“I won’t,” I assure him.
“Then yes, you do have my blessing, Finn. You have my trust.” He holds out his hand, offering me a shake.
“Thank you, sir,” I say as he gives me a nod, then walks away.
A few minutes later I spot Sophie in the crowd and as if she feels me watching her, she finds me too, offering me a smile. I watch as she excuses herself and walks across the room, the pink flowing dress she wears dragging the floor behind her just slightly. Her thigh pokes out of the one slit that trails up her leg. She looks breathtaking and I have to fight the urge to grab hold of her and pull her in tightly to me. My hands are eager to touch her, my lips ready to taste her.
“Hey, beautiful.” She slides her hands around my waist and links them together behind me.
“Hey,” she adds with a smile as she tips her head back, looking up at me. “What were you and my father talking about?”
“The weather,” I tell her and she rolls her eyes. “I need to come up with a way to correct you when you roll your eyes at me.”
“Only if it involves us alone in a room with,” she mouths the words, no clothes. I laugh, throwing my head back and feeling lighter and happier than I’ve ever been.
“Have I told you how much I love you?” I ask, sliding my hands up and down her arms.
“Not today.”
“I’m slipping,” I confess. “That’s how we should start out every single day.”
“But I wasn’t with you last night or this morning.”
“Yes, I have a phone.”
“Are you seriously trying to convince me you somehow made a mistake?”
“Dance with me,” I say, already leading her toward the dance floor. Spinning her around she laughs as I pull her in and start to sway. “How many kids do you want?”
“Why are we having this discussion?” she asks nervously and I can’t help but chuckle.
“Because I’m genuinely curious.”
“Two,” she says and I nod able to live with that. I was hoping she didn’t say one because I wanted my kids to have each other. Being an only child left me always wondering what it would have been like to have a brother or sister. Until I got older and met all the guys it was always lonely.
“Honestly.” She gives me a serious look. “Why are you asking these kinds of questions?”
“Because one day I hope that you and I are sharing a day like this one. And I hope that leads to kids. I could go for three maybe four, but I’m willing to give in and stick with two if that’s what you want.”
“So we are talking marriage and kids now are we?”
“We are.” I watch for a moment of panic that I don’t see. I wait for her to start lecturing me, but she doesn’t. She only smiles at me.
“I’m not saying next week, but I am saying that I want all that with you.”
“I’m not ready for kids, but when I am, I know it’s you that I want them with.”
“And marriage?”
“I’ll be ready when you ask me,” she confesses and no longer caring who may be watching I cup her face and lean in for a kiss. I keep it PG, but it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Sophie
I am sittingin the chair eyeing Gia through the mirror before me. Her lips are moving but honestly I have not registered a word she’s spoken. I don’t know why I let the girls convince me to come back.
Supporting a small town salon, keeping our money local, blah blah. None of them besides Lexi seemed to think I should let it eat away at me. But I do, and it drives me crazy that I do.
