CHAPTER FOUR
ANNAH CHANGED HER outfit three times before settling on a navy-blue shift dress, a string of pearls with matching earrings, and a pair of taupe pumps.
It was the kind of ensemble she’d wear to a meeting with a wedding client at a posh venue, which made it perfect for this evening because in these parts you didn’t get much posher than Fendalton Hall, and her dinner with Luca was a meeting, not—as she had reminded herself repeatedly over the last twenty-four hours—a date.
Still, her stomach fluttered with nerves as she spritzed on some perfume, grabbed her handbag and a smart, knee-length black coat to pull on over her dress, and headed to the living room.
Chloe, who had seen the first two outfits and agreed they weren’t quite right, jumped up from the sofa, gave the new outfit a once-over, and declared, ‘Perfect!’
‘Not too much make-up?’
Chloe shook her head. ‘Just right. How are you feeling?’
‘Fine.’
‘You’re a terrible liar.’
In spite of herself, Annah laughed. ‘And you’re an amazing friend. You didn’t need to come back early.’
Chloe had called last night to chat and also check some details for a wedding job they were doing on Saturday. Since Chloe knew the history of Ethan’s conception and the events that had unfolded afterwards, Annah told her all about Luca showing up and demanding to see their son, not expecting that Chloe would rush back to Hollyfield a day earlier than planned.
‘Don’t be silly,’ Chloe said firmly. ‘I want to be here for you.’ She dropped back onto the sofa, narrowly missing Mister Pickles, who leapt to the floor with an indignant flick of his ginger tail. ‘Anyway, I was dying for some fresh country air after five days in London. And of course Ben’s delighted to have me back early.’
Annah felt a jab of guilt. ‘Except you’re not even spending the evening at home with him. You’re here, babysitting for me.’
Chloe waved a hand. ‘It’s fine. He’s still at work. He’ll come over and keep me company after his shift ends.’ She sent Annah a mock-dramatic look. ‘Imagine if I hadn’t come back and you’d had to ask Dot to babysit. You know she would have made it her personal mission to find out who you were having dinner with, right?’
‘I know,’ Annah said, pulling her coat on and cinching the belt at her waist. ‘You’re a lifesaver.’ She opened her handbag and checked its contents for the nth time. Wallet. Keys. Lip balm. Tissues. Satisfied, she zipped it shut, slid the strap over her shoulder, and glanced down the hallway. ‘Is Ethan asleep? Maybe I should check on him before I go.’
‘He’s dead to the world. Don’t risk waking him. You’ve already checked on him six times. Have you got your phone?’
Her eyes widened. ‘Blast!’ She dashed back to her bedroom, retrieved her phone from where she’d left it charging, and returned to the living room.
Chloe was on her feet again, rifling through her own bag. ‘Hang on a sec,’ she said, and then extracted a small object and thrust it towards Annah. ‘Take this.’
Annah’s eyes zoned in on the object. Her jaw dropped. ‘Is that pepper spray?’
‘No!’ Chloe gave her an outraged look. ‘Are you kidding? I live with a copper. Ben would kill me—or arrest me—if I had real pepper spray.’ She held up the canister. ‘This is a perfectly legal defence spray. I never visit London without it.’
Annah frowned and shook her head. ‘I don’t need that.’
‘Are you sure?’ Chloe bit her lip. ‘I mean, really sure? Because this...’ she pointed a finger at her face ‘...this cheerful thing I’m trying to do? It’s not working.’ Her shoulders slumped and her pretty face creased with genuine concern. ‘I’m worried, Annah,’ she confessed. ‘And so is Ben. How do you know you can trust this guy?’
Annah had asked herself the same question a dozen times. She looked at her friend. ‘Honestly? I don’t know how I know. I just do. It’s a gut feeling, I guess.’ And so far, Luca had given her no reason not to trust him. He’d behaved like a perfect gentleman yesterday. And the way he’d been with Ethan—so gentle and kind—had brought a lump to her throat. ‘I can’t explain it,’ she said with a one-shouldered shrug. ‘But I honestly don’t believe he would do anything to harm me or Ethan.’
