for a fact that other investors and developers were courting her and her sister. His pitch would work so much better in person, especially if he could get Sophie alone. She’d always dropped the tougher parts of her veneer when it was just the two of them.
Visions of Sophie flashed in his head—her lush red hair, her full lips, the way her brown eyes flickered with gold when she smiled. Each thought of her was more beautiful than the last. They’d been drawn to each other from the moment they met at a business school mixer. She laughed at his jokes and flirted like crazy with him, touching his arm and flashing her gorgeous eyes. They shared an immediate chemistry that was off the charts. In any other scenario, Jake would have taken her home that very first night.
But he made a point of keeping their relationship platonic, even when there had been days where that required superhuman strength. He wanted her. There was no question about that. But he knew how brutal those two years of school were going to be. He couldn’t afford to have a fellow classmate royally pissed at him for seducing her and then calling things off before they got serious, which was what Jake did every time. The panic when a woman started to get close to him was real. There was no erasing the part of his history that made him feel that way.
Still, the night they both gave in to their attraction had been magical. He couldn’t deny that. Two years of waiting and wondering and resisting can make giving in that much more delicious. They’d been studying at the library for hours, preparing for one of their final exams. Exhausted, Jake had asked Sophie if she wanted to go get a beer. She then realized how late it was, and in a panic asked Jake back to her apartment.
“My roommate is out of town and I’m supposed to feed her cat. The poor thing is probably starving. Come to my place. Okay?”
“Yeah. Sure. I just can’t study anymore.”
When they got to Sophie’s, after the cat had been fed, they sat on the couch and had a drink. To this day, he could remember the moment when he’d decided to finally kiss her. She’d put her gorgeous red hair in a pile on top of her head, and she’d laughed at one of his goofy jokes, quite possibly a little too hard, and her hair slumped to the side. She’d pulled at the tie, and it tumbled down onto her shoulders. Maybe he’d been tired. Maybe it was the beer. He only knew that after nearly two years of waiting, he had to kiss her.
So he did.
No woman had melted into him the way Sophie did. Her lips were pillow soft, her sweet smell truly beguiling, and her hands were everywhere. Before he knew what was happening, she was tugging his shirt up over his head and pushing him down on the couch, her body settling between his legs and driving him crazy with desire.
The moment when she sat back up, took his hand and led him to her bedroom was one of the most surreal. He’d fantasized about Sophie plenty, but she was also one of the only female friendships he’d managed to not only build, but maintain. He’d thought about it for a second that night, considered telling her it wasn’t a good idea for them to go to bed together, but once she took off her top and her stunning red hair tumbled back onto her shoulders? He was a goner.
They’d made love three times that night. They even took a shower together in the morning, which should have been enough to convince him that Sophie might be the one worth trying for more with. But when the time came for him to think about going back to his place, and it was clear that there were expectations for the two of them to discuss where this next went, Jake panicked just as he always had.
“You know, Sophie, last night was amazing, and I will always remember it. But we’re such great friends and we both have so much we want to do in our careers. I think it’s best if we chalk this up to two friends blowing off a little steam together.”
He knew the instant he’d said it that she deserved better. Sophie had wrapped her robe around her tight and nodded, forcing a smile. “Oh, yeah. Of course. A couple of friends hooking up, right? Happens all the time.”
He’d heard the hurt in her voice, but he told himself that with time it would go away. Sophie was too special—too smart, too funny, too beautiful. Some amazing guy, somewhere, would meet her and snatch her up and treat her the way she deserved to be treated. Jake wasn’t that guy. He didn’t possess the trust to let someone in like that. He’d tried and failed. He was self-aware enough to understand this particular shortcoming.
After their one night together, his friendship with Sophie quickly returned to its previous state, or at least close to it. Neither of them mentioned what had happened, they helped each other study, and soon enough, it was time to graduate. They’d hugged for a very long time that day. They’d wished each other luck. It was all perfectly normal and uncontroversial, except for Sophie’s parting words.
“I love you, Jake.”
Stunned, he ignored what she’d said and simply let her walk away. A few times during the eight years since then, Sophie’s words had resurfaced in his memory. He always fought them back. I love you was something a woman said right before she left forever. And sure enough, that was exactly what Sophie Eden did.
Once again, Sophie had to start her workday by rushing through the shoe department, but she didn’t make it far before she stopped dead in her tracks. A stunning pair of chartreuse-green Blahniks had appeared since yesterday. Perched on a tall pedestal, with small bundles of sparkly beads and intricate lacing up the front, they were like a phoenix rising from the ashes of the other, lesser shoes. They stole her breath. She had to have them. They were sexy as all get-out. If only she had a man to test them out on. Her dating calendar had been tragically light since coming to work at Eden’s.
“Marie,” Sophie called out to the department head. She was training a new salesperson. “Can you set aside a pair of these for me?”
Marie smiled generously. “I thought those might catch your eye. They’re already in your office, sitting on your desk. Just have Lizzie buzz me if you don’t like them and I’ll have someone come by to pick them up.”
“Do you really think I might not like them?”
Marie shook her head. “Not a chance.”
Sophie grinned. Her job was sometimes overwhelming, but this was one of her favorite perks. Without another second to waste, she rushed back to the elevator and up to the top floor.
“Morning, Lizzie. What’s the gift-basket count today?”
“Five, I’m afraid. I think people are trying to outdo each other now.”
Sophie trailed into her office and set down her things, bypassing the baskets and zeroing in on the beautiful heels nestled in a box and tissue on her desk. She sat down and removed her pumps and worked her feet into the new shoes. “Did we at least get anything good?”
“How do two dozen gourmet caramel apples slathered in chocolate and sprinkles sound?”
“Like I need to skip lunch. Which is perfect because today is crazy.” Sophie stood up and took the new pumps for a spin around her office. “What do you think?”
“Honestly? Sexy. Super sexy.”
Sophie admired her feet again. Sure her toes were pinched and her arches would be screaming by the time the day was over, but she didn’t care. Right now, beautiful shoes were the only things that were making her happy. “If Marie comes by, tell her
