Sophie nodded. She didn’t know if Clay was smiling because he’d won the argument or because he was happy that she was going out with him that evening. In the long run it really didn’t matter. She would go. People would talk. She just hoped that the gossip would never reach anyone in her hometown in northern Indiana. Clay was worried about her reputation. He really should be worried about his own.
“Eight o’clock,” she confirmed. “Thanks for the ride home.”
He waited until she reached the front porch, then was out of sight before she closed the door. Cowboys did like their toys.
* * *
The new black stretch limo slowed as it came to a stop in front of the small blue-and-white cottage. Clay had invited Sophie to be his date for the Independence Day celebration and found himself holding his breath until she accepted. He knew several of the men who had called for her over the course of the week and he was pretty sure she’d not accepted any invitation. While he was not willing to commit to another woman—even Sophie—after his ex-fiancée, neither was he willing to take a chance another man would slip in between Sophie and him. She’d hesitantly accepted. In fact, since he had made love to her two months ago after the charity ball, she’d been as fleeting as a deer during hunting season. And so she should have been. Because he was pursuing her. And he would have her again. It was only a matter of time.
After getting out of the limo, he made his way toward the fence that separated her lawn from the street, opened and closed the gate and steeled himself to keep from running to her door. He had never been as infatuated with any woman as he was Sophie Prescott. She radiated sex from the top of her beautiful auburn hair to her rosy-red toenails and everything in between.
He knocked on the door. When she opened it, his mind took her in and his body responded. Sophie was stunning. Wearing a low-cut above-the-knee dress—consisting of layers of navy blue chiffon with tiny glittering rhinestones—and heels that sparkled, she looked stunning. Her long, deep auburn hair had been pulled back at the sides held by matching silver hairpins and diamond earrings. Real or not, it didn’t matter. She was spectacularly beautiful. His easy carriage began to stiffen and every muscle in his body suddenly went on high alert. He could feel the heat in his loins and wondered how in the hell he was going to get through this evening with Sophie beside him. He’d thought he was ready to show her a nice evening with fireworks, accompanying orchestra and dancing beneath the stars, but at the moment he could only picture her in his bed, the sheets tangled, their bodies hot and sweaty. The light perfume she wore blended perfectly with her own natural scent, which didn’t help the situation at all.
“You look...beautiful.” He stated the obvious, then cleared his throat, which had suddenly choked up.
“Thank you.” She grinned. “You don’t look half-bad yourself.”
Together they walked to the limo. He helped her inside and within seconds they were off. He could feel her eyes on him. It was as though she’d never seen him before. He had become accustomed to women reacting to him in different ways, especially since the accident. He was used to everything from starry-eyed fascination to desire, sometimes amazement and often a degree of fear. He’d always had a no-nonsense manner that worked well for him in the arena and subsequently in business. But this was Sophie. She saw through the bogus facade.
Unlike with most women he encountered, he couldn’t imagine what she was thinking. They had worked closely together for five years, were in and out of each other’s office for most of that time, eventually in and out of each other’s life. When she’d applied for the job, she was fresh out of college and felt the role of an administrative assistant would bring her training into play. He couldn’t understand how a degree in education would be put to good use if she became a secretary but he’d finally agreed to hire her on a temporary basis. It soon became apparent that he’d been right: she was more than qualified for the position.
His attraction to Sophie had been evident even then and looking back he didn’t understand why he’d ever become engaged to Veronica. She’d been born into money and prided herself on getting whatever she set her mind to. Clay had been fool enough to
take the bait. He couldn’t believe half of what came out of her mouth but she had had her good points, primarily in the bedroom, and apparently, fool that he was, it had blinded him to see only what she wanted him to see. As his popularity grew along with his bank account, women like her had come out of the woodwork. As a man who’d come from nothing, he’d let his ego get in the way of his common sense.
