Suddenly Mine, page 9
“Good. That’s good.” He was watching her, and Sophie fought the urge to squirm under his appraisal.
Christian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Was there something more?”
Why was she hesitating?
Oh, right. Because half-naked Christian Montgomery was very distracting!
She cleared her throat and did her best to focus on…his forehead. “Okay, so here’s the thing—I got a call from Patricia today.” She waited for him to react, but he didn’t. “She called to give me my schedule.”
Still no reaction.
With a huff, she went on. “Then she told me how you’d called my bosses and recommended me to be hired by other companies in the building! I appreciate your confidence in me, but…”
“But?” he prompted.
“You don’t even know me, Christian,” she blurted out. “For all you know, I’m terrible at my job! I could be…lazy or have no bedside manner! Maybe I stink at taking blood pressures or—or make people cry when I give them a flu shot. I mean, you don’t have any idea!” She was breathless by the time she finished and sagged against the sofa cushions.
Without a word, Christian rose and walked to the kitchen. The entire space was open so the living room, dining room, and kitchen formed one large space and she was able to watch him pour her a glass of water. He handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
He sat on the sofa opposite hers. “First of all, you and I both know you’re excellent at your job. Anyone who was there with you that day in my office will attest to that.”
Blushing, she said, “We don’t know that.”
He gave a small smile. “I disagree. And on top of that, from everything Patricia told me, you were the one my mother and aunt wanted to hire. The position was never going to anyone else.”
She took a sip of the water and placed it on the coffee table on top of a coaster. “And what about the other companies?”
“Everyone in the building talks, Sophie. We’re not the only ones looking to incorporate this kind of health program. We were just the first to do it. And now that we have, it didn’t seem like a big deal to recommend your agency and you to them.”
“But I haven’t even started with your company yet.”
He simply shrugged. “Why are you arguing with me about this? You said so yourself, this was the perfect job for you.”
And it was. She knew that. But… “I feel like I may get any future jobs under false pretenses, or…something like that.”
Still amused, Christian relaxed and slung one arm along the top of the cushion. “No false pretenses, Sophie. You are more than qualified for the job and any others you may get. Patricia was talking to me about that when…well, you know.”
Nodding, she countered, “It’s not like I don’t appreciate this—because I do—but I don’t want the recommendations because you feel obligated or something.”
“Believe it or not, this has more to do with how much my mother and aunt loved you and raved about you.”
Her eyes narrowed as she tried to gauge whether or not she believed him. “Where are they, anyway? Do they live nearby?”
“My parents live in New York and my aunt and her family are in North Carolina.”
She looked at him quizzically. “But…they were here, right? I met them on the beach?”
He nodded.
“Do they visit often?”
He shrugged. “No. They were here to start up the whole corporate health thing. I guess I’m still surprised that they met you and how everything sort of worked out the way that it did.”
“At first I thought they were just being nice, but then I realized they were chatty by nature,” Sophie said, smiling.
“That pretty much is a perfect description of them.”
“Anyway, I wasn’t sure how to end the conversation so I could get back into the water, and ended up sitting with them for a while and sharing my life story.” She chuckled. “I don’t even know how that happened.”
“Because they’re crafty like that,” he said. “Trust me. They have a gift for drawing things out of people that they wouldn’t normally share.”
“That sounds a little ominous.”
Christian went on. “It’s sort of a family trait—at least in my parents’ generation. I used to think it was only my uncle William, but it turns out Aunt Monica is just as crafty—and she’s clearly teaching my mom.”
Sophie placed her now-empty glass of water on the coffee table. “That sounds like there’s a story there.”
“Let’s just say my uncle is known as the family matchmaker. He found wives for his three sons—my cousins—and once they were all married off, he moved on to his nieces and nephews. We thought he was done at one point, and it seems my aunt got the matchmaking bug. She claims responsibility for my sister Megan and her fiancé Alex getting together.”
“And you don’t believe that?”
Christian shook his head. “My sister and Alex met at my cousin Zach’s wedding and hooked up there. Then they didn’t see one another again for almost two years.”
“How did they meet up again after all that time?” she asked, loving to hear about people falling in love.
