Suddenly Single Sophie

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He had the lean, muscular build, dazzling blue eyes and classically honed features of a Hollywood movie star. Looks designed to catch any woman’s eye—and he knew it.

He was eerily like Jeremy in both looks and manner, and the similarities made Sophie feel uncomfortable. She glanced across at Will, hoping for some indication from him as to whether to take this larger-than-life show pony seriously. Will’s expression suggested he disapproved of the man’s blatant flirting as much as she did.

‘Sophie. Sophie Carmichael.’ She desperately tried to stop her voice trembling but didn’t quite succeed. To her surprise, Will responded to her uneasiness by moving close, grasping her hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

‘Great to meet you. I hope …’ his fleeting look in Will’s direction barely acknowledged his presence ‘… you both will come and at least have a drink with me and my friends.’

Andrew’s manner tripped a switch for Sophie and she felt nauseous. She couldn’t control the sudden churning in her gut as his roving eyes played havoc with her emotions. She wanted to tell him to back off, but she didn’t want to offend Will or his friend.

‘The party’s only just starting to warm up,’ he said with a grin.

She liked the man less with each word he uttered.

This stranger was a double of Jeremy, and she had a sudden compulsion to leave before the nagging nausea in her gut got any worse.

It was then he must have noticed Will’s protective gesture. Obviously not used to being rebuffed, Andrew leaned close, his breath smelling of seafood and alcohol.

Without thinking what she was doing, Sophie shrank away from Andrew and snuggled a little closer to Will. His body felt warm, strong, secure … and sexy. He made her feel safe, cared for, protected … in a way Jeremy never had.

Whoa … What on earth had come over her? He was her boss. They’d known each other barely a couple of hours and were merely acting out a charade of being more than colleagues.

She pulled away and stole a quick look at Will’s face and saw a twinkle of amusement in his eyes.

‘Sophie and I have other plans, haven’t we?’

He was rescuing her. It was as if he had read her mind and had decided to play the knight in shining armour.

‘I … er …’

‘Well, you are a dark horse, aren’t you, mate?’ Andrew winked and slapped Will on the back in a misguided gesture of friendship. He’d added his own interpretation to their show of intimacy.

Will also recoiled from the man, and his grip tightened on her hand in a subtle indication of new-found solidarity. Andrew prattled on, completely unaware of the undercurrents between the two of them.

‘I had no idea.’ Andrew’s attention firmly focused on Will, the look on his face bemused but curious. ‘How long have you two—?’

‘We met years back.’ Sophie interrupted, trying to think quickly and say something that wouldn’t exaggerate the untruths. ‘And Will has kindly offered me a job for a couple of months at a time when I need to get away from Sydney.’ She attempted a look, implying that was all the information she was prepared to give.

‘Ah. I see. Will’s playing the good Samaritan.’

Will’s free arm found its way onto Sophie’s shoulder and his facial expression turned into one of exaggerated concern. She was relieved when he finally spoke.

‘We appreciate the offer. Perhaps another time.’ He hesitated, sending Sophie a look. ‘So if we could just get the keys …?’

‘Okay, I’ll be five minutes,’ Andrew said as he loped off towards the house.

‘What was that all about? For a minute there I thought you were going to faint.’

Will dropped Sophie’s hand and stepped back from her, folding his arms across his chest. He looked as confused as she was. His tanned cheeks were flushed and the understanding in his eyes a moment ago had turned to bewilderment. She could already tell he was a man who liked his world to stay in a predictable orbit, but Sophie was as surprised as Will at her reaction to Andrew Fletcher.

‘It’s difficult to explain,’ she finally said.

‘I’d like you to try.’

‘It’s just …’

‘What?’

How could Sophie explain her reaction? Why she’d needed such a dramatic out from Andrew’s advances? He reminded her so much of Jeremy—charming, handsome, generous, rich, but not capable of fidelity—it was scary. In the end, Jeremy’s unfaithfulness had been their undoing.

