by Jennifer Ann
As she’s removing my suit coat, carefully pulling it down along my arms, I take the opportunity to appreciate her beautiful body dressed in nothing more than a black silk camisole and lacy underwear with leopard print. With her hair down and her face scrubbed clean of makeup, it’s like standing in front of a real, live angel. Seeing her hard nipples press against the fabric of her top when she reaches for the buttons on my shirt elicits a low growl from my throat.
“I’m in love with you,” I blurt, cupping my hand behind her head.
Her eyes stay on her busy fingers like she’s too afraid to face the truth. “You’re drunk.”
I gather her hands in mine, waiting until she meets my gaze. Tears begin to pool in her beautiful blues as she looks at me, fear and trepidation rising to their surface.
“I’m dead serious, Sofia. I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Now that Grams is gone, you’re the most important person in my life, and I’m scared shitless after what happened today that I’ll lose you too.”
“I…don’t know how to process this,” she mutters, dropping her eyes to my throat. “I thought we were taking things slowly.”
With a quiver in my stomach, I realize Sharlo was right. If I go at this too hard and fast, Sofia will bolt. “I’m sorry if it scares you. I wanted you to know how I feel before you make any fast decisions.”
Her hands pull out of mine, and for a terrifying moment, I think she’s going to tell me to leave. Instead, she goes for my belt buckle and a small smile plays on her lips. “It’s been a long day for both of us. We can talk about this tomorrow.”
“What are you afraid of?” I ask, gently stroking her soft face.
“Losing what we already have…our friendship…you.” When her eyes draw up to meet mine, tears trickle down her cheeks.
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“I want to believe that you won’t, I really do. But trust and intimacy…those are two things I struggle with. Especially when they’re used together.”
“I’ll find a way to prove to you that I’m staying in your life…for as long as you’ll have me.”
Brushing her tears with my thumbs, I bend to kiss her lips. The warm palms of her hands splay flat against my chest as she deepens the kiss, sweeping her tongue through my mouth. In the eager way her lips move, I can sense how much she needs me, how much she wants my words to be true. I finish removing my pants with one hand and let them fall to the floor before sweeping her into my arms and bringing her down to lay on the bed.
“I love you, Sofia,” I whisper against her ear, hoping that if she hears the words enough times, she’ll begin to accept they’re true. “And now I’m going to make love to this beautiful body.”
Then I kiss my way down her silky skin, pushing her camisole up enough to give my mouth access to her rosy nipples. I take one between my lips and suck, pleased when she responds by moaning and wrapping her fingers in my hair. Guessing she’s already wet for me, I slip a finger between her legs to confirm my suspicion. She lets out a long, deep sigh of content, making me as hard as steel.
God help me, I love this woman with everything I have. I only hope it’s enough to weather whatever shitstorm Avery throws our way.
Chapter 16
SOFIA
Though it’s not the first time I wake in Nolan’s arms, everything feels different with the light of day after he confessed his love. I left Leona’s service for my office, sitting there long after the firm closed for the evening, debating how to handle Nolan and his crazy ex. For a fleeting moment I considered letting him go, but just the idea made it impossible to breathe and I knew I couldn’t go on without him. Is that what it feels like to be in love?
The way Nolan was able to admit his feelings out loud seemed so easy. I considered saying it back to him until fear of the unknown slammed into my throat. What if he changed his mind down the road once I became fully invested in our relationship? What if I were to become deathly ill like my mom, only to leave him emotionally scarred like dad had been, or vice versa? What if our love wasn’t enough to survive whatever Avery has planned as revenge?
I sigh deeply, worried my heart can’t withstand any of those scenarios.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he whispers, dragging his fingers along my spine.
“Good morning,” I answer, suddenly nervous when I open my eyes to see the intense way he’s looking at me. I don’t have the first idea what to do with the mixed bundle of nerves stirring through my stomach. I glance at the digital clock on my nightstand and sigh once more. “I better get ready. They’re expecting me at work.”
