“Come on, Liv. I know you’re dying to ask about my dinner with Jason.”
“You’ve been through a lot, Soph. I don’t need to know—”
“We kissed,” she blurted the news.
Olivia’s eyes grew as big as saucers. “Youkissed?When? How was it? Start from the beginning and don’t leave anything out.”
Sophie chuckled. “After you left the cafeteria, he asked me to dinner. He said he had some follow-up questions, but apparently that was just an excuse.”
“Iknewhe liked you.” Olivia’s grin spread from ear to ear. “Go on, and hurry...before he comes back.”
Sophie didn’t get into the whole discussion about Colton Moore and her theory as to why those men in Djibouti had been after him. She simply shared that they’d had a nice time and she’d gotten to know him a little bit better over a delicious meal.
“Yeah, yeah.” Olivia motioned with her hand. “Get to the part where he kissed you.”
“I’m getting there.” Sophie grinned. “After dinner, Jason drove me home and walked me to my door.”
“And? How was the kiss?” Olivia looked like a kid at Christmas while she waited to hear all the juicy details.
“It was”—incredible, earth-shattering, amazing—“the best kiss I’ve ever had.”
“Seriously?”
Sophie nodded. “Seriously.”
“And now you’re going to go spend the night with him.”
“Only because he feels obligated to protect me.”
That and she couldn’t go back to her own place. Not that she really wanted to. Which, in and of itself, brought on a whole separate set of emotions.
Sophie loved her house, and she’d worked damn hard to make it into a home she felt comfortable in. A place where she’d always felt safe.
Not anymore.
She’d heard about how victims of home invasions sometimes moved because they couldn’t handle the constant reminder of what happened. Just thinking about walking back into her closet sent a barrage of nerves racing through her system.
“Hey.” Olivia grabbed her hand. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” Sophie shook her anxiety away. “I’m fine.”
“You know people who keep repeating that they’re fine are usually anything but. I know this because, for a while there, I was the queen of being ‘fine’”.
“Really, Liv.” She squeezed the other woman’s hand. “I’m a little shaken up, but I’m good.”
With a watchful eye, her friend let her hand drop. “You know I was just teasing you about Ryker. If you don’t feel comfortable staying at his place, just say the word and I’ll have Jake come pick you up.”
“It’s late. There’s no reason for Jake to wake Lily up to come all this way just to get me.”
“He wouldn’t mind, and Lily always loves seeing her Aunt Sophie.”
Aunt Sophie. That’s what Olivia and Jake always called her when their cute-as-a-button daughter was around.
“It makes more sense for me to stay with Jason. He’s already here, and I know I’ll be safe with him.”
“You sure about that?” Olivia teased.
Sophie laughed. “I’m sure. He was a perfect gentleman tonight. Besides, my head and arm are killing me, and even if they weren’t, I’m too tired to even think about sex.”