8. Sophie

CHAPTER 8

SOPHIE

S ophie twisted her wet hair into the towel and surveyed the outfit she had selected for her date— no, her business meeting with Noah tonight.

She had selected a low-cut tan dress with an overlay of dark lace, and paired it with her black heels. It was both elegant and sexy.

The events of the past twenty-four hours felt like an odd dream. Sophie had sex with Noah.

Twice!

Sure, she had always found her boss attractive, but she'd never thought that the two of them would ever sleep together. Let alone get married!

Was she really considering marrying and having a baby with her boss?

It was total insanity. And yet, she had agreed, overcome with the feeling of missing out.

She had no idea what Noah's ground rules would be, but it sounded like intimacy would be off the table. Which was probably for the best. This was meant to be a mutually beneficial transaction. That was all. Noah wasn't looking for love, right? As she did her hair and makeup, she pondered the absurdity of it all.

Sophie knew she wanted a child and Noah was willing to offer her one. And she trusted Noah — truly, he had been one of the only consistent men in her adult life. He had promised to take care of them financially, and was an overall decent man. But what would his role be in their child's life?

Sophie shook her head, trying to push out her doubts. It wasn't like she had signed a contract or anything. She and Noah could discuss the options, and then she could make an informed decision.

She plugged the address Noah had sent her into her phone and made it to the restaurant right on time. He messaged her to tell her he had already gotten them a table and was waiting inside.

The restaurant was familiar to her as she had been there multiple times before. It was ironic, really, that she and Noah had hosted several of their annual work dinners at this very location, and now they were here to discuss having a child together.

The glass decor looked expensive and chic. Abstract chandeliers hung from the ceiling and elaborate sculptures that looked like they might break with the slightest touch decorated the corners of the room.

Sophie's heels clicked along the pristine hardwood floor.

As soon as their eyes met, Sophie felt her heart flutter, heat rising to her cheeks as she remembered. Noah had now seen her naked. Had tasted her. Knew the sounds she made when she climaxed. She suddenly felt shy.

"Hey," she greeted.

"Hey," he replied. "You look beautiful."

Sophie thanked him and took a seat.

She didn't know what to say without the confidence of alcohol she had had last night. But she also knew that this was the kind of conversation they needed to have sober.

They maintained pleasant conversation, discussing their previous dinners here and noting some of the new decor until the waitress took their orders.

After she left, the tension between them became palpable.

"So—" they said in unison.

They laughed at the awkwardness and Sophie insisted he go first.

"So obviously we both know why we're here," Noah said. "I think it's best if we both start by explaining our reasonings and our expectations. I'll go first, but just remember that you are under no obligation to say yes, and I won't hold anything against you."

Sophie nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"Okay. As I stated, I want to take over Birch Industries and the only way my father will allow me to do so is if I can create a family image for myself. So I am looking to get married and have children. But I want you to know, if you agree to this, that I am not going to be a perfectly doting father or husband — my work will still be my first priority. I am not looking for love."

At least she had her answer.

"Okay," she breathed. "So let's talk about the marriage part. How will that work?"

"We will be married on paper only. I am not looking for a real relationship. And as much as I enjoyed myself, what happened last night and this morning cannot happen again. If we do this, I don't want things to get messy."

"Fair enough," Sophie said. "And what about the wedding? Will we have a whole event?"

"Definitely an event. You may plan the entire thing if you wish or I can hire someone, whichever you prefer. I will need to use the event to create good press. Which is another thing I should mention — if you are to become my wife, the media will be a part of our everyday lives. That means photoshoots, magazine features, even the occasional paparazzi."

Sophie hadn't really considered that aspect before. It was true that Noah had been a hot topic in the media for the past few years. Especially for young women looking to bag the city's hottest billionaire.

She could deal with a few photos here and there. "I suppose I should have figured that. From now on, I'll make sure to wear panties when leaving the house," she joked.

