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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.
