13. Chapter 13
Chapter 13
S ophie adjusted her camera strap as she stepped onto the subway, scanning for open seats, Stone trailing behind her. They’d not texted since the night he’d abruptly dumped her.
Well, to be fair to him, his dumping had obviously been a result of her triggering his she’s-falling-for-me radar with her request they meet for dinner. He’d bailed to save them both from the embarrassment of her giving a guy—who’d been nothing but blunt about his commitment issues—her heart. Perhaps, someday, she’d buy him a drink for doing that.
Since then, Sophie’s second and third columns had been published. The second had featured the single-dad book boyfriend trope. The thirty-something she’d decided to interview was the father of a precocious six-year-old boy. He’d turned out to be the perfect book-boyfriend twin to the hero in J. J. Knight’s book Single Dad .
The third column had been a nod to Sara L Hudson’s hero in her novel Anyone But The Billionaire . Sophie’s choice to feature for this boyfriend trope had been a billionaire who was the spitting image of how the author had described the hero, Chase, in the book. And his rise to billionaire status had been a hoot to write about.
Part of Sophie still wanted to get herself a hairless cat.
Now, with so much time having passed, the mood between her and Stone since he’d met her at the subway station could only be described as awkward. All the momentum they’d built up with their week of getting to know one another and their texting down the drain.
Still, it was a lovely day and Sophie was determined not to let anything spoil their first official outing as an interview couple. Yes, the fake boyfriend thing was still a go. As such, she’d been chatting Stone up. Or at least trying to, so they could pull off the illusion they were a thing during the interview. Not that he was helping.
In the fifteen minutes they’d waited for the train, he’d kept all his responses to one syllable or grunts.
Now, spotting two seats together, she made her way to them.
Stone surprised her by sitting, his broad shoulders taking up more than his fair share of space. She couldn’t help but wonder what he’d been up to in the last couple of months other than rehabbing his injured finger, which no longer had a bandage.
Of course, she’d asked, and he’d replied, “Work.”
When she had asked how his tactical twitch was doing, he’d uttered, “Fine.”
Thus, when he’d asked, “Where are we going?” she’d replied, “You’ll see.”
It was as if he blamed her for something.
On the bright side, he’d worn the T-shirt she’d made for him and given to him the night of their spaghetti meal…and this without her reminding him. An act that thrilled her. He could have so easily pretended he had forgotten that part of their pact. She glanced down at his combat boots. Yep, there were stains.
He was a striking figure in his Real-Life Book Boyfriend in Training T-shirt. He wore it like a second skin. The guy’s muscles bulged in a very un-cinnamon-roll-like fashion. Something she wasn’t hating at all.
He caught her scrutinizing glance and scowled. “I look ridiculous.”
“On the contrary. You wear my creation well. And if I recall, per our last in-person conversation, you’re supposed to be all smiles today.” She could sell the hell out of that T-shirt on Etsy if he’d model it for her.
“I do not recall that conversation, but here you go.” Stone gave her a half-assed grin.
“If that’s your idea of a smile, we’re going to have to practice them over lunch.” She refused to be baited into a bad mood. Today, they were on a quest to find a book-boyfriend twin from the wrong side of the tracks.
He gave her another smile. “Better?”
“Only by a margin. How about we swap the smile out for your making more of an effort at conversation?”
He sighed. “What would you like to talk about?”
“I’m glad to see you kept your promise to let your hair grow out and to see that it seems to have done so evenly. No permanent damage from the glue of the wig.” His hair was dark and curly, leaving her fingers twitching to touch.
“Alberto and I will have words the next time I run into him,” Stone said in a low voice that sent a shudder through Sophie, reminding her he made a living embracing conflict.
“Don’t you dare bully that sweet guy. I’m certain he only did what he was told to do. Besides, you have more important things to worry about.”
“I’m capable of worrying about more than one thing at a time. Speaking of which, now that we’re working together, what’s on your agenda for me to worry about?”
She’d had him meet her at the subway but hadn’t told him where they were headed. Mainly because she’d known he’d get all bristly when he found out. She decided to stall some more. “Seeing you here—looking extra macho despite my shirt—it has become painfully obvious I won’t be able to pass you off as a boyfriend that I’d actually pick in real life.”
For some reason, that caused his brows to furrow. “And?”
“And we’re going to have to revamp our plan.”
Stone grunted but didn’t expand.
