With a shaky breath, Sophie took another drink of water before continuing.
“Doc Kelly came in then and I excused myself and ran out of the room. Right out of the office. I drove home and for the life of me, I still don’t remember doing that. All I know is I was suddenly in the living room and looking at Nana and demanding to know what this man was talking about.”
His heart beat like wild in his chest as a sense of dread washed over him.
“Sophie, you don’t… I mean, it’s okay if you don’t want to—”
“My father killed my mother,” she said flatly. “He was an alcoholic—had a history of DUIs. That night—the night of the accident—he was drunk and my mother tried to stop him from driving.” She blinked away tears, took another sip of her water before looking at him again.
“Sophie…”
“He not only killed her but a couple they hit head-on, as well.” She let out a mirthless laugh. “Amazingly, he walked away without a scratch.”
He had no words.
“Nana never wanted me to know what really happened. Small town and all, she was able to get word around that she would prefer if I thought both my parents died in a car accident—you know, choosing to omit the fact that my father was the cause of it. Everyone went along with it—my whole life, all my friends, neighbors, coworkers—anyone who knew the real story went along with the lie.” Tears ran down her cheek freely now. “They all lied to me.” She swallowed hard. “That’s why it’s so important to me to tell the truth—no matter what.”
Great. Now they were back to that.
“Once the cat was out of the bag, I was pretty much hell on wheels around town. I talked to everyone—accused everyone of keeping the truth from me. I went online and researched the case, but considering it happened twenty-five years ago and there wasn’t really an internet then, there wasn’t much for me to find.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine how you must have felt.”
“He’s serving a life sentence,” she said shakily. “And I get to be the daughter of the town drunk. The guy who killed three innocent people because he loved alcohol more than anything else.”
“I’m sure nobody thinks that.”
“Nana says the same thing, but…” She shrugged. “I’ll never know. I don’t want to know. My whole life, everything I thought I knew, it’s all just… I hate it.”
Muttering a curse, he wanted to kick himself for making her talk about this—for making her even think about things she clearly wanted to forget. As he studied Sophie’s face, he saw she was pale and shivering. He instantly stood and pulled her to her feet, wrapping her in his arms.
“I’m so sorry, Sophie,” he said softly, placing a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m so sorry you had to go through all of that.” He thought that might help her relax, but she shoved at his chest, taking him by surprise.
With a steadying breath, she straightened her spine. “That’s why I need to be honest with you, Christian.”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I get it. Really.” After her horrific story, the last thing he wanted was to have her hammer the point home about how she felt—or didn’t feel—about him.
“No, you don’t,” she stated, her voice stronger than it was a moment ago. “The thing is—I don’t want to be just your friend. When I’m with you…I laugh. I smile. And while I’ve made some friends since I moved here, and I go out and have fun with them, it’s not the same. You make me…you make me happy, Christian. And I understand all of your reasons why you want to avoid anything more with me. I get it. After everything your dad did and the way you were betrayed by a woman you worked with and were involved with, I understand. I do.” She paused and let out a slow breath. “But here’s the thing. I’m not her. I would never do something like that to you or to anyone. That’s why—that’s why I shared my story with you. I wanted you to know why I’m practically honest to a fault. Lying—even a little white lie—doesn’t sit well with me anymore.”
“Sophie…”
“But I also expect the same in return,” she went on. “And I think you and I have that in common. We’ve both been hurt by other people’s lies. Their motivation may have been different, but ultimately, we were hurt by them. Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”
He was almost too afraid to hope.
“I think so,” he said carefully, second-guessing his instincts and afraid to do or say the wrong thing.
Sophie took one step toward him, then another. “I don’t think you do. So I guess I’ll have to show you.”
And just like that, her arms were around him and she was up on her tiptoes and pressing her lips to his.
* * *
Leaving her comfort zone was totally becoming her thing.
Pressed up against Christian, Sophie poured everything she had into the kiss. It was crazy and a little impulsive, but after sharing what she had with him, she needed to chase those dark thoughts away.
And kissing Christian was the perfect distraction.
He didn’t question it and—if anything—he seemed just as on board with it as she was.
Not that she was surprised. Their last kiss had been incredibly hot and she hadn’t been able to push it from her mind; hopefully, he hadn’t either.
Her hands raked through his hair as his arms banded tighter around his waist. She loved how warm and hard his entire body was. Admiring his physique was one thing, getting up close and personal with it like this was another.
One kiss led to another and another until she was almost dizzy. She didn’t want to move, didn’t want anything to break the spell they were currently under, and he must have felt the same, because they stayed right there in the kitchen. There was no moving to the sofa or even a chair. Purring, she rubbed against him and smiled against his lips when he groaned deep in his throat.
It was the sexiest sound she’d ever heard.
