The sun filtered in through the window as Sophia woke, the corners of her eyes gritty with sleep. She was curled up next to Tomas’s body, her head tucked beneath his chin and her ear pressed against his warm chest. She could just make out his heartbeat and the rise and fall of his steady breathing. She closed her eyes again, indulging in the moment of being held in his arms while he slept. Her cheeks burned as she realized that she had managed to do something she had never done before. She had spent the night in a man’s arms. In Tomas’s arms. They had slept together in the most literal sense of the term.
For that, she most definitely was not sorry.
She opened her eyes again and very carefully shifted so she could rest on her elbow and examine him. She got a thrill simply looking at him sleeping: his golden skin so much darker than her own pale, slightly freckled complexion, the thick fringe of lashes that lay on his cheeks and the hint of dark stubble on his jaw. For a fleeting moment she let hersel
f believe that he was hers. No one else’s. Just hers. It was an unsettling feeling knowing she wanted him to be. Sex or not, her feelings for Tomas were growing and becoming more complicated. Not love, but definitely something.
She counted down days. Only three left, after today. Her time here was drawing short, and she found she didn’t want to go home yet, even though she knew she must. It was more than the country working on her heart, she realized. More than the novelty and the exoticism of it, so very different from her own way of life. More than the comfort and peace of the estancia. No, it was Tomas. She knew that months from now when she looked back, it would be Tomas she would remember most. Tomas whose face would still be clear in her mind.
Her hand began to fall asleep and she carefully tried to change position. Tomas’s lashes flickered and then raised. When the sleep cleared, his eyes focused on her, and she felt the queer lifting in her chest once again. Tomas tightened his arm around her and pulled her in against him, drawing her close and dropping a light kiss on her forehead.
“Buenos dias,” he said softly, and Sophia smiled against him, feeling that any errors of the previous night were forgiven. “Buenos dias to you, too,” she replied. She supposed now that they were both awake they’d have to get up and out of their cozy cocoon. But Tomas’s possessive arm stayed where it was and she held on awhile longer.
“The bed is too comfortable,” he grumbled. “I suppose I should get up and tend to the animals.” Tomas shifted on to his side so he was facing her. “You could help me today. You can wear your new jeans and you can help me move the cattle.”
“You’d trust me to do that?” She rose up on to her elbow. Were they not going to speak of last night then? On one hand she was vastly relieved, and she was pleased he had asked her to help today. But on the other, it showed her nothing had changed for him. It was back to work as usual.
“Of course. It will be fun. It is one of the things Carlos will be doing with tourists, you know. I’ll show you what to do. And I would like your company.”
“I’d like to go with you,” she admitted. What had she expected? Morning declarations and flowery speeches? Of course not. She would show him that nothing had changed for her, either. “It would be lonely here in the house alone.”
“Maria and Carlos will be back this evening. It won’t be quiet for long.”
When she’d first arrived Sophia had wished for the Rodriguezes’ presence simply so she wouldn’t have to butt heads with Tomas. Now she wanted more time alone with him, and he sounded relieved that Maria and Carlos would be here to run interference. Sophia suddenly felt embarrassed about last night, clinging to him when she should have gone to her own room. He’d only been polite. He’d acted kindly instead of pushing her away. She wanted to bury her face in her hands, but resisted. Now she just wanted to get out of here.
“Sophia…”
“Hmm?” She sat up and began to swing her legs over the edge of the mattress.
“I want to apologize for how I treated you when you arrived.”
The apology gave her pause and she carefully put her feet on the floor. She forced a laugh and looked over her shoulder at him. “I deserved it. I might not be very good at this ranch stuff, Tomas, but I think I am done with putting on appearances. It feels liberating, so don’t apologize.”
She pushed herself up off the bed and ran her hands down her wrinkled blouse. “Now, if we’re going to be working today, we need a good breakfast. I’m going to make pancakes.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you now?”
“Yes, I am. You’re not the only one who can cook, you know.” He wasn’t the only one who could do a lot of things. Like pretend last night never happened.
“Have you been holding out on me, Señorita Hollingsworth?” He pushed himself to a sitting position and she tried not to stare at the bare expanse of his chest, and the warm skin where, up until a few minutes ago, she’d been snuggling.
His teasing was light with innuendo, and she couldn’t help the bit of relief that rushed through her as she replied, “Most definitely, Señor Mendoza.”
“Then get to it. After lunch, we can try out the pool.”
Sophia’s cheeks warmed as she scuttled from Tomas’s bedroom. So he would come with her after all. She told herself not to get her hopes up, not to read more into things than was there. Last night had been a disaster and this morning there hadn’t even been a good morning kiss. No, there was nothing more going on with her and Tomas.
Nevertheless, the thought of basking in the sun with him, dressed only in her two-piece suit gave her a queer feeling in her stomach.
Sophia finished the tidying while Tomas got the horses. She quickly changed, deciding on her new jeans for a morning spent in the saddle, as well as a cotton shirt, boots and the dusty campero she’d worn during her first eventful ride. As she passed by the living room, her gaze fell once more on the girl in the photo. She was still smiling, so confident as she sat on her horse. She frowned as a sudden thought occurred. Was this Rosa? Sophia’s cheeks flamed. It very well could be. The face was happy and carefree, the picture taken just outside the barn here at the estancia—Sophia could see the door on the edge of the photo. It gave her an odd feeling, knowing she’d been in Rosa’s house, sharing a bed with Tomas. As if she were trespassing somehow.
It was better that they hadn’t gone through with it last night, she realized. Nothing could come of their relationship. All she could worry about was the here and now. Today, Sophia would help Tomas. Today, she would refuse to let anything else matter.
Tomas had the horses ready and Sophia let the maudlin thoughts flutter away on the dry wind as together they worked their way south. He showed her how to position her mount to urge the cattle in a specific direction, and other than calling his instructions, the distance between them prevented any real conversation. But Sophia didn’t mind. She was actually having fun. Moving the cattle and working the horse took all her physical and mental concentration. She’d be tired later, but for now it was invigorating.
She reined to the left and brought several cows back into the group as Tomas shouted his approval. She urged the last one through the gate and took off her hat, swinging it through the air in victory. Tomas dismounted, moving to close the latch.
“I told you you could do it,” he said, dusting off his hands and squinting up at her.