Nate lifted the spoon, dipped it into her smoothie and held it out to her.
“Open,” it didn’t surprise him that she did without pausing. He stabbed it back into the smoothie when it was empty. “You are not someone’s prey, Sophie.”
“No,” she said slowly, lifting the spoon and working on her smoothie. She met the dark blue eyes with a little smile. “I am not. Thank you for reminding me of that, Nate.”
“Anytime, Baroness,” he returned with a wink.
“Your friends look kind of sad…I think they miss you,” Sophie said thoughtfully.
“I spend eight hours a day with them, Sophie…trust me, conversation while we work is seldom all work related,” he told her with a laugh.
“I suppose it’s about what you’re used to…I spend my day mostly alone…lots of music and phone contact. Cade and Logan are very hard working, very focused. It’s been amazing watching them pull such a huge project together,” Sophie dropped her spoon on his tray and slurped the remainder of the smoothie before standing up. “Do you want to come over after work? We have the kitchen to ourselves. Father is off at some business dinner with a local zoo club.”
Nate felt his heart thump. “Absolutely.”
“Maybe…” Sophie backed up a couple steps. “You should bring some clothes over…if you want to…” She waved and continued out of the cafeteria.
“If I want to…” Nate quickly finished his lunch and made a side trip to the dormitory style apartment he was living in temporarily behind the resort. He made sure his laptop was in the backpack before adding some extra clothing. He dropped it into his car before heading back to work.
Sophie wasn’t surprised there was a break in her work load that afternoon. She knew she was efficient and good at her job. She stared at the phone, her subconscious had been working the problem since morning. She knew the florist he had used and tapped in their number.
“Hello…I need to speak with your manager, please…” She waited for the phone exchange and inhaled deeply. “I don’t know if you can help me, but I hope you can. It’s about the…the large vase of flowers I received…”
Sophie asked her questions and listened. She felt sorry for the florist caught in the middle. But she was also a little angry at the denial of the other two women. She tapped in Cassidy’s number.
“Have you spoken to the florist, Cassidy?” Sophie asked quietly.
“Yes…and I know the other two women aren’t being honest. I think they’re afraid, Sophie. The thing is, it won’t help him any at this point. He was in the trainee program. There was no permanent position offer in place. He was terminated for violating company policy. Having them retract their claims, won’t get him reinstated,” Cassidy shook her head.
“I can understand the fear,” Sophie said. “I guess I can’t understand lying to yourself. I don’t like feeling like prey.”
“His photo is up at all the guard stations and on our bulletin boards. He won’t get on-sight…at least not for the next thirty days,” Cassidy assured her. “After we open…”
“We hope he loses interest by then,” Sophie said her thoughts aloud. “Okay, thanks for listening. Bye.”
A little before four, Sophie packed her things and set her hair free, dropping the chignon and sticks into her bag and heading for the main entrance. She stepped onto the large open area, smiling at the computer group of guys staring out at the rain.
“Hi guys…do you need a ride?” She almost laughed at the stunned expressions. “I’m sorry…I don’t know if you bus or drive…”
“We live in the dorms for now,” Phil answered carefully.
“We’re trying to find a house…somewhere reasonably close,” Jerry said with a nod from the others.
“Hard to find a house with five bedrooms…that’s affordable,” Sophie said thoughtfully. “Apartments suck unless it’s a gated community with standards. I think if you’re willing to double room it, you could find a nice big three bedroom.”
“We got five months…we’ll find something,” Andy said with a trace of optimism.
“Did you all live around here? Or did you move here from…out of state?” She watched them each consider her question. They really did not look the ages Nate said they were.
“We all lived way north of Seattle. Lot of tech companies up there,” Jerry answered for them all. “I think Nate’s position was the lowest level for paid out of state transfers.”
“What’d I miss?” Nate came out breathlessly, keys dangling in his hand, his other palm reaching for Sophie’s hand.
“Just chatting about living accommodations,” Sophie said with a shrug. “I have some friends in the area…I’ll see if anyone knows of a good place for you. She’s very good with locating places for people. I was lucky…I’ve lived here all my life…in between my father’s jaunts. See you tomorrow…ready?”
“Bye, guys,” Nate walked with her toward the parking lot.
“Why are we taking two cars? Do you live in the dorms, too?” Sophie stopped at the edge of the overhanging roof.
“I do…it’s a nice transition place. I can park my car back by the dorms,” Nate said with a slow nod. “Follow me back?”
“Alright…” Sophie headed for her car, heels clicking on the rain covered concrete.
Nate opened the back door of her SUV and dropped his backpack onto the seat before climbing in beside her. “You do realize…by taking one car…”
“You think people are that concerned about our private life?” Sophie smiled and shrugged. “I guess that sounds silly…after living with being part of my father’s TV show for so many years, I know people are bored enough to want to know all the lurid details.”
“It doesn’t bother you,” he said, surprised.
“Hmm…nope…can’t say it does. I was young but remember all the grief people gave my father about me traveling with him,” Sophie shook her head. “Does it bother you? That your friends know…well…”
“That I got a cute girl? They’re my friends…not my keepers,” Nate told her with a laugh. “We game together and like a lot of the same stuff.”