When had he fallen out of love with her? The fact that he might never have loved her had left Sophie feeling totally gutted. She’d been used—put on display like an expensive accessory and then discarded when he’d become bored with her and traded in for a new model.

Andrew was cast in the same mould.

But all men weren’t animals … Not if her instinctive reaction to Will’s kindness was anything to go by. It made it even more difficult for her to explain her impulsive behaviour. She figured she had nothing to lose, though, by telling the truth.

‘He reminded me of my ex.’ She couldn’t help the grimace.

‘Oh.’ Will seemed uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was headed. Too much information? Too personal?

As Will dropped his arms to his sides Andrew walked through the French doors.

Grabbing Will’s hand again, Sophie said in a pleading voice, ‘Do you mind? He’s coming back.’

Will smiled, apparently with renewed understanding and what Sophie thought was a hint of empathy. ‘Just this once, but after we leave here—’

‘I know. I’m sorry. I owe you for this.’

Andrew returned at that moment, handed over the keys to Will and grinned.

‘I’ll let you two go off and get reacquainted, then.’

He waved them off, then added as his eyes did another quick but obvious head-to-toe appraisal of Sophie, ‘Remember I’m next door if you need anything.’

‘I’m sure she won’t,’ Will said brusquely as he put the keys in his pocket.

What on earth was it about Sophie Carmichael that had made him behave in a totally irrational manner? wondered Will.

They walked down the driveway of Andrew Fletcher’s house, Sophie’s hand still enfolded in Will’s protective grip. She offered no resistance and he was reluctant to release her cool, tense fingers. He knew he should. Sophie was probably thinking he was taking advantage of her vulnerability.

But it felt so natural, comfortable … and so sensual.

Oh, God.

What had happened to his well-ordered life?

Will had totally lost his bearings. His day had started out simply enough. Not surprisingly, he’d been tired. It had been a busy week and ‘tired’ seemed to be his default setting these days. The usual Saturday morning at the clinic, demanding work, but nothing he couldn’t handle, had been predictable.

It had been after morning surgery, when Sophie Carmichael had crunched, strode and then nudged herself into his life that his world had tilted on its axis.

In the space of a few short hours she’d roused the full spectrum of his emotions. He’d tumbled through frustration, amusement, impatience, confusion and … desire.

Desire? He’d almost forgotten it existed.

‘That went well,’ Sophie said as they reached the end of Andrew’s drive.

‘You think so?’

Will reluctantly released her hand and dragged his mind back from what was turning into a totally unachievable fantasy. Thank heaven she had no idea what he was thinking.

Sophie smiled. The comment was probably her way of saying how uncomfortable the encounter with Will’s colleague had been for both of them. Will already had an idea what made this fascinating woman tick. She was naturally intuitive, dangerously unpredictable, and seemed to act at times solely on impulse.

And he liked it, he grudgingly admitted.

She’d also shown good judgement in her reaction to his successful, good-looking colleague. Andrew normally had any pretty woman he set his charismatic sights on under his spell in less than five minutes.

But not Sophie.

‘You’ve obviously known Andrew for a long time but … and I might have got the vibes wrong … you don’t seem to be best mates.’

She was dead right. But what could he say? He could hardly burden her with the traumas of his past.

‘You’re pretty close to the mark. But I didn’t mean to—’

‘No need to apologise. If he’s anything like my exfiancé …’

The words stuck in her throat and her cheerfulness drained away as rapidly as the healthy colour in her cheeks.

Will felt totally at sea. Talking about problems on a personal level, especially with a woman, wasn’t something he did. At least, not outside his consulting room. What was the point? It wouldn’t make what had happened all those years ago go away.

But Sophie looked so dejected, as if she carried deep sadness inside. He couldn’t just jump into his car and drive away without showing he cared. And, much to his surprise, he did care. A lot.

