3
CHAPTER THREE
At the endof the day, I inwardly congratulate myself for not looking like a complete and total fool in front of Sophia. Her subtle perfume has assaulted my senses all day, infiltrating my nostrils, clinging to my clothes, and wafting around me as she moved. It has stirred up all manner of mental images of her—mainly with no clothes on. Her scent will stay with me into the night, long after she’s left and I’m home alone.
“Come on, I’ll walk you out,” I say as I stand and stretch. It’s been a long day of training, and not the fun kind of training, either. “We’ve covered enough for today.”
“Let me grab my things from Dana’s closet,” Sophia says as she rises.
I watch her walk on her four-inch heels and appreciate the way the muscles in her legs and ass flex. I’ve spent nearly every minute of the day with her and there is nothing I don’t like about her. She’s smart, witty, personable, and so very easy to get to know. I grab my suit jacket and follow her out to Dana’s desk area. She’s rummaging through her purse to find her keys and I patiently wait for her to indicate she’s ready to go.
The jingle of her key ring is my cue that it’s time to start walking to the elevators. As I begin to turn, she looks up at me and I once again feel the unmistakable pull to her. She gives me her best, full-on smile and I feel my lips part in surprise at the beauty radiating from her face. This is going to be harder than I thought it would be, especially after I realized during the staff meeting that she doesn’t react to other men the way she does to me. The blush of her cheeks, the demure smile, her downcast eyes, and the longing gazes happenonlywhen she’s interacting with me.
The sun is close to setting as we reach the parking garage. We’re about to part ways, and even though I don’t want to let her go yet, I can’t think of a valid business reason of why we should spend more time together. I force myself to let her go, telling myself she will be back tomorrow and we can resume her training.
“Well, goodnight, Sophia. I will see you in the morning,” I tell her with a smile.
“Good night, Dominic. I enjoyed today. Thank you for taking so much time with me,” she replies with a heartfelt quality in her voice. She turns and starts to walk toward the street and I’m puzzled by her actions.
“Did you not park in the garage?”
She turns to face me again as she answers, “Oh, no. I don’t have a car. I’m going to catch the bus.”
“Where do you live?”
“Southwest of the city,” she answers without giving the exact area of Dallas she lives in, but I’m fairly certain I know where. It’s the higher crime area of Dallas proper and it’s not safe for her to take public transportation to that part of town at this time of evening.
“Let me give you a ride,” I say while using my thumb to point over my shoulder in the general direction of my car.
“I couldn’t impose like that, Dominic. I’ll be fine.”
“I insist,” I say with finality and fix my gaze on her until she resigns and does as I suggest.
With a deep sigh, she approaches me, “Dominic, I feel like I’m taking advantage and imposing on you at the same time.”
“You’re not. If I let you leave at this hour and take the bus, I’ll worry about you all night. It’s not how I was raised, Sophia. I don’t believe in leaving you to fend for yourself when I’m in a position to help you.”
This seems to placate her somewhat, but just in case, I continue, “If you deny me this, I won’t get any sleep and then it’ll beyourfault when I’m grumpy all day tomorrow.”
She smiles at this and giggles as my words really sink in. “Okay, Dominic. If you insist.”
I smile and motion toward my car again. “Let’s go. I will drive you home.”
I open the passenger door and allow her to climb in. She gives me an odd look but I continue to patiently wait for her to sit until her shock passes. Once we’re both settled into my Mercedes S550, her eyes grow wide as she considers all the gadgets and gizmos it has. She looks around nervously but doesn’t touch anything. Her discomfort momentarily makes me feel self-conscious before she looks up at me in wonder.
“This. Car. Is. Awesome,” she says, emphasizing each word before her face splits into a wide, appreciative smile. A fleeting thought takes hold in my mind.You care what she thinks.
“Where to, ma’am?” I ask in my best English butler accent.
She laughs heartily at my feeble attempt and gives me her address to put into my GPS. It’s in the general area that I had originally thought and that worries me more. Not only is it a higher crime area, but she’s also relying on public transportation to get her there. Dallas residents are known for being independent. Most everyone drives instead of using buses or other mass transit systems. As I’m pulling out of the parking garage, her stomach rumbles and I instantly know how I can keep her with me for a while longer.
“We haven’t eaten in a long time, Sophia. Would you mind having dinner with me tonight? I really hate going to the restaurant alone,” I say honestly. I’ve never admitted that to anyone else and I’m not sure why I said it to her, except that I really want her to say yes.
“Umm…”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t ask if you’re married or if you have a boyfriend who would be offended,” I apologize, instantly filled with dread at the thought of her already having someone.
“No, no—nothing like that. It’s just that…well…money is a little tight right now. So, I should pass this time.” She’s kept her eyes trained out the side window, avoiding all eye contact with me.
