Recaptured Dreams Read online

Bryant scratched his head. “You’re trying to tell me that some random chick at a London fashion show is the same girl you’ve been trying to hunt down all these years? The same girl you thought you knocked up before she vanished?”

  “Her parents took her away,” Xavier corrected firmly. “Sophia wanted to stay with me.”

  “Whatever.” Bryant started working again. “So we come here and bam! There she is. Well, good for you. Just don’t get all distracted and googly-eyed while we’re trying to work. Besides, how do you know it’s her? I mean, ten years is a long time.”

  “Bryant, it was her.” Xavier dropped another load of clothes in the case as he stared at his brother. “I’ve never been more certain of anything in my whole life. And I’d appreciate it if you weren’t so smug about it.”

  “Sorry. It’s been a long damn night. I didn’t mean to snap at you.” He patted Xavier on the shoulder. “I know she meant a lot to you, and I’m sorry I had to drag you away from her. If I had known who she was, I wouldn’t have.”

  “It’s all right.” He tucked the last of the clothes into a case. “After all, I created this fashion line to remind me of her. It’s only right to take care of it before I see her again at the after-party.”

  “What?”

  A smile curled the corner of Xavier’s mouth. “You didn’t think I would let her walk out of my arms without knowing I would see her again soon, did you?”

  Bryant shrugged. “Well, no. I guess not. What are you going to do now?”

  The lid of the case slammed shut, and Xavier jerked his vibrating phone back out of his pocket. “Well, as soon as I get these fires extinguished, I’m going to go start one with her.”

  Bryant laughed. “After this long, that’ll be one hell of a raging inferno.”

  “I hope so.”

  Chapter Two

  OXO TOWER WAS ON LONDON’S SOUTH BANK. Sophia had dined there before and was amazed to see the transformation from eating area to fashion show after-party. All the tables that lined the glass-encased dining room had been removed and replaced with couches arranged in intimate seating areas. The lighting was dim, and music played as people laughed and mingled.

  The Brasserie had been revamped from a dining area and music room to a full-on dance club, complete with live DJ, flashing lights in every color, and music loud enough to wake the dead. Sweat beaded on Sophia’s skin as she bumped through the hoard of people. Aching to get away from the commotion, she motioned to Anne Marie.

  “I think I’m going to go out on the terrace and get some air!” Sophia yelled above the music.

  Dancing with some handsome man, Anne Marie turned about and replied, “All right, darling! I’ll catch up with you later!”

  Sophia nodded and made her way to the nearest exit. Pushing open the set of glass doors, she drew a deep breath of the quickly cooling evening air. She rubbed her hands over her arms. As the doors closed, the music faded and her head began to clear. The terrace was a large balcony the length of the OXO, overlooking the River Thames below. It was dimly lit from the lights inside and, from the looks of it, not the happening place to be. There were very few people lingering about, and Sophia found that soothing.

  “Whew, what a night,” she mumbled. The fashion show had been an exhilarating experience, and the after-party was even more impressive and exhausting. The ambiance of her surroundings sank in; she couldn’t believe she had been rubbing elbows with some of the world’s top designers.

  Oddly enough, she had yet to see Xavier through the swarm of people inside. She was certain he would be there since he had demanded her presence. Not that it mattered. He’d been so bold, which was not her style. Forgetting about him and his bad manners should come easy. And yet, she’d still been drawn to the depth she’d seen in his eyes. The flicker of something she couldn’t quite place but wanted to reach. The whole situation was strange. She’d never allowed a man to get so close to her before without saying something—anything. And she’d never allowed one to actually kiss her in such a manner—especially without proper introductions.

  It made her wonder why he’d been so brave in the first place.

  Maybe it was good thing she couldn’t find him. She didn’t know what she would say to him. She shouldn’t have come. It was wrong of her to think that a man of his caliber would really want anything to do with her, anyway.

