The three water adventurers were rescued and safely on board the wrap party vessel, warmed by emergency blankets. Each of them dealt with the Thames swimming experience quite differently. Kelly couldn’t stop talking, thanking both Matthew and Sophie for saving her. Matthew nodded, smiled. Sophie sat in angry silence.
She refused to look at him. The party had only just started, and would continue for several hours, but Sophie was leaving the vessel. She needed to go home, return to the safety of the shore and escape from Matthew.
Sophie sipped champagne as the boat turned around, suddenly wanting to get ridiculously drunk.
“Soph, congratulations on being the heroine tonight.” Bradley rushed over to her. “You certainly know how to live your work, don’t you?” How many drinks had he had?
“I’ve always had a passion for…” She paused. She was going to say the water, but who was she kidding? “For adventure.”
He slid onto the bench next to her, draping his arm around her shoulders. “Look, Soph, I’m really sorry about all the pressure this year. I made a hasty decision making you redundant. You’ll forgive me, won’t you? I want you back. I should have trusted you to get on with your job, with Barney’s Chocolate Bars and with the Silver account.” She could smell the alcohol on his breath.
“It’s fine. Honestly, it’s fine.”
“Shall we talk about you being reinstated on Monday?”
“Sure.” She nodded.
Kelly approached, and Sophie’s stomach lurched with thoughts of Matthew floating through her mind.
“Soph,” Kelly started. Her lips were more normal in colour, though still slightly tinged with blue from the chilly water. “I wanted to thank you for jumping overboard and saving me. I was scared out there.” Bradley looked on in approval and then took his leave, wandering over to a bunch of women at the other side of the boat.
Sophie nodded. “No problem. You’d have done it, too, if you were in the same position.”
“You are quite a girl.”
Sophie shrugged and looked down at the ground.
“I know this might be a little too late, but I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
“What for?” Sophie’s chest tightened. “Sorry for Matthew liking you? You go, girl. Don’t worry about me.” She shot a glance in Matthew’s direction, met his gaze, and turned immediately away.
Kelly frowned. “I don’t know what you think happened. Matthew’s a client. He gave me a brilliant idea for my next campaign, and…well, he’s pretty cute, so I thought I’d make a move. Story over. I didn’t realise you two had a thing going. So, you go, girl.”
Sophie smiled tightly, realising she’d already given away far too much to Kelly, the girl who’d use anything to sabotage her. She shot another glance in Matthew’s direction. His gaze was still on them. No, on her.
“Look,” Kelly continued, “what I’m trying to say is…no one in advertising is ever nice. People are ruthless, stepping on people’s throats if someone gets in the way. That’s the motto I got taught. I guess you’re not like that, and besides, we’re on the same side. So, I’m sorry.”
Sophie swallowed. “It’s all good. Advertising is hard. Don’t worry about it.”
“I overheard Bradley giving you your job back. You will come back, right? So we’ll be working together possibly for quite a long time. Maybe we could start again, and…maybe you could forgive me and give me a chance?”
Sophie looked at Kelly and nodded. “Truce?” She extended her hand. What did she have to lose? Kelly was already an enemy. But she was also extremely talented, and if the truce held and they became allies, they’d win loads of work.
“Truce,” Kelly replied, and they shook hands firmly.
The boat arrived at the dock and Sophie disembarked. Matthew followed her onto shore, but she walked quickly, trying to outpace him.
“Soph,” he called. “Wait.”
She wouldn’t; she couldn’t. She didn’t feel ready to face him. But his legs were longer and he caught up. He stepped in front of her. He blocked her path, taking her hand like he’d done so many times in the pool.
“Soph, I care a lot about you, really, and I don’t think you’re a charity case. I just liked you and wanted to spend some time with you.” He stared deep into her eyes. “I’m sorry if it came out as blackmail. I want to be with you. I don’t love anyone else.”
Sophie’s heart thumped in her chest.
“Soph, say something, please.”
“I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions.” Her mouth felt dry and her tongue felt fat. Had he just said he loved her in an indirect way? She watched him run a hand through his blond hair, the hair she desperately loved.
His gaze fell to the ground. “When you were in the water, swimming away from the boat, swimming to save Kelly—swimming really well, mind you—I knew you didn’t need me to rescue you.”
Sophie swallowed. “I probably did; I was just too angry to admit it. But I did mean what I said out there. I will forever be thankful for you teaching me. Your lessons saved my life.”
“When I saw you out there, I couldn’t not go after you. I hope I feel exactly the same way as you do. The other night with you was so prefect until…well…until it ended. I’m sorry for not going after you, but I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you again, Soph. I can’t let you run away from me now because…well it’s quite simple really… I love you.”
He’d said it again. He loved her.
Emotions soared through her body and she flung her arms around his neck. Her pulse raced and she buried her face in his chest. She knew the right words to say. “I love you, too.” She breathed words of truth.
He tilted her face toward him and his lips were immediately on hers. He kissed her, gently at first, but a surge of electricity charged through them. With a swift move he pulled her hard against his body. She felt tingly and didn’t want him to stop.
Sophie heard laughter in the background and pulled away from Matthew. “Shall we get out of here?” she panted, hearing a wolf whistle. Matthew looked over his shoulder at a crowd huddled over the boat railing. Of course her whole office had watched the scene, Jessica and Carol both grinning like crazy. Sophie felt her ears burn, but she was also somewhat lucky, for at least there was no public groping.
“Let’s go now,” Matthew said, putting his arm around her shoulders and directing her toward the pavement.
“We can’t leave soon enough.”
“Miss Mermaid Sophie Smart, I’m coming home with you. Or you’re coming home with me.”
Sophie smiled. There was absolutely no doubt about that.
“I don’t have to call you a mermaid,” he said, “if you would like me to call you something else. A lioness or something?”
Sophie laughed. “Mermaid is just fine, thank you, Mr. Matthew Dolphin Silver, and here I was thinking you only liked me in the water.”
“Did you know dolphins, like humans, can participate in lengthy foreplay?”
“To think if I’d known that before, I would have started swimming earlier.”
***
Sophie found she liked learning further dolphin facts, first-hand. She was especially delighted to discover that her incredible Mr. Matthew Dolphin Silver was friendly, attentive, and extremely good in bed. He was even better than their first night together. There was no choice when he asked her, nuzzling into her neck, no feasible option but to simply agree: of course she would move in with him. The sooner, the better.