more difficult for you. Imagine if he had come on the scene, tried to get custody and failed.'
'Yeah, I suppose.'
'Mr Brown did keep in touch and between him and Daniel encouraged your music. They kept an eye on you from a distance Ella. You may not feel it just now but it does sound as if Daniel genuinely cares about you and has wanted what was best for you. Mistakenly, perhaps he thought staying away was also best for you. He didn't have to come and tell you tonight, he could have gone to ground and ignored it, but he sought you out. He wanted you to have prior warning. Sounds like he loves you Ella.' When she stayed silent, he decided to hit home the last point.
'Sounds like he'd like to be a part of your life now.'
He sat her up so he could see her clearly. 'The question is, are you going to let him? Are you going to contact him again?'
'I don't know,' she whispered, sounding torn between her pain and wanting to get to know the man who had unwittingly given her life.
Matt gave her another lingering kiss and pulled her to him for a hug.
'Well, it's very late. Go sleep on it and see how you feel in the morning.' He looked at his watch. 'Wow, it's two o'clock. I'd better be off. The press may come after you tomorrow and I don't want to stir the pot any more for you by being caught coming out of your apartment!'
*
Matt encouraged her off his lap and stood up.
'How are you going to get back? You could stay if you like.'
Matt gave her a knowing look.
'In the spare room!'
'Pity.'
Ella playfully batted him on the arm. 'Don't you ever think of anything else?'
He whispered in her ear. 'I can think of lots of things…' he paused, '…I'd like to do with you Daniella Lewis-Cannon.'
She stepped back.
Laughing, he said 'but not tonight. One day soon. You have enough to contend with just now. At least you'll be out in Quinaard soon and the press will hopefully move on to another target while you're gone.'
'Oh, I almost forgot I was going there.' Ella looked anxious.
'Hey, you'll love it. Azzam might flirt outrageously with you but you'll be safe. Remember I'll be there too. I won't be busy in the kitchen getting the banquet ready all the time. And anyway, as a matter of honour, Azzam would never touch someone else's woman.' With that he kissed her on the cheek and slipped his jacket on.
'And whose woman would I be exactly?'
'Mine.'
'Oh, is that right?'
'Oh yes.'
Ella felt a warm glow at having him state that so categorically but now felt anxious for an altogether different reason - how long would he think that, particularly when she couldn't get beyond the rape. A man like Matt wouldn't wait around for her to overcome her fears for too long.
She noticed his car keys in his hand.
'I thought you'd come with Zander to the concert?'
'I did. We drove to Elephant and Castle and then took the Tube in.'
'Then how did he get home?'
'Zander was right behind me when we overheard Daniel's revelation. We left to go home but by the time we'd got to the Underground, I'd decided I was coming here. I left Zander to head for home whilst I headed back to Elephant and Castle to get the car.'
Ella winced. 'Bet he just loved being abandoned! Did he say anything?'
'Not a lot. He did mutter something about being a white knight, but over the years, I've learnt it's best to just ignore his fishing attempts.'
'But won't he….' Matt put his finger against her lips.
'Ella, Zander was fine. He can ask all he likes and ponder all he likes, put two and two together and think he's got the right answer, but he knows I don't say anything I don't want to. He may wonder how well I know you and he may take the piss out of me but he trusts my judgement. Besides, I'm the eldest, what can he do?' Matt grinned that big, wide, gorgeous grin of his and Ella couldn't help but smile.
'Better.' He liked that she'd finally smiled. 'In my experience with the press, you're better to be upfront with a statement - they like digging but if you open up
'Yeah, I suppose.'
'Mr Brown did keep in touch and between him and Daniel encouraged your music. They kept an eye on you from a distance Ella. You may not feel it just now but it does sound as if Daniel genuinely cares about you and has wanted what was best for you. Mistakenly, perhaps he thought staying away was also best for you. He didn't have to come and tell you tonight, he could have gone to ground and ignored it, but he sought you out. He wanted you to have prior warning. Sounds like he loves you Ella.' When she stayed silent, he decided to hit home the last point.
'Sounds like he'd like to be a part of your life now.'
He sat her up so he could see her clearly. 'The question is, are you going to let him? Are you going to contact him again?'
'I don't know,' she whispered, sounding torn between her pain and wanting to get to know the man who had unwittingly given her life.
Matt gave her another lingering kiss and pulled her to him for a hug.
'Well, it's very late. Go sleep on it and see how you feel in the morning.' He looked at his watch. 'Wow, it's two o'clock. I'd better be off. The press may come after you tomorrow and I don't want to stir the pot any more for you by being caught coming out of your apartment!'
*
Matt encouraged her off his lap and stood up.
'How are you going to get back? You could stay if you like.'
Matt gave her a knowing look.
'In the spare room!'
'Pity.'
Ella playfully batted him on the arm. 'Don't you ever think of anything else?'
He whispered in her ear. 'I can think of lots of things…' he paused, '…I'd like to do with you Daniella Lewis-Cannon.'
She stepped back.
Laughing, he said 'but not tonight. One day soon. You have enough to contend with just now. At least you'll be out in Quinaard soon and the press will hopefully move on to another target while you're gone.'
'Oh, I almost forgot I was going there.' Ella looked anxious.
'Hey, you'll love it. Azzam might flirt outrageously with you but you'll be safe. Remember I'll be there too. I won't be busy in the kitchen getting the banquet ready all the time. And anyway, as a matter of honour, Azzam would never touch someone else's woman.' With that he kissed her on the cheek and slipped his jacket on.
'And whose woman would I be exactly?'
'Mine.'
'Oh, is that right?'
'Oh yes.'
Ella felt a warm glow at having him state that so categorically but now felt anxious for an altogether different reason - how long would he think that, particularly when she couldn't get beyond the rape. A man like Matt wouldn't wait around for her to overcome her fears for too long.
She noticed his car keys in his hand.
'I thought you'd come with Zander to the concert?'
'I did. We drove to Elephant and Castle and then took the Tube in.'
'Then how did he get home?'
'Zander was right behind me when we overheard Daniel's revelation. We left to go home but by the time we'd got to the Underground, I'd decided I was coming here. I left Zander to head for home whilst I headed back to Elephant and Castle to get the car.'
Ella winced. 'Bet he just loved being abandoned! Did he say anything?'
'Not a lot. He did mutter something about being a white knight, but over the years, I've learnt it's best to just ignore his fishing attempts.'
'But won't he….' Matt put his finger against her lips.
'Ella, Zander was fine. He can ask all he likes and ponder all he likes, put two and two together and think he's got the right answer, but he knows I don't say anything I don't want to. He may wonder how well I know you and he may take the piss out of me but he trusts my judgement. Besides, I'm the eldest, what can he do?' Matt grinned that big, wide, gorgeous grin of his and Ella couldn't help but smile.
'Better.' He liked that she'd finally smiled. 'In my experience with the press, you're better to be upfront with a statement - they like digging but if you open up
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