Andrew

Liam tiptoed into my office around two o’clock. He left the door open and hurried over to my desk. He set my lunch to the side of the computer and turned to leave, but the second I saw him, an idea began to form in my mind.

“Wait a minute, Liam,” I said.

I quickly finished typing out the email I’d been working on and then focused my attention on my butler.

“What is it, Mr. Andrew?” Liam asked with a frown.

“I want to do something special for Sophie tonight,” I said. I leaned back in my chair and sighed. “She seemed a little off this morning, so I think some alone time might be in order.”

“Would you like me to make you a reservation somewhere?” Liam asked.

“No.” I shook my head. “Dinner here, I think. Something a little more private. We can talk, plan the wedding, that sort of thing.”

“I’m sure she would love that,” Liam said. “I’m happy to watch Miss Nina this evening.”

“Thank you, Liam.” I smiled and nodded. This was exactly what Sophie and I needed.

“I’ll set up Nina’s travel crib in my room,” Liam said. “What would you like prepared for dinner?”

“Sophie’s favorite,” I said simply. Liam knew that chicken parmesan was the only thing Sophie could eat for every meal without ever tiring of it. “And don’t worry about setting the table. I’ll take care of that.”

“Are you sure?” Liam asked.

“Yes,” I said. “I want to handle that part myself.”

“Of course.” Liam nodded. “Let me know if there’s anything else.”

“Thank you.” I smiled and turned back to my computer.

Liam let himself out of the office as I pulled up the internet browser. Now that the plan was in place, I had to iron out all the details. I quickly ordered the flowers I wanted, complete with a centerpiece that would match perfectly. They were set to be delivered within the hour. Liam had dinner covered, so all that was left was to set the table and wait for Sophie to arrive home.

I blew off work for the rest of the day. Just over a year ago, I would have hated myself for spending an entire afternoon planning dinner instead of poring over artifacts and client profiles. Now, I knew Hopper Antiquities would survive without me.

When the flowers and centerpiece arrived, I had the delivery man put them carefully on the dining room table.

“Thank you,” I told him, slipping a twenty into his waiting hand.

“My pleasure, Mr. Hopper.”

The man left, and I turned to the table with a smile. It was just after three o’clock. Sophie planned to spend the entire day with her father, but I wanted to be ready when she arrived back home.

“Liam!” I called.

“Yes?” Liam asked, poking his head around the corner.

“What do you think of these?” I asked, pointing to the flowers.

They were an assortment of red, pink, and white roses. Sophie loved flowers of all kinds. She didn’t have a favorite, but I felt roses were appropriate for the evening I had planned.

“Are these Miss Sophie’s favorite?” Liam asked, gently touching a petal.

“She doesn’t have a favorite,” I said.

“Then, I think they’re perfect,” Liam said. “Roses are a classic flower. Very romantic.”

“That’s the goal.” I sighed and hurried over to the china cabinet.

Liam helped me pull out the fancy dishes and place settings. I also grabbed a couple of candlesticks that I knew Sophie would love.

“Are those your parents’?” Liam asked when I set the candlesticks on the table.

“Yes.” I nodded. “You think it’s too much?”

Liam’s eyes lit up with emotion as he shook his head. I only hoped Sophie would be as touched as Liam obviously was.

We finished setting the table, and then Liam disappeared into the kitchen. He cooked for a couple of hours while I made sure the dining room and bedroom were ready for Sophie’s arrival. After everything was in place, I took a shower and got dressed in one of my best suits. Sophie would be surprised to see me so dressed up. Just the thought of her face brought a smile to mine.

“Are you ready?” Liam asked when I reappeared in the dining room.

“Just about,” I said. “How’s the food?”

“Warming,” Liam said. “The salad is in the fridge, and I ordered a dessert from that bakery down the road. It should be here soon.”

“Perfect.” I looked around the dining room and nodded my approval. “Tonight will be perfect.”

As if on cue, I heard the front door creak open and the familiar sound of Sophie’s footsteps. Before she could reach the dining room, I ran to meet her.

“Hey, you,” I said. I swept over to kiss her, lingering for a second longer than usual.

“Hi.” Sophie blinked. “What was that for? And why are you so dressed up? Oh my god, did I forget something? Are we supposed to go somewhere tonight?”

“No.” I laughed. “We’re staying in tonight.”

“Okay?” Sophie frowned. “Then why are you dressed up?”

“Why don’t you run upstairs and get dressed,” I said. “Something nice.”

“But we aren’t going anywhere, right?” Sophie asked.

“Nope. We’re staying in.”

“I don’t understand,” Sophie said.

“You’ll see.” I grinned and took Nina from Sophie’s arms.

Sophie looked at me, her eyebrows pulled together and her forehead creased with confusion. I just smiled and gestured for her to head upstairs.

“I should feed Nina first,” Sophie said. “It’s time for her to have dinner.”

“I’ll take care of that,” Liam said. I hadn’t noticed him follow me into the entryway. “If you don’t mind.”

“Of course not,” I said. I kissed Nina’s head and handed her off to Liam. He cooed at her and then disappeared into the kitchen.

“What’s going on, Andrew?” Sophie asked nervously.

