slowly, his mind in freefall trying to imagine why she was calling. ‘When did you have in mind?’
‘Are you free now? I’ve just finished work. I could come to you.’
‘Sure, I’m here. Can you remember the way or do you want me to come and get you?’
‘No, stay there, I’ll come,’ she said, and headed for the exit.
Luca tidied the sitting room and put his empty mug into the dishwasher while he waited. He couldn’t imagine what she wanted. He could dream, he could fantasise, but he had no real idea, and her distant greeting this morning—her distance all day, really—hadn’t given him much fuel for the fantasy.
The bell rang and he let her in, taking in her pallor and the tight line of her lips. It didn’t look like she was about to give in to him, he thought with regret, and hung her coat on the end of the banisters. Maybe she just wanted to talk—perhaps to tell him whatever it was that was getting in the way of them having a relationship. Hallelujah! And then maybe they could make some progress.
‘What can I get you to drink?’
‘Um—have you got any fruit juice?’ she asked, part of her wanting to stall and the other part wanting to get it over with quick before she lost her courage.
‘Sure. Apple and mango again?’
‘Lovely,’ she said, following him and hugging her elbows.
He poured her a glass, made himself a coffee then led her into the sitting room, gesturing to the pair of leather sofas that sat at right angles to each other. She perched on the edge of one, and he sat on the other, and silence settled over them.
‘So why did you want to see me?’ he said eventually, andshe swallowed hard. There was no easy way to do this, so she might just as well get it over with. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and met his eyes.
‘I think I might be pregnant.’
CHAPTER FIVE
L UCA FELT THE blood drain from his face. ‘Pregnant?’
‘I—I think so.’
His heart thudded hard against his ribs, her words so unexpected they’d caught him completely off guard. ‘And it’s mine?’ he asked, his voice rough even to his ears.
She stared at him, her eyes blank. ‘Well—of course it’s yours.’
‘There hasn’t been anybody else?’
‘No. No! Not for years. You know I don’t do relationships, and I certainly don’t do one-night stands.’
‘But you’re on the Pill,’ he challenged, pushing her, while the blood roared in his ears and the sense of déjà vu threatened to swamp him.
‘To control my cycle. Nothing else. Luca, if I am pregnant, it’s definitely yours.’ And he could tell from her eyes that it was the truth.
He felt the shockwave go through him, and closed his eyes briefly, setting his coffee down with a little clatter into the saucer before looking up at her.
But her eyes were on the cup, and she swallowed hard. ‘Bathroom,’ she muttered, and, crashing her glass down onto the table, she fled into the hall.
‘On the right,’ he yelled, following her, but she’d found it, slamming the door behind her and leaving him in limbo. Did he follow her? Hold her hair? Or give her her dignity? He waited, while the emotions roiled through him, his heart pounding, until he heard the loo flush and water running.
Then he tapped on the door and met her wary eyes as she opened it, his heart beating heavily in his chest as they stood looking at each other in silence. Action and reaction, he thought, and asked the question that had been burning a hole in him for the past few minutes.
‘Isabelle, when you say you think… ’
‘I did a test.’
Hell. ‘And?’
‘It was a bit inconclusive.’
Well, the last few minutes wasn’t, he thought drily, and felt a skitter of nerves. ‘When was your last period?’ he asked, his voice deadly soft as he tried to stay calm.
She gave a tiny, defensive shrug. ‘Last week. But it was light,’ she added. ‘So was the one before.’
‘So—it’s nearly seven weeks since Florence, which would make you…’
She
‘Are you free now? I’ve just finished work. I could come to you.’
‘Sure, I’m here. Can you remember the way or do you want me to come and get you?’
‘No, stay there, I’ll come,’ she said, and headed for the exit.
Luca tidied the sitting room and put his empty mug into the dishwasher while he waited. He couldn’t imagine what she wanted. He could dream, he could fantasise, but he had no real idea, and her distant greeting this morning—her distance all day, really—hadn’t given him much fuel for the fantasy.
The bell rang and he let her in, taking in her pallor and the tight line of her lips. It didn’t look like she was about to give in to him, he thought with regret, and hung her coat on the end of the banisters. Maybe she just wanted to talk—perhaps to tell him whatever it was that was getting in the way of them having a relationship. Hallelujah! And then maybe they could make some progress.
‘What can I get you to drink?’
‘Um—have you got any fruit juice?’ she asked, part of her wanting to stall and the other part wanting to get it over with quick before she lost her courage.
‘Sure. Apple and mango again?’
‘Lovely,’ she said, following him and hugging her elbows.
He poured her a glass, made himself a coffee then led her into the sitting room, gesturing to the pair of leather sofas that sat at right angles to each other. She perched on the edge of one, and he sat on the other, and silence settled over them.
‘So why did you want to see me?’ he said eventually, andshe swallowed hard. There was no easy way to do this, so she might just as well get it over with. Taking a deep breath, she looked up and met his eyes.
‘I think I might be pregnant.’
CHAPTER FIVE
L UCA FELT THE blood drain from his face. ‘Pregnant?’
‘I—I think so.’
His heart thudded hard against his ribs, her words so unexpected they’d caught him completely off guard. ‘And it’s mine?’ he asked, his voice rough even to his ears.
She stared at him, her eyes blank. ‘Well—of course it’s yours.’
‘There hasn’t been anybody else?’
‘No. No! Not for years. You know I don’t do relationships, and I certainly don’t do one-night stands.’
‘But you’re on the Pill,’ he challenged, pushing her, while the blood roared in his ears and the sense of déjà vu threatened to swamp him.
‘To control my cycle. Nothing else. Luca, if I am pregnant, it’s definitely yours.’ And he could tell from her eyes that it was the truth.
He felt the shockwave go through him, and closed his eyes briefly, setting his coffee down with a little clatter into the saucer before looking up at her.
But her eyes were on the cup, and she swallowed hard. ‘Bathroom,’ she muttered, and, crashing her glass down onto the table, she fled into the hall.
‘On the right,’ he yelled, following her, but she’d found it, slamming the door behind her and leaving him in limbo. Did he follow her? Hold her hair? Or give her her dignity? He waited, while the emotions roiled through him, his heart pounding, until he heard the loo flush and water running.
Then he tapped on the door and met her wary eyes as she opened it, his heart beating heavily in his chest as they stood looking at each other in silence. Action and reaction, he thought, and asked the question that had been burning a hole in him for the past few minutes.
‘Isabelle, when you say you think… ’
‘I did a test.’
Hell. ‘And?’
‘It was a bit inconclusive.’
Well, the last few minutes wasn’t, he thought drily, and felt a skitter of nerves. ‘When was your last period?’ he asked, his voice deadly soft as he tried to stay calm.
She gave a tiny, defensive shrug. ‘Last week. But it was light,’ she added. ‘So was the one before.’
‘So—it’s nearly seven weeks since Florence, which would make you…’
She
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