All of Me (All Series Book 2) (9 page)

Phil woke up with a start. It wasn’t the first time he woke up sweating and reaching for Sophia when she wasn’t there. But tonight there was more to it. More that he remembered.

Odd, he couldn’t believe he never thought of this before. It never even occurred to him. But something always nagged in the back of his mind about that second time they’d had sex when they discovered the condom had leaked.

His memory right now was stronger, brighter and clearer. The sense of something wrong mixed in again. The condom hadn’t broken, but it was almost completely drained. Otherwise he wouldn’t have known it even leaked.

He wasn’t sure if it was the conversation they had when he brought her home tonight about the ten dates, combined with his own imagination of her before he went to bed—because in his mind that was about all he was going to have to satisfy him—or if it was the kiss she gave him when he left.

That kiss started out so tender and so sweet. The way she slid over in his truck and caressed his face, looked into his eyes, then lowered her beautiful mouth to his. Careful almost, cautious, as if it were the first kiss they shared.

Only then she changed it, turned it up, and turned him on. He was glad he didn’t take her up on her offer go in for a bit. “It’s getting late,” he told her. “I’ve got some work to do before tomorrow. But I’ll talk to you in the morning and we can figure out our lunch plans.”

“It’s a date.”

Yeah, if he had followed her into the house, it would have been hard keeping his hands to himself. It was better this way. Better to go home and do something to get his mind off of her. Work was the perfect excuse.

Either way, something triggered his memory of that night in the hotel room. In his dream he remembered reaching over for the first condom, a different color package from the one next to it. One was his, one was hers.

He shoved the covers aside and made his way to the bathroom.

Opening up the cabinet, he took out the box of condoms and opened it up. There were five left in the box, one in his wallet. He turned the box over and looked at the expiration date, nope still good.

He tried to think back to when he bought them; it wasn’t hard to remember really. A week after he left his parents’ house furious with Linda for comments she made toward Kaitlin and her relationship with Ryan.

He had dropped Linda off without a word that night. She was crying in the car, telling him she was sorry, that it was her hormones again, and that he knew how she got at that time of the month. He did know, but he’d long since stopped caring anymore. She was an adult and should have better control over what vicious things spilled out of her mouth.

He had been so embarrassed over what she’d said that day to his sister. Her opinion of Ryan, and how she didn’t even care she said it in front of his mother, no less.

At Linda’s house that night, he dropped her off and drove away, refusing to listen to another word of it. Two days later she came over crying and apologizing. Like an idiot, he let it go. The few months prior, things had been getting better with her. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but she wasn’t as demanding again. Wasn’t as controlling. She didn’t even call and bother him after their fight.

Maybe it was that she gave him those two days to calm down that made him give her another chance after he heard her out. Or maybe he was as gullible as everyone always joked with him about. Either way, he ran to the store that night, bought a few toiletries and picked up a box of condoms.

He’d been in a hurry when he got home and just put the bag in his bathroom rather than unpacking everything and putting it away. She’d come over for dinner, then afterward went in his bathroom and changed into something sexy she bought. He couldn’t even remember what it was at this point.

When she came out she brought the condom with her and put it on the bedside stand, and he didn’t think anything of it. A handful more times they were together over the next several weeks. Until he discovered the worst kind of lie possible, her lie from months before. And that ended things with her for good. He stopped being a fool.

Now in his bathroom, he took out the package of three, ran his fingers around them, but nothing felt odd. He opened one up, and filled it with water. It was fine. He repeated the same with the other two in that three-pack. Same results.

Picking up the remaining two, he ran his fingers around the foil, felt just the slightest change, held it up to the light, but couldn’t see anything. Opening it up, he ran water in it and almost immediately it poured out a tiny hole.

Quickly he picked up the last one, did the same, with the same results. Walking back to his room, he grabbed the one out of his wallet and tested it, same thing. “Son of bitch!”