Chloe vented a heavy sigh. ‘Okay, then.’ She returned the spray to her bag. ‘But if he so much as lays a finger on you—’ her expression turned adorably fierce ‘—he’ll have me and Ben and the entire local constabulary to answer to!’
* * *
Thirty minutes later, Annah drove up the stately, oak-lined driveway to the entrance of Fendalton Hall. In the darkness she couldn’t appreciate the views, but she knew that acres of landscaped grounds and beautiful gardens surrounded her.
An enormous Elizabethan mansion that’d been painstakingly renovated and transformed into an exclusive hotel and spa, Fendalton Hall catered to the kind of guest who could afford to flit in and out for a few days of world-class luxury and indulgent pampering whenever the mood took them.
Several of her and Chloe’s past clients—the ones for whom money was no object—had held their wedding ceremonies and receptions at the beautiful upmarket locale. Impressed with their work, the hotel’s manager had contracted Scent Floral Boutique to design and install all the floral arrangements throughout the property.
Annah and Chloe took turns setting up fresh arrangements in the foyer and other areas twice a week, but this was the first time Annah had visited as a patron.
Nervous anticipation hummed through her veins as the big, grey stone manor loomed into view. Carefully, she eased her old-model hatchback into a gap between a low-slung sports car and a luxury sedan. Shutting off the engine, she pulled down her visor and looked in the mirror. Having run out of time to fuss with her hair, she’d pulled it into a low chignon and teased out some wispy bits around her face. She adjusted one of the pins, then grabbed her bag off the passenger seat and headed inside to the restaurant.
After she’d given Luca’s name to the maître d’, the man took her coat and led her to a candlelit table set with white linen, silver cutlery and sparkling glassware. The restaurant was busy, but the table’s location in a secluded corner offered privacy from the other diners.
Luca was already there, and he rose to his feet, tall and shockingly handsome in a white open-necked shirt and dark trousers. He stepped towards her and leaned forward, lightly kissing her cheek, and this time, unlike yesterday, Annah was prepared for the shock of his warm lips against her skin and the resultant flicker of heat that whispered through her.
‘You look lovely,’ he said.
Pleasure flared at the compliment, though she tried to tamp it down, reminding herself to keep a cool head. Of course Luca was going to lay on the charm. He needed her amenable and co-operative. Ultimately, this was a negotiation; he wanted access to their son, and right now she was the one thing standing between him and Ethan.
‘Thank you,’ she murmured, and slid into the chair the maître d’ had pulled out for her.
The first ten minutes were easy. They ordered drinks, perused the menus, asked their waiter to elaborate on a couple of the dishes, and ordered starters and mains.
And then they were alone.
Immediately, the air thickened.
Annah picked up her glass of Merlot and took a generous sip. She’d have to make a single glass last the entire meal given she was driving, but hopefully a small hit of alcohol on an empty stomach would shave the edge off her nerves.
Luca’s deep voice broke the silence. ‘Thank you for allowing me to spend time with you and Ethan yesterday. I appreciate this situation isn’t easy for you. If it’s any consolation, it is not easy for me, either.’
She set her glass down. ‘You didn’t give me much choice,’ she told him, a frown tugging her eyebrows together. ‘Turning up out of the blue like that.’
His gaze sharpened on hers. ‘What would you have preferred? A letter from my lawyers?’
Her back snapped straight. Lawyers? Was that a warning shot across her bow? Letting her know he hadn’t pulled out the big guns but would do so if necessary? ‘You would have involved lawyers before you’d even confirmed Ethan was yours?’ she challenged.
‘If I’d had any doubts that he was mine,’ he said, ‘then, yes, I’d have had my lawyers formally request a paternity test.’
‘So you don’t want one anyway?’ she couldn’t help saying. ‘Just to be sure?’
