AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Lexi stopped at the sound of his voice. She had been so deep in thought she had put on Leo’s linen robe and was halfway across the room and hadn’t even realised she’d moved.
She hesitated, wishing he would put some clothes on. ‘You didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk.’
‘I’m rarely in the mood for the type of conversation you want to have, angel.’
‘A personal one?’
‘An interrogation.’
Lexi thought of her parents. Of Brandon. And then an image of the family on Santorini swam into her consciousness. She wasn’t silly enough to idealise that they were the perfect couple—everyone had some sort of issue to contend with—but the fact was they were a couple. They had committed to be together for the long haul. Lexi’s father had never married her mother and if she continued sleeping with Leo she would be doing so knowing that the end of their relationship was also marked in the sand.
She thought of the needy, clinging woman her mother had become and Lexi didn’t want that for herself. She didn’t want to become a victim and right now she felt like both! She liked being in control of her life and falling in love with a man who had no intention of loving her back was certain to erode even the most confident woman’s self-esteem.
And maybe it hadn’t been the elusive Sasha on the phone. Maybe it had been Amanda. And maybe she could just quit with all the guesswork and ask him.
‘I was curious as to who was on the phone,’ she defended herself. ‘I think that’s fairly normal.’
He stared at her for so long Lexi’s eyes started to drift down the impressive lines of his taut body, only to snap back up when he said, ‘It was my mother.’
‘Your mother?’
‘She calls this time every year.’
He looked as if he regretted adding that but Lexi was not in the mood to let him off the hook. ‘Why?’
His hesitation was fleeting, but Lexi caught it. ‘It’s my birthday, angel.’ His smile didn’t meet his eyes and Lexi stared dazedly as he moved towards the bathroom.
His birthday! ‘Were you going to tell me?’
And his mother was still alive?
Lexi’s mind reeled. His online biography had informed her that his mother had passed away and she’d forgotten it was false. Only half aware of what she was doing, she followed him into the bathroom and saw him shrug as he stopped in front of the mirror. ‘I hadn’t thought of it.’
‘Birthdays are special, Leo.’
‘Maybe in your world. In mine they are just another day.’
‘I didn’t realise your mother was still alive.’
He gazed into her eyes briefly in the mirror before they slid lower down her body, one hand rubbing his jaw. ‘I noticed this morning that the inside of your thighs are a little red so I thought I might shave this off.’
Lexi’s heart thundered at the image his words brought to mind but she ignored it. ‘Do you still see her?’
His eyes narrowed on hers. ‘What did I tell you? An interrogation.’
Lexi blew out a breath. He was right. She did want to interrogate him. But that was only because he wouldn’t talk to her. And if he wasn’t going to talk to her, why was she still standing there?
Shaking her head at herself, she walked out of the room, surprised when she heard his voice behind her.
‘It’s not like you to walk out on an argument, angel.’
She turned, glad that he had slung a towel around his hips. Not that it hid much … She forced her eyes to his and noticed he was looking at the necklace she was fondling. ‘I just need some space.’
The scowl on his face deepened. ‘Why?’
She threw her hands up in front of her. For an astute man, he could be terribly obtuse at times. ‘Because you have things you don’t want to discuss and I’m not good with that.’
He paced away from her. ‘This is why I don’t do relationships.’