***

“You didn’t have to pick me up,” Sophia said the next day when Phil walked into her office. “We could have met somewhere.”

“It’s no problem. I was out running errands and was passing by this way.” They had finally broken ground on the development and he was checking on the sites. Bad weather had put them behind. As much as he didn’t care for the construction end of it, he liked to visit the sites often. It got him out of the office.

“Let me get my purse, and we can leave. Follow me back to my office if you want,” she offered.

He looked around the newly remodeled suite she was in. It looked like most corporate offices. A big reception area, seating, a few cubicles on the way back to her office, and more doors along the hall. Nothing fancy, really. Almost sterile.

Until he walked into her office. There were plants neatly arranged by the windows, pictures of landscapes and flowers on the walls, and several pictures of her and Kaitlin laughing in framed photos. It was her, so much her. “I like your office.”

“Thank you. I like to be surrounded by things I enjoy. It helps me work.” She pulled her phone out of her purse and held it up in front of her. “Smile.”

He did, only because he didn’t know she was going to take his picture. “What was that for?”

“Now I can put that in a frame on my desk.”

“Come here.”

Laughing, she allowed him to pull her into his arms and kiss her. Winding her arms around his neck, she rubbed up against him, driving him insane. “I’m not complaining, but what was that kiss for?”

“No reason. I wanted to kiss you.” He was too embarrassed to say how touched he was that she wanted his picture on her desk after she just said she liked to be surrounded by things she enjoyed.

“Let’s go then. I’m hungry and have a client meeting in about ninety minutes. We’re on the clock.”

In the shade on a little deck of a local restaurant, she commented, “You look tired. Everything okay?”

“Yes. And don’t you know you aren’t suppose to tell someone they don’t look good?” he said, teasing her. He wasn’t about to tell her or anyone what he discovered last night. Or how he lay in bed thanking his lucky stars that everything turned out all right in the end.

“I didn’t say you looked bad,” she replied. “I said you look tired. You could never look bad in my eyes.”

He laughed at the bat of her eyelashes. She was what he needed today. “I was up early and to bed late. Lots of work going on this week. The next few weeks, maybe months, are going to be pretty crazy,” he said, warning her.

“I know. I think it’s great what you guys are doing. I’m so proud of how far you and Alec have come.” She angled her head to the side. “Don’t worry about me. You do your thing. We’ll find time together when we can. Even though tax season is over, some of my hard work is just beginning.”

He appreciated that she understood what he was saying and had no problem with it. “What hard work is that?”

“Client meetings, drumming up more business, interviewing. We had enough to keep us really busy when we opened. I had some work from clients in Manhattan that requested I continue with them. Which means I’ll have to go back and forth at times if we can’t make arrangements other ways. But with technology now, most meetings don’t need to be face-to-face.”

“Ah, your favorite: meeting with people.”

She chuckled. He knew she really did enjoy that part of her job. “It helps that I do like it, especially since I will be spending so much time doing it for a while.”

“Maybe you can interview for us, too. Or for me at least?” he said, joking.

“I don’t think I’m experienced enough to interview for construction labor.”

“No, I don’t even do that. That is all Alec. But we decided to hire someone with a real estate background, hopefully with a license too, or willing to get their license. Someone to handle all the details of the new builds for the development. Meet with potential buyers, lay the groundwork, go through the house plans and designs, and leave Alec and me out of the middle ground. Not to mention someone to deal with all the rental properties. Even Mary is getting swamped now.”

“That’s a great idea. And I’m sure you and Alec will be happy to not deal with all the little things.”

“Exactly.”

“When do you start interviewing?”

“I have no idea. It’s all in Sean’s hands right now. He is running ads, or doing whatever he needs to do. I’m going to have him and Mary vet the people and then Alec and I will come in for final interviews. We’re still in the job description stage. But hopefully soon.” He stopped and looked at his watch. “Are you about ready?”

“Sure, I’ve got a few things to do before my meeting.”