“Just trust me,” I said, grinning mischievously.

Sophie sighed and shrugged before she turned to head upstairs. I watched her go, my eyes trailing down her body. Even after having a child, she was still the sexiest woman I’d ever known.

Once she was safely upstairs, I ran into the kitchen and began bringing out the food. I wanted everything perfect for Sophie.

“Can I help you, Mr. Andrew?” Liam asked. “Nina’s almost finished eating.”

“I’ve got it,” I said. “Just take Nina upstairs when she’s done.”

“Should she have a bath tonight?” Liam asked.

“Whatever you want to do.” I shrugged. “I know you take great care of her, Liam.”

Liam smiled and went back to feeding Nina. I placed the final dish on the dining room table just as I heard Liam and Nina mount the stairs. They would have fun together, playing until Nina fell asleep.

It wasn’t long before Sophie reappeared at the foot of the stairs. I’d been waiting for her in the entryway, so I would block her view of the dining room.

“You look incredible,” I said softly.

Sophie blushed slightly and looked down at her dress. It was dark magenta and strapless. It hugged her body in a way that made my stomach flip and my dick throb. No matter how many times I saw her, I still had trouble controlling my urges.

“God, you’re gorgeous.” I shook my head and held out my arm for her to take.

“You still haven’t told me what’s going on,” Sophie said.

“You’ll see.”

I turned around and led Sophie down the hall. As we walked, the dining room came into view. Sophie inhaled sharply when she saw the candlelight flickering before us. We stepped into the room, and I watched as Sophie took in the scene around her.

“It beautiful,” she said weakly. “But why? What’s the occasion?”

“We agreed to set a wedding date,” I said with a shrug. “I thought that was something to celebrate.”

Sophie smiled and kissed me softly before we both made our way to the table and sat down.

“Thank you,” Sophie said. “This is amazing, Andrew.”

“Anything for you.”

We ate dinner and talked about our day. I told Sophie about the new accounts I’d pulled in that morning, and she told me all about her time with Rick.

“Did you ask him about heading up the exhibitions?” I asked.

“Yes,” Sophie said, shaking her head slowly. “He’s not interested, but he has a few names for you.”

“Names?” I asked.

“People he thinks might be open to travel,” Sophie said.

“I wish he’d do it.” I sighed. “He’s the perfect choice.”

“He wants to stay close,” Sophie said. “To Nina. And us.”

I nodded. It made sense, but I worried about my future father-in-law. Ever since our incident, I’d been trying to make up for how I reacted. He had been emotional after having lost his wife, and instead of understanding, I lashed out at him. Even over a year later, I still felt guilty.

“I can’t believe you did all this,” Sophie said as we finished our dessert. “It’s amazing.”

“You seemed so stressed this morning,” I said. I reached over to take her hand. “I thought you might need an evening to unwind.”

“I really did,” Sophie said. She glanced at the clock nervously. “Although, it’s almost time for Nina to get to bed. I should probably go grab her from Liam.”

“Liam has her for the night,” I said. “I’m sure he’s already getting her bathed as we speak.”

“For the night?” Sophie raised her eyebrows.

“All night,” I said. I kissed her knuckles and then looked back at her face. “An entire night. Just us.”

Sophie moaned and leaned across the table. Her lips found mine, and just like that, the room spun. I lost myself in her soft, alluring lips. When she pulled away, I fought the urge to lunge across the table and take her right there.

“I know you’re worried about the wedding,” I said. “But I want you to know that everything will be fine. Work can wait. Nina will be taken care of. Everything can be put aside while we plan this. You’ve waited long enough, Sophie. You deserve a wedding.”

“But, what if…” Sophie began, but I cut her off quickly.

“No buts,” I said. “Not tonight. Listen, Sophie, I love you. So much. I hate that we’ve waited this long to get married. You are meant to be my wife.”

Sophie smiled and moved closer to me.

“I want that,” she said. “More than anything.”

“Then, just let the rest of the world go,” I said. “At least for tonight. It’s just us. Just you and me. Nothing else matters.”

Sophie nodded and stood up slowly. I leaned back in my chair as she walked around the table to stand in front of me. I stared up at her, losing myself in her green eyes. She ran her fingers through my hair. My eyes fluttered closed.

Her lips found mine, and I groaned with desperation. I wanted her more than ever.

I ran my hands over her hips, grabbing her gently and pulling her closer. Our kiss deepened, and by the time Sophie pulled away, I was rock hard and flushed with desire.

“I want you,” My voice was rough. “Now.”

Sophie took my hand and pulled me to my feet without a word. She led the way out of the dining room, blowing out the candles as we went.

“These are so pretty,” she said, pointing to the candlesticks.

“They’re from my parent’s wedding,” I said.

Sophie’s eyes pooled with tears, and we made our way down the hall. She squeezed my hand and moved closer to me, letting her body rub against mine. My pants felt tight, and my stomach flipped with need.

“Are you sure Liam has Nina tonight?” Sophie asked when we reached the stairs.

“I promise,” I said.

“Good.” Sophie grinned and ran up the stairs.

I ran after her, grabbing her around the waist and making her giggle as we tumbled through the door to our bedroom.