Seize The Day

Chapter Six

Bill was more than a little bit pissed off with the glances that Miles was throwing their way, as a partner of Sophie he may not have been aware of the one sided history between them, but as her friend he knew that this man had rejected her at her most vulnerable, but now he was showing signs of interest. It annoyed him beyond belief, he knew men like that who were always more interested in attached women, and ones who thought that every woman should drop at their feet. Sophie was too naive with men to manage a predator like Miles Langley, and he had to ensure that he didn’t get the opportunity to play her.

Glancing at Sophie he groaned, she’d spent most of the meal absorbed in her own world, and he knew who was figuring in her daydreams.

Sophie felt like a teenager again every time she felt Miles cast his eyes on her. And she meant that she could feel it, because she didn’t dare meet his eyes, but her awareness of him zinged every few minutes and she felt light headed at his attention. Saying that she wasn’t stupid enough to think that he was interested in her. Not really. Miles was a flirt, she’d learnt that ten years ago and nothing she’d witnessed today had changed her opinion of him.

Every time she’d seen him Miles had been more than charming, he had that way of looking at her, as though she was the only woman in the room, singling her out for attention when she felt was insecure and awkward, which was all the time. She wasn’t someone used to attention, so when he followed her out of a room to ask how she was, or when he laid a hand on her shoulder for that moment too long, she’d taken it as interest, attraction. Apparently he saw it as a joke.

But she was different now, more confident, independent, and with Bill to support her - invincible. So taking the bull by the horns, the next time she felt his eyes on her, she lifted her face and sought out the gaze. She thought she’d flinch, but she didn’t. She met those bold blue eyes head on. Miles did a double take; she knew she’d stunned him with her boldness. Raising an eyebrow in what she hoped appeared as possible recognition; she turned back to Bill, to find him staring at her.

“You trying to make me jealous?” he asked with a smile he didn’t feel, then without warning he swept his lips over hers.  What was meant to be chaste punishment suddenly became more. His lips stayed there longer than was necessary, but she didn’t pull away either. There wasn’t the passionate flare of clashing lips and tongues that would lead to more, but as he opened his eyes, he saw hers still closed, a blissful look on her face, and he panicked pulling his mouth from hers. 

“You’re a great kisser!” she breathed, surprised. “Though I should have expected that! You’ve had enough practice!”

He groaned, this was starting to fall apart, “You think badly of me Miss Beck!”

Sophie saw that slight hint of hurt in his eyes, and it shocked her, “you are never short of attention Bill, you are the biggest womaniser I know!”

He was stunned, suddenly being viewed the same way as the man he was protecting her from, but he wasn’t like that, was he? Floundering for an answer he finally managed, “if I slept with every woman who threw herself at me maybe, but I only get involved with women who want the same as me, and I never lie to people about it. I’m young, and living my life. Is that wrong?”

Suddenly she didn’t want to get into this, her and Bill had a great relationship, they never argued and never judged each other, and Sophie suddenly realised that her snapping at him may be due to the fact that his kiss had caught her completely off guard. 

Reaching out she laid a hand over his, “I don’t judge you Bill and I don’t want to argue with you.”

He grinned, “maybe I was a bit defensive...I’m used to comments like that from my brother, my father...”