Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Sophia
I woke up alone. The side of the bed where Matteo had been sleeping was cold, the sheets still rumpled.
But what did I expect? He always left. It was like a pattern. We had a few moments of togetherness and then bam…he went back to hating me.
Which should make my plan easier, but didn’t.
He was infuriating and I…I…
Damn him.
Going about my usual daily routine, I tried to push his handsome, smug face out of my brain and go about my life.
My life within these four walls, I reminded myself. My life in this gilded prison with the most handsome jailer in the entire universe, who made my heart beat faster just by looking at me.
“Now that’s a view a man can get used to.”
I jumped at the sound of his voice, almost spilling the hot coffee over myself, and whirled around to find him standing there and staring at me.
“W-what?” My eyes roved over him just as his swept over me. Pursing my lips, I blew out a breath. How was it possible that he looked even better with his sweaty hair falling into his eyes?
“You.” Striding forward, he closed his chilly hands over my hips and lifted me onto the countertop, sliding between my legs.
I wrapped my thighs around him without even thinking about it. My arms went around his neck.
“You still run?” I asked.
“Yeah. It helps clear my head.” His forehead bumped into mine.
I knew that. Even when we were teenagers, he had always run. It just hadn’t occurred to me that’s why he had left before dawn.
“But I have to admit that coming home to you dancing around the kitchen in nothing but a T-shirt is…” blowing out a breath, he shook his head, “well, I would have cut the run short if I had known I was coming home to that.”
“I was just making breakfast.” Suddenly, I was nervous like I was a teenager again, because my brother’s handsome best friend was giving me the time of day.
“Would you like some?”
“Since when do you cook?”
The question took me by surprise, and I answered without thinking about it. “I had to learn quickly with…”
I froze. Shit, I had almost slipped up. Swallowing hard, I forced myself to smile. “To feed myself, and then I found out I was good at it and…”
A darkness flickered into his eyes. “You got yourself a little job at an Italian bakery in good old London town?”
“Yeah.” My voice shook. He knew about my job. The fact made my heart speed up. What else did he know?
I glanced at him. At his open, smiling face, and let out a sigh of relief.
He might know about my job, but he didn’t know about Lily. He wouldn’t be looking at me like that if he did. Hell, he wouldn’t be like this if he even suspected.
My secret was safe, but I would have to be more careful and keep my guard up.
“Maybe tonight I can cook for you?” I asked sweetly. “Show you my skills.”
Matteo’s hands slid up my thighs. “I’d like that a lot, Sophia.” He blinked once, shaking himself. “But I can’t tonight. I have plans.”
Just like that, my good mood evaporated. The smile on my face froze. He was probably going out with his fiancée.
“I have a club opening.” Strong fingers continued to massage my thighs, making it impossible to think clearly, because I knew this was all an act and I was only here to help my family. My body was a traitorous bitch and responded to him like it had always done.
“Okay.”
“I’d like you to come with me.”
His words took me completely by surprise. My head jolted up. “Me? Shouldn’t you take Franny?” I couldn’t help it. My voice dripped with sarcasm.
He shot me a look that clearly said drop it and I smashed my lips together.
“I…okay,” I stuttered. “Then I’d love to come with you, Matteo. It will be nice to get out for a while.”
It was like he suddenly realized that I hadn’t left the apartment at all apart from with him, and none of those times had exactly been good.
“I don’t mean to keep you prisoner, Sophia,” he said softly.
“It’s okay.” It wasn’t okay, but this was not an argument I wanted to have right now.
“No, it’s not.”
“I know you have to trust me before…”
Matteo’s lips found mine, brushing softly against mine. Strong hands pulled me to the edge of the counter and ground into me.
Tightening my legs around him, I groaned.
“Oh no, you don’t.” Chuckling, he pulled away an inch. “No distracting me.” His laughter grew.
“What do you mean?” I asked innocently, and the look he gave me told me he wasn’t buying it at all.
“No distracting me,” he said again. “I have work to do and you,” a black credit card appeared between two fingers tight in front of my face, “you have some money to spend.”
I stared at him blankly. “What do you mean?”
“You will need a dress for tonight.”
“I have a room full of clothes, Matteo. I don’t need anymore.” I rolled my eyes.
“Then get your hair and makeup done. Go for a massage and a manicure. Hell, I don’t care what you do, just go out and spend some of my money.”
“Matteo…”
“Do I need you to order you to do it??” Cocking his head to the side, he studied me. Laughing, I shook my head, plucking the card out of his hands. “I can’t even remember the last time I got a manicure.”
“Then go crazy.” His lips found the tip of my nose and kissed it.