“Megan moved to Oregon to work for Zach, and Alex is one of Zach’s best friends. So really, it was only a matter of time before they reconnected. I don’t see how my mother or my aunt think they had anything to do with it.”
“I’m sure in their own way they helped.”
He gave a little snort. “To hear them tell it, they’re responsible for Megan moving across the country and going to work for Zach.”
“And you don’t believe that either?”
“No one tells anyone who they have to hire in this company,” he said matter-of-factly. “Zach wouldn’t hire Megan just because his aunts told him to.”
She gave him a hard glare at the irony of what he’d just said.
“What?” he asked, brow furrowed.
“And yet here you are hiring me because your mom and aunt told you to,” she stated, crossing her arms over her chest.
“It’s not the same thing, Sophie. Not at all. They hired your agency and requested you. I have nothing to do with any of this. Trust me.”
“Really?” she asked sarcastically.
Leaning forward, he met her gaze. “Look, they are different situations. We are adding something new to the company and needed to hire someone. They were in charge of hiring that person. It’s not like they called me and said ‘Hey, you have to hire Sophie and find a position for her.’ So you see, two completely different things.”
Maybe.
She still felt like the two situations were very similar, but she’d be willing to let it go for now.
“I’d like to believe you.”
He let out a sigh of frustration. “Are you always this argumentative? Because I’ve got to tell you, it’s exhausting.”
“Sorry,” she murmured. “And honestly, I’m not. I usually have better manners than this. I’ve never argued—even lightly—with anyone, especially not someone I work with!” And that’s when it hit her: she was going to be working with him. What was she thinking, coming here and arguing with him like this?
Standing quickly, she grabbed her purse and stepped toward the door. “I should go,” she said, suddenly feeling awkward and uncomfortable. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, and I’m sure I’ll see you at the office next week.”
Moving nervously, she made her way to the door.
Christian’s hand on her arm stopped her. When she turned, she saw confusion in his deep blue eyes.
“Hey,” he said softly. “What’s going on?”
“I—I just remembered someplace I need to be,” she lied and immediately felt guilty for that too.
His eyes scanned her face, but his hand gently curled around her arm. “Really? Just like that? Without looking at your watch or anything, you suddenly remember that you have somewhere else to be?”
She bit her lip before saying, “Uh-huh.”
A slow smile played at Christian’s lips. “Where?”
“Where?”
“Mm-hmm. Where do you have to be?”
Why couldn’t he just let her go? Why was he questioning her like this? “What—” she croaked and then cleared her throat. “What difference does it make? I needed to clear things up and I did, so…”
“So?”
She rolled her eyes. The man was infuriating.
And sexy.
That last one hit her when she went to move and somehow ended up even closer to his bare chest.
Licking him would definitely be wrong, right? And more than likely a little inappropriate.
It didn’t stop her from wanting to do it, though.
“Sophie?”
Her eyes traveled up until they met his and she let out a slow exhale.
“Why are you leaving?”
“I…I told you.”
“I’m glad you came by,” he said, and it took her by surprise.
“You are?”
Nodding, he maneuvered them until they were moving back toward the sofas. “I felt bad about the other day. About my behavior. You were…well, you were the only person who was there for me and I was a little less than gracious about it. I’m sorry.”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re…you’re sorry?”
He nodded again. “I never thanked you for all you did. Somehow, all I managed to focus on was what you wouldn’t do for me rather than all that you actually did. That was terribly selfish of me, so I’m sorry.”
Her heart fluttered at his words and she felt herself blush. “In your defense, you weren’t feeling well and had enough to deal with without me adding to your stress.”
“Somehow I don’t think what you did was stressful, Sophie.”
Swallowing hard, she found it hard to look away from him. “Really?”
“Really,” he said gruffly, his gaze heating, and in that moment, she wasn’t sure what exactly was happening.
“Christian,” she said softly, “I…I was glad I could help.”
“Me too.”
Was it her imagination or had he moved closer?
They stood like that—locked in one another’s gazes—while Sophie tried to figure out what to do. Should she move away or even closer?
“I have to ask you something,” he said, his voice low. He didn’t wait for her to respond. “Are you really mad at me, you know, because of the recommendations?”
