Chapter 23
CHAPTER
TWENTY-THREE
LIAM
The next week I walk out of the shiny skyscraper that houses Salinger Enterprises and into the humid New York evening.
It’s almost too warm to be walking outside, but I can’t be bothered to take a car to the restaurant where I’ve arranged to meet Eli and Holden.
It’s only a few blocks and I can call Sophie as I walk.
We’ve spent the last week together, even if it’s mostly been virtual. We’ve also gotten to season three of Grey’s Anatomy, but don’t ask me what’s happened because I have no damn idea. I’m too busy staring at her.
Or telling her to touch herself.
She’s fucking mesmerizing and I feel like I’m walking around with a permanent hard-on just thinking about her.
“Hi,” she says as she picks up after the third ring. “Are you going to keep calling me every two hours forever?” She sounds happy and I like that.
“Yep,” I tell her, because she needs to get used to me. “How was your day?”
“Long. But I’m home now, so…”
“What are you doing?” I ask, picturing her apartment. I liked it a lot. It was like Sophie in real estate form. Pretty yet classic, and completely comfortable to be inside.
My mouth twitches at the memory of her clenching around me. We woke up twice more that first night. Or more specifically, I kind of woke her up because I couldn’t stop touching her. It’s a burden I have to carry.
But each time she’d pull me to her and we’d make love. The first time she was on top of me, her body lazily sliding over mine. I think I came harder than I ever have in my life.
The second time she insisted on blowing me first. Her warm mouth was velvety and welcoming.
And this is how it ends. Death by orgasm. Or more specifically, death by Sophie West. And you know what? I’m okay with that.
“I’m cooking dinner and making those changes we talked about on the report,” she tells me, bringing me out of my sex-induced memories. “Thank you for looking it over again.”
She’s been working on it for a week. I’m impressed by her diligence. And I showed her so over the weekend when I got down on my knees and worshipped her as she worked.
I’d gotten her to send it to me this morning and spent most of my flight marking up pieces that I thought could be tightened up. At first I was worried she’d be insulted by me changing her wording around but she couldn’t be happier.
And that makes me happy.
“You think you’ll make your deadline?” I ask her.
“Yes,” she says cheerily. “I’ll be able to send it over tomorrow afternoon. Then I can relax. At least it’ll get Michael off my back.”
I try not to let out a growl because I dislike that guy a lot. “We can celebrate over the weekend, You’re still coming to Misty Lakes, right?”
She’d better be. Going to my mom’s birthday party at my dad’s estate isn’t exactly how I’d like to spend this weekend. But the fact she’ll be there will make the party more bearable.
“Yes. I’m going to drive there on Saturday morning. What time are you planning on getting there?”
I feel a hard slap on my back. Being in New York I immediately fear the worst, spinning around to confront my attacker. If they have a knife I’ll fucking run, but if they don’t I’ll hit back.
But instead of a glowering criminal I’m greeted by my brother’s grinning face.
“Jesus Christ, Eli. I was about to hit you in the gut.”
Eli’s grin doesn’t waver. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“Are you talking to Eli?” Sophie asks.
“Yes. I’m meeting him and Holden for dinner.” A few years ago Myles would have been here, too.
“Have a lovely time,” she tells me.
“I’m heading back to my place afterward,” I tell her. “Can I call you then?”
Eli rolls his eyes. I send him a withering look.
“Of course.” She sounds happier, thank God. “Have a good dinner.”
“You too, sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart?” Eli mouths.
“Fuck off,” I mouth back.
I end the call right as we walk around the corner to the block where the restaurant sits.
Holden is walking toward us from the other direction.
He looks harassed, but then Holden always looks harassed.
When he told us he wanted to be a doctor we’d all warned him that his life would never be his own.
He works at Hamilton General, a public hospital uptown.
We’re proud as hell of him. But he’s the only one of us that isn’t paid what he’s worth.
“Hey.” He goes to bump my fist but Eli body tackles him into the wall.
“Dude,” he says. “Good to see you.” Eli and Holden have always been close, the same way Myles and I are. And I guess Brooks and Linc, too, though their closeness borders on violence.
“You too.” Holden’s voice is muffled. “Can you let me go now?”
Eli laughs and releases him and the three of us walk into the restaurant, Holden regaling us with a story from today’s surgery as we wait for the Ma?tre D’ to seat us.
We order three beers and look over the menu as Holden asks us if we’re all ready for the party this weekend.
