“We did. It now seems like a serious mistake. Tell me more about growing up, your dreams, your day tomorrow.”
Smiling, she sat in a rocker in her bedroom, gazing at her shelves of familiar books and pictures. “I grew up in Houston. I’ve always dreamed of painting and having my own gallery. Tomorrow—”
“Wait a minute. Back up. You grew up in Houston. House? Apartment? Best friends through your school years or did you move a lot? Tell me about your life, Sophia.”
When he said her name in his deep drawl, her pulse beat faster. “It can’t possibly be that fascinating. I grew up in one house, went to neighborhood elementary schools and then private schools later. I had the same close friends through elementary and then new friends in the private school. See? All very routine and ordinary.”
“There is absolutely nothing ordinary about you,” he said, stirring another thrilling physical reaction in her that threw her completely off base. She wasn’t used to feeling like this because of a man.
“What about you? You said you had it easy growing up?” she asked.
“I always went to private schools. I’ve had the same best friend all my life since I was too young to remember. Our fathers were best friends. I’ve had the same family home my whole life. I’m an only child.”
“We’re so much alike, I’m surprised we can stand each other, Garrett.” When he laughed, she felt her stomach drop, like she was in free fall. He was turning her inside out with just the sound of his voice.
“You’re already living your dream. Do you feel fulfilled, complete?” he asked.
“I think people always want more and keep striving. I am very happy with my life, though, and what I do.”
“Surely there’s something else you want.”
“Another successful gallery in Taos. I’d like to live in Santa Fe. But I already have a home and studio, and I have a cabin in the mountains near Questa, where I go for solitude to paint.”
“The Questa cabin sounds isolated.”
“No cell phone reception whatsoever, which is a plus. I have a caretaker. He and his family have a cabin close to mine, so there are people nearby. He has four dogs. Two take up with me when I’m there, so that’s a bit of company. It’s a good place to work with no interference—a good place to improve my skills as a painter.”
“I’d say you can settle for how well you paint right now.”
“No, I can definitely improve. So tell me about you, Garrett. Do you really dream of building furniture someday?”
“It’s pushed to a burner so far back, it will take years to get to it.”
As they talked, she moved to the window, switching off a lamp and gazing outside at the full moon. By the time she glanced at the clock, she was shocked to see it was half past three.
“Garrett, we have to get off the phone. It’s after three a.m., and you’re picking me up at seven.”
“All right. Sophia, you’re a remarkable woman,” he said in a solemn tone. She suddenly had a funny feeling that he had expected something different from her.
“And you are a remarkable man,” she replied softly. “Good night, Garrett. I will see you soon—very soon.”
“Night, Sophia,” he said, and was gone.
She turned off her phone and crawled into bed, Garrett dominating her thoughts completely. “Garrett,” she whispered, enjoying saying his name while she thought about his magical kisses. She had never expected to meet someone like him tonight. This wasn’t a time in her career to be distracted, yet he made her feel things she had never felt before. Morning couldn’t come quickly enough. She was already anxious to be with him again.
Two
Setting aside his phone to strip to his briefs, Garrett replayed the night, thinking of the first moment he had seen Sophia at the gallery. In high heels, she had to be six feet tall. Her midnight hair was straight and fell freely over her shoulders in a black cascade.
A dramatic black-and-white dress left one tan shoulder bare. The slit in the straight skirt revealed long, shapely legs with each step. Her mother’s Native American blood had given her smooth, olive skin, beautiful raven hair and her prominent cheekbones, yet she bore a striking resemblance to Will and reminded Garrett of Zach in her forthright, practical manner.
From the first moment she had captivated him. Dancing with her had fanned his desire until he ached to kiss her.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts.
While he hadn’t lied to her, he had still deceived her by not mentioning his ties to the Delaneys and his mission in Houston. At the moment she could be at her computer, looking him up and discovering he was an executive with Delaney Enterprises. A chill slithered through Garrett, turning him to ice. By breakfast time, she might already know the truth.
He didn’t want her to find out that way. He wanted to tell her about his relationship with the Delaneys himself. But if he did, he wouldn’t see her again, and neither the Delaneys nor she would get their inheritances.
His thoughts drifted to her soft, lush curves, her silky, midnight hair and her large, dark brown eyes …
After twenty more minutes of tossing and turning, he went to his indoor pool and swam laps, trying to stop thinking about Sophia yet wanting morning to come so he could see her again.
What if he did tell her about the Delaneys at breakfast? Maybe they already had enough of a connection that she’d agree to meet them.
Who was he kidding? Anyone who felt strongly enough to turn down billions wouldn’t change her mind because of a few kisses and one exciting night.
Glumly, he executed a flip-turn and mulled it over as he swam another lap. Three billion dollars—no one could turn down money like that, yet she had. Why? Was her anger at Argus Delaney that deep?
From what the P.I. had unearthed, Argus had continued seeing her mother until she died. At the end of her life, he had done everything to keep her comfortable, taking care of her medical bills and seeing that she had the best care possible. Why was Sophia so bitter? She didn’t seem a bitter, grudge-holding type. Sophisticated, intelligent, an inner core of steel, obviously hardworking, optimistic—all were qualities that he would use to describe her. It seemed difficult to imagine that she would have enough anger and hate to give up a three-billion-dollar inheritance.
He had to confess or risk Sophia discovering on her own the deception that grew larger with every passing hour.
Yet if he told her now, it was the end of what they’d only just started. And the termination of hope for the Delaneys.
Trying to shut off his nagging thoughts, he swore and swam harder.
It was another half hour before he was dry, sitting in his bedroom and staring out the window. Sleep eluded him. Worse, he was no closer to a decision about what he would do in a few hours when he saw her. Either way—tell
