“I don’t know.” He checked his phone. His eyebrows snapped into a deep V. “Al says he’s staying at the mansion overnight. He’s been a bit fussy and difficult while you were gone, and Al wanted to keep him overnight. Is that acceptable?”
“Sure. I’ll go get him tomorrow.”
“No need. Al’ll have him delivered.” She opened her mouth, and he put a finger over it. “Don’t argue.”
The doorbell rang, and he tapped his phone. The door clicked open.
A uniformed deliveryman came in with two large insulated chests and put them next to the dining table. Sophia watched in mild disbelief as he laid out lobster, ravioli, salad and three different desserts—tiramisu, pecan pie and vanilla chiffon cake. He also pulled out a bottle of chilled white wine.
“Is there anything else you need, sir?”
“No, thank you.” Dane scrawled his signature on a slip, and the man left.
She stared at the stuff on the table. “When did you have time to order all this?”
“Before we left the grove. Thought you might be tired and want to stay in. Unless you want to go out.”
And here she’d thought she’d done a good job of masking her fatigue. “No. Let’s stay in.”
Dane pulled out a chair for her and uncorked the wine. “How’s your hip?” he asked as he poured a glass for her and took his seat.
It had been throbbing for a while, but she didn’t want to dwell on it. It was nothing a warm soak couldn’t fix. “It’s fine.” She stuffed ravioli into her mouth, not wanting to talk about it. The complex flavor of creamy sauce and cheesy mushroom stuffing burst on her tongue, making her close her eyes briefly in appreciation.
Dane, however, remained undeterred. “Sophia. Full truth.”
“It’s really not that bad. A heat pack should take care of it.”
His fork and knife went still. Regret and something else far too complex to decipher flitted-through his gaze.
She reached out and patted his hand. “I was lucky. I could’ve been limping or worse. But look at me. Nobody can tell I even had an accident.”
He glanced away, then got up and poured a scotch. She noticed he always reached for the drink whenever he was upset or needed to stay calm.
Why did it bother him so much? Most people didn’t care that much about her injuries. The only person who felt deeply about them was Chad, but he considered himself partially responsible for what had happened to her. He thought he should’ve stayed behind and driven her to the airport. But that was nonsense. His sister had just been diagnosed with breast cancer, and she’d needed him. He’d had to leave on the earliest flight out of Paris. Sophia could never be upset over something like that.
She didn’t want to dwell on her achy joints and ruin the moment. Pasting on a smile, she gestured at the dessert. “I want one of each.”
“That’s more than the entrée.”
“What are you implying?” She patted her belly.
Finally, a small smile. “You can have as much as you want.” He got up. “I’ll start the bath for you.”
* * *
Dane had to leave before he said something stupid to tip her off. After dumping some bath salts in the huge tub, he ran the hot water and perched on the edge.
His eyes focused on a spot far beyond the mirror as something he’d read some years ago surfaced in his mind: Kindness is the beginning of cruelty. He’d thought the sentence apt, smugly confident that he knew its full epigrammatic meaning. He’d seen it growing up in his family, but what Sophia was doing was a million times worse because she didn’t have any ill intent. He hated himself for keeping quiet while listening to her trying to console him over her achy hip.
Brutal honesty had always been the foundation of how he dealt with everything and everyone. It saved tremendous amounts of time and angst. It also ensured he never wasted any mental energy on pleasing his father.
But honesty was the one thing that would put disgust and contempt in Sophia’s eyes when she looked at him.
He’d never cared what people thought of him…until her.
Call it whatever you like, you’re in love with her.
He gripped the edge of the tub and closed his eyes. Why couldn’t he have fallen for one of the blondes he’d dated? It would’ve been so…uncomplicated. He would’ve been able to go on as before.
Then he felt Sophia’s hand on his head, pulling him close. He inhaled her sweet scent and pressed his face against her chest.
“Come join me,” she said.
He didn’t have to open his eyes to know she was naked. Want thickened his blood, the frustrated, frustrating need from the night before pounding through him.