by Vi Keeland
She started to shake her head and then stopped. “Oh—actually, I do. I usually go to the Children’s Hospital’s charity event that weekend. My entire family does. Yours does, too, right?”
I leaned in and lifted her hand to my lips, placing a kiss on the top. “They do. Will you go with me?”
She looked surprised. “Are you asking me to go as your date?”
I nodded. “I am.”
“With all of our family in attendance?”
“Why not? It’ll be fun to see their faces.”
Sophia nibbled her bottom lip for a minute before her face lit up. “Okay!”
I smiled. “Good, then I guess I have a new friend and a date for the event Labor Day weekend.” I slipped my hand from hers and picked up my fork. “Now eat your damn food before it gets cold, so I can get you back to the hotel and decorate that neck.”
***
“So how are things going?” Dr. Halpern asked. She set her pad on her lap and folded her hands on top.
“Fine.”
“Have you been sleeping okay?”
My brows pulled down. “Same as usual. Why do you ask?”
“You look a little tired today.”
I couldn’t even try to hide my grin. “I was up late. But don’t worry, you don’t have to run to my grandfather. I wasn’t drinking or doing anything stupid.”
Well, I guess that would be a matter of opinion. My family would definitely think spending an entire night inside Sophia Sterling was stupid.
“I see. So you’re seeing someone, then?”
I was hesitant to talk about Sophia with Dr. Halpern, even though she’d assured me nothing we discussed, except my general emotional state, went into her report to my grandfather. Doctor-patient confidentiality meant nothing when your resources were limitless—though I did want to work some things out.
“Yeah. I’m seeing someone.”
“Tell me about her.”
I thought about how to describe Sophia. “She’s smart, beautiful, strong, and loyal. Basically, she’s way above my pay grade.”
“You think she’s too good for you?”
I shook my head. “Not think, know. She’s absolutely too good for me.”
“What makes you say that?”
I shrugged. “She just is.”
“Let’s back up for a moment. You said she’s smart. Do you feel you have inferior intelligence?”
“No. We can go toe to toe.”
“Okay. You said she was beautiful. Do you consider yourself unattractive?”
I knew I wasn’t. That wasn’t what this was about. “I’ll save you some time, Doc. We’re not equals on the loyalty front.”
“Is it because you have a tendency to stray and she doesn’t?”
There was no damn way stepping out would be an issue with Sophia in my bed. “No, sex is definitely not an issue.”
“So this is about you being someone she can rely on for things that are not physical?”
I let out a long, low sigh. “I don’t exactly have a track record for being someone people can rely on. Plus… Let’s just say things between us didn’t exactly start off with honesty.”
Dr. Halpern picked up her notepad and scribbled something. “Who do you feel you’ve let down in your life?”
I scoffed. “Probably easier to ask who I didn’t.”
She was quiet for a moment and then nodded. “Okay. Let’s say everything you’ve just said is true, even though I’m certain it’s not. Why can’t this woman be the first person who experiences the new Weston Lockwood?”
“People don’t change.”
Dr. Halpern pursed her lips. “That would render my job useless, wouldn’t it?”
I said nothing.
Dr. Halpern laughed. “You have manners, so you didn’t answer the question with words. I appreciate that. But your face said it all. There are very few things I’ll argue with a patient about, but having the ability to change is one of them. We all have the ability to change, Weston. Maybe not our DNA, but certainly the way we treat people is something we’re all capable of modifying. It’s not always easy, but the first step is awareness—recognizing what needs to be changed and wanting things to be different. Whether what you believe about yourself is true or not is almost immaterial. What’s important is that you believe it to be true, and you have the desire for things to change.”
“No offense, Doc, but that sounds like a lot of psychobabble. If changing is that simple, why doesn’t everyone do it? Prisons are filled with repeat offenders. I’m sure most guys who rob convenience stores don’t walk through the gates on release day thinking, I can’t wait to go rob someone again and come back here.”
“I’d have to agree with you. In that case, things are hard when they walk out of prison. They likely have no money, and the life they knew before has moved on without them. I never said it was easy to change. But if you hit the pavement eight hours a day, every day, willing to accept any minimum-wage job, most people will find something to cover feeding themselves and putting a roof over their head. The problem is, it’s a lot harder to work forty hours a week washing the floor and scrubbing dishes than it is to point a gun at someone and steal a thousand dollars out of a register. So you truly have to want a clean lifestyle at any cost.”
Dr. Halpern shook her head. “I think we’ve gotten off track, but the principle is still the same. There will be situations in your life that tempt you away from being loyal, and sometimes not taking the temptation will cost you something. It’s a matter of how badly you want what you want and what you’re willing to sacrifice to get it.”
She made it sound so simple. It wasn’t like I’d made a conscious choice in the past to screw things up. All of a sudden, I’d find myself someplace, and I usually hadn’t realized where I was heading until I got there.
“I don’t always see my bad choices before I make them.”
She nodded. “That’s understandable. But there are a few things you can start to practice that will lead you in the right direction.”
“Like what?”