  Sophia could admit that she thought she was at least a smidge attractive. Sure, she was the daughter of prominent, wealthy parents, but she was certain Xavier Cain was a man of many facets, one of which included an endless string of beautiful, young models and trips to exotic places. He was rich and famous for his lustrous designs, and compared to him, Sophia was just normal.

  That was a new feeling. All her life her mother and grandmother had made her date men “worthy of her stature.” That meant long boring parties with London socialites and royals. Reception lines and drab dinners that never ended. Snotty women and even snottier children. Xavier, however, was different than anyone she’d ever met. It was obvious he was commanding and strong. Just from those few minutes, Sophia knew he was the type to take what he wanted. And why not? She’d read about him. He’d come from nothing and built an empire worthy enough to make her acquaintances jealous.

  Independent, determined, and successful by any standard. For the first time in Sophia’s life, she didn’t feel worthy of someone’s attention. If that’s even what it was. Maybe he had been overly stressed out from the show and had mistaken her for someone else. That would certainly explain his boldness.

  But when his handsome face had been inches from hers, when his hands had been on her body, just his simple touch had sent her soaring, and his smooth voice had rumbled over her skin, melting her. She licked her lips at the mere thought of what a man like that could do to a woman.

  Exhaling slowly, Sophia leaned over the balcony rail and told herself she had let her mind wander too vividly when she’d been in Xavier’s arms.

  Truly, why would he be interested in her? Out of habit, she ran her fingers through her hair, stopping to rub the long scar along her scalp. The scar she’d carried around since she was seventeen. Touching the smooth seam with rough edges helped remind her that even though part of her memory was gone, she still needed to be grounded to things that were real. Things that mattered. The big things in life. She was pretty sure the thing with Xavier wasn’t big. It was a fluke, and she needed to ignore the heat he had stirred.

  “Had enough fresh air?”

  The seductive tone in the man’s voice stopped Sophia in her stilettos. The hair stood up on her arms. Slowly, she turned around.

  He looked different. Taller and more confident—if that was even possible. The suit had been replaced with black dress pants and a light blue button-down shirt that perfectly complemented his eyes. And his smile. It was slow, unnerving, and devastating.

  Collecting her thoughts, she took an involuntary step toward him. “Well, yes, actually. I think I’ve had enough excitement for one night.”

  “I think not,” Xavier said.

  He stalked toward her. Those eyes…those magnificent eyes drew her in and made her lose her breath. Sophia was certain no man had ever looked at her with such longing. In a blink, he was standing a foot away, hand held out. Without thinking, she placed her hand in his.

  Instant electricity. The same as at the fashion show. Hot and vivid. She could see herself tucked into the curve of his body, holding him close, drifting into a fantasy.

  The sea.

  His eyes reminded her of the sea. Beautiful and fresh. Inviting.

  His grin was quick as his eyes raked boldly from her head to her feet. Suddenly self-conscious, Sophia moved to step away. Xavier’s grip on her hand tightened, and he tugged her close, bringing them chest to chest.

  “That dress looks magnificent on you.” His voice wisped along the edge of her collarbone. “The fabric hugs your body in all the right places, and the color brings out the brightness of your eyes.”
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br />   “Um…” Sophia attempted to catch her missing breath. “Yes, well, it’s yours. I mean—you, well…it’s XS.”

  Xavier drew back for a moment, his lips arched into a smile. He laughed. “Yes, I know,” he said. He tucked the hair behind her ear and leaned in.

  The spark between them, instant and sizzling, would have surely burned them if they were skin on skin. This feeling, this draw between them was frightening and exciting. She’d never felt anything like it. Suddenly the thoughts she’d had earlier didn’t matter. Americans tended to be bolder, right? Just because she didn’t know him didn’t mean she couldn’t get to know him.

  He whispered in her ear, “The dress was made with you in mind.”

  Xavier dipped his head and let his lips lightly brush over her cheek.

  Oh my.

