“Toast?” She looked suddenly panicked andgulped the last of her coffee.
Leading the way, he motioned for her tofollow him down the stairs. Her nerves had kicked back in again. Hehad no idea why she was so nervous to meet with Aunt Jane; thewoman was fierce but seemed to adore Sophie as much as the rest ofhis family and was as loyal and good-natured as they come. “You’rein luck, I don’t actually know how to make anything else. However,Mom made scrambled eggs, and I can dish it up for you.”
“Maybe a little. That toast actually soundsbetter. I don’t think the butterflies in my stomach left much roomfor anything else.” She managed a weak smile and put her hand oversaid butterflies.
“Nervous about Jane? She’s a total softy.”Reaching the kitchen, he pulled out their finest loaf of sourdoughand popped two slices into the toaster. Leaning back against thecounter, he raised his eyebrow at Sophie mischievously.
Sophie stomped her feet and whined pitifully.“That’s the problem. I don’t want her to go easy on me. I want tobe a fair partner, not a pity hire. What if she just hires mebecause she’s a softy? Then I’ll be a total drain to the business,and she’ll be too nice to fire me.”
Sighing, Asher realized this wasn’t an easybattle. As much as he berated himself for his faults, Sophieclearly wasn’t any more immune to self-criticism than he was. “Janewouldn’t pick just anyone to make her one-woman operation atwo-women firm. Trust me. If she didn’t truly think you werecapable, she’d have told you about local businesses looking for anaccountant.”
Nodding bravely, Sophie was trying to believehis assurances. “Fair point.”
He hooked his fingers in her belt and pulledher between his legs. Resting his mouth on the top of her forehead,he placed a gentle kiss before remembering they were just friends.Friends stood this way, right?
He didn’t have many female friends, orfriends in general, really. Surely some friends must stand this wayand kiss each other platonically. Or was it only platonic if itdidn’t affect them?
“Didn’t you have some amazing internship inSeattle? Work with some impressive accounting firm while youfinished school?” He could feel her loosening in his grip, calmingdown a little. “Oh yeah, that’s right smarty-pants, you have amaster’s degree, an accounting certification, and four years ofexperience in the field. And you’ve got a level head. Total pityhire. I have no idea what Aunt Jane is thinking.”
She pulled back, looked up, and gave him amocking glare. “I’ll take that toast now.”
***
“Let’s take my truck.”
“Is it behaving today? I don’t want to risk abreakdown on my way to meet Jane. Doesn’t look good to show up latefor a not-interview.”
Sophie looked so damn gorgeous, herconfidence starting to blossom, strutting her stuff and dressed thepart in a pair of slim black slacks paired with a feminine, yetoutdoorsy floral top. Perfect for the local business scene.
Even with the heeled boots, she was stillshorter than he was. He tried not to imagine how perfectly she’dfit against him in her bare feet. How her legs might wrap aroundhim as he took her against the wall. On her knees in front of himwith those lush, pink lips taking him in…dammit, cool yourjets.
“Don’t trust my mechanic skills? We made itback home last time.” He raised an eyebrow in challenge.
Looking from his truck to her CR-V and backagain, she shook her head. “If we’re late, I’m blaming you.”
With a casual salute, he dashed ahead andopened the creaky, yet functional, passenger door for her. “At therate we’re going, you’ll be twenty minutes early as it is.”
He fired up the engine. It wheezed andwhined, but finally it turned over. “See? No problem.” Hopefully.Easing it into gear, he held his breath. So far so good, shiftingsmoothly, clutch good, brakes working. What more could he replaceon the damn thing?
The drive went smoothly, despite the lack ofair conditioning. Her hair had been straightened and pulled into aneat bun so nicely, but now she wore a cute beachy, messy bun lookafter the wind got to it. Much more fun this way anyway.
They made casual conversation on the drive.It was nice being friends. When was the last time he’d been justfriends with a woman? Ever? Although, he supposed it wasn’t reallyfriendship when he kept picturing her naked. Riding him like LadyGodiva. Calling out his name in triumph as she straddled him in anepic orgasm.
“I forgot to mention, I have an appointmentat the bank after I’m done with Jane. I have some documents to signso my trust fund can be deposited straight into my account.”
Her mother sounded to be great person, andSophie a well-loved kid. Her aunt must be a nightmare. He couldn’tpicture Sophie clothed in the too short but too wideHollywood-wannabe clothes her aunt had passed along to her that shetold him about. “Mom mentioned something about that. Your mom setit up to protect the money from your aunt?”
A look of disgust, Sophie nodded. “Thankgoodness. I got a decent chunk at eighteen to help pay for collegeexpenses, another at twenty-four, now I get full control of therest on my twenty-seventh birthday.”
“When’s your birthday?” Rounding the bend,the truck lurched a bit, refusing to downshift, but finally managedto lock into gear without it stalling.
“Tomorrow,” she answered nonchalantly, hergaze following the passing trees out the window.
“Tomorrow? Why didn’t you say anything?” Hetried not to act astonished, but it wasn’t like his family to notstart fussing already. Birthdays were a big deal in the Sutherlandhouse.
Picking at a nonexistent fuzzy on her pants,Sophie shrugged. “I don’t want to be a burden. Everyone’s so busywith the wedding, I thought I might be able to slide under theradar this year. I hate the attention anyway.”
“But do you hate cake?” He eyed hermeaningfully, trying to get a smile out of her.
