Chapter 8
EIGHT
SOPHIE
The ballroom of the Cole and Spade Hotel was far too loud to make a phone call, and the lobby wasn’t private enough, so I snuck out through the front entrance and moved off to the side, away from the cars that were pulling up.
As I stood against the building, my back toward the door, I took out my phone from my clutch and called Heather.
Besides my family in Fort Lauderdale and Troy, she was who I trusted the most.
Because she had the most important job in the world as the nanny to my daughter.
“Hey, how’s the event going?” she asked as she answered my call.
I glanced toward the road, where a never-ending parade of vehicles were making their way up the driveway. “Oh, it’s going. You know how these things are. How’s everything there?”
“Dinner went great. Abs ate salmon bites and white rice, along with seaweed salad and edamame. We made cookies earlier, so she had one for dessert. After dinner, we did some painting before I stuck her in the shower, and now she’s brushing her teeth while she’s letting me comb her hair.”
“Mommy, I’m brushing real hard,” Abbi said in the background with a full mouth.
I laughed. “Salmon—I love to hear that.”
“I told you when you hired me, I’d make sure she had the best palate in LA. No chicken nuggets and pizza for this one.”
“And I’ll be forever grateful for that. Especially when I’m prepping dinner every night, and I only have to make one meal instead of two.”
“Honey, no one has time for that.”
I sighed. “Amen.”
“Abs, want to talk to Mom?”
“Yes!” Abbi replied.
“See you when you get home, Sophie.”
“Thank you, Heather.”
I heard the exchange of the phone, Abbi breathlessly shouting, “Mom,” the moment it was in her possession.
“I painted a unicorn. Wait until you see it. Heather let me put glitter all over it, and the glitter is sooo pretty and sparkly, and it’s pink, and I even got some in my hair, and I glittered like the unicorn, Mom. ”
Her happiness was the only thing that mattered in this world. Everything I did, I worked for, I saved, I planned was for Abbi.
I’d be damned if she had the same childhood as I had.
“I bet Heather loved getting that glitter out of your hair.” I couldn’t stop smiling. “Are you having the most fun tonight?”
“Yesss.”
“Excellent. I miss you, baby.”
“Miss you, Mommy.”
I leaned my shoulder against the hotel and said, “I’m going to be home after you’re already asleep, but I’ll see you in the morning, okay?”
“Okay!”
“Sleep tight. I love you.”
“Love you.”
I hung up and slipped the phone into my clutch, turning toward the entrance to return inside.
I only took a few steps before I halted.
Colson was halfway between the door and me, with his cell to his ear, his back facing me, so he had no idea I was behind him.
I’d already made the mistake of ignoring his backside once this evening—or maybe I just hadn’t wanted to acknowledge that he was here, at this event, standing with my family—but I surely wouldn’t do it again.
I debated my next move, if I should hang back and wait for him to leave since the only way to the door was to walk past him. But how long would he be?
After a few seconds, I didn’t have to make that choice. He was sliding his phone into his pocket while looking at me over his shoulder at the same time.
“You’re following me now?” He smirked.
The air in my throat felt like ash. “I know you’re kidding. I was out here first.”
“How do you know that?”
“I would have seen you.” I pointed at the spot I’d just left. “I was over there.”
“Calling Abbi?”
The way he changed subjects gave me whiplash.
“That’s none of your business, but, yes, it’s bedtime.”
He nodded. “I was doing the same.”
A part of me loved that. But it was a very small part—a part that also couldn’t help but notice how ravishing he looked in that tux. The black-on-black ensemble with his gelled hair and trimmed beard and seductive light-green stare all worked together so perfectly.
Stop looking at me like that, Colson.
I raised my chin. “Good for you.”
I went to head back in, and he sidestepped so we were aligned.
“We need to talk about setting up a date for the girls.”
I laughed, gripping my clutch, feeling the sweat rub into the snakeskin. No one made me sweat.
No one but him.
“We’re doing no such thing.”