  Her legs threatened to buckle. His touch made her eager for more, and his words were so smooth. So seductive. Sophia’s dear friend Ann Marie would be proud of her. Sophia was taking a chance. A giant leap of faith, really. Something she’d never done. There was something about this man that made her comfortable and weirdly at ease. Whatever was causing this instant attraction, Sophia did not want to let it go.

  Her head rolled back as his lips trailed down her chin, skimming over her neck. She grew moist, and the base of her spine tingled. Much more of this would leave her in a pile of bewildered mush on the concrete balcony.

  “Sophia,” he whispered against her cheek.

  The sound of her name was a heady drug threatening to make her do things she’d never dreamed. She clutched the fabric of his shirt.

  “My Sophia.”

  Her eyes snapped open. He knew her name?

  The caressing whisper across her skin continued. “I have waited too long to have you in my arms again.”

  Her body went rigid. She wiggled in his arms to get away, but he held her tight. The hardness of his chest pressed against her as his lips delicately assaulted her bare neck and shoulders. But something was very, very wrong.

  “Stop.” Her voice shook. She managed to put one hand up on his chest. “Please stop, Xavier. I don’t even know you.”

  His body stiffened as he leaned back and stared at her. His eyes had gone cold, and his face paled. “What did you say?”

  Goose bumps erupted on every inch of her skin. “I only meant that I don’t normally do this with complete strangers, and because I don’t—”

  His brows drew together. “Did you just say you don’t know me?”

  “Well, um…yes.” A hint of anger flashed through his eyes, and Sophia wasn’t sure how she should proceed. “I know; it’s awkward, right? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t…”

  Xavier’s fingers rubbed over her arms. His gaze was intense as he looked over Sophia’s face.

  He spoke slowly, his voice low. “You’re saying you don’t remember me?”

  Puzzled, Sophia shook her head. “I’m sorry, but no.”

  An anguished expression crossed his face, one that Sophia didn’t understand, yet it made her chest constrict. How could someone she didn’t even know make her feel so much? Why did she suddenly want to know him?

  Oh yes, she wanted to know him. In several more ways than just knowing his name and the feel of his body against hers. She wanted to know what he liked, what he wanted.

  Sophia continued to stare at him, watching the emotions cross his face as he studied her. She didn’t know what to do or say. She could do no more than gasp in astonishment when Xavier’s lips came crashing down on hers. He hooked an arm around her back and tugged her close. The sting of pleasure cascaded along her skin as her body melted beneath the strong hands. His lips ravished hers, forcing a response. While her mind was running through all the ways in which this was wrong, a thrill of the unknown and dangerous swept through her, rupturing any doubt she had and sending her spinning into an all-encompassing pleasure.

  His hands, strong and determined, seemed to know all the spots along her skin that made her want him. Unwilling to move away this time, Sophia parted her lips and let his tongue coerce hers into a delightful dance. She moaned in satisfaction as her body pressed into his. Closer, she needed to be closer.

  She took a deep breath and smelled the salty sea. His scent was comforting and strangely familiar. It turned off her inner questions and made her want to be underneath him with his strong body coiled around her, his scent the only thing she could smell, his skin the only thing she could feel.

  Her hands wound around his back, and she was frustrated by the cotton shirt separating her hands from his bare skin. Her skirt hiked up as his hands roamed over her thigh, allowing the now cold night air to creep over her sensitive skin.

  Just then, the door opened, and music streamed out from the party. Abruptly aware of her surroundings, Sophia yanked herself down from the clouds and back into reality—they were out on a balcony with a party just inside, and she’d been seconds from allowing this fascinating fashion designer to take her right there. As a gust of chilling wind blew against them, she jerked herself away from Xavier, embarrassed with herself. She’d let the heat of the moment take control. She’d let his heat take control. For a moment she’d thought she be able to let herself go—do something she’d never done before, listen to her gut instead of all those rules she’d been taught.

  With her own breath ragged, she dared to take a look at the stranger. His lips were dark pink, lush from their kiss. His chest heaved, and his eyes had glazed over with passion. He reached out for her again.