“There will be a car and driver waiting for you. Not because I don’t trust you,” he added quickly.
“But because I don’t want anything to happen to you.
You won’t even know he’s there. I promise.
” Another kiss, this time on my lips, before he stepped back completely.
“But be back and ready before eight. I don’t want to have to come looking for you. ”
Five hours later, I was officially the most relaxed I had been in years. The massage had been amazing, the manicure and pedicure had been divine, but more than anything, just being free and out of the apartment was the best medicine for my soul I could have wished for.
The only thing that was missing was my daughter and my best friend. It would have been perfect if they had been with me. I’d had to stop myself from strolling into a toy shop and spoiling her silly on her father’s dime.
I didn’t. That really would make Matteo suspicious, but it was tempting. Especially when Lily had never been really spoiled in her entire young life.
“So.” The woman standing behind me snapped me out of my daydream with a bump. “Now that your makeup is done, I was thinking of…”
I cut her off. Not rudely but with a smile. “Wow,” I grinned. “You really are magic.” Leaning forward out of my chair, I stared at my reflection. It was weird because I didn’t look like me at all.
Sure, the face staring back at me was mine, but this Sophia was more polished. Her skin was flawless, and her eyes wide, and smoky. And her lips. Were they even my lips? Because they looked spectacular.
“He’s not even going to recognize me,” I muttered before I could help myself. And the woman behind me grinned in delight.
“I knew there was a man involved.” She giggled as she twisted my freshly washed and dried hair up and pinned it into place. “Is this a new man?” She winked. “Or an old love?”
I paused, watching her as she worked. How much could I tell her? She clearly didn’t know who I was, so I was hoping she wouldn’t know Matteo, either. It was one of the reasons I had come in here.
Using the mirror, I looked around at the swanky salon. It was all glass, white furniture, and delicate pink flowered walls. It was girly and, well, new.
And the complete opposite of the place I had grown up going to for my hair. I had to believe they didn’t know each other.
“Is he married?” Her eyes widened, and she dropped her voice to a whisper.
“No, nothing like that,” I said in a rush. “It’s complicated, though. He’s an old…” My lips twisted. “Well, an old boyfriend, who I’ve recently reconnected with. We are going to a club opening tonight, and he wanted me to look nice.”
“You’re going to Cream?” Her eyes widened even more.
“I think that’s the name. I’m not really a big partier, but I wanted to look beautiful for him,” I said honestly. “And you sure have made that happen.”
She patted my shoulder. “You were already beautiful. I just enhanced your amazing features.” The final pin slid into my hair, and I stepped back, giving me an uninterrupted view of my face.
“He’s a lucky man,” she said softly. “I hope he knows that.”
I nodded, suddenly overwhelmed with emotions. It was because she was so kind, and I hadn’t had that kind of kindness since I had been here.
“Oh, sweetheart.” She said, seeing the tears swimming in my eyes. She gave me an awkward one-armed hug. “What’s the matter? If you don’t like it, then we can…”
I blinked rapidly. I didn’t want to cry and ruin her masterpiece.
An idea was beginning to form in my brain. A dangerous one if I got caught, but my guard was outside and he couldn’t see me from the window, and Matteo wasn’t here. There was no way he would find out if I was quick.
“No, it’s not that. It’s perfection.” I mumbled. “It’s just…”
“What is it?”
“I lost my phone and my friend is, well, she has a daughter who is…” I didn’t say the word sick because I didn't want to curse myself, but I left it unsaid, and she understood straight away.
“Oh, sweetheart. It must be so hard being so happy when your friends are suffering.” A modern phone was pulled from her apron. “Here you can use my phone.”
“It’s an international call.” I wanted to give her the chance to say no before I called.
She didn’t say no. “Go ahead.” She shrugged. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
Five seconds later, I was alone, staring down at the phone and wondering if I could risk this. But really, what choice did I have? I needed to speak to Lily, even if it was only for a few seconds. Just hearing her little voice would make me feel better than any day of pampering.
“Hello?” Nat answered on the second ring.
“It’s me,” I whispered.
She squealed. “Where the hell have you been, Sophia? We have been so worried and…”
I cut her off. “I only have a few seconds. Is Lily—"
There was a pregnant pause, and then a tiny, but ever so sweet voice filtered into my ears.
“Mommy.”
I let out a sigh of relief. My shoulders slumped, and for the first time since I had left London, it felt like I could breathe.
All the tension flowed away.
Smiling in my reflection, I sucked in a deep breath, forcing myself not to cry. Lily would know if I was upset.
“Hey, princess,” I said in a sing-song voice. “I miss you.”