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Deciding that the only way she was going to make it through the evening was to not look at him, or think about him, Lindsay focused all her attention on the actor and his situation.
So he was the one contemplating divorce—
Does his wife know? she wondered. Or was this just an exploratory meeting to ascertain how much a divorce was going to cost him?
‘I should have listened to the old saying—marry in haste, repent at leisure.’ He drained his glass of champagne. ‘Good sex is never a reason to get married.’
‘You sound uncannily like Lindsay,’ Alessio said in a cool tone, a sardonic gleam in his eyes as he glanced at her. ‘She doesn’t approve of relationships based on sex.’
‘On the contrary—’ she lifted her head and smiled ‘—I have no problem with relationships based on sex, providing the parties involved understand that physical chemistry alone isn’t a good basis for marriage. If sex is all you have in common, then fine. Just don’t get married.’
‘That’s the best a
dvice anyone has ever given me. I only wish I’d met you a couple of years ago. You would have saved me a fortune.’ Draining his glass, the actor looked at her thoughtfully. ‘I take it you’re not married?’
‘No.’
‘And you have no problem with relationships based on sex.’
Was it her imagination or was this gorgeous man who was famed for his liaisons with equally gorgeous women actually smiling at her? Flirting with her?
‘I think it’s important to be realistic.’
‘Where have you been all my life?’ The actor was laughing now, a look of sexy invitation in those famous blue eyes. ‘How long are you here for? Come and spend some time with me in Los Angeles after you leave. I’ll show you the sights.’
‘I might just do that.’ Desperately miserable about Alessio and feeling suddenly reckless, Lindsay smiled back at him. Reckless? Since when had reckless been an adjective that applied to her? A week ago she’d never done anything reckless in her life. Now she seemed to be doing nothing but reckless things.
And on top of that it suddenly seemed desperately important to show Alessio that she wasn’t pining. He’d barely glanced in her direction and the message he was sending her had come across loud and clear.
Not interested.
Unlike the actor who barely seemed able to drag his eyes away from her face and body, Alessio seemed hardly to notice her presence. He didn’t address her directly, his gaze didn’t once linger on her bare shoulder or her cleavage and he seemed totally relaxed.
Clearly whatever wild chemistry had possessed him before last night had been extinguished by the heat of that one single encounter.
For him, there was nothing left.
Suddenly it seemed incredibly important for her pride and self-esteem that he didn’t realise just how bad she felt.
And to be fair, it wasn’t exactly his fault that she felt bad, was it?
He hadn’t once lied to her. He hadn’t promised her anything.
He’d been completely true to his nature, which was to keep relationships light and easy.
She was the one who’d broken the rules—by expecting something she couldn’t have.
The actor was gazing at her mouth with ill-concealed fascination. ‘Have you ever been to Hollywood?’
‘Perhaps we ought to dispense with your current wife before you contemplate a replacement,’ Alessio drawled in a soft tone, putting his empty glass on the bar and gesturing towards a table that had been reserved for them in the most secluded area of the Beach Club. ‘Shall we eat?’
Sensing his black mood, Lindsay glanced at him nervously. Was he still annoyed that she’d misinterpreted the whole situation and dressed for a romantic evening?
His client didn’t seem bothered.
In fact he continued to flirt outrageously.
As the staff served them discreetly Alessio turned the conversation to the issue of divorce and asked a number of blunt, specific questions about the actor’s marriage. Very much the lawyer, he was brief and businesslike, reducing the relationship to a series of cold facts.
