Chapter 12
Lucas
I stepped off the plane at LaGuardia Airport, slung my bag over my shoulder and walked through the airport, quickly texting for my driver to come pick me up. By the time I made it out the front doors of the airport, my longtime driver was waiting outside. Stanley stepped out of the car, took my bag for me and gestured me into the car. We rode in silence for the first few minutes as he threaded through the busy traffic surrounding the airport and headed into downtown Manhattan. I hated driving in Manhattan. It was a madhouse.
Stanley glanced my way after a few minutes, a glint in his blue eyes.
“How was the trip?” he asked.
“Effective,” I replied with a nod.
Stanley was endlessly amused at my annoyance with negotiations, such as the one I’d just tidied up. Stanley had been my father’s driver years back and had known me since I was a boy. After my father left my mother, Stanley had resigned his position. Years later, when I had enough money to hire my own driver, I’d immediately reached out to him. He’d become part of my full-time staff. I preferred to have people surrounding me day-to-day that I trusted. Stanley, Danny, and Suzanne were in a small circle around me. I trusted each of them completely.
“How are things here at the office?” I asked.
Stanley flicked his eyes to me and back to the road. “Uneventful,” he replied succinctly.
“You have another trip next week,” he added.
I bit back a groan. I’d forgotten I was supposed to go to London next week. Dammit. I didn't want to go. Sophia’s final reply to me last night had left me frustrated and unsettled. It annoyed me to no end to have her creating this artificial boundary about working for me. I thought it was bullshit. Adding to my annoyance and unsettled internal state was the fact I hated how much I cared. I'd hardly been able to stop thinking about her and had been impatient to see her. When I’d finally given in and told her I wanted her, I hadn’t expected her to turn me down.
I was furious about it. Part of my anger was with myself because I liked to be in control. Yet, I was definitely frustrated with her and didn’t intend to stand politely by while she blew me off. I slipped my phone out of my pocket and called Danny quickly.
He answered on the second ring. “Lucas, I assume you've landed,” he said by way of greeting.
“That I have. Stanley just reminded me of my London trip next week. I'd like you to reschedule it.”
I heard a subtle hesitation in Danny's reply, but he moved past it quickly. I knew he was wondering why I would schedule reschedule any meeting. I intended to remain in New York for a few weeks. I wanted enough time to get things back on the right track with Sophia. The last thing I wanted was to try to woo her, only to turn around and leave next week.
“Okay, is there any explanation I should offer?” he asked.
“Just tell them something came up. If necessary, let them know it's a personal matter. Wait. Scratch that. Let them know I have a project delay I need to deal with.”
That was a blatant lie, and Danny knew it. I anticipated he’d ask me about this at some point, but he was the master at waiting for the right time. One of the small advantages of being a worldwide leader in your own field was you could generally get away with things like this. I had no one left to impress and called my own shots. At the moment, I couldn't even remember who I was supposed to meet with in London. Probably one of the partners on an international project. No matter. Nothing was urgent except for Sophia. At least, not in my mind. An alarm sounded in the back of my thoughts, but I ignored it.
Stanley entered the garage for my building and rolled to a stop in front of the private elevator. Usually when I got home after a trip like this, short or long, I always felt a sense of relief when I arrived at my quiet apartment. Here and my house in San Francisco were the two places I called home. I spent the most time in them and could relax.
I beat back the urge to text or call Sophia right away. It occurred to me just now that I didn't actually know where she lived, but I knew how to find out. Normally, I would return from a trip like this and head straight to my pool for a few laps and a soak in the hot tub, or a steam in the sauna. This evening, I went directly to my home office, logged into the company's system and searched in the HR files.
I knew I shouldn't be doing what I was doing. In fact, if Suzanne knew, she would be furious. She played by the rules, and that meant HR records were handled by HR. All I wanted was Sophia's address, so I convinced myself it was okay. As soon as I found it, I entered it into my phone and logged out. After a quick shower, I changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a jersey shirt. Sophia lived only blocks away from me. I threaded my way through the evening shopping crowds before turning down her cross street. The doorman to her building let me in and requested my name before buzzing her. I briefly wondered if Suzanne would refuse to see me. After a few minutes, the doorman glanced back at me.
“I'm sorry. It appears Ms. Dawson isn’t available.”
I didn't wait for further information and spun on my heel. I paused outside on the sidewalk, briefly considering whether to call Stanley. Yet, I’d just told him to take the rest of the night off. I stepped onto the street, contemplating whether to hail a cab, or walk to the office. My best guess was Sophia was still working. Impatient to see her, I snagged a cab.
Within minutes, I was entering the office. It was past seven at night. There were a few lights on in the engineering side of the offices, but the administrative side was quiet. I stopped in front of the suite Sophia shared with Suzanne. Light filtered under the door. Just knowing I might be about to see her sent a bolt of lust through me. The effect she had on me was beyond my comprehension. I simply wanted her with a raw burning need.
I didn't knock and stepped inside, closing the outer door quietly behind me. A quick look towards Suzanne's office verified she was gone for the evening. Sophia had left her door open. I stepped through the doorway just as she looked up from her desk.
A sense of relief washed through me, mingling with another notch of need, the combination unsettling and invigorating. She set me on fire. Her eyes widened when she saw me.
“Lucas,” she said simply.
I leaned against the doorframe, sliding my hands into my pockets, feigning some semblance of control.
“Hi Sophia. You appear to be working late.”
Her hair was tied in a slapdash knot atop her head, loose auburn tendrils falling to frame her face. Her brown eyes were wide and the soft light from the corner lamp illuminated her. For a beat, she looked uncertain and then she nodded.
“I am. You haven't replied to any of my emails.”
“No, I haven't. I figured we could discuss anything necessary in person.”
I pushed off the doorframe and crossed the office toward her. I still wasn’t accustomed to the way the air came to life around us whenever I was near her. She bit her lip and let her breath out in a sigh.
When I reached her desk, I stopped. I wanted to kiss every freckle scattered across her nose.
“Are you here to work?” she asked.
I shook my head. “No, I was hoping you’d reconsider dinner with me.”
She was quiet for a moment. I could practically feel the wheels spinning in her brain. “Lucas, I told you I don’t think that’s a good idea,” she finally said, her tone resigned.
Intellectually, I knew why she was saying that, but I couldn't bring myself to care, not at all.
“At least have dinner with me. We'll call it a working dinner if that makes you feel better,” I added.
She tried not to smile, but she lost the fight, her lips curling and a little laugh escaping.