She whispered, “No.”
Mesmerized by the heated look in his eyes, she wondered why he’d ask her something like that. Had she gone too far and been too argumentative with him?
“Sophie?” Now it was Christian’s voice that was a mere whisper as he closed the distance between them.
“Hmm?”
“I’d really like to kiss you.”
Her heart beat like wild in her chest at his words. Smiling shyly, all she could think to say was “Okay.”
The word was barely out of her mouth before Christian’s lips claimed hers.
* * *
It wasn’t the taste of the ocean on her lips, like he’d fantasized about so many times.
It was better.
Sweeter.
And far more addictive.
Christian’s arms banded around Sophie as he pulled her closer and groaned with pleasure at the feel of her soft curves pressing against his bare chest.
Yeah, he’d gone out for a jog earlier and should have pulled a shirt on before answering his door, but he hadn’t. And now he was glad for that decision, because seeing how Sophie had been watching him—all but staring at him—had made his decision to be bold and kiss her easier.
It was good to know this wasn’t a one-sided attraction.
Her soft moan as she wrapped her arms around him was a highly erotic sound. Christian took the kiss deeper—thrilled and more turned on than he’d thought possible as her tongue touched his. It had been a long time since he’d felt this strongly about a woman and he couldn’t remember a time when he’d been this aroused by a simple kiss.
Okay, so it wasn’t quite so simple. It was hot and wet and sexy, and he shifted them so he could sit on the sofa and cradle her in his lap. Sophie moved with him and when they were in their new position, she hummed with approval.
They were in his home. It was completely private. And some primitive part of him wanted to take this further. Christian felt like he’d been waiting forever for her, even though he hadn’t known her for even a week.
It was crazy and impulsive, but he couldn’t stop this feeling no matter how hard he tried.
Which, to be honest, wasn’t much. He was too wrapped up in all the sensations—how soft her lips were, how sexy she sounded, how incredibly responsive she was to him.
With his hands gently skimming up and down her spine, he had to focus so he wouldn’t lose the thin grip he had on his control. The halter top left most of her back bare and the softness of her skin was driving him crazy.
And for a man who thrived on always being in control, it was an odd feeling.
One hand reached up to anchor into her hair—which felt just as silky as he’d imagined—and slowed them both down. He sipped at her lips, angled his head, and trailed kisses up her cheek and then back again. When he finally lifted his head, they were both breathless. Sophie rested her head on his shoulder, and for the life of him, he didn’t know what that meant or what he should say.
Technically, he had stated his intentions and she could have said no.
But she seemed as into it as he was, so hopefully she wasn’t upset.
“We shouldn’t have done that,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Those five little words hit him hard. Tucking a finger under her chin, he gently forced her to look at him. His eyes scanned her face and it took every ounce of strength he had not to dive in for another kiss—no matter what she said. Her lips were so red and wet, her cheeks were flushed, and she was still breathing a little hard.
She was sexy as hell and he could feel himself trembling with the need to stay in control.
“Why?” he whispered.
Sophie swallowed hard. “We’re going to be working together, Christian. This isn’t appropriate, and…” She scrambled off his lap and sat beside him. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
He felt completely gobsmacked and had no idea how to respond to what she was saying.
“You have to understand,” she said. “It would look really bad for me to be messing around with you as soon as I start this job. People will look at me like that was how I got the position.”
Raking a hand through his hair, Christian let out a frustrated breath. “Sophie, no one is going to think that. And what happened here had nothing whatsoever to do with work or your job or…any of that.” There was no way not to say what came next. “The truth is, I’ve sort of been…aware of you for a while now.”
Putting a little more space between them, she looked at him nervously. “Um, what?”
“I’ve seen you out surfing,” he clarified.
“You mean—that night when you thought I was drowning,” she stated slowly.
But Christian shook his head. “Before that.” Sighing loudly, he stood. “Every morning I have a cup of coffee out on my deck. I started doing it a while ago and I found it was a nice way to start my day.” He looked straight at her. “It wasn’t like I was purposely looking for you, but…you kind of stand out.”
“Stand out?”
