Page 43 of All the Gossip from Paris
He never deigned to call either her or Camille women. The best he could manage was to reduce them to the level of children.
“Camille is happily married to Ryan. He seems a great guy and will make a wonderful father,” said Sophie.
“And what about the brother? You appear to be very friendly with him.”
His words dripped with jealousy. With a level of spite she hadn’t seen in Patrice for a long time. Then again, he hadn’t been around when she’d been with anyone else.
How does it feel to watch another man actually see me?
That unexpected thought, thrilled Sophie. Liam did see her. He’d said as much that night in New York.
“Liam is family. Ok, extended family, but he is now a part of my life. Mama asked me to take special care of him this evening. To show him a good time. That is exactly what I am doing.”
She chose her words carefully, making sure they could be construed both ways. If asked she would say they were purely innocent. The dark cloud which gathered around Patrice informed her he’d taken them exactly how they were meant to have been received. As a taunt.
He grabbed a hold of her arm, and leaned in close. “Do not play games with me, Sophie. You can stop pretending like you don’t care. You know I’m the best thing that has ever happened to you. And once you get over this foolish thing you have about me and other women, you’ll see I’m right.”
“Let go. Let go or I’ll scream,” she snapped.
“No you won’t. You wouldn’t dare cause a scene at your sister’s wedding.”
He was right. They both knew it. To Sophie’s relief, Patrice let go of her arm. As he reached the door, he turned back to her, and snarled. “Stay away from Liam Collins. I won’t say it again.”
Sophie lingered alone in the room for a while, quietly berating herself. “Why do I let him talk to me like that?”
The guilt and shame she’d carried throughout their relationship, as she’d endured Patrice’s numerous infidelities, still lingered. They’d been burned deep into her soul. It was the only reason she could think of for having not told her parents the truth of why she’d finally ended things with Patrice.
As much as she hated herself for the way she was, there was no fighting it. She’d go back to the wedding reception and be the perfect hostess to Liam. Make sure he met all the right people at the wedding. Ate all the best food.
And then at the end of the night she’d say goodbye. She would do as she had been told. Like she’d always done.
“My name is Sophie Royal, and I am a compulsive people pleaser.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
“Have a safe flight, and I’ll see you in the new year,” said Liam, giving his mom one last farewell hug. It was three days after the wedding, and Brenda and Pete were flying home to the states. Liam, who was originally meant to go with them, had decided to stay on in Paris.
The official story for him remaining in France was that he was still looking for a gig for Haute Couture Week. But there was another more personal reason behind Liam’s change of travel plans.
He couldn’t go home until he got some concrete answers about him and Sophie. Where did they stand? Was there a chance that they could be more than just a one night fling?
Right up until the moment Patrice had gatecrashed their little party at the wedding reception, Liam had been wondering if perhaps Sophie was thinking the same as him. That they might decide to revisit the fantastic mistake they’d made when she’d been in New York.
He’d wanted Sophie in his bed. Had thought he was sending all the right signals. And she was not only receiving them, but signaling back.
But when she returned to his side after having spoken to Patrice, it soon became clear her mood had changed. And it was not for the better. There was a definite cooling of the air between them. Whatever Patrice had said to Sophie, and Liam had his suspicions as to what that might have been, it had certainly struck a chord with her.
He’d thought about it long after the last of the wedding reception guests had gone. The past few years had seen him keep any potential relationship with a woman firmly at arm’s length. But this time with Sophie had got him wondering. Perhaps it was time for him to finally put his heartache in the past. To take a risk.
The options laid out before him were easy enough. He could go home to the US as planned and do his best to forget about Sophie. Or he could stick around and see if there really was something deeper to their connection.
It what could only be classed as a solid stroke of luck, Ryan and Camille had decided to delay their honeymoon. As soon as they heard he was considering remaining in Paris, they’d invited Liam to come and stay at the chateau.
If he was going to get the chance to talk to Sophie before she left for the annual Royal family Christmas vacation in Turks and Caicos, then her home was the best place to do it.
The worst that could come of it would be for Sophie to tell him she wasn’t interested. That she was heading off to the family’s private island with no regrets.
But for the first time in a long time, Liam decided it was worth taking a risk. She was worth it.
