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‘What is it?’ Millie slid her hand into the packet and withdrew some discs. ‘What are these?’
‘It’s the CCTV footage of what happened in the pool that day. Take it.’ He leaned forward. ‘It proves that I’m telling the truth.’
‘You had proof?’
‘I have a very sophisticated security system in the house.’
‘But you didn’t show me before?’
Leandro hesitated. ‘Two reasons,’ he said softly. ‘Firstly, because I had this idealistic wish for my wife to have unquestioning faith and trust in me. Secondly, I didn’t want to be the one who exposed your sister for what she was. I’m doing it now because I realise how insecure you are and I don’t want you to feel that way.’
Her heart lifted and sank and Millie looked at him helplessly. ‘So this proves my husband is innocent and my sister is guilty.’
‘Yes.’
Struggling with the truth, she fingered the CDs. ‘When Becca came to stay, I thought she was helping me. But she was targeting you, wasn’t she?’
‘I think we have to assume that.’
Reflecting on that, Millie bit her lip and then put the CDs back in the envelope. ‘Thanks,’ she said gruffly, ‘for giving me the chance to see them. Now I’m the one who owes you an apology.’
‘Aren’t you going to look at them?’
‘No.’ Millie rubbed her fingers over the envelope. ‘I believe you. I think perhaps a small part of me always believed you, but believing you meant accepting that Becca—’ She broke off and Leandro breathed out heavily.
‘I know. I’m sorr
y.’
‘She was my family. Someone I trusted.’ Millie lifted her eyes to his and saw dark shadows there. ‘What? You think I was stupid to trust her?’
‘No.’ His voice was rough. ‘You should be able to trust family. It’s just that sometimes…’ He muttered something under his breath and stood up abruptly. ‘Enough of this, Millie. It’s in the past now.’
Millie looked at him, wondering what was going on in his mind. ‘Leandro—’
‘I want you to forget it,’ he ordered. ‘I want to put it behind us.’
‘But it doesn’t really change the facts! You need a wife who’s able to stand by your side at glittering functions, someone who can hold her own with the elite of Hollywood, politicians, businessmen—’
‘And I have a wife capable of all those things. The only thing she apparently isn’t capable of is believing in herself.’ Leandro reached for her hand across the table. ‘But that is going to change.’
‘I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but you have to be realistic. That actress was right—I’m not your type.’
‘She was trying to destroy your confidence.’ His fingers tightened on hers. ‘Are you going to let her?’
‘Very possibly.’ Millie gave a weak smile. ‘You think I should look in the mirror and say I’m more beautiful than her? I’d have to be treated for hallucinations.’
Leandro gestured to a staff member who was hovering discreetly, and she hurried up and carefully lifted Costas from Millie’s arms.
‘I don’t want him corrupted,’ Leandro said silkily, ‘so I didn’t think he should be here for the next part.’ He stood up and drew her against him intimately, a smile playing around his firm mouth. ‘Are you aware of your own power yet?’
Feeling the hard thrust of his arousal, she looked at him in amused disbelief. ‘You’re insatiable.’
‘With you, yes. You turn me on,’ he breathed, lowering his mouth to hers, ‘and on, and on. All the time. And I want you, all the time. So next time you don’t feel beautiful, remind yourself of that.’
‘So what happens now?’
‘You learn to be yourself. No more dressing as you think you are expected to dress—no more behaving as you are expected to behave. Just be you. Is that so hard?’
