Page 12 of When You Are Mine

She caught his hand. He sharpened the look he gave her to a fine point, hoping she knew what it meant.

Don’t even think about it. It’s never going to happen.

“Yeah, it was just what I needed.” He freed his hand, deliberately and gently. “You ready to meet the Walsh Foundation board on Monday?”

“I think so.” Un-Sofie-like tentativeness filled her bottle green eyes. “I just hope I’m what they’re looking for.”

“They’re looking for someone refined, well-spoken, and who’ll bring positive attention to our cause.” He reassured her with his smile, forcing himself to keep his eyes trained on her, rather than straying to the couple still talking a few feet away. “And the fact that your dad is my father’s right-hand man doesn’t hurt. Plus, your good looks don’t hurt.”

“So youdothink I’m pretty?” She slid a chunk of hair behind her ear and flashed a too-wide smile.

He had known since high school that he could have Sofie whenever he wanted her. Problem was, he just didn’t see her that way. She was beautiful, with a cover-worthy body, but there wasn’t enough beyond the shiny packaging to hold his attention.

“Look at you, fishing for compliments.” He brushed a finger down her perfect nose, keeping his tone fraternal. “Does it really matter what I think when the rest of the world is at your feet?”

“It does to me,” she said, no smile.

“Sof—” She stopped whatever he’d been about to say with the well-manicured finger she placed across his lips.

“When you’re ready to give me a chance, I’ll be waiting.” She dragged him toward the riverbank, smiling like she knew what was best for him. “For now, let’s show these country bumpkins what the captain of the rowing team can do.”

“Is it a race?” He glanced past her to where their friends were lining up canoes on the river. He was nothing if not competitive, another legacy from his father. He felt a tiny thrill of anticipation. He hadn’t rowed in years, not since high school.

“Yeah, it’s a race,” Cam said from his canoe, where Kerris had already settled in front of him. “And we’re gonna kick your ass, Bennett.”

Never one to leave a gauntlet on the ground, Walsh staked his claim in the canoe beside them, helping Sofie get situated. He and Cam had a time-honored tradition of competing. The more trash talking, the better.

“You gonna kick my ass, Mitchell? That’d be a first.”

“Would you two just load in and stop with all the talking?” Jo laughed from her canoe. “I’m ready to kick some ass myself.”

* * *

In the end, Sofie and Walsh triumphed, and rubbed it in mercilessly.

“Did we forget to mention that we were both captains of our high school rowing teams?” Sofie asked, hoisted on Walsh’s shoulder like a trophy.

Kerris laughed like everyone else, not begrudging them their fair and square victory, but a knot of briars rolled around in her stomach at the sight of Sofie and Walsh together. They both looked so perfect. And she had no right to this feeling, whatever they were to each other.

“Disgusting, huh?” Jo settled on the ground beside Kerris.

“What’s disgusting?” Kerris looked away from their good-natured gloating, meeting Jo’s eyes.

“Them.” Jo smiled and pointed her chin toward Sofie and Walsh. “I mean, it’s not enough that they both look genetically engineered. They have to have the money, education, and athleticism to back it all up. What line were they standing in to get all that, huh?”

Kerris looked at the couple again. She’d noticed the way Sofie looked at Walsh, as if at any moment the sun would set on him.

“Have they known each other long?”

“Only since birth.” Jo skipped a pebble across the river’s surface. “If arranged marriages still happened, you’d be looking at one. Not formally, of course, but everyone knows that’s where Walsh’ll end up.”

Kerris watched Sofie and Walsh splash water on each other at the edge of the river.

“Sofie’s father is Uncle Martin’s right-hand man. They’ve always been in the same schools. Hung in the same circles. And she’s always loved him.”

“And how does he feel?” Kerris wished she could retract the nosy question.

“Walsh may date other girls, sleep with other girls even, but everyone knows the deal. He may play the field, but Sofie’s home base. That’s where he’ll settle down.”

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