‘But I do...’ Her eyes lowered to his mouth and returned twice as fierce, twice as needy. ‘I want you to kiss me, Jack.’
‘But I—’
‘I don’t want more...’ She stroked one hand back, her fingers tantalisingly soft in his hair. ‘I want to be there for you now, in this second. I want you to realise you are worthy of more than you know, I want...’
Her lips brushed over his, finishing the sentence for her, and he couldn’t hold back any more. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly to him. His head slanted to take more of her kiss, to swallow up the blissful moan she released, his own groan just as powerful, just as needy.
He couldn’t remember ever feeling more alive, more out of control. It was heady, intense, scary. He dragged his mouth away, her name leaving him on a pained whisper, and then he kissed her harder, his hold tighter. He needed her to be sure, to know what she was taking on.
‘Please, Jack, I want this.’
He found her lips again, his tongue feasting inside, teasing at her own. He felt the shiver that ran down her spine beneath his fingers, felt the way she curved her hips against him, and he didn’t doubt her, not for a second.
‘Even if we only do this once,’ she said against his mouth, ‘I want you to be my first.’
My first...
He jumped back as though burned, dragging in a lungful of air.
She was a virgin.
Their conversation over dinner that first time... She’d never, not once...?
He’d been Elena’s one and only. To be Sophia’s too... His gut lurched as he spun away from all her flushed glory. How could he?
Because you’re a cold, heartless bastard, that’s how.
‘You need to go, Sophia.’
‘But... Jack?’
‘Now, Sophia, just go!’
Before I pull you back to me and take all that you are offering without a backward glance.
Before I ruin what’s left of my soul and yours with it.
Before history repeats itself and this time Lily will witness it all and realise what a failure her father truly is.
There was silence behind him. She hadn’t moved and this time he looked at her, projecting all the hardness and self-loathing he could. ‘Please, just go.’
She blinked once, twice, then shook her head and scrubbed her heated cheeks. ‘You know what, Jack, maybe Elena was right. You have no heart, none at all.’
And then she was gone, her words pulling him apart inside. It was all he deserved and more.
But it didn’t make it easier to bear. It didn’t stop him wanting to run after her and plead for her forgiveness, to wish that life could be different, that he could be different.
He picked up his wine glass and necked the remainder before pouring another. He stared into the ruby-red liquid as though it possessed all the answers and felt the cold settle around him, inside him.
He was alone, very much alone, and he’d never felt more so.
CHAPTER EIGHT
SOPHIA WAS AVOIDING HIM. He knew it and she knew it.
She’d managed to prevent any chance meeting in the foyer all week by avoiding it all together. She’d not returned any of the missed calls and messages he’d left and the closest they’d got to any interaction had been a note she’d left at Reception for him with the details for Noah’s party. Today’s party.
Heaven help her...