With Brave Wings (18 page)

It wasn’t only children who struggled with vegetables.

"Damn, this looks good." Tennyson sat down and took a swig of his beer.

"You practically made it."

"Don’t exaggerate." He gave her a look. "Here's an idea, though. How about we save Kayden's gift and the cake for tomorrow?"

"God, yes." Sophie nodded in thanks as he poured her wine. "I screwed up the schedule today. It's not like he's gonna notice, anyway. But you should open your gifts now."

What did you give a millionaire who could buy anything he wanted? Keepsakes.

Tennyson smiled faintly and reached for one of the boxes on the table, only to grin widely and chuckle when he saw what was inside. "This is priceless." He emptied the box and began sifting through the personalized items—phone cases, mouse pads, T-shirts, coffee mugs, pens, key rings, and much more. All with photos on them. "Ha! This one's hilarious." He held up a to-go mug with a photo of Sophie and Kayden making funny faces and holding up a sign that said "Caution: Hotness on the road."

"Zane helped us with the photos." Her personal favorite was one of the T-shirts. "Unfold the T-shirt. You can wear it when you go climbing."

He complied and laughed at the print. It was a diaper-clad Kayden, showing off painted-on abs and trying to look mad. On his belly were the words "My daddy's stronger than yours." Tennyson shook his head in amusement and then leaned over to kiss Sophie's cheek.

"There's one more." She pointed to the other box, this one smaller. "That one's from me, though feel free to prefer Kayden's."

"He's sort of hard to compete with." He winked then unwrapped the last gift. Tucked into a photo frame with a picture of him and Kayden was an envelope. "What's this?" He opened it and drew out a piece of paper.

"It's for one of those indoor climbing places." Sophie bit her lip, hoping he'd like it. "I reserved a wall for one day. You and Asher could show off your skills and maybe teach us a thing or two."

After getting over the anxiety of being out in public at the NBA game, she had realized how much she loved to do things with the people she'd come to see as family. Not only Kayden and Tennyson, but all of them. She hadn't gained friends. She'd gained family.

"We'll make a day of it." He leaned in again and pressed his lips to her cheek, lingering and gently cupping the back of her neck.
Fuck.
She missed him. God, she missed him. "Thank you for this, Sophie."

She exhaled shakily and managed a nod once he'd eased away. "Of course."

They were quiet for a beat, and Tennyson ate while he grinned and examined the gifts some more. Sophie ate too, but all she could think of was how badly she needed body contact. Everything from hugs and kisses to raw sex. She wanted sweet, carnal, affectionate, and wild.

"Oh, I almost forgot. I'll be right back." Tennyson stood up and crammed a piece of bread into his mouth. She watched him grab a paper bag in the hallway and return to the table. "I went over to Asher's earlier today to get you this." He was being all casual, but she detected a hint of apprehension in his eyes. She was pretty certain there was determination as well. "Did you ever read the article about you in
Women's National
?"

"Yes." It had taken her a while, but yeah. She'd read the damn thing. It wasn’t bad, but then again, the articles had never truly been the problem. "What about it?"

"So you know you the journalist called you brave, strong, and a good role model," he stated as he brought out a stack of printouts. "Here's what the readers think of that article."

He slid a piece of paper next to Sophie's plate, and she froze.

"Get that thing away from me."

What the fuck was he doing?

This couldn’t be happening. Her heart started drumming faster, and her hands got clammy. She had a publicist who half the industry was afraid of because she was so ruthless, and that was why Sophie loved her. She didn’t need Tennyson to handle anything remotely close to publicity.

"Fair enough. I'll read the comments out loud, then." He took the printout again, and before Sophie could bolt, he read the first one to her. "'I'm glad more actresses are stepping forward to tell the truth about the pressure. It's not all sunshine and roses in Hollywood.' Here's the next one. 'I'm gonna make sure my daughters see this article.' Another comment. 'Pierce has come a long way. Good for her.'"

"Please stop," Sophie hissed.

"A personal favorite," he went on. "'It's strong of her to admit her flaws, and even stronger that she's above her old way of thinking now.'"

Sophie shook her head quickly, trying not to hyperventilate. "This is bullshit. Did you write them?"

"No." He put the paper aside and covered her hand with his. "You're not the only one who's matured, sweetie. Your audience isn't the same, either. It's a new demographic."