Nervously, he touched a strand of her fiery hair. “A redhead in a sea of blonds,” he said, almost mesmerized by the feel of her. “Every morning, if you were out there in the ocean, I saw you. I didn’t stay out there the entire time and it wasn’t like seeing you was the only reason I was out there,” he quickly explained. “But it was normally while I finished my coffee. So many times I tried to convince myself to go down to the beach and introduce myself.”
“Then why didn’t you?” she asked, her voice softer and a little less nervous now.
He shrugged. “Cowardice, I guess. There never seemed to be the right time to go about doing it.”
“Until you thought I was drowning?” she asked with amusement, and Christian saw the first hint of a smile playing at her lips.
He smiled back and felt his cheeks heat. “Well, yeah. Like I said, cowardice.”
Sophie reached up and captured the hand that was still playing with her hair and squeezed it. “I don’t think it’s cowardice at all. I think in the same position I would have felt the same way.”
“Really?”
“This move has forced me out of my comfort zone. Back in Kansas, I knew everyone in town, so I never experienced the awkwardness of meeting someone new. Even when I went to college, it was local, and I knew so many of my classmates that even when I met someone new, we had friends in common.” She paused. “Moving here sight-unseen meant everyone was a stranger. I had to get over my insecurities and break out of my comfort zone and force myself to talk to people.”
“It’s the opposite for me. I’ve always been at ease meeting new people, and I’ve never hesitated to introduce myself to a beautiful woman,” he said with a lopsided grin. “You were the first woman who made me pause.”
“Why?”
Hesitating because the admission was a little embarrassing, Christian considered his words. “My life is a mess—you know, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Besides being a workaholic, I have…well, I have trust issues. Pretty much with everyone, but particularly with women.”
“Someone hurt you,” she said tenderly, squeezing the hand she was still holding.
It was pointless to deny it. Other than his sister, Megan, no one knew the extent of why he was so uptight about the way he currently ran his life. But he felt that it was important for him to share with Sophie, because he had a feeling she could help him change—to break out of this rut he was in and maybe start living again.
Christian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Was there something more?”
Why was she hesitating?
Oh, right. Because half-naked Christian Montgomery was very distracting!
She cleared her throat and did her best to focus on…his forehead. “Okay, so here’s the thing—I got a call from Patricia today.” She waited for him to react, but he didn’t. “She called to give me my schedule.”
Still no reaction.
With a huff, she went on. “Then she told me how you’d called my bosses and recommended me to be hired by other companies in the building! I appreciate your confidence in me, but…”
“But?” he prompted.
“You don’t even know me, Christian,” she blurted out. “For all you know, I’m terrible at my job! I could be…lazy or have no bedside manner! Maybe I stink at taking blood pressures or—or make people cry when I give them a flu shot. I mean, you don’t have any idea!” She was breathless by the time she finished and sagged against the sofa cushions.
Without a word, Christian rose and walked to the kitchen. The entire space was open so the living room, dining room, and kitchen formed one large space and she was able to watch him pour her a glass of water. He handed it to her.
“Thank you.”
He sat on the sofa opposite hers. “First of all, you and I both know you’re excellent at your job. Anyone who was there with you that day in my office will attest to that.”
Blushing, she said, “We don’t know that.”
He gave a small smile. “I disagree. And on top of that, from everything Patricia told me, you were the one my mother and aunt wanted to hire. The position was never going to anyone else.”
She took a sip of the water and placed it on the coffee table on top of a coaster. “And what about the other companies?”
“Everyone in the building talks, Sophie. We’re not the only ones looking to incorporate this kind of health program. We were just the first to do it. And now that we have, it didn’t seem like a big deal to recommend your agency and you to them.”
“But I haven’t even started with your company yet.”
He simply shrugged. “Why are you arguing with me about this? You said so yourself, this was the perfect job for you.”
And it was. She knew that. But… “I feel like I may get any future jobs under false pretenses, or…something like that.”
Still amused, Christian relaxed and slung one arm along the top of the cushion. “No false pretenses, Sophie. You are more than qualified for the job and any others you may get. Patricia was talking to me about that when…well, you know.”
