The Right Time (6 page)

They stopped to eat at a restaurant off the beaten path, but highly recommended by the guide. Tucked away behind historic buildings, the outdoor patio of Cafe Matisse provided the perfect ambiance for a late lunch. While Ransom dug into the mixed seafood platter with herb sauce, Sophie received the special treatment when the chef prepared a dish not on the menu—sautéed vegetables in a creamy cheese sauce—and personally brought it to the table to gauge her enjoyment.

She thanked him profusely. Lucky for her, chefs often wanted the opportunity to experiment, and creating unique dishes for people with dietary restrictions was an opportunity for them to shine. She’d indulged in some tasty one-of-a-kind dishes over the years, and this one was no exception.

Watching Ransom, she couldn’t help but notice that he ate in much the same way he approached sex—with gusto and enthusiasm. He devoured the garlic bread the same way he’d devoured her. He licked a drop of sauce from his thumb with the same tongue that had licked the tips of her breasts. She wanted to climb onto his lap watching the way he dived into the meal.

She and Ransom chatted as they lingered over crème brûlée and coffee, and argued about politics.

“What do you do for fun?” he asked at one point, sipping his coffee.

“I travel.” She smirked.

“When you’re not traveling, smart-ass.”

His blue eyes smiled into hers, and a painful ache pierced her chest at the thought that tomorrow he’d be gone from her life for good. Sophie shifted her gaze to the glass of water on the table and corralled her emotions before answering.

“When I’m in Atlanta, I ride my bicycle. There’s a bike shop near my mother’s juice shop in Midtown, and I’m a member of a cycle club that meets there and rides out every Saturday morning.”

“That explains your sexy-ass legs.”

“You’re just full of compliments,” she said, grinning across the table at him. “I don’t ride as often as I’d like. Sometimes I help my mother at the shop, but most weekends I go out with the club when I’m not traveling.”

“I haven’t gotten as far as riding with a club yet.”

“You ride?”

“Like you, not as often as I’d like. Work keeps me busy.”

“You should make time, if you enjoy it. A club is a good way to get involved, and I’m sure they have active ones in Chicago.”

He nodded. “Maybe I will.”

Satisfied and bellies full, they headed back to the hotel and spent the afternoon in or near the water: parasailing—a first for Sophie—and then a competitive game of beach volleyball with another couple. Ransom dominated the game, diving for the ball and spiking on their opponents. After a sound thrashing, the other couple turned down the offer of a rematch and ran off down the beach.

“You kicked their asses,” Sophie said, lifting her hands above her head and doing a little victory wiggle.

“We did,” Ransom said.

“You didn’t even need me. You won all by yourself.”

“It’s you. You’re still bringing me good luck.” Ransom growled and grabbed her around the thighs, lifting her into a quick spin on the sand.

Throwing her arms around his neck, Sophie squealed as he raced toward the ocean. They splashed around, swimming and chasing each other in the water. A group of kids joined them, and they played a game of water tag until the children’s parents called them to head back to the room. Ransom and Sophie then returned to their cabana on the beach.

The smell of the salt water and the screams of laughing children lulled Sophie into an afternoon nap. She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, but Ransom’s hand on her shoulder woke her up. He sat with his legs swung over the side of the lounge chair.

“I need to go back to my room and check emails and get a little bit of work done,” he said.

Sophie pouted, looking up at him from a reclining position behind her sunglasses. “You can’t be serious,” she said.

“Us horrible attorneys have to work hard all the time,” he said.

She wrinkled her nose at him. “I hope you weren’t offended by my comments when we met.”

“No, but you can still make it up to me later,” he said with a wicked smile, the twin slashes in his cheeks making an appearance. He dropped a kiss to her lips.

Sophie flipped the shades onto her forehead. “Life is short, you know. You shouldn’t spend it working all the time.”

His eyes narrowed on her. “This is going to sound crazy, but I haven’t been this relaxed in a long time. My vacations aren’t usually real vacations.”

“Then you should take real vacations more often.”

“Maybe one day.” He squeezed her toes, and the non-erotic pressure still managed to feel very erotic. “But I have a plan, and I need to stay focused on it.”

“And what’s that?”