He rocked back on his heels. “You’re really not going to let Abbi come over?”
I crossed my arms, wishing his handsomeness had no effect on me. But because it did and because he was the enemy, I couldn’t even consider having my girl go to his house.
“No, I’m really not going to let her go to your house.”
“Is it me? Or you won’t let your daughter go to anyone’s place?”
I shifted my weight, appearing bored with the conversation. “You can take all the credit for this one, Colson.”
He was smiling. I didn’t understand why.
“What?” When he said nothing, I added, “I really wish you’d wipe that look off your face.”
“I find you unbelievable.”
“Why?”
“For the sake of your kid, you really don’t have the ability to put our differences aside?”
There wasn’t anyone I protected more than Abbi. The mere mention of her had my chest pounding. “I know you didn’t just say that to me.” My hands dropped.
“Knowing this is what Ellie wants is all that matters to me. The way I feel about you is insignificant.”
“To you, maybe. But protecting my daughter from you is high on my priority list.”
He pounded his chest. “Fuck. That’s a low blow, especially coming from a ruthless shark like you.”
“She doesn’t need to be around assholes.”
“You know, Sophie”—he shifted his weight—“I’m a really good dad, and I’m actually a really nice guy, if you only took a second to get to know me.”
“That’s the last thing I want.”
“But if you did, I think you’d be surprised.”
“I have zero desire to be surprised by you or to be anywhere near you. In fact, I can’t wait until this case is settled so I never have to see you again.”
“Our daughters are best friends. You’re going to be seeing plenty of me.”
The smile was back, and my blood wasn’t just boiling; it was roaring.
“Maybe I’ll start taking her to gymnastics class myself just so I can make you suffer.”
“Like I said, you’re an asshole.”
“Who lives to get under your skin.”
I shook my head and took a step forward. “I knew you were enjoying this. Dickhead.”
As I moved around him and walked toward the entrance, I heard, “Have her come over, Sophie. You can come with her. We can sit in the living room and try not to murder one another while the girls play upstairs.”
I glared at him. “Not a chance.”
As soon as I entered the ballroom, I went to the closest bar and ordered a filthy martini, tucking my purse under my arm so I could hold the glass with both hands the moment the bartender gave it to me. And once he did, I immediately brought it to my lips.
“Looks like you could use that,” Troy said, appearing out of nowhere.
“I’m telling you …” I took another sip. “That man doesn’t just get under my skin. He burrows and then lights me on fire.”
Troy chuckled. “I’m assuming we’re talking about Colson?”
I let out a long, pent-up breath. “Yep.”
“He went outside to call his daughter and say good night to her.” There was such kindness and patience in Troy’s bright blue eyes. “Is that where you just ran into him?”
I nodded.
“You know, if you just let up a little, he’ll be out of your life.”
“Troy, don’t you start with me too. I’ve barely recovered from that asshole.” I ran my hand through my curls, tightening on my roots.
“Hear me out, all right?” He waited for me to acknowledge him before he continued, “I’m submitting our final offer tomorrow.
Trust me when I say, it’s more than fair.
Every time we go back and forth, our clients are incurring more costs.
We’ve complied with everything you asked for, and we’re coming to the table with something really substantial.
I understand that, at this point, you just want to bury the dude.
That’s fair. But let’s agree that we’ve exhausted this and it’s time to settle.
Both parties will be extremely happy with what they’re getting. ”
I felt a set of eyes on me and turned. Colson was speaking to someone—a man I didn’t recognize—but his stare was on me. And because I knew that gaze from Lush, I knew he was mentally undressing me.
I forced myself to look at Troy. “You’re asking me to give in.”
“I’m asking you to be reasonable.”
I smiled at my friend. “Troy, you know that’s not who I am.”
“Will you make an exception?”
I glanced at Colson again. Why did he have to be so devilishly sexy?
“Sophie?”
I sighed, fixing my stare on my friend. “Damn it, I’ll think about it.”