Surrender (A Dangerous Man 4)

“What would you like me to say?” he mutters. “You think what just happened here was about me trying to coerce you into doing something you don’t want? Well I wanted you, Sophie. I wanted you so much I wouldn’t have cared if the whole restaurant could see us. How about considering that for a change? That all night I’ve wanted you, that I’d have eagerly taken you on the table, on the chair, anywhere in this room.” He glares at me. “

You want me to apologize for that? Well I’m not sorry.”

Why am I suddenly trembling and needy, wanting him again? I take a deep, shuddering breath. “And it’s always about what you want, isn’t it?” I say, fighting to control my desires, “Well this is what I want David, I want you to leave me alone.”

He doesn’t say anything. He watches me silently as I pick up my bag and leave. Outside, the wind is strong and salty, mingling with the salt of the tears I’m trying, and failing to keep from falling as I hurry along the sidewalk.

Chapter Five

“AH! HERE’S YOUR CUTE FRIEND AGAIN.” Bea says with a wink as she hands me my coffee. I’ve been silent all morning, though she doesn’t let that bother her. Probably, as far as she’s concerned it’s just another dimension to my constant melancholy. I wonder what she would say if I told her about David, about last night.

I turn around, following the direction of her gaze. Sure enough, Eddie is walking into the café, coming towards us with a smile on his face. “Sophie.” He greets cheerfully.

“Hey Eddie.”

“Hey Eddie.” Bea chips in with a sly wink in my direction.

I roll my eyes at her, but she ignores me, taking Eddie’s order, while smiling cheerily at him. From the other end of the counter, I notice Luke looking from Bea to Eddie with a curious expression.

Eddie turns to me, and his eyes fall on the front of my t-shirt, another variation of the ‘Welcome to Empathy Zone’ theme. “You work there?” he asks, gesturing towards the words on my chest.

I nod.

“Oh.” He looks pleased, “It’s right on my way,” he says with a smile. “If you’re on your way there right now, we can walk together,”

“I’m not ready to leave yet.” I tell him, ignoring the obvious, fake choking sound Bea makes as she hands him his coffee.

Eddie looks hurt. “Okay.” He turns to leave, then pauses. “I just hoped we could have a drink sometime.” He says with a boyish, hopeful smile. “That’s if you don’t mind.”

I start to tell him that I’d rather not, but I catch myself. Is this what I’ll do for the rest of my life? Push people away because of David? After last night, I don’t know where we stand, but I know all my efforts to get over him have been set back years, if not decades.

“I don’t mind.” I tell Eddie, forcing a bright smile onto my face. I watch his face lights up in response. “I’d love to have a drink sometime.”

“Great!” he says, still smiling as I give him my number. He enters it on his phone, and then waves awkwardly at Bea and me before leaving.

I watch him walk outside, suddenly not sure how I feel about going anywhere with him when just last night David and I were making love against the wall of a restaurant.

I snap out of my thoughts at the sound of Bea’s voice. “What?”

“I said, he likes you.” She repeats.

I shake my head. “You don’t know that.”

“I’m not blind.” She says with a smirk. “If he likes you, you should give him a chance.”

“Like you’re giving Luke a chance?” I ask. Luke is serving the only customer on the queue, but that doesn’t prevent his eyes from wandering over to Bea again and again. As soon as she turns to look at him, he looks away.

“Luke’s my friend.” She says dismissively, “and we’ve known each other for ages.” She shrugs. “Plus I haven’t gotten over Jet.”

I frown, trying to imagine how it must have felt when she found out the man she’s been dating for over a year was moving away without even factoring her into his plans. It must have been devastating.

I look over at Luke, and his eyes are on Bea again. No, I’m not mistaken about this. He wants her.

I turn back to Bea. “Just because you’ve known each other for ages, he can’t be in love with you?”

She frowns. “He’s not.” She says firmly. “Hey, Luke.” She turns towards him, her voice challenging. “Sophie thinks you’re in love with me.”

He stares at her, his speechlessness a slightly more embarrassed version of my own. His throat bobs as he swallows. “Of course not,” He says thickly. “That would be ridiculous.”