Chapter 15 #2
‘I caught the security footage at the front door. I’m so sorry for what happened here today. Abby’s my ex, and she’s from my past. She had no right to bring that toxic nonsense to your doorstep. You shouldn’t have to deal with my baggage on top of everything else you’re carrying.’
Sofia set her ceramic mug down on a side table with a soft click, her dark eyes locking onto mine with a clarity that threw me off guard.
She then shot me a small, knowing smile that disarmed me.
‘It’s OK, Jude. We all have our demons. Some of them tote expensive designer bags.’
She gave me a quick wink, letting me know she wasn’t butt-hurt by the encounter.
I huffed in sudden amusement, a rough laugh escaping as the lingering tension left my shoulders.
‘Yeah,’ I gritted, leaning my hip on the armchair behind me as I glanced down at her, still floored by how she handled Abby’s heat. ‘Some of them do. Honestly, being around you and your good energy, I don’t even know what I ever saw in her.’
Damn, Sofia was refreshing.
She was miles clear of Abby.
The contrast was extraordinary.
My ex was a self-absorbed woman, living for the drama.
Sofia? She was warmth, wit, and an hourglass body and tight ass that set my blood on fire.
She had no clue about her effect on me as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear, a soft smile playing on her lips.
‘If it makes you feel any better, we’re all cursed with terrible judgment at some point. In high school, I had a desperate crush on a boy named Mateo. He had these soulful eyes, and I thought he was a deep, brooding genius.’
I raised an eyebrow, curious to hear more.
‘Let me guess. He was a dud?’
‘Not even close,’ she laughed, shaking her head.
‘It turned out his silence was just him thinking about his true passion: snakes. At the talent show, instead of playing an instrument or reciting poetry like I dreamed he would, he got up on stage and released five of his pets. It triggered a riot, and he went ballistic, screaming at us for being scared as they slithered all around us.’
She groaned, burying her face in her hands, though her shoulders shook with laughter.
‘I sat in the front row, horrified, wondering if this was the soul I had been mooning about and writing poems about in my diary.’
The mental image she described was too much.
A genuine laugh tore out of my chest as I chuckled.
Moments later, a loud, treacherous rumble echoed right from the middle of my stomach, cutting through the air.
Sofia arched a brow, her lips twitching. ‘Well, it seems the boss is demanding to be fed.’
‘Yeah,’ I muttered. ‘I missed lunch. I’m no chef, but I can grill a steak.’
‘May I help?’
I nodded as Sofia rose from the sofa.
‘We’ll make you a fillet, but we are adding fresh vegetables to make it healthy.’
‘Will you eat with me?’ I rasped, opening the refrigerator for her.
She shrugged, the gesture so damn appealing it sent a jolt through me.
‘I’ve eaten, but maybe I’ll have a second dinner.’
Within minutes, Sofia took over the kitchen, pulling thick cuts of New York strip, asparagus, bell peppers, and garlic from the shelves. She put me straight to work.
‘The pan needs to smoke,’ she said, blocking my hand as I moved the meat too early. ‘We want a hard sear to lock in the juice, Jude.’
She stepped close, her hands laying over my tatted knuckles to guide the oil and rosemary onto the vegetables.
I found myself captivated by how she moved, her ease and confident warmth, and how being in her presence calmed me.
As we seared the steaks and tossed the corn, green beans, peppers, and thin-cut carrots into the hot cast-iron pan, the air filled with the incredible aroma of garlic, charred peppers, and sizzling meat.
My wife found her second appetite, and we ate together at the kitchen island, skipping the formal dining table.
I took one mouthful and groaned in bliss.
‘The steak is juicy, the vegetables have a perfect, crisp bite, and it’s one of the best meals I’ve eaten, if I say so myself.’
Sofia rolled her eyes. ‘One meal and the man is a Michelin chef.’
‘Hey, I rocked it!’
I made the protest with a smile, clearing the empty plates.
‘You are an acceptable assistant,’ she countered, winking at me. ‘However, the teacher deserves the credit.’
After cleaning up the kitchen together, the house fell into a peaceful, comfortable, and easy mode, far removed from Abby’s toxic presence.
‘Let’s watch a movie,’ Sofia suggested, ‘to clear away the bad energy from earlier.’
‘I like that.’
We headed to the couch, and I tossed her the remote.
‘Your call, babe.’
I figured she’d pick one of the romantic soap operas she liked, or maybe a slow drama.
Instead, the TV lit up with the intro to ‘The Avengers’.
I blinked, glancing in surprise from the screen to her.
‘Marvel?’
‘Are you kidding?’ Sofia settled back into the deep cushions of the oversized sofa, pulling her knees to her chest. ‘Tony Stark is hilarious, and Captain America fights for the underdog. Plus, things explode. It’s perfect.’
‘Works for me.’
As the movie started and the action-packed opening sequences filled the room, I leaned back into the embrace of the couch.
I kept my eyes on the screen, but my mind locked on the woman sitting next to me.
My view of her was shifting.
I brought her into my home, thinking of her as a fragile, red-flagged soul I had to guard; a displaced, traumatized woman who needed a hiding place.
Seeing her laugh with such unguarded joy, witnessing her command my kitchen with grace, and now, as she cheered for superheroes, I realized I had underestimated her.
Sofia wasn’t just a timid victim to be protected.
She was resilient, with a quiet strength and allure that crept past every single one of my walls.
She was also breathtakingly sensual; heck, she was damn sexy, and every time I looked at her, it stole the air from my lungs.
My mind betrayed me, tracking straight back to making love to her.
To the smooth glide of her skin under my palms, the heat of her breath washing over my neck, and the undone moans that shattered my control.
A sudden, fierce wave of desire hit my gut, and my cock went rock hard.
I wanted nothing more than to reach across the cushions, pull her into my lap, and lose myself in her fire again.
However, I clenched my jaw, gripping the armrest to find some control.
I’d put my foot down and told her it wouldn’t happen again.
I promised her I would keep my hands to myself, and I refused to break her trust or make our situationship any more complicated than it already was.
I forced my gaze back to the screen.
All the while, I fought the fever in my blood and the urge to touch the one woman I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about.