His eyes narrowed. ‘Are you telling me Ethan’s paternity is in question? Because we can have him tested if necessary.’
Annah swallowed and sat back, her silly challenge falling miserably flat. A paternity test would work in Luca’s favour, not against him. ‘No,’ she said, lifting her wine glass. ‘It’s not necessary.’
Their waiter turned up a few seconds later with little amuse bouches of tuna tartare, saving the moment from growing too tense.
‘Who’s looking after Ethan tonight?’ Luca asked when they were alone again.
‘Chloe, my business partner and friend,’ she said, trying to match his conversational tone. If he could make an effort to keep things amicable, so could she. ‘She’s known Ethan since he was born, so she’s kind of like an aunty.’ Annah thought of the canister of spray Chloe had wanted her to bring. Although she still believed Luca didn’t pose any physical threat, she figured it couldn’t hurt to add, ‘Her boyfriend is a local policeman.’
He sipped his wine, studied her a moment. ‘Is Chloe the friend you’d originally planned to start a business with?’
Annah’s heart hitched a beat, just like it had yesterday when he’d referenced what she’d once shared with him about wanting to start a business. She canted her head. ‘I can’t believe you remember what we talked about that night in London.’
He put his glass down, but his eyes stayed on hers. His voice dropped an octave. ‘I remember a lot of things about that night, Annah.’
His evocative tone made something low down in her pelvis tighten, and she quickly dropped her gaze, afraid he’d see the truth—that she was still wildly attracted to him—in her eyes.
Sitting across from him now, aware of that little throb in her core, she couldn’t believe she’d ever tried to convince herself that he’d shamelessly seduced her that night. That she, in all her virginal innocence, hadn’t stood a chance against that lethal mix of searing good looks, blatant sensuality, and irresistible charm.
That was a total cop-out.
She might have been inexperienced, but at twenty-two she’d had plenty of practice saying no to men. Witnessing the train wreck of her mother’s love life had made her wary of the opposite sex and she’d routinely rejected any sexual or romantic advances. She’d never really understood how she attracted attention when she didn’t give out any signals, but clearly some men found the combination of blonde hair, blue eyes, and a pair of average-sized breasts irresistible.
The truth was, she simply hadn’t wanted to say no to Luca. Their chemistry had been intense. Overwhelming. Underneath his charm had been a smouldering intensity that had only enhanced his appeal. Faced with the choice of walking away or taking what he offered, caution and good sense had suddenly seemed overrated.
‘Annah?’
She snapped back to the present. ‘Sorry?’
‘You haven’t answered my question,’ he said, his dark eyes glittering as if he knew exactly where her thoughts had veered. ‘About Chloe.’
She cleared her throat. ‘Yes. We trained together and talked about opening a boutique eventually.’
‘And neither of you wanted to stay in London?’
She shook her head. ‘Too expensive. We’d never have got a business off the ground there. Chloe grew up in these parts and still has family here, so this area was a natural drawcard.’ And leaving London had put distance between Annah and Franco Cavallari. Even though she hadn’t known if he lived in London full time, just knowing his company had offices there had set her on edge.
Their waiter turned up and placed their starters in front of them. Annah had ordered the crab, and the presentation on the plate was delicate and pretty, the aroma divine. Her appetite stirred. This was an award-winning restaurant and the sort of place she could never afford to dine. It would be a crying shame, she told herself, to not at least try to enjoy the food.
She forked up a morsel, popped it in her mouth, and closed her eyes.
* * *
The expression of pleasure on Annah’s beautiful face as she enjoyed her food made Luca’s blood surge.
He tried to concentrate on his own entrée instead of on her sexy mouth, but it was difficult not to think about the only other time they’d shared a meal—when the food had been delivered by room service, they’d been naked under their bathrobes, and they’d barely made a dent in the fare before earthier appetites lured them back to bed.
In a desperate attempt to divert his thoughts, he asked, ‘Is it not difficult to generate business in such a remote area?’
