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  “It’s his first time meeting her. They connected on an online dating site. For older folks.” Dottie made a goofy face. “Tommy is going to send someone out for pizza tonight. That’s what he decided to have since Chef isn’t here.”

  That sounded good to Sophie. “Where is Tommy?” She hadn’t seen him since she’d come home.

  “In his studio. But he should be taking a break soon. He has your dogs with him. They were with me earlier, but he nabbed them. Hokey and Pokey are such characters.”

  “Yes. They’re a couple of rascals.” They dashed around the mansion as if they owned the place, and Tommy indulged them as if they did.

  Dottie leaned closer. “So, what type of snack did Chef prepare for you?”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t peeked inside yet.” Sophie lifted the lid and poked around. “Cheese, crackers, artichoke dip, roasted chickpeas, turkey-and-cucumber roll-ups. Good, healthy things. Oh, and look, he included ants on a log. I told him they were my favorite when I was little. That my dad used to fix them for me, and now Chef made them for me, too.”

  “That’s so nice. He catered my niece’s birthday party and made the most adorable appetizers. Not just ants on a log, but butterflies, caterpillars and snails, too. He used celery sticks and peanut butter with crackers and fruit and pretzels to create them. He also made apple bites that looked like happy-faced monsters and desserts the kids could decorate themselves.”

  Sophie imagined him catering her child’s parties, too. “How old is your niece?”

  “Five. She’s my grandniece, actually. My sister’s spunky little granddaughter.” Dottie removed her phone from her pocket and flashed a photo of a freckle-faced girl with a gap-toothed grin. “Her name is Kelly.”

  “She’s darling.” Sophie smiled. “As cute as can be.”

  “I think so, too, but I’m biased. I got her a trampoline for her birthday. It’s what she wanted. Thank goodness it has a safety net around it.” Dottie sighed and stepped back, rolling her neck and arching her back. “I’m about ready to quit for the day and put my feet up.”

  Sophie nodded. Dottie lived on the premises and had been managing Tommy’s household since her husband died. She’d never had any children, and hence had no grandchildren of her own, either. She needed to be commended for taking such good care of Tommy, even if she didn’t always approve of his lifestyle.

  “You do a wonderful job around here,” Sophie said.

  “Thank you, honey. That means a lot coming from you. Now go and enjoy your snacks.”

  “I think I’ll eat in the garden and visit the tiger Tommy bought.”

  Dottie laughed. “At least it’s only a statue. Be sure to text him in case he wants to see you on his break. Otherwise he’ll be searching high and wide for you.”

  “I will.” Sophie grabbed a bottle of water and exited the kitchen through a back door. She took the grassy path to the garden. The weather was starting to cool off a bit, but not enough to need a jacket. At least not right now. In an hour or so, it could get breezy.

  She parked herself on the bench in front of the tiger and texted Tommy. He didn’t reply, so she munched on her goodies. While she was on her second turkey-and-cucumber roll-up, her phone signaled a text. Tommy was on his way to see her.

  When he appeared, he looked downright dreamy, rugged to the core, in crisp denims and battered cowboy boots.

  “Sophie-Kophie,” he said and sat next to her. “How are you?”

  “I’m good. So where are my dogs? Dottie said they were with you.”

  “They’re asleep in my studio. They were watching animal videos on the internet earlier.”

  She raised her eyebrows, picturing it in her mind. “They chose what to watch all by themselves?”

  He shrugged. “I might have had a hand in it.”

  “No doubt.” She offered him the snack box. “Are you hungry?”

  “I’ll take a few of those.” He picked through the roasted chickpeas. He eyeballed the ants on a log and grinned. “What are you, in kindergarten again?”

  She defended herself. “I can’t help it if Chef babies me.”

  “Everyone loves having you here. They’re never going to want you to leave.”

  With the way things were going, she was afraid that she was never going to want to leave, either. But she was still trying to get pregnant, so there was no need to rush. When the time came, she would quit obsessing about being Tommy’s live-in lover and return to her own home. She mulled over the way she’d phrased it. Live-in lover. It sounded so real. But it wasn’t. Not with how temporary it was.

  He took another handful of the legumes. “How was work today?”

  “Funny you should ask.” She paused to regroup her thoughts. “Barbara told me about Music Mentors and how badly they want you to do the show. I don’t understand why you’re not considering it.”

  “Because I’d have to commit to two years of being a mentor and hold off on touring on my own. Then I’d have to tour with my protégés as my opening acts, with the show controlling the whole thing.”

  “Yes, but they book some exceptional tours. Besides, I think you’d enjoy scouring clubs for up-and-coming artists to mentor. You’d have a lot of clout in that regard. You’d get to pick your protégés yourself. And your segments would be filmed right here in Nashville.”

  “I agree that it would be nice to help new acts make it in this business. But doing television would still be too much of a commitment for me. I need more freedom than that.”

  “Then I guess there’s no point in discussing it. But the amount of money they’re offering you is staggering. More than anyone else who’s ever been on the show.” Tommy had the perfect personality for reality TV and the producers obviously knew it.

