Matchmakers, no. 1

by Bernadette Marie

  These were all things she should have hung around and asked, rather than running away and staying away for ten years because she assumed she’d been pushed out of the picture. From what Carissa had told her, she’d never been out of the picture.

  When her grandmother found her on the porch and said that she and Millie were going to the neighbor’s for dinner, she was grateful.

  “You should come with us,” Katie offered.

  “Oh, thank you. I really think I’d like a night in,” Sophia politely refused.

  “Okay then. There are some leftovers in the fridge.”

  “Thank you.”

  Katie patted Sophia’s shoulder as she passed by her.

  “He’ll be home soon,” she said softly as she walked into the house.

  CHAPTER NINE

  At ten o’clock, Sophia shut herself in her room and paced the floor.

  She’d phoned Pablo three times. There was still no answer to her phone calls or to the fate of her career, which lay in his hands at the moment.

  She looked out the window of her room and saw David’s car in the driveway. She scrubbed her hands over her face and through her hair before turning to her desk and sitting down. She opened her laptop and searched for his flight. It was expected around eleven-thirty. Throwing her head back, she took a deep breath.

  “If I hurry, I can catch him,” she whispered to herself. “I love him.”

  She’d said it aloud—admitted it to herself without hesitation. She grabbed her purse and raced down the stairs.

  The house was quiet. Everyone had turned in for an early night. Out of courtesy, she wrote a note and laid it on the kitchen table.

  Gone to pick up David. Will be back soon. Sophia.

  Her hands began to tremble as she backed out of the driveway. What would she say to him? What would he think of her being there? She couldn’t think about it. She just had to do it.

  She found a parking space and began to run through the parking garage and into the building. It was eleven fifty when she reached the furthest point she could go without a ticket.

  For a moment, she thought of how he’d followed her off the plane. The path he had taken. She read the monitors and looked for the gate and the luggage carousel, though he’d have his with him. He’d only gone to the luggage carousel because he’d been following her. Her heart was pounding in her chest. Had she missed him? How would she find him? She hadn’t given it much thought. How would he know she…

  “Sophie?”

  She spun to see him, his luggage to his side, his cap tucked up under his arm. Her lower lip quivered as she walked to him. His eyes were light with sheer joy that she was there. The smile that crossed his lips told her that he missed her. When he dropped his hat and scooped her up in his arms, she knew he still loved her.

  Not one word passed between them before he crushed his mouth to hers, and she pulled him tighter. Her fingers wound in his hair as his hands held the small of her back. She parted her lips and deepened the kiss. Her head spun, her knees grew weak, and she couldn’t let go. She didn’t want to let go. Never again. He was hers. He’d always been hers, and she knew he’d waited for her to return. She knew it all just from the power of his kiss.

  “Sophie, I love you. I’ve always loved you.” He kissed her again.

  She wasn’t sure her feet were on the ground, and her head kept spinning when he pulled back to rest his forehead against hers. “What are you doing here?”

  “I missed you. I couldn’t be without you one more minute. I’ve missed too many of them,” she admitted breathlessly as she touched his face and breathed him in. “David, I love you, too. I’ve never stopped loving you.”

  “It’s been a damn long time to love someone and not have them.” He pulled her close again. “Sophie, never leave me again.”

  “I promise I won’t.” She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck and held him against her.

  “C’mon.” He grabbed her hand and his suitcase. “Where did you park?”

  “I don’t know. Over there, I think,” she said laughing as he pulled her along.

  Once they found the car, he threw his suitcase in the trunk, and each of them climbed in as quickly as they could. The instant the doors closed, he had Sophia’s face in his hands, her mouth pressed to his, and her hands on his chest. That was how it should have always been, she thought.

  “You’re sleeping in my arms tonight,” he muttered against her lips.

  “Yes.”

  “I want to make love to you.”

  “Yes.”

  His mouth smiled against hers, and he started the car. “This is going to be the longest drive home.”

  They drove from the airport enfolded in intimate silence. David squeezed her hand, holding it tighter, and she’d smile that smile he’d fallen in love with so many years earlier.

  He’d been right. It was the longest drive.

  The moment they reached the house, each of them flew from the car and into each other’s arms. The night was dark except for a few stars that spotlighted them in the driveway.

  David held her tight to him, his hand tangled in her hair. He pulled her closer to him, placing kisses on her cheeks, her forehead, and then gently on her lips.

  “You’re shaking. Are you cold?” he whispered.

  “No. I’m nervous.”

  “It’s not like we haven’t done this before.” He grazed a kiss over her lips.

  “I haven’t…well, you were…”

  David took her by the shoulders and eased her back to look her in the eyes. “You haven’t made love to another man since you left?”

  She took a deep breath and swallowed hard. “David, you’re the only man I’ve ever been with.”

  “But Pablo?”

  She shook her head. “I may have tried to replace you with him, but our relationship was never like that. Pablo has never been my lover.”

  Her words tugged at his heart.

  “I thought…”

  “I know what you thought.” She touched his face. “You’re the only man I’ve ever loved, the only one I’ve shared myself with.”

