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‘I thought you said panties,’ her mother said, setting the tea down.
‘No, I said... I said...tanties. As in tantrums.’
Her mother made a face. ‘Why would you say that?’
‘I was just remembering a message I received the other day. It was nothing.’
‘Was it from that man? The one with the deep voice.’
‘No,’ she lied.
Apparently Dare had called the house a couple of times looking for her. She’d told her parents to act nonchalant and tell him they hadn’t seen her. When they had given her that worried look she’d told them he was Benson’s grandson who had thought she was a gold-digger and been horrible to her.
That had been all it had taken for her father’s spine to stiffen.
‘Oh, well.’ Her mother sipped her tea. ‘He certainly has the looks to back up the voice, but what did you say he was?’
‘An obstinate, hard-headed—’ Carly stopped, eyeballed her mother. ‘How do you know what he looks like? Did you see his picture in the paper or something?’
Her mother cupped her teacup in her hands and looked flustered. ‘Not exactly.’
‘On the Internet?’
‘He was here.’
‘In Liverpool?’ Carly’s heart jumped into her mouth.
‘He said he was in the neighbourhood.’
‘Liverpool is not his neighbourhood, Mum.’
‘I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t confirm you were here, if that’s what you’re worried about.’
Carly relaxed. Slightly.
‘If he’s stalking you—if he hurt you—’
Carly shook her head. ‘He’s not the stalking kind.’
‘Then why was he here?’
‘I’m sure I don’t want to know.’ She frowned. Checked her phone in case she’d missed a call from the Baron or Travelling Angels. She’d resigned from there as soon as she’d left London so she wasn’t expecting a call but if something had happened to Benson she knew they’d inform her.
But there were no messages.
‘Carly, honey, what happened with this Mr James?’
Carly felt her throat close over. When she felt she could talk again she said the first thing that came into her head. ‘I was a fool.’ And then she burst into tears.
‘Oh, honey, I hate to see you cry.’
‘I know... I’m sorry. I just... I have terrible taste in men.’
She swiped at her eyes and grabbed a tissue from the nearby box. Then she told her mother what had happened. How she had tried to resist him but he’d been...
‘The kind of man to make a woman swoon?’ her mother offered.
Carly grimaced. ‘He took my breath away from the first moment I saw him, only he isn’t the kind of man who is interested in long-term relationships and...even worse, he was the same as Daniel.’
‘He cheated on you!’
‘No... I meant...’ Carly swallowed. ‘He didn’t love me either.’
‘Oh, Carly.’
‘It’s okay.’ Carly hiccupped. ‘He isn’t worth it.’
And one day she hoped she’d believe that. She wadded the tissue into a ball and aimed it at the kitchen sink as she and Liv had done as kids.
‘Carly—’ Her mother’s familiar reprimand was cut short by a loud knock at the front door.
Carly glanced at her mother. ‘Are you expecting anyone?’
‘No.’
Her mother got up to go to the door before Carly thought to tell her to ignore it.
Then she heard Dare’s voice and immediately swiped at her eyes and straightened her shoulders.
When he walked in she caught her breath. Once again he was dressed in head-to-toe black leather so she knew he’d ridden his bike up from London, but gone was the cocky charmer who had nearly run her down and in his place was a man who looked as if he’d forgotten how to shave or sleep.
A deep yearning careened around inside her chest and it took all Carly’s effort not to act like Benson’s ratty little dog and bound into his arms. Especially when she no doubt looked just like Gregory with her unkempt hair and her mother’s thirty-year-old dressing gown over her old pyjamas. Why was it that she had a cupboard full of nice clothes but this man never caught her wearing anything decent?
