Blayze wrapped an arm around her, took hold of the middle belt, and fastened it into place with a grin. “There.” He rested his hand in the same fashion on her lap.
This time Sophia took hold of it, sandwiched it between both hands, and tipped her head to press a soft, lingering kiss to his wrist. There hadn’t been much thought in the action, but as she felt the heightened speed of his pulse at her lips, she turned to catch him studying her with heavy eyes.
She held his gaze, allowed for the smallest, playful grin, and came in for another kiss, a little higher up his arm. The mood took a sudden shift asherpulse quickened now, the chemistry between them proving to be all she remembered and more. She wondered about making another move as her gaze drifted up to his lips. Would he stop her? She leaned in, pressed her mouth to his bicep instead, this one separated by the thin fabric of his black, cotton tee shirt. She glanced up at him through her lashes; that need to be near him building once more.
Maybe this could be their safe place. A spot to, at the very least, hold each other close.
Blayze brought his other hand to her face and studied her through narrowed eyes, his expression turning serious again. They hadn’t kissed since that night in the cabin, and Sophia had remained confident that Blayze was simply exercising his self-control.
The only thing she’d been unsure about was thetypeof feelings he had for her. Sure, he was attracted to her; the two had great chemistry after all. But would he really want to pursue things once this was through?
The question was one he likely had to ask himself too. It wasn’t like he would lie about it. Tell her one thing while knowing it wasn’t true.
But as she looked into the depths of those blue, tortured eyes, a realization struck her: perhaps Blayze’s need to be a gentleman extended both ways. Perhaps what he’d really been resisting was telling her the truth—that he didn’t see a future with her at all.
The epiphany was an explosion in her chest. Blazing hot and destructive. The peace she felt moments ago, gone.
“What’s wrong?”
Sophia snapped out of her thoughts long enough to see his face clearly once more. Concern. Maybe even pity.
He wouldn’t want to lie to her; she’d been right about that. It wasn’t in his character. But if he were doing so for—in his mind—the greater good…
“Nothing,” she said, and nuzzled into his chest. Her breaths came fast and hard as she worked to push the discovery out of her head. Why had it never occurred to her that Blayze could simply be stringing her along until this was through, thinking it’d be the nice, gentlemanly thing to do? After all, she was in crisis mode, no need to add to her burden.
Stop it, Sophia.His feelings might be genuine. And even if they weren’t, she wouldn’t want to know. Not yet. Not until she’d delivered her speech. She couldn’t hear that he didn’t really care for her in that way just hours before stepping up to that microphone.
Blayze flattened a strong hand along her back, ran it up, then down. Up, this time toying with the small hairs at the nape of her neck. “It’s going to be all right,” he promised, his deep voice raspy.
She clenched her eyes shut, forcing the dilemma out of her mind. For now, she’d forget about the uncertainty in her life, and enjoy the warmth of being held in Blayze’s comforting embrace, praying it wouldn’t be one of the last they shared.
Chapter 19
Blayze glanced down at his phone to scrutinize the dark image coming through. “Is it on?” he hollered from the front room. Roman had been gracious enough to offer his family home as a rest stop, allowing for a few last-minute details. One being pinning a hidden camera on Sophia.
“I think you’re covering it with your arm,” he called over his shoulder. “It’s just black.” At once the imaged changed, and a bright bedroom came into view. Tiffany, Roman’s wife, stood by a dresser and waved.
“Do you see me?” the woman asked while primping her blonde hair.
“Yep,” Blayze hollered. “Looks like you let Roman pick out all the decorations in there,” he added, noting all the frills and lace. No harm in using a little humor to ease the tension. Tension that—if Blayze were being honest—mounted in more ways than one.
“Shut up,” Roman grumbled from the couch. “When you’re married you’ll let your wife do whatever she wants to that house, trust me.”
Blayze chuckled. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
“Last I checked, Sophia likes a whole lot of bling,” Roman added with a laugh. “Your place will be sparkling like the sun.”
Blayze shot him a look, realizing the implication he’d just made. Mentioning a future wife, then sneaking Sophia’s name in there. It breathed life to what he’d been considering during the drive there. “About the bling,” Blayze said to him, “I think you’re forgetting that I’ve already been inside Sophia’s house. Didn’t see an ounce of it.”
Roman shrugged, tossing both hands in the air. “So what? Don’t see any lacey stuff out here, do you? They save it all for the bedroom.”
“Whosaves all ofwhatfor the bedroom?” Tiffany asked as she entered the front room.
Roman stammered around the question while Blayze caught eyes with Sophia. “You look…” he shook his head and gulped. “Perfect.” Sophia normally favored clothing in darks, blues, and grays; she looked amazing in all of them. But the red silky top she wore today accented the warmth in her cheeks. Her form-fitting skirt was black and allowed for a less-than-generous view of her legs.Good.Men would be ogling her enough as it was.
“I like the camera,” Sophia said.
He nodded. “Roman will be watching footage from the SUV while we go inside. I’ll be wearing an earpiece so he and I stay connected the entire time.”
