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‘Don’t be silly, it was a long time ago, Kay.’
His voice was too controlled, almost flat, and revealed far more about how he really felt than she knew he would have liked. The accident might have occurred a long time ago but he wasn’t over it, not by a long chalk. He had kept his back to her as he had spoken and as Kay stared at the tall, broad figure the urge to comfort him was so strong it shocked her. He was hurting, he’d been hurting for a long while but he’d never let anyone see, she realised with sudden intuition. She followed through on this last thought when she said softly, ‘Did you have counselling after it had happened?’
‘Counselling?’ He had poured them both another cocktail and now he turned to face her, and she saw immediately his face was closed against her. ‘I didn’t need any mumbo-jumbo of that kind,’ he said evenly. ‘The accident had happened, they’d gone, and at times like that you can only rely on yourself to get through.’
‘But you were just a boy—’
‘I was fifteen years old, Kay, not a small child, and more than able to look after myself.’ He had reached her side and now handed her the glass, adding, ‘As it seemed you did after your marriage breakup.’
‘That was different; I was a grown woman.’
‘Oh, believe me, I’d been a man for years—’ He broke off but not be
fore Kay had glimpsed something raw in his face, something that stopped her breath. What on earth had gone on in his home for him to look like that? she asked herself silently. Whatever it had been it had affected the child Mitchell so badly it had crippled the man. One thing was for sure, the façade of cool, successful man of the world who had everything he wanted and who controlled himself and everyone else was just that—a façade.
She took a sip of her drink, her stomach trembling. She didn’t want to go down this road, she told herself shakily, not with Mitchell Grey. While she could think of him as robot man—someone cold and ruthless and detached from normal life—she could keep him at a distance. This growing conflict within herself was not good. It was not good at all.
‘Your mother told me how she came to be living with you and your children.’ He’d reseated himself and it was clear he was changing the subject. ‘It couldn’t have been an easy time for you, your father dying so soon after the twins were born, but she said you were her rock.’
‘Did she?’ She hoped that was all her mother had said.
‘You look too delicate and slender to be anyone’s rock, but I’m beginning to understand that appearances are deceptive where you’re concerned,’ he murmured thoughtfully, his voice smoky rich again.
She could say she’d just been thinking the same about him, Kay thought wryly, but she wouldn’t.
‘It was a brave decision, to leave your job and flat and come back to take care of Leonora.’
Kay looked him in the eye. ‘She’d have your guts for garters if she heard you put it like that,’ she said drily, ‘besides which it isn’t really true. She went through a bad patch, admittedly, but there was no taking care of in any physical sense. She just needed us around and having to look after the twins while I worked was therapeutic. She’s not weak,’ she added as though he’d intimated it. ‘She’s a very strong woman at heart.’
‘You must love her very much.’
‘Of course I do.’ She looked at him in surprise. ‘She’s my mother.’
‘The two things aren’t necessarily synonymous.’ He stared at her with shuttered eyes as he drank.
There had been no inflexion in his voice to make her suspect he wasn’t speaking generally, but she knew he was referring to his own mother. She swallowed hard. ‘No, I guess not,’ she said quietly before glancing round the drawing room and purposely making her voice light as she said, ‘Do you know, I think the whole of the downstairs of my cottage would fit into this one room. You must be able to give some wild parties here.’
‘Frenzied,’ he agreed with a sexy grin, which made her breathing decidedly disjointed. ‘Fancy coming to one?’
‘When?’
‘We could start right now, if you like. Two can party just fine.’
‘That wasn’t the sort of party I was referring to,’ she reproved him firmly.
‘Pity. They’re by far the best kind.’
He slanted a wicked look at her under half-closed lids, which was so hammed up Kay just had to laugh, even as she thought, He’s like a chameleon, this man, with more personalities than I’ve had hot dinners.
‘So, what do you normally do for relaxation?’ he asked lazily, his eyes moving from the burnished curls tumbling about her shoulders, over creamy smooth skin before becoming fixed on her mouth.
Relaxation? Was that the few brief minutes between giving a hundred and ten per cent to her job, the twins, her mother and a hundred and one things besides? Moments that occurred rarely and usually when she was so tired all she wanted was a hot bath and an early night? Kay smiled coolly, pretending not to notice the way his eyes were stroking her mouth. ‘This and that,’ she said airily.
‘Leonora said you don’t go out nearly enough.’
She’d have a word with her mother when she got home! ‘Really?’ It was frosty.
‘In fact she said you don’t go out at all,’ he said silkily.
