Chapter 23

Andrew

When I woke up the next morning, Sophie was once again gone. This time, I didn’t panic. I just sighed and pushed myself out of bed. It was Friday morning, which meant I would spend most of the day in my office. For the first time in years, I hated the idea of going to work. All I wanted to do was find Sophie and spend the day with her. I knew she was probably in her wing of the house, showering and getting ready for the day.

It took all my energy to climb into my own shower and wake myself up. By the time I had adjusted to consciousness, it was time for breakfast. I got dressed quickly and hurried downstairs. It wasn’t until I reached the dining room that I realized I’d forgotten to style my hair. I saw my reflection in the mirror that sat above the drink cart and stared blankly at myself. Something was different, but at first, I couldn’t place it.

“Good morning, Mr. Andrew,” Liam’s voice called out from behind me. I spun around with a grin. Liam was smiling, but when I turned to face him, the smile fell into a frown. “Are you feeling all right, Mr. Andrew?”

“I feel fine,” I said. “Why?”

“You didn’t do your hair this morning,” Liam said nervously. “Are you sure you aren’t feeling sick?”

“Probably just the jet lag.” I yawned.

Liam’s face relaxed. He seemed to believe my jet lag excuse. “Breakfast?” Liam asked.

“Please.” I nodded eagerly and sat down in my usual seat.

Liam hurried into the kitchen to get the food. My eyes found the mirror again, and I shook my head. Things were slipping through the cracks. My desire to work was all but gone, and even my appearance was no longer a concern. I didn’t care that my hair wasn’t done. For the first time, I didn’t feel like I needed the control of a well-styled appearance.

My thoughts had returned to Sophie before Liam reappeared in the dining room. He laid a plate down in front of me and then slipped back in the kitchen to get my coffee.

“How was the trip?” Liam asked as I took a long gulp of my coffee. The warmth spread through my chest, and I sighed deeply. I hadn’t realized it, but my body was beat. I didn’t know if it was from traveling across the world or from losing myself in Sophie’s alluring body.

“It was great,” I said. “We went to the village my dad found years ago.”

“You did?” Liam raised his eyebrows. “Were they happy to see you?”

I nodded. “Sad to hear about Dad, though.”

“I’m sure,” Liam said. “They loved him dearly.”

“Everyone loved him,” I said.

Liam’s eyes narrowed slightly as he searched my face. He knew something was different about me. I thought about telling him everything, but I knew now wasn’t the time.

“The dig was perfect,” I said. “We got over twenty artifacts, two of which will be worth thousands when they’re cleaned up.”

“Did you find anything for Miss Antoinette?” Liam asked.

“I did,” I said. “Though I don’t know how satisfied she’ll be. The dig wasn’t as extensive as she was led to believe.”

“Will that be a problem?” Liam asked.

I shrugged. The truth was, I didn’t care. If Anti was angry about the artifacts, there wasn’t anything I could do about it. She would either be grateful or bitter. Either way, I didn’t want to waste my time thinking about it.

“Did Miss Sophie have a good time?” Liam asked.

“She seemed to,” I said without looking at him. “The village was her favorite part, I think.”

“You took her to the village?” Liam asked, a tone of surprise in his voice.

“Of course,” I said. “I couldn’t just leave her at the hotel. Besides, the whole point of bringing her along was to show her a piece of the world. She wouldn’t have gotten that if she only saw the dig site.”

“Even the dig site would have been an adventure for her,” Liam said.

“True.” I nodded. “But I wanted her to see more. She deserves to experience everything.”

Liam didn’t say anything right away. He was silent for some time. I nibbled at my food and tried to distract myself from thoughts of Sophie. It was no use.

I glanced at my watch. Sophie should’ve been down by now. I wondered if she’d gone straight to her office without eating. I frowned and waited a few minutes before checking my watch again. Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Has Sophie eaten this morning?” I asked.

“No sir,” Liam said. “I haven’t seen her yet.”

“I wonder if I should check on her…” I trailed off, glancing down the hallway toward the staircase.

“I see you and Miss Sophie bonded a bit on your trip,” Liam said with a knowing tone. “I’m glad you two are getting along now.”

“Sophie is a wonderful woman,” I said simply. “You should have seen her at the dig, Liam. She was a natural.”

“I’m sure she was.” Liam’s expression was a little too understanding as my eyes met his.

I looked away quickly. The last thing I needed was for Liam to start grilling me about my new relationship with Sophie. Liam worried about me just like a father would. I knew he would insist on a lecture, which would just detract from the amazing time Sophie and I had in Africa.

“Be careful, Mr. Andrew,” Liam said softly. “I get the feeling Miss Sophie is different from the other women you’ve had in your life. She isn’t the type of woman to engage in something casual.”

