and my tiny apartment. I regret putting all my life into Shawn. But I suppose it taught me what I don’t want. Although, no offense to you, men in general are dogs, so it will be a long time before I get involved with someone without really trusting them.” She looked at him and smiled. “What about you? Where is Mrs. Moretti? What do you do? Molly told me she had a brother but I know you don’t live in LA.”
“Actually, I do as of a few days ago. The investment company I work for promoted me so I moved back. I was out in North Carolina after my last tour with the Marines so I stayed and took the first broker job I could find. So, now Molls is stuck with me. I am looking for a house so I am living with Rich at the moment.” He stopped walking and wrapped his pinkie around hers. She stopped and looked at him with a small smile on her face. “No Mrs. Moretti. I’m kind of an asshole. I don’t think there is someone out there for everyone. Molly says it’s just because I won’t slow down long enough to open up to anyone. I am just sticking with I’m an asshole.”
“Well, it sure seems like you just opened up.” Sophie smiled as she walked away from him toward the hotel.
****
Caleb was pacing when she came into the room. He stopped and stared when she opened the door. “You’ve been gone an hour. I was getting worried. What’s with the grin?”
Sophie kicked off her shoes and laughed. “Always my protector, aren’t you? Relax, I’m back. I’m fine. I ran into Mark and we talked for awhile and he walked me back.”
Caleb threw himself across the bed. “No Sophie, absolutely not.”
She took off his sweatshirt and shook some of the sand out of it. “No what? What are you talking about? God, I got a lot of sand in your sweatshirt. I’m sorry.”
Caleb shot off the bed and grabbed her arm. “Did you do something with him?”
“Hey” she yanked out of his grasp. “No, of course not. I just met the guy three days ago. Please tell me you know me better than that.”
“I’m sorry. He’s just not good for you. He’s a loner. And he sleeps with everything that moves. But he only does it once. He will never be able to love you. He loves himself and his perfect car and perfect job but will never love a woman. And that’s just who he is. Don’t let him lure you in Soph. He’s just looking for his next conquest and you are the only one that he hasn’t slept with in the whole bridal party.”
“Well,” She smiled and sighed. “He is quite handsome.”
“Sophie, he will crush you. He will crush you and never even look back and all of us will have to pick up the pieces. He’s a dog.”
“Caleb Allen!! How can you talk about him like that? He said you were his best friend.” Sophie glared at him. “He told me you were a good guy and that you had been friends since kindergarten. How can you be so mean?”
“Don’t defend him. You’ll see.” Caleb crawled under the covers. “He may be one of my best friends. But he is who he is Soph.”
Sophie crawled under her covers and turned the lights off. “That was really unexpected from you. If that’s how you talk about one of your best friends, I would hate to hear how you talk about me.”
There was silence for a minute and Caleb cleared his throat. “It’s different Soph. I am in love with you.”
Chapter 4
Mark felt the sun baking his skin and it was pure heaven. He hadn’t been this relaxed for years. Even with all the activity around him, he planned on doing nothing all day but lying in his chair and taking the occasional dip. The drinks were flowing freely and the waitress from the tiki bar on the beach had noticed him right away. He had done his best to flirt but had somehow lost his edge in a mere 24 hours. He could wink,
“Actually, I do as of a few days ago. The investment company I work for promoted me so I moved back. I was out in North Carolina after my last tour with the Marines so I stayed and took the first broker job I could find. So, now Molls is stuck with me. I am looking for a house so I am living with Rich at the moment.” He stopped walking and wrapped his pinkie around hers. She stopped and looked at him with a small smile on her face. “No Mrs. Moretti. I’m kind of an asshole. I don’t think there is someone out there for everyone. Molly says it’s just because I won’t slow down long enough to open up to anyone. I am just sticking with I’m an asshole.”
“Well, it sure seems like you just opened up.” Sophie smiled as she walked away from him toward the hotel.
****
Caleb was pacing when she came into the room. He stopped and stared when she opened the door. “You’ve been gone an hour. I was getting worried. What’s with the grin?”
Sophie kicked off her shoes and laughed. “Always my protector, aren’t you? Relax, I’m back. I’m fine. I ran into Mark and we talked for awhile and he walked me back.”
Caleb threw himself across the bed. “No Sophie, absolutely not.”
She took off his sweatshirt and shook some of the sand out of it. “No what? What are you talking about? God, I got a lot of sand in your sweatshirt. I’m sorry.”
Caleb shot off the bed and grabbed her arm. “Did you do something with him?”
“Hey” she yanked out of his grasp. “No, of course not. I just met the guy three days ago. Please tell me you know me better than that.”
“I’m sorry. He’s just not good for you. He’s a loner. And he sleeps with everything that moves. But he only does it once. He will never be able to love you. He loves himself and his perfect car and perfect job but will never love a woman. And that’s just who he is. Don’t let him lure you in Soph. He’s just looking for his next conquest and you are the only one that he hasn’t slept with in the whole bridal party.”
“Well,” She smiled and sighed. “He is quite handsome.”
“Sophie, he will crush you. He will crush you and never even look back and all of us will have to pick up the pieces. He’s a dog.”
“Caleb Allen!! How can you talk about him like that? He said you were his best friend.” Sophie glared at him. “He told me you were a good guy and that you had been friends since kindergarten. How can you be so mean?”
“Don’t defend him. You’ll see.” Caleb crawled under the covers. “He may be one of my best friends. But he is who he is Soph.”
Sophie crawled under her covers and turned the lights off. “That was really unexpected from you. If that’s how you talk about one of your best friends, I would hate to hear how you talk about me.”
There was silence for a minute and Caleb cleared his throat. “It’s different Soph. I am in love with you.”
Chapter 4
Mark felt the sun baking his skin and it was pure heaven. He hadn’t been this relaxed for years. Even with all the activity around him, he planned on doing nothing all day but lying in his chair and taking the occasional dip. The drinks were flowing freely and the waitress from the tiki bar on the beach had noticed him right away. He had done his best to flirt but had somehow lost his edge in a mere 24 hours. He could wink,
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