The Billionaire's Runaway Bride (17 page)

“Excuse me?”

Jocelyn wasn’t going to just stand by and listen either. The two blond beauties joined forces, squaring off in front of Sophie. “You can’t talk to me like that!” Evelyn sneered. “Jason would never deny me the use of his house and his staff. So I’d advise you to just stand back and step out of this situation.”

Sophie pulled out the cell phone she’d been carrying with her all day. “Really? When I spoke to him yesterday about my frustrations with you he seemed very supportive. To the point of telling me that you will no longer have free access to the house. Would you like to call him and check on that?”

Evelyn stared indignantly at the phone being held out to her. “I won’t even dignify that with a response,” she said huffily. “Come along Jocelyn. We’ll deal with this later. We have more important things to do.”

Sophie watched with a strange sense of empowerment as the women left the kitchen, muttering to each other as they went.

She just stood there for a long moment, savoring the experience. It was new to her to have power over her environment and she found that she really liked the feeling. She felt, rather than saw, the eyes that were looking on her then. When she glanced around herself, she saw that Higgins and Nancy were both watching her. They didn’t seem offended though. In fact, if Sophie were to put a name to their expressions, she might think they were proud of her.

That feeling was reinforced a moment later when Higgins walked over to her and said, “Well done, ma’am. With your permission, I will not permit them in the house unless an appointment has been scheduled ahead of time.”

Sophie wanted to laugh at his victorious and eager expression. “I gather that those two ladies have been making your lives miserable as well?” she asked softly, the fire leaving her now that the two targets had vacated.

Higgins, diplomatic as always, simply smiled and bowed again. “We are here to serve you and Mr. Randal, ma’am,” was all he would say.

Sophie smiled warmly, understanding his hidden meaning. “I think I might have done enough damage for one day, don’t you think?” she joked. “I’m going to go out and dig in the rose garden,” she explained and turned on her heel. But then she turned back and smiled shyly at the housekeeper. “Nancy, I just wanted you to know that your meals are delicious. Please don’t pay any attention to Evelyn.”

Nancy beamed with pride at Sophie’s compliment. “Thank you, ma’am. And don’t you never mind about her insults either. I can guarantee that she’s just trying to make you feel inferior because you’re so much prettier than she is. Just let it roll off you like water on a duck’s back,” she said gruffly. Then she puffed up slightly and turned away, as if she were embarrassed to have said so much.

Sophie was thrilled with the housekeeper’s words. She went upstairs to change into a cleaner pair of jeans and shirt that wasn’t so filthy and then went to the shed to pick up her bucket of gardening tools. She wandered along a path of woods, considering the idea of making a shade garden. There were so many beautiful trees, she thought it would be lovely to make a place to sit during the hot, summer months.

With that thought in mind, she dug in and started creating her small little oasis. While she dug, her mind filled up with romantic thoughts of her and Jason spending evenings out on a comfortable bench watching the sun set, sipping wine, then kissing sweetly before finally retiring inside for….Sophie changed the train of thought, her face flaming and she glanced guiltily around her to see if someone might be watching. But who in the world would possibly be watching her? She was deep in the woods, surrounded by overgrown bushes.

Her mind then weaved a fantasy about how Jason would come home from work, find her not in the house and become worried. He’d have the whole household staff searching the gardens but eventually, he would be the one to find her digging out here. Once he discovered her, he would get down on the ground and beg her to love him. But of course, she already did so it was a silly question but she would finally be able to declare her love for him openly.

Sophie smiled at that fantasy but laughed out loud at how unrealistic it was. Jason would never get down on his knee first of all. And secondly, Jason never begged. He demanded.

She realized that was one of the things that turned her on about him. He was so masculine and so powerful. He just commanded everyone’s attention whenever he walked into a room. And he never asked. He simply told people what to do.

She knew that her fantasies were politically incorrect. She should like a man who respected her and was gentle and kind. Not forceful and overpowering. But she didn’t care. She’d wanted Jason from the first moment she’d seen him and her mind could tell her she was wrong all it wanted. The truth was in her body’s reaction whenever he touched her.

It would all be so perfect if he would just fall in love with her.

Sophie sighed and stood up, looking around her and surveying the damage she’d accomplished in the hours she’d been out here. If someone were to walk up on the plot of ground right now, they would think she had only been digging in the dirt. But she had created several plots of land for cultivation and in a few months, it would be fertile with plants and flowers.

It was almost dusk and Sophie stood up and dusted off her jeans and hands. She plunked her gloves into her gardening bucket and looked around in satisfaction. She felt as if she had really accomplished something today. And tomorrow, she had plans to visit several nurseries that might supply various plants and shrubs for her new business. She felt high on success.

Picking up her bucket, Sophie rushed back to the house, eager to tell Jason about her success. She also needed to warn him about her confrontation with Evelyn. That slowed her steps, but she remembered Jason’s words earlier today that gave her permission to evict the woman whenever and however she wanted. Well, not exactly those words, she thought, chuckling to herself.

She happily entered the house from the back, going through the kitchens and waiving to a busy Nancy who was preparing dinner for the night. “Is Mr. Randal going to be home for dinner?” she asked, excited at the prospect.

Sophie was almost embarrassed that she was so eagerly awaiting her husband’s company, even after their mid-morning interlude. But she didn’t really care all that much.

“I believe he is in his study right now,” Nancy said.

This was news to Sophie. “Really? How long has he been home?”

“For over an hour now,” Nancy replied, taking a roast out of the oven and setting it on the counter. “He asked about you,” she replied, her eyes revealing the secret as well as her announcement.

“Really?” she asked.

Nancy nodded. “He even asked someone to go out and inform you that he had arrived home. But no one could find you,” she replied.

