Page 44 of Saving Sophia

Rook lifted his chin to me, saying, “See ya, little dove,” before closing the door and stomping off down the porch.

I turned back to the bookshelf, staring at the last game box on the pile. My mind kept echoing Rook’s words and thinking of one very specific criminal.

But he couldn’t follow me here, right?

“Find something you like?” Ethan’s deep voice rumbled behind me.

I straightened up with a little jump, trying not to look guilty. I glanced at the games again. “Um, Clue?”

Amber Jade cringed inside my mind, wanting to get back to the kissing, not playing Clue.

“Well, I must warn you, I’m pretty good at solving the murder.” He wrapped his arms loosely around my waist.

A shiver ripped through me at that word. That was the real reason I was here, and it had nothing to do with board games or kissing. I needed to remember that. Rook’s words played over again in my mind. I should have been thankful it wasn’t a hitman knocking at the door.

He felt me trembling and turned me around so he could look in my eyes. “Sorry about that.” He gestured toward the door. “Rook is …” He shrugged, smiled, and rolled his eyes all at once.

“Oh … sure, no, of course,” I babbled, not knowing what else to say.

He let me go. “Have we lost the mood?”

I looked down at the hardwood floor. As much as I wanted to go back to kissing him, as much as Amber Jade was pouting and stomping her feet, I needed a moment to process.

“Let’s make dinner,” he suggested, leading me into the kitchen. “We can discuss our options better on full stomachs.”

He kissed me on the forehead and directed me to pull mushrooms, a red pepper, and two tomatoes out of the refrigerator crisper. The worry, the bad memories, and the confusion all faded away as he guided me through the steps to making something he called Chicken Scallopini. It was fun, following his directions and watching the meal materialize like magic. I didn’t have to worry about making a wrong decision, and I was thankful for the break in fretful thoughts.

He asked more about my dolls, and how I got the ideas for my transformations. He asked me about school, but he didn’t push or make me feel bad about quitting after two lackluster semesters.

When we finished dinner and the kitchen was clean, I blinked, wondering how the time had passed. I hadn’t felt foolish or embarrassed. He was just easy to be around. He paid attention. Listened like I was the most interesting girl on the planet. Looked at me like he really saw me and liked what he saw.

The conversation lulled, and a wave of shy nerves started to roil in my tummy. Would he kiss me again? Where would I sleep? The couch again … or his bed?

“Let’s sit on the deck.” He opened the creaky French doors that led out to a covered seating area overlooking an endless ocean of trees standing like silent sentinels. I followed him and breathed in the cool evening air. Sunset played out across the big mountain, staining the snowy top a fiery orange that drained into lavender and violet shadows.

I leaned over the railing, marveling at the vast, open space.

“Careful,” he warned, putting his hand on my shoulder. “I can’t vouch for that railing.”

I scooted back and collided against him. Before I could apologize, his arm slipped around my waist, holding me there. His chest rose and fell with steady breaths. That woodsy scent of his enveloped me.

“What’s going through your mind, little Sophie?” His question floated around me in the growing darkness. That version of my name on his lips caused a decadent flutter in my tummy.

I had no clue how to put my feelings into words. How I felt fireworks bursting in my brain when our lips touched. The giddy acceleration flashing through me when he commanded me to kiss him. And most of all, what happened inside me when he purred the diminutive little Sophie into my ear.

“Tell me,” he prompted.

My mind spun. “I … you … really want someone who …” My words failed and my hands flopped in a vague, hapless gesture.

He pulled my hair to the side, tracing the slope of my shoulder with his thumb. “I want a girl who can trust me, who lets me take charge. A girl I can cherish and spoil.”

I leaned my head back against his chest, helpless to resist.

“Close your eyes,” he whispered, right above the edge of my ear.

I let out a tiny groan and obeyed.

“Do you want me to take control of you?”

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