  He pulled her closer, feeling her body tremble against his. “I’ll take care of you. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do. For us to be a family.”

  “I know.” She lifted her head and met his eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  He put his finger over her lips to stop her. He wasn’t ready for conversation. Not now. He needed to hold her, to love her, to feel her once more.

  With a playful smile, he pulled her by the hand to the back door.

  He took her mouth with his, feeding the fire burning deep inside of him. With their arms locked around each other, they stumbled through the kitchen and crept up the stairs to her room.

  It was dark except for the cascade from the street lamp outside her window.

  David wandered kisses over her face and down her slender neck. His name was a whisper on her lips, and it drove him wild. He could have her dress off her in a heartbeat, but he wanted to caress her and hold her until she had completely melted.

  Her skin was just as he’d remembered it. Soft and scented of rose petals. Her pulse pounded beneath his lips as he placed kisses down her throat.

  He skimmed his hands up her sides, reached behind her neck, and slowly opened the zipper to her dress. He slid the soft, cotton material from her shoulders and watched as it pooled in the lamplight at her feet. Her body was exposed, and he felt her tense under his touch.

  He stood still for a moment, waiting for her to relax, wanting her to savor every moment of their lovemaking. She took a little breath and then unbuttoned his shirt, the soft light turning her features to molten gold. She slid her hands under the fabric and over his skin, and his own heart hammered in his chest.

  Moving slowly, he unhooked her bra and let it fall to the ground atop the discarded dress. Beneath his hands, he felt her shudder as he touched the scar on her throat then gently he kissed it.

  “I love y
ou,” he whispered. “I love everything about you.” He kissed her neck and, inch by sweet inch, worked his lips down her breast and took the tip into his mouth.

  Sophia gripped her fingers in his hair. He knew she hadn’t felt the heat that vibrated through her since his mouth had last trailed over her body, and he wanted to make it special for her. She arched against him as his hands slid across her skin. It wasn’t going to be easy to hold back.

  He pulled her toward the bed, covering her mouth with his once more. Would he ever get enough of the taste of her? He lowered her to the cool sheets, then unbuttoned his pants and slid them to the floor. Her unwavering eyes captivated his.

  Sophia was back, and she was back for good. She’d never let him touch her if she hadn’t planned on staying. That’s how Sophia was.

  With gentle fingers, he pulled the silk panties down her legs. He drank in the sight of her body. It was still perfect. His body quickly reacted as he lowered his body next to hers and focused on her, and not his own burning needs. He touched her skin with his fingers. The scar that ran from under her arm to the top of her hip had his attention as he ran a gentle touch down her side. With kisses just as tender, he kissed her stomach, crossing over the scar that ran from side to side. He’d never been afraid of her scars. What could have been had always caused more fear in him. What would life ever have been for them all without Sophia in it?

  He shifted and rose above her. He felt her tremble, but only a moment later, her hands roamed down his back.

  “David…” Her whisper of his name drove him mad as he slid inside her. She moved against him.

  God, he could lose himself right there. He wanted to take her. He wanted to plunge against her in a violent storm, washing away the ten years he’d missed of kissing her, touching her, and loving her. But he needed to be gentle with her.

  “Sophie. I’ve missed you. I’ve missed this.” His kiss heated against her mouth, and she moaned against his lips. “I haven’t touched another soul since you,” he whispered in her ear as her fingers dug into his skin. “I haven’t wanted to. It’s always been you. Only you.”

  “David.” The quiver in her voice told him she was spilling over. He’d driven her to the very edge where heaven and earth melded together and the sky spun. He felt her shudder beneath him, and a moment later, he tumbled with her.

  Breathless, he fell against her damp body. Their chests heaved, their hearts pounding out the same rhythm.

  “Marry me.” The words flew from his mouth as he breathed in the scent of her beneath him.

  Sophie gasped, and he covered her mouth with his to stifle any answer she may give him. He didn’t want the answer. He wanted to live, right where he was, in the moment…for the rest of his life.

  It was past seven when he watched her eyes flutter open.

  “Good morning.” He kissed her on the mouth. Her lips were soft, full, and warm, and he lingered over them before pulling back to enjoy the play of sunlight in her hair.

  “Good morning.” Sophia bit her lip. “We didn’t think this through, did we?”

  “What’s that?”

  “You should have left my room hours ago.” Panic filled her voice. “What are they going to think?”

  “Why should you care what they think? I’m forty. I can sleep in the bed of a woman if I want to.”

  “Oh, David!” Covering her body, she shot up. “This just isn’t some fling. My grandmother is downstairs. Your aunt is downstairs. Your daughter.” She covered her mouth. “Oh, God! She’s next door. What if she heard us?”

  “We were quiet.” He smiled as he ran his finger down her bare arm.

  “This is horrible.”

  “It was not,” he teased.

  “Oh, David.” Sophia slapped his hand away. “You have to get out of here before anyone finds out.”

  “Let them find out.” He pulled her back to him and wrapped his arms around her tightly. “Make love to me again. This time the sun is up, and I can see you.”

  “David…” He stopped her protest as he rolled her over and made love to her one more time.

  Another hour passed before David decided it was time for them to make their appearance downstairs.

