“Stop there,” he said.
“What?”
“What a view.”
“Rhys! Stop.” She wiggled away from him and turned onto her backside.
“Why’d you move?” He clambered onto the bed, coming straight for her. “That was a picture-perfect shot.”
“Pictures?” She could feel her face growing hot.
He leaned over her, easing her onto her back. “Not real pictures. You blush at the drop of a hat–I love it.”
“I wouldn’t blush so much if you didn’t keep saying things like that.”
He grinned. “Can’t say I’m sorry.”
He kissed her. As they kissed, he rested more and more of his weight on her. She wrapped her arms around his back and held him tight. He again kissed her neck and down her shoulder but this time he didn’t stop. He slid down her body, taking special care to lavish attention on her breasts before licking his way to her belly-button. His kisses went lower still.
She’d never allowed anyone to get so close to her stomach but when he kissed it so lovingly she couldn’t even remember why she’d been worried.
Rhys moved even lower, pressing her legs apart so he could kiss the junction between them. Then he licked her, setting off a riot of sensations she’d never felt before. As he sucked at her most sensitive parts she trembled. Her body felt molten. Her thoughts scattered.
Twining her fingers through his hair, she pulled him closer while noises she didn’t even recognize came from her throat. Before long, her body coiled tighter and tighter and then suddenly released, shuddering and shaking and completely out of her control.
Before she’d even had a chance to catch her breath, Rhys lay on top of her again, kissing her neck, her face, and finally her lips.
“That was amazing,” she said, her voice breathy and soft.
“I thought so too.” He rested his forehead against hers and kissed her lips again. “Ready for more?”
“Of course.”
He reached for the bedside table and grabbed a condom he’d left there. She hadn’t even had to ask him; he’d just known she’d want him to use one. Maybe he remembered what had happened with Stanford. Her heart warmed at his thoughtfulness.
After he put it on, he kissed her as he moved them into position then he slid inside her. She felt so close to him in that moment she thought she might cry.
His face tucked into the bend between her shoulder and neck, he said, “We fit together perfectly. Like we were made for each other.”
“I think so too.”
He began to move. Every stroke set off a firestorm inside her, as though she hadn’t already been taken to the peak. She matched him as best she could and touched and rubbed him with her hands. She wanted him to feel just as good as she did.
Rhys lifted up so they were nose to nose. “This is amazing. You’re amazing. I’m so glad I found you.”
Before she had a chance to say anything in return, he kissed her hard and deep. His strokes sped up and she felt her own arousal rising, her body tightening as it had before. She hugged him tighter and put all of her feelings into their kiss.
A moment more, the tension almost too much to bear, then her body tipped over that invisible edge into oblivion. Rhys groaned her name and stiffened, holding her tight.
A heartbeat, then two. Sight and sound no longer had meaning, her mind overwhelmed by the sensations rushing through it. At length, she again heard the rough sound of her breath and saw the bright light hanging from the ceiling.
Rhys rolled to the side then pulled her into him, wrapping his body around hers, their legs and arms tangling. They lay there several minutes, a warm feeling surrounding her. Every so often, he laid a kiss against her lips.
She wanted to tell him about what she’d done with Dan, and this was the perfect time. “I have a surprise for you,” she said softly.
“I like surprises.” He kissed her again.
She squeezed him. “Not that kind of surprise. This is about your court case.”
He stilled. “What’s up? Dan didn’t say anything to me.”
“I talked to him about testifying and he thinks it would help your case.” She rubbed her thumb across his cheek.
“You did what?” His voice sounded sharp.
This wasn’t the reaction she was expecting. “I contacted Dan and told him I want to testify on your behalf. I thought it would help your case. He agreed.”
His jaw tight, Rhys said, “I told him to keep you out of it.” He rolled over and grabbed his phone off the bedside table.
Sophie sat up. “What are you doing?”
“Calling Dan.” He punched at his touchscreen as though it had real buttons.
“It’s ten o’clock at night.”
Chapter 29
“He should be expecting this call.” Rhys put the phone to his ear. Blood thrummed through his body, making his fingertips tingle. When Dan answered, Rhys said, “What the hell are you thinking? I told you I don’t want Sophie getting dragged through all of this.”
Sophie made a noise of protest. Rhys turned away from her to make it harder for her to interject.
“She came to me,” Dan said. “And I’ve gotta tell you, you’ve been holding out on me. How could you not think she’d be perfect? The judged will love her.”
“What part of ‘I don’t want her involved’ do you not understand?” Rhys said.
Sophie put her hand on his back. “I want to help.”
He ignored her. “I’m the one in charge,” he said to Dan. “And I’m telling you to leave Sophie out of this.”
“Why?” Dan huffed out a breath. “You’re being stupid. She could save the case. And she wants to help, so why not let her?”
“The prosecutor will do anything he can to discredit her. You know how brutal it can get. They’ll bring up things that are nobody’s business but her own and they’ll twist them to sound sordid. She’ll get hurt. I can’t let that happen.” His stomach churned at the thought.