She looked at him and shook her head. ‘It’s not that remote. Exeter’s only a thirty-minute drive away. And this region is popular for weddings. The bulk of our business from spring through to autumn comes from wedding clientele. And we have contracts with a number of venues and hotels in the area—including Fendalton Hall. We usually do at least two weddings here each year,’ she added, and then her gaze flicked to where his left hand rested on the table.
A smile tugged at the corners of Luca’s mouth. So, she was curious about his marital status? He raised his ringless fingers. ‘Not hitched.’ He looked at her steadily. Kept his tone casual. ‘What about you? Boyfriend?’
Colour rose to her cheeks. ‘No. Too busy.’ Her gaze shifted away and she shrugged. ‘Being a working mother isn’t terribly conducive to dating.’
Luca found that news inordinately pleasing—and why shouldn’t he? He didn’t want another man usurping his role as Ethan’s father.
Yet a voice in his head mocked him. It wasn’t only about Ethan. It was about Annah. He had taken her virginity and now she was the mother of his child. Some deep-rooted primal instinct that surely harked back to caveman days aroused a desire to stamp his ownership on her and deny any other man the right to touch her.
Annah drew her wine glass in front of her, after the waiter cleared their plates, and toyed with the stem. A frown notched her brow. ‘How did you find out that your father had photos of Ethan and me?’
Luca inhaled sharply. ‘The photos were discovered after I ordered his apartment in Rome to be cleared out,’ he said after a moment.
‘You said they’re surveillance photos?’
‘They appear to be, yes.’
She shook her head, her frown deepening. ‘I don’t understand. How did he even know about Ethan? He knew I was pregnant obviously, but... How did he know I didn’t have an abortion? Unless...’
He watched her expression shift, confusion giving way to dismay and then something resembling horror as she no doubt considered the same possibility he had. That Franco had kept tabs on her from the moment she’d left his office five years ago—meaning she’d been tracked and watched from before Ethan was born to right up until a few months ago.
Reaching over the table, he covered her hand with his. She jumped, but didn’t pull her hand away.
Did she feel the same surge of electric warmth from the contact as he did?
‘Don’t, cara,’ he said.
She looked down at their joined hands, then back at him. ‘Don’t what?’ she whispered.
‘Don’t run a million scenarios through your head and wonder which, if any, are true. The answer died with my father—and, like I told you yesterday, so did any threat he might have posed. You and Ethan are safe. You have my wo
rd.’
Their mains turned up, and Luca withdrew his hand. For the next few minutes he watched her toy with her food, her mind clearly stuck on their previous conversation.
He put down his knife and picked up his wine. ‘Tell me about Ethan.’
She looked up, her head tilting. ‘What do you want to know?’
He shrugged. ‘Anything. Everything. What’s his favourite food?’
A smile curved her mouth. ‘I wish I could say peas or broccoli. But unfortunately it’s ice cream.’
He chuckled, and she laughed with him, visibly relaxing. And then she talked easily about their son—his preschool programme, his love of animals, his quirks and habits.
When they’d finished their meals and the time was right, he posed a more serious question. ‘Did Ethan ever ask about his father?’
She hesitated. ‘Yes. A few months ago. He started noticing that most other children had daddies and he didn’t.’
‘What did you tell him?’
‘That sometimes mummies and daddies don’t live together. That sometimes children live with only one parent while they grow up.’
‘Was he satisfied with that?’
She gave a wry smile. ‘Not really. He wanted to know where his father lived and if we could visit. I told him you lived across a big ocean, too far away.’
The waiter returned to remove their plates, and Luca requested a few minutes before they looked at the dessert menu.
Then he leaned forward and finally cut to the chase. ‘I want a hand in raising my son, Annah.’
* * *
Annah stared at Luca across the table. Over the last hour she’d let herself relax a little, even laugh now and again, but in the back of her mind she’d kept reminding herself this moment was coming.
‘Visitation rights?’ she ventured.
‘Shared custody.’
It wasn’t really a surprise, but still her heart dropped into her stomach and then began to pound hard.
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