One Last Dance (23 page)
Authors: Angela Stephens
“No. No, Sophie I’m not going to
walk away.”
Sophie felt the sun rise in her
chest, a burst of such fierce joy she thought it must be shining out of her
eyes. She pressed her cheek into his palm, nuzzling, her eyes closing.
Henry chuckled, his thumb
stroking along her lower lip. Sophie grinned. Things weren’t perfect. There
were still things that had to work out. But knowing that Henry was in it with
her, that he wanted this to work too, that made all the difference.
“I love you, Henry Medina.” She
lifted onto tip-toe to reach his lips but Henry pulled slightly back. She
frowned. His lips curved in a sensual smile.
“And I love you, Sophie Becker.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
Henry loved her!
She threw her arms around his
neck. “Well then, Mr. Medina, let’s stop looking at this empty lot and go start
living our life together. How does that sound?”
“Brilliant.”
Henry’s mouth touched hers, his
lips soft and warm and everything she’d ever wanted.
“And the insurance papers are in
this red folder here. In case of fire, or a flood, or—”
“Or the Stay-Puft Marshmallow
Man, yes I know, Soph!” Darren rolled his eyes, tapping a paper plate
tambourine against his thigh. He was being accompanied on various toilet roll
bean shakers and wooden blocks by a class of 3 to 5 year olds as they hopped
and flailed to the somewhat discordant music they were making themselves.
This was one of their beginner
classes, meant mostly to get the kids interested in music and movement. They
only taught the most basic of steps. Most of the time was spent in ‘free
dance’, as Darren called it.
Sophie almost ran back to the
office and slipped the bright red folder in among the other color-coordinated
files she had arranged beside the phone. She slid her earring in and called
through the open classroom door to Darren.
“I’m putting it just here, beside
the phone! Remember, the purple file has all the emergency numbers in it. The
yellow is class schedules. Jeanie is on call to help out whenever you need her,
all you have to do is give her twenty-four hours notice!” She snatched up her
purse and dashed back into the classroom.
Darren had put a record on the
old player and was showing the kids first position.
“Did you hear me?” Sophie propped
a hand on her hip. Darren’s blond brows ticked upward.
“Red, insurance. Purple,
emergency contacts. Yellow, class schedules. Jeanie on call, twenty-four hours
notice!” He repeated in time with the music, demonstrating deep bends for the
kids. “I’ll be fine, Sophie, I have run the studio before in your absence, you
know.”
She adjusted the scarf draped
around her throat. It was silk, a gift from Henry for their anniversary. Henry
liked celebrating milestones. And giving her gifts. She stroked the soft fabric
between her fingers, smiling.
“I know, Dar. It’s just... I’ve
never gone quite this far away before. You promise to call if anything happens?
You know you can reach me day or night.”
Darren’s smile was indulgent.
“Sophie, darling. I love you, but you’re only going to Switzerland for a week.
Not a month. Not a year. A week. It’ll be fine here. But in the very, very,
very unlikely case that something grave happens, I swear on the head of my
unborn child that I will call you.”
“Good.” A grin split Sophie’s
face at his mention of his “unborn child.” Darren and Wayne had finally found a
surrogate they liked and had begun the procedures to make a baby. Both men were
incredibly excited and Sophie was happy for her friends. Darren shook his head
at her grin and sidled a little closer.
“Speaking of major life events,
any indications if Hunky is going to pop the question on this oh-so-romantic
vacation?”
She snorted at Darren’s nickname
for Henry. Her best friend had made a surprising turnaround on his hostility
toward her gorgeous boyfriend. Then again, Henry had made it his mission to win
Darren’s approval. In the end, it had been how happy he was making Sophie that
had finally earned him the blond’s acceptance. Now, Darren was lobbying hard
for her and Henry to hurry up and get married and have babies.
The idea made Sophie’s stomach
and heart switch places whenever she thought about it.
“It’s a business trip, not a
vacation. Henry has to go check on the progress of the club. I’m just tagging
along.”
“Right.” Darren rolled his eyes
again. Sophie ignored him, digging in her purse for her checklist. She needed
to double check and make sure she’d done everything she needed to do here.
Henry would be here to pick her up and take her to the airport any minute. His
private jet would be leaving in a little over two hours.
