Wrapped in You by Jules Bennett Read Free Book Online Page A

hands through her golden hair and sighed, reminding him that she still stood way too close to him.
    She pointed toward the bed. “That’s the stuff I want to take. You okay with that?”
    Zach glanced down at the photos, the clothes, the sketch of the Eiffel Tower. “Yeah.”
    He picked up the framed pencil drawing and studied the picture. Sophie didn’t say a word.
    â€œThis is really good,” he muttered before glancing up at her. “It looks similar to the pencil drawings in your office.”
    Sophie nodded. “I got them all at the same time and gave Chelsea that one.”
    Her eyes darted around. She was lying about something. Why? Or perhaps she was nervous being in the same room, a bedroom at that, with him. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable—or any more so than usual. Being alone together was a bad, bad idea.
    When Sophie bent to scoop up the remainder of the items from the bed, Zach didn’t step back. Torturing himself further wasn’t a smart idea, but damn it, he couldn’t force himself away from her. That floral scent of hers wrapped all around him, mocking him. Nothing good could come from allowing his mind to focus on how perfectly amazing this woman was. She belonged to someone else. A schmuck with a perfectly parted haircut and some sporty two-door car, but still.
    As Sophie straightened, he passed over the framed artwork, but didn’t move.
    â€œWhat?” she asked, clutching the items to her chest.
    Such a small gap between them now. So close he could see the black ring around her green eyes, see the slight smudge of makeup beneath one eye, as if maybe she’d shed a tear before he arrived. His perfectly polished Sophie was a bit imperfect, and damn if he didn’t want to ruffle her up even more.
    Wait. His Sophie? Only in his every waking fantasy.
    â€œDo you need help out?” he asked, unable to come up with anything better.
    She shook her head, sending a stray strand of golden hair gliding across her forehead. “I’ve got it. Are you sure you don’t want help here?”
    He wanted to reach out and smooth away the stray hair that had slid down across her cheek. He’d lost any right to touch her years ago. “I’m sure.”
    Sophie stared for another minute, then nodded. As she turned to go, her limp seemed more pronounced than he’d seen before.
    â€œAre you sure you’re all right?” he asked. When she glanced over her shoulder with brows drawn down in confusion, he added, “From the fall.”
    â€œNothing I can’t handle.”
    Of course. Because she was tougher than he was. Zach couldn’t handle seeing her like that, couldn’t handle the fact that he could’ve killed her in that one, reckless moment.
    â€œOne more thing.”
    She sighed. “What?”
    â€œDon’t tell anyone about Chelsea’s idea.”
    Her hesitation had him worried she wouldn’t agree. Finally she nodded. “I’ll wait to hear from you and your brothers regarding the city’s offer.”
    Once she was gone and Zach was left in silence, he glanced around Chelsea’s bedroom. Sinking to the bed, he rested his hands over his knees and dropped his head between his shoulders.
    That was the most interaction he’d had one-on-one with Sophie in years. Even though she was gone, her scent lingered and Zach was finding it harder and harder to push her out of his mind. She’d been thrust back into his life in the past few days and he honestly wasn’t sure he was strong enough to keep his distance.
    Fortunately, he had enough to keep him occupied and he hoped his personal encounters with Sophie were coming to a close. Between clearing out Chelsea’s apartment, renovating his own home, and now reeling from Chelsea’s bombshell vision, Zach had enough on his plate. Thinking of things that would never be was a waste of time.
    What he needed to focus on