Chapter 15 Sophie
Sophie
For the first time since I left the States, I didn’t feel lonely.
We’d long finished our food and the moon had risen up, throwing light across the dark sea.
I was surprisingly comfortable with Kian, making the conversation flow easily.
I found myself following my curiosity wherever it wandered. Although, I was grateful that we both steered clear of my admission of the people I’d escaped.
The topics were all over the place. We talked about Albanian summers, culture, and anything else that came to mind. Travel stories. Bad flights. The worst hotel breakfasts. College days. His eyes were attentive as he listened to me talk, watching me.
Kian Cortes was different from any man I’d ever met.
It could be the unique quality of each of our run-ins or even the setting tonight, but then it also seemed like more than that.
I felt a strange, powerful attraction toward the man.
It confused me because I’d never been the one to fall easily.
My crush on Jonathan had taken years to develop, and what I felt now was somehow too… easy.
“At my first hotel, a man told another guy he was ‘fouler than his homemade alcohol.’ Is that… culturally significant?”
He smiled into his glass. “It is now.”
“Who still makes homemade alcohol? What is this, the nineteen twenties?”
He chuckled. “Many people from the Balkans do.”
“Including you?”
“No. I’d rather not poison myself or my friends.”
It was my turn to laugh. “That’s very reassuring. One less thing to worry about when you offer me a drink later.”
The words had barely left my mouth before I realized my mistake. Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I fought the urge to backpedal or correct myself.
“I’m glad to hear you’re open to seeing me again,” he said, his tone calm. There was no teasing glint in his eyes, no attempt to call attention to my assumption. Instead, he met my gaze with an almost disarming seriousness.
It was a gentleman’s instinct, maybe. And it struck me how rare that felt these days.
“Okay, I should let you have a turn to talk or ask questions,” I joked. “I’ve been manipulating this conversation.”
“I don’t mind. I like your inquisitive mind.”
I rolled my eyes playfully. “I insist.”
“Very well.” He smiled, making my heart flutter. “I already know you kiss strangers—namely me—and climb strange men. Again, me. Please tell me I’m the only one.”
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those possessive men?” I teased.
“When it comes to a beautiful, smart, and caring woman… I absolutely am.”
Nerves danced in my stomach while I played it off with an eye roll, trying to temper the butterflies that wanted to take flight and soar.
“You’re never letting that go, are you?”
“No,” he said simply. “It’s the single greatest entrance anyone has ever made into my life.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Are you making fun of me?”
He smiled darkly, tipped his head back, and drained his glass before he answered. “I mean that in the best way possible, Sophie.”
The electricity between us crackled, charging the air with something I’d never experienced before. Or maybe it was the mojitos catching up to me.
Suddenly, the realization hit me like cold water. I was dripping, dazed, and behaving with all the subtlety of a swooning fool.
I cleared my throat and whispered, “I should really be leaving.”
His eyes held mine, and after a beat, he replied, “I’ll walk you home.”
“No need,” I protested, but he wouldn’t hear of it. “What about your car? Your driver and bodyguard?”
He shrugged, standing up and pulling out the chair for me. “They’ll follow.”
The night wrapped around us the moment we stepped out of the restaurant, the warm air humming with cicadas and distant music. Cobblestone streets glistened faintly under the moon.
We walked in silence that wasn’t awkward but almost intimate.
His stride matched mine, his hands in his pockets, and our steps utterly unhurried, as if nothing in the world could get to us. Or rather him, and I trusted that I was safe around him, which was uncharacteristic of me.
Maybe it was the alcohol’s lingering effect, or maybe something entirely different, but I felt lighter than I had in a very long time.
“Your business must be very important,” I started after a while, “to require bodyguards. Or is that related to your security company?”
His driver trailed behind, the hum of an engine and headlights illuminating the way, while his bodyguards followed at a respectful distance. The quiet click of his polished shoes against pavement echoed between us, reminding me that I wasn’t alone with Kian.
“It’s a necessity for the life I lead,” he answered, then angled his head to look at me, never slowing his stride.
The neon glow from a late-night café flickered on the side street, throwing shadows across his face.
His gaze was on me, full of intent. “I have a proposition, Sophie.”
His low voice made my stomach knot. We were nearing my hotel now, its lights visible at the end of the block.
“What kind of proposition?” I asked, forcing my voice to sound casual.
He waited until we passed under a streetlamp before he spoke, quietly enough that I almost missed it, casually enough that the weight of his words landed a heartbeat too late.
“I can make the ex and her entourage disappear.”
My steps faltered and I stopped to face him, certain he was joking. He mirrored my movement, and I watched his expression for any sign of humor. There was none.
His mask had slipped, and I knew this was the real him.
“I can deal with the person who took everything from you,” he continued, causing my breath to hitch. “And I can give you back the life you left.”
