Page 113 of Tangled Up In You

She touched his hand and smiled at him playfully. “It’s okay. I hear a lot of men have that problem.”

He would gladly let her tease him all night long, especially if it meant she would touch him while doing it.

“I mean, you do have a pretty terrible record with relationships.”

“You’re judging me based on the wrong criteria. I’ve had the relationships I’ve wanted.”

“So that means all you’ve ever wanted is short-term flings with beautiful but vapid girls?”

“Ouch,” he said, and laughed. “They haven’t all been vapid.”

“But they have been short-term. What’s keeping you from being serious with someone? Afraid you’ll end up compromising your cool, controlled image?”

“Honey, the whiskey has gone to your head,” he said, and she laughed.

“Probably,” she said.

He studied her for a moment. It was no wonder, after the day she’d had propping up her devastated husband, that she looked disheveled and tired. Her blond hair was pulled up into a ponytail, but several strands had fallen loose. Her eyes lacked their usual shine. At the same time, his heart ached with how beautiful he found her. Then he almost laughed out loud, thinking of the fact that he was starting to feel something for Colette and yet still couldn’t shake what he had for Sophie.

“Conor?” Sophie said at length.

“Hmm?”

“How on earth is he going to get through this?”

“He’ll just have to, Sophie. What other choice does he have?”

She nodded reluctantly, unconvinced. “You’ll stay here tonight? I can make up the guest bedroom for you.”

“Sure. I’m ready to pass out myself.”

They went upstairs together and he helped her put fresh sheets on the guest bed.

“Sleep well,” she told him.

“You too, honey.”

After hesitating a moment, she reached up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. He held her to him. And when he felt her body tremble as she let herself release the tears she must have been holding off all day, he pulled her even closer, wanting to somehow take on the burden she’d long claimed as her own. It was the burden of being Gavin’s emotional caretaker and it was finally overwhelming her. That she could be this vulnerable with him was bittersweet. He didn’t want her to be in this kind of pain but he was glad she could share it with him.

Rocking her slowly from side to side, he let her cry and closed his eyes, taking in her lovely, familiar scent. He kissed her temple and whispered soothing words of comfort to her.

At last, she pulled away from him and stared up into his eyes. “Thank you,” she said, her voice hoarse, “for being here for me”

“Always, Soph,” he replied.

There was a long moment where she watched him and it felt like their own moment of intimacy. Like some kind of understanding they were sharing.

But then she took a step backwards and said, “See you in the morning.”

It took him a long while to surrender to sleep that night as his mind raced. He knew he wasn’t doing himself any good by indulging his feelings for Sophie, especially when he now had Colette taking him seriously. In the end, he decided it was best to help Gavin as much as he could and then after that return to a single-minded pursuit of Colette. He convinced himself at that moment that she had the potential to be more than just a distraction.

67

SOPHIE

Breakfast was incongruously jovial. Gavin had, temporarily at least, gained a happy disposition, and he and Conor talked and joked and laughed as if nothing had happened the day before. It made Sophie wonder if the sex they’d had that morning had really been that good.

Waking early, she had found Gavin in the garden, gathering empty beer bottles from the previous day. Her simple kiss in greeting had ignited a passionate response from him. When she let her surprise show at the aggressive way he reached inside her robe, he told her he needed her, desperation in his voice. She knew he needed a release more than anything and suggested they go their room, but he was too eager. Despite her warning that Conor was upstairs, he backed her against the garden wall, pulled at her panties until they tore away, and fucked her. When he was done, he moved to his knees and pulled her leg over his shoulder to make sure she was satisfied as well.

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