“It’s gonna be good,” Eli says. “Apart from the fact that I have to give up my fucking cabin.” He gives Holden a pointed look. “You better give me the bedroom.”
“Not happening,” Holden tells Eli. “You get the sofa bed.”
Eli groans.
“It’s my cabin,” Holden reminds him.
“Yeah, but I’m not there voluntarily,” Eli points out. “I’m being forced out of my own place so Liam’s girlfriend has a room to sleep in.”
“You have a girlfriend?” Holden asks me, shocked.
“Sophie’s a friend,” I say, because I know she’s still jittery and I can’t call her my girlfriend yet. “I’m working on the rest.”
Holden lets out a low whistle. “Wow. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“She won’t last,” Eli says. “She’s just a novelty, that’s all. Somebody who said no to him.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I tell him. “And you better not say that to Sophie.”
He rolls his eyes. “I’m not going to say that to her. And if I’m wrong then great. I’m happy for you. I just know you better than you think.”
I give him a sour smile. I love Eli, I really do. He’s the nicest of people, would do anything for anybody. But he also says what he thinks way too often.
“What does Myles think about this?” Holden asks. And that sour taste in my mouth increases.
“He said the same thing as Eli,” I admit. “That I want her because I can’t have her. But he’s wrong, too.”
Holden nods, his expression serious. “Yeah, I think he is.”
“You do?” I lift a brow.
“I always knew you’d fall like an idiot someday. Just thought it might take you a little longer.”
I blink, unsure how to detangle the support from the jibe. “Thank you, I think.”
“So are we driving to Misty Lakes together or what?” Eli asks. “We might as well leave here on Friday afternoon, right?”
“I’m going back to Charleston first,” I say. “So I’ll meet you there.”
“Why the hell would you do that?” Eli frowns. “It’ll take half the time to go from here.”
“He wants to take Sophie,” Holden says.
I shrug. “There are a few reasons I need to go there first.”
“Name them.” Eli folds his hands over his chest.
I look at him until he has the good grace to blush.
“He’s right though,” Holden says quietly. “You’d be better to go from here.”
“Why?” I ask him.
“Because, and I’m saying this with the best of intentions, flying back to Charleston just to drive this woman to Virginia makes you look like an intense motherfucker.”
Eli muffles a laugh.
“And since I’ve only just discovered that this thing between you and Sophie exists, I’m gonna assume it’s new. Which means you being that intense motherfucker can be scary. I get it, you like her. But give her some space, man.”
Eli types something on his phone while Holden talks. A moment later it lights up as a reply lands.
“Yep, as I thought,” he says. “Sophie is driving herself.”
“Are you messaging her?” A weird sensation takes over me. Jesus, is this what jealousy feels like? All twisted in my stomach and tight muscles and wanting to punch my brother?
Damn.
“No. I’m messaging Ava. Just asking what everybody’s plans are. And those are Sophie’s. So let’s travel together, okay?”
“Whatever.” I just want this conversation to end.
“Can I drive your car?” Eli asks. He has a thing for my cars. Here in New York, I have two parked in the underground lot.
“No. You can sit in the back,” I tell him.
“Fuck that. Shotgun.” He lifts a brow.
“Sounds good to me,” Holden agrees. “I can sleep in the backseat the whole way.”
SOPHIE
I hit send and watch as the email on my screen flickers and disappears, a sent icon appearing next to it. Attached to it is the final report. My mind is full of excitement about the weekend and getting to see Liam again.
Michael, on the other hand, is getting worked up about the potential storm.
“It’s gonna hit on Saturday afternoon,” he tells me. “I’ll be here in case it’s worse than it looks.”
Normally, I’d be annoyed because severe weather events are our glory opportunities.
Any other storm and I’d be tracking it in real time all weekend, writing updates for the website and our social media and getting excited about barometer readings.
But instead I’ll be seeing it from the other side.
As a guest at a party that might get rained on.
“You remember I’m away this weekend, right?” I ask him.
“Yep. If you could just be in early Monday morning that’ll be great. I’ll take the late shift and Madison is working the socials.”
“Cool.” I turn back to my laptop, determined to get my work finished on time.
And I do, despite the fact that I had to record some extra slots for the weekend’s web coverage.
They are explainer videos. About how storms form and how we track and monitor them.
It’s pretty dry stuff but the producer assures me he’s going to intersperse the video with images from real storm events and the aftermath so hopefully it won’t be as dull as I think.