It was too good to be true. Reaching for her wine, she drained the entire glass and went for a refill. "They called me worthless. Cunt, whore—" She peeked over to the couch but couldn’t see Kayden. He was probably lying down, so she kept her voice low. "I was good for nothing but spreading my legs. I was a joke. A drinking game. A clueless slut."

"I know what you read," he said quietly, grimly. "I spoke to Daniel. Who, by the way, feels like shit. Don’t be surprised if he stops by tomorrow."

"What did you do?" She narrowed her eyes. "I swear to Christ, Tennyson. Daniel did the right thing."

"He could've fucking eased you into it," he whispered, stabbing a finger to one of the printouts on the table. "Because you're
not
a bad person, Sophie. Not even back then. You were misguided, neglected, and spoiled—"

"I knew what I was doing," she argued heatedly. "Was I raised by a nanny? Yes—several of them. Did my parents throw money at me instead of spending time with me?
Yes
. But I wasn’t stupid. I knew right from wrong, and that didn’t stop me from being a total bitch. I looked down on poor people, I snapped my fingers to get what I wanted because I considered myself royalty, and I talked so much shit." By the end of her rant, she had tears in her eyes, and she couldn’t help but feel disgusted with herself.

She didn’t feel she deserved having nice things said about her.

"I need—" She choked up and cleared her throat, pointing toward her bedroom. "I gotta be alone."

As she stood up, Tennyson grasped her arm. He stared up at her, deliberating, and then handed her the stack of papers.

"I beg you to read these." He waited for her to accept them. "Just this once. For me. I'll give you all the privacy you need, but please read them."

She swallowed hard and grabbed them, just wanting to get away.

Seconds later, she locked the door behind herself and threw the printouts on her bed.

They taunted her.

Had Tennyson told her the truth? Was there a new demographic out there?

Chapter 16

The next few hours were spent channel surfing and stewing. Kayden had fallen asleep next to him on the couch, and Tennyson honestly had no memory of watching the movie his eyes were glued to.

Not a minute passed before he went over his argument—could it even be called an argument?—with Sophie. Over and over. Was he right? Had he crossed a line? Was he biased?

Did it fucking matter?

Regardless of Sophie's past, she was an incredible woman today, and he needed her to see it.

He hoped with all his heart that she'd read those comments. He'd scoured everything from ridiculous gossip blogs and Facebook to comment sections under articles about her and reviews. And perhaps once she saw what others saw, she could move forward. Perhaps she could find peace and, later, not care as much about what others thought.

Jesus Christ, some people absolutely loathed Tennyson's films, but that didn’t stop him from directing. He couldn’t please everyone. His techniques and the scripts he chose weren't for everybody. But he didn’t make movies for those people.

Sophie had to let go.

The reality of her reputation was a lot less dramatic than she believed. Because the truth was, nobody gossiped about her anymore. Rumors remained when it came to their relationship, which, after last night's appearance at the Lakers-Blazers game, had escalated, but that was about it.

She wasn’t a party princess these days. She was a hard-working actress. She was a mother. There were no scandals. There was no outrage.

Things got quiet really fast if a celebrity didn’t create chaos.

Sighing tiredly, he switched off the flat screen and then carried Kayden to his room. A quick diaper change and some sleepy whining later, Kayden was dead to the world again, and Tennyson walked through the loft to turn off the lights.

He'd taken Max and Pup out with Kayden before Sophie had woken up, but they could use another quick walk, so Tennyson slipped into a pair of All Stars and attached leashes to the dogs' collars.

Taking them around the block, he grinned at a text he'd received earlier tonight from Asher.

So I found out what UF means, and I'm not running. I think I have to marry this woman.

Tennyson smirked to himself and typed back.

Let me know when I can start planning the bachelor party, little brother.

"Come on, boys." He returned to the building and took the elevator up.

The loft was still dark, but as he headed toward his room, he noticed a sliver of light underneath Sophie's door.

Not wanting to go to bed before he knew she was all right, he knocked quietly on her door and waited.

"It's open."

He opened the door and found her sitting in the middle of her bed. All the printed sheets of paper were strewn around her, and it was confusing to see her both crying and smiling at the same time.

"I'm boring." She sniffled and chuckled. "I'm too boring to gossip about."

Tennyson smiled hesitantly and leaned against the doorframe. "Is this good news?" He hoped it was, but he couldn’t be sure.

