While we were reviewing the estimates, Sophia’s cell phone rang. She quickly sent the call to voice mail, but not before we both read the name on the caller ID.
I felt a stab of jealousy in my chest. “I thought things were over between you and the boring Brit?”
She sighed. “Can we both pretend you didn’t see that just now?”
My jaw flexed. “If that’s what you want.”
Sophia nodded and went back to reading the estimates. A few minutes later, she pushed the papers aside. “Well, I think it’s obvious who we should use.”
Maybe on paper it was. But I hadn’t forgotten the way Travis Bolton looked at her. “It’s not always about the lowest bidder.”
Her tone was defensive. “I know that, but the Boltons are also the most confident that they can get the job done, and they have a great reputation and have never let my family down.”
“I’ll need to make some calls to ask around about them.”
Sophia’s lips pursed. “Whatever you need to do. But obviously the sooner we decide the better.”
Fuck. I wanted to suck on those puckered lips. We had an obvious history of our attraction heating up when we were pissed off, but at the moment I was confused as to what the hell I was even pissed about. Was it because my estimate was clearly the shittiest one? Or because her asshole ex had just called her? Or did the thought of Travis Bolton hanging around her while doing the construction here drive me a little bit nuts?
Sophia’s cell phone interrupted my thoughts again. We simultaneously read the name Liam, and I put my hand out, palm up. “How about I answer?”
Her eyes widened, and she sucked in her bottom lip. “What would you say?”
“Is it over?”
She nodded. “I want to bury the body deeper than eight feet.”
I flashed a wicked smile. I could easily have picked up the phone from the table, and I doubted she would have stopped me. But I wanted her to hand it to me.
“Give me the phone.” My hand was still extended, waiting.
I felt a surge of pride when she dropped it into my palm. The cell rang for a third time, so I swiped to answer and brought it to my ear.
“Hello.”
“Who is this?”
“This is the man fucking your ex-girlfriend. And we’re busy at the moment. So what can I do you for, Liam?”
Sophia’s eyes looked like they might bulge out of her head. She covered her mouth with both hands.
The asshole on the other end of the phone had the balls to sound indignant. “Put Sophia on the phone.”
I leaned back. “No can do. She’s a little tied up at the moment, if you get my drift.”
“Is this a joke?”
“A joke? No, the joke’s on you. I bet you didn’t even know our girl likes to be tied up, did you? Such a shame. Maybe if you had taken your time exploring what the beautiful woman needs, she wouldn’t be moaning my name at night. But that’s not your thing, is it? You’re only into fulfilling your own needs. You know, like with her cousin.”
I kept quiet for a few heartbeats and waited to see what good ol’ Liam had to say about that. Though, apparently I’d stumped the idiot. I could only hear him breathing loudly. So I figured I’d end on a fun note.
“Okay, then. It’s been great chatting with you. And Liam, lose Sophia’s number.”
I swiped to end the call and offered the phone back to a very stunned Sophia. She continued to stare at me, bug-eyed, even as she took her cell. From the look on her face, I thought a tirade was likely on the way once she managed to get her bearings again.
“Too much?” I asked, lifting a brow.
Sophia’s mouth hung open. But then her lips slid into a giant grin. “Oh my God! That was awesome!”
“Glad you think so. I was beginning to think you were going to lay into me. Although, that would turn into a big fight, and we both know where that seems to take us. So it wouldn’t be such a bad thing.”
We had a good laugh, and then Sophia swept all the papers on the table into a neat pile. I thought we were going back to business.
“Can I ask you something?” she said.
I nodded, and again, she chewed on that bottom lip.
“How did you know Liam had never tied me up?”
“The way you reacted when I asked your permission to use my belt. You wanted me to, but you weren’t comfortable admitting that. If it hadn’t been your first time, you would have reacted differently.”
She nodded, but went quiet again. Eventually, she said, “But how did you know I wanted you to?”
Man, that Liam really was a dipshit. Didn’t the fucker ever read what she wanted and try to satisfy her? I couldn’t believe she had to ask me that question. Though I didn’t want to make her feel foolish, so I did my best to answer without any hint of judgment in my voice.
“It’s just something I sensed from you.”
She shook her head. “How? Do I appear weak or something?”
“Just the opposite. You seem very much in control, which is why I thought it might work for you to let go a little. What you like in the bedroom in no way reflects who you are as a businessperson.”
Sophia was quiet again. “Is this your thing? You’re a dominant or something?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s not my thing.”
“Oh. Okay.”
I leaned close and wound a lock of her hair around my finger until she looked up at me. Then I smiled and gave it a good, firm yank. “But it appears to be our thing.”
Chapter 11
* * *
Sophia
I wasn’t sure what bugged me more—the fact that in three short, intimate encounters, Weston had figured out something Liam had no clue about after more than eighteen months together, or that he’d figured out something even I wasn’t aware of. But either way, he was right. While I wanted to argue about business with Weston, and challenge him on everything, what I seemed to like in the bedroom was how he took charge. Sex with Weston was light years better than what things had been like between Liam and me. I’d chalked it up to the spark that came with our arguing, but there was more to it than that, and the revelation pretty much freaked me out.
So for the next twenty-four hours, I did my best to avoid Weston. And I was successful, too. Until I came out of the office supply store a few blocks away from the hotel at close to eight o’clock at night, and I happened to see Weston up ahead on the opposite side of the street. Since he was walking the direction I had to go, I kept him in my line of sight for the next two blocks. I figured he was on his way back to the hotel, like I was, but when he turned right instead of left at the next corner, I realized that wasn’t the case.
Standing at an intersection, I looked left and could see The Countess one block over. To my right, I watched Weston continue to walk. Conflicted, my head swung back and forth a few times before I finally sighed and decided a little extra walk tonight would do me some good.
I let more distance gap between us as I followed him from the opposite side of the street. Whereas before we’d both been heading toward the hotel, and if I got caught behind him, I had a legitimate excuse, now I was just a plain old stalker. I tailed him for a solid ten minutes, turning left and right with no idea where the hell we were going. Eventually, he turned in to an office building. I caught up and watched from across the street as he walked through the glass doors and headed straight for the elevator. With the show over, I probably should’ve turned around and weaved my way back to The Countess. But curiosity got the best of me.