  “Sophia,” he said barely above a whisper.

  Chills overcame her. She stepped away, adjusted her dress, and shook her head firmly. Her legs were weak, but she knew she had to get away before her senses made her do something she would regret.

  She knew her boundaries, her limits. Yet something about this man had made her cross some imaginary line she’d always had in place. Dare she find out what it was?

  No.

  This was madness. Absolute mortification for her own forwardness washed over her, reminding her of who she was, how she’d been raised. And to think a man with crystal eyes and a wonderfully timbre voice almost made her do something she would have certainly regretted. How had he managed to elicit that type of reaction in her?

  Without saying another word, she whipped around and ran away. Once inside, she was lost in a maze of people and knew it would be nearly impossible for Xavier to find her. Even as her heart still pounded because of him, all she wanted to do was find Anne Marie and go home.

  Xavier could do no more than stare, dumbfounded, as the door closed behind Sophia. After a few shocked seconds, he pulled himself together and ran after her.

  A crowd blocked his path as soon as he’d crossed the threshold into the party. He pushed his way through it, knocking into several guests in his pursuit of the only one who mattered right then. He darted in and out of clusters of partygoers, maneuvered around waiters and oddly placed furnishings. He’d even resorted to standing on top of a few of the chairs in the dining area of the room.

  Xavier circled the room in a frenzy. He double-checked the balcony, too, just in case she’d changed her mind.

  No luck.

  Filled with despair, he raced for the only other place he thought she would go: the exit. Out of his arms and out of his life again.

  He plowed through the front doors and came to an immediate halt when he watched Sophia slide into the backseat of a stretch limo. The door slammed behind her, and the limo quickly pulled away from the curb. Xavier ran after it, waving his arms and running down the middle of the street. But the limo didn’t stop. She didn’t stop.

  Out of breath, he collapsed onto the curb and hung his head. How in the hell had he let her get away? Again?

  Did she really not remember him? He rubbed a tense hand over his face.

  God, she had looked exquisite on the balcony. He had watched her for several minutes, enjoying the changes in her facial expressions as the breeze had blown the short black hair around
her face. Her delicate features had been the same as he remembered them, as if she hadn’t aged since the last time he’d seen her. She had looked even more beautiful with the white light of the moon making her skin glow and her blue eyes big and captivating.

  He’d smelled her fragrance as it danced with the wind. He’d indulged in deep breaths, inhaling a strong scent of vanilla mixed with a hint of cherry. It was then he’d realized how badly he’d wanted to touch and taste every inch of her. He’d felt the familiar tug in his chest, much different than the one he’d had the day she’d been taken away from him. Lord knew he didn’t want to feel that way again, and he’d already decided that since she was his Sophia, she wouldn’t be taken away this time. He’d found her, and he would keep her.

  Glancing up and down the street, hoping she’d come back, Xavier realized how much distance had truly been put between them over the years. Oh, how he’d dreamed about seeing her again and doing all the things they should have done so long ago. Marriage, for one. He should have been married to Sophia, the woman who had captured his heart at seventeen. They should have spent the last decade raising children, being a family. Living out the dreams of the XS fashion line together. Traveling the world and spending every night in each other’s arms. But his dream had never come true. Instead, it had been ripped from his arms all those years ago. And now again tonight.

  His heart had pined for Sophia even when he’d held others. She’d welcomed his kisses and touch, in return making him ache with her own. And yet she’d stood in front of him tonight claiming to not remember what they’d shared.

  He suddenly felt angry and betrayed. After all that time…all his wishful thinking and hoping…she hadn’t spared him a single memory. Not a single thought during her privileged life. Not enough to even care or come back to him. Had he been that foolish all those years, really thinking she’d belonged to him? That she’d felt the same way he had? That he would be able to erase the heartache from previous years and replace it with their love?

  Yes, he had been foolish. He hauled himself off the curb, the clawing in his chest suffocating him, and went home.