“I spent the lower years being tutored and entered ninth grade when I was eleven. I think it was one of the reasons I didn’t handle the cliques and…and poisoned behavior of some kids. It took awhile for me to understand they were what they live…and what we, as a society, allow them to be. Finding adult friends who have similar values and…and ideals…is much easier than school ever was,” she said quietly. “When Samantha sent me a note about the opening for top admin, I knew it was time to evolve.”
She parked the SUV beneath the large carport, chirping it once they were standing by the front door. Sophie set the lock once they were inside, leading the way through to her apartment. She grinned at him when he stood in the large living area and she continued onto the bedroom. She shook her head and went back to take his hand, leading him into the bedroom.
“I’ll move some stuff around…do you want a drawer or hangers?” Sophie asked, hanging up her jacket and holding onto the frame around the closet to slide out of her heels, toes scraping through the thick carpeting.
“I…both?” Nate felt the confusion at this entirely new situation slowly fading. He set his pack on the bed and began pulling things out while Sophie went to the tall bureau and started pulling drawers open. She moved most everything from the tall bureau to the low, long dresser.
“There really isn’t much in this one…some of it’s…a little dated,” she murmured, tossing a few things to the floor and going off in search of a large bag beneath the bathroom sink.
“Donation?” Nate asked, folding and arranging, watching her.
“Actually…there’s a very nice little thrift store that helps people at the local hospital. I take things there…make Father clean out his closet now and then,” Sophie told him, going into the large walk in closet and hanging up her suit and blouse.
Nate wasn’t prepared for the view of panties and bra
that walked to the dresser and pulled out a pair of jeans that she casually stepped into before topping it off with a thick, oversized sweater. He shook himself, quickly finished what he was doing and carried the empty backpack to the other room, setting his laptop on the other side of the large desk.
He pulled a chair over and sat staring into the blue expanse of the Sound in the distance. It was only just dawning on him that he was in Sophie’s house. Seven weeks ago he had seen her for the first time and began asking questions of Mac and Cassidy. Trying to be casual.
“Are you okay, Nate?” Sophie put her palm on his shoulder, smiling when he tugged her onto his lap. Her hands rested around his neck.
“I think a little part of me is…waiting to wake up, if that makes sense,” Nate gazed into the wide dark eyes behind the lenses.
“Why do you think you’re dreaming?” She leaned into his arm, sighing contentedly. It was very nice to be held. “Because of us?”
“Because less than seven weeks ago, I was asking questions about the quiet woman who swept past us every morning with her head down, mumbling to herself,” Nate admitted honestly.
“Between the iPad and my phone…” Sophie lifted her head and met his gaze. “I get a little distracted, trying to keep a step ahead of Cade and Logan. Once we’re through the applications, it’ll be much easier. I saw you…but…” she pulled her lower lip between her teeth, her nose wrinkled slightly. “I thought you were kids…in the intern program working with Mac…”
“I know that now, Sophie,” he slid his hand over her shoulder to the back of her head, pulling her close for a kiss. “I’m one of the mentors in that program for the kids when we start it up next month. How about dinner before I get totally lost in kissing you?”
Sophie smiled softly and slid to the floor, taking his palm and heading for the main entrance, out into the corridor and down the hall to the large kitchen. She flipped light switches and opened the back door to inhale deeply.
“We have all kinds of stuff here…usually my father prefers to wing it, but Linda knows if she lets that happen, he forgets to eat,” Sophie opened the wide door of the fridge.
“Like his daughter?”
“I don’t think I’m under any kind of obligation to answer that,” she said loftily, pulling out a container of cut vegetables, a packet of bagels and cream cheese. “Make yourself at home, Nate…”
“And there are tons of things we can do…light a fire and picnic in front of it…watch movies…we can even WoW…you’re a little behind,” she reminded him with a nod. “And we can swim…I try and swim every night…”
Nate rummaged, pulled things out and searched cabinets. They had plates filled with sandwiches and fruit, a large pitcher of iced water and soft music playing in the kitchen as they ate, talking about everything from politics to the sounds of the huge freighters passing by out on the Sound.
They cleaned up the kitchen, Nate putting things away as he dried, tossing the towel to the counter when they finished and grabbing Sophie around the middle, maneuvering her into the corner.
“I’ve been thinking about this all day,” he told her seconds before covering her lips with his, his tongue sweeping in to entice hers out to play, tasting her and swallowing the sweet sounds she made.
Sophie held onto the edge of the counter, matching the hunger in his kiss. She had thought something was wrong with her all day long because she kept feeling memories of their night together. She let go of the counter, pressing her hands to his waist and tugging his tee shirt from his jeans. Warm palms caressed beneath the fabric, over his sides and onto his chest.
“We need to get out of here,” he whispered after a long couple minutes, stepping back and taking both her hands in his. He hit the light switches on their way out, making it into the apartment and finding himself backed against the door.