She let out a soft laugh and wiped her cheeks. "It's the best news." Blowing out a breath, she began to pile together the papers, tears still trickling down her cheeks. "I'm not sure I'll ever get used to being called an inspiration, but… God." She sniffled some more and rubbed at her eyes. "I can't stop crying. What's wrong with me?"

Tennyson was hardly a therapist, though he had a guess. Maybe she was finally letting go of some of her fears. It had to have been exhausting to be constantly afraid of being judged.

"I shouldn’t care about any of this, should I?" Her bottom lip trembled as she placed everything on her nightstand. "I know I shouldn’t, but I can't help it."

"I haven't been where you are," he murmured. "For a long time, your reputation was everything to you. It never was for me."

Sophie made a face and pressed her palms to her eyes. "It is what it is. I'm only relieved I'm not gossip-worthy anymore." She chuckled slightly and reached for a box of tissues. "I've changed. I don’t want to be the talk of the town anymore. I just wanna live my life."

Tennyson had never cared for the phrase "It is what it is," because it seemed so final. Now that Sophie had seen what was out there, he prayed she wouldn’t be so reluctant to go out. And once she did spend more time in the world, life experience would make everything easier. She'd get used to it. She'd be able to brush it off.

"People will always talk in our industry." He closed the door behind himself and walked over to sit down on the edge of her bed. "But with time, it will fade into a background buzz."

"You think so?" She managed a weak smile and wiped her nose. "I'm sorry for giving you shit earlier. You were right."

He smiled and squeezed her ankle lightly. "And perhaps I was too hard on Daniel. I'm just…very protective of you. I despise seeing you upset."

She scowled down at her tissue. "I'm sorry for being so lame. Like, seriously. Who can't go outside without having a meltdown? I just can't stand being judged. If it's not how I live my life, it's what I look like, or what I'm wearing. It sucks."

"Hey." Fuck, he was tired of her putting herself down all the time. "Take it one day at a time. Don’t think this is gonna get better overnight. We all have fears, right? Just…from now on, try to listen to those who actually know you before those who've never even met you."

She huffed and threw away another tissue, though there was also a small grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You saying I should listen to
you
more?"

Tennyson smirked. "I happen to know plenty about one Sophie Virginia Pierce, so perhaps you should. In fact—"

An idea struck him so hard and fast he felt lightheaded. It was a big risk; too much could go wrong, but he had to. He had to find out.
Christ, please let her want it.

"Come here." He stood up, nervous, and held out his hand. "I want you to know exactly what I'm talking about."

Sophie looked confused but placed her hand in his, and he led her over to her walk-in closet. Pushing the sliding door aside, he let her enter first. Then he flipped the light switch and positioned her in front of the large mirror that covered the wall between two floor-to-ceiling shelving units.

"Are you trying to tell me you'd like to borrow shoes from me, Tennyson?"

He caught her teasing grin in the mirror. "I don’t think you have my size." He shook his head in amusement and came to stand right behind her. "No, this is about you." He'd lived with her long enough to know her insecurities, and now he didn’t care about keeping his mouth shut. "We shared a house in Australia, and it was the first time I got a grasp of the pressure young actresses put on themselves. The media is unforgiving, but it's up to you to change it or let it go on."

Peering down between them, he pulled up the hem of Sophie's T-shirt, revealing her toned stomach to the mirror.

"Magazines write about how you can hide those hideous stretch marks." He gently traced his fingers along the faint lines near her belly button. "But who decided they were hideous? You gave our son life in here. For nine months, you kept him safe. Your body is amazing simply because of that." Not to mention fucking beautiful.

She let out a trembling breath and palmed her stomach once Tennyson had moved his hands to her hips.

"Sophie, you can make men lose their heads on a red carpet. You're considered one of the world's sexiest women because of how you show up at public events." He shifted her hair to the side and revealed a faint bruise over her collarbone from a couple weeks ago. It was almost gone. "If you had a shoot tomorrow, this would get Photoshopped. But do you know what I see? I see a mother who curled up into a ball to fit in Kayden's bed when he was sick. You wanted to be close to him, so it didn’t matter if he accidentally kicked you in his sleep."

Next, he slowly pushed down her yoga pants.

"The scar on your left knee." He waited until her gaze dropped to her knees. "Some say it's a flaw. I know better. It tells the story of when you learned how to ride a bicycle when you were a child."

