Behind The Proposal novel Chapter 10

"You're very quiet," Sophie's quiet voice drew his attention back to reality.

He glanced at her and put his hand on her thigh for reassurance, both for him and for her. "I'm just thinking about work."

"I bet you spend a lot of time thinking about work," she teased and rested her hand on top of his, linking their fingers lightly together. It felt good. She felt good.

"I do." He wanted to run his hand further up the soft skin of her thigh, but didn't dare. Not while he was driving. "Especially now. I've just started working on a brand new resort in Australia."

"Really?" she asked as she stared at him, open mouthed. "What part of Australia?" she barely whispered.

"Cairns," he murmured as he pulled the car into the resort parking lot. "We've just finalised the purchase of a property. It was a little run-down, but absolutely gorgeous and the perfect location. I'm actually really excited about it," he met her curious blue gaze. "I want to try something a little different, but am having a hard time convincing my father and grandfather that it's a good idea."

"I take it they still run things?" she asked.

"Yep, Grandpa is still very much in charge, at the ripe old age of eighty-eight," he smiled.

"Wow," Sophie stared at him, her eyes wide. "He sounds amazing."

The day had been better than Sophie could ever have imagined. She hadn't expected the seaplane flight, the picnic lunch or the lovely dinner at one of Hawaii's best family restaurants, or even the way he'd considered Jasmine in everything that he'd planned. But the connection she felt to Tom was the most unexpected of all. She felt comfortable with him. Felt she could talk to him about anything - something she wasn't used to feeling. And then there was Jass's reaction to him. Her daughter adored him - she had practically ignored Sophie all day.

Sophie drew in a deep breath and let it out again as they walked to her room, a sleepy Jasmine in her arms. His life was too different from hers. She lived in Melbourne, permanently. He, on the other hand, lived in Hawaii, or Cairns, or wherever in the world his job took him. It could only ever be a fling between them. Something she wasn't entirely comfortable with. Plus she didn't want Jasmine getting too attached, otherwise she'd be a nightmare when they went home at the end of the next week without him.

"That's the second time you've sighed like that in a minute," his deep voice brought her head up. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Sophie dismissed and planted a smile on her face as he took her key and opened the door.