It was so close to the fantasy that Sophie had been having during the afternoon she could barely suppress her excitement. “I’ll just go and announce my arrival back then,” Sophie said with a broad grin.

Sophie indeed found Jason in his office but all her excitement died when she knocked carefully on his study door. “Jason?” she called out softly.

He turned around and she noticed that he was on the phone, nodding to whatever someone was saying.

Sophie could tell by the look on his face that he wasn’t happy about something. She backed out of the office while he continued to watch her, his intense gaze never leaving her face as she closed the door.

Sophie cleaned up and put on a soft, blue sweater and a pair of navy slacks which made her feel soft and feminine. The look was completely wasted though. Jason never showed up at dinner. In fact, she was told later that Jason requested that he be brought dinner in his office.

Sophie was hurt but she nodded when the news was given to her. She didn’t eat any of the delicious smelling roast Nancy had cooked. She left the plate on the table and wandered upstairs to their bedroom, alone.

Pulling on a silk negligee, Sophie wondered what she could do to get Jason’s attention. She knew she was being wanton by wanting to be with him again tonight, having felt his touch and his heat earlier in the day. But she couldn’t help herself. She wanted Jason and felt lonely in the huge house all by herself.

Sophie remembered seeing an advertisement for a book club when she’d been in a book store recently. Perhaps she could start to find her own life. If Jason didn’t want or need her company in the evenings, why should she waste her time waiting for him?

Slipping into bed that night, she pulled her book onto her lap and watched the clock. Despite her determination to ignore him, Sophie couldn’t do it. It was almost eleven o’clock when she slipped her legs out of the bed and tucked her feet into slippers. Wrapping her beautiful white, silk robe around her and tying it at her waist, she walked furiously down the stairs.

How dare he ignore her all evening? He didn’t even have the courtesy to say hello to her. So what if she’d been out gardening when he came back. It wasn’t her fault he’d come home early. What had he been expecting? Her to simply be waiting with baited breath for him to walk in the door?

Sophie didn’t even knock this time. She threw open the doors and walked inside, her temper at a boiling point ever since she’d gotten out of bed.

“Jason Randal!” Sophie said, her hands on her hips. A small part of her stopped short when she saw his harried expression, but she was too riled by him ignoring her that she simply tossed her hair behind her head.

“What’s wrong?” Jason asked, instantly alert.

Sophie noted the wariness in his eyes but wouldn’t back down. “You! You are ignoring me once again and I won’t stand it anymore!”

Jason’s expression instantly cleared and he smiled, laying down his pen and leaning back in his chair. “What exactly don’t you like?” he asked.

“I don’t like how you come to bed so late you can’t even ki…say goodnight.” She wasn’t sure if he wanted to kiss her so she opted for a less obvious verb. “Then you wake up in the morning without a word and I have to wake up alone. I feel like I’m married to a ghost and I won’t stand for it anymore.”

“What are you going to do about it?” he asked, standing up and walking over to her.

Sophie looked at the expression in his eyes and knew she’d won. It was such a small victory but she’d take it. “I’m going to request that you come upstairs right now and stop working.”

He walked up so he was standing directly in front of her. “You are?” he asked, one eyebrow raised inquiringly. “And what are you going to do to lure me upstairs?” he asked.

Sophie was stumped. She looked straight ahead, which meant she was looking at the middle of his chest, thinking hard. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t?” he asked softly. “Think hard, Sophie. What on earth could be more enticing that laboring away at whatever is on that computer?”

Sophie realized where this conversation was going and smiled to herself. Whatever he thought about her, he still wanted her. He might not like her personality, but he liked her body.

She stepped back and shyly unbelted her silk robe. Looking down at his feet, bracing herself with the small amount of courage she’d built up over the past few days, she asked, “Do I have anything that could tempt you away from this business deal?”

Lifting her head, she looked right up into his eyes. “Perhaps…I could tempt you?”

Jason smiled and lifted her up into his arms. “I think you might be adequate,” he said. Jason carried her upstairs, kicking the door to their bedroom closed with one foot while he continued on to the bed. Laying her down in the center, he stood up and unbuttoned his shirt slowly. “Yes, I think you could easily distract me from anything, Sophie,” he said.

Sophie rolled over in bed the following morning. She smiled, remembering Jason’s good morning kiss. It hadn’t ended with only a kiss, she thought to herself, stretching as the morning sunlight streamed across the room. What a night, she thought. Jason had made love to her after carrying her upstairs. Then again in the shower and yet again when he woke her up to say goodbye.

She quickly showered and pulled on a pair of slim fitting jeans and a yellow sweater. She pulled her hair back in a simple band, adding a soft, yellow ribbon as well.

“Good morning, Nancy,” she called out. “I’m going to walk to the village.”

“Wouldn’t you be more comfortable having Michael drive you?”

Sophie smiled broadly. She’d never ventured out to the village except on rare occasions and those times, she’d had Michael drive her and she’d scurried into whatever shop she needed to visit, then left as quickly as possible again.

“No, this time, I’d rather just take in the fresh air. It looks like a lovely day.”

“Don’t you want some breakfast or coffee before you leave?”

Sophie considered that, but then shook her head. “No thank you. Isn’t there a small coffee shop on the corner by the old church?”

“Yes. Very good coffee,” Nancy assured her.

“Well, then, I’ll be off.”

“Have a nice day, ma’am,” Higgins said, bowing slightly as he opened the door for her.

Sophie smiled and waved her thanks. The day was just as wonderful as she’d thought. The air was dry and warm with just a hint of the summer that was on its way. Sophie loved the walk, enjoying the smell of the newly turned over soil that was prepared for the seeds from the farms.