“My car’s at Leona’s. I can drop you off on my way home.” Nolan’s expression flattens and something dark crosses his gaze. “Promise me you won’t take the subway alone at night ever again.” When I open my mouth to protest, his slight smile returns. “I’ll sell the Tesla and get us both something more reasonable. You know, something less obnoxious.”
“I can afford my own car,” I snap.
“Of course you can.” His playful smile flattens as he pulls away from me to sit upright. The serious look he casts down on me sends a wave of chills down my spine. “It’s not about money, Sofia. This is me, wanting to take care of the woman I love. In any way possible. Can you learn to accept that without it becoming an issue?”
“I down know,” I answer truthfully, and slip out from beneath the sheets. I’ve become accustomed to taking care of myself. How do I give up that control without appearing weak? Looking down on Nolan, I shake my head. “The only thing I’m sure of is that I’ll be late either way, and I need to put some overtime in with the partners to make up for the last few days.”
“In that case, I’ll bring you dinner.”
“Nolan!” I yell, throwing my hands up at my sides. “You are still my client!”
He’s suddenly on his feet, eyes narrowed. It’s difficult to ignore the magnificent wall of smooth muscles standing before me, and I’m not sure how I keep my hands to myself. “So call the firm in Vegas! Tell them you want to move the sale up to this Saturday!” His eyes soften when he slips a hand behind my head. “I’ll fire you the minute it’s over and we’ll spend the rest of the weekend…celebrating.”
I want nothing more than the opportunity to give into my feelings and explore the possibility of a serious relationship. But is that too much to ask? Intoxicated by his gentle touch and the loving way he’s looking at me, my resolve collapses like a house of ill-stacked cards.
“Okay,” I mutter, releasing a stuttering breath.
I owe it to both of us to give it a try.
The weekend arrives before I’m able to brace myself for our second trip to Vegas. As Nolan suggested, I was able to convince the parties involved to meet for the closing on Saturday, and spent the remainder of the week expediting the sale whenever Nolan and I weren’t naked in my bed.
With every minute that passes, I become more uneasy with the situation and worry it will collapse beneath us. Avery could come in at any moment and ruin the sale, Nolan, and my career. Everything. I’m so on edge by Friday night that once I’m off work, I call Sharlo and Evelyn over to distract me as I’m packing. Having been at Evelyn’s when I called, Katie tags along. I instantly feel better when greeted with their three smiling faces.
“You must bring this, and only this,” Sharlo sighs, setting the dress Nolan bought me the first time we were in Vegas against her bulging stomach. “I dream at night about being able to fit into something sexy once more. If I get any bigger, we’ll be designing dresses that consist of a mere yard of cloth, sewn together at the neck.”
“Sack dresses are totally in fashion,” Katie comments with a glass of wine pressed to her lips.
“You’re still beautiful,” I assure Sharlo. “I didn’t know it was possible for a pregnant woman to look that good at nine months.”
“Let’s be honest here. All she really needs is a bunch of sexy lingerie,” Evelyn teases from my bed, sipping on a glass of wat
er. “Once the paperwork is final, Nolan’s going to want to seal the deal in his own way.”
“Unless Avery and her father show up to kill the deal,” I remind her dryly. Tossing a pair of lacy panties into the open suitcase sitting on the bed beside Evelyn, I sigh and slump down to the mattress. “I keep thinking everything’s too perfect. I finally found someone I’m pretty sure I want to spend my life with, and he it sounds like he feels the same. Then Avery comes into the picture…isn’t this the part where the wicked witch steps in and destroys the fairytale?”
“Most fairytales don’t involve two sisters who are ready to kick some serious ass if anyone hurts the princess,” Evelyn replies. “Likely three sisters if we were to fill Angelina in on all the deets.”
Katie holds a hand up. “Count me in on this ass-kicking fest.”
“Evelyn is absolutely right, Sof,” Sharlo agrees. “That slag isn’t pulling anything while the rest of us are around. By the way, where is your other sister these days? I’m not sure I know where to send the baby announcements if the little buggar ever makes an appearance. The last time I spoke with Hunter, he’d heard that Angie had sailed away from Miami on a yacht with some rich bloke who owns a chain of hotels.”