Phil raised his hand to the waiter for the bill, accepted it a minute later and paid. In his truck on the way back, he said, “This was the most relaxing date I’ve ever had.”

Shaking her head, she looked over and said, “We aren’t dating, Phil. That’s probably why.”

“This wasn’t a date?” he asked, his face crestfallen. Seriously, he thought this was at least date number five, halfway there.

“Oh boy, sorry, your face right now is priceless,” she said giggling. “Sure, it was a date, but we aren’t
dating.
I thought we established we were beyond that.”

“True.”

“Then stop counting in your head.”

He hated how she knew exactly what he was thinking. He pulled in front of her building and put the truck in park. When he slid over and placed his lips on hers, he heard her whisper, “I’m not counting to ten this time.”

A Different Kind

Sophia pulled the zipper up on the back of her turquoise dress, fastened the wide belt at her waist and turned to look in the mirror. She loved her curves. Most women, even Kaitlin, detested their curves. But not Sophia, she dressed them to her advantage.

In her eyes, as long as she was toned, there was nothing wrong with her shapely figure. Long ago she gave up trying to be skinny. It wasn’t going to happen since she didn’t have the build for it.

Neither did her mother, whom she took after in stature and appearance. Sophia didn’t mind though. Her mother was beautiful. Smart too, though she never let on. Victoria played up her blonde hair and curves in another way. A way that attracted men to her beauty and nothing else. And by doing so, her mother had gone through far more men than Sophia could count, each time getting her heart broken in the end.

When she was old enough to realize how her mother operated—what she used her beauty and curves for, rather than her brain—Sophia vowed never to be like that. Never to be seen as an object. Because when that happened you were treated as such, then easily discarded.

For that reason alone, Sophia had decided that she would focus on her brain, not her appearance. That didn’t mean she wouldn’t use her appearance to her advantage when needed. There was nothing wrong in a little harmless flirting. Some men were so easy that they focused on her appearance and not her words. If it worked in her favor on a business deal, who was she to object?

But she never mixed business with pleasure. Never crossed the line with work and play. A little flirty smile, a tiny wink or bat of her eyes, a giggle here and there—as much as she hated it, it worked. Especially since, when push came to shove, she always left everyone impressed with her intelligence in the end. It always came down to that for her.

Smoothing her hands down her dress, she slipped her feet into a pair of nude-colored peep toe pumps. Phil would be here any minute, and she wanted to look perfect for their first big date.

Picking up her brush, she ran it one more time down her wavy blonde hair, then slid her fingers through it, tousling it just right. Her makeup was flawless. Of course it was, she prided herself on looking good at all times. Only Phil had ever seen her less then perfect, and she was okay with that.

Her green eyes stood out more with the black liner around the lids and mascara, along with a touch of taupe shadow for added shimmer. Grabbing the lip gloss from the counter, she pulled off the top and expertly ran it over her lips. Done.

Perfect timing as the doorbell rang.

Hurrying out of her room, she opened the door and saw him standing there holding a flowering plant. Blinking back tears—
damn, there goes my makeup
—she reached for the plant, only to have him pull it out of her reach. “Oh, did you want this?” he asked, a trace of humor in his voice despite his straight face.

“I do.”

“I need payment first.”

Her eyes took in the sight of him standing there. So handsome. His short black hair slightly messy, as if he ran his hands through it. His dark eyes—the appreciation evident.

He was dressed in black pants and a patterned red dress shirt, open at the collar, showcasing a lean neck that she wanted nothing more than to run her mouth over. He very rarely dressed up, and that he was willing to wear more than jeans and a button-down shirt tonight touched her.

“What’s the cost?” she asked, her eyes roaming over his face, from his eyes to his mouth, down to his neck, then back to his eyes again. Assessing as those brown eyes of his darkened even more, she knew he’d caught her staring.

“A kiss.”

“That’s simple enough.”

“There is nothing simple about kissing you.”

