James was a different story altogether. He was the antithesis of her father, of authority and she told him no even when she wanted to say yes. It was a sort of freedom she’d never had before. But considering he wasn’t the kind of man she would, or should ever date, Sonja had a million reasons why she should tell him no. “I… Yes.”
“How’s that fair?”
She rubbed her forehead. “It’s not fair. I’m sorry.”
“Make it up to me then. Say yes.”
Guilt turned her stomach into knots. “What is the ‘thing’ you want me to attend with you?”
“It’s a charity auction for the recent hurricane victims. I’ve donated some of my art.”
She stopped her pacing. “Really?”
“Yes, really. Why did you say it like that?”
“I…” Sonja let out a breath. “I guess I didn’t take you for the charitable type.”
“I see. I’m thinking there are lots of things you don’t take me for. So, will you go?”
“This Friday night?”
“Yes. It starts at eight.”
Sonja stepped to her windows. The sun was setting and she stared at her reflection. “Yes. But, I’ll meet you there.”
“Sweet! I’ll take it. It’s formal attire, but I’m thinking that won’t be a problem for you.”
She looked at her feet. “No, no problem at all.”
“Thanks for saying yes. I’ll text you the address when we hang up.”
“Only because it’s for a good cause.” Sonja sat at her desk and rested her head in her palm. It was a lie. A bold-faced lie. Her answer had nothing to do with the event being for a good cause. The truth was she said yes because she wanted to see him.
“Can I see you before Friday?”
She blurted a laugh. “No.”
“All right. But who knows, maybe you’ll run into me. It’s a small city.”
“Goodbye, James. I’ll see you Friday night.”
“Looking forward to it.”
The call disconnected and Sonja leaned back in her chair. Holy crap. Did she really say yes to him? Screw it. She needed a break from everything everyone always expected of her. A primal need clawed at Sonja’s insides. No one expected her to go out with a thirty-year-old, much less someone with tattoos and piercings.
He’d been right in Vegas. She did want to take a walk on the wild side. Sonja wanted to do something she wanted and not what everyone else expected her to do. She wanted to be free. It was one small step, but it felt like she’d leaped over the Grand Canyon. Tamping down the urges somersaulting in her stomach—the very ones she shouldn’t allow herself to entertain—Sonja grabbed her briefcase and left the office.
When she stepped inside her Park Avenue apartment, the sounds of Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet” met her ears. Making her way from the entryway, she navigated the long parquet wood floor of the hall to her daughter’s bedroom and glanced inside. Casey wasn’t there. Sonja continued in the direction of her study and the music grew louder the closer she got. Rounding the corner and stepping through the open double-paneled wood doors, she found Thomas sitting in one of the high-back chairs.
He held a crystal brandy snifter, filled halfway, in one hand and the other in the air as if he were conducting the very symphony playing from her CD player. “I missed you today. Where were you?” he said without looking in her direction.
Choosing to ignore his declaration, Sonja laid her briefcase atop her desk. “I had work to get done.”
Thomas set his brandy on the small table next to him and stood. He approached her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into an unwanted embrace. He bent to kiss her, but she turned her head and his lips landed on her cheek. “Did you miss me?”
Sonja placed her hands on his chest to push him away. Naturally he didn’t move. “Thomas, please don’t.”
He looked at her. “Please don’t, what?” He bent his head and nuzzled her neck.
Bile rose in the back of her throat and Sonja jerked her head away. She didn’t want this. Didn’t want him. “You know exactly what.” Stepping from his embrace, she crossed her arms. “I realize last night might have—”
His face twisted into a scowl. “Might’ve what?”
“Don’t look at me that way.” Sonja turned away and unloaded her briefcase. “It was just sex, Thomas. Nothing more. There is nothing more.”
He stepped beside her and circled her wrist with his hand, halting her movement. “I know you don’t mean that. You can’t even look me in the eye when you say it.”
Sonja snapped her head up and leveled her gaze with his. “There is nothing more.”
