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“Yeah,” Ian admitted. He had called Charlie earlier and gotten some tips.
As fun as it was spending time with Sofia, bantering and joking around with this beautiful, smart woman, they were there to do a job, and a serious one at that. Ian took her through the finer points of the range and resolution the various cameras offered, and how activity within the geofence set would trigger an alert. Sofia asked intelligent questions, showing she was a quick study.
“Well, what I’ve learned is that there are advantages and disadvantages to every option. I trust you to know what makes the most sense for my situation, so I’ll defer to you,” she said at last. “In this instance. Just as I’d expect you to respect my area of expertise.”
“I do,” Ian assured her, loading the boxes into a cart. A thought struck him, and it was entirely to do with security, with ensuring safety. Nothing else. “Sofia, do you have anyone else who would have keys to your place? Or who’d need access to the security cameras? Like…a boyfriend?” She had said she knew the baby was his because she hadn’t been with anyone else, but they’d slept together two months ago. She could have met someone new in the time since then.
“No. I’ve never had anyone living with me or given a key to anyone. And I don’t expect that situation to change.” Sofia firmed her lips. “That sounds a little stark, right? Well, I’ve seen what life can do. You want my story?”
“If you want to tell it.” Ian moved them both closer to the shelves, out of the way of any other customers.
Sofia shrugged. “My dad was never around much when I was little. It didn’t occur to me to think that was strange. My mom was there, and she said that Dad was working hard so that we could have a good life. But then we found out those late nights hadn’t been about work after all.”
“He was having an affair?”
“I think he probably had several,” Sofia said with a shrug. “But the last one was the one that stuck—the one he left us for. He and my mom had been married for twenty years—straight out of high school. And then one day, he kicked us out of the house and said we were on our own. My mom had never held a job. She had spent years being the perfect stay-at-home mom and housewife. She was a great homemaker, Ian. But she had no idea how to support herself and a child in the job market.”
Ian winced. “That must have been rough.”
“That’s an understatement. Mom really struggled. I was twelve. Old enough to understand what was going on, why Mom was crying in the shower, but too young to get a job or be able to help.”
Ian shook his head, picturing twelve-year-old Sofia and her mom coping with all that. “I’m sorry, Sofia. Your father should have never done that.”
Sofia scoffed. “It doesn’t matter. Mom scraped together a living for us, and we made out fine. She learned how to stand on her own feet and taught me to do the same. That’s the important part.”
The way she folded her arms, almost hugging herself, belied her words, however, even if Ian hadn’t caught the strain in her tone.
“Shall we go?” Sofia grabbed the handle of the cart and shoved it, the conversation clearly over…and their easy back-and-forth of earlier with it.
Ian tossed a dashboard camera for her car into the pile. He was sorry at having brought up something painful to Sofia, but, at the same time, he’d learned something about what made her tick.
* * *
Back at her house, Ian was very conscious of Sofia by his side as he worked, installing the cameras and their support tech. Her fragrance, floral with a hint of spice to it, had invaded his senses as she held or passed things, but now that they were on the computer—his laptop open in front of them, confirming that she’d recorded the settings and the passwords—her scent was even stronger. He paused, needing to clear his head.
“Sorry I’m not a better assistant,” Sofia apologized again. “I’m much better with lab equipment than home security computer equipment.”
Ian could imagine her in a white coat, her hair tied back for safety, measuring chemicals into beakers and adjusting the slide under a microscope lens. “Well, the cameras are more Charlie’s area, but I do know the basics for installation. This stage is just about done.”
He took the glass of homemade iced tea she handed him and thanked her, gulping it down before returning to the screen. “So, this feed will go directly to your phone.”
“Self-monitoring.” Sofia gave a smug smile as she parroted the term she’d learned. It made her look adorable.
“And I’m also going to set it up so that it goes to the Bronte computers as well.”
“Remote monitoring.” A frown creased Sofia’s forehead as she said this term.
“Just for backup,” Ian reminded her.
“Yes. You know I’m not sure about it, but I agree that it’s the smart thing to do.”
“It is. I wish we could put a camera in your classroom.” Ian shook his head, but bowed to Sofia’s insistence that they couldn’t, or she’d probably be fired for filming students.
“Thank you for doing all this, Ian.” Her tone was serious now, as was her expression.
“I’m…” Not happy to, because he didn’t like that this was necessary, that Sofia had been threatened. “I want to help. To be there for you. You and the baby.”
He glanced down at her flat stomach as he spoke and when he looked back up, their gazes caught and held. Their conversation earlier, about her father walking out on them, rang in Ian’s mind, making his words hold weight, like a vow. After a pause, Sofia smiled, and it was like the sun coming out.
A beep from the laptop pulled his attention to the screen, to see that the installation and checks were concluded. “That’s up and running. I should head home.” Closing the program and his laptop, Ian got to his feet at the same time Sofia did. With her so close, it felt natural to pull her into a hug.
He hadn’t planned it and didn’t even realize he was doing it until he folded her to him and held her tight.
To his relief, Sofia hugged him back, her arms just as tight as his, and Ian couldn’t think of anything that had felt this good. Oh yeah, making love to Sofia. He couldn’t erase the pain of her childhood, the way she’d grown up—he didn’t even know what to say. Emotional comfort had never been his strong suit. But this, offering physical comfort, he could do.
“Sofia…” Ian murmured as he straightened. He didn’t know which of them closed the gap between them, but knew his lips touched hers, that hers parted under his, and that their kiss was long and deep, and sweet and warm. “I have to go,” he said, cupping her face. “Gavin…”
His son. Her student. One good reason why, despite the immediate physical and growing emotional attraction Ian felt for Sofia, this was something they shouldn’t pursue.