“Liam,” I said warningly.

“I won’t say anymore,” Liam said quickly. “Just know that it’s quite obvious something happened between you two. Like I said before, be careful with her feelings, Mr. Andrew.”

Before I had the chance to respond, Sophie appeared in the dining room. She bounced over to Liam and threw her arms around his neck.

“Liam!” she cooed. “I missed you!”

“Oh, Miss Sophie, you’re too kind to this old man.” Liam laughed. “How was your trip?”

“Incredible,” Sophie said brightly. “I don’t even know where to begin.”

“With breakfast,” I said quickly. Sophie turned to me with a smile. “Sit.”

I gestured toward the chair beside me, and Sophie hurried over. She sat down easily, her smile never faltering.

“Good morning, Andrew,” she said. Her voice was casual, but the look in her eyes was anything but.

“Good morning.” I grinned at her before turning to Liam. “Will you grab a plate for Sophie, please, Liam?”

“Of course.”

Liam hurried out of the room. Sophie and I didn’t speak while he was gone. We simply stared at each other and grinned as if we were in on some devious secret. Sophie’s foot slid across the floor and gently grazed mine. I groaned and leaned toward her, my eyes flickering to her lips.

“Now?” she asked playfully. “With Liam in the next room?”

“We shouldn’t,” I said softly. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.”

Liam reappeared with Sophie’s food. I leaned back in my chair, trying to wipe the desire from my face. I didn’t know if it worked, but Sophie quickly changed the subject, saving me from any further awkwardness with my butler.

“It feels strange to think about work again,” Sophie said. “After being in Africa.”

“I understand,” I said. “I woke up feeling incredibly lazy this morning. The last thing I want to do is sit behind my desk.”

“But we should,” Sophie said firmly. “I’m not far from figuring out the last issue with your books. Something went wrong about seven years ago. Whenever I read over those numbers, they just don’t add up.”

“What do you mean?” I asked with a frown.

“I’m not sure.” Sophie shook her head. “I need to do a little more digging, but once I figure it out, I’ll let you know.”

“Thank you.” I smiled.

“It shouldn’t take me long, but I should get up there.” Sophie sighed and quickly ate her food. She’d barely eaten anything at all when she pushed herself away from the table and got to her feet.

“You don’t have to rush,” I said. “Take your time.”

“If I don’t get started now, I’ll waste the whole day,” Sophie said.

I nodded and watched her walk down the hallway. Her hips drew my eyes. I remembered the last time I grabbed those hips, and my stomach tightened.

“I should get to work, too.” I groaned and shoved myself away from the table. “Thank you for breakfast, Liam.”

“Of course, Mr. Andrew.”

Liam’s eyes scrutinized my face the way they had countless times before. He knew about Sophie and me. That much was clear, but he didn’t know everything. I could tell he had a million questions, but he was good enough to keep those questions to himself.

I hurried into my office and pulled the door closed behind me. As I sat down, I hoped the familiarity would spark my desire to work. After an hour of staring blankly at my computer screen, I knew the day was a complete waste. Nothing I did could take my mind off Sophie.

The fact that she was just on the other side of the house was enough to keep my focus away from work. I pictured her sitting behind her desk, her long brown hair falling in her face as she analyzed the numbers yet again. I could see her forehead wrinkle, her green eyes narrow as she pulled her eyebrows together.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I got up and half-ran to the garage. If I was going to get any work done, I needed to first clear my head. I climbed on the back of my favorite bike and cranked the engine to life. It let out a loud roar as I kicked it into gear and sped down the driveway.

I drove faster than I should have, letting the wind whip across my face and arms. It was slightly cold, but I didn’t care. The fresh air was the only thing that stood a chance of helping me. Sophie’s face was still plastered across my brain. No matter how fast I drove, I just couldn’t shake her.

Part of me felt ridiculous. I slowed down, pulling back on the gas before I let myself become too reckless. There was no reason I should be so wrapped up with thoughts of Sophie, and yet, I couldn’t help it. Our trip to Africa had changed everything. Sophie had changed my entire life, and she didn’t even know it yet.

As I drove down back roads, I told myself to get it together. No matter how strong my feelings were for Sophie, I still had a job to do. Hopper Antiquities was my company, my responsibility. If I let it cave, I would never forgive myself.

After a few more minutes, I turned my bike around and slowly drove back home. When I pulled in the driveway, I was determined. My office waited for me just inside. There were a million things I needed to do. Emails had to be answered. Artifacts were waiting to be catalogued.

I turned off the bike and made my way inside. I fully intended to disappear inside my office and not leave until I felt like I’d done something productive. Then, I passed by the staircase that led to Sophie’s wing, and my body took over without my consent. I turned and hurried up the steps, not stopping until I was right outside Sophie’s office.