were cute. Eddy, dressed in a tiny tie that was hilarious on him, was standing with his hands on a small stool. Addy, wearing a dress that almost swallowed her whole and bows on itty-bitty ponytails, sat on a blanket next to the stool. Both kids were grinning wildly and Addy was clapping. They looked...perfect. Something in his chest tightened as he stared at the picture.
He said a silent prayer for their father. What a damn shame that the man hadn’t lived long enough to love his perfect family. If Eric had a wife like Sofia and kids like these babies, he wouldn’t have done anything stupid like die. He’d spend the rest of his life making sure this family was happy and whole. He’d give them every opportunity he’d ever had and more.
His mind spun out a—well, a fantasy. Working with Sofia, then going home with her at the end of the day, doing all those things he’d watched Marcus do with his wife and son—messy dinners and playing in the park. Then, when the kids went to bed at night, Eric would pull Sofia into his arms and into bed, where he’d spend the better part of the night—and the next morning—getting lost in the pleasures of her body.
It was almost perfect, that little fantasy of his. But he couldn’t just step into Sofia’s life like that. He did not sleep with employees. Hell, he shouldn’t even be fantasizing about them.
Belatedly, he realized Sofia hadn’t answered his question. He glanced up and caught her staring at him staring at her picture. Trying to act casual, he set it back on the desk. “I’d miss them, too,” he admitted, touching the frame with his finger. “How are they doing with you being at work?”
“It’s been a little rough,” she said quietly, as if she were afraid someone might overhear her admit to a weakness. She quickly added, “But it’s not impacting my ability to do the job, Mr. Jenner.”
It should have been the thing he wanted to hear. Yes, he wanted his employees happy, but only because he wanted them to do their jobs to the best of their abilities.
So why did her words bother him so much?
He must have scowled because her eyes widened in what looked like alarm.
“Then what’s bothering you?” he asked.
She didn’t answer for a moment. Instead, her gaze lingered on his face before drifting down to his shoulders and the rest of his body.
Eric liked to think he wasn’t a stupid man. He liked women on principle. He’d been enjoying them in one capacity or another since he’d gone away to school.
So he didn’t think he was misinterpreting the way Sofia took in his body or the way the color on her cheeks deepened as her gaze met his again.
Interest. Attraction, even. Sofia looked at him as if he was a man she might just like to take a weekend trip with. And his body responded in a primal way. He heard his voice deepen when he said, “You can tell me, Sofia. You know that.”
Her gaze jerked up to meet his. Her eyes were dark with desire and when she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, he went painfully hard. His body tilted toward hers of its own volition.
She glanced away, breaking the spell. “I was looking at the itinerary and it says we’re having dinner with the lieutenant governor and a cocktail party with the mayor? I don’t know what to wear...”
Ah, this was a problem he understood. “Is that all?”
“No,” she said quietly. Her face turned bright red. “I mean, that’s the only thing that I’m concerned I won’t be prepared for. For the trip. The kids will be fine. We’re only going to be gone two nights, right?”
“Right. We’ll leave Friday morning and be back Sunday evening.”
He knew what he needed to do. He’d have to give up his afternoon on the water but for some irrational reason, he found himself looking forward to it. Because this was one way to get her out of those stuffy jackets.
“Tell you what,” he began. “We’ll take the afternoon off and get you something to wear.”
* * *
Limos, while practically a requirement for billionaires, were damned inconvenient to get around in downtown Chicago. Eric vastly preferred his Ferrari F60—one of only ten made—and he preferred driving himself.
Which meant Sofia was sitting next to him, clutching the door handle as if her life depended on it as he weaved through traffic on his way to Barneys. Her scent filled the car, warm and light. She smelled so good, like cookies fresh out of the oven. That had to be why he wanted to press his lips against the base of her neck and take a little bite.
“Macy’s is fine. Even Nordstrom,” she said for the sixth time.
To Eric’s ears, she sounded almost desperate about it. Which was enough to keep him focused on the task at hand. Barely. “Come on, Sofia. I’m not exactly leading you to the gallows here. It’s just a department store.” They came to a screeching halt at a stoplight and he glanced over at her.
No, she wasn’t happy. He had to be careful that he didn’t accidentally push her too far. A cocktail dress was no reason to have a panic attack, in his opinion.
She snorted. “Eric,” she began and he secretly thrilled to hear her use his name again. It bothered him more than he’d realized that she’d called him Mr. Jenner. “Look. I can’t afford anything in this store, okay?”
Yeah, but he was buying. “Don’t worry about it.”
The light turned green but, in true Chicago fashion, he had to wait for another four cars to blow through the red before he could go.
“No,” she said, sounding stronger. “We’re not ten anymore. And don’t you dare turn into your mother, buying me frilly dresses that I’ll never be able to wear again.”
“First off, how dare you?” he said in mock outrage and she laughed. He grinned wildly at her. This was how he liked her—not cautious or worried, but ready and willing to give him hell. “I’m nothing like my mother, I’ll have you know. Any dress I buy you won’t be frilly.” Even as he said it, his mind began to leap ahead. Sofia had the kind of body that called out for something slinky that cut close to her body, with a deep V in front so he could properly appreciate her...assets.
“You can’t buy me clothes, Eric,” she said in a quiet voice. “Would you buy Meryl clothes? Or Steve, for that matter?”
He scowled at a car that cut in front of him. “No, but they already know what’s expected. Besides, if you think I’m going to let you walk into a situation where you’re unprepared, you don’t know me as well as you think you do.”
But she was right. He wouldn’t buy clothes for anyone else, wouldn’t give anyone else the afternoon off and take them shopping. Just her.
He cleared his throat as the car came to a screeching halt outside Barneys. The valet was at Eric’s door in an instant. “Mr. Jenner, good to see you again,” the man said.
“Norman,” Eric replied, handing over his keys. “Extra gentle with her, okay?” From the passenger seat, Sofia snorted.
He crossed around the front of the vehicle and opened Sofia’s door. “It won’t be that bad,” he promised, holding out his hand to her. “It