  “Why don’t you get in the shower? If they think something is going on up here, they’ll hear the water and not pay any more attention. I’ll sneak out and head down the hall.”

  Sophia lazily shook her head with a satisfied smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her naked body against his once more.

  “I can’t believe what we’ve done.”

  “I’ve waited ten years to wrap my arms around you again. Trust me, this isn’t just a one-time thing. I plan to do this a lot more.” He kissed her forehead and turned her around, sending her toward the shower.

  He collected his uniform and laid it out on the bed. There were two weeks before he had to go back. The thought had him smiling. Not only did he not have to work, he had Sophia. The time he had off was going to be exclusively hers.

  As he pulled on his pants, he thought about what he’d said to her just after he made love to her. He’d asked her to marry him again. What had he been thinking? As he picked up his shirt and draped it over his arm, he realized he hadn’t been thinking. He’d been feeling. His heart knew what it was he wanted most.

  What he wanted was Sophia Burkhalter as his wife. Finally.

  When he heard the water running, he opened the bedroom door and stepped out quietly. He shut it behind him and turned right into Carissa.

  Her eyes grew wide as she saw him. He stood with his uniform shirt draped over his arm, shoes in his hand, chest bare, and his hair rumpled.

  A knot formed in his stomach as he stared at his daughter. Oh, they’d had the talk. The you-really-should-be-married-before-you-make-love-to-someone talk. Now he stood face-to-face with her, and a heat rose in his cheeks.

  She grinned.

  God, could a grown man die of embarrassment? Sophia was right. He should have left in the wee hours of the morning. Perhaps he shouldn’t have been in her room at all. That thought was fleeting. He’d risk death by embarrassment, or firing squad, to make love with her just once.

  “Good morning, Dad.” Carissa walked closer to him, her smile still wide on her lips.

  “Good morning, sweetheart.” Any other day he would kiss her on the cheek, but his feet froze in place.

  “Flight get in really late?” She was inching toward him, her arms crossed over her chest—smirking.

  “Yes. Sophie picked me up.” His voice caught.

  Carissa nodded. “Yeah, I thought she might if I got home early enough for her to have the car.”

  His daughter was such a thoughtful person it made his chest hurt.

  “I missed you, Dad. I’m glad you’re home.” Carissa rose on her toes and kissed her father on his unshaven cheek. Then she ran her hand over the stubble of whiskers. “Better get showered and shaved.” She smiled again and let out a little laugh. “Mmmm, you smell like roses.”

  Sophia applied her lip gloss and gave herself a once-over in the mirror. She’d struggled with the decision of even putting on makeup. For the first time in a long time, she hadn’t seen a need. She was glowing from the inside, and she’d never felt so satisfied.

  The sundress she chose she’d bought in Italy. She slipped it over her head. Then she reached for her Saint Nicholas medal and fastened it around her neck. She took a long look at herself and smiled. For a brief moment, she had to study herself extra close. The scar seemed to have faded. It was nonsense, she knew, but now in her eyes it wasn’t as big as it once had been.

  That’s how it had always been when she was with David. Her scars and bad feelings didn’t exist when he was around—when he loved her. A smile crossed her lips, and her heart beat a little faster.

  She closed her eyes and thought about last night. It was as though not a day had passed since he’d touched her. The memories of those feelings were so close. Then her eyes shot open.

/>   He’d asked her to marry him.

  Panic flooded her again. Surely he couldn’t have meant it. She’d been back in his life only a week. She’d be gone in another week.

  Sophia lifted her hand to her chest, hoping to calm her rapidly beating heart.

  She’d be gone and away from him…unless she bought the house on Cherry Street. She could do it. She’d never done anything with the money she’d earned while touring with Pablo. He’d seen to it that all her expenses on tour were always paid. Her only expense was her apartment in Seattle, and that truly had never been much of an expense.

  Her palms grew moist, and she rubbed them on the skirt of her dress. The house could be hers. But what about the house David was building for himself and Carissa? What about Carissa? She couldn’t assume that just because he’d said the words and they’d made love one night, he really wanted to marry her. Perhaps he’d changed. Perhaps she had, too. What would happen if they found out they weren’t compatible anymore? Perhaps they weren’t compatible with Carissa. The only time she’d been around both of them together she was flinging insults as fast as the seventeen-year-old.

  She walked back to her bed and sat down. She let out a long breath and took a moment to sort out her thoughts. If she gave into the what–ifs, she’d need to leave Kansas City immediately and return to Seattle or Italy. Perhaps if she gave it at least the rest of the week, she’d have a better grasp on things. Just perhaps, it would work out for them—all of them. After all, he’d asked her to stay, and Carissa had seen to it she’d known that her old house was for sale.

  It was a lot to think about.

  David heard Sophia’s door shut and her feet pad on the stairs as he reached for the knob to his door. He stepped back. He’d give her a moment to arrive before he did.

  Guilt plagued him. She’d walk into a room full of people who knew they’d made love last night, and his daughter would surely be among those with smug faces. He realized he’d been cowering in his room behind the door, waiting for her. He’d danced, and now it was time to pay the band.