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‘Hello, Amelia and Daisy,’ he said smilingly. ‘Who is who?’ He crouched down to make himself less intimidating.
‘I’m Amelia. She’s Daisy.’
One of the twins was burying her face in her mother’s neck but the other little
girl surveyed him with the penetrating, steady gaze of a child as she spoke. Steel nodded at the tiny figure. ‘My name’s Steel Landry, Amelia.’
‘Steel?’ The minute nose wrinkled. ‘That’s not a name, that’s what things are made out of.’
‘It’s what I’m made out of,’ he counteracted swiftly as Toni murmured an agonised ‘Amelia'.
‘Like a robot?’ Amelia asked interestedly.
‘Sort of.’ Steel found himself laughing.
The little girl thought for a moment, then she said, ‘There’s a boy at nursery, his name’s Tyler, and he’s always picking on Daisy. If I tell him my mummy’s got a friend who’s made of steel I bet he won’t pick on her again.’
‘It’s worth a try,’ said Steel seriously.
Amelia beamed. ‘I’ll tell him tomorrow.’
‘Hello, Mr Landry.’ Toni’s mother tottered towards him, holding out her hand. ‘It’s very nice to meet you. Can I offer you a coffee? My husband’s just made a fresh pot.’
Toni was looking at her mother and he could see her rejection of the idea on her face before she had time to hide it. It was the spur he needed to answer, ‘That would be most welcome. Thank you. If you’re sure it’s no trouble.’
Crazy. As he followed the women and children into the house Steel knew he was playing with fire. This was a woman with more baggage than royalty travelled with, but it didn’t make any difference. It should have; everything in his orderly, controlled life to date was screaming that fact at him. But it didn’t. He wanted to see her in her natural habitat and the fascination wouldn’t be denied. He might regret it—he very probably would, he acknowledged wryly, but he hadn’t got to where he was today without taking chances.
He needed to—he had to—peek under the façade Toni presented to the world and see her, the real woman. He’d ached with a combination of lust and uncertainty since the first moment he’d laid eyes on her and that just wasn’t the way he was made. He was a mature, experienced man, rational and logical, even sagacious. He didn’t do reckless and impetuous, he told himself again.
‘Are you very old?’
Amelia faced him in the small narrow hall and, somewhat taken aback, Steel murmured, ‘Not very old, no.’
‘My grandad is. He’s got white hair. When he came to our sports day last week he couldn’t run in the fathers’ race and Tyler said he was rubbish.’
Steel found he didn’t like this Tyler very much.
‘Amelia, that’s enough.’ Toni’s face was burning. ‘I want you and Daisy to go up and get ready for your bath and I’ll come up in a minute. OK? Go on, scoot.’
Steel found himself practically pushed through a door that led to a compact little kitchen and dining room, then out into a patio area where a tall, slightly stooped man rose to shake his hand. ‘I’m Toni’s father, Mr Landry. William Otley. Do sit down. I normally have a cup of coffee out of the way here while the twins get ready for bed. I find I’m in great need of the caffeine.’ He grinned. ‘I’m not as young as I used to be.’
Steel smiled back. ‘I can imagine they keep you on your toes.’
‘Oh, yes, but I wouldn’t miss a minute.’ Toni was hovering at their side and now her father turned to her. ‘Go and see to the girls, dear. I’ll look after Mr Landry.’
Her hesitation was visible. She clearly wanted him anywhere but here, Steel thought grimly.
She gave him a hunted smile, murmuring something about she wouldn’t be long, and then reluctantly went back into the house.
Steel smiled faintly to himself. Whether she liked it or not she wasn’t indifferent to him as a man; the way she had stilled in his arms had told him that. It was a start.
Yes, another part of his mind answered wryly. But a start to what?
CHAPTER FIVE
‘YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE asked him in for coffee.’ Toni fairly hissed the words in her mother’s ear as they presided over the girls’ undressing. ‘You really shouldn’t have.’
‘Why ever not, dear?’ Vivienne said airily.
