“Why not? I don’t have anything to lose. This property is exactly what I’ve been looking for and it’s a good way for me to distance myself from the ex. I need a break from London…”
“You need therapy for flying.”
“I know. This will make me get it.”
“You can’t marry Leif Rossi. You don’t know anything about him.”
“It doesn’t matter. As long as a water tight pre-nup is drawn up and we agree how we’re going to go about it. And I can always piss him off so he signs the place over to me once it’s all gone through.” I doubted that would happen. He appeared to be my match in stubbornness.
“Sophie.” She shook her head.
“It might not happen anyway. Last night.” I swallowed. I knew what Van’s reaction would be. Since Jackson, she’d become a hopeless romantic and said many times over that she wished I’d find someone to be with. But I wasn’t cut out for that. I didn’t want a family like Vanessa. As much as I loved Teddy and being part of his life, and even that of Claire’s daughter to an extent, I didn’t have the urge for children myself, so my love life was something I could take risks with.
“What did you do?”
I shrugged. “We went for a drive to this lighthouse and watched the Northern Lights.”
“Sounds romantic.”
“That’s possibly why we ended up kissing.”
She raised her brow. “Just kissing.”
“Just kissing.”
There was a pause. “Sophie, you’ve neverjust kissedanyone for as long as I’ve known you.”
“It was just a kiss.”
“Was it good? Was he shit at it? Why was itjusta kiss?”
“I accused him of trying to charm me to get his own way straight after. It didn’t go down well.” It didn’t go down at all. Thinking back to it was making me nervous, and that never happened. I wasn’t entirely sure it was about the building either.
“Well, that’s one way to end an evening.” She sat back and sighed.
“You look relieved.”
“I am. I’m hoping you’ve blown this crazy idea.”
I stood near the window and looked at the building.
“I hope not. I can’t tell you how much I want that space as my next spa. It’s exactly what I need to be focused on.” Just where it was, what it could be.
“And you’re going up against a rock star multi-millionaire to get it. Can’t you look at somewhere else?”
I turned around and smiled at the woman who was probably my best friend. “Who was there to explain to you how much of a dick you were when you got mad at Jackson for trying to help your career? Who told your ex exactly where he could stuff his balls when he tried to blackmail you over your business?”
“Okay, you can stop now.” She waved her hand at me. “You go ahead. Do this ridiculous thing. I’ll be there to pick up the pieces of your broken heart.”
“He’s not going to break my heart.”
She stood up, looked at me and laughed.
10
Liam
“This place is just amazing. I can’t believe you’re setting up a recording studio here. It’s going to be just amazing!”
