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‘Well, she didn’t intimidate me, if that’s what you’re wondering.’
‘Did she have a go?’
‘Not really, but she was a bit surprised and put out to find out who I was, Nicky’s nanny, your PA, et cetera. But one thing I did notice about her, Max. She seemed to be genuinely concerned about you. She seemed to read—do you remember what kind of mood you were in that night?’ He nodded after a moment. ‘Well, she seemed to read it and I’m sure she was really worried for you.’
He said nothing as he watched a bay cruiser steam past, then, ‘Why do I get the feeling you’ll even be able to handle Livvy?’
‘I don’t know.’
He reached over and took her hand. ‘I do. You really think about other people, don’t you?’
‘I guess I do.’
‘It’s one of the things I love about you.’
Meeting Nicky again had been delightful.
He’d greeted her like a long-lost friend and told her please not to go away again, he didn’t like it and neither did Nemo.
‘Well, look at you, Nemo! Goodness me! You’ve grown!’ she enthused.
‘And he does tricks now. Watch this!’
Nicky made an imaginary gun of his hand and pointed it at the dog saying, ‘Bang! Bang!’
Nemo keeled over and played dead.
‘I’m just so impressed,’ Alex said through her laughter. ‘Did you teach him that all on your own?’
‘No. My dad did it. He used to have a dog when he was a kid like me,’ Nicky said with unmistakable pride.
Alex had expected that meeting Cathy again for the first time would be difficult, but it had proved easier than expected.
‘I should probably feel like scratching your eyes out,?
?? Cathy said, ‘but some people are just so damn genuine you can’t be annoyed with them. What made him finally admit he couldn’t live without you?’ she asked curiously.
‘It was his birthday,’ Alex replied, then looked a little embarrassed. ‘That doesn’t make much sense, probably.’
Cathy shrugged. ‘So long as it does to you.’
Alex hesitated. ‘How are you? I hope you’ll forgive me for laying down the law the way I did the last time we met?’
‘Yes,’ Cathy said briefly, then sighed. ‘Between you and my mother’s passing away, I got a wake-up call. I think I’ve got my priorities sorted out now. And I have to say Max has—well, he’s shown no desire to use Nicky like a tool between us or to alienate him from me. Above all, Nicky is happy, he’s happy with me, he’s happy with Max.’ But she looked faintly troubled.
‘Cathy, I will never try to take your place with Nicky, I swear,’ Alex said quietly.
Cathy Spencer showed her own moment’s hesitation, then she put her hand over Alex’s. ‘Thanks.’
But the next cameo was harder to handle.
Since they’d found each other, Alex had resigned her job because the thought of being apart was intolerable, but living together in the same house, or the penthouse, while not sharing a bed, had its own strains.
And one evening when they’d been lying in each other’s arms in the den, listening to music, Alex detected tension in the air between them. It was hard not to when he got up rather abruptly and said he was going out for a breath of air.
If he was sharing the same level of wildfire in his veins as she was, she reasoned, if he was tingling with desire too, under normal circumstances it wouldn’t be unreasonable to make love. They were engaged, it was three weeks to the wedding but, as it was, he was still wearing a brace and had been specifically warned not to do certain things. Sex was one of them.
But there would be ways, she thought, and wished suddenly she weren’t so completely inexperienced, ways to provide relief for him at least.
