gorgeous September day, even warmer than the last. She knew she’d only have a few more weeks of weather suitable for walking to work in a skirt and heels, so she reveled in the sun on her face and the swish of her blue cotton dress around her thighs. She also reveled in the slight twinge of soreness as she walked. Her muscles were still tired, her hips a little sore, and between her legs she felt bruised in the most satisfying way.
A soft breeze swept over her as she turned a corner, air slipping over her bare thighs. She’d worn her favorite pale pink garter today. The silk fabric was embroidered with taupe swirls that perfectly matched the color of her nude stockings. The bra was the same pale pink, with taupe straps that matched the swirls on the garter. Beyond that...she wore nothing at all.
The smile snuck up on her again, because that felt most wicked of all. The air caressing her bare sex as she walked. The most secret of secrets and no one would ever know. Unless she happened to see Alex later.
She patted the royal-blue skirt of her shirtwaist dress. She looked like Mrs. Cleaver in this dress. Like a woman who should be home cooking a nutritious meal for her loving family. But the truth was that all she wanted to do in the kitchen was be shoved over a counter and taken hard, her pretty little dress bunched around her waist. And she knew just who should be doing the taking.
She still couldn’t believe he hadn’t been angry. She’d lied to him, or at least withheld the truth, and he hadn’t seemed the least bit affected.
Then again, maybe he had been affected. Maybe when he’d realized who she was, the wrongness of it had turned him on. Because it was wrong. Their parents had been lovers. Cheaters. Liars. They’d run away together.
Sophie’s heel scuffed the sidewalk and interrupted her stride. She kept walking, but she’d lost her smile.
That was the truth she’d lived with her whole life. That her mother had run off with Wyatt Bishop. That they’d both abandoned their children for lust and illicit love and disappeared together forever. The shame of it had clung to Sophie her whole life, and to her father and brother, too. It had felt like a stain on her skin. A marking that everyone could see. Your mother didn’t love you. Your mother was a slut. Your mother left her children.
Sophie was only just starting to get used to the fact that it wasn’t true.
A year ago, Alex’s brother, Shane, had accidentally solved the twenty-five-year-old mystery. While exploring Bishop property near the Providence ghost town, he’d found a washed-out camp road and then, far below it, hidden in a ravine, he’d found their father’s truck and camper.
The news about Alex’s father had been immediate. But the confirmation that the second set of skeletal remains had been Sophie’s mother...that had taken weeks.
Dorothy Heyer hadn’t left her family. She may have cheated, but she hadn’t left Sophie motherless. Not on purpose. There’d been an accident, and she’d died.
Sophie took a deep breath and tried to ignore the shaking of her heart. She’d grieved for her mother too many years ago. She couldn’t do it again. The knowledge of her death didn’t change anything. Not really.
A horn honked behind her and Sophie jumped. By the time Manny pulled up next to her, Sophie had caught her breath and turned toward the street.
“Hey again, Miss Sophie!” he called.
“Manny, you scared me.”
“Sorry! I’m on my way to pick up a fare at the airport. Need a ride somewhere?”
She pointed at the library. “Just headed to work. But thank you.” She started to wave, but he didn’t pull away.
“All right. But I just thought I’d warn you that Mrs. Bishop is looking for you.”
“What?” Again?
“She just came by your house, all bothered about something. I told her you were long gone.”
“Thanks, Manny. I appreciate it.”
Crap. Had she somehow found out about Alex’s visit yesterday? Maybe
A soft breeze swept over her as she turned a corner, air slipping over her bare thighs. She’d worn her favorite pale pink garter today. The silk fabric was embroidered with taupe swirls that perfectly matched the color of her nude stockings. The bra was the same pale pink, with taupe straps that matched the swirls on the garter. Beyond that...she wore nothing at all.
The smile snuck up on her again, because that felt most wicked of all. The air caressing her bare sex as she walked. The most secret of secrets and no one would ever know. Unless she happened to see Alex later.
She patted the royal-blue skirt of her shirtwaist dress. She looked like Mrs. Cleaver in this dress. Like a woman who should be home cooking a nutritious meal for her loving family. But the truth was that all she wanted to do in the kitchen was be shoved over a counter and taken hard, her pretty little dress bunched around her waist. And she knew just who should be doing the taking.
She still couldn’t believe he hadn’t been angry. She’d lied to him, or at least withheld the truth, and he hadn’t seemed the least bit affected.
Then again, maybe he had been affected. Maybe when he’d realized who she was, the wrongness of it had turned him on. Because it was wrong. Their parents had been lovers. Cheaters. Liars. They’d run away together.
Sophie’s heel scuffed the sidewalk and interrupted her stride. She kept walking, but she’d lost her smile.
That was the truth she’d lived with her whole life. That her mother had run off with Wyatt Bishop. That they’d both abandoned their children for lust and illicit love and disappeared together forever. The shame of it had clung to Sophie her whole life, and to her father and brother, too. It had felt like a stain on her skin. A marking that everyone could see. Your mother didn’t love you. Your mother was a slut. Your mother left her children.
Sophie was only just starting to get used to the fact that it wasn’t true.
A year ago, Alex’s brother, Shane, had accidentally solved the twenty-five-year-old mystery. While exploring Bishop property near the Providence ghost town, he’d found a washed-out camp road and then, far below it, hidden in a ravine, he’d found their father’s truck and camper.
The news about Alex’s father had been immediate. But the confirmation that the second set of skeletal remains had been Sophie’s mother...that had taken weeks.
Dorothy Heyer hadn’t left her family. She may have cheated, but she hadn’t left Sophie motherless. Not on purpose. There’d been an accident, and she’d died.
Sophie took a deep breath and tried to ignore the shaking of her heart. She’d grieved for her mother too many years ago. She couldn’t do it again. The knowledge of her death didn’t change anything. Not really.
A horn honked behind her and Sophie jumped. By the time Manny pulled up next to her, Sophie had caught her breath and turned toward the street.
“Hey again, Miss Sophie!” he called.
“Manny, you scared me.”
“Sorry! I’m on my way to pick up a fare at the airport. Need a ride somewhere?”
She pointed at the library. “Just headed to work. But thank you.” She started to wave, but he didn’t pull away.
“All right. But I just thought I’d warn you that Mrs. Bishop is looking for you.”
“What?” Again?
“She just came by your house, all bothered about something. I told her you were long gone.”
“Thanks, Manny. I appreciate it.”
Crap. Had she somehow found out about Alex’s visit yesterday? Maybe
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