Thomas let out a scoff and retrieved his brandy. “We’ll see.”
“Where’s Casey?”
“I let her go out. I thought it might be nice to have some time alone.” He sneered, then took a sip of his brandy.
“The Fantasy Overture” played on in the background, sounding quite ominous to her ears mixed in with the underlying tone in Thomas’s words. But it was nothing compared to the anger that lanced her veins like a white-hot poker. Sonja pressed both palms flat on her desk and drew in a deep breath. “You let her go out?” She clenched her teeth, striving for some measure of calm. She was going to kill him. “She’s grounded, Thomas. Does that mean anything to you?”
“No. In fact, it doesn’t. There’s no reason she should still be grounded. You punished her enough all week.”
“Damn you!” Sonja raised a hand and slapped it hard on the leather top of the desk. “Get out!”
“Mind your tone and your words, Sonja. I will not tolerate you talking to me this way.”
“You mind your own damn tone and words, you pompous ass.” Fury beat through her in time with her heart and Sonja grabbed her cell and stormed out of the study. Bastard! Would he ever stop doing this? Would she ever learn to stop him?
Sonja entered the kitchen and dialed Casey’s cell. Her daughter wouldn’t answer, that much she was sure of. Why on earth would she? Casey knew her father was here and assumed he’d handle it. “It” being Sonja…and Sonja was damn tired of being handled by her ex-husband, or anyone else for that matter.
Her daughter’s voicemail picked up and she disconnected the call and tried again. As it rang, Sonja pulled a bottle of wine from the refrigerator and set her phone on the counter, engaging the speakerphone. Blind with anger, she opened the bottle, all the while talking out loud so her daughter could hear her rage when she picked up the message. “You are going to be grounded for a very long time, young lady. Do you hear me?” Sonja poured a full glass of Chardonnay and managed a long swallow before speaking again. “Get home now, Casey!” She hit End on the screen and turned to find Thomas standing in the doorway.
He eyed the glass in her hand before meeting her gaze. “Go ahead and drink the whole bottle, darling. That’ll make tonight even more fun.”
“Go to hell.” Sonja stormed passed him and went directly to her bedroom. Slamming the door behind her, she whirled around and locked it. Over her dead body would that man be in her bed tonight. So help her God, it wasn’t going to happen.
Chapter Fourteen
The next morning, Sonja stood at the kitchen counter, nursing a hangover and a cup of coffee. Casey had finally replied with a text message stating that she was on her way home. Sonja had been furious last night and remained so this morning. In spite of the mammoth headache she had.
After finishing her coffee, Sonja emerged from the kitchen…and spotted her daughter, clearly trying to sneak into her bedroom without getting caught. “Casey!”
She glanced at Sonja, said nothing and disappeared into her bedroom.
Sonja waited, hands on her hips—pissed as hell—for her daughter to emerge. When she finally did, Casey had an impassive look on her face, which only invited more of Sonja’s an
ger. “Get in my study. Now.”
Sonja stormed in that direction and Casey followed. “Where’s Daddy?”
“Never mind him. Where in the hell were you?”
“I was at Trina’s. What’s the big deal?”
Sonja closed the door and pointed to the high-back chairs. “Sit.”
“Fine.”
Well aware Casey was going to toss her a great deal of attitude, Sonja took the seat beside Casey and braced herself. “You did not have my permission to leave this house. You were still grounded. That’s what the big deal is.”
“Daddy said I—”
“I don’t give a damn what your father said. I did not say you could go. I did not let you off punishment. In case you fail to remember, Casey, I am the one who makes the rules.” Sonja gritted her teeth and felt her neck and face flush with heat. To hell with “Daddy”! She was more furious with her daughter in that moment than she’d ever been in her child’s fifteen years of life. Truthfully, Sonja tried to never raise her voice, no matter how angry she got, only slipping on occasion, but she’d definitely never lost her calm, cool demeanor like she was now. Sonja cringed and reached for some calm.
