AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I let go of her to run my hands through my hair. “That’s… Christ.” My agony leached into my words.
“You’re my boss. You are literally paying me to date you, and I slept with you. That makes me a—”
“Don’t say it,” I cut her off. “Don’t fucking think it. You are not, and I seriously doubt you’ve ever beenthat. Just don’t.”
“Doesn’t change how I feel. I mean, you’re paying me money, and I had sex with you. I feel so dirty.” She wrapped the sheet tighter around herself as she hunched into herself in front of me.
I couldn’t let her think that about herself. I had to fix this. Grabbing her hand, I pulled her to the plush seating area by the windows. After sitting, I tugged her toward me, wanting her on my lap. I just had to hold her right now. But she wouldn’t let me. She pulled her hand away and avoided my eyes. “Fine. Take the chair.” I nodded to the seat next to me. “But I’m not letting you leave until we talk about this.”
Sophia huffed but still sat in the chair I’d indicated. She wouldn’t look at me though.
There was so much I had to say, but where to start? “I don’t think I have to tell you that I’m attracted to you.”
Sophia snorted. “Yep, I got that message.”
“Right. Well, I also don’t think I have to tell you that dating me isn’t exactly normal.”
“I get that,” she replied softly. Her hair hung in her face, shielding her expressive face from me. More than anything, I wanted to see what she was thinking. I loved how her every thought played across her face, but I decided to give her that little bit of emotional space.
“And I know that you have been my employee and now we have this weird quasi-business relationship.” Was I rambling? I just didn’t know what the hell to say. I wanted to make this better. I wanted to do this again with her. I hadn’t really dated much—arranged relationships didn’t count. I didn’t know how she’d fit into my life or where this could realistically go, but I had to find out.
So I said as much.
“I uh, I like you, Soph.” Christ, this was why I had writers. I was no good with coming up with my own dialogue. “I’d like to do this again. I want to date you. For real.”
A tension filled silence hung between us. Then Sophia made this sound halfway between a snort and a gulp. “Are you serious? You’re not just saying this because I was freaking out?”
“No, I’m serious. We should’ve talked about this before we slept together, but I’ve been fighting my attraction to you since we met. We have sparks. It’s half the reason I suggested our fake relationship—I mean, I’m a good actor, but it really helps if there’s something there to start with. And who wants to work in their free time? Am I rambling again? It feels like I’m rambling again.”
Sophia finally swept her curtain of curls away from her face and smiled at me. “You are, but it’s sweet. And endearing. It tells me just how serious you are.”
“I am. I know it’ll be weird, since you’re living with me already. I feel like we’ve skipped so many steps and I want—need—to make that up to you. If you’ll let me.”
“So you want me to accept your proposal of being wooed by an actor I’ve been drooling over for years? Yes, please. Where do I sign up?”
I winced. “I am just a guy. Once you get past the day job, I’m not really that much different than a regular Joe.”
“Right.” She laughed lightly. “Because I know so many ‘regular Joes’ who would go as far as you have to help out their brother.”
I shrugged. “That wasn’t my point.” And not really something I wanted to focus on at the moment. I was trying to get her to forget about our whole fake relationship arrangement. “I meant that if you can’t see me as just Rome and notRoman Grier,then I can tell you right now this won’t ever work.”
“I can. I mean I do.” Her eyes widened. “But that said, this whole thing is still surreal. I mean, every time we leave, we’re followed by paparazzi—and I know that was the whole point of our fake relationship—but that’s not going to stop because we’re dating for real. Right?”
My lips twisted. “No. It won’t. It can’t. I still need to help King any way I can. He’s done so much for me. I owe him so much more than I can ever pay back.”
“I get it. I do. I mean, it’s half the reason I’m sitting here with you wearing only a sheet. The lengths you’ll go for your family…” She trailed off as she no doubt remembered the scene the other day with Nix.
“Most of my family. I can’t have any room in my life for Nix until he gets the help that he needs. And I’ve told him as much.”
“I’m kinda in awe at how you’re able to put up such clear boundaries with people. I wish I had that superpower.”
“Why? Who’s pushing you around?”And where could I find them to tell them what’s what?I might’ve said the last part to myself, but I meant it. Whoever couldn’t see that Sophia was an amazing person definitely needed to be put straight.
Sophia groaned. “I’m not talking about my mom with you when I’m naked. That’s just too screwed up.”
“Fine. But you are telling me. Soon.”
She just rolled her eyes. “But the reality is that we have a legal agreement to “date.” I’m technically an employee.”