Nodding, she countered, “It’s not like I don’t appreciate this—because I do—but I don’t want the recommendations because you feel obligated or something.”
“Believe it or not, this has more to do with how much my mother and aunt loved you and raved about you.”
Her eyes narrowed as she tried to gauge whether or not she believed him. “Where are they, anyway? Do they live nearby?”
“My parents live in New York and my aunt and her family are in North Carolina.”
She looked at him quizzically. “But…they were here, right? I met them on the beach?”
He nodded.
“Do they visit often?”
He shrugged. “No. They were here to start up the whole corporate health thing. I guess I’m still surprised that they met you and how everything sort of worked out the way that it did.”
“At first I thought they were just being nice, but then I realized they were chatty by nature,” Sophie said, smiling.
“That pretty much is a perfect description of them.”
“Anyway, I wasn’t sure how to end the conversation so I could get back into the water, and ended up sitting with them for a while and sharing my life story.” She chuckled. “I don’t even know how that happened.”
“Because they’re crafty like that,” he said. “Trust me. They have a gift for drawing things out of people that they wouldn’t normally share.”
“That sounds a little ominous.”
Christian went on. “It’s sort of a family trait—at least in my parents’ generation. I used to think it was only my uncle William, but it turns out Aunt Monica is just as crafty—and she’s clearly teaching my mom.”
Sophie placed her now-empty glass of water on the coffee table. “That sounds like there’s a story there.”
“Let’s just say my uncle is known as the family matchmaker. He found wives for his three sons—my cousins—and once they were all married off, he moved on to his nieces and nephews. We thought he was done at one point, and it seems my aunt got the matchmaking bug. She claims responsibility for my sister Megan and her fiancé Alex getting together.”
“And you don’t believe that?”
Christian shook his head. “My sister and Alex met at my cousin Zach’s wedding and hooked up there. Then they didn’t see one another again for almost two years.”
“How did they meet up again after all that time?” she asked, loving to hear about people falling in love.
“Megan moved to Oregon to work for Zach, and Alex is one of Zach’s best friends. So really, it was only a matter of time before they reconnected. I don’t see how my mother or my aunt think they had anything to do with it.”
“I’m sure in their own way they helped.”
He gave a little snort. “To hear them tell it, they’re responsible for Megan moving across the country and going to work for Zach.”
“And you don’t believe that either?”
“No one tells anyone who they have to hire in this company,” he said matter-of-factly. “Zach wouldn’t hire Megan just because his aunts told him to.”
She gave him a hard glare at the irony of what he’d just said.
“What?” he asked, brow furrowed.
“And yet here you are hiring me because your mom and aunt told you to,” she stated, crossing her arms over her chest.
“It’s not the same thing, Sophie. Not at all. They hired your agency and requested you. I have nothing to do with any of this. Trust me.”
“Really?” she asked sarcastically.
Leaning forward, he met her gaze. “Look, they are different situations. We are adding something new to the company and needed to hire someone. They were in charge of hiring that person. It’s not like they called me and said ‘Hey, you have to hire Sophie and find a position for her.’ So you see, two completely different things.”
Maybe.
She still felt like the two situations were very similar, but she’d be willing to let it go for now.
“I’d like to believe you.”
He let out a sigh of frustration. “Are you always this argumentative? Because I’ve got to tell you, it’s exhausting.”
“Sorry,” she murmured. “And honestly, I’m not. I usually have better manners than this. I’ve never argued—even lightly—with anyone, especially not someone I work with!” And that’s when it hit her: she was going to be working with him. What was she thinking, coming here and arguing with him like this?
Standing quickly, she grabbed her purse and stepped toward the door. “I should go,” she said, suddenly feeling awkward and uncomfortable. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, and I’m sure I’ll see you at the office next week.”
Moving nervously, she made her way to the door.
Christian’s hand on her arm stopped her. When she turned, she saw confusion in his deep blue eyes.
“Hey,” he said softly. “What’s going on?”
“I—I just remembered someplace I need to be,” she lied and immediately felt guilty for that too.
His eyes scanned her face, but his hand gently curled around her arm. “Really? Just like that? Without looking at your watch or anything, you suddenly remember that you have somewhere else to be?”