  He shrugged. “I should get back to my studio.”

  “Okay. Then I’ll see you later for pizza.”

  “So you know about that, huh? Chef taking the rest of the day off for a date? Speaking of which, I haven’t kissed you since this morning.” He homed in on her, putting his face wonderfully close to hers.

  Her heart pounded with excitement. After he kissed her, she decided that she was going to unleash her fantasy. This very evening. With him. No holds barred. She was going to make it happen.

  At this point, there was no reason to put it off. She had a right to explore her sexuality, to become her own woman.

  She said, “I’m going to give you a thrill tonight.”

  He touched her cheek. “You always thrill me, Soph.”

  “I’m capable of thrilling you even more.” Dizzying as this feeling was, she liked the power it gave her. “But you’ll have to wait to see what I mean. And you’ll have to say ‘please.’”

  He furrowed his brow. “Even if I don’t know what I’m saying it for?”

  “Yes.” Him not knowing made it more exciting for her. She needed this. She really, truly did. “When we were younger, you used to make me say ‘pretty please with five pounds of sugar on top’ when I wanted something from you. But you didn’t always give in.”

  “I’m giving in now.” He lowered the tone of his voice. “How about ‘pretty please with all of the sugar in the world on top’?”

  She couldn’t help but smile. “Then what choice do I have?” She was going to fulfill her own fantasy, giving him a night to remember, too.

  Nine

  At bedtime, Tommy waited for Sophie to get undressed, but she stayed in her jeans and blouse. She’d told him to keep what he had on, too. So he stood there, fully clothed and thoroughly confused.

  Ignoring him for now, she moved two chairs from his dining alcove to the center of the bedroom. She placed them across from each other, but not too close, leaving a purposeful span between them. Earlier she’d promised that she was going to give him a thrill, and he was intrigued by the mystery of it all.
/>   “That’s your chair.” She pointed to the one on the right. “And that’s mine.” She gestured to the second seat.

  He noticed that hers was in shadow. “What should I do now?”

  “Just sit and behave.”

  If he weren’t so fascinated by whatever she was planning, he might’ve laughed. She was being adorably bossy. He parked his butt in the chair. “Can I at least take off my boots?”

  “No.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because they’re sexy, and I like how you look in them.”

  He thought they were old and dusty, but who was he to argue?

  She roamed her gaze over him, assessing him in ways he couldn’t begin to understand. Then she said, “Open your legs some more.”

  He was already slouched in a wide-legged spread. But he wasn’t foolish enough to protest. He followed her order. Nonetheless, he asked, “Is there a reason I have to sit this way?”

  “Other than me enjoying seeing you that way? No, there isn’t.”

  Tommy shivered all the way to his battered boots. “Can I unzip my jeans to alleviate the pressure?” By now, he was getting hard.

  She shook her head. “I’ll unzip them for you later.”

  “You’re making me suffer, Soph.” But he liked it, and was eager for whatever came next.

  She took her seat. “This is nice, isn’t it?”

  “If nice is another word for hot, then, yeah, this is the nicest thing anyone has ever done to me.” He could barely breathe. He’d never had a woman torture him this way.

  “Just so you know, this is my fantasy, Tommy. Something I always imagined, something forbidden I always wanted to do. But it’s also something you told me that you like your lovers to do.”

  His brain kicked into gear. Suddenly he knew; he understood. “I’m going to watch you.”

  “Yes.” She removed her bra without even taking off her blouse. She simply maneuvered her arms, pulling it out from beneath the hem.

  He was impressed by her slick move. She was definitely giving him a thrill, making good on her promise.

  She dropped her bra onto the floor. Her nipples were poking against her blouse. He’d heard that women’s areolas sometimes got darker with pregnancy. He wondered if that would happen to her.

  “I’m not taking my jeans off,” she said. “I’m just going to...” She opened the zipper and tugged them down, just enough to expose her panties.

  Tommy let out the breath he’d been holding. Her panties consisted of multicolored lace and a cute little bow. She slipped her hand past the waistband, and he feared he would lose his mind.

  She moved her hand, sliding it lower. He watched her, bewitched by her modesty, by how sweet and sensual she was. Everything about her turned him on: the way she nibbled on her bottom lip, the dreamy expression in her eyes, the cascade of her unbound hair.

  She rubbed gently, touching herself ever so lightly.

  “Is that how you always do it?” he asked. “Softly like that?”

  “Yes,” she responded breathlessly.

  “Have you ever thought about me when you were doing it?”

  “Yes,” she said again. “More times than I can count.”

  “You look beautiful.” So damn gorgeous, he thought.

  “Maybe I can...” She pulled her jeans farther down. She tugged her panties lower, too.

  Now Tommy could see the top of her mound. She was getting braver, letting some of her modesty go. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

  “Come for me, Sophie,” he whispered. “Come while I’m watching you.”

  She peeked at him through drowsy eyelids. She looked stoned, high on seducing him. He was hooked, that was for sure.

  She opened her legs, caught her breath and rocked in her seat. She kept touching herself; it was perfection in every way. So hot. So erotic.

