18. Sophie

CHAPTER 18

SOPHIE

N oah's driver showed up at seven on the dot, as promised. Not sure what to expect, Sophie had chosen to dress simply, in a white sundress with beige wedges. She also wanted to make the most of the last few months where her clothes actually fit her. When she arrived, Ryan escorted her to the top floor of the building.

When she stepped out of the elevator, her mouth fell open slightly. Noah's bachelor pad turned out to be an enormous penthouse suite — it must have been four times the size of her own apartment.

Of course it's extravagant . Sophie shouldn't have expected anything less.

Noah stood outside the elevator, a giant smile on his face. "Hey, Soph."

Soph? Noah had never called her by her nickname before.

"Hello," she replied. Ryan took the elevator back down and Noah took her coat to hang up.

"Please, make yourself at home," he told her.

She followed him towards the kitchen, ignoring his comment. She wasn't sure if moving in together would be the best decision. A pleasant smell of fresh herbs wafted over her as they entered the large, airy kitchen.

"So what are you making me?" she asked.

Noah walked over to the stove and Sophie settled into a chair at the island. "Chicken and mushroom risotto," he answered while stirring the pan.

Sophie smirked and raised an eyebrow at him.

He grinned. "I told you I knew how to cook. I took a cooking course a few years back when I was in Italy on business."

"And what made you decide to take a cooking class?"

"It's a good skill to have," he said with a shrug, grabbing plates and utensils out of the cupboards.

To pick up women, Sophie thought. "Do you need any help?"

"I think I got it. Thanks, though." Noah began to set the large wooden table and told Sophie to take a seat.

Once she was sitting down, Noah served her a bowl of risotto topped with fresh herbs. Sophie had to admit she was impressed; she had never had a man cook for her before. At least, something that wasn't cooked in the oven or microwave.

He grabbed them each a glass and set down a pitcher of water. She filled her glass; Sophie wouldn't be drinking wine anytime soon.

Noah finally took a seat across from her, supplying them both with napkins.

Sophie waited for him to take the first bite before trying her own.

"Wow," she gushed. "This is really good." It tasted like something she would eat in a five-star restaurant.

"Thanks."

"I never knew you went to Italy. Was that for the Gray Fallon deal?"

Noah nodded. "Sure was. My father and I thought it was going to be a tough negotiation but they took us up after the first meeting. So we spent the rest of the week doing whatever we liked."

"Your father went with you?"

"Yeah. But I think that was the last bit of work I did with my father. He rented a yacht and spent the week getting drunk. I spent the week doing cooking classes and laying in the sun at the house we rented. Honestly, that trip is probably what inspired him to take a step back and begin traveling almost full-time."

Sophie nodded thoughtfully. "He must have a lot of good stories after traveling for so long and to so many places."

"Yeah, well if he does, he wouldn't bother sharing them with me," Noah said, and Sophie didn't miss the bite in his tone. "But what about you? Have you done much traveling?"

"Not really. Only a few road trips here and there."

"Is there anywhere you would really like to go? Any dream vacations?"

She considered his question. "Not a specific place but somewhere hot for sure. Somewhere you can lay in the sun and listen to birds. And somewhere you can get a really good pi?a colada." She laughed. "Obviously when I'm no longer pregnant, of course."

"You know, I think you'd really like this island off the coast of Italy. I can't remember what the name was but I took a day trip there. It was beautiful; all the buildings were painted in bright colors and the water was bluer than any I've ever seen. I was a bit sad I didn't get a chance to explore it further."

"That sounds amazing." She wondered how many other places he had had the opportunity to travel to after growing up so wealthy.

"We could go there if you wanted. You know, on the honeymoon."

Sophie almost choked on her food and took a sip of water. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's expected that we go on a honeymoon. Might as well take advantage of it. We can go wherever you like. Though the timing will be perfect in Europe — most of the tourists will be gone or leaving."

She didn't know what to say. "With all the other things going on right now, I kind of forgot about the honeymoon. I've never planned a trip like that before."

Noah shrugged. "I can take care of it, if you want. You obviously have enough to plan for the wedding."

"Sure," Sophie agreed.

"Great."

As they finished eating, Sophie's excitement was replaced with a new source of anxiety. A vacation with Noah? Would they spend the trip together, or alone like him and his father? Although she was excited for the opportunity to see a new place, she didn't like the idea of exploring it all by herself.

"So, did everything go okay with the cake order today?" Noah asked.

"Yeah, got it all sorted out." She smiled.

Noah took their empty dishes to the sink and rinsed them.

"Thanks again for dinner," she said. "It was really good."

"No problem. Ready for the tour?"

Sophie's heart raced; she didn't know why she suddenly felt so nervous. "Yeah, let's do it."

Noah dried his hand on the towel hanging off the stove. "Okay, well obviously this is the kitchen and dining area."

"Mhmm." Sophie laughed, following him back into the living area where she'd entered. The rear wall was covered in floor-to-ceiling windows, giving them a perfect few of the setting sun. In the daytime, she bet this window let in an incredible amount of sunlight. Most of the furniture was white and leather. It reminded her of a staged home, everything tied in with the space but appearing new and unused.

"And this is the living room." He gestured to the square glass coffee table. "Might need a little baby proofing, of course."

Sophie placed her finger on the shade of the lamp that sat on the matching side tables. "Maybe a little."

He guided her to a set of glass doors and out onto a large balcony. They were incredibly high up; you could see the entire downtown area of Olympus City. Sophie swiftly escorted herself back inside on account of feeling dizzy; she wasn't a huge fan of heights.

Noah pointed out the main powder room and office before leading her to a hallway. He pointed to the left, "Down there is my room."

Sophie didn't know why she wanted to see but she did. She wondered what color his sheets were. Were they the typical navy blue? How many pillows did he own?

"And down here," he said, opening a door, "this could be your room. It's set up as a guest room right now, but we can have everything taken out, of course."

They walked inside and Sophie immediately noted that the room was bigger than the room in her own apartment. Nicer lighting, too. Noah walked across the room and showed her the connected bathroom and walk-in closet.

"It's nice," she said, nodding. It was more than nice; it was beautiful and there was more space in that closet than she knew what to do with. She didn't want to admit that to him, though.

He led her out and to the end of the hallway, flicking the light on as they entered. "And this could be the baby's room…" He opened the door, revealing an empty white room.

Sophie entered, the room echoing as Noah spoke.

"I had it cleaned out. A blank canvas for you to decorate as you wish."

Ideas already started to fill her mind. With a little wallpaper and furniture, this room could be perfect.

It made her feel poor in comparison. No wonder Noah wanted her to move in —he had seen her apartment. Even if he wasn't going to be a part of their child's life, he probably couldn't imagine them living in such average housing.

Would she be a bad mother for not allowing her child to live and grow up here? Of course she wanted the best for her child, but moving in also meant living with Noah. Seeing him every day. Sleeping down the hall from each other. Would they eat meals together?

Noah leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed. "So, what do you think?"

Sophie tried to keep her face neutral, trying not to give him the satisfaction of being right. How could she say no?

He must have seen right through her, though, because he smiled. "You love it, don't you?

Sophie couldn't deny it, and felt a smile creep onto her lips. "Yeah, I do."

"So?" he urged.

She looked around the room once more, imagining the perfect nursery. "So… I'm saying yes."