Sophie
Sophie kicked her heel restlessly as she looked around the busy terminal of JFK airport. There was still a good bit of time before her flight which left her with nothing to do but think about her upcoming trip to D.C. and her unfortunate choice in travel companion.
It sure as hell wasn’t a choice, thank you very much. Sophie nodded to herself. Damn right it wasn’t. What was Harry trying to prove, anyway? Throwing them together like this. It wasn't fair that she had been saddled with Cayden for the trip. She'd be more than happy to work solo.
She hated to admit it, even to herself, but the thought of spending the weekend alone with him made nerves erupt like a thousand butterflies inside her. It didn’t help that he was sexy as hell and the sight of his perfect dimples sent her body into overdrive.
“I can control my own body.” She whispered to herself, trying desperately to make herself believe it, “I’m a grown ass woman.”
The jangling ringtone of her phone reached her and Sophie sighed in relief. A distraction. Exactly what she needed. She fished her cell out of her oversized travel tote and nearly grinned when she saw Blair’s name on the caller id.
"Just who I wanted to talk to," Sophie said in a rush as she answered the call and held the phone to her ear.
“Good,” Blair said on the other line, “because you are exactly who I wanted to talk to. Hence the me calling you bit.” Sophie could practically see Blair’s eyes roll across the phone line.
Sophie bit back a smile, “So, what’s going on?”
“What’s going on is that you are about to go to Washington D.C. for the weekend and I couldn’t let you go without wishing you good luck first.”
“Thanks, I’m going to need it to get through the next few days with Ray–.”
"No, Soph, that's not what I'm talking about although to be honest you could use a little luck in that department too, that's another conversation entirely."
“Then what are you talking about Blair?” Sophie shook her head in confusion.
"The riots!" Her friend huffed in exasperation, "Have you not seen the news this morning? Things are getting tense in D.C. There have been several attacks and the weekend is only going to make things crazier. I’m worried about you.”
"Well, don't be. I've faced worse things than a couple of protests. Wars. Mafia. You know, perilous situations. I think I’ll be okay.” Now, if only she could make it through the weekend with Cayden as easily as she did an active war zone. She had a feeling dealing with Cayden Ray was going to be a hell of a lot trickier.
"Listen, Soph, it might not be a bad idea for you to stick with Cayden while you cover your stories." Blair started, but Sophie barely let her finish before she was arguing against it.
“Uh uh. Not going to happen. I don’t want to spend any more time with the man than I absolutely have to. I don’t know what Harry was thinking–.”
“I’m pretty sure he was thinking that a little healthy competition between us would help the better journalist rise to the top, so to speak.”
Sophie squeaked in surprise at the sudden intrusion into her conversation and nearly dropped her phone as she turned back to see Cayden’s smirking face staring back at her.
“Soph? Sophie? What was that? It sounded like a duck getting strangled. Is everything okay?” Blair was still talking in a rush in her ear.
"Yeah, Blair. I'm all right," Sophie said, trying to moderate her voice. "Listen, I've got to go. Don't worry about me, alright? I'll be good, I promise."
"I hope not," Cayden said under his breath but more than loud enough for her to catch the words. Sophie grit her teeth as Blair bid her a quick goodbye before ending the call. She forced her gaze to meet his, fighting the urge to blush and shout and sigh all at the same time.
"Do you make it a habit of sneaking up on people, Ray?"
"Just you." He said with a casual shrug and a wicked grin that made her want to scream as he dropped into the seat next to her. He slid her a sideways look. "I guess you're just special."
“Uh huh. Real special.”
"I mean it, Sophie," Cayden said, his voice dropping an octave and gaining a husky tone that made it suddenly hard to breathe. Why did airports have to be so damn hot? "You are special. Different than any woman I've met."
Sophie snorted, missing the undercurrent of honest confusion edging his words, "Right, Ray, the only reason I'm different than any woman you've met is because I'm the only one who's ever turned you down before."
“That’s not true!” He protested, holding up one hand and pretending to count on his fingers, “I’ve been turned down…at least three times before.”
