Page 57 of All the Gossip from Paris
“I haven’t even considered the possibility of moving on from Patrice. I mean in a real way, not just a hook up,” she said. There had been a couple of those, but they hadn’t lasted past day break.
I sound as wretched as he does.
If Liam was still too bruised and burned to consider being with someone two years after his relationship had failed, then what hope did she have? She’d called time on her and Patrice’s messy entanglement less than a year ago.
“I don’t see Brooke all that often, but when I do it still stings. Not the loss of love mind you. Not long after we broke up, I realized that we had always been doomed to fail. The humiliation of knowing that she went behind my back is what I still struggle with.”
“Yeah, betrayal is a bitch,” replied Sophie.
He moved closer, and she sensed a shift in the mood between them. It was obvious Liam regretted what he’d said earlier, and he wanted them to move past it.
“I don’t know how you work with Patrice every day, and not go mad.”
Sophie gave a dry laugh. “Who says I haven’t gone mad?”
He took her hand in his, and raised it to his lips. The warm kiss Liam placed on her knuckles had Sophie drawing in a long breath.
“You are the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, Sophie. There is nothing mad about you. Don’t let the wounds of what he did to you define how you see yourself.”
She liked the way Liam said he—the utter disdain that dripped from that one word did more for her than a hundred pep talks ever could. Liam had seen past the smooth veneer that was Patrice. Seen the cruel male that lay beneath.
His arms were around her and he was holding her close without either of them having said a word. Sophie rested her head against Liam’s chest. She could get used to this with him—this closeness.
“How about we do what the newlyweds are doing and forget about cooking for today. We can take some supplies back to your room, along with a bottle of wine. What do you think?” he said.
“I think that’s a great idea. But we still have to come back here tomorrow morning. I need to make a Bûche de Noël for Christmas Eve tomorrow night.”
“Hmm. So what exactly is that?”
“It’s a chocolate sponge cake made to look like a yule log. We have all the ingredients, but it will take a bit of time for us to make it,” replied Sophie.
She closed her eyes as Liam dropped a kiss on her forehead. “That sounds like fun. And being back in the kitchen might help me rediscover my love for good food. I kinda miss it.”
They stood for a long time, just holding one another, neither saying a word. Sophie wondered what Liam was thinking, but was too afraid to ask. Only a fool would go stirring things up again. This evening it would be just the two of them. Sharing food and wine.
Maybe I should take a leaf out of Liam’s book and try to move on from my past.
She could use this time with him to rethink her life. To reset expectations. And when January came and Liam eventually left Paris, she would take comfort in knowing that there was a life beyond the one she’d had with her ex.
That her hope of finding love wasn’t just an impossible dream.
With a sigh, Sophie pulled out of Liam’s embrace. “We had better get some of these goodies and make our escape. If I know my sister, she’ll send Ryan on a scavenger hunt as soon as they’ve finished the food they already have.”
“Ok, where do the kitchen staff keep the big serving platters?” asked Liam.
Smart man. If they took as much of the delicious loot as they could carry, they wouldn’t need to come back. Sophie pointed to the shelves at the rear of the kitchen. “Over there. The large ones they had for the wedding reception should be on one of the lower shelves.”
They set to work creating a feast on a plate. Cold meats. Smoked salmon. Pate. When Liam discovered a box of stuffed mushrooms in the back of the cool room, they both let out a cheer. Camille and Ryan wouldn’t be getting their hands on these little beauties.
Gastronomic masterpiece complete, Sophie picked up two glasses. She went to grab a bottle of champagne from the wine fridge, but was beaten to it by Liam. He had a bottle of champagne in either hand.
“I think we should plan on not coming back to the kitchen today. In fact, I think we should forget about leaving your room entirely,” said Liam.
He moved closer, and when their gazes met, she could have sworn she saw flames dancing in his eyes. Closing the distance between them, Liam bent and whispered seductively in Sophie’s ear. “We could play a game of ‘the floor is lava’. So we’d have to stay in bed just to be safe.”
An all too familiar pulse began to beat steadily between Sophie’s legs. Her nipples hardened. Liam wanted to spend the rest of the day in her bed. Fingers-crossed, that could mean only one thing. They were going to repeat the mistake of New York in all its naked and orgasmic glory.
Oh yes please.
