Page 47 of The Billionaire's Angel

Love.

Let's not bullshit around. I couldn't help but laugh at myself. Sophie had proven she was more than capable of providing her own home and her own stability. But I could give her love. I just had to convince her she wantedit.

I turned the corner on the loop that would take me back to Winters House and mapped out my strategy to win Sophie. She already had feelings for me, or she wouldn't have let me in her bed. And she liked having me there. No one was that good at fakingit.

Sophie had loved the way I touched her, the way I’d fucked her. I wasn't above using sex to win her over. It wouldn't be a hardship for me. Finally getting into Sophie's bed might've been the high point of mylife.

Just remembering the way she’d taken me, her gasps and moans, the feel of her heavy, full breasts in my hands, the way her fingers gripped my hair as she rolled her hips intomine.

Time for a new train of thought. Running with an erection is not fun, though that wasn't a problem I'd hadbefore.

I needed to think. I needed a plan. I didn't think getting into Sophie's bed would be the problem. She might even invite me back if she wasn't second-guessing herself this morning. No, the hard part would be bringing our relationship into the open. As far as I knew, other than Aiden's vague warning before he left on his trip, no one had any idea there was something betweenus.

Knowing Sophie, she'd want to keep it that way. She’d say she worked for my family, which made me off-limits. Except, I was pretty sure Aiden would kick me out of the house before he'd fireSophie.

If Aiden fired Sophie, Amelia would go ballistic. No one wanted to handle Amelia if she was pissed. I shuddered to imagine the shit she would pull without Sophie to rein her in. Sophie's position in Winters House was safe. I just had to prove it toher.

I tried to catch her at breakfast, but Mrs. W informed me that she and Amelia had left while I was in the shower, planning to eat out and then go for a walk in Piedmont Park and the BotanicalGardens.

After a few not-so-subtle questions I learned they didn't have any plans for the afternoon. I sent Mrs. W a wink and went upstairs to tackle the rest of the homework I'd gotten from Charlie. She’d said she had more when I was done with this batch and was ready to move forward. I was starting to get a picture of the scope of the company'sdealings.

I wasn't ready to get back to work, but I would be soon, with Charlie's help. While I was at my desk, I made a few calls, nailing down details on wedding stuff too small for the planner to bother with. I sent Charlie a quick update email and let her know I’d be stopping bylater.

When I was done, I touched base with the head of the Sinclair Security team at the house checking the alarm. So far they hadn’t been able to find a weak point in the system, but they were going to keep looking until they did. Someone was getting into Winters House without setting off the alarm. No one would be safe until we figured out how they were getting in and stoppedthem.

I was waiting in the kitchen when Sophie and Amelia returned, their cheeks flushed pink from the cold, Sophie laughing at something Amelia had said. She stopped short when she saw me, the color in her cheeks deepening to red. Her eyes met mine shyly, then flickedaway.

To Amelia, I said, “If you two don't have plans, I'd like to borrow Sophie for a fewhours.”

Amelia gave me a speculative look. “That depends. What did you want to do withher?”

“I thought I would take her out for lunch, then to Annabelle's for a hot chocolate. I have to stop and see Charlie, and I thought Sophie might want to see their newproject.”

“It's not my day off,” Sophie started to say, but Amelia cut heroff.

“Don't be silly. When a handsome young man wants to take you out to lunch, you don't spend the afternoon with an oldlady.”

Sophie rounded on her, sending me a quick glare before saying to Amelia, “I can spend my afternoon how I want. And you are not an oldlady.”

“Are you saying you don't want to go to lunch with Gage?” Amelia asked, sweetly. This was going better than I'd hoped. If Amelia was on my side, Sophie didn’t have achance.

Before Sophie could answer, Mrs. W bustled in the kitchen and, seeing Sophie and Amelia, said “You're back. Will you want lunch or did you eat? Abel went to the market, but I can fix you asandwich—”

“Soup and a sandwich are fine for me,” Amelia said. “Sophie and Gage are going out forlunch.”

Mrs. W turned and looked from Sophie's face, flushed and annoyed, to mine. She smiled and said, “That's lovely. You two have fun. The rest of the family will be here around five for pre-dinner cocktails, so make sure you’re back bythen.”

“We will be,” Ipromised.

Sophie stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest. “I can make my own decisions, and I never said I was going anywhere. It's not my day off. Ishouldn’t—”

I stepped in front of her. Looking down, I said quietly, “Sophie, would you please take the afternoon off and come out to lunch withme?”

She let out a breath and stared up at me, worrying her lower lip between her teeth. “Gage, I don't think we should—” she cut off and looked quickly from Amelia to Mrs. W, taking in their unabashed interest in our conversation. “It's not a goodidea.”

“Why isn’t it a good idea?” Amelia interrupted in a strident voice. “Is there something wrong with mynephew?”

Sophie attempted a retreat, but her back hit the kitchen island, and she was stuck. She shook her head, looking at the three of us ranged around her and said, “Of course not. Of course, there's nothing wrong with Gage. But we shouldn’t—I can't just leave Ameliaand—”