Whatever happened, she was in.
That thought reverberated in her mind day and night since their talk.
They had dinner or lunch several times in the past three weeks and the anticipation building inside her was about to burst. She wanted him so badly she was trembling at just the thought.
A messenger arrived at her apartment, thankfully Andrea was already gone. She and Adrian left early to make sure there weren't any last minute glitches before the big evening. Everything had to be perfect for Mr. and Mrs. Crawford's anniversary party.
Or heads were gonna roll.
She signed for the package and thanked him, closed the door without bothering to lock it and went to the living room where she sat on the sofa and leaned back on the cushions.
She looked at the silver and white box and frowned in confusion. There was no return address, which was weird.
Her mind immediately jumped to all those TV shows and movies where a person received a box that looked like a gift, but was really a bomb or some kind of poison that was released when you opened it and triggered the hidden mechanism.
She shook her head at the ludicrous thoughts, which were the result of too much TV and binge watching all those crime shows, and opened the box.
There, among the silver tissue paper lay another box.
This one a square black velvet jewelry box.
She gasped in surprise and slowly ran her fingers over it, feeling the smooth surface.
At the top of the box was a white envelope with her name written in bold black cursive.
She opened it and took out the card inside, which was folded in half. She opened it and read the content.
She gasped at his words. Blinking back tears that they brought to her eyes.
To most people Noah was just as he said, an impenetrable fortress. They saw what he wanted them to see and nothing more.
The image he portrayed to the world was of a successful man in the prime of his life who had it all. Money, looks and his pick of women who threw themselves at him, sometimes quite literally.
He was so sure of himself and people responded to that. His I don't give a fuck attitude with a hint of underlying darkness and an air of confidence gave him a special appeal to both men and women.
They wanted to be a part of his world, to be as successful as he was, to have that success, or luck as some would call it, rub off on them as well.
It wasn't luck though, it was knowledge and hard work.
No one looked too closely, no one wanted to shatter their illusions.
However, just beneath the surface he was brimming, with rage, with pain, with disillusionment about the fucked up world around him and the people occupying it.
He was broken, but then again so was she.
A kindred soul recognizes another.
They were slowly healing… together.
She slowly opened the black velvet jewelry box and gasped at what was inside. She had to blink back tears, because it was so perfect it was almost surreal. She couldn't believe he bought her something so thoughtful, so simple and yet so perfect and beautiful.
It was a white gold necklace with a pendant shaped as a heart, made of intertwining little flowers.
She was almost afraid to touch it, but reached out slowly, brushing her fingertips over it lightly, feeling the cool and smooth metal underneath, while she traced the pattern of the heart-shaped pendant.
She lifted it gently out of the box, letting it rest on the palm of her hand. She admired it for a long moment before she stood and went to the mirror.
She fastened the necklace around her neck and looked up to see it in the mirror, the way it lay just beneath her throat, slightly brushing the edge of her robe and her cleavage, the heart resting just above the valley of her breasts.
It was an erotic image, one that made her heart quicken and one she hoped would entice Noah to take them to the next step.
She needed to get dressed, but she lingered for another moment, desperately clinging to the feeling of the image reflected in the mirror.
She felt decadent and sensual, even alluring, something she never felt before. She saw Noah's eyes darken when he looked at her and smiled at the thought.
She shook her head to dispel her fanciful thoughts and turned towards her room. She really needed to get dressed, otherwise she would be late.
***
Sophie smoothed her hands over her silk dress, searching the ballroom for Andrea amidst the bustling servers, who were hurrying from one side to the other, making sure everything was in its place before the guests arrived.
She looked down at her champagne colored dress with golden threads shimmering in the bright light.
Right now the heavy ballroom lights were shining at full strength, but she knew later on they would be dimmed.
The candle light on the tables and the crystal chandeliers hanging low from the ceiling would create a romantic atmosphere of sensuality, making you feel you were walking through a fairytale dream that has come alive in all its grandeur.
Andrea, Sophie and Noah worked tirelessly through the past weeks to make this fairytale a reality. They all wanted Andrea's and Noah's parents to have a night they would never forget.
She smiled, remembering Noah's reaction when she dragged him to a flower shop and cake tasting.
The expression on his face when he entered the shop and literally stopped in his tracks, was priceless. He was surrounded by flowers of all shapes and sizes, since they just got a new delivery and hadn't had time to arrange everything. He looked around with wide eyes, like he just landed on an alien planet.
Sophie, of course, couldn't help herself. She laughed so hard she was in tears and her stomach hurt by the time she was finished.
The oh so powerful billionaire - master of the universe - mister in control all the damn time - never lets his guard down - always has to have the last word - and is always right, was flabbergasted by a bunch of flowers.
She thought that was absolutely hilarious. And he was just about to walk out when she started laughing. He probably thought he was in the wrong place.
Sophie was wiping the remnants of her tears from the corner of her eyes when she noticed his narrowed eyes promising retribution.
Uh-oh. This was not good.
"Sophie." He said mildly. It put her on instant alert.
"Um. Noah. Hi." She whispered. She felt like a lamb in the vicinity of a hungry wolf. His expression didn't reveal much, as usual, but she noticed his eyes glaze over momentarily. It happened so fast, she wasn't even sure it was real, except for the heat building inside her in reaction to it and the goose bumps forming on her arms.
He walked towards her, reaching up, he brushed a stray tendril of hair behind her ear. She shivered at the slight contact of his fingers.
"Oh, Sophie. Sweet Sophie. What am I going to do with you, hmm?" He whispered.
