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Kim nodded tensely, watching him straighten himself in the chair with something approaching panic as her gaze seemed to lock on hard male thighs. ‘The previous owners had resisted the convenience of an artificial fire, so we followed suit,’ she said tightly, her cheeks flushed as she handed him the tray. ‘With central heating the cottage gets as warm as toast but a fire is so cosy on winter nights.’
Kim knew she was speaking too quickly, her words falling over themselves, but she was so flustered it was a miracle she could talk at all, she told her
self desperately.
She smelt like apples and magnolia flowers and baby powder. Lucas felt his body respond to her closeness, the hungry stirring of hard male arousal, and kept his voice easy and cool when he said, ‘This looks wonderful. Thank you.’
‘It’s the least I can do, in the circumstances.’ It wasn’t quite what she had intended to say, or rather his response to her innocent words—the faintly lifted sardonic eyebrow and devastatingly wry twist to his undeniably sexy mouth indicated he had put a different interpretation on her ingenuously polite reply—and Kim found herself scurrying out of the room like a frightened mouse.
Well, she’d handled that well! With the door safely closed behind her Kim sank against it in utter frustration and irritation at her inadequacy. This whole scenario was going from bad to worse.
Melody didn’t help much, once she was in the bath and Kim was helping her wash her hair. ‘I like Lucas.’ It was a definite statement. Melody was one for definite statements and rarely changed her mind about anything.
‘Mr Kane, sweetheart.’ Kim kept her voice casual and very calm. ‘You must call him Mr Kane.’
‘Why?’ A small nose wrinkled bewilderedly.
‘Because…because it’s polite, with him being Mummy’s boss.’
‘I like Mr Kane, then.’ The little soapy body wriggled round so Melody could stare her straight in the eyes. ‘Do you, Mummy? Do you like Mr Kane?’
‘Of course I do,’ Kim said briskly. ‘Now, it’s your night for clean pyjamas, young lady. Do you want your teddy bear ones or the ones with little flowers that Aunty Maggie bought you for Christmas?’
The distraction succeeded. It was an important decision and one which needed some consideration.
It was another ten minutes before Kim led Melody—impossibly angelic in forget-me-not-flowered pyjamas and Minnie Mouse slippers—into the sitting room for a cursory goodnight to Lucas. At least, that was what Kim had planned it would be. Lucas and her daughter had different ideas.
‘I like your pyjamas.’
It was the first thing Lucas said and nothing could have guaranteed his esteem in Melody’s eyes more.
‘Aunty Maggie bought them for me.’ Great dark eyes locked with silver. ‘And Father Christmas brought my slippers. He brought me lots and lots of presents.’
‘Lucky old you.’ Lucas made a funny face. ‘He didn’t bring me anything.’
Melody giggled conspiratorially. ‘That’s because you’re a grown-up, silly.’
‘Oh, is that what it was? I did wonder.’
Melody giggled some more, moving to stand close to his chair with one tiny hand on his knee. ‘You can have one of my chocolates if you like,’ she offered solemnly. ‘I had a big tin and Mummy only lets me have one every night because she wants me to have no fillings in my teeth.’
‘Wise Mummy.’
There were all manner of alarm bells going off in Kim’s mind but before she could say anything Lucas had bent down and lifted Melody onto his lap, his voice a stage whisper as he said, ‘What I would really like is for you to show me that snowman. Would that be okay with you?’
‘Uh-huh.’ Melody had wound one arm round his neck, her small face close to his as she whispered back, ‘His name is Mr Snow. I named him that.’
‘I can’t think of a better name.’
She didn’t like this. She didn’t like this at all. Kim had combed out her severe office braid and changed into jeans and a sweatshirt before going into the garden with Melody, and now she flicked back her heavy fall of hair, her voice sharp as she said, ‘Show Mr Kane the snowman and then it’s bedtime, sweetheart.’
‘Lucas.’ It was quiet and even but something in his tone set Kim’s heart hammering. ‘You can call me Lucas, Melody.’
‘But Mummy said…’
‘Yes?’ Melody had turned to look across at Kim confusedly. ‘What did Mummy say?’ Lucas asked softly.
‘She said I had to call you Mr Kane because it’s polite.’
