Plus One is a Lucky Number

If hot with nerves before, she was on fire now. His soft but determined, warm lips pressed against hers. The heat rose in her cheeks.

He held her close and moved his lips to her ear. “Don’t give the game away – always on the mouth.” Again, he could have been whispering sweet nothings. His warm breath on her neck sent an electric pulse of pleasure down her spine. How was she going to last a weekend with him and not make a fool of herself?

He brushed her hair back gently with his fingers and then let her go. She looked him in the eye, giving him a smile.

Was it normal to want to kiss him again?

“I’ll see you later,” she said, hesitating.

“Come on, love birds!” Cassie grabbed Sophie by the arm, and pulled her away from Adam. “Adam, I promise I’ll bring her back in one piece.” She chuckled mischievously. “One drunken piece.”

Adam smiled at Cassie, shaking his head. Simon approached Sophie and Cassie, his back to Adam and the other men, putting an arm around each of their waists. He let go of Cassie, but kept hold of Sophie.

“Don’t worry, Sophie, I’ll keep Adam out of mischief. You can trust me.”

Trust?

There, again, his hand on her bum! She glared at him, releasing his grip, stepping away, closer to Cassie. She glanced at Adam. Could he see?

Worried her expression showed her anger, she faked a smile and waved at Adam, then linked an arm through Cassie’s and Natalie’s.

It felt alien to have Simon anywhere near her, dragging up old feelings, torturing her all over again. Simon would never be forgiven.

***

Adam watched the women leave the hotel, giggling and talking. He disliked how Simon had wrapped his arm around Sophie like he had some privilege. It didn’t take a psychologist to work out Sophie didn’t like it – he’d observed her irritated reaction to Simon.

Simon clapped his hands then, rubbing his palms together, walked towards the group of men. “Right, gentlemen, I’ve got the perfect place for us to start off the night.”

“Simon, a quiet night was the plan,” Gareth said, frowning.

“Nah, what’s the fun in that?” Simon replied, grinning, revealing perfect teeth.

Teeth Adam could quite easily break. He was only just getting to know Sophie, but already he had this primeval instinct to protect her against this man. Simon had to be the reason why Sophie wanted to cancel on this weekend.

“Don’t fret, Gareth. We’re staying in the town, wouldn’t want to bump into the girls,” Simon continued. “But this is one of your last night’s of freedom. You need to let your hair down, mate.”

Gareth wasn’t happy. Adam had his own impression of Simon forming now, and it wasn’t a good one. It was a gut feeling, but he could be wrong. Sophie hadn’t reacted to Simon by flying off the handle, so it was best to play along. To be the perfect boyfriend.

Chapter Five (#u2da47551-855f-5699-9292-46ac205a2726)

The music drummed loudly in the packed club. The rammed dance floor bobbed like a choppy sea, dark silhouettes moving against the multi-coloured lights.

Sophie watched from the table, perched on a stool and swayed to the music, sipping her drink. She used to love dancing, but now she feared the hassle of it. A girl couldn’t just get lost on the dance floor. It was practically a cattle market, with men watching the women like farmers picking a prized cow. She didn’t fancy that bit any more. Yes, she would probably meet a nice enough guy, eventually, but how many others would she have to waste her time on before she found him? How many might hurt her?

However, if she’d conquered the fear, gone out more, rather than just down the White Lion on a Friday evening, she wouldn’t have needed Adam here this weekend to hold her hand.

“So, come on, spill the beans - where’d you find him, Soph?” Cassie said loudly, leaning against the tall table they’d all circled around. Natalie sat next to Sophie, grinning, waiting patiently to hear her gossip. Cassie sipped her wine, then turned back to another girl, nudging her. “Sophie’s got one hell of a man. Drop. Dead. Gorgeous.”

“Cass, please.” Sophie fought the urge to tell her friend the truth. After the wedding, in a month or so, she could admit it, if she had to.

“Come on, where did you meet him?”