“For starters, express your feelings. Whether it’s a good thing or bad thing, try to be open. Don’t lie or omit things that are on your mind. And that’s a task that’s easier said than done. For example, does this woman know how you feel about her?”
I shook my head. “I’m not sure I even know how I feel about her.”
Dr. Halpern smiled. “Are you sure? Very often, we tell ourselves we feel conflicted about someone or something because the thought of how we really feel scares us.”
Fuck. I dragged a hand through my hair. She was right. I was falling in love with Sophia, and not the kind of fall that happened slowly. I was barreling head over heels, hard and fast, and it scared the living shit out of me. It took a few minutes for that to sink in, even though it had been there all along. My head pounded, and my mouth felt like the Sahara Desert. I looked up at Dr. Halpern and discovered she’d been watching me mull everything around in my head.
Frowning, I said, “Fine. Maybe you’re not such a quack after all.”
She laughed. “I think we’ve had a good session today, so I won’t push you to discuss the feelings you have about this new woman. But loyalty is a two-way street, and it begins with honesty. Now that you’ve admitted what your heart holds, perhaps the next step is sharing it with the person who holds your heart.”
Chapter 22
* * *
Sophia
The last few days had been crazy busy. My father was back in town, and the legal team had been working twelve hours a day as we loomed closer to the bid-submission deadline. Some nights I didn’t finish working until almost midnight. And even then, the light was still on in Weston’s office when I left. Though that didn’t stop him from making his way to my bed when he finally called it quits.
This morning it felt like we’d barely fallen asleep, and now we were up again. The first light of the day streaked in through a gap in the curtains and sliced a ray
of sunshine across Weston’s face.
He petted my hair as I looked up at him, chin propped up on my fist. “There’s a room key on the desk over there.”
Weston’s hand froze. “You want me to have a key to your suite?”
“Well, last night you woke me up about ten minutes after I dozed off. So I thought maybe you could just let yourself in.”
He grinned. “I’m pretty sure you just invited me to slip my cock inside of you while you’re sleeping.”
I play-slapped his chest. “I meant let yourself in my room, not my body.”
Weston leaned his weight to one side and rolled us. I was quickly on my back with him hovering over me. He pushed the hair from my face. “I like my idea much better.”
I smiled. “I bet you do.” We were both still naked from last night, and I felt him hardening against my thigh. “My father is leaving on an afternoon flight, so I told him I’d meet him downstairs at seven. Unfortunately, I have to jump in the shower now.”
He leaned in and kissed my neck. “Is there anything I can do to convince you to be a few minutes late?”
I chuckled. “There’s no such thing as a few minutes with you.”
“You say that like it’s a bad thing.”
I shook my head. “It’s definitely not. But it’s also the reason I’m about to go into the bathroom and lock the door.”
Weston sulked. It was adorable. He rolled to his back and blew out a frustrated breath. “Fine. Go. But don’t blame me if there’s a wet spot on your side of the bed when you get out of the shower.”
I wrinkled my nose and stole the sheet from the bed as I stood. “My side? Why don’t you make that mess on your own side?”
He tugged at the sheet I tried to wrap around myself. “Because it’s your fault there will be any mess to begin with. If you’d just give me five minutes, I could make that mess where it belongs—inside you.”
God, I had it bad for this man. What he’d just said was crude, yet I felt that mushy feeling in my belly, just hearing him say his cum belonged inside me. Romantic, right? But it was what it was.
I leaned back down to the bed and kissed his lips. “My father should be gone by noon. How about you meet me back up here for lunch at one o’clock, and I’ll let you make that mess anywhere you want?”
Weston’s eyes darkened. “Anywhere I want?”
Oh boy. That was a dangerous statement. But what the hell? I smiled. “Anywhere. Good luck concentrating today while you debate exactly where that will be.”
***
“You and the Lockwood boy seem to have made friends,” my father said.
It was just the two of us left in the conference room now that he’d rudely told the legal and accounting team to make themselves scarce.
Where is this leading? Dad rarely made observational comments that didn’t have a purpose. He treated people as pawns in a chess game. I shuffled a pile of papers to a neat pile. “We’ve found common ground. It’s not like we have a choice when we’re running a hotel together.”
“He’s not focused on running a hotel with you, Sophia. His focus is on your ass. I’m not dumb. I see the way he looks at you when he thinks no one is paying attention.”
I froze. “How does he look at me?”
“Like he’s a pit bull that hasn’t eaten in weeks, and you’re a juicy steak.”
I cringed—not because it wasn’t quite possibly true, but because hearing my father say it was wrong. The word juicy in any way, shape, or form—when related to me—sounded icky coming out of his mouth. Knowing lies were usually apparent on my face, I avoided eye contact by walking around the room and collecting empty coffee cups and plates left by the team.
“I think you’re exaggerating,” I said. “But…so what if he does? Weston is a nice-looking man. It’s not like I haven’t noticed that.”