“At least no one can ever accuse her of not living an exciting life,” Evelyn says, smirking. “Who would’ve guessed the three of us would end up in love, living a completely opposite lifestyle from how we were raised?”
“You guys totally should adopt me,” Katie says with a dreamy sigh.
A whirlwind of emotions slam into me with Evelyn’s comment. I’ll never be able to erase the guilt that came with wanting to leave Minnesota behind, and missing out on our father’s final years in the process. I want to forget the weak girl I was back in high school. The girl who believed in ridiculous things like true love and happily ever after. But are they ridiculous? Does Nolan have what it takes to make me happy for the rest of my life? My heart speeds with a resounding yes.
“Who said I’m in love?” I snap.
While my sister cocks her head and gives me a wide-eyed look like I’ve lost my mind, Sharlo crosses the room to sit at my side, setting a hand on my arm.
“I get that you’re scared, love. Perhaps it’s time you speak to another therapist to sort through all your feelings. I’d hate to see two of my best mates lose their way with each other when it appears to be the start of something beautiful.”
“You guys are really cute together,” Katie agrees with an empathetic nod. “And the way you look at each other, it’s obvious to every one else that you’re in love.”
An awkward silence lingers in the private car Nolan hired to deliver us to LaGuardia early Saturday morning. The conversation with the girls from the night before repeats through my head until I’m dizzy. I nearly ask the driver to pull over when I think I’ll be physically ill.
Crippled by my thoughts, I have even less to say on the flight. It seems Nolan begins to suspect something is wrong the way he casts me worried glances. Finally, I sit with my face turned away from him and feign sleep.
We land just as the pink hue of sunrise is stretched across Vegas. When I turn to gaze out the window, Nolan squeezes my hand. “Don’t look so worried, counselor. Everything will work itself out. I won’t let it play out any other way.”
As we check into the hotel so I can freshen up and change into a suit before the closing, my nerves are so out of control that my hands are shaking, and Nolan has to zip the back of my skirt. Then his hands slide up my bare arms, stopping on my shoulders as he pushes up against me. His lips against my neck are like a caress, soft and barely there.
“Whatever’s going on in that beautiful head of yours, tell it to stop. I believe in you, Sofia Kendall. You’re strong, smart, and stubborn enough to survive anything. And I plan to spend the rest of my life proving just how much I love you, if you’ll let me.”
I close my eyes, worried I’ll shatter from the depths of his sweet words. But instead, I’m bathed in a warm, calming glow that spreads from his touch and consumes my entire body. It’s the closest thing I’ve felt to being unconditionally loved since my mom died. With clarity, I realize that I need him in a way that I’ve never needed anyone before.
Oh my god, I really do love him.
I am in love with Nolan Zimmerman.
Tears prick my eyes as I pull in a deep breath. With a dizzying rush to my chest, I consider unloading my biggest worries and fears to make him understand where I’m coming from. Instead, I bite down on my tongue. Becoming emotional a mere hour before the closing is only going to make me weak.
I’m a professional and—fuck it.
Spinning around, I crush my lips to his. It’s all I can handle at the moment, the only way to show him how I feel without becoming a blubbery mess. At first he seems shocked as he merely stands with his hands loosely resting on my hips, but then he gently cradles my neck where my chignon ends and my heated skin begins. I shiver under his fingertips, feeling the compassion flowing from him as his tongue runs along my bottom lip before coaxing its way into my mouth. The kiss goes on for what feels like forever, but still isn’t nearly long enough and makes me want to disappear in his arms.
We finally part, breathless.
“We’ll talk later,” I promise, averting my eyes away from his heated gaze.
“We’ve got this,” he whispers before placing a gentle kiss on my forehead. “Whatever happens…I’ll be right by your side.”
The law firm of Bedrock and Shaw swallows us whole as my heels click along the marble on the 22nd floor. I’ve never felt so insignificant as we walk below the high, mural ceilings toward the modern conference room. Nothing has changed about the building since our last visit, but it’s like walking toward death row the way my heart pounds and my throat closes.
