[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
confident demeanor or the fascinating paradox of her innate warmth and kindness
juxtaposed with a sense of detachment, a cool aloofness. No, her sense of wisdom came
from more than that. She was an old soul, Tony decided suddenly, vaguely amused by
his unusual poetic turn of thought. It was that aura of unavailability and mystery that
still had Tony s libido boiling after all this time, despite the fact that he preferred his
women young, built and biddable.
He repressed an irritated frown. How he wished Sophia Galanis was biddable!
She d made a habit of refusing almost all of the professional advice that he d given her
over the years. And yet, damn it all, her low profile and understated image succeeded
in making her even more of a darling with the press and the public than if she d shown
up glittering in diamonds and designer gowns for every high-profile event in
Hollywood.
He bristled when a swarthy, bodybuilder type approached her and asked her for
her autograph, but he could tell by Sophia s warm smile and gracious acceptance of the
man s pen that she didn t want Tony s interference.
I told you it wasn t a good idea to go out in public without any type of cover,
Tony scolded, referring to the fact that Sophia had refused to wear any type of glasses
or a hat this evening, making her more noticeable to bothersome fans.
Sophia shrugged. I m not worried about it. It ll be the exception. Let s face it, Tony,
my popularity is waning. Besides, Tahoe is very laid-back and so is this place. She
glanced around the nearly empty outdoor deck of the restaurant that boasted a prime
lakeside view. Sophia had wanted to sit outside and relax on the many Adirondack
25
Beth Kery
chairs arranged around a crackling fire. Lake Tahoe evenings, even in June, were chilly.
She sighed with contentment as she gazed out over the alpine lake that glittered like a
deep blue sapphire beneath the darkening sky.
Besides, it will be dark soon, she added.
Are you sure you ll be warm enough out here?
She nodded. If you re okay with it, I am. This old sweater will keep me warm and
the fire is heavenly.
Tony s eyes glittered with masculine appreciation as she sighed with sensual
satisfaction and gave the fire a distracted, mysterious, very sexy smile.
Right. How about another glass of wine, then? I have an important phone call that
I need to make, Tony said as he stood. He brushed Sophia s shoulder in a casual, but
pointedly intimate gesture as he passed. He d actually just recalled that he had a date
scheduled for tonight with an aerobics instructor in Los Angeles. He d been worried
that Sophia would cancel her invitation to Tahoe and he wanted to keep all of his
options open. Ms. Aerobics USA would have to keep hot on the back burner until
another time. He sighed as he flipped open his cell phone. He d not yet had the
opportunity to actually fuck the little firecracker and that was the sole reason that he
was even bothering to call her to cancel at all.
This was the first real opportunity that he d ever had to bed Sophia. A feeling of
euphoria rushed through him. Why not tonight? She may need a little convincing, but
Tony felt more than up to the challenge.
The possibilities were tantalizing.
After he d left a message and put in his order at the bar, he took a moment to
consider some of those promising possibilities in earnest. Sophia seemed especially
relaxed currently after her whirlwind United Nations tour of several African war-torn
countries. He hadn t seen her this content in ages. Tony and Sophia had historically
done little more than flirt in a friendly fashion, although he had made it clear on an
occasion or two that he would interested in more than that. Sophia had made it just as
clear that gentle flirting was all she was interested in. Tony had never pushed the angle.
But he needed something more to tie her to him besides their professional
relationship. His importance in that area of her life was diminishing all too quickly.
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]