She bit her lip before saying, “Uh-huh.”
A slow smile played at Christian’s lips. “Where?”
“Where?”
“Mm-hmm. Where do you have to be?”
Why couldn’t he just let her go? Why was he questioning her like this? “What—” she croaked and then cleared her throat. “What difference does it make? I needed to clear things up and I did, so…”
“So?”
She rolled her eyes. The man was infuriating.
And sexy.
That last one hit her when she went to move and somehow ended up even closer to his bare chest.
Licking him would definitely be wrong, right? And more than likely a little inappropriate.
It didn’t stop her from wanting to do it, though.
“Sophie?”
Her eyes traveled up until they met his and she let out a slow exhale.
“Why are you leaving?”
“I…I told you.”
“I’m glad you came by,” he said, and it took her by surprise.
“You are?”
Nodding, he maneuvered them until they were moving back toward the sofas. “I felt bad about the other day. About my behavior. You were…well, you were the only person who was there for me and I was a little less than gracious about it. I’m sorry.”
Her eyes went wide. “You’re…you’re sorry?”
He nodded again. “I never thanked you for all you did. Somehow, all I managed to focus on was what you wouldn’t do for me rather than all that you actually did. That was terribly selfish of me, so I’m sorry.”
Her heart fluttered at his words and she felt herself blush. “In your defense, you weren’t feeling well and had enough to deal with without me adding to your stress.”
“Somehow I don’t think what you did was stressful, Sophie.”
Swallowing hard, she found it hard to look away from him. “Really?”
“Really,” he said gruffly, his gaze heating, and in that moment, she wasn’t sure what exactly was happening.
“Christian,” she said softly, “I…I was glad I could help.”
“Me too.”
Was it her imagination or had he moved closer?
They stood like that—locked in one another’s gazes—while Sophie tried to figure out what to do. Should she move away or even closer?
“I have to ask you something,” he said, his voice low. He didn’t wait for her to respond. “Are you really mad at me, you know, because of the recommendations?”
She whispered, “No.”
Mesmerized by the heated look in his eyes, she wondered why he’d ask her something like that. Had she gone too far and been too argumentative with him?
“Sophie?” Now it was Christian’s voice that was a mere whisper as he closed the distance between them.
“Hmm?”
“I’d really like to kiss you.”
Her heart beat like wild in her chest at his words. Smiling shyly, all she could think to say was “Okay.”
The word was barely out of her mouth before Christian’s lips claimed hers.
* * *
It wasn’t the taste of the ocean on her lips, like he’d fantasized about so many times.
It was better.
Sweeter.
And far more addictive.
Christian’s arms banded around Sophie as he pulled her closer and groaned with pleasure at the feel of her soft curves pressing against his bare chest.
Yeah, he’d gone out for a jog earlier and should have pulled a shirt on before answering his door, but he hadn’t. And now he was glad for that decision, because seeing how Sophie had been watching him—all but staring at him—had made his decision to be bold and kiss her easier.
It was good to know this wasn’t a one-sided attraction.
Her soft moan as she wrapped her arms around him was a highly erotic sound. Christian took the kiss deeper—thrilled and more turned on than he’d thought possible as her tongue touched his. It had been a long time since he’d felt this strongly about a woman and he couldn’t remember a time when he’d been this aroused by a simple kiss.
Okay, so it wasn’t quite so simple. It was hot and wet and sexy, and he shifted them so he could sit on the sofa and cradle her in his lap. Sophie moved with him and when they were in their new position, she hummed with approval.
They were in his home. It was completely private. And some primitive part of him wanted to take this further. Christian felt like he’d been waiting forever for her, even though he hadn’t known her for even a week.
It was crazy and impulsive, but he couldn’t stop this feeling no matter how hard he tried.
Which, to be honest, wasn’t much. He was too wrapped up in all the sensations—how soft her lips were, how sexy she sounded, how incredibly responsive she was to him.
With his hands gently skimming up and down her spine, he had to focus so he wouldn’t lose the thin grip he had on his control. The halter top left most of her back bare and the softness of her skin was driving him crazy.