“I’m not fluent in grunts,” she said.
“You’ve finally said something that makes sense. Do you have a backup plan? If not, may I offer the obvious one?”
“There is no need for backup plans when you operate under the philosophy that all of your endeavors will succeed.” Gah, she’d missed his testy banter.
He rubbed his forehead. “Then let me offer a strategy. Ditch the whole idea of presenting me as a boyfriend?”
Oh. Two and half months apart had not fixed that broken record. “That is quite an obvious backup plan, except that my contract with Naked Runway states I will have you with me at all interviews and will present you as my boyfriend to the public.” Sophie tugged at the hem of her own T-shirt, drawing his attention there. It read Book Boyfriend Finder in playful, bold letters.
He didn’t roll his eyes, but his nostrils flared, and that was pretty much the same thing on him. “And it also said you would take me with you to every interview, yet you left me out of your first three.”
“Because you were otherwise occupied. Besides, Ms. Birdie personally knew all three men. Thus, your scary presence wasn’t needed.” Realizing his eyes were still on her chest, she snapped her finger in front of his face to get his eyes to move upward. Once they did, she continued, “Anyway, we need a new boyfriend type for you.”
He stood, towering over her. “How about we don’t define my type and leave everyone guessing?”
She opened her mouth to argue but decided it wasn’t the worst idea. “Fine. I won’t pigeonhole you, but I will introduce you as my boyfriend. I can only hope our wearing matching mission gear does a lot to soften your image in the eyes of my boyfriend candidates. If not, I predict no one will talk to me.”
“Speaking of which, where exactly are we headed? I don’t normally take the subway.”
“To a repair shop in Little Italy.”
His eyes narrowed. “Our interview is with a guy who works in the Bronx?”
Was he a Bronx snob? That was very shortsighted of him. “The person who nominated Antonio says he embodies the tough exterior but has hidden depths worth drilling down for. I can’t wait to see if he lives up to the hype.”
“And what type of book boyfriend hero is Antonio supposed to represent?”
“The wrong-side-of-the-tracks fixer-upper.” The train screeched to a halt. “This is our exit.” She stood and turned to face the doors. As soon as they opened, she swept out with the rest of the passengers and made her way to street level. There, she slipped on her sunglasses and opened her phone to check for directions. “This way.”
Stone slid on his own pair of dark sunglasses. “What’s the name of the place?”
“The Wrenchfather Repair.” She tucked her hand into his arm just as the siren of a car they were walking by went off, causing her to jump.
Stone didn’t jump. Instead, he frowned. “Fixed, my ass,” he muttered under his breath.
Deciding not to ask about a comment he’d obviously not meant for her to hear, she said, “After the interview, we can grab lunch at one of the restaurants. I’m sure we have a lot to catch up on. For instance, I’m still not dating anyone. How about you?”
“No one.”
As they entered the garage, the smell of oil and metal filled the air. Sophie raised her camera, ready to capture their first potential book boyfriend in his natural habitat.
“No cameras allowed,” said someone off in the distance.
Sophie took the shot of the exterior and quickly lowered her camera, glancing around to see where the voice had come from. It appeared to have come from nowhere. “Did you see who spoke?” she asked Stone.
“No. But I see a lot of surveillance equipment. I’m guessing someone inside is watching.” Stone dropped an arm across her shoulders and pulled her in close, just as a cloud blacked out the sun. Another muffled curse from Stone.
“You okay? I feel like every little thing is agitating you. A car alarm goes off, you mutter. Sun goes behind a cloud, you curse?”
“Never better,” he whispered, as they ventured deeper into the world of wrenches and car parts.
“Remember, with every interview, we’re bringing my dreams to life, so please don’t fuck it up,” she said sweetly.
He chuckled. “Got it.”
Sophie and Stone approached the only mechanic on location. He leaned confidently against a classic car, his broad shoulders draped in a grease-stained work shirt. His hair was slicked back, revealing a hard, unsmiling face with sharp eyes that seemed to miss nothing. A thick gold chain hung around his neck, glinting under the sparse lighting as he crossed his tattooed arms with an air of casual menace.
Going strictly on appearances, he was a perfect fixer-upper. Please let him show signs of hidden lovability under all that hardness. “Hi, I’m Sophie.”
The guy slowly wiped his hands on a clean rag. The action, combined with a scratchy radio playing in the background, cast an edgy backdrop to her hopes.
