He fell into step beside her. ‘Hey.’
His tone was bland and she couldn’t decide if he was annoyed or concerned. Please, God, anything but concern. She could deal with annoyance, indifference, even anger, but concern. Concern could weaken her resistance, leaving her vulnerable. Again. She refused to allow anyone too close. Giving your love, your trust, yourself to someone else only brought heartbreak. She’d learned that lesson too.
Jared must have caught the vibes; he’d put at least an arm span between them and guilt pierced the self-preservation she normally surrounded herself with. ‘I really don’t mind. She’s your sister … If you want to—’
‘No big deal, I’ll do it later. We’re here.’ He stopped at the next wide glass door and pushed it open, the air-conditioned swirl mingling with the aroma of hot fat.
‘Rico. Buongiorno.’
‘Buongiorno.’ The rotund swarthy man beaming at Jared as if he was some long-lost friend looked to be in his late forties. He also looked as if he’d been dining on his own menu for a good many of those years. ‘Didn’t expect to see you down this way today.’
‘Had a spare hour.’
‘And you haven’t come alone.’ He shone his beam on Sophie.
‘Rico, meet Sophie. Sophie, Rico. A serve of your best chips to go, please, my friend. And a cappuccino for my hard-working colleague here.’
‘Very happy to make your acquaintance, Sophie.’ Rico winked at her as he scooped chips into a wire basket, lowered it into the fryer. ‘If this man doesn’t treat you right, I have a brother. Has his own seafood restaurant in Broadbeach. He’s single and better looking.’
Sophie shoved her sunglasses on top of her head. She glanced at Jared, caught him looking at her and didn’t quite smother her grin. ‘I’ll keep it in mind.’
‘Get Jared to take you there for dinner one night.’
She jerked her gaze back to Rico. ‘Oh … no. I’m … we’re not … dating.’
His thick black brows rose, then a look of pure devilment danced in his dark eyes. ‘Why not?’
‘I’m just temping at Jared’s office for the day.’ Why had she said the D word, for heaven’s sake? Rico had no doubt meant a business dinner. But it had just burst out. and, oh, she wished the floor would open up and swallow her.
‘Don’t listen to him, Sophie,’ Jared said, his voice tinged with amusement, and to Rico, ‘Did you go over those figures with Enzo yet?’
And just what had Jared meant by that look he’d given Rico? To her relief, he seemed to have forgotten she was there already. To keep from feeling like a spare part and to give them some privacy since they were discussing business, she crossed to one of the little round tables by the window, sat down and flicked through a well-thumbed women’s magazine.
Anything to keep from looking at him. Or admiring the cut to the trousers that showcased long legs and firm butt and imagining … No. Frowning, she forced herself to refocus on the latest celebrity break-up.
Her eyes remained on the page but her mind worked as the guys talked. The familiarity and bond between the two was obvious. Jared hadn’t taken an hour out of his day to ‘forget about the office’ and entertain her. He’d used the opportunity to catch up with Rico and make it seem as if he were doing Sophie a favour at the same time. Very clever.
‘Bring your coffee,’ he said, dragging her out of her contemplation, ‘and let’s go see the beach.’
They took their white paper-wrapped package to the esplanade and sat on a bench overlooking the sand. The sea’s boom-dump vibrated through the soles of her feet. The gulls swooped in noisily from nowhere the moment Sophie unwrapped the shared snack. She took a chip, broke it open, popped a piece in her mouth. Then she threw the other half to the birds to watch them squawk and squabble while she sipped at her much anticipated frothy cappuccino.
‘You’re right, they’re yummy,’ she said, reaching for another while carefully avoiding Jared’s fingers. She hadn’t eaten chips this good since she couldn’t remember when.
‘Haven’t done this in a while,’ Jared said, popping the top on his can of soda.
‘Probably just as well. Salt, fat, calories. Too much of a good thing …’
Sophie watched, mesmerised as he downed his cola in deep slow swallows that made his Adam’s apple bob amazingly. He lifted his lips from the can a moment and smiled, eyes twinkling. ‘You can never have too much of a good thing, Sophie.’
Oh, the way he said that, all luscious and low as if he was talking about sex. And drawing her attention to his lips, wet with the cola … and they’d be cool and sweet.
Not going there.
She plucked another fat, fragrant chip, slid it between her lips and, closing her eyes, savoured every drop of excess. If she couldn’t have sex, at least she could eat. ‘So …’ Licking the salt from her fingers, she opened her eyes once more to find him still watching her. More precisely, watching her mouth. ‘That’s your opinion and you’re sticking to it.’
‘A good thing is only a good thing for as long as you enjoy it.’
Glen had lived by that code too, Sophie remembered. She drained her coffee to mask the sudden bitterness in her mouth. ‘Then what? You discard it for another passing fancy?’
‘If it’s not bringing you pleasure, then yeah.’
Her fingers tightened around the polystyrene cup. ‘Sounds totally self-absorbed to me.’
He laughed. ‘Probably. And why not? So long as it’s not hurting anyone else.’
‘Exactly.’ She relented. Okay, maybe he didn’t include relationships in that particular philosophy. It seemed he genuinely cared about people. Rico. His sisters. Even Pam. He was one of the good guys after all. And mega rich, mega gorgeous, mega motivated.
She noticed his gaze had turned speculative and probing. Something glimmered in the green depths and her heart skipped a beat. Did he read minds as well? Looking away, she took aim and tossed her empty cup neatly into the trash can.
‘What about your favourites list? What can’t you have too much of, Sophie?’
You. Naked. Inside me.
Her skin warmed, prickled, and she swore every internal organ turned to mush. She felt like an over-ripe peach, ready to be plucked, split apart and plundered. Gloriously and within an inch of her life.
Liquid heat gathered between her thighs and she bit the inside of her lip. Had she just accused him of being self-absorbed? Behind her sunglasses she met his unshielded gaze and reminded herself of what she really wanted these days. ‘Wealth,’ she said, reaching for the bottled water in her bag. She sucked it down with a vengeance. ‘And independence.’
He looked surprised, as if he’d expected her to say something indulgent or female, like chocolate or shoes. A crease dug a groove between his brows. ‘Sounds a little sad and lonely.’
‘Why?’ Annoyed with his response, she tipped her bottle in his direction. ‘You don’t strike me as lonely. Or sad. You’ve obviously worked towards those same goals all your life, and by all accounts you’ve succeeded better than most.’ Which made him a hypocrite or sexist or both. ‘So don’t tell me you’re not happy with your success.’
‘That goes without saying and I assume you’re talking financial success. But mostly I’m happy because I don’t allow myself to think any other way. Doesn’t mean I don’t have my disappointments.’
Not knowing how to respond, she nodded as she reached for another chip. With his wealth and charisma, she’d not thought of Jared as a man