When that bull almost cost Clay his life, at least he’d had the added benefit of Veronica showing her true colors. And Sophie had become even more important to him. He would be lying if he said it didn’t hurt that Veronica dropped him because she didn’t want to be married to someone disabled. But he was lucky. Most men who played the part of a fool didn’t have a Sophie in their life when the rug was effectively yanked out from under them. After years, he had finally managed to seduce her and that was a night he would not soon forget. But there was so much more to Sophie than a romp in bed.
She was the first woman he wanted to be with because he honestly liked her. She was smart and he appreciated that part of her character. He liked the way she thought, the way she talked. He respected her views and that independent streak that shielded her from just blindly going along anytime a suggestion was made. Physically, emotionally, mentally, he wanted more of her and he would have it.
When they arrived at the club, they got out of the limo and made their way to the front steps. He turned his head and met her gaze. It was twilight with a beautiful sunset that part of the country was famous for and Sophie seemed to glow. She was exquisite. The fireworks be damned. He wanted nothing more than to find a dark, private place where he could hold her in his arms and sink into the fire he knew burned within her.
As if reading his mind, she blushed and turned away.
The food had been laid out on back-to-back tables that ran almost the full length of the huge new boardwalk. It smelled delicious. As they walked by, the waiters were just removing the silver domes from over the platters and ringing the tiny bell indicating dinner was ready. Taking their place in line, they were served their selection of meats, vegetables, salads and dessert. Clay then led her to a small table at the edge of the deck that would have a perfect view of the fireworks later on.
“Are you hungry?” he asked, unfolding his cloth napkin and settling it on his lap.
“Starved. But I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach because I don’t know how I’ll be able to eat all this. It looks delicious. What did you get? The ribs or the sliced beef?”
“I decided to try a little of both.”
The tables on the boardwalk were plentiful but they were already full by the time Clay was half finished with his plate. Sophie had already laid her fork down, indicating she could eat no more.
An announcer broke in telling everyone they were preparing to start the fireworks display, encouraging all who were eating inside to come outside for a better view.
Before he could turn the evening over to the team that would shoot off the fireworks, Shane Delgado, the owner of the Bellamy Hotel, stepped up onto the low platform stage.
“Folks,” he said into the microphone. “Before we get started, there is something important I wanted to share with all of you.” He turned and grinned at Brandee Lawless, the woman everyone knew had stolen his heart. “Brandee said yes!”
No one in the TCC had to be told who Shane was talking about. Or what. You could see the love shining from both of their eyes from two blocks away. A loud clapping, more like a roar, washed over the crowd, accompanied by whistles and plenty of calls of “Congratulations!” to the couple.
“Thanks. We hope you will join us on our special day. Gabe Walsh and Chelsea Hunt will be our best man and maid of honor.”
Sophie glanced over her left shoulder and saw Chelsea positively beaming, she was so happy for her friend Brandee. Chelsea was CTO of Hunt and Co., a chain of steak restaurants. And to Sophie’s right sat Gabe, owner of a security firm, his roots in the FBI. He was grinning ear to ear. It was too bad the two of them were merely friends, Sophie thought. They looked like they would be great together. The way Gabe looked at Chelsea from across the room, he maybe thought so too.
The applause erupted all over again. But before Shane could hand the mic back to the announcer, Toby McKittrick, drop-dead gorgeous millionaire rancher, grabbed it. “Since this is a night for announcements, for those who may not know, my wife Naomi and I are having a girl.” The broad grin reflected his pride in the woman who had become his life. He’d stolen her away from a thriving career as a as a stylist with her own local cable TV show, though it was rumored she might go back to work after the baby was born. Applause once again broke out along with oohs and aws and calls of congratulations. Their eyes met across the room and it caused a zinging sensation in Sophie’s heart.
No sooner had he finished his announcement than the first explosion brought everyone’s attention to the sky overhead. The fireworks came in every color in every design you could imagine as the orchestra played music in perfect rhythm with the display.