“Making partner. I’m this close.” He held a finger and thumb a penny’s width apart.

“No straying from the plan?” she asked, keeping her voice mild and face neutral. She didn’t want to judge, but she thought his focus bordered on the obsessive.

“No straying from the plan,” Ransom confirmed.

Sophie swung her feet over the side of the chair, so their knees were almost touching. “Come on, you’ll be back at work tomorrow. Spend the rest of the afternoon with me. There are two jet skis with our names on them.”

Ransom’s brow knitted into a thoughtful frown. “I’ve never been on a jet ski before.”

“Well, sir, you simply must have that experience, and what better time than the present.” She leaned closer, making sure to take full advantage of the cleavage above her bikini top. She dropped her voice. “Trust me. It’s an out-of-this-world experience you don’t want to miss because you’re stuck in your room
working
, of all things.”

Behind his sunglasses, she saw his eyes dip to her chest. “Oh yeah?”

“I promise.”

“I wouldn’t want you on opposing counsel. You make a very compelling argument.” The blunt tip of his middle finger swiped lightly over her breasts.

Her nipples tingled and her toes curled into the sand. “Does that mean I can look forward to spending more time with you this afternoon?” she said, running a hand over one of his thighs. She enjoyed the role of femme fatale, teasing and cajoling him to do her will. Knowing they’d never see each other again emboldened her.

“And the evening,” Ransom added. “How about dinner, and more…stimulating conversation in my suite later?”

“I like your plan,” Sophie said.

They spent the rest of the afternoon together in the sun and in the water, ending the day on jet skis, and afterward finally separated, agreeing to meet up at seven for dinner.

In her room, Sophie pondered the day. For most of it, she hadn’t thought about her boyfriend, and while she did experience some guilt for having sex with Ransom, she didn’t regret what she’d done. Would Keith have regretted sleeping with the waitress if she hadn’t discovered the lewd texts on his phone?

Ransom was an amazing lover, exciting and sexy, and paid her the attention she’d been craving for a long time. Tomorrow he’d be leaving, and as time ticked by, she contemplated broaching the topic of staying in touch. He could be a backup plan, in case Keith didn’t act right again.

Her cheeks heated. The thought of hooking up with Ransom again was ludicrous. Theirs was a one-time experience and not meant to be repeated. Besides, she lived in Atlanta. Ransom lived in Chicago. While he seemed to enjoy her company, that didn’t mean he’d want to stay in touch.

She pulled on a spaghetti-strap white dress and silver sandals, and was in the middle of pulling her hair into a topknot when a knock sounded at the door. A quick glance at the clock told her that it was quarter to seven. Ransom was early. She smiled at her reflection, anxious to see him, the ever-present flutter in her belly evidence of how much she looked forward to his company.

Broadening her smile into a welcoming grin, Sophie flung open the door, but her smile collapsed like a house of cards, and she froze, gaping at the man standing on the other side. Shock ricocheted through her insides as she stared at the familiar face.

Instead of blue eyes, she saw dark chocolate. Instead of lustrous dark brown hair, she saw onyx black.

“What are you doing here?”

Keith Wong stood with both hands braced on the doorframe, his lanky body dressed in a chest-hugging T-shirt and jeans.

“You won’t return my calls, but I came to prove to you that I’m a changed man.” His smile was soft and regretful. “Happy birthday, baby.”

Her voice sounded weird. The lighthearted vibrancy from earlier was gone and replaced with a guarded tone. Something was wrong.

“I’ll be there in a minute and we can go to dinner,” Ransom said. He had a surprise planned. He’d called the restaurant and informed them it was her birthday. They arranged to have a cake and candles ready, and the staff on hand to serenade her at the end of the meal.

“No.” The single word came out fast—almost frantic.

“What’s the matter, you want to cancel our dinner?” he asked half jokingly. He looked forward to spending their last night together. In fact, he hoped it wouldn’t be the last time they saw each other. True, they lived in different cities, but he’d done the long-distance thing before, and it worked well enough. He wanted a shot with Sophie, assuming she was interested and willing to dump her douchebag boyfriend.

“Something’s come up.”

Her voice fell even lower, and a chunk of worry landed in his gut.

