.
He frowned. “That’s not good.”
“It’s normal,” she said. “The nurse told me I might not have a big appetite.”
“You need to build up your strength.”
“Gradually,” she said and stood, feeling tired. “I think I want to go to bed early.”
“Maybe I should stay,” he said.
She shook her head. “Not necessary.”
He knocked back the last of his beer. “I don’t agree.”
She scowled at him. “I’m really okay.”
“That’s debatable,” he said. “So, I’ll take the sofa. Are you sure you won’t eat more?”
“I’m not hungry,” she said in a low voice. “But thank you.”
“Okay, I’ll wrap it up,” he said.
“I can do it.”
“No,” he said. “You get ready to hit the sack.”
Sophie sighed. “Thanks for coming by tonight.”
“I wouldn’t have considered anything else,” he said.
It was a totally different experience having Max hover over her. Although they often shared close work quarters, she’d had to learn to dismiss her physical attraction to him or she would never get any work done. She hadn’t been perfect at the game, though. Max possessed a tall, muscular physique. His physical strength was a tremendous turn-on. But there was no work to be done, at least not for now.
She turned toward her small bedroom then whirled as she remembered she should at least offer him a pillow and a blanket. She walked straight into his chest. “Oops,” she said, her heart racing against her rib cage.
He caught her arms with his hands. “Problem?”
She read the concern on his face again and took a deep breath. “No. I just wanted to get you a pillow and blanket.”
He shrugged. “It’s no big deal. You know I’ve slept on the ground in a lot of places.”
She inhaled his masculine scent and tried not to get drunk from it. “That’s not necessary tonight. I’ll be right back,” she said, but it took a few extra seconds for her to pull away. Finally managing to detach herself, she headed down the hall and gathered the blanket, pillow and an extra set of sheets that wouldn’t fit the sofa, but would definitely feel better against Max’s skin. She grabbed a few toiletries, too.
“Here’s a toothbrush, some soap and some linens. If you need anything else, let me know,” she said as she set the items on the coffee table.
“This is way more than I need,” he protested, raking his hand through his hair.
“No worries,” she said, using the vernacular from Australia. “I’ll let you get your own water glass in the cupboard.”
She met his gaze for a quick moment and her heart dipped. “There you go. That’s my Sophie coming back. Go get some rest. You’ll be your regular dose of piss and vinegar tomorrow.”
“That’s not the most flattering description,” she told him then turned away and headed for her bedroom. It was clear that Max would never see her as a woman.
Chapter Four
Sophie tossed and turned for a good hour before drifting restlessly to sleep. She dreamed a dozen crazy dreams involving a scooter, the hospital, Max and the palace. She awakened at 3:00 a.m., her mouth as dry as the desert.
Pushing back her covers, she climbed out of her bed and headed for the small galley kitchen to get a glass of water. She should have planned for this, but she’d been too addled by Max’s presence. Moving as quietly as possible, she opened a kitchen cabinet.
From behind her, she heard his voice. “You okay?”
Sophie nearly jumped out of her skin. “I’m fine. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
“I sleep lightly sometimes,” he said. “You want some water?”
“Yes,” she said and turned as he pulled a glass from the cabinet. She felt his body pressed against hers. It took her breath.
A half beat later, he moved away. She wished he’d stay and go at the same time. He filled the glass with water from the spigot and offered it to her.
“Thanks,” she said and gulped down half of it.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“Okay. Just a little sore. I didn’t take any pain meds tonight.”
“Mistake?”
“Maybe,” she said. “I feel a little achy. I’m sure I’ll be better in the morning.”
“Don’t plan on coming to work tomorrow,” he said.
“I’ll be bored,” she complained.
“You need another day or two,” he said and lifted his hand to slide his fingers through her hair.
She stood stock still at his touch. It felt so good. A little moan escaped her lips. She immediately felt self-conscious.
“Feels good?” he asked and continued to stroke her scalp.
“Yes,” she whispered and closed her eyes.
He continued to stroke and she couldn’t hold back another moan.
“That sound,” he muttered. “It’s so—” He broke off and she felt his face lower closer to hers.
Her heart hammered against her chest so hard she could barely breathe.
“Dammit, Sophie,” he said and pressed his mouth against hers.
It was the sweetest, most powerful and sensual sensation she’d ever experienced. She opened her lips and his tongue slid inside her mouth. So sexy. She savored every second. A few breaths later he pulled back.
“Damn. I shouldn’t have done that,” he said quietly.