“Wow. A whole three times.” Sophie said, looking at anywhere but him. It was so much harder to be around him when he was like this. Laid back and joking with her. Arrogant, self-centered, being a general asshole. She’d take that any day. Asshole Cayden was a whole hell of a lot easier to resist. “That must have been so hard for you.”
An expression of mock grief fell across his handsome features as he nodded solemnly, “It really was.” Cayden leaned forward suddenly, "Hey, why don't we grab a few drinks when we land in D.C. We're not going to be able to start working until tomorrow anyway. You know, just as co-workers."
“Co-workers, huh?" Sophie repeated, for the briefest moment considering his offer. But she was afraid that if she had any alcohol, her inhibitions would fly straight out of the window and that would be the end of her resolve to stay away from Cayden Ray. “I–.” She had just opened her mouth to turn him down when the crackled voice spoke over the intercom.
“Now boarding flight J-three-fourteen for Washington D.C.”
“That’s us. Better get going.” Sophie said hastily, grabbing her bag and heading for the line that was forming in front of the gate number. It wasn't long before they were filing in, the flight attendant scanning their tickets before directing them to board and Sophie heaved a sigh of relief that she and Cayden were seated at opposite ends of the plane. Something about that man's presence addled her brains, made her think things she really, really shouldn't.
But no matter how much she told herself not to, as the engines hummed to life and the plane took off down the runway, her thoughts turned back to him. Cayden Ray. It would be a mistake. A huge mistake. Off the charts mistake. But she also knew that giving in to him would open her up to a whole new world of pleasure. A world she’d never experienced before.
She was a twenty-eight-year-old virgin, but that still didn't stop her from imagining just how much pleasure Cayden could give her, on a physical level at least. But what about emotionally? An inner voice asked, ruining her fantasy. Because she knew the truth about that too. For Cayden, it would just be another conquest. Nothing more than a casual hook up. But what about for her?
Sophie's thoughts turned to her ex-fiancé, Peter. The reason why they'd broken up had been because he couldn't handle a nonsexual relationship, at least according to him. She was pretty sure he was just a run of the mill cheating jack ass, but still, the doubt remained. Maybe she should just let go for once in her life. Let herself take what she wanted.
In the back of her mind, in the deepest, darkest, dampest corners, she knew she wanted Cayden Ray as much as he wanted her. She had always believed she just hadn’t met the right man to share that part of herself with, even after dating Peter for nearly two years. But what would the cost be? Sophie had a feeling it would be far more than she was willing to pay.
The rest of the flight passed by in a blur as she wrestled with herself, her logic warring with her desire but by the time the wheels landed in Washington D.C. she knew the answer. Cayden Ray was just too dangerous. Better to be safe than sorry.
As soon as they landed, Sophie headed for the baggage claim to get her suitcase and hurried to catch a cab to the hotel the paper had set them up in, grateful that she avoided seeing Cayden again. She was worried he would destroy all the resolve she’d worked so hard on in the flight there.
In the lobby of the hotel, she was just checking in to her room when the all too familiar voice stopped her cold in her tracks.
“Hey, Sophie!”
Slowly, reluctantly, she turned to face him.
“Hey, you never answered my question.” Cayden’s words reached her, filling her with confusion.
“What question, Ray?”
"What do you say about those drinks?" The hope glimmering in his dark blue eyes was almost too much to resist. But she knew what she was there to do. And it wasn't to get shit faced with Cayden Ray, her biggest competitor. Slowly she shook her head watching his expression fall back into casual disinterest before she even opened her mouth.
“Sorry, Ray, I don’t think that’s a good idea. We’ve got to get to work early tomorrow. I think I’m just going to go to my room and get some rest.”
“Oh, it’s cool. Maybe some other time, then. We’re here all weekend.”
"Well, goodnight, Ray," Sophie said as she turned away with a small wave, hating the knot of nerves he’d tied her into with just a few careless words.
“Goodnight, Sophie.”