“She’s a big girl. She can handle it.” Dan paused. “Besides, we’re in a really bad way here. You should take her help.”
“Find another way. Sophie’s not taking the stand.” Rhys hung up.
“Rhys.”
He got out of the bed, leaving his phone on the bedside table, and headed for the bathroom.
“Rhys, let’s talk about this.”
He rounded on her. “I know you mean well. But you have no idea what you’re getting yourself into. And I specifically told Dan to leave you out of this. So drop it.”
Her face tightened. “What she’s doing to you makes me sick.”
His throat felt tight. “What her lawyer might do to you makes me sick. What’s done is done, but we don’t have to make it worse by letting them get at you, too.”
Sophie climbed out of the bed. “I can’t just stand by while they do this to you. Not while there’s something I could do to help.”
For a second, he pushed the anger—fear—aside and let himself acknowledge what was happening. For years, he’d been the one who watched out for everyone else. Now someone was actually trying to support him, to give him something he needed. If there weren’t such a risk involved, he might actually let her do it.
“The risk is too high,” he said. “You have to understand. I can’t let you get hurt when I can protect you.”
“I can handle it.”
“You don’t have to.” He turned on his heel and headed into the bathroom.
“Rhys, damn it!”
“Let it go, Sophie.” He closed the door, just managing to keep from slamming it. He wasn’t mad at her. Not really. Okay, a little. She went behind his back but she thought she was doing something good. It was Dan who was really to blame. He should have turned her away as soon as she contacted him. Damned lawyers. Dan was supposed to work for him, not go off on his own.
Sophie knocked at the bathroom door.
He just couldn’t face her right now. He felt so angry and he might en
d up taking it out on her, which was the last thing he wanted. So he ignored the knock and turned on the shower instead.
She knocked again. “Rhys.”
He stepped near the door. “Not now.”
He got in the shower. She either didn’t knock anymore or he didn’t hear her. Same difference.
Chapter 30
Sophie pulled on her bra and panties and her winter coat. After such a wonderful night, why did he have to go and act like such a jerk? If they had a disagreement, why couldn’t he just talk it out? But he clearly wasn’t willing to, and she wasn’t going to wait around like some kind of fool for him to decide to come out of the shower.
She unlocked the door to his little library so she could go back to her room through the back staircase and not risk running into someone else while she was wearing only her skivvies and her coat.
And what was she supposed to do about the trial? Accede to his wishes like a good little girl or do what was best for him in spite of what he wanted? She knew those weren’t the only two ways to look at it, but considering that he wouldn’t leave the bathroom to discuss it, she figured she could think about it however the hell she wanted.
And in a crazy, messed up way, for the first time since this whole relationship began, she felt like they were a normal couple.
Chapter 31
Rhys felt like crap the next morning. He’d finally left the bathroom the night before and hadn’t been surprised to see that Sophie had left. He couldn’t blame her.
It had taken him a long time to fall asleep, alternately scared about what might happen if Dan and Sophie insisted on the testimony, and sad that Sophie wasn’t beside him. Which was his own fault, so he had no one to blame but himself.
By morning, after tossing and turning and lying awake for a full hour in the middle of the night, his head pounded. He wanted breakfast, but more than that, he wanted to see Sophie. And he might as well kill two birds with one stone.
He passed Raymond on the way. “You can bring my silverware to the kitchen.” He didn’t wait to see Raymond’s response.
A few seconds later, he entered the kitchen and swung around the end of the wall to see Sophie standing in front of a huge bouquet of flowers–pink carnations, white tulips, red roses. He took a few steps closer. She was reading a small card; it must have come with the flowers.
“What’s it say?” Until he heard his voice, he hadn’t recognized the emotion running through him–jealousy, pure and green.
Sophie jumped a little but didn’t try to hide the card nor did she show any other signs of guilt. “Forgive me. Stanford.” She shoved the card back in its little envelope. “Typical Stanford. He didn’t apologize. Just ordered me to forgive him.” She tossed the envelope and card onto the counter.
That was his cue. He tamped down the jealousy so he could do the thing his rival didn’t. “I’m sorry about last night. I was so angry and—and scared for you that I couldn’t have held a civil conversation right then. But I should have said that instead of hiding in the bathroom.”
She pressed her lips together but came closer to him. “It bothers me that you avoided me instead of talking out our problems.”
He cupped her cheeks. “You’re right. I know that’s what we need to do. And we can do that now. Last night, though–I needed to cool down first. But I should have told you that.”
She put her hands over his. “I forgive you. But next time—”
”There won’t be a next time.” He let his hands drift to her shoulders.
“Of course there will. It’s normal to argue about things once in a while. But we need to handle it better. Okay?”
“Yes. Definitely.” He laid a chaste kiss on her lips.
Sophie pulled away from him to walk toward the flowers. “Let me just take care of these and then I’ll get you your breakfast.”
“A little ostentatious,” he said.
She picked them up and carried them to a far corner of the counter, out of the way. “I think they’re beautiful.”