Finally, he bestowed upon her an easy smile that vanished all her worries. “I’m Antonio. What brings you to my shop?” Like icing on the cake, he had a dreamy Italian accent to go along with the whole wrong-side-of-the-tracks bad-boy persona.
She practically bounced from stiletto to stiletto with happiness as they shook hands. “We’re scouting for a special feature,” Sophie explained, trying to keep it vague but interesting. “I’m looking for real-life heroes to interview.” She raised her camera and snapped a photo of him before he could stop her.
Antonio laughed, a booming sound that filled the garage. “Darling, taking photos around here is asking to have your camera broken. Among other things.”
With his arm still around her shoulders, Stone shifted slightly, his body subtly angling toward her in a silent promise of protection.
“Sorry,” she said, wiggling out from under Stone’s arm. “I’m just so excited I forgot. This, by the way, is my boyfriend.” She gestured toward Stone. “His name is Stonie. Well, actually it’s Stone, but his middle initial is E., so I call him Stonie. He loves it. Did I mention my middle initial is also E?”
Antonio studied her as if trying to decide if she was a true ding-a-ling or if she had ill intentions. When his gaze landed on her shirt, and then Stone’s, his whole demeanor changed. “Quit the bullshit. I know why you’re here.”
Sophie gulped and inched closer to Stone, her hand touching his bicep. “You do?” Lightning struck outside with a loud thwack.
“I’ve been told I was nominated for some chick’s book boyfriend nonsense. You’re that chick. And you”—he eyeballed Stone—“are the muscle.”
“I told you, he’s my boyfriend,” Sophie said, very, very glad Stone was here. Having him so close felt reassuring.
“Doll-face, I know muscle when I see muscle,” Antonio said.
As if the moment had been choreographed, a burly dude appeared, taking a wide-legged stance and showing the weapon tucked in his waistband.
“Just because you hire bullies to protect you doesn’t mean everyone does the same,” Sophie admonished. “You should be ashamed of yourself for calling me a liar.”
“Well, here’s what I think about that,” Antonio said. “If he’s your boyfriend, go ahead and kiss him.”
Sophie’s stomach churned at the thought of kissing Stone in front of these strangers. Her cheeks burned with indignation. “I most certainly—”
“Darling,” Stone said, “I know you like to argue, but I think this will go quicker if you kiss me and then sweet talk this man out of that interview you dragged me down here to do.”
Sophie turned toward Stone. Had she heard correctly? “You know I don’t like PDA.”
“It’s a kiss, not a fuck,” Antonio said. “Now, either kiss him or get the hell off my property.”
Stone raised an eyebrow at her, the I-told-you-so smirk barely hidden from Antonio. It was obvious Stone knew which choice she’d take.
He was wrong.
Sophie E. Clark was a professional daydreamer. She’d do what it took to get the interview.
Not giving herself time to overthink the why of her decision, she stepped into Stone’s space and raised her chin. He stood straight, staring down at her like a still-framed photograph.
She reached up, her fingers trembling, and looped her hands around the nape of his neck. “You’re going to have to help me here,” she murmured. Even on tiptoes, she couldn’t reach his lips if he didn’t bend.
A half-amused smile curled his lips. “I thought you’d never ask.”
He bent down and their lips touched. A surprising warmth spread through her, followed by a clap of thunder outside.
Mission accomplished, she waited for Stone to step back. He didn’t.
Instead, he adjusted his head so that their noses weren’t quite so next to each other. His hands, which had been shoved in his jean pockets were suddenly gripping her hips, pulling her into him.
The chaste kiss took on a new verve. Gentle no longer applied. Rough could and did, though.
His breath had a hint of coffee and cinnamon. When his hands moved and fisted the material of her shirt, she opened her mouth to say we better stop now , only he chose that moment to slip his tongue in between her lips.
Common sense flew out the window and was replaced with thrills and skipping heartbeats. Sophie, who had never experienced such headiness during a kiss, was not surprised when her tongue decided not to sit this one out. Nor did her nipples as they tightened against his chest. When he pushed into her, and she felt his erection, she moaned into his mouth.
Outside it began to rain. Hard. The sound pelting the tin roof like hail.
Unfortunately, or fortunately, that’s when Stone seemed to get a grasp on his common sense and stilled.
As they parted, a breathless moment hung between them as their gazes locked.