And for a man who thrived on always being in control, it was an odd feeling.
One hand reached up to anchor into her hair—which felt just as silky as he’d imagined—and slowed them both down. He sipped at her lips, angled his head, and trailed kisses up her cheek and then back again. When he finally lifted his head, they were both breathless. Sophie rested her head on his shoulder, and for the life of him, he didn’t know what that meant or what he should say.
Technically, he had stated his intentions and she could have said no.
But she seemed as into it as he was, so hopefully she wasn’t upset.
“We shouldn’t have done that,” she said, her voice barely a whisper.
Those five little words hit him hard. Tucking a finger under her chin, he gently forced her to look at him. His eyes scanned her face and it took every ounce of strength he had not to dive in for another kiss—no matter what she said. Her lips were so red and wet, her cheeks were flushed, and she was still breathing a little hard.
She was sexy as hell and he could feel himself trembling with the need to stay in control.
“Why?” he whispered.
Sophie swallowed hard. “We’re going to be working together, Christian. This isn’t appropriate, and…” She scrambled off his lap and sat beside him. “It shouldn’t have happened.”
He felt completely gobsmacked and had no idea how to respond to what she was saying.
“You have to understand,” she said. “It would look really bad for me to be messing around with you as soon as I start this job. People will look at me like that was how I got the position.”
Raking a hand through his hair, Christian let out a frustrated breath. “Sophie, no one is going to think that. And what happened here had nothing whatsoever to do with work or your job or…any of that.” There was no way not to say what came next. “The truth is, I’ve sort of been…aware of you for a while now.”
Putting a little more space between them, she looked at him nervously. “Um, what?”
“I’ve seen you out surfing,” he clarified.
“You mean—that night when you thought I was drowning,” she stated slowly.
But Christian shook his head. “Before that.” Sighing loudly, he stood. “Every morning I have a cup of coffee out on my deck. I started doing it a while ago and I found it was a nice way to start my day.” He looked straight at her. “It wasn’t like I was purposely looking for you, but…you kind of stand out.”
“Stand out?”
Nervously, he touched a strand of her fiery hair. “A redhead in a sea of blonds,” he said, almost mesmerized by the feel of her. “Every morning, if you were out there in the ocean, I saw you. I didn’t stay out there the entire time and it wasn’t like seeing you was the only reason I was out there,” he quickly explained. “But it was normally while I finished my coffee. So many times I tried to convince myself to go down to the beach and introduce myself.”
“Then why didn’t you?” she asked, her voice softer and a little less nervous now.
He shrugged. “Cowardice, I guess. There never seemed to be the right time to go about doing it.”
“Until you thought I was drowning?” she asked with amusement, and Christian saw the first hint of a smile playing at her lips.
He smiled back and felt his cheeks heat. “Well, yeah. Like I said, cowardice.”
Sophie reached up and captured the hand that was still playing with her hair and squeezed it. “I don’t think it’s cowardice at all. I think in the same position I would have felt the same way.”
“Really?”
“This move has forced me out of my comfort zone. Back in Kansas, I knew everyone in town, so I never experienced the awkwardness of meeting someone new. Even when I went to college, it was local, and I knew so many of my classmates that even when I met someone new, we had friends in common.” She paused. “Moving here sight-unseen meant everyone was a stranger. I had to get over my insecurities and break out of my comfort zone and force myself to talk to people.”
“It’s the opposite for me. I’ve always been at ease meeting new people, and I’ve never hesitated to introduce myself to a beautiful woman,” he said with a lopsided grin. “You were the first woman who made me pause.”
“Why?”
Hesitating because the admission was a little embarrassing, Christian considered his words. “My life is a mess—you know, in case you haven’t noticed.”
“It’s not that bad.”
“Besides being a workaholic, I have…well, I have trust issues. Pretty much with everyone, but particularly with women.”
“Someone hurt you,” she said tenderly, squeezing the hand she was still holding.
It was pointless to deny it. Other than his sister, Megan, no one knew the extent of why he was so uptight about the way he currently ran his life. But he felt that it was important for him to share with Sophie, because he had a feeling she could help him change—to break out of this rut he was in and maybe start living again.