Sophie pushed his shirt out of the way after dropping her glasses to the table beside the door. She barely noticed him pull the shirt over his head and drop it on the floor, his hands moving to the end of her sweater and pulling it off to join his shirt.
There was a trail of shoes and socks; pants and underwear before they sprawled out on the bed a short time later.
“We’ve steamed the windows,” Sophie said, breathing raggedly and staring languidly at the falling night. She felt the towel fall over her, blinking at the palm held out for her.
“Let’s go for a swim,” Nate pulled her to her feet, his palms framing her face. “I had no idea amazing was possible…”
“I like believing in amazing,” she whispered back, wrapping the towel around her and leading him to the pool. Their suits were where they left them and they quickly put them on to sink into the warm, welcoming waters.
Chapter Nine
“I have to get there early,” Sophie told him, dropping a red one piece dress over her head and cinching the belt. She pulled a long sweater from the closet and bent over to find a pair of black, short heels. Her hair was done; shoes in hand, sweater over arm, she headed for the main room, dumping things on the sofa and finishing dressing. Nate had his backpack in hand, grimacing at the darkness outside.
“I need to get some stuff from my place…like a jacket…” He mumbled following her to the kitchen and pulling the travel mug from his pack, greeting Linda and Harold while he filled the mug, taking a grateful swallow. “I think I need to go shopping this weekend…”
“No problem…” Sophie assured him, grabbing an apple from the fridge and waving on her way out, Nate shaking his head and jogging lightly to catch up.
“What is so big about this morning?”
“They’re doing a walk through inspection of the outside with Simon. Mia and Mac are part of the inspection and I have to make sure they have the papers they need,” Sophie shivered when the front door opened, chuckling at the grumble behind her. “It’s called winter. We get it up north here…won’t be light in the morning until…hmmm…April…you’ll adjust…”
“It’s freezing out here,” Nate buckled the seat belt and wrapped his hands around the mug of coffee.
“It’s fifty degrees…it is not freezing,” but she turned the heater up for him. “California boy…”
Sophie parted with him in the hall, her feet moving swiftly to the dark corridors, glad she’d beat them to the office. She checked the clipboards and papers she had ready for them; did a last minute check for changes in her email and sighed in relief.
She pulled up the message they had decided on, reading thoughtfully.
“Costumes for the men – choose one. Jeans, leather jacket and tee shirt –please, no logos on the tee shirts, it’ll ruin the fantasy. Second choice – beach boy/flower shirt and tan chinos. We have arranged for transportation for the girls to the downtown location. Please arrive in individual transportation. We look forward to your presence at the benefit.”
Sophie grinned and added Nate’s number to the list, cueing up the other phone numbers and shooting the email message to all the guys involved in the costume charity tomorrow night.
Nate and twelve other men peered at the message over the next few minutes. Mac looked up with a frown that matched Nate’s, striding over to his computer.
“This can’t bode well,” Mac remarked, rubbing the back of his neck and trying to remember if he had a flower shirt in his closet.
“No kidding…guess I’m going to the mall after work,” Nate typed out a brief text to Sophie. “Will meet you at the house. Have to go shopping.”
Sophie grinned at the text. Her grin was still in place when Cade and Logan came around the corner together, both of them frowning and aiming the frowns at her.
“I am just the admin,” she said before either of them could speak, their mouths closed into taut frowns. “There are always higher sources. Besides…we voted,” she told them with a wink. “It was unanimous.”
“You’re lucky you’re a damn good admin,” Logan shoved his phone into his jacket, his head shaking.
“Only th
e best for my friend’s husband,” she said with a cheeky grin, a grumbling Mac and Simon coming along the corridor, Mia behind them and offering a wink of her own.
“She’s one of them now…” Mac glared with a look from Mia to Sophie.
“Yep…” Mia agreed, accepting the clipboard held out to her by Sophie.
“Here you go, guys…you’re all set for the inspection,” Sophie handed the rest of the forms and boards out, watching them all leave the area, headed for the first of the outside area checks.
It was lunch time before Cade returned alone, handing her the pile of clipboards and forms.
“Did he kill anyone?” She asked cautiously.
“Sam took him to lunch…I think it’s better than we could have hoped. The stuff not ready isn’t important to the opening and will be done before the end of the month,” Cade shrugged. “Logan worries…I think having Sam helps him keep his sanity…to an extent,” he looked at her curiously.
“Don’t even ask…my lips are sealed,” Sophie looked up to see Nate striding toward her. “Oh, look…my lunch date…later, Cade.”
“You know they all think I have inside information,” Nate told her while they were in line waiting to pay.
Sophie just smiled, changing their direction and joining his friends for lunch. Nate just followed her lead and began eating. By the end of the hour, there had been arguments and agreements and laughter that had Nate shaking his head. Sophie glanced at her watch, taking off at a light run without a backward glance.
“Does she ever slow down?” Phil asked, chuckling at the argument she’d made for a certain type of character in the game they played.
“She talks as fast as she moves over the DDR,” Andy said with a laugh.
“Not usually…” Nate noted with a shrug. “She’s Sophie…”
WindSwept Narrows: #5 Sophie Addison Page 7