There was a flicker of something in Stone’s eyes—was it surprise? Approval? Frustration?
“I stand corrected,” Antonio said. “What questions do you have?”
Sophie’s breath was shallow as she glanced at Antonio, her mind so befuddled she had no idea what he was asking. “Umm.”
Stone cleared his throat, stepping back into his role with much more ease than she was capable. “Sophie, darling, where’s that list of questions you’ve been preparing?”
Sophie pulled an index card out of her skirt pocket. “Tell me about your hero moments.”
“Most of my hero shit can’t be repeated to a reporter,” Antonio said.
His muscle, a guy with a gold tooth and a scar on one cheek, patted the gun on his hip and chuckled. “You could tell her about how, back in the day, you could hotwire a car in under thirty seconds.”
“Shut the fuck up,” Antonio said, his easy smile never leaving his face.
Sophie swallowed hard. “Actually, all I needed to do today was meet you. If you’re included in the feature, I’ll let you know.” She grabbed Stone’s hand and turned ready to escape.
“Not another step,” Antonio said softly.
Sophie turned back. Stone, once again, placed his body between her and Antonio.
“Was there a problem?” Stone asked in a voice that could freeze fire.
Sophie peered around his shoulders to see Antonio. “Did you need something?”
“I’m going to need to watch you delete those photos you took while on my property.”
“Oh. Of course.” Sophie stepped out from behind Stone, turned her camera around so Antonio could see the photos, and deleted them.
Antonio held out his hand. “I’ll need the SD card, as well.”
“But—”
“We have rules.” He pointed to a sign that said no photography . “You knew them, and you broke them.”
“But I didn’t see the sign until after I took the photo.”
“Which is why I’m asking for your SD card instead of breaking your fancy camera,” Antonia said. “Isn’t that right, Buzz?” he said to his security.
Sophie had never been threatened, and she didn’t like it. Not one little bit. “Stone?”
“It’s okay, darling,” he said, surprising her with the calmness in his voice. “Give him the card. I’ll buy you another.”
What the hell? Wasn’t he supposed to be her security? Sophie fumbled with her camera and did as she was told.
“Satisfied?” Stone asked.
Antonio nodded.
“Great. Now, before Sophie and I leave, let’s get one thing straight. She is my girl. Mine. I protect what’s mine. If you ever say another threatening thing to her, I will tear you apart limb by painful limb.”
With that, he took her hand and strolled them out of the garage. Thank God, the rain had stopped almost as soon as it had begun.
“I really hope this hasn’t hurt my chances of being chosen,” Antonio shouted after her.
Sophie didn’t say anything until they’d rounded the corner and were out of camera sight of the garage. “Why did you let him have my SD card?”
“I assessed the situation and decided the most secure way to keep you safe was to acquiesce. There were two of them and one of me, and I had you to worry about.”
“Is that why you kissed me?”
“If I recall right, you kissed me, I simply helped you make it appear more believable.”
“Oh.” She wasn’t sure what she’d hoped he’d say about the kiss, but it wasn’t that. “Why did you feel the need to threaten him? We’re not really a couple.”
“Sure, we are. Just not the traditional kind. And, as it turns out, a dear friend who recently pointed out to me that I’m the possessive sort was right.”
They walked for a while, both lost in their own thoughts. When they came to a stoplight, she said, “Go ahead and say what you’re thinking.”
Stone said nothing.
“It’s okay. I know you’re dying to.”
“What is it exactly you think I’m dying to say?” he asked, stepping into the street to cross.
“I told you so,” Sophie said, hurrying to keep up with him. “You want to say, ‘I told you they wouldn’t buy me as a boyfriend.’”
“I could, but that wouldn’t be very nice. And honestly, you are equally justified in throwing an I-told-you-so back at me.”
“I am?”
“Seeing the way Antonio reacted when he realized I was your protection gave me a better understanding of your reason for wanting to pass me off as a boyfriend. His hackles went up and there was no way you were going to chat him up.”
“Do you think that’s why he was such a dick?”
“I do believe so. Anyway, I promise to work harder to blend in for tomorrow’s assignment. Unless you plan on coming back here?”
“Never,” Sophie said emphatically. “Antonio is not now nor ever will be boyfriend material…real or book.”
“His fatal flaw can’t be overcome?” Stone asked.
“It most certainly cannot.”
Stone’s, on the other hand—the jury was out on that one.