His stomach clenched. Did that mean she was softening toward that bastard? No, she didn’t say that. All she said was that she liked the flowers.
He could do flowers. Hell, he could do flowers that would outshine that display sent by her spurned lover. He could fill the room with flowers.
Sophie finished fluffing the arrangement and headed back toward the stove. “What’s the matter?”
He started. “What?”
“You look...fierce. Something wrong?”
His first instinct was to deny it, but he remembered what she’d said about working out their problems. “There are much better flowers in my garden.”
She stopped short and looked back at the arrangement. “Yes, there are.” He heard a question mark in her voice.
“If you like flowers, I’ll get you some.”
Sophie’s face softened. She stepped closer and slipped her arms around him. “I would love for you to get me some flowers. I’m sure they’ll be much better than his.”
And then he felt stupid for being jealous. But comforted, too. He hugged her tight.
“What do you want for breakfast?” she said, still in his arms.
“How about a repeat of last night? Before the argument.”
She squeezed him then stepped out of his arms. “I have hungry mouths to feed. A repeat of last night will have to wait.”
“Then an omelet sounds good.”
“An omelet it is.”
He sat on one of the kitchen stools, watching her move around the kitchen. In meeting Sophie, he’d gotten very, very lucky. Hopefully that luck would hold.
Chapter 32
Later that day, Rhys sat at his desk in his office. He’d had to come in so he could sign the final contract for the acquisition they’d been working on. After that, he dove into the small pile of paperwork his personal assistant had given him.
He was just in the middle of reviewing last quarter’s financials when his cell rang. The name that popped up surprised him.
“Hello, Mother.” She almost never called him.
“Hello, William.”
Rhys cringed. Even when he was a child, she refused to call him Rhys. People had been calling him Rhys for a good twenty years–but not his mother.
Before he could say anything else, she said, “I’m coming to visit.”
Crap. This was the worst time in the world for one of her twice-a-decade visits. “This isn’t a good time. Maybe in a few months—”
”Nonsense. You have your trial coming up in a couple of weeks. I need to be there to support you.”
How’d she find out about the trial? It wasn’t a secret, but he couldn’t think of anyone who would have told her. “That really isn’t necessary. My lawyer has things well in hand. And I’ll be even busier during the trial itself, because I’ll need to work in the evenings to make up for the lost time during the day.”
“Have an underling do the work. You’re needed elsewhere. Really, William. I’d have thought by now you’d know these things. There’s hardly a need for you to work at all.”
And there was the reason he didn’t want to see her. He worked his butt off trying to keep the money coming in but she didn’t understand or appreciate it. It was as though she thought the money appeared in her bank account by magic. “I will need to work. There are things that can’t wait. Why don’t you come visit a few months from now?”
“I’m coming for the trial, and that’s final. Now, I have an appointment at the salon. I need to go.” She signed off before he could get another word out.
The last thing he needed was his mother mixed up in everything going on. Every time she visited, he had staff threatening to quit and he had to go to lengths to get them to stay. Plus, she liked to set him up with what she saw as “eligible bachelorettes.” This time would be even worse, now that he and Sophie were dating. Should he tell his mother right away, to stave off the blind dates? Or would that put Sophie in her sights? The last thing he wante
d was for her to go after Sophie.
Plus, if his mother knew about Sophie, the whole house would know, and they wouldn’t be able to keep it from the prosecution. Then Sophie’d be called to testify whether he wanted her to or not. So he’d better keep it a secret from his mother, and deal with the consequences himself.
Better yet, he’d call Mother back in a day or two and make sure that she knew when he told her not to come he meant it.
Chapter 33
That night, Rhys walked from the garage through the garden before going to the house. He’d asked Harris to cut flowers for him and have them ready when he got home. Now he entered the spacious garden shed to find a large bouquet of flowers–larger and brighter and fresher than the other ones Sophie had gotten–lying on the table wrapped in tissue paper.
The flowers were perfect. Harris wasn’t around, but Rhys would thank him later. Rhys gathered up the flowers and headed for the back door, the one leading into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, he pushed open the door to find Sophie putting out food on a dozen or more plates.
“We having a dinner party I didn’t know about?” he said.
She shot him a smile but kept working. “It’s Friday night.”
“And that means...?”
“I always cook something extra special for the staff on Friday night. Since it’s the weekend and everything.” She drizzled a brown sauce over each dish.
He’d forgotten she cooked for the staff, too. Of course she did. He held up the flowers. “Got something for you.”
She finished the last plate before looking up. “Oh, they’re beautiful!” Sophie put the sauce pan down on the edge of the stove and set the spoon inside it before coming over to him. “You didn’t have to do this.”
“Sure I did. I told you I could get you better flowers than those.” He nodded in the direction of the arrangement that still sat in the far corner.
Sophie pressed her lips together. “So this was about showing that yours are better? Bigger? This is some kind of male competition?” Squeezing his arm, she said, “You don’t need to compete with Stanford. I wouldn’t want him even if I didn’t have you.”
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