And then she was gone, the door closing softly behind her, and he knew she meant it. That she wanted nothing more to do with him.
But she was angry, upset; she just needed time to think, time to understand how worried he’d been, why he’d said all he had. Idiot. He forked his hands through his hair, leaving them to hang off the back of his neck in desperation.
He should have been more controlled. He should have thought before he’d spoken. But that was just it—he’d been too upset to think.
And he’d hurt her in the process.
Really hurt her.
He turned to go back to his suite, turned again to go to Sophia, repeated the move and knew he had to go to Lily, that Sophia needed time to cool off. And that was the one thing they had—time.
All flights were grounded due to the storm.
He just hoped there was enough time to fix the damage his words had done.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
THERE WASN’T ENOUGH TIME.
Twelve hours later and he’d learned from the hotel staff that Sophia had checked out and paid for her room. She’d left no message, no details of where she’d gone or how she planned to get home. Domestic flights were still cancelled when his own jet had been given permission to leave and so they’d travelled back to the UK without her, a fact that had Lily refusing to speak to him.
It had been nearly a week now and no word. Lily was still barely speaking to him and he couldn’t concentrate on work, on anything. He’d avoided booking back into her hotel, wanting to give her the space she so obviously still needed. But it was becoming more and more obvious she wasn’t coming around.
Every message, every email, every phone call, all ignored, and he couldn’t bear it any longer. He had to see her. He had to explain. He had to make her see how sorry he was, how right she had been, about everything. He had been living his life in fear of the past, doing everything he’d accused her of doing.
And now he wanted a chance to show her that he was ready to move on. With her. If she’d have him.
He checked his watch. It was two o’clock on a Friday afternoon. She was more likely to be at work than at home and since Lily was with Ms Archer studying—something she was far more positive about now that she knew he was finding her a school—it meant he could go to see Sophia alone.
He walked into the hotel foyer and felt his heart pulsing right up through his throat. He was nervous, so nervous, and being in her space, surrounded by memories of her... He couldn’t mess this up. He just couldn’t.
He strode over to the reception desk and the woman behind it smiled up at him. ‘Good afternoon, Mr McGregor, it’s a pleasure to see you again. How may I help you?’
‘I’d like to speak to Ms Lambert, if she’s available.’
She frowned, her head cocking to one side as she looked to her computer screen. ‘I do believe Ms Lambert is currently on leave. Let me just check...’
She navigated the system as he drummed his fingers on the countertop, hoping that she was wrong.
‘Yes, I’m afraid she is away, but—’
‘Mr McGregor, how lovely to see you back here.’
He turned at the familiar male voice and saw the assistant manager approaching.
‘Andrew, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, well remembered, sir.’
Jack looked to him with hope. ‘You wouldn’t happen to know where I can reach Soph—Ms Lambert?’
Andrew’s eyes sparkled over his faux pas. Just how much did this man know of him and Sophia? And if he did know, would he still help?
‘Come this way, sir.’
He touched Jack’s arm lightly and led him off to one side, out of earshot. ‘I believe she’s in Hertfordshire.’
‘Hertfordshire?’