My fingers itch to reach out for Nolan and I think he senses it the way he keeps subtly bumping his shoulder into mine as we follow the receptionist down the hallway. When I meet his gaze, it’s pinched with worry and there’s something passing through his eyes that I can’t quite read.
Several yards from the conference room, I stop dead in my tracks when noticing two middle aged, severe-looking men in cheap business suits standing guard at the door, hands folded in front of them as they speak with each other. They’re nothing like the uptight attorneys we met last time we were here, and there’s something about them that looks “official.” Like FBI or police detectives.
Would Avery allege something criminal? My brain flips into overtime, reviewing laws on real estate sales and client-attorney privileges. But I’m too panicked to think clearly. What if this is the end of my career? As panic swells in my throat, Nolan grabs my wrist and yanks me into the nearest hallway.
“Put this on,” he pleads, pressing something small into the palm of my hand.
I look down to find he’s given me a massive diamond ring—3 carats at the very least—that’s surrounded by a border of tiny diamonds in a princess cut and shines like a beacon from the artificial light over our heads.
Oh. My. God.
I can’t even… What does this mean? Is he asking me to marry him? Here? Now?
With sickness rising in my belly and my vision blurring with dark spots, I meet his hopeful gaze, waiting for him to explain.
His tongue appears to wet his lips before he speaks. “The stone was Leona’s. I had it redesigned with a modern setting that better suited your style. I was going to give it to you tonight, but from the looks of the men waiting out there, it can’t wait. If they push you, tell them we’re already married. I’m sure with the right amount of money, someone in this city could be bribed into backdating a license.”
“Nolan, I…”
But I’m unsure of what to say. I love you, but I can’t make that kind of a promise? I’m not ready for that kind of commitment? He’s giving me his grandmother’s diamond, for fuck’s sake. I should be overjoyed by the touching gesture.
“It doesn’t have to be real,” he
tells me with a sad little smile. “At least if they aren’t here for the reason we think. I’m not pressing you into doing anything you don’t want to do, Sofia. But I was going to propose tonight because I want to spend the rest of my life with you, not because I want to save your career, although I’d do anything to get you out of this clusterfuck Avery created.”
My eyes flitter between Nolan and the shimmering ring as everything I want to say sticks to my throat like peanut butter.
“Just put it on, counselor,” he says, running his thumb along my jaw. “We’ll figure out what it means later.”
With a trembling hand, I reach for the platinum band.
“Let me,” he whispers in a gentle voice.
I hold my breath as he slides the ring onto my finger, not surprised when it slips on perfectly like Cinderella’s slipper. My eyes burn with unshed tears when I hold my hand out between us, marveling at the beauty of the diamond that once belonged to his grandmother.
I simply don’t know how to feel about his backwards proposal. The offer to stop me from getting disbarred, from losing everything I’ve worked so hard to achieve, is tempting. It might even work. If I decide that I’m not ready, however, there’s no doubt in my mind that I will return the precious ring. But what if I agree to marry him…for real? What if I take a leap of faith, trusting that we’re meant to be together, trusting that his love is pure enough to last, and trusting that the feeling burning in my chest whenever he’s around is real?
I’m still fighting back tears when Nolan laces his fingers with mine. “Let’s go, sweetheart. They’re waiting.”
Chapter 17
KATIE
Stepping out onto the patio of our Hampton’s hideaway, I breathe in the ocean air and smile.
I’m finally free.
Well, almost. Allen is never home anymore, and in a few months he’ll be shipping off to college in Georgetown. Granted, I’m younger than most who have to deal with the whole “empty nest” thing, but I shit you not, the sudden freedom that comes from not having two teenage boys at home is the best thing that’s happened to me since I won a modeling contest at the mall when I was fifteen. Consequently, that’s the last time I had a killer body that didn’t include stretch marks or extra baggage around the middle that I can’t seem to shake from carrying two freakishly large babies for someone my size.