In the mirror, Sophie's eyes were glassy but soft. "Tennyson…"

"I'm not done." He swallowed his desire and continued. "Unlike the media, I wouldn’t put you on those lists of the sexiest women in the world because of how you look after a team of makeup artists and stylists are done with you." He remembered the red carpets he'd seen her on. His mouth went dry every single time. But there was something better. "I would move you up to the number one spot for the times you forget your appearance." It happened more and more lately, when only he was around, and he loved every minute of it. "You're stunning the way you are. It's insane that a woman is expected to look like she just walked off the runway after a long day at work or taking care of her children."

Passion had always been Tennyson's biggest turn-on. It used to revolve around work, but these days it covered anything that wasn’t about pleasing someone else.

"You have no idea how beautiful you were at the game," he murmured, pushing up her T-shirt once more. He knew she wasn’t wearing a bra, but that didn’t stop him. She didn’t stop him either, so he pulled the shirt off completely.
Fuck.
"You forgot everyone around you and focused on having fun. You were there with your family and friends, not thousands of strangers with cameras."

"I haven't shaved my legs," she complained.

He chuckled quietly, huskily, and shook his head at her in the mirror. Save a black thong, her body was on full display. Her legs and whether or not she had shaved them would be the last thing he'd notice.

"I don’t care." Sort of hidden behind her, he adjusted his semi-erection in his sweatpants. "I'm not going to feed you bullshit, Sophie. I appreciate when people make efforts for their partners, but there are limits. Beauty runs deeper than anything that can be shown in a photo." Locking their gazes, he slowly dipped down and placed a kiss along her neck.

Sophie exhaled and shivered, her nipples tightening into little buds.

Her reaction made him relax and want to take it further.

"Whose opinion matters most to you?" He withheld a groan as he nuzzled the spot behind her ear. "Strangers' or…mine? Who do you think knows you best, the industry or me? Who do you believe wants what's best for you, the media or me?" As the last words left him, he couldn’t hold himself back anymore, and he reached up to cup her breasts.

"Oh God—you," she whimpered.

"That’s right," he whispered. "Good girl." He watched her in the mirror, her head lolling back on his shoulder, her eyes closed. "I don’t care where you buy your clothes or when your last manicure was." He stroked her full breasts, amazed and turned on by the changes in her body. "Parenting isn't always pretty. Sometimes that means we go grocery shopping with food stains and shitty moods. If tabloids want to think there's trouble in paradise, so be it."

How many times had he fantasized about touching, kissing, and fucking her breasts while she was breastfeeding? They seemed sensitive now, too. Sophie moaned and gasped as he rubbed them and pinched her nipples gently. But he needed more. A lot more.

"If you go to a club with a few friends," he continued, all while watching her in the mirror, "there might be idiots starting rumors about you being tired of motherhood. But I know that’s not true, don’t I?" He slid one of his hands down her stomach and traced the waistband of her underwear. "Everyone who knows you knows that’s not true."

She sucked in a breath and nodded quickly. "Please, Tennyson."

He cursed and slipped his hand underneath the fabric, finding her warm and slick. "Push them down," he whispered. He had to see her. She complied and shimmied out of her thong, and he groaned at the sight. He didn’t have words to describe how she affected him.

Gone was the naïve girl who he'd still been indescribably drawn to, leaving room for a sinfully sexy young woman. Her chin had once been held high because of attitude; now that strength lived in her core because of experience and wisdom.

"Do you feel what you do to me?" He pressed his cock against her lower back at the same time as he circled her clit. "That’s all you—the way you are. With everything I know about you, your old ways and new."

"I want it." She stood up on her toes and tried to feel it against her ass. "Oh fuck, I need it."

Christ, yes.
He was quick to spin her around and dip down to crash their mouths together. He kissed her hungrily, backing her up against the mirror.

Sophie hissed at the cold but made no move to stop it. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and climbed him like a tree.

With her legs around his midsection, he fumbled with his sweatpants and boxer briefs, pushing them down past his thighs. The kiss never broke. He tasted her for the first time since she'd been pregnant, and he hoped this wasn’t a repeat of San Antonio. It had to be more.

He couldn’t be without her anymore.

"Fuck me," she panted into the kiss. "Fuck me hard."

"Hard is all I've got right now." He grunted and shifted her lower. "Do we need protection? I'm still safe."