I snuck a peek at my father’s face and found it stern. “Jesus, Sophia… Don’t even think about it. That man is beneath you. But in any event, perhaps you could—”
I cut my father off. “Beneath me? What does that even mean? Are there unwritten levels of people I’m not seeing? Perhaps that’s why you walked out on my mother. Was she not the same level as you?”
My father rolled his eyes. “Not now, Sophia. I have a flight to catch. We don’t have time for yet another argument because your feelings were hurt when your mother and I divorced.”
I shook my head and mumbled, not quite under my breath, “Unbelievable…”
Dad took his suit jacket from where it hung on the back of a chair and shrugged into it. “Anyway, as I was saying, the Lockwood boy is interested in you. Perhaps you can use it to our advantage.”
“To our advantage? Exactly what are you suggesting?”
“We’ve had this discussion before. And you’re a smart girl, Sophia. You know exactly what I’m saying. We only get one bite at the apple with this bid. It would be helpful to know what the Lockwoods’ offer will be so we can bid above it for the minority share.”
“Just so I’m clear, you…what? Want me to spread my legs for Weston and then maybe wait until right before he’s about to shoot his load and ask him what his bid is?”
“Don’t be crude. I’m sure there are other ways you can get a sense of things. Chat him up a little bit.”
Over the years, I’d experienced so many disappointments with my father that I’d thought I’d become immune to him letting me down. But apparently that wasn’t the case. I shook my head, feeling a new low. “You should go. You don’t want to miss your flight.”
My father was so arrogant, he didn’t seem to notice the disdain in my voice. He walked over as if he hadn’t just told me to whore myself out and kissed my forehead. “We’ll talk soon.”
After he left, I stood in the conference room for a long time. There was absolutely no way my father would ever accept Weston and me having a relationship. William Sterling might be a brilliant businessman, but he was ignorant when it came to the important things like relationships. It wouldn’t matter if I told him I’d met the love of my life and was happy. The fact that Weston was a Lockwood and our families had a dumb grudge dating back before I was born was more important to honor than his daughter.
***
After “lunch” with Weston, I sighed, looking up at the ceiling. “I needed that.”
He chuckled. “I guessed that, considering you marched into this room and pretty much grabbed my dick.”
I smiled. I had sort of done that. “Sorry. I was just so frustrated. My father is absolutely the most irritating man on the planet.”
Weston turned to his side and propped his head on his elbow. He traced soft figure eights with his finger on my stomach. “Don’t apologize. I’m happy to reap the benefits of William being a dick. Though, I believe I was the one who was supposed to pick the orifice to make a deposit.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Orifice? Really?”
He winked. “You’re lucky you picked my favorite hole anyway.”
“Oh really? I’ll have to remember you like sex better than a blow job in the future.”
Weston shook his head. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing better than seeing you down on your knees in front of me. But I fucking love watching your face as you come.”
Yet again, that warm feeling flooded my belly even though what he’d said was far from classically romantic. I pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “Well, thank you for letting me use you.”
“Anytime.” He pushed a lock of hair behind my ear. “You want to talk about it?”
“My orifices?” I joked.
“Whatever went down with your father. But, hey, we can talk about orifices instead. Better yet, roll over and we’ll christen a new hole.”
I chuckled. But Weston did look interested in what had gotten me angry. So I decided to share what my father had suggested. I rolled onto my side and propped my head on my elbow, mimicking his position.
“My father told me he’s noticed you looking at my ass.”
Weston’s eyebrows jumped. He shook his head. “Shit… How’d the rest of that conversation go?”
“Not well.”
He ran his hand up and down, from the curve of my waist to my thigh and back up again. “Sorry about that. I do my best, but it’s impossible not to look at you and think about you naked.”
I smiled. “That’s oddly sweet.”
He shrugged, and his eyes stayed glued to my hip as he continued to rub up and down. “It’s the truth.”
“Well, that’s not the worst of it. After he said he’d seen you ogle me, he suggested I use it to my advantage to pump information out of you about your family’s bid.”
Weston’s hand froze, and his eyes jumped to meet mine. “What?”
“You heard me right. My father pretty much told me to seduce you to get information.”
Weston got quiet, though the stunned look on his face spoke for him. “What did you say?”
“Honestly, not enough. I think I was just so disappointed, I couldn’t come up with an appropriate answer. After he left, I thought of a million things I should’ve said. Like, I would’ve loved to see his face after I told him you were probably already waiting for me up in my room since I’d given you a key before I slipped out of bed with you this morning.”
I laughed and pointed my thumb at the stack of papers on the desk. “I’m pretty sure I would’ve had to call 911 if I’d told him you had access to all the work papers I keep in here, not to mention my body. The papers would’ve probably been a bigger deal, though.”
Weston shook his head. “I’m sorry. You deserve better than that.”
“Yeah, well, Scarlett has a saying, ‘Any time you spend wondering if you deserve better is time wasted. Because if you’re wondering, you do.’ I’ve spent too many years questioning whether I deserved the way my father treated my mother and me, so I’m not going to waste anymore time dwelling over it. I always knew the answer.”
Weston looked down. “You deserve a lot better from the men in your life—a fuck of a lot better.”