"If you were already mine, I would show you. But alas, not yet." His hand brushed her ear, down her neck, her collarbone, the underside of her breast, down her body to slightly grip her hip, going around her back and sliding down to her ass.
She gasped in surprise when he squeezed her buttocks, gently applying only the slightest pressure.
Her eyes searched his and they were crinkled with amusement. He was clearly enjoying her outraged surprise and heated reaction of his public display of possession.
"You're punishment will have to wait, and this little delightful morsel will sadly remain untouched." His hand spread out to encompass one cheek of her buttocks.
"But don't worry, time will come when I'll turn it a pretty red." She gasped.
"You'll like it." It was a statement of fact and conviction. She wondered how he was so sure.
"Unless you anger me, then you won't be able to sit down for a week." It wasn't a threat, it was a promise.
She shivered, heat spreading through her entire body.
"But you won't do that, will you? You'll be my good girl, won't you Sophie?" He asked her softly.
"Because you know what happens to bad girls, don't you? Hmm? Tell me." He commanded.
They were looking into each other's eyes when he spoke and she felt it in her soul. She knew the words he wanted to hear.
"They get punished." She whispered.
"Hmm. Yes, they do." He pulled her closer.
"But good girls get rewarded." He was so close she could feel his breath on her lips. She trembled with the need to be kissed, to feel his lips on her once more. He was teasing her and it was almost too much.
She was desperate for his touch, but he held her back, just out of reach.
He was establishing his control. Everything that happened would be on his terms, with his rules and his word guiding her through every new experience, new sensation, the marvel of discovering her awakening body.
She went soft, and became pliant in his arms, leaning into him, surrendering.
He was a very controlled man who took every precaution when it came to his public image and this was so out of character, Sophie didn't know what to think or how to react. Or maybe she just wasn't used to this side of him.
It turned her on, though. So what did that say about her?
She squeezed her thighs to relieve the pressure at the mirage he created in her mind.
He leaned down slowly, just a breath away, he lingered slightly, a few seconds passed and then it happened.
He gently brushed his lips to hers, a soft whisper on her mouth, barely there and yet, she trembled from its impact on her body, on her racing heart.
With just that simple touch of his lips he claimed her, he revived her and released her from her self-imposed desolation.
She felt him deepen the kiss, but they were interrupted by the shop owner, a lovely middle aged woman named Daisy, with whom Sophie made an appointment to look for the flowers for the party.
He didn't jump away from her, although she would have done it had he not been holding her tightly in his arms. He slowly released her, but kept one arm firmly at her back, his fingers slowly caressing her hip in reassurance.
Daisy smiled, knowledge reflecting in her eyes, but to give her credit, she didn't ask or say anything about what she witnessed. She went right to business, showing them the flowers for the centerpieces, and Sophie relaxed momentarily.
***
She shook her head, clearing her mind. Her eyes wandered around the room, this time searching for the man who owned her heart, and would soon lay claim to her body as well.
She reached up, touching the pendant to calm herself. Squeezing it between her fingers tightly, gathering the courage to walk in to the room, towards him, and she realized with a captured breath, hopefully, her future.
***
She found Andrea ordering people around with Adrian standing by her side, staring at her indulgently and a slight smile on his face.
They both looked at her when she was approaching them, and Sophie noticed the waiter quickly sneaking away at Andrea's inattention.
"Hi, guys. Everything okay?" She asked them in greeting.
"Hey. Yeah, everything is fine, just giving some last minute orders to the waiters, to make everything run smoothly." She smiled and looked at the spot where the waiter was standing a moment ago and realized he wasn't there anymore. She frowned in confusion.
"Where'd he go? I swear he was just here." She shook her head, looking for him.
"I'm sure he just went to do what you told him to. Probably didn't want to forget anything." Sophie said, fighting her smile. She noticed Adrian was doing the same.
"She's right, babe. It was a lot to remember and he didn't want to forget before he got a chance to tell everyone." He put his arm around her to placate her.
"Well, I wasn't done yet." She huffed.
"I should go find him." She turned to leave, but Adrian tightened his arm around her.
"Andrea… sweetie… you do know this isn't his first day, right? I'm sure he knows what he's doing."
"Adrian is right. Take a deep breath… and relax. Everything looks great. A fairytale come alive. And your parents are going to love it." Sophie smiled at her best friend and Andrea returned it, reaching for Sophie's hand and squeezing it with her own in gratitude and affection.
"What would I do without you?" asked Andrea.
"Oh, you know. Completely lose it." Sophie said with mock seriousness.
"Let's face it, I keep you grounded." Her lip twitched, trying not to laugh.
"Mhm. You're practically my own personal Buddha. Always citing those mantras." This time she couldn't stop her laughter.
Adrian was shaking his head at their ridiculousness. They were both laughing so hard, the waiters walking around them gave them a wide berth. They probably thought they were demented.
Which only made them laugh harder.
They pulled themselves together, barely, when the guests were starting to arrive.
She looked around and asked. "Where's Noah?"
"Oh, he's bringing mom and dad. He'll be here in… What time is it?" She asked Adrian.
"Five fifteen." He answered.
"In forty-five minutes. He said they'll be here at six. I want them to make a grand entrance as the guests of honor." She explained with an implied duh.
"Come on you two, we have to greet the guests." Andrea hurried away towards the arriving line of people, stopped and looked back.
"Heloooo, let's go. Chop chop." She clapped her hands, already on her way.
"Yes, master." They laughed and followed behind.