Part of her still couldn’t believe she was doing this—being the aggressor like she was. The old Sophie—pre-California Sophie—never would have followed a man home and kissed him. She went on nice dinner dates or to a movie and waited for her date to kiss her.
And not one of those kisses could even compare to the way Christian was kissing her now.
Her skin was heated, her breath was ragged, and as much as she hated to stop, she needed a moment to breathe. Moving her head to the side didn’t deter him at all. He simply kissed her cheek, the column of her throat, and oh boy, did that feel good! Licking and nipping and rubbing his stubbled jaw against her own soft skin was like sensory overload.
Whispering his name, she swallowed hard and waited for him to lift his head and look at her. His eyes were as dazed as hers must be and she loved their slumberous look. He was the handsomest man she had ever met, and it seemed crazy that she was locked in his arms like this.
“So, um… What I was trying to tell you earlier,” she said, her voice quite low, “was that I wanted to be more than friends with you.”
A slow, sexy grin spread across his face as he leaned in to rest his forehead against hers. “That’s good, because I really want to be more than friends with you too.”
Relief washed over her, as well as pure joy, and she couldn’t hide her smile.
“I know things may be a little weird at times,” she said, “and with your history of—”
His finger on her lips instantly silenced her. “We’re not going there. No looking back, okay? The situations are completely different, and even though I can’t explain it, I just know it. In my heart I know that what we have is going to be better.” He placed a gentle kiss on the tip of her nose before continuing. “From the first time I saw you, I felt a connection to you. It was like I looked up and there you were.”
His words warmed her heart. “I’m glad you found me.”
“Me too.”
Taking a step
nearer, Christian gently wrapped his hand around hers and led her into the living room, where they sat on the couch. His arm went around her, tucking her in close beside him. If it were up to her, they could stay like this all night. Well, maybe order some takeout, because she was hungry and hadn’t eaten dinner yet, but other than that, she could stay right here and be happy.
“You’re the bravest woman I’ve ever met,” he said. She looked up at him quizzically. “You moved away from the only place you’ve ever known and you did it all on your own. You’re trying new things, starting new jobs, and it sounds like you’re finding a new you.”
“It was something I felt like I had to do,” she admitted. “I could have lived my whole life in the same town, working at the same job, and doing all the same things. I probably would have been happy doing it too. But in one instant, everything changed and became tainted.”
He nodded, and Sophie knew he understood exactly what she meant.
“Nana was so upset that I wanted to leave. But I felt betrayed by her the most. Although, now that I’ve had time alone to think about it, I know it couldn’t have been easy for her. After all, my mom was her only child and she lost her. On top of that, she’d had to take on raising a toddler. So I’m learning to let go of some of my anger, but it’s not easy.”
“I can’t imagine it would be,” he said, kissing her softly on her temple. “Do you speak to her at all?”
“Almost every day. That was one habit I couldn’t break—even when I was at my angriest. Then I realized she was angry too. If I had stayed, we probably would have spent a lot of time arguing, so I think it was the right decision for me to move.” She shrugged. “She hates it, though. Every day she comes up with a new reason why this isn’t the place for me and I know she’d be happier if I moved home.”
Sophie felt him stiffen.
“Would you?” he asked, his voice gruff. “Would you consider moving back?”
Shrugging, she responded, “I don’t know. If something happened and I had to go back, then I would. But there’s nothing there for me anymore. I can’t remember things without this new cloud over them.”
“There’s got to be at least some good memories for you.”
“In time, maybe. But right now, even thinking about things I did with my friends or any of my accomplishments at school, I either obsess about how my teachers knew my real story when I didn’t, or I get angry at all the things my mom missed out on because of my father.” She shook her head, her voice trembled. “He destroyed everything, and for what?”
Christian pulled her impossibly close to him as the damn broke and she began to cry. The only other person she had cried in front of had been her grandmother, and somehow, this felt even more intense, emotional.
He whispered kind words to her—soft words, caring words—and for a few minutes, she let him say them as he held her. It was important to share this story with him so he knew her—really knew her. If anything, he was going to be the first person to understand this new woman she was becoming—warts and all.
And hopefully, he would like that woman.
Tilting her head, she looked up at him. Luckily, she didn’t wear a lot of makeup, but no doubt what little she had on was smeared all over her face. “Feel free to run for the hills,” she said, trying to make light of the situation. “I’d completely understand.”
But the look on his face was so tender, so caring that it said more than any words ever could. Cupping her cheek, he caressed it with his thumb. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said solemnly. “Thank you for sharing that with me. I know it wasn’t easy and I’d imagine no matter how much time passes, it’s still painful to talk about. I’m humbled that you wanted to share it with me.”
“I…I thought it was important for you to know where I’m coming from. Why I’m here and why honesty means so much to me.”
“I’ll never lie to you,” he promised. “Because I feel the same way about it. You don’t have to worry.”
Feeling more than a little exhausted, she hugged him.
Then her stomach rumbled.