Casey stood, hands on her hips. “I was grounded all week. I wanted to see my friends. You never let me do anything and you treat me like I’m a baby. I’m not a damn baby!”
“Sit your bottom down, little girl, before I bend you over my knee and spank it. Don’t think I won’t do it either. I’ve had it with your attitude. You think you can come and go as you please, huh? I got news for you, you can’t, and if I have to restrict you to this house for the rest of the damn year, I’ll do it. Don’t push me, Casey!” So much for finding calm.
The study door opened and Thomas rushed in. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing, Sonja?”
“Get out!” Sonja stormed to him. “You have no part of this discussion. I believe you have a flight to catch.”
“She’s my daughter too, and I will not be ordered out of my home.”
Sonja clenched her fists at her sides and swallowed down the bitter taste in her mouth. He was beyond arrogant and Sonja had had about as much as she could take. “Your home? Your home? This is not your home, Thomas. It never was.”
Thomas peered around Sonja. “Casey, where were you last night, honey?”
“I was at my friend Trina’s house.”
“She’s lying.” Sonja pinned Casey with a glare over her shoulder. “I tried to reach Trina several times, just like I tried to reach you. I’m quite certain your little friend would lie for you anyway. You were with Drake, weren’t you? Did you spend the night at his house?”
“Sonja, back off.” He stepped around her.
Blind with fury, Sonja whirled around. “Get. Out. Now, Thomas.”
“I’ll leave when I’m damn good and ready.” He walked over to Casey. “Tell me the truth, kitten. Where were you?” His tone was packed full of softness.
“I was with Trina. We fell asleep and woke up late.” Casey looked up at her father and didn’t bat an eye while she recited the lie. Sonja would never have believed her daughter was capable of being so deceptive, but there it was, right in front of her.
“Did you see this boy your mother keeps going on about?”
“No, Daddy. I didn’t. I swear.”
Thomas turned and faced Sonja. She crossed her arms and once again felt her face flush with heat as rage pumped through her veins. He kissed Casey on the top of her head and then brushed past Sonja to the doorway. “She’s telling the truth. Enough already. There’s no reason to ground her further.”
“Go back to Florida and play with your toys. I am quite tired of you thinking you can come in here and tell me how things are going to be. You have no say in this.”
“She’s not grounded, and that’s final. You’ll do as I say.” He walked out of the room.
Losing whatever control she had left, Sonja followed after him, yelling and cursing.
“Keep running your mouth and I’ll have your ass back in court so fast your little blonde head will spin.”
Once again he tossed his favorite threat at her. “Ha! Take me back to court? Go ahead and try, Thomas. You and your arrogance should’ve thought better before you gave me sole custody to begin with. You’ll never win. You don’t have the resources, or the energy. I’ll do as I see fit with my daughter and there isn’t a damn thing you can do about it.” Sonja looked over and saw Casey, only then realizing she’d followed them from the study.
“Our daughter!” Her ex’s voice echoed through the foyer of the apartment.
Casey took a step back, eyes wide as tears ran down her cheeks. Casey swiped away the wetness and ran into her father’s arms. “Stop it. Daddy, don’t go.”
He stroked her hair. “It’s okay, kitten. I’ll call you later. It’s all going to be fine.” He kissed the top of her head again. “I promise.”
Unable to bear any more of this, Sonja tugged on Casey’s arm, pulling her away from her father. He needed to go now. “Get out, Thomas. I can’t stand to look at you anymore.”
Thomas glared at Sonja, looking up and down her body like the sight of her disgusted him too, before turning and walking out of the apartment. Sonja slammed the front door. “Son of a bitch!”
“I hate you! I hate you for making him leave, and I hate you for never believing me!” Casey yelled between sobs. “I hate you for everything. It’s all your fault.” She spun and ran toward her bedroom.
“Good. Go to your room. You can spend the rest of the night in there. I don’t want to see your face either.”
