I was. He'll be in touch soon, Sophia. Night.
I wait for a response, but there's nothing. I don't need it. I got her number and she didn't tell me to fuck off in her super sweet way. I'd call tonight a win.
"Once the book is released,your life will cease to be your own," Cheyenne, my publicist, points out as she scoops two spoons of sugar into her coffee. "You know the drill, Nick. Tour, television, podcasts, the works. I'm organizing your schedule now."
"You tell me where to be and I'm there." I sip my coffee.
"Is your brother tagging along this time?" She bats her eyelashes. "You know I have nothing against hanging out with Sebastian while you're hard at work."
I eye her over the rim of the mug before I place it back on the table. "Zeb has to work. He's staying here."
The last time I released a book my brother was due for a two week vacation from his position as a detective with the NYPD. He needed a break, so I dragged him with me to Europe for that leg of my tour. He had a blast although none of that happened with Cheyenne. She was married then. Now she's not and I don't have the heart to tell her that she's not Zeb's type.
"You could do a girl a favor and set us up, Nick."
"I'm doing you a favor by not setting you up with him." I tap my finger on the handle of the white ceramic mug that is a staple of this particular coffee chain. They serve Cheyenne's favorite blend so whenever she calls a meeting, this is our place. "You don't want to get involved with him. His life is his job."
"That's because he hasn’t met the right woman yet." She tosses her long red hair over her shoulder. "I'm not easy to resist, Nick."
I've never had a problem resisting her. Cheyenne is a year older than me. She's attractive but our relationship mirrors the one I have with my sister. We fight like siblings, tease each other the same way best friends do. Hell, if I'm feeling sentimental I might consider jumping in front of a bus for her, but there's never been an ounce of sexual tension between us.
"I resist you just fine, Enne." I raise my mug in the air. "You're preaching to the wrong choir."
"I saw the way Sebastian looked at me. He was checking me out."
"He'd check out that empty chair if he walked in here right now." I point at a single wooden chair at the unoccupied table next to us. "He's a detective. He's always checking out everything."
"Way to rain on my parade, Nicholas." She narrows her eyes. "You must have friends you can set me up with. What about your other brother?"
"Liam is off limits." I shake my head, raising my hand in warning. "He's the baby of the family. You're too old for him."
"I'm perfect for him." She chuckles as she looks at two women taking a seat at a table a few feet from us. "I bet I could teach him a thing or two."
"Keep your panties on. My brothers are on your never-going-to-do list. Got it?"
"In that case, my sister is on your never-going-to-do-list."
I shrug. "You have a sister?"
"You're such a shit actor." She rolls her eyes. "You've been asking for my sister's number for the past year. Don't act like she doesn't exist."
I look at my watch. "A year? Why can't I remember her name or face at the moment?"
"God, you're such a bastard." She cups her hands over her mouth. "I don't care if you remember her or not, you are never putting one finger on my sister."
"Suits me fine," I reply with a smile. Unless her sister's name happens to be Sophia Reese I don't want my hands anywhere near her.
CHAPTER TEN
Sophia
"How didthat lunch go with the subway guy?" Cadence tugs on the hem of the white dress she's wearing. "This is too big for me. I think you made a mistake with the measurements."
"It's for the spring." I stand back and survey the way the fabric falls over her small stomach. "Once you're as big as a house, it's going to fit perfectly."
"I'm too tall to become as big as a house." She circles her arms in front of her as if she's imagines what her soon-to-be protruding belly will look like. "I've heard that tall women tend to show less and short women show more."
"That's wrong. My cousin, Marcie, is taller than you and boy, oh boy, she was enormous right before her son was born; enormous but beautiful."