‘Andrew and I haven’t got much in common now. Our career paths diverged years ago and I guess we’re both busy with all our commitments.’ He cleared his throat. ‘Er … what was it about Andrew that reminded you of your boyfriend?’

They were approaching Sophie’s flat and Will rummaged in his pocket for the keys. He stopped on the doorstep and waited for Sophie’s reply.

‘Um … it’s difficult to explain.’ Her eyes lost focus for a moment but then she continued. ‘I thought he loved me but it turned out …’ She swung her gaze back. The pain was there in her eyes, hot and cruel. ‘It turned out he was a first-class bastard.’

It only took a moment for a rampant blush to flood her face and she began to stutter. ‘N-not that … um … It’s not that I think your friend …’

There was no way Will would use the word ‘friendship’ in the same sentence as Andrew Fletcher after what he’d done. But Sophie didn’t need to know that. She had her own demons to deal with.

‘I mean, Andrew might be a nice guy … It was just a gut feeling … I’m sorry.’

Will felt awkward, not quite sure what to say. He wanted desperately to comfort her, offer reassurance, but he’d been out of the social scene for so long … Giving her a hug was probably totally inappropriate, and he certainly didn’t want her to think he was cast in the same mould as Andrew. He respected his women friends and had decided long ago if he ever embarked on a serious relationship again it would be for life. And that certainly wasn’t going to happen any time soon. The baggage he carried was too heavy to share.

To disguise his discomfort he unlocked the door, and the heaviness of Sophie’s mood lifted.

‘There you go,’ he said, stepping aside. ‘Furniture’s basic, but you should have everything you need. I’ve left some supplies that I hope will keep you going until you have a chance to go shopping. There’s a deli—you probably saw it as we turned in from the main road …’

He still stood on the threshold, but Sophie had waltzed in and in two short minutes claimed the place as her own. She’d opened the kitchen blind and exclaimed at the quaintness of the small private garden on her back doorstep. She’d sat on the couch and plumped the cushions before smelling the small spray of freesias he’d put in a sauce bottle on the tiny gate-leg table in the corner.

‘Did you do this?’ she exclaimed as she opened the cupboards and then the fridge.

Youth and happiness, untarnished by life’s encumbrances, glowed on her face. The mood was contagious and Will wanted the moment to go on for ever.

‘I guessed what you might need. Don’t worry about throwing things away. Just give the non-perishables back to me if they’re unwanted.’

‘No. Everything’s perfect. I love it.’

She was back in the doorway, reaching out for his hand again, but this time like an excited child. ‘What are you standing outside for? Come in. The least I can do is make coffee.’

Damn, he had a meeting with a builder.

‘No. I have to go. I—’

Her expression changed. Was it disappointment?

‘Oh, of course. You’re a busy man and you must have commitments on the weekends.’ Her eyes were questioning. He was sorry how quickly Sophie’s mood had changed. ‘I’m sorry to have taken up so much of your precious leisure time. I’m sure your family …’

What leisure time? What family?

Lately nearly all Will’s time away from the clinic had been consumed by his efforts to get his pet project off the ground. Any sort of social life was out of the question and he had no family demanding his attention. Will’s heart clenched shut at the memory of the family he’d once had.

The family he’d lost, the family he’d failed … the family he’d destroyed.

And now … The residents of the Springs had infiltrated his life to become his kin. He’d long been aware that the older generation who had known his grandparents kept a watchful eye on him. And the young—the children of his adopted extended family—were the driving force behind his desire to do everything he could to give them the opportunity to achieve their full potential.

Could he ever repay his family?

He’d long ago realised the neighbourhood he’d been brought up in was the only place he felt truly at home. He’d be asking too much to expect Sophie to understand, her background being so different from his.

‘No need to worry about family commitments. I’m unattached—no rug rats keeping me awake at night.’ He feigned cheerfulness to disguise his loneliness.