Sonja stormed down the hall to the kitchen in search of a glass of wine. She wasn’t proud of herself for losing her temper, but she’d finally stood up to Thomas—in a way she hadn’t managed to do since the divorce, and that counted for a lot. Her daughter was out of control, not unlike her ex, and Sonja had no intention of accepting either of their tantrums any longer.
Chapter Fifteen
Jimmy checked his phone for the tenth time in fifteen minutes. Tension filled his limbs, thrumming in time with his pulse while he stood in front of the theatre waiting for Sonja to arrive. She was late. Or not coming—she’s coming. She has to be. He blew out an impatient breath and tugged down on the sleeves of his shirt beneath his tuxedo jacket.
Black car after black car pulled up and unloaded couples dressed to the nines for the auction—checkbooks in hand—all in the name of helping out a city of recent hurricane victims. Jimmy paced back and forth in front of the doors while staring at the screen on his phone. The auction was starting in less than twenty minutes. Running his fingers through his hair, he turned and scanned the street again.
And then, she was there.
He froze, feet rooted in place like they’d been bolted to the concrete beneath them. Seeing her was a punch in the gut and he lost all his breath. God, she’s glowing. Fear and excitement stole his sanity and he was no longer sure of…anything.
The silver Towne Car behind her pulled away and Sonja’s pale-blue gown fluttered in the slight breeze. She’d worn her hair down, and it also moved from the slight wind as she took one single step toward him. Jimmy had never seen her hair down and the long blonde locks draping over her bare shoulders, even at this distance, mesmerized him.
With a mental kick in the ass, he managed to get his feet in gear to approach her. Is this it? Is she the one? He never figured there could or would ever be another for him. Not after what he had and lost so many years ago. The thought terrified him, but nothing could’ve kept him from moving toward her. Jimmy stopped a few feet away and they regarded each other.
She held tight to the small clutch in her hand. “Are you going to say something or just stand there and stare?”
Jimmy slid his hands into his pants pockets. “I told you, get used to it. You’re so goddamn beautiful, staring at you
has become my favorite thing to do.”
Sonja’s chin dipped and a demure smile graced her lips before she looked back up at him. “Thank you. You look quite beautiful yourself.”
He smiled and nodded his thanks for the compliment. “Are you ready to go inside?”
“Yes. No…” She shook her head and blew out a breath. “I suppose.”
“I think I could spend the next twenty years trying to anticipate what might come out of your mouth next, and I’d fail every time.” Closing the distance between them, he held out his arm to her.
“That’s a scary thought, you know. In twenty years, I’ll be sixty-one.”
“And you’ll be as beautiful as you are today.”
Sonja looped her arm inside his. “You think flattery will earn you points tonight?”
He led her to the entry doors. “God, I hope so. Either way, my flattery is sincere. You take my breath away, Sonja-the-lawyer.”
“If you say you’ll need mouth to mouth, I may slap you.”
Holding the door open, Jimmy chuckled and ushered her inside the lobby. A server rushed past them with a tray of champagne flutes and Jimmy snagged two glasses before the guy got away and handed one to Sonja. He winked. “No slapping. You could ruin my devilish good looks.”
“As if anything could ruin those.” Sonja sipped the champagne and closed her eyes with a moan. “Thank you. This is just what I needed.”
“You’re welcome. I always know what you need. And…was that another compliment, Sonja?”
She smiled. “Maybe.”
“Two in one night? Better pace yourself.”
She rolled her eyes, but she was still smiling. A chill ran down Jimmy’s spine and his skin prickled with goose bumps. Her pale-blue dress matched the color of her eyes, making them sparkle and shine brighter than he’d seen before. They were utterly captivating. The chill he felt only moments ago turned into a stream of flowing heat, warming his skin, and Jimmy couldn’t seem to drag his gaze away from hers. To his surprise, her smile reached deep into his soul and woke something inside him that’d been lying dormant since college. Shaking his head, he pulled himself from his thoughts. “What would you like to see first? There’s all kinds of art here for auction.”
Defensive Heart: The Donnolleys, Book 2 Page 9