“You don’t sound like yourself.”

“Can you just meet me somewhere else? Please. I’ll explain everything when I see you.”

Ransom stared at the expanse of beach and water outside the glass door. “When do you want to meet?”

“Right away.”

They agreed to meet at the lobby lounge.

“I’ll see you in five minutes,” he said.

Hanging up the phone, he mulled the conversation, trying to figure out what could have changed. He had absolutely no idea, and the uncertainty troubled him, tightening the bundle of unease in his gut.

He picked up the box wrapped in white with a hot-pink ribbon. Inside was a conch shell necklace with a clamshell pendant covered in gold. A dusting of light pink infused each round bead. The colorful beads reminded him of Sophie and fit her style. He’d been excited when he bought the jewelry, but now he hesitated.

Shaking off the indecision, he exited the room with the box and went to the lounge. He found her sitting alone at a booth, her wavy hair up in a loose knot on her head, looking as fresh-faced as she had when she woke up in his arms this morning. But there was a shift in her demeanor. The contentment was gone and a little wrinkle in her forehead hinted at her troubling thoughts. The knot of worry settled deeper behind his abs.

Slipping into the booth, Ransom placed the gift on the table between them. Instead of showing gratitude or excitement, she parted her lips in obvious dismay—a clear indication the conversation was on a downward spiral before it even started.

“That’s not exactly the reaction I expected,” he said.

She briefly closed her eyes and slowly opened them. She appeared smaller, as if curling into herself, and her eyes were a dull, muted gray. No excitement in them at all.

Ransom steeled himself for the coming talk, one he clearly wouldn’t enjoy.

“I had a great time with you,” she said, staring at some point behind his head. She couldn’t even look him in the face.

“But…?”

“You’re leaving tomorrow, and it’s best that we…say our goodbyes here and now.”

“So it’s over?” Ransom laughed, not really finding humor in the situation. He just needed a way to get rid of the nervous energy that threatened to overtake him. “We’re just done?”

“Ransom—”

“We had dinner plans. At least tell me why.”

Shifting in the chair, Sophie stared down at the table and chewed on her bottom lip. A lip he’d spent an unreasonable amount of time kissing and sucking because he enjoyed its softness so much.

“He’s here.”

She spoke in such a low voice he leaned in to hear.

“Your boyfriend?”

She nodded.

“He surprised you?”

“Yes.” Her eyes flicked up to him.

Ransom fell back against the seat, shocked but also angry. He fisted a hand on the table but really wanted to slam his fist through it. “He shows up and you drop everything.”

“That’s not exactly what’s happening.”

“Then what exactly
is
happening?” he demanded, voice coarser and louder than expected.

She swallowed. “I don’t know what to say. This is very awkward for me. I had no idea he would come.”

“You wanted him to.”

“I did not. I ignored all the messages he left. I wanted time alone.”

“Then explain why you’re ready to run back into his arms after you told me what an asshole this guy is.”

“He came all the way down here to see me, and I can’t ignore that.” Her voice pleaded with him to understand.

“And us?” Ransom asked, hating the strangled sound of his voice. Hating to even ask the question like a needy punk.

“We barely know each other.” Her eyes searched his.

Ransom acknowledged the truth of her words. He couldn’t even begin to try to convince her to leave someone she had known for years when they had only known each other for the whopping grand total of twenty-four hours. And yes, the sex was great, but great sex did not mean they were compatible in other areas.

“You’re right.” He affected a smirk, to lighten the heavy mood and make her think he didn’t give a shit, that he hadn’t been contemplating keeping in touch and trying to see if they could work—even with the distance between them. “You’re a beautiful woman, Sophie. I had a great time with you. Your boyfriend is a lucky man, and I don’t blame him for coming here to surprise you. He probably figured you might run into a guy like me and he might lose you for good.”

“I’m not exactly sure I’ve forgiven him.”

“You will.”

“So that’s it, then?” Her voice shook a little.

“That’s it. Good luck to you.” He couldn’t take sitting there in front of her anymore, knowing he could no longer touch her. Knowing that tonight she’d be in another man’s arms so soon after he’d been thrusting inside of her, so deep he never wanted to come out again.