Loudly.
With a chuckle, Christian tucked a finger under her chin and nudged her to look up at him. “How about we order some takeout, eat out on the deck and watch the sunset?”
It sounded glorious, but she was a hot mess at the moment and really wanted to clean up, which is what she said to him.
“I should probably go home and freshen up. I can be back in about an hour.”
He grasped her shoulders and pointed toward the stairs that led to the second floor. “There’s a shower right upstairs and everything you need to freshen up.”
“Christian,” she said with a soft laugh, “my makeup is all gone, no doubt my clothes stink from the run—”
Placing a finger over her lips, he stopped her again. “First of all, you don’t need any makeup. You’re beautiful. And secondly, my sister keeps a small stash of clothes here for when she comes to town on business. I know she’s got at least a couple of pairs of yoga pants and T-shirts up there that she wouldn’t mind you borrowing.”
It was so tempting…
“I don’t know… I wouldn’t be gone all that long.”
This time he silenced her with a kiss. “Rush-hour traffic. Why put yourself through that?” Another kiss. “Besides, I kind of like the fact that you’re here with me. You can go shower and change, I’ll order dinner and open a bottle of wine for us. What do you say?”
He kissed her again and it was quite possibly the deepest, wettest, sexiest kiss in the history of kisses.
She was dazed, dazzled, and more than a little turned on.
And when Christian lifted his head, all she could do was give him a breathless “Yes.” After that, she was ushered into a bathroom that was almost as big as her apartment. Not wanting to sound like some kind of country bumpkin, Sophie simply nodded as Christian showed her where everything was.
“You can use the robe hanging on the door and go into the guest room and rummage through Megan’s things when you’re done.”
“Are you sure she won’t mind? I feel a little weird borrowing a stranger’s clothes.”
Laughing softly, he leaned against the vanity and shook his head. “Trust me, my sister won’t mind one bit and there’s nothing weird about it. Anything else you need?”
Just to the left of him was the doorway that led to the master bedroom. They’d walked through it to get to this wonderland of a bathroom, but she hadn’t done more than simply glance at it. Now all she could see was a massive bed and French doors that opened to overlook the beach.
Would it be wrong to be bold and say to hell with taking a shower, take me to bed?
“I think I’ve got everything,” she said instead and almost hated that she couldn’t be that bold.
Soon.
Maybe.
Hopefully.
“I’m thinking Chinese for dinner. Any requests?”
“Nothing too spicy. Other than that, I’m good.”
With a nod, he left the room, closing the door behind him, and all the air seemed to leave Sophie’s lungs. She spun around and looked at the space, still speechless. She had no idea that people really lived like this—with such luxury—and it shamed her to think about her own tiny apartment and how she could never invite Christian over to see it. She would be mortified for him to see how she lived.
“Not going to focus on that right now,” she murmured, walking over to the shower and turning on the water. Four different jets sprayed along with a massive shower head. Christian had pulled out a couple of towels for her, so all she had to do was strip and enjoy the most decadent shower of her life.
Twenty minutes later, she had her hair wrapped in a towel turban-style and was wearing Christian’s robe. It was the softest material and felt like she was wrapped in a cloud! It was also about four sizes too
large and she had to roll up the sleeves several times so she could see her hands. Now all she had to do was go to the guest room and find something to wear.
Opening the bathroom door, she nearly screamed when she found Christian standing there, poised to knock. “Ohmygod!” she cried, her hand going over her heart.
She’d clearly scared him too because he jumped back, mimicking her pose. “Sorry,” he said after a minute. “I was just coming up to let you know that dinner would be here in about fifteen minutes.” Then he started to laugh and Sophie immediately joined in. “I never realized how scary knocking on a door could be!”
“Me either!” Leaning against the door jamb, she looked at him and couldn’t help but smile. The man she had met two weeks ago was attractive in a reserved kind of way. But the man standing before her was so much more. He had a great laugh, a sexy smile, and more than anything, a kind heart.
“You’re looking pretty serious over there,” he said, taking a step closer. “Everything okay?”
“I was just standing here thinking about all the changes in you in the past couple of weeks. Smiling looks good on you.” She meant it to be a light compliment, but his expression went serious as he moved in even closer. With her head tilted back to look at him, she tried to figure out what he was thinking.
“The biggest change is you,” he said, his voice low and deep and rich. Caressing her cheek, he studied her face. “You make me smile, Sophie.”
Unable to help herself, she placed her hand on his chest. Right now, it would be so easy to lean in and kiss him and then move them over to his bed. But tonight wasn’t the night for that.
As if reading her mind, Christian reached for the tie on her robe and gave a light tug. “You have no idea how much I’d like to unwrap you.” His voice was rough even though his touch was gentle.
“Do you?” she asked with wonder. It still boggled her mind that this man was attracted to her and wanted her.
One More Moment Page 40
