about inventing yourself.’
The idea smacked Sophie in the head and she let out a surprised little gasp. Then she dropped his hand. Her body moved faster than her brain. She levered herself over the small table, grabbed his head and plunging her still chilled fingers into his thick, brown hair, and kissed him. His tongue was warm and soft, and after just one surprised second he kissed her back. Touching her jaw so that the energy from his fingers shivered up her face, under her skin, across her scalp.
Her mouth opened further and she sucked his tongue gently. He made a desperate noise.
‘We’re making quite a display,’ she said. Simon sat under the table at her feet. The screened-in patio area was deserted but for them. But people inside could see. People on the sidewalk could see.
‘Who cares?’ he answered, touching her cheek, kissing her again.
‘God, don’t think I’m crazy.’
‘I don’t.’
‘Don’t think … Well, don’t think anything bad of me,’ she whispered.
He pulled back a bit, stared her in the eye. Blue eyes, she saw. Blue like the sky in fall right before the weather gets cold. ‘Why would I?’
‘Because I’m going to ask you to come home with me.’
‘I can do that.’ His eyes were bright as he regarded her. ‘But only if you really want me to.’
‘I do. Do you think that’s nuts?’
‘A little.’ He shrugged, sitting back and taking her hand again. His skin was warm and so was his expression. ‘But Sophie, often the best things in life are. Crazy is how some of the greatest things have come into being.’
They walked. Him telling her about the transition between banking and animals. She nodded and wished she had the nerve to take his hand when he said, ‘It is much more pleasant dealing with people all day who are distraught or concerned over their pets than their money. There’s a big gap between adoring your furry friends and some dead presidents stamped on paper.’
‘I’d imagine so. You seem …’ She looked down at Simon, watched her feet.
‘Deranged? Maniacal? Brilliant?’ He teased. Took her hand in his and squeezed. It was an oddly intimate gesture for two people who’d just met and yet …
Feels right …
‘You can’t leave a sentence like that hanging, Sophie. It’s just unfair. Especially since I have an overwhelming need to know what’s going on in that head of yours.’
‘You seem so in tune with yourself. So OK with it all.’ She growled, remembering her assignment. ‘It’s what I want to be. It just seems so impossible.’
He nodded, swinging her hand once, squeezing, letting go to shove his hands deep in his pockets. ‘That’s because it is impossible. Until it isn’t any more.’
‘Thanks for clearing that up.’ She laughed, stopping short.
‘What? You’re ditching me because of my cryptic comment. Give me a minute, I’ll think of another.’ He chuckled.
‘Nope. This is my place. Are you coming up with me, Tate?’
He brushed a stray hair from her cheek and swept his thumb across her bottom lip. Sophie had to fight the urge to kiss it. It was insane, really, the whole damn day. She never should have brought him here. Never should have jumped into this head first, yet her body ignored all the stuff her mind said and lit up like someone had plugged her in. She felt glowing and alive and … terrified, but in an utterly good way.
He gave her a mischievous look. ‘Lead the way.’
Chapter Seven
He paused inside her front door, taking in the white wicker furniture, the high ceilings, the butter yellow walls. A few tapestries and giant corkboards filled with pictures and notes for her columns and the occasional short fiction piece she’d try her hand at.
‘You’re a very happy person,’ he said, nodding.
‘At the moment I’m a very frustrated person.’
‘I mean intrinsically,’ he said, taking off his coat.
Sophie paused to admire what was under the coat. The patio had been only semi-heated so
The idea smacked Sophie in the head and she let out a surprised little gasp. Then she dropped his hand. Her body moved faster than her brain. She levered herself over the small table, grabbed his head and plunging her still chilled fingers into his thick, brown hair, and kissed him. His tongue was warm and soft, and after just one surprised second he kissed her back. Touching her jaw so that the energy from his fingers shivered up her face, under her skin, across her scalp.
Her mouth opened further and she sucked his tongue gently. He made a desperate noise.
‘We’re making quite a display,’ she said. Simon sat under the table at her feet. The screened-in patio area was deserted but for them. But people inside could see. People on the sidewalk could see.
‘Who cares?’ he answered, touching her cheek, kissing her again.
‘God, don’t think I’m crazy.’
‘I don’t.’
‘Don’t think … Well, don’t think anything bad of me,’ she whispered.
He pulled back a bit, stared her in the eye. Blue eyes, she saw. Blue like the sky in fall right before the weather gets cold. ‘Why would I?’
‘Because I’m going to ask you to come home with me.’
‘I can do that.’ His eyes were bright as he regarded her. ‘But only if you really want me to.’
‘I do. Do you think that’s nuts?’
‘A little.’ He shrugged, sitting back and taking her hand again. His skin was warm and so was his expression. ‘But Sophie, often the best things in life are. Crazy is how some of the greatest things have come into being.’
They walked. Him telling her about the transition between banking and animals. She nodded and wished she had the nerve to take his hand when he said, ‘It is much more pleasant dealing with people all day who are distraught or concerned over their pets than their money. There’s a big gap between adoring your furry friends and some dead presidents stamped on paper.’
‘I’d imagine so. You seem …’ She looked down at Simon, watched her feet.
‘Deranged? Maniacal? Brilliant?’ He teased. Took her hand in his and squeezed. It was an oddly intimate gesture for two people who’d just met and yet …
Feels right …
‘You can’t leave a sentence like that hanging, Sophie. It’s just unfair. Especially since I have an overwhelming need to know what’s going on in that head of yours.’
‘You seem so in tune with yourself. So OK with it all.’ She growled, remembering her assignment. ‘It’s what I want to be. It just seems so impossible.’
He nodded, swinging her hand once, squeezing, letting go to shove his hands deep in his pockets. ‘That’s because it is impossible. Until it isn’t any more.’
‘Thanks for clearing that up.’ She laughed, stopping short.
‘What? You’re ditching me because of my cryptic comment. Give me a minute, I’ll think of another.’ He chuckled.
‘Nope. This is my place. Are you coming up with me, Tate?’
He brushed a stray hair from her cheek and swept his thumb across her bottom lip. Sophie had to fight the urge to kiss it. It was insane, really, the whole damn day. She never should have brought him here. Never should have jumped into this head first, yet her body ignored all the stuff her mind said and lit up like someone had plugged her in. She felt glowing and alive and … terrified, but in an utterly good way.
He gave her a mischievous look. ‘Lead the way.’
Chapter Seven
He paused inside her front door, taking in the white wicker furniture, the high ceilings, the butter yellow walls. A few tapestries and giant corkboards filled with pictures and notes for her columns and the occasional short fiction piece she’d try her hand at.
‘You’re a very happy person,’ he said, nodding.
‘At the moment I’m a very frustrated person.’
‘I mean intrinsically,’ he said, taking off his coat.
Sophie paused to admire what was under the coat. The patio had been only semi-heated so
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