Page 39 of Nobody's Girl

Sofia felt her body relax at Adria’s words. The one thing she was sure of in this world was that Ivo loved her. “I often wonder how I got to be so blessed by having Ivo’s love. Your son is the most wonderful man I’ve ever known.”

Adria touched her cheek. “He is lucky to have you, Sofia. For a long time – and I didn’t see it for years – he was unhappy, or rather, he was trying to find his place in the world. When he was young, we fully expected him to follow us into the acting world. Given his looks, his charm, we thought he would be an even bigger star than his father. When he told us he didn’t want it, it was a strange moment, and I think ever since, he’s been trying to justify that ever since to us. What he doesn’t realize is, in our eyes, he became his own man that day and we couldn’t be prouder.”

A tear dropped down Sofia’s face at the love in Adria’s voice. “I will never hurt him,” she said, almost in a whisper. “Ever. He is my world.”

“I know you won’t, sweetheart.” Adria touched her cheek. “Now, I have to eat or I’ll fall over…no, it’s okay. How about we order room service and have a girl’s night? AT least until Ivo can drag himself away from work.”

Ivo came to meet her later on and smiled when he found both Sofia and his mother asleep on the huge couch, Sofia with her head on his mother’s shoulder. He woke Sofia gently and together they helped his exhausted mother to bed. Sofia kissed Adria’s cheek. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Please do,” Adria took Sofia’s hand. “I had fun today, after the you know.”

“What was my mother talking about when she said ‘you know’?” Ivo asked her in the cab back to his hotel. Sofia told him about her step-father and his threats.

“The thing is, he is right. I could be deported at any moment.”

“Not while I’m breathing.” Ivo sounded angry and she stroked his face.

“We’ll figure it out. I’m too tired to worry about it for tonight.”

At his hotel, they showered together and then made love. In the early hours of the morning, Ivo woke Sofia, his green eyes alive with excitement.

“What is it, my love?” She said sleepily.

His smile was triumphant. “I know a way you can stay in the country entirely legally.”

Sofia was awake now. “Really? How?”

Ivo kissed her, his mouth firm on hers, his tongue caressing hers, until she had to break away to breathe. “It’s simple,” he said, “You just have to say yes to my next question.”

The merriment in his eyes made her giggle. “Okay, yes to whatever you’re about to ask.”

“Good,” Ivo said, his hands stroking her body, his fingers tracing a pattern on her belly. “Sofia Amory?”

“Yes, Ivo Zacca?” She was enjoying his game.

“Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”

Chapter Seventeen

He was tiring of waiting around for an opportunity to seduce Sofia Amory. Grant moved through the Parisian night, his senses sharp, searching, searching for someone who looked like her. Someone he could fuck and pretend was her.

He found her in a nightclub and she easily fell for his charm – like they all did.

Except Sofia. The few times he had seen her since the gallery opening, she had been friendly but always kept him at a distance. That fucker Zacca was always around and now, he hadn’t seen Sofia at the apartment building in weeks. Maybe she had moved in with him?

He had taken to hanging around the gallery but she had been a no-show there too. Where the fuck was she?

He could feel the obsession with Sofia roiling around his gut, day and night. Tamara had seemingly lost interest, barely acknowledging him when they spoke on the phone. He had stopped calling after a few days and she hadn’t called him back.

Little matter. She had proved useful enough – without Tamara, he would never have known Sofia existed. He thought about her constantly. Her soft curves, the inky black hair falling in a sheet across her shoulders, that perfect little face. Those deep dark eyes. It took everything he had in him to control himself when he was around her. He dreamed of fucking her, hearing her gasp his name as he drove her towards orgasm.