“Hello.”
“Are you okay?” Kipton.
“I’m fine. I’m going to bed.” Pulling the phone away from my ear, I’m about to hang up when I hear his desperate plea.
“Sophie, wait.”
I’m too tired to play games, but I answer him anyway because part of me is thrilled he bothered to call me in the first place. “What?”
“I didn’t sleep with her.”
Am I supposed to believe that? They were both practically naked. “I don’t care either way, Kipton.”
“I know you care because I felt the same way when I saw you with Caleb.” He sighs into the receiver. “Jesus, Sophie. What are we doing?”
“I dunno? You tell me.”
“I swear I didn’t have sex with her.”
“You were in there with the door shut and she came out wearing your clothes, Kipton. How do you explain that?”
He sighs and continues his explanation. “We sat on my bed and I told her all about you. She’s jealous, Sophie. Really fucking jealous. That’s why she came out in my T-shirt. She took her own clothes off and took that shirt out of the wash basket. I didn’t touch her, I swear to you.”
I know all about jealousy. It’s what caused me to seek revenge in the first place. “I believe you.”
“You do?” He sounds surprised he didn’t have to fight harder to convince me. We were both acting like such jackasses tonight.
“Yeah. I do.”
He sighs again. “Are you in bed, beautiful?”
“Yes.”
“God, I want to be with you right now. Please say yes, Sophie.”
He has no idea how much I want him to hold me in his arms right now. “I want to. More than you know.”
“Then say the words and end this.”
“I think we did enough damage for one night. Maybe we can start fresh tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
“Cara’s back. I should go. Good night, Kipton.”
“Night, beautiful,” he whispers.
I pray sleep takes me to my dreams quickly because I need Kipton.
MAYBE I’M A FOOL, BUT I’m willing to wait Sophie out and give her the time she needs. Space is a different issue entirely. I can’t promise not to keep trying. I’m a persistent man when I know what I want and I want Sophie. From the tone of her voice on the phone, I thought she was about to break down and give up her fight.
Desperately wanting to help her, I have no idea where to begin. Maybe I could if I knew what was holding her back in the first place. She’s obviously scared, I get that. I just need to know why. Everyone has a past and I’d never hold hers against her, or run from it.
The minutes continue to tick by on the clock, as her words continue to eat away at me. I’m about to get up to find a bottle of Jack when my phone pings with an incoming text. Calls this time of night usually aren’t good, so I’m praying Cara’s safe. Unless it’s Emily. I doubt I’ve heard the last from her. When Sophie’s name appears, I’m not sure if I should rejoice or worry.
Sophie: Kipton.
Kipton: Hey beautiful.
Sophie: I’m sorry.
Kipton: For what?
Sophie: Everything.
I have to see her regardless of the direction this conversation takes, so I climb out of bed and find a pair of clean sweats and a shirt. When I go to grab my keys off the key hook, it hits me my car is at the dorm. Shit. Not wanting to lose her while she’s willing to talk, I text Sophie back while I figure out what to do. Unsure of exactly the right words to say, I decide to go for the truth. I could very well scare her off, but it’s a chance I’m willing to take. Her apologizing is a big deal and I’m hopeful we’re making progress despite everything that went down.
Kipton: I miss you.
Sophie: I miss you too. I messed up.
Fuck it. I’ll run the entire way to her dorm if I have to. I jam my feet into my sneakers, not even bothering to undo the laces. Those precious seconds I need to save. Bounding down the stairs, I’m ready to get my girl. But when I open the front door, I freeze.
“Hey.”
“Sophie. How did you get here? What are you doing here?” I shut the door behind me and move closer to her, still keeping enough distance between us so she doesn’t run.
“I drove your car. I probably should have gotten your permission first, or told Cara I was taking it, but I needed to see you. Please don’t be mad.”
“Beautiful, I could give two shits about my damn car right now. All I care about is that you’re here.” Before I can say anything else, she breaks down and sobs into her hands. Her shoulders shake under the exertion of her emotions. “Come here, baby.” Without any coaxing, she willingly runs into my open arms holding on to me for dear life. Her small fists are filled with the fabric of my shirt, stretching it tightly across my back. I hold onto her, afraid she might change her mind at any second. I have no idea what made her come here, but I’m thankful she ran to me this time instead of away.
I let her cry for as long as she needs—until she’s able to talk. When she shivers from the cooler night air, I risk speaking. “Sophie, will you come inside with me?”
“Yes.” She sniffles and wipes her tears with her sleeve, but doesn’t let go of me entirely. I’m more than okay with that. “Were you asleep?” She softly asks.
“No. I was staring at the ceiling thinking about you.”
“You were?” Her surprise is shining in her big blue eyes.
“Pathetic, huh?” She shakes her head no and I smile. “Is it okay if we go to my room? It’s still a mess down here from the party.”
“That’s fine.” She holds onto my arm until we get to the stairs. She lets go of me reluctantly, but I keep my hands on her the entire way up.
Inside my room the mood shifts the second I close the door. Before I can even contemplate what to say first, she’s on me. Assuming she needs me as much as I have missed her, I don’t waste a second getting her undressed. She’s tugging on my shirt, unable to lift it over my head by herself thanks to our significant height difference. After I toss my shirt onto the floor, I finish undressing her and kick off my sneakers. Picking her up, I place her in the center of my bed where she looks beautiful with her blond hair cascading over my black sheets—a few strands covering her chest. “Hurry, I need you, Kipton.”
Removing my pants and boxers, I quickly slide on a condom. Resting on top of her, I can’t go any farther until I make sure this isn’t about sex. “Look at me, beautiful.” She turns her head and stares into my eyes so intensely I feel the energy between us. I need her. “I’ll give you what you want, but you have to promise me you won’t run afterward. Can you do that?” I pray she says yes because I want her too damn much to stop.
Slowly she blinks as I wait for her answer. “I’m done running, Kipton.”
Her words are music to my ears. I should make sure she’s ready for me, but I’m greedy. Slamming into her, she cries out in what I hope is ecstasy and not pain. “Did I hurt you?”
“No. Don’t stop.”
“You’re mine, Sophie. Do you hear me? Mine.”
She moans softly and closes her eyes as her head tips back in pleasure. While I love watching her come undone beneath me, I need her to look at me. “Baby, eyes.” They open and as her gaze meets mine again, I see the emotion as much as I feel it in our connection.
“Kipton,” she moans. “Harder. I need you.”
I pump into her harder, wanting her to feel as incredible as I do. “You have me beautiful. I’m not going anywhere. I promise.”