Nicholas
"Areyou going to ignore what I said to you?" I rub her shoulder as I watch her pretend to sleep. "You're a shit liar and an even worse actress, Sophia."
"I'm not acting," Her eyes stay closed. "I'm not ignoring anything."
"I told you I love you."
She rests her forehead against my chin. "I know, Nicholas. I heard it."
Begging a woman to tell me she loves me isn't something I'm willing to do. "I meant it."
"It was a heated moment." Her eyes finally open and search my face. "You were aroused. I was too. People say things when that happens."
"They say things likefuck, that's goodormore, ordeeper."
"There are other things they say too." She sighs. "You might not have really meant it."
"Bullshit," I blurt out. "I told you I love you because I do."
Her bottom lip quivers but she stills it with her teeth. "Wait until tomorrow and see if you still feel the same way."
"What the fuck is going to change between now and then?" I pull her closer.
She searches my eyes. "I don't want you to say things to me that you don't mean."
"I mean it, Sophia."
"How can you be sure?" Her voice is tinged with fear. "If you say those words to me, I need to know you mean them. You can't take them back."
Fuck me. This woman. She's scared to hand her heart over to me.
I tilt her head back, so I can look into her eyes. "Don’t mistake what I'm feeling, Sophia. This is real. All of it."
"I want to believe you," she whispers into the still air between us. "I want to because my heart wants to say the same thing to you."
"Tell me. Say it."
Her lips part and then close, then part before she speaks. "I love you, Nicholas. Please never hurt me."
"Losing him is not acceptable."I feel my jaw tick. "I told you that I want you on Franco twenty-four, seven. If he's headed to New York right now, you better be prepared to find another career. I guarantee that you'll never work another security job as long as you live."
I slam my phone on the desk in my office. The security detail Crew connected me with in Florida lost sight of Franco Abano two hours ago. There's no way in hell he'd be in New York at thispoint. If he's coming here to harass Sophia, I'll make certain he understands that he'll need to get through me first.
"Who are you going all bad cop on right now?" Cheyenne walks in with a paper coffee cup in each hand. "You were running through a scene out loud, weren't you? I think you should rewrite it. It didn't sound believable at all to me."
I shake my head as I reach for one of the cups. "Why the coffee? Come to think of it, why are you here at all? I gave you the week off."
"It's good to see you too, Nick."
I manage a smile. I had planned on spending the day immersed in my newest manuscript. The ordeal with Joe set me back months. I have a deadline in two weeks that I'm struggling to meet.
I left Sophia's apartment this morning with her. As soon as I got back to my place, I was working until the security guy from Florida fucked up my entire day.
"What do you want, Cheyenne?" I ask, knowing she'll overlook my bluntness. She's used to it and I pay her well enough that she can ignore it. "I want that key back that I gave you when you crashed here when I took off for Brazil."
"You're never getting that key back." She blows on the steaming coffee. "I need access to you at all times."
"I'll change the locks."