“Will you hush with all the
marriage and babies talk?” she hissed softly, flicking Darren a quick look. “We
are not ready for that yet.”
That was a half-truth. They’d
talked about both in the months since they’d officially started seeing each
other. Not in any concrete sort of way, yet. But they had discussed their
feelings on both marriage and children. And Sophie knew if Henry did ask on
this trip, and a small part of her was hoping he did, she would say yes.
Fast or not, when it came to
spending her life with Henry, Sophie was all for her happily ever after
starting now.
She smiled down at the checklist.
Not because it was complete, although it was, but just recalling when she’d
written in up, in bed with Henry as they’d made plans for this trip, brought a
smile to her face.
“Kids, shall we wish Miss Sophie
good luck?” Darren asked, shaking his paper plate tambourine. The kids all
clapped.
“Good luck, Miss Sophie!”
“Why we wishing her luck?” one
little girl asked, her adorable face scrunching into a confused scowl. A little
boy beside her rolled his eyes in an expression that bore a marked resemblance
to Darren. Sophie snickered.
“‘Cause, silly. She’s getting her
a husband.”
Sophie’s snicker trailed off.
Darren snorted.
“Out of the mouths of babes.”
“Jordan Criss, where did you hear
that?” Sophie asked, cheeks pink. The little boy shrugged.
“Mister Thompson asked if your
question got popped. I heard my aunt say that when she got her husband. She
said he popped her question.”
Darren covered his laugh with a
cough. “Popped
the
question, Jordan. Not her. The.”
The boy’s brow furrowed, but
before he could retort, one of the other children gave a loud squeal, dropped
her bean shaker and ran for the front window. “Look! It’s a limo! Like the movie
stars drive!” She plastered her face against the glass.
All the other kids abandoned
their instruments to crowd against the window and ooh at the car too. “Miss
Sophie, is that your husband?”
Henry stepped out of the limo,
looking handsome in a pale grey suit with a powder blue button-down. He wasn’t
wearing a tie and the top few buttons of his shirt were undone. He took
Sophie’s breath away, still.
“That’s my
boyfriend
,
yes.” And didn’t that sound surreal enough. Husband? Her stomach swooped like a
bird of prey inside her.
Darren nudged her with an elbow.
“You sure it’s just ‘boyfriend’?” She bumped him with her shoulder.
“Call me if you need me. Don’t
forget.”
“I won’t. Now go. Have fun!”
Henry was waving to the children
when Sophie caught his eye. His grin was broad and handsome, the dimple in his
cheek deep and his gaze molten on her. He beckoned her out.
She brushed a quick kiss on
Darren’s cheek and hurried out to meet him.
“I missed you.” She’d just seen
him this morning, but that didn’t make it not true.
“I missed you, too, Miss Becker.”
His hand stroked the small of her back as he bent to brush his lips over her
briefly. “Are you ready to fly away to Switzerland with me? You sure you’re
going to be able to handle all the boring business stuff I’ve got to do?”
He held open the car door, his
hand extended palm up to help her in. Sophie laid her fingers in his, shivering
at the tingle of warmth the touch sent singing up her arm.
“I’m ready for whatever you’ve
got planned, mister.”
Henry’s eyes glinted, his lips
twitching. “That’s very good to hear.”
Sophie kissed him, pressing her
mouth to his and flicking her tongue quickly inside before bending and sliding
into the limo. Henry gave a low growl of warning as he tossed a wave over his
shoulder to Darren and the children.
“Watch it, dolce. You’ll get me
riled.” He slid into the seat beside her, grinning.
“And that’s a bad thing?” Sophie
fluttered her lashes at him in mock innocence.
He tugged her into his lap,
wrapping his arms around her waist. “Not bad, no. I just want to take my time.”
“How much time do we have?”
Henry nuzzled her throat. “As far
as I’m concerned? All the time in the world.”
Sophie chuckled, reaching over to
the center console and flipping a switch. The zing of music filled the limo.
Grinning, she reached for the buttons of Henry’s shirt. “Hey, Henry?” He
inhaled a small breath as she tugged open a button and touched his chest.
“Yes, Sophie?”
She slipped her hand into his
shirt, pressing her palm over his heart, her mouth a wide curve of delight.
“Want to dance?”
His arms tightened around her.
Sophie kissed him, swallowing his laughter.
The
End
