She couldn’t help but take a step toward him.
“But I can’t do any of those things, so I’m going to wait. And I’m going to do anything I can to help you. But first—”
He took a step toward her, pulled her into his arms, and kissed her. He kissed her with all the longing, all the desire, and most of all, with all the love that he felt for her.
Her knees went weak, her arms limp at her side—and Reede dropped her. He just flat out let her go, and she fell down onto the couch.
“But I warn you that I don’t play fair,” he said as she stared up at him, still unable to catch her breath.
She sat there blinking as he left her apartment.
Nineteen
Heather came up the stairs,
tiptoeing quietly. “Are you okay?” she asked Sophie, who was still sitting on the couch and blinking.
Sophie nodded.
“I have to go back to work, but do you need anything?”
“A cold shower,” Sophie murmured.
“Oh yeah? That sounds promising. I’m sorry about your lack of help today. Maybe tomorrow we can get someone. If you want to stay here, that is.”
“Yes, I do,” Sophie said, and it was the first time in a long while that she was absolutely sure of a decision. She got off the sofa and headed toward the stairs. “What kind of soup do you think I should make for tomorrow?”
“Cream of broccoli. That way you have fewer vegetables to chop.”
“Good idea, thanks.” Sophie was beginning to recover herself. What had Reede meant when he’d said that he didn’t play fair?
“That man, Carter . . . Is he really Treeborne Foods?”
“Heir apparent. If his father doesn’t disown him because of me,” Sophie said but didn’t explain.
“He says he’s waiting to talk to you. Want me to send him up here?”
“No!” Sophie said. Her apartment was too intimate, too . . . too personal.
“Are you in love with him?” Heather asked and she looked like she was expecting the worst.
Sophie hadn’t known Heather long enough to confide in her, and besides, right now she wasn’t sure about anything. “I think I better talk to him.”
“If you don’t want to be alone with him, I could stay.”
Sophie thought that was an odd offer, as Heather was Reede’s only nurse so he needed her. But then Heather had gone to a lot of trouble to keep Sophie from finding out who Reede was. “No, but thank you. I need to talk to him by myself.”
“Okay, but if I can be of help with anything . . . ” Heather trailed off, not seeming to know what to say. Turning, she left the apartment.
Sophie took a moment to refresh her makeup and comb her hair before going downstairs to face Carter. Her mind was ringing with the awful things he’d said the last time she spoke to him. That was when they’d made love and when she’d sneaked back in to steal the cookbook. Right now she wished she’d remembered to ask Reede what he’d done about that book. He’d said small things but she’d never heard the whole story.
For a moment Sophie stood at the head of the stairs, and it took all her strength to make herself go down.
Carter was wiping the stainless counter and when he saw Sophie he put down his cloth and went toward her. He seemed about to do their usual greeting of a cheek kiss, but she stepped back.
“Sorry,” he said. “Habit. Can we talk?”
“I don’t have a lot to say.” Her back was rigid, her eyes unforgiving as she stared at him.