The Billionaire’s Forbidden Desire(12)

“What makes you think I have troubles?”

“You were drinking, and you don’t really seem like an alcoholic, so…” She cleared her throat, looking away. “It looked like you had something painful you wanted to either forget about or run from.”

Silence stretched, and he didn’t move. Sophia winced. Maybe it was presumptuous or something to talk that way after sex?

“Go to sleep,” he said softly, his voice oddly lacking inflection. He pulled the covers over her.

Something was off, but her tired mind couldn’t quite grasp it. She let her heavy eyelids fall. She could sort it out tomorrow.

* * *

Dane looked at the slim blonde curled next to him. She was breathing evenly now, her body relaxed in sleep. What the hell had he been thinking?

Nothing. That was the problem. Drinking for the last four—or was it five?—days hadn’t done a thing to make him any sharper. And he’d had more than three bottles of scotch, despite what he’d told her. He’d just lost count after the second day, but he was going through more than three a day.

Something painful he wanted to either forget about or run from…

Damn it.

How weak and vulnerable that sounded. He wasn’t running from anything. Every shitty memory was a life lesson. Every harsh word he’d heard stripped another blindfold from his eyes.

Dane studied her face. He wished he could trace the delicate line of her nose…the smooth curve of her lower lip…the stubborn sharp tip of her chin. But he didn’t dare do anything that could wake her up. If she opened those honest, perceptive eyes of hers and looked at him, his resolve to leave might crumble. So instead he drew in close and inhaled her sweet scent one last time, etching every subtle fragrant layer into his memory.

He went to the dresser and found a memo pad and a pen. He scrawled ten digits, all neat and legible. Then he added: Call in case of unintended consequences.

She’d been sure she wouldn’t get pregnant, but nothing was one hundred percent certain in life. He should’ve never given in to the urge when he didn’t have a condom, but he hadn’t been able to resist.

Probably a five percent chance she’ll dial the number. That was five percent too high, but somehow he couldn’t bring himself to regret spending the night with her.

And precisely for that reason, he got dressed and left.





Chapter Seven


It had been two months, but Sophia couldn’t stop looking at the memo from time to time. There was no signature, but she didn’t need one to feel Dane’s touch on it.

“Girl, you have it bad,” Libby said, stepping onto the deck in a sky-blue bikini that brought out her eyes.

Her best friend had arrived the previous week. Sophia had already told her everything over the phone, but Libby had made her go over it all again face-to-face.

Sophia folded the memo. “It’s nothing.”

Libby plopped herself down on a lounge chair and smoothed her curly brown hair behind her. “So throw it away.” She sucked down a juice drink, her bright pink lipstick smearing the straw.

“Maybe later.” Sophia still couldn’t figure out why he’d just…vanished. She’d racked her brain, thinking about everything that had happened, but still couldn’t come up with a reason.

“Don’t let it get to you. Some men take advantage. But that’s on him, not you. We’ll find you a nice guy when you get back in town.”

“But I told you he didn’t. I started it, and I’m pretty sure that if I hadn’t, he wouldn’t have done anything.”

“Oh, come on. He’s a man, and you’re gorgeous.” Libby frowned. “You think maybe he was scared of Chad?”

Sophia shook her head. “Doubt it. He’s not the type to be intimidated.”

“How do you know?”

“Because he didn’t, you know, shrink back when Chad gave him the once-over. It wasn’t an entirely friendly appraisal.”

“Fine. So call him.”

Sophia flushed. “For what? I’m not pregnant.” There was no other interpretation of “unintended consequences,” was there?

“Yeah, but what if he changed his mind? He wouldn’t know how to get in touch with you or want to drop everything and come back here on the small chance that you might still be around.” Libby pursed her mouth. “I just hate seeing you being indecisive. I know he was your first, but…” She sighed. “It looks like you need some kind of closure. So go get some.”

Biting her lower lip, Sophia unfolded the memo and stared at the ten neatly written numbers again. She recognized the area code as L.A. She and Dane were in the same time zone, and it was only eleven in the morning. “You know what? You’re right.”