Noah smiled slightly. "Upon our engagement, I will have my lawyer draw up a contract. I will pay for everything, of course, along with everything else after. I promise, Sophie, that I will take care of you no matter what."

"Okay," she said, believing him. "And the baby? How will we—?"

"It will look better if we wait until after we are married. And then, when we're ready to start trying, we should look into some kind of artificial insemination route. That way we keep things strictly professional."

Sophie nodded, taking in all the information.

Noah must have taken her silence as hesitation. "If this isn't what you want, I completely understand."

"No, I'm just taking it all in," she told him.

It was a huge decision. When she pictured herself as a mother, she always pictured a family-oriented husband beside her. She really had to ask herself if she was willing to do this all alone.

Yes. More than anything, Sophie wanted to be a mother. Who knows when, or if, she would get the chance again organically. She was running out of time and Noah was offering her the opportunity.

"I know I'm asking for a lot but like I said, I will support you and our child completely. You will want for nothing."

Noah offered her both stability and security. How many other men could even offer her that? It wasn't just convenient, it was practical.

Her heart raced as she came to a decision.

"I want to do this," she announced.

"And you're sure you are okay with not having a romantic relationship?"

Sophie hesitated. Their chemistry last night had been amazing but that didn't mean they were good for each other romantically. It was better to cross that aspect out and keep their relationship platonic.

She had to be willing to sacrifice something for this arrangement. And if that thing was a man, then so be it. She would be too busy enjoying motherhood to even focus on a real marriage anyway.

"Yes. I want to be a mother. I don't expect anything else from you, Noah."

He would get the CEO position and Sophie would get the child she'd always wanted. It was a win-win.

Liar , her brain yelled. Her mind replayed images of Noah's head between her legs. His fingers. The feeling of her climaxing on top of him.

Sophie crossed her legs beneath the table.

It was just sex, she told herself. They had known each other for years and never had sex before; they could do it again. And in time, Sophie was sure she would forget that they had ever even slept together.

The server arrived with their food, taking her mind away from this morning.

"How soon are you—?" Noah started after the waitress walked away.

"Now. If you would like," Sophie said in a rush. If she was going to do this, she had to be all in.

Noah smiled in delight, taking a deep breath. "All right, then."

Sophie replied with a smile, twisting her fork in her pasta.

"So from this moment on, we're engaged?" Noah asked.

Sophie found herself excited by his statement. She was going to be a mom! "Yeah. I guess we are."

While they ate, they discussed some more details.

"I think six months for a wedding should be ample time, yes?" Noah took a bite of his steak. "I mean we can still set up an appointment with the doctor to get things started. Maybe begin trying a month or so before?"

She hesitated. Six months? That was half a year away! Didn't he want this to be done quickly?

"I know six months seems far away, but we will have so much going on that it will fly by," he assured her. "We will have to come up with the terms of the prenup, announce the engagement, find a wedding planner, actually plan the wedding, and meet with fertility doctors to discuss our options."

When he put it like that, it sounded like they needed more time.

"Okay," Sophie agreed. She could wait five months to begin trying for a baby. It would give her plenty of time to prepare and plan.

Noah took a sip from his drink before speaking again. "I know this will be a bit of a shock to the office, and once we tell them, word will get out. So I was thinking about hosting a party to celebrate our best quarter in two weeks' time. What if we announced it then? I will invite some press; that way we'll be announcing it to everyone at once."

It was a smart plan. "We should probably get a ring then, huh?" She grinned. Once they began announcing that they were engaged, people would be asking to see it.

"Monday, during lunch. I'll take you to pick one out," Noah said.

"Okay." She smiled in agreement.

When they were both ready to leave, Noah paid for dinner and walked Sophie out to her car.

"Thank you," she told him.

"No, thank you." He smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Sophie waved goodbye before getting into her car, a thrill of excitement going through her.

Looks like we're really doing this!