Sarah nodded tearfully. “Okay. And I do love you, Sophie.”
Sophie suppressed her frustration long enough to give her sister a swift hug. “I love you, Sarah. Travel safely.”
And then she turned around to walk out, more than ready to escape. She’d thought Joe was right there at her side. But then he was moving the opposite direction, and she knew, a split second before his fist connected with Leo’s jaw, what was going to happen.
*
Joe didn’t punch Leo because he lost control. He hit him precisely because he was in control. Leo had it coming, and deserved what he got.
His brothers liked to call him old man, and there were times Joe felt like an old man, but not today. Today, he’d thrown a punch as if he were a prize fighter and he’d knocked Leo down on his back.
Adrenaline still pumping, he looked to Sophie, expecting pride, or possibly approval. Instead, she was horrified.
Disgusted and horrified.
He stepped over Leo, grabbed Sophie’s arm, and marched her out of the Graff.
Sophie was nearly incoherent though, babbling questions he wasn’t in the mood to answer.
From the moment Joe saw Leo, he knew just who he was dealing with. A rich, spoiled, arrogant know-it-all who didn’t give a flying fig for anyone else. Joe couldn’t fathom how Sophie had fallen for him, but she had, despite the fact that Leo Brazer was a slimy salesman to the core.
*
Inside Joe’s truck, Sophie fought to calm herself. It took her long minutes before she could even bring herself to speak to Joe. “Why would you hit Leo?” she asked faintly.
“Why wouldn’t I hit him? He’s an ass. He wronged you in every way imaginable.” Joe shot her a sharp look. “Why are you defending him?”
Sophie was exhausted, more than exhausted. It had been so stressful, and so draining, to come face-to-face with Sarah and Leo. “I’m not defending him. But I don’t understand why you’d hit him. You hit him hard.”
“Good.”
“Not good, Joe.”
“He stood you up. He left you at the altar. He embarrassed you in front of everyone.”
“That was in the past.”
“Not in the past, obviously not in the past. You haven’t moved on. You haven’t gotten over him.”
“That’s not true. I’m here, I married you; we’re together.”
His laugh was low and mocking. “Are we together?”
“What does that mean?”
“We still have separate rooms. We haven’t made love—”
“Because your mom seems to think—”
“Don’t blame this on my mom. This is about you. This is about how you’re not ready for anything with me.”
She tugged on the decorative button on her sweater. “It took you years to get over Charity,” she said lowly.
“This isn’t about Charity. This is about you. We’ve been married almost five weeks, and I appreciate that you’ve needed to take it slow, but I’m beginning to think there’s a bigger problem here, that you haven’t been honest with me. You haven’t told me the truth.”
“When we first met, I wasn’t ready to sleep with you. I’ve never been the girl who can get naked on a first or second date. It takes me a while to get to know people. I mean, I was a virgin when I met Leo, a twenty-four year-old virgin. That has to tell you something.”
“A twenty-four year-old virgin,” he repeated.
“My family was strict, and conservative.”
“Leo knew he was the first?”
“Yes.”
Joe muttered an oath under his breath. “That dude is such a dick.”
“I appreciate that you haven’t rushed me into the physical stuff. I know you’ve been ready—”
“You’re beautiful and sexy and, yes, I want you, but I want you to want me back.”
“I do.”
“Sophie, I saw how you looked at Leo—”
“I didn’t even look at Leo.”
“No, you did. You gave him a look that I won’t ever forget.”
“Maybe it was loathing, Joe. Maybe it was disgust. I don’t know what you saw on my face but I can promise you, it wasn’t love, or lust.”
They didn’t speak the rest of the drive home, and didn’t speak as they entered the house. The TV was on in the family room but Joe didn’t go in.
Instead, he just shouted, “Home.” Then he climbed the stairs to the second floor.
Sophie watched him walk away from her, and her heart thudded too hard, making her feel sick. She steeled herself for courage and followed Joe upstairs. He was in his room, door shut. She opened his door without knocking. He was standing at the window staring out.
“I swear, I don’t love Leo,” she said, closing the door behind her. “You must believe me.”
“You were so angry with your sister but you didn’t say two words to Leo, and he was your fiance. You should have let him have it. Today was your chance.”
“But I have nothing to say to him.”
“He treated you terribly.”
“I know, but he’s in the past. He’s behind me. He’s not important.”
“No?”
“No.” She closed the distance between them, standing so close that her pulse quickened and she felt a sizzle of energy and awareness. “You’re the one that’s important. You’re the one I care about.”
“Even though I hit him?”
“You were defending my honor,” she said, lips curving faintly. “Thank you.” Her gaze traveled up, over his broad chest, wide shoulders, to his hard jaw and very firm lips. “I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone take my side, so decisively, before.”
“I will always take your side.”
“Even against your mom?”
“If that’s what you need from me.”
“I don’t need that of you, and I would hate to drive a wedge between you and her. She’s grown on me a lot. I’ve come to care for her a great deal. Just as I care for you a great deal.”
“How much?”
She held up her fingers and showed him a tiny space. “This much.”
There was a flicker of amusement in his blue eyes. “I wouldn’t call that a great deal. That’s more of a tiny deal.”
“Maybe I’m not good with measurements.”
“Doesn’t look like it.”
“Not sure how to best say it.”
“Then maybe we don’t talk.”
“What would we do instead?”
“I have a few ideas.”
“Perhaps you’d like to show me?” she asked, sounding breathless to her own ears.
“Exactly what I was thinking,” he said, head dropping, his mouth covering her as he walked her backward, and pushed her up against the wall. Joe’s hands caught hers, and lifted them, pinning her hands by her head, holding her captive.
He kissed her deeply, leaning into her with his weight, a knee between her legs, his chest imprisoning her, his big hard body showing her just how much he desired her.
Sophie shuddered with pleasure, but also need. She craved him, all of him, not just his body, but Joe, the man. She wanted to feel him and taste him and be one with him. Her feelings were strong, intense, overwhelming. She couldn’t remember feeling this much for anyone before. Certainly not Leo.