  Tommy studied every move she made.

  When she came, her orgasm was a thing of beauty, of sugar and spice and everything nice. Now that word made complete sense.

  Nice, nice, nice.

  Fixated on the sweet sounds she made, he absorbed her emotions, taking them deep inside.

  She sighed and removed her hand from her panties.

  He waited until her eyes were less glazed before he said, “That was incredible. Thank you for letting me be part of it.”

  Her smile was rife with sensuality. “I needed to make that happen, to free my inhibitions. But now it’s your turn to feel good.”

  “I’m already feeling good.” He was still mesmerized by her.

  “Then it’s your turn to feel even better.” She stood and righted her clothes. “This is part of my fantasy, too.” She got on her knees in front of him, and their gazes locked.

  Desperate to touch her, he caressed her face. Silent, she undid his jeans and freed him, his desire more than evident.

  When she lowered her head and took him in her mouth, everything went blank, except the mindless pleasure she gave him.

  * * *

  Tommy and Sophie spent the next two weeks working on the baby, doing what they were meant to do. And now he waited nervously outside the bathroom door. Sophie’s cycle was four days late, and she was taking a pregnancy test. According to the instructions, this test could be taken as early as one day after a missed period. Bearing that in mind, he figured that four days was plenty of time for an accurate reading.

  As soon as the door clicked open and she emerged, he anxiously asked, “What did it say?”

  “It says that we did it, Tommy! I’m going to have a baby!” She squealed and leaped into his arms.

  He spun her around, like they were kids on a carousel. He couldn’t remember being this excited, not even when he’d gotten his first number one hit. Lord almighty, but nothing compared to creating a life. An embryo in her womb, he thought. A teeny, tiny speck that would develop into a human being. Amazing how something so minuscule could be so monumental.

  They stopped spinning and broke into laughter. Sophie was going to be a mommy. She was going to have the child she wanted so badly.

  A second later, they went warmly, sweetly quiet. He lifted her T-shirt and splayed a hand across her stomach.

  Her eyes glistened with tears. “Thank you for doing this for me.”

  “You’re welcome.” He poked her belly button, proud and awed that he’d become a successful donor. He couldn’t imagine what being an actual dad would be like.

  But then he stopped himself; that wasn’t part of the plan. Tommy being the father wasn’t in the baby’s best interest. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if he would be as terrible at it as he first thought. Not that it mattered. This was Sophie’s baby. He’d signed a contract that absolutely, positively said so. Besides, he was just feeling all good and manly about making her pregnant. And that had nothing to do with being a parent.

  “So what happens now?” he asked.

  She stepped back, out of his arms. “I’ll call my doctor and make an appointment to see him.”

  That was the logical answer, but he was thinking on a more personal level. “Is it okay to tell my family? Or Dottie or Chef Bryan? And what about Barbara? You work with her every day.”

  “We can tell the people we’re closest to, but I don’t want the public to know. It’s too early for that. I want to be at least twelve weeks along before we make a formal announcement. The first trimester is the most precarious, and I don’t want to jinx it.”

  He didn’t like the sound of that. “Maybe you shouldn’t go back home right away. It’d probably be better if you stayed here.”

  “I’ll be fine, Tommy.”

  “I know. But it just seems safer.” He would worry if she was by herself. “Plus, I’d like to see how you’re progressing each day. I’d be glad to go to your doctor appointments with you, if you don’t mind
the company.”

  “Really?” She sounded surprised by his offer, but appreciative, too. “Thank you. I’d like that.”

  He made another offer, a riskier one, this time. “You can keep sleeping in my room.”

  She blinked at him. “But our affair was supposed to end when I got pregnant.”

  “I realize that’s what we agreed on. But it doesn’t have to be over this soon, not if we’re both still enjoying it.” He wasn’t ready to let her go just yet, and he hoped she wasn’t ready to be rid of him, either. He just wanted a little more time together.

  She met his gaze. “I do enjoy it.”

  “I do, too.” So damn much, he thought. “So should we keep at it?”

  Her breath rushed out. Was she going to agree? Or would she decide to stick to their original plan and go back home by herself? He waited, hoping her decision would go in his favor.

  Finally she said, “I’ll stay.” They gazed silently at each other, and she hurriedly added, “But once I’m farther along, after this first trimester is over, I’ll go home and that will be the end of it. Does that work for you?”

  “Yes, of course.” He wasn’t expecting anything more. “I’m going to try to get back on the road later, anyway. I’m still hoping to add some dates to this latest tour.”

  “You better hurry up and hire a road manager to replace me.” She paused. “Or have you found someone already?”

  “No, not yet. But I will.” He teased her. “You just keep sidelining me.”

  She smiled. “Me and my zest for motherhood?”

  “Yep.” He drew her into his arms again, holding her close and resting his hand on her stomach, where her baby was destined to grow.

  * * *

  The next morning, Sophie sat across from Tommy on the balcony, picking at her breakfast. She’d barely slept a wink the night before. Was she doing the right thing by remaining at his house? By sleeping with him? A less attached woman would have returned to her own home, her own life, her own everything.