Whoa. Phil had a romantic side to him. One she never saw coming. She didn’t have a chance to respond, though. He bent down himself and placed his lips gently over hers. Just a touch, but more than enough to start her heart racing and her pulse beating.

Standing back up, he handed the plant over. “I know how much you like flowers, but this will last longer than a bouquet.”

“Thank you. That was very sweet and considerate.” Her eyes lit up. “Come on in, and I’ll find a place of honor for it in the sunroom for now.”

After placing it on an end table in front of the wall of windows at the back of the house, she turned and caught him staring at her. “You take my breath away,” he said softly.

Romance again. And her pulse kicked up another notch. “I could say the same to you.”

“I find that hard to believe,” he said, tilting his head questioningly. “I’m still amazed you’re giving me the time of day. I’m nothing like those fancy businessmen, lawyers and doctors you’ve been known to date.”

Her eyes warmed with a touch of laughter jumping into them. “And yet here I stand, wanting you.”

The pulse at his neck started to beat. She couldn’t miss it. He cleared his throat. “When did you make reservations for?”

She took a gamble with her plans for the night, but had a feeling they were going to pay off. “I didn’t make any.”

“That’s fine. We’ve got all night. Where did you want to go?”

“Nowhere.” She chuckled over his confusion. “Dinner arrived moments ago. It’s in the oven warming. We’re going to have dinner here. I thought about cooking, but in the end I didn’t want the mess, or the stress for that matter. I want it to be about us tonight. No distractions, no people, no one but you and me. I hope that was okay.”

“More than okay.” He moved forward, slid both hands around her face and into her hair, lowered his mouth to hers and gave her the kiss she had hoped for earlier when he walked in.

Breathless moments later, she stood back and placed her hand in his. “We’ve got all night. Let’s eat while it’s warm.” She led him into the dining room where she had set a perfectly romantic table complete with fine china she’d never used and couldn’t even remember who’d given it to her, along with several candles already lit.

There was a salad already placed at each seating. “Let’s start with the first course,” she said, gesturing toward his seat.

But he stepped forward and pulled the chair out for her first, then pushed her in. “You surprise me, Phil.”

“I need to keep up with all those fancy men you’ve dated before.”

“No one is keeping score. Least of all me.” When he was seated across from her she said, “Have you ever thought there is a reason I’m not with one of them, but rather with you?”

“Many times and for many reasons.”

“I’m sure every one of them is wrong.” She reached across the table, took his hand in hers. “Phil, they’re fake, not real. You’re real. Real to me in every sense of the word. I’m tired of games, tired of being with someone who takes more work than I want. I can be me when I’m with you. And that’s what’s important.”

He seemed embarrassed by her statement, but gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m glad. Glad that you’re here with me right now. And glad you feel comfortable to be yourself and no one else.”

She had struggled finding the right balance of food that she could have warming in her oven without being overcooked. But Phil seemed pleased with her choices of chicken cordon bleu and a seafood casserole, enjoying a bit of both. “I have dessert too, once I clean up these plates.”

“I’ll help you,” he said, pushing back from his seat.

Together they made quick work of loading the dishwasher and wiping down the counters. “Kind of takes the romance out of it, cleaning up a meal together,” she said, joking.

“No, it makes what we have more real.”

She stopped and stared at him, never expecting half of what he said and did tonight, but those words struck a chord with her. Deeper than she thought imaginable. Because she felt the same way about him, but never let herself believe. It was too soon in her eyes to think that way.

It didn’t matter if what she felt with him was more real than any relationship in her past. She was still giving herself time to discover if it was something she’d drummed up in her mind or actually existed. Hearing those words helped push her out of the dream state and closer to reality.

Pushing his words aside for the moment, she offered, “Are you interested in dessert?”

“Maybe later. Let’s sit and have another glass of wine and relax.”

“On second thought, I have a better idea.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the kitchen. “A different kind of dessert.”