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Alessio stilled and stared at her with narrowed intensity. ‘That’s ridiculous.’
Of course it was—for him,Sophie thought.Because he hadn’t invested emotionally. Of coursehewould find it easy to pick up where they had left off. He would expect her to be an amicable ex, happy to have dinner with him and his father when he came to visit—which would be a lot more often, seeing how far their relationship had come.
‘I don’t think I can play the smiling jilted ex.’
‘Then feel free to be the one to jiltme.’
‘That’s not going to work.’
‘Why not?’ Alessio raked his fingers through his hair and shot her a fulminating look from under his lush, dark lashes. ‘I’m very happy to be dumped. At any rate, this wasn’t supposed to jeopardise your job, or make your position uncomfortable in any way. Look...’ He cast his eye to the doorway, as if in anticipation of Leonard making a sudden stealthy reappearance. ‘This isn’t the time or the place to have this conversation. Let’s park it for the moment. It’s late. My father is going to be returning in a minute. But I’m not comfortable with what you’re saying. Why don’t we wait until this dinner he’s having for us tomorrow evening? We can talk after that.’
‘I’m not going to change my mind.’
Alessio placed his finger over her mouth and then traced that finger over her lips.
‘Shh... Tomorrow...okay? My father eats early. This dinner should be done by eight and we can finish our conversation then.’
Sophie nodded.
Tomorrow evening they would talk, and then she would begin packing her bags in preparation for the long trip back to the life she had left behind.
What difference would a handful of hours make?
Alessio was conspicuous by his absence the following day. He was working and then giving orders to the construction crew, who were busily doing their thing in a completely different part of the house.
And if Leonard seemed a little over excited, what of it?
He had every right to be, with all the stuff happening with Alessio...with the house...with the business.
And when, at five, he disappeared in a flurry of nudge-nudge, wink-wink coyness, Sophie knew that he was simply excited to be entertaining again...with someone preparing his food and dinner formally served in the newly refurbished dining room.
‘Be sure to dress up, my dear!’ he carolled, before vanishing to his also newly refurbished quarters. ‘I’ve said the same thing to that beau of yours! He’s had to go to the office in Harrogate, but he’ll be home in time for our little dinner!’
Sophie was putting the finishing touches to her outfit—which was a simple long-sleeved woollen dress and some flat shoes—when there was a knock on the bedroom door.
Alessio.
Tall, commanding...so stupidly good looking...
And deadly serious.
‘We have something of a problem,’ he opened, stepping into the bedroom and quietly shutting the door behind him. ‘Nice dress, by the way,’ he murmured, looking at her with rampant appreciation.
Sophie felt a tell-tale dampness spread—the physical manifestation of her arousal—just because he had looked at her.
Her eyelids fluttered and her nostrils flared and she wasn’t sure who took a step closer to who. When his arm circled her she breathed him in, and was floored by the warmth of his sexy, familiar body.
She clung.
She didn’t want to.
Not when she was trying to grope her way back to the safety of the emotional independence she had abandoned.
But she couldn’t help herself.
She felt him back her against the door, tipping her head so that he could kiss her, in a deep, hungry kiss that met her responding passion.
Her hands were all over him, scrabbling to find purchase, pushing under his white shirt which she’d tugged free of his black trousers.
