Page 16 of Redeemed

Chapter fourteen

Obsession

Sofiawasworried.Ithad been a little over two weeks since their dinner at Romano's and things with her and JT had been weird. Well, weirder than they had been since they had started pretending to date. Unlike before, JT seemed to be going out of his way not to touch her. And, there had definitely not been any repeats of the searing kisses they'd had in the hall and the kitchen. Granted, they had been crazy busy the last few weeks. They had been slammed at the café every day and had multiple catering events every weekend, but even the one time they had managed a movie date, he'd only held her hand from the car to the theatre. They hadn't even shared a popcorn with JT saying he was starving and ordering both of them their own. He'd not even walked her to her door that night, only dropped her off with a smile and a 'see you tomorrow'. She knew they weren't really dating but the sudden change made her worried all the same. She didn't know what to feel any more.

"Order up!" she heard JT call from the server's window. She sighed and went to get the plates.

JT was obsessed. He knew it. He watched Sofia all the time praying she didn't catch him at it. He felt like a creeper but couldn't seem to help himself. They were together all the time between the café and catering events but that was nothing new. What was new was the way he felt when she was close to him. He'd been doing his best to stay away from her, to fight the urge to reach out and feel her soft skin whenever she was anywhere near him. Simply the sight of her spun him up so badly at this point, he knew he didn't dare let himself touch her. It was all he thought about, though. He wanted to run his hands through that silky black cascade of hair and drag her full red lips to his. He knew he couldn't indulge himself, however. After his reaction to her old boyfriend that night at Romano's, he knew he had to pull back. He obviously couldn't handle the casual touches he was used to giving the women he dated. He couldn't keep it light with Sofia. Every touch stoked a fire in his belly, one he knew he couldn't act on. It wasn't real for Sofia. Their dating was only a means to get her family off her back. And, deep down, he knew he'd never deserve to have a woman like her for real.

"Order up!" he called from the window, then quickly turned away so Sofia wouldn't see the yearning in his eyes.

"Come on, JT! Shake a leg! We have to get this done today. I have to get the truck back by seven o'clock," Maggie bellowed at him from the doorway.

"I'm coming! Keep your shirt on!" JT bellowed back. He was trying to hide and take a quick break behind the never-ending tower of boxes he was supposed to be moving. He rotated his shoulders then leaned against the wall, taking a swig of his water. "Lord, she's worse than a drill sergeant," he muttered under his breath.

"Man, just keep your head down and do what she says," Zane whispered dramatically as he passed his brother-in-law carrying a huge box. "We all may live through it that way." He shot JT a pained smile. "Hormones. It's better not to fight them."

JT's lips quirked up and he shook his head. "You poor delusional bastard. You think she's like this due to the hormones? Have you learned nothing, yet?"

"I heard that!" Maggie yelled.

JT laughed. "Hey, merely trying to be a good brother-in-law and warn your poor husband about what he has to look forward to!"

He heard a "Hrrrumph" from the doorway as he turned to pick up another box. He'd definitely miss getting to devil his sister on the regular. Though they worked together every day, this would be the first time in a long time they had lived separately. Today was a day he had been looking forward to and dreading at the same time. They were moving Maggie into her and Zane's new home. By tonight, he'd be on his own. He looked back into Maggie's empty bedroom. A thousand pink pillows overflowing a box was the only thing left of her in the room. His chest was suddenly tight.

A hand lightly touched his shoulder and he jumped. "Sorry," Sofia said, flinching herself. "I called your name, but you didn't seem to hear me."

"No, I'm sorry," JT said turning to her, a wan smile on his face. "In my head a bit."

Sofia took a chance and threaded her fingers through his, leaning into his side. She knew he had very mixed feelings about today. "You'll miss her, I'm sure," she said quietly to him. "But you'll still see each other every day, and, hey, you'll have your own place to walk around naked in if you want," she added jokingly.

JT's eyes flew to hers and she wasn't so sure the joke was a good idea. His dark orbs seemed to burn right through her. His hand suddenly clutched hers more tightly and he brought it up to his chest. "Sofia, I…" he started, his voice sounding almost strangled.

"Joshua Trent Wade! Really, come on! Zane can't move all this by himself, and Dani and Levi are late!" Maggie yelled, breaking through the haze he had been swirled up in with Sofia's innocent touch.

He dropped her hand and quickly looked away. He escaped by grabbing the nearest box that felt like it was heavy enough to hold enough bricks to build the whole damn house, he yelled back, "Okay, you slave driver! I'm coming!"

He didn't look back to see Sofia watching him and holding the hand that had been warmed by his touch to her heart. She wondered exactly what he had been going to say. And what was that look? He seemed to be staring straight into her soul. But no, she was reading too much into it. She was seeing what she wanted to see, not what was there. Wasn't she?

Chapter fifteen

Like a Popsicle

Finally,theyweredone.Now it would be up to Maggie and Zane to put everything away. If he never saw a moving box again, it would be too soon. He sat in the oversized swing on his sister's new porch, drinking a beer and watching the stars wink into view. Sofia had left a couple of hours ago needing to organize some things for a catering event tomorrow. Maggie was relying more and more on her these days as her belly got bigger and bigger.

"Bye! See y'all later!" Dani called as she and Levi came out the front door. Levi pulled the door shut behind them with a snick, but Dani didn't go down the front porch steps as he expected. She came to sit by him on the swing while Levi folded his long legs down on the steps a few paces away and leaned back on his hands.

Dani handed him an Amber Bock and clinked their bottles in a toast. "To the happy couple. May they have a zillion gorgeous babies and live happily ever after!" Dani said and grinned.

JT's lips twisted. "Let's get them through the first two before we start wishing for more," JT said wryly. "Of course, if they keep popping them out, it'll keep Mama off my back."

Levi laughed and shook his head. "We've only been married a few months and my mom is already dropping hints," Levi confessed. "I keep telling her we're practicing real hard, but that doesn't seem to cut it."

"Oh, you're impossible!" Dani said to Levi. "Your poor mama. You've probably scandalized her with talk like that."

"Ahh, I don't think anything I do shocks her anymore," Levi drawled, raising a brow. "Especially after the chicken incident."

Dani gave him one of her famous eye rolls. "I don't even want to think about that day, Levi Cooper," she admonished him. "And that's not why we're sitting here anyway, is it?"