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‘It sounds like you tried.’
‘Yeah.’
‘And you’re doing so much for other kids like her.’
She nods, and pushes a smile to her face. ‘Wow. I really tanked the mood
, huh?’
‘I’m glad you told me.’
‘I don’t know why I did. I don’t really talk about Chance to members of the club.’
And despite the seriousness of our conversation, I can’t help smiling. ‘Is that what I am?’
‘Uh huh.’ She pushes up onto my lap, straddling me in the spa. I like her like this. Close and pliant in my arms; her body fits so perfectly with mine.
‘One of the first kids I funded, in the first year of Chance, has just graduated medical school.’ Her smile is bright. ‘She was on the brink of dropping out of school when I met her. In fact, she kind of gave me the idea. I wanted to help her—not a little bit. A lot. I wanted to make it easy for her to study. She was so bright, so bright, and she just couldn’t get a leg-up. That’s what Chance does. You have to bring the attitude and the hope, but we will make it possible for dreams to come true.’
‘I think you’re amazing.’ The words come from me before I can stop them, and I wish I hadn’t said it, because it’s the kind of compliment I usually avoid giving women, for the sense it creates of things meaning more to me than they do. I’m usually more careful.
Fortunately, Imogen doesn’t really react. She makes a little face, an expression of mock coyness, and then pulls away from me, kicking across the hot tub to the other side.
‘This is a nice touch, Lord Rothsmore.’ Her smile is back, and my heart relaxes—I hadn’t realised how much I wanted to see her smile again.
‘What’s that?’ My voice is deep and gruff.
‘The hot tub, the lights, the snow.’
‘I’ll take credit for the hot tub but the rest is just this city.’
‘It’s quite the bachelor pad.’ She looks over her shoulder to the cavernous living space. ‘I can see how you got the reputation for being the Playboy of Manhattan.’
She wiggles her brows, flirty and teasing, light-hearted, except I feel something decidedly heavy flick through me.
‘I’m really not so bad.’
‘No judgement.’ She lifts her hands in front of her. ‘I don’t care.’
There it is again. What do I want? For her to be jealous? That’s kind of petty.
And stupid, given that I’m moving home in a few weeks with every intention of turning my lifestyle on its head completely, meeting someone who I can see a future with. A future that will look nothing like this. I’m not looking for someone I can laugh with and make love to all night long.
‘Do you ever think how different your life would have been if your fiancée hadn’t...?’
‘Left me at the altar in front of our nearest and dearest?’
She winces. ‘That must have sucked.’
I laugh, just a short, sharp noise of agreement. ‘That’s one word for it.’
‘I’m serious. You must have been livid.’
‘I was many things.’ I drain my beer and place it on the edge of the hot tub.
‘Like?’
‘Livid, sure. Hurt. Heartbroken.’ I catch the speculation that sweeps across her expression. ‘That surprises you?’
