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She stepped out of the shower and looked into the mirror, barely turning as Daniil, dressed in black jeans and a black crew-neck, came and stood behind her.
Apart from naked, she had never seen him out of a suit and she was angry that he looked better, if possible. Unshaven, scowling, his expression matched her mood.
‘You didn’t knock.’
‘You know how I feel about knocking,’ he said. ‘What’s wrong, Libby?’ He gave a hollow laugh at his own question. ‘Aside from me not coming back last night, but we were fine until then.’
‘No,’ Libby corrected. ‘We weren’t.’
She was naked but she never felt that with him and unabashed she turned and faced him.
‘Has there been anyone else since me?’
He blinked at her forthright question and, guessing this was still about Charlotte, he just shrugged. There was no need to be evasive or to think so he simply answered, ‘No.’
‘So we’ve been seeing each other for a month?’
‘I don’t think it’s been a month.’
Now he was being evasive.
‘Yes.’ Libby nodded and then proceeded to tick off their encounters on her fingers. ‘It has been—we had dinner and then the next week I came by your office and then the next week you came by my studio and then the next week here we are.’
‘And tonight I am going overseas on business for a few nights,’ Daniil said. He didn’t like a numbers game; he didn’t want it confirmed but they had been together a month. ‘I don’t get your point.’
‘Then, I’ll explain it.’
She had nothing to lose, not even her pride—that had long since gone out of the window where Daniil was concerned. She was tired of things being one-sided, tired of expending emotion on a man who was so reluctant to give it back.
‘I don’t have your phone number,’ she said. ‘Your apartment is like Fort Knox and your receptionist is so intimidating I can’t imagine myself popping in...’
‘I don’t get where you’re going with this.’
‘Then, listen,’ Libby said. ‘I want flowers, I want conversation, I want phone calls and texts and presents...’ He went to open his mouth but she got there first. ‘And before you accuse me of demanding expensive gifts, that’s not what I mean. I’m tired of living on a knife edge. It’s not all about whether you want to see me again, Daniil. It’s about whether or not I want to see you, too, and if you can’t be bothered to pick up your phone and ask about my day then I don’t want you to be a part of it anymore.’
She was through with prolonging endings. If they were over, if he couldn’t offer more than a weekly visit, then they were done.
‘Is that it?’ he said.
‘That’s it,’ she replied, and brushed past him to the bedroom, where she opened the overnight bag that she had packed with such hope and, of course, that wasn’t quite it.
‘Don’t think you can return from your business trip and pick up where we left off.’
‘Why would I want to pick up where we left off? From what I recall, last night wasn’t exactly—’
‘It’s not all about sex.’
‘Actually, for me, it is.’
‘Then, you really did bring the wrong date last night.’
‘I don’t like pushy—’
‘Same answer,’ Libby responded. ‘You’re with the wrong person, then. I’m affectionate, I’m demonstrative, that’s who I am. If you want some nonchalant lover then you’re with the wrong woman. I’m not going to pretend I don’t care just because that’s what you’d prefer.’
‘Have you finished?’
‘Yes.’
She had.
Libby was as lovely with his parents as she had been on arrival and as Marcus came from the helicopter where he had deposited their luggage she gave him a fond hug.
Yet as the helicopter lifted off there was no touching hands this time. Instead, she closed her eyes and dozed for the journey home.
Even on the car ride back to her flat she was silent.
‘When I get back maybe we could...’ Daniil started, but she was already climbing out of the car.
She could see the curtain flickering and knew Rachel would be waiting for an update and would scold her for not playing it cool. But where Daniil was concerned there was no such thing as lukewarm; there was no question now of sitting on the fence and waiting to see what his next move would be.
