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This was not what he’d expected. It had never occurred to him that Libby could be living with someone.
His reaction to the evidence that she had another man in her life was so intense that he sucked in a breath as he felt a rush of that most basic of emotions—
Jealousy.
The man extended a hand, his expression friendly. ‘I’m Alex—Libby’s brother. You must be the guy who bought her. I tell you now, you should get yourself a refund. The girl’s high maintenance and she costs a fortune in chocolate and shoes.’
Brother?
The tension left his shoulders and Andreas smiled warmly. The knowledge that she lived with her brother and not her boyfriend caused him a significant amount of relief.
‘Come on in.’ Alex stood to one side to let him pass. ‘The girls are in the bedroom. I don’t know what’s going on but there’s lots of giggling.’
‘It was kind of her to bring Adrienne home.’ Andreas glanced around him, noticing the elegance of the spacious apartment. ‘Your sister is good with children.’
Alex gave a short laugh. ‘Better with children than she is with adults. Can I get you a drink?’
Andreas smiled and shook his head. ‘No, thanks. I need to take Adrienne back to school.’ He ran a hand over his darkened jaw. ‘That’s if I can persuade her to go back.’
At that moment a door opened and Adrienne came flying out, her face happy and smiling.
‘Guess what? Libby’s promised to pick me up from school and take me shopping one day soon.’
She had? Why would she do a thing like that?
Andreas hid his surprise. A day shopping with a twelve-year-old girl bent on choosing a totally unsuitable wardrobe wasn’t his idea of relaxation. Why would Libby have volunteered for the task? She had no reason to want to help Adrienne.
He looked at Libby curiously but she carefully avoided his gaze.
Adrienne slipped an arm through his and looked sheepish. ‘I’m sorry I ran away. Did you ring the school? Were they furious?’
‘Yes, I rang and, no, they weren’t furious. They were worried.’ Andreas rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, wondering how he was going to help her to settle in. For all his experience with women, he knew nothing about twelve-year-old girls. ‘It’s a good school, Adrienne.’
Adrienne pulled a face. ‘I suppose the teachers are OK but I haven’t got any friends.’
‘You’ve only been there for a week,’ Libby said quietly. ‘These things take time. Remember what we said.’
‘Yeah.’ Adrienne nodded and then looked at Andreas. ‘Can we go for a pizza before you take me back?’
Relieved to have avoided a long drawn-out debate about whether she should go back at all, Andreas smiled. Whatever Libby had said to the child, it had obviously made an impact. ‘Yes, we can go for pizza.’
‘And can Libby come?’
Libby stiffened. ‘I don’t think—’
‘Of course she can,’ Andreas said smoothly, ignoring the furious look she shot him. ‘It’s the least I can do after the hospitality she offered you tonight.’
‘Fantastic. I just need to say goodbye to Alex.’ Adrienne hurried off towards the kitchen and Libby looked at Andreas angrily.
‘I’ve already told you, I don’t go on dates.’
‘If you think that eating pizza with a twelve-year-old is my idea of a date, you’re in for a pleasant surprise when I finally take you out,’ Andreas drawled. ‘You can relax. This is Adrienne’s evening. You’re quite safe.’
She sucked in a breath. ‘Don’t you understand no? Do I need to learn Greek?’
‘It’s just a pizza, Libby,’ he said mildly, noticing with satisfaction that she seemed very tense. She definitely wasn’t indifferent to him. ‘Trust me, when we go on our date, we won’t be eating pizza.’
‘I won’t go on a date with you.’ Her eyes clashed with his and her blue eyes sparked. ‘I don’t want to go on a date with anyone.’