My pulse roared in my ears: with the promise of safety, stability, and a future where I wouldn’t be constantly checking over my shoulder.
I swallowed. “When you say ‘deal with the person,’ what do you mean exactly?”
He leaned closer, dropping his voice. “She won’t bother you ever again.”
Deep down, I suspected what he meant by it, although I wasn’t quite ready to admit it to myself.
Did I want Jacqueline out of the picture? Yes. Did I think she deserved it? Yes. But it went against every one of my principles. And if I went back on my oath, could I really continue calling myself a doctor?
“And here I thought you were a hero,” I said wryly.
A car passed, tires hissing over damp asphalt. Somewhere above us, a window slammed shut.
“Gone are the days of heroes and villains, Sophie. All that’s left are men like me.” He resumed walking, and I did the same.
“It sounds like a Greek tragedy,” I muttered under my breath.
“Or an Albanian fairy tale,” he retorted. “Bottom line is, zemer, I can ensure your safety.”
There it was again… Zemer. I was getting pissed off that he kept switching to it.
“Who’s Zemer?” I demanded.
Kian flicked me an exasperated look. “Really? Now?”
“No time like the present,” I muttered.
“It’s a nickname. If you don’t like it, I’ll find another one.”
“Oh.” Apparently this man was capable of leaving me speechless, but not for long. “What does the nickname mean?”
He sighed. “Love.”
“Whoa, whoa, buddy. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Although, internally, I was gushing. Love. It sounded exotic, intimate, and so damn hot when he said it.
He let out an amused breath. “Before you get too excited, it’s similar to Brits calling everyone love or Americans calling everyone buddy. Anyhow, back to the topic at hand. I can ensure your safety.”
I much preferred to talk about this adorable nickname, but I couldn’t very well say that, so I asked, “And what do you want in return for your safety services?”
He didn’t answer right away, and with every second of delay, I grew more tense.
“You,” he finally said. I stopped walking again while the word lingered between us, heavy as fog, as he continued. “The terms are simple. A summer in my world. Day and night at my side. You stay where I can see you. Where I know you’re safe.”
The city seemed to hold its breath. Even his men halted, instinctively giving us space.
“No,” I said.
He turned fully toward me then. His expression was guarded, but there was a determination and that darkness in his eyes I glimpsed before.
“I wasn’t finished,” he said.
“I don’t care,” I shot back. My hands were trembling, but I curled them into fists. “I won’t be owned. I won’t be bought.”
A beat passed.
“I will handle those who dared threaten you regardless,” Kian explained in a flat voice. “With or without your blessing.”
Fear slid into my chest like ice water. Desperation followed close behind, whispering that I was tired of running, tired of flinching at every shadow.
“This is ridiculous,” I murmured on an exhale. “You must be joking.”
Although nothing in his demeanor indicated he was.
He studied me for a long moment, eyes searching my face. I prayed he couldn’t see the lie lurking behind my eyes.
He nodded once, and in less than a minute, we were in front of my hotel.
“This is me.”
“This evening was riveting, Sophie,” he said, but there were fires that burned like coals in his eyes. “However, I still need your answer.”
The man wanted to protect me. Why was I hesitating? It wasn’t the worst thing to have a gorgeous man offering to keep me safe. I had no doubt he’d follow through, because every fiber of Kian spoke of a man who knew exactly what he was doing.
“If I agree, will you… not hurt anyone?” I asked, fully aware of being the biggest fool on the planet.
Oath or not, why in the hell was I worried about this man hurting someone who plainly deserved it?
Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t want to see him get in trouble on my behalf.
“And if I agree… there will be boundaries.”
His brow lifted a fraction. “Such as?”
“I will not sleep with you.” The words came out steadier than I felt. “The kiss was just… a distraction.”
“I can promise you that I won’t force you into my bed,” he said. “I’ll wait for you to come to me willingly.”
Great, now there was nothing I wanted more than to tumble between the sheets with him.
“Okay,” I whispered. “And no hurting people on my behalf.”
“As long as they have no intention of hurting you, I can promise I won’t hurt them.”
The loophole there didn’t escape me, yet I heard myself say, “I accept.”
Under the quiet moonlight, in front of the sleeping hotel, I sealed a deal that made my heart pound hard enough to betray me—knowing that safety, when purchased, always came at a cost.
His strong hand pulled me closer by my throat and he kissed me deeply, then softly bit into my lower lip. Warmth washed through me, shaking me to my core while my pulse fluttered in my throat.
“I won’t let anything happen to you, Sophie Baldwin,” he rasped against my mouth. “I’m moving you to my villa tomorrow.”
I stared at him wide-eyed as he released my throat, then watched him turn around and head toward his vehicle.
“You’re under my protection now,” he announced before sliding into the back seat of his car, one of his bodyguards appearing right behind him to shut the door.
Holy shit… What the hell just happened?