Her heart contracted. Her emotions shattered in a thousand pieces. She tried to pull herself back together. Several breaths later, she nodded, though inside she was shaking her head. “You’re right. You shouldn’t have.”
With trembling hands, she grabbed her glass of water and skittered away from the kitchen. She’d just had the best and worst experience of her life. How could she possibly go to sleep? How could she possibly face Max in the morning?
Although it felt like hours later, Sophie eventually fell a
sleep. She awakened to a fresh glass of water on her nightstand and a note. Sleep in. Need you back healthy and whole. Take another day. —Max
Frowning at the note, she rose and took a long swig of her water. How convenient for him to leave. Now, she had to wonder if she would feel uncomfortable when she saw him again. Her head and body ached. She should have taken some pain killer, but she didn’t like putting foreign substances into her body.
Swearing under her breath, she walked into the shower and prayed it would help her aching body. After several minutes of standing under the spray, Sophie dried off and returned to sit on her bed, her brain spinning.
How much had she screwed up by responding to Max’s kiss? He had started it, but damn, she had been ready, wanting and willing. She supposed she should have resisted, but couldn’t imagine trying. Sophie had been waiting for years for Max to see her as someone other than his assistant. When he’d kissed her, half her dreams had come true. Then those dreams had been demolished.
In his mind, he had given in to a momentary lapse. In her mind, this was the big moment she had been waiting for.
Two completely opposite reactions.
She had wanted to feel his strong chest against hers. She had yearned for his arms to wrap around her and pull her to him.
But he had kissed her then regretted it within seconds. Regretted it so much that he stopped mid-kiss.
The knowledge tore at her. How could Sophie possibly return to work with Max knowing that he didn’t want her and never would? She’d learned that in the middle of the night.
Did he know that she wanted him? Could he tell? Had she successfully faked her agreement with him? Her stomach twisted. She hated that she had to fake it.
Desperation grabbed at her. Unable to sit still, she rose from the bed and paced around the small apartment. Sophie hated feeling desperate. She’d always worked hard to avoid the feeling. She much preferred being in control and had learned from a young age to use her willpower to keep her from feeling vulnerable. Since her father had abandoned her mother and her soon after Sophie had been born, she’d sensed her mother’s desperation. Every once in a while when one of his sporadic checks came in the mail, she could feel her mother’s stress level ease up, but it never seemed to last.
Until last year. It was as if her mother had finally realized that Sophie would be able to take care of herself and she didn’t need to worry and fret about the future quite so much. This past holiday had been the best time she’d shared with her mother in years. Her mother had laughed more, and so had Sophie even though she’d been distracted wondering how Max’s visit with the Devereauxes had gone.
Impatience nicked at her. A twinge of anger followed. Why should she feel desperate? She’d survived the scooter accident. She’d survived a snake bite just a few months ago when they were in Australia. There was no reason for her to feel so vulnerable. Yet, she did.
Sophie scowled at the knowledge. She needed to fix this. She needed to do something that made her feel less vulnerable. Today. She put on jogging clothes, exited her apartment complex and began to run. She triple-checked herself and everyone else at street-crossings then headed up into the hills of Chantaine. It was a beautiful island and her goal was to find a fantastic view. Sophie was a sucker for a beautiful sight.
Climbing a long hill, Sophie finally reached the summit and caught her breath as she looked over the island. The green foliage and rocky shore contrasted against the deep-blue ocean. She wasn’t sure she could live on Chantaine forever, but she could certainly live here for awhile.
Breathing in the ocean air, she savored the view. Life was fragile. She could have lost hers just a few days ago. She needed to make choices. Sophie had a decent savings in her bank. Maybe she needed to start thinking less about security and more about what she wanted in her life for the long-term.
Sophie rested at the crest of the hill for awhile then returned to the city, again triple-checking the crosswalks. Stumbling into her apartment, she gulped down her water and slumped in a chair.
Her cell phone rang. Sophie glanced at the caller ID. Phillipa. “Hi, your highness. How are you?”
“I’m fine,” Pippa said. “But Eve is in labor. I’m so excited I can’t stand it.”
Sophie noticed that Pippa sounded out of breath. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, just excited,” Pippa said.
“Are you having contractions?”
A long silence followed. “I don’t think so,” she said tentatively.
“Where are you?” Sophie asked.
“At the palace,” Pippa said. “I’m taking care of Stephenia, Stefan and Eve’s daughter.”
“Pippa, you don’t sound so good. Maybe you should go to the hospital,” Sophie said.