“At work – we were both at some guy's retirement party and hit it off.” Sophie took a sip of her own wine. She wanted to gulp it down, but knew she needed to keep her head straight. She hated lying to her friend, a good friend whom she wouldn't normally keep secrets from. But if she confided, and the lie got out, she’d look more of an idiot. So would Adam. It was best kept between her and Adam.

“You hold on to him, girl.”

“Yeah, he’s a good one,” Natalie said, raising her glass.

“I intend to,” Sophie replied, swallowing the lie as she swallowed more of her wine. Although somewhere lurking in the back of her mind, a small voice wished she could keep Adam. That kiss had really been no more than a peck, like lovers kissed, but she could still feel the pressure of his lips against hers and hoped she’d feel it again. More than likely she would. Lovers had to kiss, right?

But they hadn’t discussed kissing – she hadn’t even thought about it. She hadn’t been kissed in a while and she hoped it didn’t show. Adam had said ‘experienced’ in the car, and she doubted he was only talking about his job. A man like Adam knew how to make a woman tremble at the knees just by smiling at her.

Sophie's mind wandered back to Simon and his display in the bar earlier. Seeing Simon again had put her head in a spin and brought back memories, as she'd feared. Some good, but mostly bad. After all this time she still found it hard to face him. Had he brushed past her accidentally or deliberately? When they’d been about to leave, that had been most definitely deliberate.

Had Adam noticed Simon's hand on her backside? She'd wanted to say something to Simon right then, but knew it wouldn't be good to make a scene. This was Gareth and Natalie’s weekend. But what was he playing at? It had been over four years since she’d seen him. She’d been successful in avoiding him, thanks to her parents insisting on visiting her, rather than Sophie coming home.

Was he jealous and trying therefore to make Adam jealous? Sophie resisted laughing to herself. Adam wasn't going to get jealous - but would he act that way for her, for this weekend’s performance?

But then jealousy wasn’t a quality she liked. So she hoped Adam would rise above it and not show any reaction, making him the better man. He was a better man.

A much better man who she couldn’t have. Pretend, remember?

She sipped her drink. Luckily, Natalie and Cassie had dashed off to the ladies’, leaving her alone with her glum thoughts.

“You’re not for me, Sophie,” Simon had said. Excuses of course, but had there truth in them?He’d thundered into her life, then back out again, like a storm. “We’re not right for each other like I thought we were. You don’t know how to love.”

She didn’t know how to love. Apparently, she was … No, don’t go there. She obliterated the words from her mind and finished her wine to loosen the tightness in her throat.

If only she could prove him wrong. But for real. Not with pretend boyfriends.

He doesn’t need know it’s fake.

Simon’s touch had surprised her, too. She was shocked at how much she didn't like it any more. She didn't remember Simon being like this before – not really. A flirt with the ladies, yes. But acting like an arse now certainly wasn't going to help improve her feelings towards him. Was Adam getting on with him? She shouldn't worry. Adam looked like a man who could handle himself and besides, Gareth was there. He'd be fine.

Natalie squeezed through the busy club and stood beside her at the table. “Save me from Cassie,” she said, swaying, shaking Sophie from her thoughts. “I swear, she drinks like a fish and cannot be removed from the dance floor without heavy machinery!”

Sophie giggled at her friend, who had a hideous fluorescent pink veil stuck in her hair – it was a good distraction from her bleak thoughts. Her smile dropped as she saw a woman go up to the bar, luckily ignoring Sophie.

Zoe.

“I didn’t invite her here tonight,” Natalie whispered. “She still lives locally. Probably meeting friends.”

“Good.” Sophie grabbed her next drink lined up on the table and took a gulp of it, turning her back on the woman. Zoe was another reason why she didn’t like coming home.

“But she might be coming to the wedding – only the evening do though,” Natalie nervously confessed, wincing. “Sorry.”

Sophie shrugged and took another gulp of her wine. Maybe getting drunk was the answer. She would blank the woman, pretend she didn’t recognise her – unless she had Adam on her arm, of course. Oh, now she liked that idea.