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He didn’t want to know anything more about his wife than he already did. He didn’t want to delve into her psyche and would not allow her to delve into his.
That chance had long gone.
He took her hands in his and brought them to his lips. ‘I know you find Melissa’s actions painful but all that matters is getting your memories back. Everything will fall into place when they return.’
She held his gaze, the ire slowly evaporating from them until she sighed. ‘It’s not just Melissa. Or you. I feel so out of the loop with everything. I was watching the news earlier and there’s so much happening in the world I know nothing about.’
It was only eight o’clock. ‘How long have you been awake?’
‘A couple of hours. I’ve had so much sleep that I’m all rested out.’
‘You should have woken me.’
‘I knew you’d say that. And I did think about it but, other than my head aching a little, I feel normal. It would have been mean to wake you. Besides, you sleep like the dead.’
‘Fed up of being fussed over?’ he teased.
The wry smile broadened and she sniggered. ‘Fed up and bored rigid. There’s not even any housework for me to do. Everywhere is spotless.’
‘I knew it wouldn’t take long for you to get bored,’ he said smugly. ‘But I have a cure for your boredom. Let’s fly to California tonight. The sun and change of scenery will do you good and being there might act as one of those joggers the specialist spoke about.’
California was where she’d reeled him in like a fish on a hook. It was only fitting he did the same in return.
Her face suddenly brightened. ‘I did have a memory come to me when I was in my dressing room. Nothing significant, just a memory of wearing this shirt.’
A sharp stabbing struck at his brain. ‘It’s your favourite,’ he confirmed, forcing his features to relax. ‘And that memory must be a good sign.’
‘I hope so,’ she said reverently. ‘It’s a start in any case.’
‘It is. So do I tell my crew they’re taking us to California today?’
She thought for a moment then nodded. ‘Do it. It can only help me.’
‘I shall make the call now.’
* * *
‘Aren’t we going to San Francisco?’ Anna asked when Stefano’s driver took them down a different highway from the route she remembered. She’d travelled with him on business to San Francisco a number of times, stopping at a hotel while he would stay in his penthouse apartment.
He grinned. ‘Your amnesia means I get to surprise you twice.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘You’ll see.’
They’d landed on a sunny late afternoon. The Californian warmth felt wonderful on her skin, the majestic redwood trees lining the route as they wound through the mountains...
‘Are we going to Santa Cruz?’ she asked as they drove past a sign with the name of an approaching town she recognised. She’d g
one for a hike in the summer through the Forest of Nisene Marks State Park on her day off during a week spent in the Moretti’s San Francisco building.
‘You’ll see,’ he repeated. He took hold of her hand and brought it to his lips to breathe a kiss across the knuckles.
She snatched it away. ‘Can you stop playing games for two minutes and give me a straight answer?’
Although she’d slept for most of the flight, her body thought it was the early hours of the morning, not the early Californian evening they’d landed in. It was driving her crazy that he wouldn’t give her a straight answer to anything, not even their destination.
He cast her with hurt eyes that didn’t fool her for a second. ‘I like to give you surprises.’