“I’m fine,” Pippa said brightly. “Oops. I need to go. Stephenia is tearing up the toy room.”
Sophie frowned. She had an uncomfortable feeling about Pippa. Taking a quick shower, she dressed and paced. She called Pippa and waited. It went to voice mail.
Moments later, Sophie’s phone rang. “You were right,” Pippa said. “I’m having contractions. Nic is going to be so peeved if he doesn’t get here in time.”
“How can I help?” Sophie asked.
“If it’s not too much trouble, could you come to the hospital? I’m afraid Bridget would make me more nervous.”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can,” Sophie said. “I’m honored you would ask me.”
“You may not be honored when I start screaming,” Pippa said. “I’m all for pain relief.”
Sophie laughed and hung up. It took just a few moments for her to get to the hospital. Surprisingly enough, she was led into Pippa’s private birthing unit. Surrounded by nurses, Pippa met Sophie’s gaze. Pippa looked as if she were drowning.
“Hurts,” Pippa said.
Sophie rushed to her side. “Then take the pain meds.”
“I feel guilty.”
“That’s wrong,” Sophie said, thinking back to when she refused to take her own pain meds. “This will be hard on your body. No need to suffer more than usual.”
“But I don’t want to hurt the baby,” Pippa said.
“Then listen to your nurses,” Sophie said. “They see this every day.”
Soon enough, Pippa allowed herself to be anesthetized. She took a deep breath. “This is so much better. When you have a baby, you should get an epidural.”
“I’ll remember that,” Sophie promised.
“I hope Nic gets here,” Pippa said.
Princess Pippa’s wish came true. Less than an hour later, Nic arrived from a transatlantic flight. Rushed and worried, he made his way to Pippa’s side. Sophie squeezed Pippa’s hand then dismissed herself. All was right. Husband was with his pregnant wife. Life was as it should be. She gave her cell phone number to the nurse on duty.
Sophie returned to her apartment, but wasn’t inclined to stay inside. She walked around her neighborhood and bought bunches of flowers for both Pippa and Eve in anticipation of their babies. She dumped them in water and turned on the television in her apartment, halfway watching, more so listening for her cell phone.
Hours later, it finally rang. “Miss Sophie Taylor,” a female voice said.
“Yes,” Sophie said, rising to a sitting position.
“Her Highness Princess Pippa requested that I call you to tell you that she has delivered a beautiful daughter named Amelie.”
Sophie felt a rush of relief. “I’m so happy. Please tell her thank you for me, along with my congratulations.”
“I will, ma’am,” the woman said.
Seconds later, her phone buzzed again. Sophie picked up. “Yes,” she said.
“Miss Sophie Taylor,” the man said.
“Yes,” she said. “This is about Stefan and Eve’s baby, isn’
t it? Please tell me she’s okay.”
“Yes, Her Highness is quite well. The baby boy is also quite fine. Princess Eve asked me to convey the news.”
“Thank you.” Sophie said. “I’m thrilled for everyone.”
Seconds later, her cell phone rang again. The incoming call was from Max.
She picked up. “Yes?”
“What’s with all these royal babies tonight?” he asked in a gruff voice.
“Welcome to being an uncle,” she said. “I’m going to the hospital.”
“Now?” he asked.
She scowled at him even though he couldn’t see her. “Now,” she said and hung up her phone.
Without thinking, Sophie grabbed the flowers and a cab then went to the hospital. She sent the flowers up to both Eve and Pippa, hoping they would make it to the intended recipients.
She paced the hospital waiting room for a few moments wondering why exactly she had come to the hospital for the second time, then decided to leave. Heading out the hospital door, she walked smack into Max. He caught her by her arms.
“Hey. What are you doing here?”
“I brought flowers, but I think they’re probably too busy to notice, so I decided to leave.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets. “That was nice of you.”
“It seemed the right thing to do,” she said.
“Maybe I should get a toy for them or something,” he said.
“I’m sure they would be happy with your good wishes,” she said and shrugged.
“I guess this means we don’t get to see the newborns,” he said.
“We can look forward to seeing photos online and in the newspaper,” she said and smiled. “Uncle Max.”
He scowled at her. “So why did I come to the hospital?” he asked.
“Because you care more than you admit,” she said, relieved that he hadn’t brought up the kiss they’d shared. Maybe they could just go back to the way things had been before, she thought hopefully.
He scowled again. “I’m leaving.”
“Me, too,” she said and followed him outside the door.
